Is there any benefit with using a travel agent?

[iancal]

It will be a challenge for us. Our on line TA left the business over a year ago. 

 

We will either get a recommendation from someone or go back to using that on linw bidding site where multiple TA's provide a price on the specific ship, date, itinerary, cabin that you have selected.     

[wrk2cruise]

12 minutes ago, tfred said:

The value part of the TA seems to be on more complicated trips that involve airfare, hotels, tours etc or locations where the traveler really needs help to plan and organize.  

 

Yes and I think that's the issue.  It's not black and white.  If you are expecting a TA to do that for you I don't think you can expect that from someone who is giving you a good chunk of their commission and is more of a broker.   A good local TA is good for these cases where you can go sit down with them (well you used to be able to).

 

That is why I only refer people to my online TA if their expectations match mine.  The really just handle booking and any changes.  I do all the pre/post stuff and research of the cruise itself.   We used the local TA to do Galapagos Celebrity trip as there was stuff pre/post and air plus we were traveling with another couple.  She earned her commission.

[ChucktownSteve]

I had a good example just today of why I use a TA.  This past week XX sent us two FFCs totalling $666 for no reason.  (yeah I know that's the sign of the devil)  We had a devil of a time trying to figure it out.  My TA, digging through XX records on my account, was able to determine that it was due to when I did a lift and shift. 

 

I paid $XXX for the Jan '21 cruise.  The exact amount transferred to the new Feb '22 cruise.  The L&S was done last Nov.  When my TA called XX today, they couldn't tell her why the FCCs were issued.  She figured it out though.  It seems XX reduced the amount transferred on the cruise by $333 each and issued the FCCs which now needed to be added back to bring my payment whole again to what I paid. 

 

I never would have had access to the records and the XX rep couldn't tell my TA what or why it happened.  So without her diligence, I would have spend hours and hours going around with XX to figure out the insane accounting and shell game.  

 

Every time I need to do something on a reservation, I make one quick call to her.  Then she deals with XX and the details (including hold times) before getting back with me to let me know it's done.

 

Not to mention that their agency belongs to Ensemble so I receive extra OBC when she can put me in their group in addition to my TA's regularly given high amount of refundable OBC.                

Edited March 4, 2021 by ChucktownSteve

[ChucktownSteve]

54 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

 

The 2% cash back on purchases, including travel, has always come in the form of a "cheque", but it isn't true cash back in that it can only be spent at the store. So, while not plastic gift cards like the ones given for cruises, the paper "cash back" cheques work in the same way.

 

Fouremco, If you're talking about the Costco credit card, in the U.S. we get 3% cash back for travel and I have the Business executive card so get another 2%.  Many people believe that you have to use the checks at Costco for your purchase.  You don''t.  I ask for cash back on every check at the register; I receive 3 each year...two Costco credit cards and the extra Executive cash back. But I then pay for my purchase with my Costco credit card so I'm getting the full cash back on the whole purchase.  Many people don't realize it can be done that way in the U.S.  Try it in Canada and see if it works.

 

I book all my cruises with my Costco credit cards either directly or with my TA so I get the full cash back regardless. Then my TA gives me refundable OBC or a cash rebate if the cruise line like Regent doesn't do the cash back..

Edited March 5, 2021 by ChucktownSteve

[MamaFej]

3 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 

Fouremco, If you're talking about the Costco credit card, in the U.S. we get 3% cash back for travel and I have the Business executive card so get another 2%.  Many people believe that you have to use the checks at Costco for your purchase.  You don''t.  I ask for cash back on every check at the register; I receive 3 each year...two Costco credit cards and the extra Executive cash back. But I pay for my purchase with my Costco credit card so I'm getting the full cash back on the purchase.  Many people don't realize it can be done that way in the U.S.  Try it in Canada and see if it works.

That’s what we do, as well. 
 

This year, our local store had signs up saying they had to be used for a purchase, but you could get change. Hubby bought a $5 chicken and got $927.xx back. 

[Fouremco]

9 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 

Fouremco, If you're talking about the Costco credit card, in the U.S. we get 3% cash back for travel and I have the Business executive card so get another 2%.  Many people believe that you have to use the checks at Costco for your purchase.  You don''t.  I ask for cash back on every check at the register; I receive 3 each year...two Costco credit cards and the extra Executive cash back. But I pay for my purchase with my Costco credit card so I'm getting the full cash back on the purchase.  Many people don't realize it can be done that way in the U.S.  Try it in Canada and see if it works.

No, I don't use the Costco credit card. The 2% cash back is for purchases and travel no matter how paid for. 

 

The Canadian Costco credit card does not give 3% cash back across the board. It gives:

3% - restaurants

2% - gas

1% - all other purchases

Consequently, I do better with other cards.

 

Similarly, the "cheques" can not be cashed in here. We can get change from a purchase now, as noted by @MamaFej, but more often than not our purchase are large and any changed received minimal.

[ChucktownSteve]

5 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

No, I don't use the Costco credit card. The 2% cash back is for purchases and travel no matter how paid for. 

 

The Canadian Costco credit card does not give 3% cash back across the board. It gives:

3% - restaurants

2% - gas

1% - all other purchases

Consequently, I do better with other cards.

 

Similarly, the "cheques" can not be cashed in here. We can get change from a purchase now, as noted by @MamaFej, but more often than not our purchase are large and any changed received minimal.

 

I would use other cards too if I had the same cash back as y'all.  Here Costco is 4% gas, 3% restaurants and travel with 2% + 2% executive Costco purchases.

[drakes2]

11 hours ago, Fouremco said:

No, I don't use the Costco credit card. The 2% cash back is for purchases and travel no matter how paid for. 

 

The Canadian Costco credit card does not give 3% cash back across the board. It gives:

3% - restaurants

2% - gas

1% - all other purchases

Consequently, I do better with other cards.

 

Similarly, the "cheques" can not be cashed in here. We can get change from a purchase now, as noted by @MamaFej, but more often than not our purchase are large and any changed received minimal.

I use the TD first class travel visa. 3 points for every $ spent and 9 points on travel purchases. Usually have enough points to cover flight and 1 night hotel pre cruise.  Card also gives medical insurance and trip cancellation. 

[ipeeinthepool]

The other issue that hasn't been addressed is the timing of your reservation.  The advantage of using a TA vs booking direct seems to be around 8 to 10 percent.  The additional rebate from credit cards is additional so use your best card.   Most of the time I've found that the warehouse club gives me a 8-10% gift card based on the current advertised price.  However if a cruise has increased in cost you can often find a TA that has some group bookings based on earlier lower fares and that will save you more than 8-10% off the current price.  So it pays to shop around.  If you book earlier, the cost differences between the independent TA's and the warehouse clubs is probably minimal.  

 

Most TA's, including the warehouse clubs,  also seem to have refundable fares without any premium so that's an additional savings. 

[wrk2cruise]

1 minute ago, ipeeinthepool said:

If you book earlier, the cost differences between the independent TA's and the warehouse clubs is probably minimal.

 

The discount of a group booking isn't solely the lower cost of a fare when the group is created but there is I believe 1 free berth for every 8 rooms sold and other perks for the TA which can be used to lower the per passenger costs.   It really is a case by case comparison.  But agree that the cost difference is probably only going to increase through the booking cycle at least to final payment.  Then all bets are off😀

[ipeeinthepool]

1 minute ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

The discount of a group booking isn't solely the lower cost of a fare when the group is created but there is I believe 1 free berth for every 8 rooms sold and other perks for the TA which can be used to lower the per passenger costs.   It really is a case by case comparison.  But agree that the cost difference is probably only going to increase through the booking cycle at least to final payment.  Then all bets are off😀

 

I guess, I'm not experienced enough to know what happens with the extra berth, I suspect that may benefit the customer if I book 8 or more rooms at a time.  However I don't know what happens to that benefit as well as other perks when the TA puts you into an existing group booking.  I haven' t heard anything from people that say there fare keeps getting reduced as time goes on and more people go into the group and that extra berth reduces the overall cost for the group.  So I suspect the TA can sell at berth and keep the fare for themselves.  I don't know, just my speculation.

[PTC DAWG]

Short answer is yes.  Usually in the form of money..more of it is good, be it refundable OBC, Gift Cards, etc...

[Trixsea]

There is a huge difference between a professional travel agent and an order taker.  I have been working as an agent/owner for 30+ years and have experienced many things that are never considered at time of booking.

 

Phone calls at 2:00 am because flights were cancelled in Rome by cruise line

Husband had heart attack in Alaska and needs to get home... no insurance

Hurricanes, snow storms, volcano ash, 911...

Hours on hold with Covid related problems

 

So many more things I could list but sometimes the value of a good agent is ignored.

 

 

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

8 hours ago, drakes2 said:

I use the TD first class travel visa. 3 points for every $ spent and 9 points on travel purchases. Usually have enough points to cover flight and 1 night hotel pre cruise.  Card also gives medical insurance and trip cancellation. 

That is the card we use 

[LGW59]

4 hours ago, Trixsea said:

There is a huge difference between a professional travel agent and an order taker.  I have been working as an agent/owner for 30+ years and have experienced many things that are never considered at time of booking.

 

Phone calls at 2:00 am because flights were cancelled in Rome by cruise line

Husband had heart attack in Alaska and needs to get home... no insurance

Hurricanes, snow storms, volcano ash, 911...

Hours on hold with Covid related problems

 

So many more things I could list but sometimes the value of a good agent is ignored.

 

 

 

Judging from comments I read here, I don't get the sense that folks that use a TA ignore the value of a good agent, many/most have said as you stated, is exactly why they do so.  I've not used a TA, partly because I feel like I have more control on my planning, making any changes as I want.  Though perhaps I would reconsider if I ever encounter some of the issues you do mention.

Edited March 5, 2021 by LGW59

[yorky]

On 3/1/2021 at 4:40 AM, edgee said:

Reason is that you are in effect paying between 8 and 11 percent more for your cruise by not taking advantage of cash rebates or cruise credit offered by a TA. My agency rebates me via check about 10% of the cruise fare  3 weeks prior to sailing for most cruises.

The thing is we don’t base our decisions in general on whatever is the cheapest, for us there are other factors to take into consideration. Certainly many of the stories on here over last year regarding some TA’s have been an eye opener, we’ve had fantastic service from start to finish from our Celebrity rep who provided us with his email and he’s the only rep we ever have to deal with, not having to go through a middleman has been worth every  penny extra to us. We pay extra to have our car looked after by a franchise dealer we trust rather than a cut price mega market dealer for exactly the same reason. Different strokes for different folks, neither is wrong just a case of what works for each individual.

Edited March 5, 2021 by yorky

[jagoffee]

4 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Judging from comments I read here, I don't get the sense that folks that use a TA ignore the value of a good agent, many/most have said as you stated, is exactly why they do so.  I've not used a TA, partly because I feel like I have more control on my planning, making any changes as I want.  Though perhaps I would reconsider if I ever encounter some of the issues you do mention.

I do not think my approach is uncommon.  Like you I do all my own planning and tracking of potential cost reductions/changes.   If my total cost were the same or even just slightly more, I would book direct.  I book (or transfer) all cruises to a TA for the Celebrity refundable OBC (8% -10%).  I develop a relationship with a competitive TA and receive a quote via an e mail.  (Never on line).  I find that I receive my highest amount of refundable OBC by operating this way.  When cruising with Princess, I receive a discount instead of OBC.

As you have stated many times, you place a greater value on the direct booking/on going monitoring process.  It is easy to understand why you value this process.  Many of us place more value in the refundable OBC.  No doubt in my mind that there are travel agents that I would never use, so it is not a blind decision.  
 

By the way, the two travel agents that I use were found with help from other CC members.  One while on a previous cruise.  Thank you, Wine-O.

 

 

 

[LGW59]

6 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

I do not think my approach is uncommon.  Like you I do all my own planning and tracking of potential cost reductions/changes.   If my total cost were the same or even just slightly more, I would book direct.  I book (or transfer) all cruises to a TA for the Celebrity refundable OBC (8% -10%).  I develop a relationship with a competitive TA and receive a quote via an e mail.  (Never on line).  I find that I receive my highest amount of refundable OBC by operating this way.  When cruising with Princess, I receive a discount instead of OBC.

As you have stated many times, you place a greater value on the direct booking/on going monitoring process.  It is easy to understand why you value this process.  Many of us place more value in the refundable OBC.  No doubt in my mind that there are travel agents that I would never use, so it is not a blind decision.  
 

By the way, the two travel agents that I use were found with help from other CC members.  One while on a previous cruise.  Thank you, Wine-O.

 

 

 

Very interesting.  So yes, my cruises, 2 upcoming in 2022 are booked direct with Celebrity.  I have seen a number of responses here saying talk to a TA about moving to them, for multiple reasons.  Thus a few questions, if you know the answer:

 

APEX April 2022, Transatlantic, $800 OBC, reasonable cruise rate for Edge Villa

 

APEX Oct 2022, Israel, Turkey, Med, $800 OBC and again reasonable cruise rate for Royal Suite

 

I know no definitive answer, but generally, do you know would OBC and/or cruise fare be impacted in my favor?  TIA for any info.  Then I have no idea how to begin if I do this.

[wrk2cruise]

2 hours ago, LGW59 said:

APEX April 2022, Transatlantic, $800 OBC, reasonable cruise rate for Edge Villa

 

APEX Oct 2022, Israel, Turkey, Med, $800 OBC and again reasonable cruise rate for Royal Suite

 

Just to give you an idea my TA gives me 10% of the base cruise fare minus NCCF rounded down to $25 increment as refundable OBC.   This refundable OBC is in addition to the OBC provided by Celebrity as part of your Indulge package which comes with the Retreat booking.  It is purchased by the TA from Celebrity and is added to your onboard account usually by the second day of the cruise.

 

Any refundable OBC remaining on our onboard account is returned to your credit card at the end of the cruise.  If you are like us when traveling in a suite we have a hard enough time spending the $800 non refundable OBC so we treat the TA refundable OBC as a discount on the cruise fare.

 

The real trick is finding a TA who is compatible with your needs and always ask them if they charge any fees for changes/cancellations etc.  There are many that charge no fees.  The best way is to ask fellow cruisers on your next cruise.

 

The other thing to know is you only have 60 days after original booking of a reservation to transfer to a TA so yours may be past that point.

 

Today's refundable deposit of Edge Villa on 4/22 TA on Apex price is $12,562 pp.

($12,562-$230)*2 = $24,664 * 10% = $2466 rounded down to $25 increment = $2450 OBC

 

Royal Suites appear to be sold out on the Oct 2022 sailings so lets just say $9000 pp.

($9,000-$375)*2 = $17,250 * 10% = $1725 rounded down to $25 increment = $1725 OBC

 

As you can see it's easy to plug your numbers in and see what to expect.  Occasionally my estimate is off by $25 but most often it's smack on.

 

The hardest part is finding the NCCF (non commissionable cruise fare).  I have found that several TA sites use this recognizable booking engine which displays this as "Port Charges" in their fare display.  It varies by cruise but is the same for all stateroom categories.  It's generally buried in the "Cruise Fare" which is shown on the Celebrity Guest Invoice.

 

 

[ChucktownSteve]

8 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

Any refundable OBC remaining on our onboard account is returned to your credit card at the end of the cruise.  If you are like us when traveling in a suite we have a hard enough time spending the $800 non refundable OBC so we treat the TA refundable OBC as a discount on the cruise fare.

 

If you don't mind a suggestion.  Instead of letting the OBC credit go back to your credit card and having them take the cash back reward on the amount refunded, why not go to guest services and have them peel the cash out to you?  That's what I do. 

 

On my Apex S1 suite next year, I'm getting $550 refundable OBC from my TA on a Base Cruise price of $4,812.  It's about 11.5% additional savings.  That's the reason why I use the TA instead of booking directly because I'm still getting the $300 NR OBC and the retreat perks. Taking the cash at guest services let's me keep the $16.50 reward.  BTW the current price for the same cabin category is now $5,800 more than my booking.

Edited March 6, 2021 by ChucktownSteve

[flagger]

All of you are talking about a monetary savings. What I offer my clients is a savings of time which cannot be replaced.

 

When a client’s cruise last year from Dubai to Singapore was turned around in India and set sail back to Dubai, it was one email from me of the situation. Their flights were changed, post cruise transfers and hotel in Singapore cancelled and transfers and a day room in Dubai were all changed with confirmation sent to them.

 

The others on board with agents who offered that big OBC spent hours in line waiting at customer service to make changes. 
 

I don’t take on new clients unless repeats or referrals nor do I pay them to book a cruise with me. You are going to find less and less agencies and agents offering OBC. They need to rebuild their business and there will be less of them around and the TAs can afford to choose our clients going forward. No longer will you see them giving up their commission to beg for clients. 

[taznremmy]

It never even occurred to me to contact my travel agent when I fractured my knee and could not board the ship.  I was fortunate enough that I had good health insurance, got myself to the ER, contacted the cruise line, (I was suppose to board the next day), and changed my flight reservations.

[drakes2]

1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

Here in Canada, most agencies operated in a manner similar to yours, offering good service but not much else. You were lucky to get a bottle of cheap wine for booking a cruise with them.

I remember the first cruise DH and I took we booked with a large travel agency in Canada.  He spent two hours talking to us and never even got so much as a cheap bottle of wine.  We were charged extra for return shuttle from San Juan to and from the terminal when we could have used a taxi at less than half the cost.  Never even heard of cruise critic back then.  

Edited March 7, 2021 by drakes2
Words

[flagger]

Trust me, most travel agents won’t be in need of new clients or those who demand gifts for the honor of booking with their agency. Those who survive this will be in such demand they can turn away business. 

[LGW59]

3 minutes ago, flagger said:

Trust me, most travel agents won’t be in need of new clients or those who demand gifts for the honor of booking with their agency. Those who survive this will be in such demand they can turn away business. 

I certainly hope so, many many on CC attest to the value of their TA, hope it will continue after all of this.