Direct Booking and Personal Cruise Consultant

[Sitka2024]

Hi, recently booked our first Holland America cruise and did it directly on the website. Are we automatically assigned a personal cruise consultant? I have talked to customer service a couple of times and a consultant was not mentioned. But I have received phone messages and an email from someone claiming to be our personal cruise consultant. I am probably going to transfer the booking to a travel agent, so maybe not an issue, but what do they do, the PCC, just curious?

I have scoured the forum for an answer but not seen this particular subject addressed. Thanks for any info.  

[tupper10]

17 minutes ago, Sitka2024 said:

Hi, recently booked our first Holland America cruise and did it directly on the website. Are we automatically assigned a personal cruise consultant? I have talked to customer service a couple of times and a consultant was not mentioned. But I have received phone messages and an email from someone claiming to be our personal cruise consultant. I am probably going to transfer the booking to a travel agent, so maybe not an issue, but what do they do, the PCC, just curious?

I have scoured the forum for an answer but not seen this particular subject addressed. Thanks for any info.  

In my case the Personal Cruise Consultant I was assigned did nothing at all.  He never returned a phone call or an email.  On the one cruise that I did not use a travel agent  (since I thought the PCC would actually respond to my calls/emails) it ended up, if I had an issue I just called the 800# and called  back at different times until I got an agent in the US.  I found that the others just went by a script and could never answer any of my questions.  Now I just use a travel agent, much easier for me.

[Sitka2024]

So, you are automatically assigned the PCC when you book online? I am not sure what she can do for us at this point. We got the HIA package with crew appreciation. We can book excursions, etc. online. 

[happytotravel]

Hi,

I also booked my cruise using the number on the website and booked with the person who answered.  I phoned back to ask a question and got someone else.  The next day I received an email with a PCC's name.  I phoned her and left a message and she returned my call within 30 minutes.  Very pleasant lady.

 

I like to have a PCC rather than speak to someone randomly.  She can answer questions and give info you may not be aware of.  I have used a PCC whenever I booked my cruises wtih NCL in the past.

 

Have fun planning your cruise as much as I do.

happytotravel

[Sitka2024]

Thanks, I am having fun, our first cruise since 2017! I guess if you call in and ask to book with a person, you are assigned to a PCC to complete the reservation. I booked online with courtesy hold  and got the phone messages with a name to call, but I never did. I just paid the deposit online.       

[Heartgrove]

We use a PCC versus a travel agent. Pet peeve of mine when people use TA as that is the accronym for a Transatlantic.

 

Yes there are good and bad PCCs. In eight years we have had three good ones and about twice as many not so good. If they don't respond just request a new one. One time the supervisor went so far as to check phone and email logs. The major advantage to us is with a PCC we still have control of our booking instead of relinquishing control with the travel agent. The PCC will tell us when we have a Mariner rate or Casino rate. Not sure if a travel agent would do that with their fee based on cruise cost. I get all of the OBC I am entitled to with a PCC. Once you work with a dedicated PCC they learn your likes/dislikes.

 

 

[Blackduck59]

I think one has to use the context in which the acronym is used. The acronym TA could mean many things depending on the context. Just as PCC could mean many things depending on context. For the purposes of this discussion a TA is a travel agent and a PCC is a personal cruise consultant.

 

We use a TA, she knows our likes and dislikes and she can often get a better rate than booking direct and usually gives us some on board credit. Many people have found a PCC they like and we have been reading quite a few complaints lately that some PCCs are not very helpful or not well trained. I would say if you have found a good PCC you like and they do a good job for you then that is perhaps the best solution for you. If you aren't particularly happy with the PCC assigned to you apparently you can request another. If you have a TA that you like and they do a good job for you then stick with them, keeping in mind that they can help you with multiple cruise lines and other arrangements as well.

 

Whichever way you choose to proceed I hope it works out for you.

[POA1]

When you book with HAL, either on the web or by phone, you'll be assigned a PCC. If you book through a TA, you won't be.

 

The idea is that you'll have someone to help you and that you'll book with them in the future. If you are transferring your booking to a TA, they should help you. We made a website booking with HAL in 2014 and have had a PCC ever since. We never booked with her, but we do get emails.

 

I would not expect her to service our bookings that we didn't make through her.

[crystalspin]

2 hours ago, POA1 said:

I would not expect her to service our bookings that we didn't make through her.

When I went to cancel a booking of two Lanai cabins on the Rotterdam for a transAtlantic-- a booking I had made online by myself -- on Friday two days New Years 2017, only to find the office was closed and phone going unanswered. I remembered the e-mail letterhead giving the name, addy, and extension of a PCC assigned to me. I emailed and called that person (who had had nothing to do with the reservation) and those date-stamped messages allowed my sizable deposits to be refunded to me.

 

This is why I am a loyal PCC user. (My original PCC retired over the pandemic, but her replacement is quite possibly even more effective!)

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by crystalspin

[Blackduck59]

8 hours ago, crystalspin said:

When I went to cancel a booking of two Lanai cabins on the Rotterdam for a transAtlantic-- a booking I had made online by myself -- on Friday two days New Years 2017, only to find the office was closed and phone going unanswered. I remembered the e-mail letterhead giving the name, addy, and extension of a PCC assigned to me. I emailed and called that person (who had had nothing to do with the reservation) and those date-stamped messages allowed my sizable deposits to be refunded to me.

 

This is why I am a loyal PCC user. (My original PCC retired over the pandemic, but her replacement is quite possibly even more effective!)

 

That worked and you are still happy with the arrangement, excellent.

[kazu]

14 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

The PCC will tell us when we have a Mariner rate or Casino rate. Not sure if a travel agent would do that with their fee based on cruise cost. I get all of the OBC I am entitled to with a PCC. Once you work with a dedicated PCC they learn your likes/dislikes.

 

 

 

My TA definitely tells me if I qualify for a Mariner or Casino rate.  And I usually get more OBC that I am entitled to 😉 

 

If I am considering a cruise, I usually do a dummy booking and can easily see if I received the discounts.  I like to know what I am dealing with before I contact my TA (or a PCC).

[Sitka2024]

Thanks all, very helpful. I can see the PCC as being helpful in some situations or future needs, and I might keep the booking as is. I was considering transferring to a big box but my questions directed to their agents did not instill much confidence. The transfer would be to get a card rebate after the cruise.   

[MTAK]

31 minutes ago, Sitka2024 said:

Thanks all, very helpful. I can see the PCC as being helpful in some situations or future needs, and I might keep the booking as is. I was considering transferring to a big box but my questions directed to their agents did not instill much confidence. The transfer would be to get a card rebate after the cruise.   

I have a great PCC and she matched the box store rebate with OBC on a prior cruise, so it might be worth checking with your PCC first.

 

She also informed me about the gift card and early pay bonuses in effect at that time, which I was not aware of, and we ended up saving quite a bit as a result. I think it was 10% off the fare and a couple hundred OBC if I remember correctly. That sold me on using a PCC, but I realize some have not had as good of experience.

 

BTW she was assigned by booking a prior-prior cruise direct online. At that point I started getting email offers from her.

[YourWorldWithBill]

48 minutes ago, Sitka2024 said:

Thanks all, very helpful. I can see the PCC as being helpful in some situations or future needs, and I might keep the booking as is. I was considering transferring to a big box but my questions directed to their agents did not instill much confidence. The transfer would be to get a card rebate after the cruise.   

I went through the same thing with the big box stores; I want someone who knows their stuff. If you decide to use a PCC, as others have said they're not all the same. Mine didn't get back to me or answer my questions as I needed, so I called the PCC line, waited for whoever answered, then asked to speak to a supervisor and waited longer. But the supervisor I spoke with assigned someone that's very attentive.

[Sitka2024]

So, when you contact them to see if they will match the big box or offer some other perk, does that mean you are now their client and you run everything through them as if they are your agent? Can you still make changes or add the excursions, cruise insurance etc. without their assistance?  It seems to be worthwhile to find out what she can do. I still have about 45 days left to transfer.

Edited October 28, 2023 by Sitka2024

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, Sitka2024 said:

...does that mean you are now their client and you run everything through them as if they are your agent? Can you still make changes or add the excursions, cruise insurance etc. without their assistance?  It seems to be worthwhile to find out what she can do. I still have about 45 days left to transfer.

I book excursions and specialty dining (and cancel and re-book when I change my mind!); last week I added Standard Cancellation Protection (my PCC called to make sure I intended the Standard and not Platinum! that we had used last winter). According to the website when looking at my booking, I could also book spa treatments, add Beverage Package (if I didn't have HIA!), and arrange Flight Ease by myself.

 

I've only needed to call my PCC to change Promo package, "re-fare" for a cheaper rate, or move our cabin, and of course to book another cruise! And I generally e-mail her and have her phone me at her convenience as I am pretty much available. If I don't hear from her in a day or so, I call it to make sure there is no message on the recording about her being away from the job (which was only true once).

 

ETA: reading the above, it seems like the best of all worlds! But to each their comfort level.

ETAA: Also, we pretty much only cruise on HAL, if I needed someone to search across lines, or wanted to deal only with the same person for various companies, an online agent might be better. NOT the pizza store, and NOT the "flyer in the mail" people, been there done that.

 

Edited October 28, 2023 by crystalspin

[Sitka2024]

Thanks, that answers my question. And thanks for all the replies, looking forward to my cruise!

[Ottawa traveller]

22 hours ago, Sitka2024 said:

So, you are automatically assigned the PCC when you book online? I am not sure what she can do for us at this point. We got the HIA package with crew appreciation. We can book excursions, etc. online. 

My travel agent retired and suggested that I just deal directly with HAL as I pretty much know what I am doing. I have done that for 3 current cruises and I have had easy acces to the 800 number when needed and I get all of the emails directly from HAL that used to go through my TA.   However, I do keep getting emails from a PCC who says she is my PCC but I don't intend to deal with her for the time being.