If you book with a TA

[OHCruisin]

I am a TA and with all due respect you can book on your own and you get - you are on your own.

 

Most TA's do not charge a fee to book a cruise! I cant beleive they charged you $150!!! A good agency would not charge you a fee to book a cruise. Remember travel agents get the same rate you would get booking directly. That is a fact.

 

The benefits of booking with a GOOD (I stress GOOD) Travel Agent:

- They are your advocate. Every agency has a local representative for each cruise line. Many times if there is a problem these reps. could make a differance.

-Most TA's are unbiased. An example is of all the people and families that booked the Celebrity Cruises Zenith from Cape Liberty to Bermuda this year. Celebrity suddenly took the Zenith from her Bermuda run and replaced it with a refurbished newer ship under a new deluxe small ship cruise line called Azamara. I was reading in the Azamara cruise boards of people who booked direct with Celebrity and the agents there assured them that the new Azamara Journey which was taking the place of the Zenith would have kids facilities and activities. The Celebrity agents did not say to them that this ship is NOT family friendly. They did not give them professional advice and say this ship is not for you instead (even though it is not the calibur of Celebrity) you should go on the Norwegian Crown since they have a similiar cruise to the Zenith and the ship has children and teen facilities. A good travel agent who knows ships would know that the Azamara ship in her previous life was a low key premium ship that did not cater to families and a good agent would have known that the ship under Celebrity would not have children facilities but limited activities since our representatives updated us on this. But by booking direct the agents would not want to drive business away.

-Many Travel agents are members of travel companies. My office is a member of Virtuoso and on some sailings on certain lines our clients may get a lower rate then the line or onboard credits, a free excursion, a bootle of wine.

-A good TA also sends a gift that is on par with what you sent. Maybe you will get a mug, an onboard credit, fruit basket, free insurance, bottle of wine.

-A good agent monitors your rates. Our office creates a spreadsheet and each week or two we monitor the rates and as long as we can we will lower the rate for the client.

-A good agent who cruises a lot can give advice from what they have experienced and what other clients have told them. A travel agent is a profession. Yes it is easy to book directly but an agent who is seasoned and professional knows the business and the many rules and in and outs.

 

Benefits of booking direct:

-You are in control of the booking.

 

Just some points to think about. I know people think agents are useless (even my family thinks we are!) but I think that is a stereotype.

 

 

Wow, I always book on my own, but sure sounds like you're an agent I want in my corner:D

[Elcruzer]

Its apparent from reading these post (and common sense too) that there are good and bad TA's.A good one will be an extra set of eyes for price drops and maybe send a bottle of wine for dinner.On occasion their agency may have a block of cabins reserved at a rate that may be available after the cruise lines raises their rates.They may alert you if your dream cruise has a veterens discount.Then there are bad agents the ones you've read about here............................................

I have never heard of a veterans discount nor seen anywhere that they ask for this info. Which cruiselines give this discount and how can we be aware of it?

[Cuizer2]

I have never heard of a veterans discount nor seen anywhere that they ask for this info. Which cruiselines give this discount and how can we be aware of it?

 

I know that Carnival offers it. I am not sure of the other cruise lines.

[nanfromatlanta]

I am a TA and with all due respect you can book on your own and you get - you are on your own.

 

Most TA's do not charge a fee to book a cruise! I cant beleive they charged you $150!!! A good agency would not charge you a fee to book a cruise. Remember travel agents get the same rate you would get booking directly. That is a fact.

 

The benefits of booking with a GOOD (I stress GOOD) Travel Agent:

- They are your advocate. Every agency has a local representative for each cruise line. Many times if there is a problem these reps. could make a differance.

-Most TA's are unbiased. An example is of all the people and families that booked the Celebrity Cruises Zenith from Cape Liberty to Bermuda this year. Celebrity suddenly took the Zenith from her Bermuda run and replaced it with a refurbished newer ship under a new deluxe small ship cruise line called Azamara. I was reading in the Azamara cruise boards of people who booked direct with Celebrity and the agents there assured them that the new Azamara Journey which was taking the place of the Zenith would have kids facilities and activities. The Celebrity agents did not say to them that this ship is NOT family friendly. They did not give them professional advice and say this ship is not for you instead (even though it is not the calibur of Celebrity) you should go on the Norwegian Crown since they have a similiar cruise to the Zenith and the ship has children and teen facilities. A good travel agent who knows ships would know that the Azamara ship in her previous life was a low key premium ship that did not cater to families and a good agent would have known that the ship under Celebrity would not have children facilities but limited activities since our representatives updated us on this. But by booking direct the agents would not want to drive business away.

-Many Travel agents are members of travel companies. My office is a member of Virtuoso and on some sailings on certain lines our clients may get a lower rate then the line or onboard credits, a free excursion, a bootle of wine.

-A good TA also sends a gift that is on par with what you sent. Maybe you will get a mug, an onboard credit, fruit basket, free insurance, bottle of wine.

-A good agent monitors your rates. Our office creates a spreadsheet and each week or two we monitor the rates and as long as we can we will lower the rate for the client.

-A good agent who cruises a lot can give advice from what they have experienced and what other clients have told them. A travel agent is a profession. Yes it is easy to book directly but an agent who is seasoned and professional knows the business and the many rules and in and outs.

 

Benefits of booking direct:

-You are in control of the booking.

 

Just some points to think about. I know people think agents are useless (even my family thinks we are!) but I think that is a stereotype.

 

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

 

Many of the posters on these boards do not fully realize all that we do for our customers. ;)

 

I am a work from home TA, and my customers know that they can call me at almost any time, and I am here to help them. I can even get into the booking engine when the cruise lines are closed for the day. (no one booking directly through the cruise line can do that!!) So, we can be of great value to our customers. ;)

[Apoggi]

To the OP, I can't believe you actually paid a TA $150 for booking you a cruise. I would have left that TA in a heart beat. I can't believe a TA would take advantage of someone who didn't know the ins and outs of cruising. I do hope you never use them again.

[misty57]

The TA is a very nice person herself, but it is the agency she works for that requires these fees. I will still use a TA but am going to be shopping for another agency!

[sagiv666]

instead of directly with RCI, what should you expect from your TA? Our agent booked our last trip, but I had to arrange transportation to the pier and back to the airport. We didn't receive any "perks", had to call her to see if our documents were in, and she never checked with us after the trip to see if everything went ok. Should we expect more? She charged $150 fee. BTW this was the 5th cruise we booked with her company, but this is the first cruise she handle for us herself.

In September we cruised to Alaska on Radiance of the Seas after I had seen the cruise advertised by the cruise of division of the company -- RCI -- which handles timeshares that my wife and I own. We got a balcony room for a 14-night cruise at a price we could not ignore. In fact, the money we saved help to pay our land excursion and a special trip we planned outside Royal Caribbean and Alaska Tour and Travel (who booked our land tour). Because we chose to fly to Alaska and take a land tour before flying to Vancouver to meet the Radiance, Royal Caribbean would not handle our request for transportation from the ship to LAX for our flight home. This was done by RCI, who in fact found us tickets to fly home. Now, we are taking a short cruise to Canada on the Norwegian Spirit, but even if the price for our stateroom is the same as quoted by NCL and RCI, I feel more secure with RCI. Moreover, I know that whatever they charge cannot be beaten by companies such as Royal Caribbean International, or Norwegian Cruise Lines.

If we cruised to Alaska on the Radiance at a price lower than we would receive through Royal Caribbean, one would be a fool to ignore this. Moreover, on the cruise I talked to individuals who had contracted to Royal Caribbean to handle their luggage between their home airport and the ship. One person was given a voucher for a tuxedo because his luggage would catch up to him at our first port of call in Alaska, Ketchikan, one day after our first formal night. I saw another formal night picture of a couple in t-shirts; I was told that one couple's luggage was stuck in the lower 49 states and would not reach them.

We loved our cruise, and the service we received on the Radiance, but I will never book a cruise with anyone except RCI.;)

[Jeka]

I am a TA and with all due respect you can book on your own and you get - you are on your own.

 

Most TA's do not charge a fee to book a cruise! I cant beleive they charged you $150!!! A good agency would not charge you a fee to book a cruise. Remember travel agents get the same rate you would get booking directly. That is a fact.

 

The benefits of booking with a GOOD (I stress GOOD) Travel Agent:

- They are your advocate. Every agency has a local representative for each cruise line. Many times if there is a problem these reps. could make a differance.

-Most TA's are unbiased. An example is of all the people and families that booked the Celebrity Cruises Zenith from Cape Liberty to Bermuda this year. Celebrity suddenly took the Zenith from her Bermuda run and replaced it with a refurbished newer ship under a new deluxe small ship cruise line called Azamara. I was reading in the Azamara cruise boards of people who booked direct with Celebrity and the agents there assured them that the new Azamara Journey which was taking the place of the Zenith would have kids facilities and activities. The Celebrity agents did not say to them that this ship is NOT family friendly. They did not give them professional advice and say this ship is not for you instead (even though it is not the calibur of Celebrity) you should go on the Norwegian Crown since they have a similiar cruise to the Zenith and the ship has children and teen facilities. A good travel agent who knows ships would know that the Azamara ship in her previous life was a low key premium ship that did not cater to families and a good agent would have known that the ship under Celebrity would not have children facilities but limited activities since our representatives updated us on this. But by booking direct the agents would not want to drive business away.

-Many Travel agents are members of travel companies. My office is a member of Virtuoso and on some sailings on certain lines our clients may get a lower rate then the line or onboard credits, a free excursion, a bootle of wine.

-A good TA also sends a gift that is on par with what you sent. Maybe you will get a mug, an onboard credit, fruit basket, free insurance, bottle of wine.

-A good agent monitors your rates. Our office creates a spreadsheet and each week or two we monitor the rates and as long as we can we will lower the rate for the client.

-A good agent who cruises a lot can give advice from what they have experienced and what other clients have told them. A travel agent is a profession. Yes it is easy to book directly but an agent who is seasoned and professional knows the business and the many rules and in and outs.

 

Benefits of booking direct:

-You are in control of the booking.

 

Just some points to think about. I know people think agents are useless (even my family thinks we are!) but I think that is a stereotype.

 

I thought this sight was for info regarding cruises by fellow cruisers, not for TAs to toot there own horn. I recently realized CC posts are filled with TAs. If you notice someone is on CC day and night, most likely a travel agent.

[Cuizer2]

I thought this sight was for info regarding cruises by fellow cruisers, not for TAs to toot there own horn. I recently realized CC posts are filled with TAs. If you notice someone is on CC day and night, most likely a travel agent.

 

Since the TA has not identified him/her self, what is the harm?

[Jeka]

Oh, I forgot, the posts talking about how great TAs are, probably TAs.

[Cuizer2]

Oh, I forgot, the posts talking about how great TAs are, probably TAs.

 

Not in all cases.

[Jeka]

Not in all cases.

 

No doubt, but a lot are.

[bikn4fn]

We have never paid anything as high as $150. As most said before, a good TA will keep an eye out for discounts and promotions. When I've spotted something and contacted our TA she said she already knew about it and either already applied the discount or explained why it did not apply for us. On numerous occasions she has saved us more than 1/2 on airfare compared to RCCL.

 

We get the best of both worlds. Sometimes we book a future cruise while onboard. We all the perks and our TA still watches out for us.

[nanfromatlanta]

I recently realized CC posts are filled with TAs.

 

Who better to give you good cruise information? Many of us cruise regularly, and can speak from experience. ;)

[katiel53]

I haven't and won't pay a TA for booking a cruise. I use a compete location to get prices. I also look at the perks available. Usually, I have already booked the cruise with RCI and am looking to see what TA's will do for me.

 

I have cruised on over 50 cruises, so I pretty much know what I want. After I ask a ton of questions of the agencies offerings, I then switch to an agent. I also am sure that there is no cancellation charge if for some reason I needed to cancel.

 

On our Mariner cruise for may we received a $250 obc. Next week's cruise is a $225 obc and a bottle of wine. I know others have gotten more than we have, as well as we have gotten nothing but a bottle of wine/and or a dinner at the specialty restaurant.

 

It pays to shop around as well as check the BBB in the agency's town. Ask questions, be sure you have the answers you want. If you don't get that, then move on or leave your booking with the cruise line. Initially cheapest isn't always the best. Do your homework.

[sagiv666]

[quote name='sagiv666']In September we cruised to Alaska on [U]Radiance of the Seas[/U] after I had seen the cruise advertised by the cruise of division of the company -- RCI -- which handles timeshares that my wife and I own. We got a balcony room for a 14-night cruise at a price we could not ignore. In fact, the money we saved help to pay our land excursion and a special trip we planned outside Royal Caribbean and Alaska Tour and Travel (who booked our land tour). Because we chose to fly to Alaska and take a land tour before flying to Vancouver to meet the Radiance, Royal Caribbean would not handle our request for transportation from the ship to LAX for our flight home. This was done by RCI, who in fact found us tickets to fly home. Now, we are taking a short cruise to Canada on the Norwegian Spirit, but even if the price for our stateroom is the same as quoted by NCL and RCI, I feel more secure with RCI. Moreover, I know that whatever they charge cannot be beaten by companies such as Royal Caribbean International, or Norwegian Cruise Lines.
If we cruised to Alaska on the Radiance at a price lower than we would receive through Royal Caribbean, one would be a fool to ignore this. Moreover, on the cruise I talked to individuals who had contracted to Royal Caribbean to handle their luggage between their home airport and the ship. One person was given a voucher for a tuxedo because his luggage would catch up to him at our first port of call in Alaska, Ketchikan, one day after our first formal night. I saw another formal night picture of a couple in t-shirts; I was told that one couple's luggage was stuck in the lower 49 states and would not reach them.
We loved our cruise, and the service we received on the Radiance, but I will never book a cruise with anyone except RCI.;)[/quote]

I want to reply to my own reply because I was originally confused when I booked a cruise from Royal Caribbean International (known as RCI) with RCI Cruises -- this RCI is the company that handles our timeshares, and as they offer cruises from lines other than Royal Caribbean (we love Royal Caribbean, with whom we booked our cruise to Alaska on the Radiance and now we just booked a cruise to Canada on Norwegian Cruise Lines, leaving near where we live in New York) they should not be confused. This is indeed a confusion, so even when I talk about Royal Caribbean, I use the full name instead of RCI alone. I just asked a representative of RCI (who handles my timeshares) and to distinguish the 2 companies, that individual refers to Royal Caribbean as RCCL, their old designation.