Travel Agent?

I have booked direct with Princess but have always got a better deal going through a Travel agent. What I am struggling with is to find an agent that seems to care about my booking, my expectations might be high and I realise that they may deal with a lot of people but they do not seem to have time or even curtesy these days. I get a few emails and then get forgotten. Not sure I have explained this well, but the ones I have used have been awful. Any recommendations for an agent in the Brisbane, Gold Coast area.

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I have booked direct with Princess but have always got a better deal going through a Travel agent. What I am struggling with is to find an agent that seems to care about my booking, my expectations might be high and I realise that they may deal with a lot of people but they do not seem to have time or even curtesy these days. I get a few emails and then get forgotten. Not sure I have explained this well, but the ones I have used have been awful. Any recommendations for an agent in the Brisbane, Gold Coast area.

 

 

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sorry not allowed to mention TA's here so you'll have to google or if going on a cruise ask on the ship

for recommendations

Sorry, but we cannot mention travel agents by name on this forum. All I can suggest is that you look for travel agents who specialize in cruises, rather than a general travel agent. The cruise specialists can often offer a better deal because of their volume of bookings. One Brisbane agent I was talking to recently, said they always give a 2% discount on Princess - better than nothing.

I must say that over the years I have never found an agent who gave me anything. So my last few cruises have been booked directly with Princess who are OK when I ring to enquire about a price drop. They have acknowledged it every time and reduced my fare. So unless someone can convince me otherwise I will not go through Travel Agents. Aussie Travel Agents do not appear to be anywhere near the generous people they are in the USA or Canada where customers seem to get great deals.

Also be aware that some travel agents have stiff cancellation penalties, over and above what the cruise line charges. You might get a lower fare or some OBC when you book but it you have to cancel for any reason it could cost more than you expect.

I will mention travel agents.

They’re like vultures and only want your money.no service.

Our cruises usually have some sort of land component and tricky flight arrangements so we choose to book through a TA. She is exceptional and we can email her from anywhere in the world at any time and she responds! And she's genuinely interested in ensuring with have the best possible holiday.

When we met her she was working with a major travel company but has since set up her own business within an independent group of TAs who work online from their own homes. Have a google.

I will mention travel agents.

They’re like vultures and only want your money.no service.

Maybe some, but there are some good ones who provide good service. :D

I book direct with cruiseline for Princess, but occassionally for a couple of lines I use an online TA for low deposits and OBC.

I recently cancelled a cruise which I had booked through an online TA, $25p/p deposit which was unrefundable so I was prepared to lose it. I cancelled it on their website.

A couple of hours later I received an email confirming the cancellation and saying that they are happy to transfer the $50 to another cruise we have booked with them when the deposit comes back from the cruiseline!!

I am always an advocate of direct bookings but this Oz TA surprised me;)

I will mention travel agents.

They’re like vultures and only want your money.no service.

What rubbish, I have been dealing with the same TA for about six years and could not be happier. He is friendly, courteous, always available when I want him from anywhere in the world, and finds great deals for us time after time.

Over the years he has got to know our tastes and will contact us with lots of things he know we will like. Sometimes we take them and sometimes we don't. There is absolutely no pressure.

He always rings a few days before we leave and a few days after we get back to find out all about our holiday.

Perfect service. I would never think about changing.

This side of the ditch, finding a "Cruise Specialist" is like finding a pork chop in a synagogue. Whilst many TA's profess to be Cruising Specialists when the rubber hits the road they are found wanting. What compounds things is that nearly all TA's have to work through a 3rd party wholesaler who causes delays in getting responses from any changes we may make and also clips the ticket on commission so any negotiation re commission reduction for business is limited. An example is Celebrity pay TA's 15% commission ( some get more), the TA gets two thirds and the third party one third. I have been trying to find a reputable real Cruise Specialist who can work direct with the cruise line and not through a 3rd party and too date cant find one. Few Ta's are also willing to give up part of their commission for a confirmed booking either.

TA do not get 15% and do book direct with Celebrity etc..I know I am one

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I book direct with cruiseline for Princess, but occassionally for a couple of lines I use an online TA for low deposits and OBC.

I recently cancelled a cruise which I had booked through an online TA, $25p/p deposit which was unrefundable so I was prepared to lose it. I cancelled it on their website.

A couple of hours later I received an email confirming the cancellation and saying that they are happy to transfer the $50 to another cruise we have booked with them when the deposit comes back from the cruiseline!!

I am always an advocate of direct bookings but this Oz TA surprised me;)

That is excellent customer service and well worth spreading the word amongst your friends.

I lost $100 deposit, not long after I made a booking. I won't use that cruise TA again and spread the word about loss of deposit.

I have never had bad service from a TA twice.

TA do not get 15% and do book direct with Celebrity etc..I know I am one

 

 

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You may not get that percentage but I have documentation from X stating that the agency I had been using was definitely getting 15% and they used a 3rd party wholesaler. The documentation sent was an "Agents Invoice" whereas I should have been sent a "client invoice". This was brought about by a mistake X had made in regards my booking.

Whilst you may be dealing direct with X all the agencies here in Wellington I have tried to deal with dont

This side of the ditch, finding a "Cruise Specialist" is like finding a pork chop in a synagogue. Whilst many TA's profess to be Cruising Specialists when the rubber hits the road they are found wanting. What compounds things is that nearly all TA's have to work through a 3rd party wholesaler who causes delays in getting responses from any changes we may make and also clips the ticket on commission so any negotiation re commission reduction for business is limited. An example is Celebrity pay TA's 15% commission ( some get more), the TA gets two thirds and the third party one third. I have been trying to find a reputable real Cruise Specialist who can work direct with the cruise line and not through a 3rd party and too date cant find one. Few Ta's are also willing to give up part of their commission for a confirmed booking either.

I agree Beanb41. I booked our next cruise with what I thought was a "Cruise Specialist" group and have found I am doing all the work. I feel like I am teaching her rather than the customer. My booking has now been handed over to another TA due to the original TA's extended leave and the new TA is clearly too busy to manage her new workload. What are the pitfalls of changing to a different agency? TA s here do work through a 3rd party wholesaler.

I agree Beanb41. I booked our next cruise with what I thought was a "Cruise Specialist" group and have found I am doing all the work. I feel like I am teaching her rather than the customer. My booking has now been handed over to another TA due to the original TA's extended leave and the new TA is clearly too busy to manage her new workload. What are the pitfalls of changing to a different agency? TA s here do work through a 3rd party wholesaler.

Part of the problem seems to be the huge turnover of staff, after booking with two TA’s, a year latter both have left their agency. Just the other day I walked into a well known agency, the agent had earphones, she answered at least 3 phone inquiries within 15min while trying to answer my query. I left her to it. It seems it is just pot luck to get a caring TA, it is so time consuming going from one to another. Sorry TA’s until you lift your game or I can find a good travel agent, (I am sure there are many out there)my next cruise is direct!

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I’ve recently discovered my passion for cruising and the first few cruises were booked through a TA as I wasn’t quite sure about the best ways/deals to book. Although I found all the best/cheapest deals myself which TA then booked for me! I have now been doing lots of my own research and I can say that I am erring towards doing my own bookings directly with cruise line so that I don’t have to be subject to cancellation fees (which I have had to pay) or ‘insurance fee in case price of cruise reduces’ (which I have also paid). For those who’ve got a great TA - excellent, but it seems they are not always so easy to find.

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So why can’t we name agents,I think it’s in the public interest to name bad agents.

I just changed agents from one I’ve been dealing with for 5 years to a other.

Because I was getting ripped off.

So why can’t we name agents,I think it’s in the public interest to name bad agents.

I just changed agents from one I’ve been dealing with for 5 years to a other.

Because I was getting ripped off.

Probably to do with Cruise Critic sponsorship.

Name good agents the sponsors miss business, name bad sponsors may be named.

So why can’t we name agents,I think it’s in the public interest to name bad agents.

I just changed agents from one I’ve been dealing with for 5 years to a other.

Because I was getting ripped off.

we cant name travel agents because its the rules of CC and same if someone wants your email to find out your TA thats another no no

when you go on your cruise people talk about the good and bad TA's and if you go on facebook you can talk about anything there and they also have their own TA's there

I have never had bad service from a TA twice.

Funny, nor have I.

Or from a direct cruise planner for that matter.

Then again I’m not sure I’ve had bad service off anyone twice.

I’ve used the same TA for 15 years, she was with a big agency and then went out on her own.

I travel about 3 months of the year, and love to do research. I gave her my bookings because I can, many times booking myself then handing the bookings over...

I had asked my TA if she had our flight details for our flight from BA to Ushuaia prior to our Antarctica cruise(I was wanting to book a hotel close to the airport but didn’t know what airport we were flying from), she emailed Ponant but accidentally forwarded the email to me and lets just say she didn’t say nice things about me. Her last booking was that cruise, 6 people $70k and a private 3 week tour of south America $60k.

I’ve since booked an Arctic cruise ($60k), Europe ($20k) Africa ($25k) and just last week 14 of us on Viking Egypt ($115k).

I still need to book Iceland tours, Jordan tours and lets not forget business class flights....

Big mistake....

I’ve found someone else that I’ll try for a while, my problem is I want someone that’s knowledgeable, I shouldn’t have to tell agents airport codes or what airlines fly there....

The latest trick by travel agents to get more commission at least on Princess bookings, is to make pax pay the auto tips up front when paying the cruise fare, making the purchase price bigger = more commission. Also being made to pay full freight 140 days out when Princess only required full payment @ 75 days before sailing date. No doubt the TA wants to invest the money before paying Princess.:evilsmile:

Couple of friends of ours got caught with both 'scams' that way the other day with the big international TA in town. They should have consulted Uncle Les.:halo:

Be like me, book direct with the cruise line and likewise your flights.:rolleyes: My son (who owns a travel company) calls me the high street travel agent's worst nightmare.:halo:

 

Be like me, book direct with the cruise line and likewise your flights.:rolleyes: My son (who owns a travel company) calls me the high street travel agent's worst nightmare.:halo:

Clearly I’m on that list too...