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PVP- what, how


Lindush
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Hi. I've always booked our cruises (and researched them) alone. Recently I heard of the term PVP which I understand means personal vacation planner. What is the advantage of using a PVP for booking my cruises, what is the additional cost if any and how do I find a PVP?

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A PVP is the term used by some cruise lines for the individuals employed by the cruise line to assist with your booking. There is no charge for this and are the ones who answer the phone when you call the cruise line looking for information regarding a cruise. Just a fancy term for their booking representatives. They may also call you periodically if you don't book a cruise after talking with them to see if you are still interested and to see how they can assist.;)

Edited by leaveitallbehind
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Not quite, venues with a PVP, they will be similar to a normal booking agent, but you will have a way to get in touch with the same person every time you need assistance.

 

So you are dealing with someone who you have dealt with before, and has dealt with you. The idea being, they will develop a better understanding of your wants and needs versus dealing with a random next in line person.

 

Not sure it really helps, as they probably deal with hundreds if not thousands of different people.

 

But the idea is interesting.

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.... are the ones who answer the phone when you call the cruise line looking for information regarding a cruise. Just a fancy term for their booking representatives. They may also call you periodically if you don't book a cruise after talking with them to see if you are still interested and to see how they can assist.;)

 

....it's simply who who talk to if you book on the phone. If you book online, you don't have a PVP.

 

In the case of Carnival both of these answers are incorrect.

 

The agents who "just answer the phone" and work what's called the Direct Desk are termed CVS agents. Cruise Vacation Specialists. There are about 400 of them and they only do bookings. You could call Carnival 400 times and speak with someone different each time. They are not available to you for any followup service or questions.They do not have a phone extension with voicemail nor an email address for you to contact them. If you have a followup issue with your reservation including payments or problems, your calls go somewhere else.

 

A Personal Vacation Planner or PVP is a Sales/Reservation/Customer Service representative from Carnival who would be making the 1st contact by calling out or emailing out to you. They have a specific phone extension with voicemail as well as an email account and are available to do research, book and service your reservation. The relationship and level of service is totally different from working with the direct desk. There are about 600 PVPs and you get to speak with the same person about your reservation and any followup service every time.

 

Coincidentally, there is a CC thread started today detailing a special circumstance that a PVP handled for someone.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2638155

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And hopefully the PVP is nice. Ours was not. He actually yelled at my husband. We tried to ask for a change to another PVP, but we were continually directed to the same one. We didn't want to specify the problem (that the guy yelled over the phone), so they wouldn't give us a different one, just because we were asking. So it was easier to just not use that Cruise line ever again. And yes, people will say, "You should have told on him." Me being a teacher, I didn't want to be a tattle tale." And I didn't want to hurt someone's career. That was a long time ago. Hope you have a great relationship with yours.

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Bottom line: they work for the cruiseline. And they get you nothing you can't get on your own booking directly through the cruiseline. They just make some people feel like they're getting special treatment.

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We didn't want to specify the problem (that the guy yelled over the phone), so they wouldn't give us a different one, just because we were asking. So it was easier to just not use that Cruise line ever again. And yes, people will say, "You should have told on him." Me being a teacher, I didn't want to be a tattle tale." And I didn't want to hurt someone's career. That was a long time ago. Hope you have a great relationship with yours.

 

So this person goes on doing this to other customers.

 

Sorry, that makes you PART of the problem.

 

I always contact a supervisor over bad behavior. It is in my best interest to not have to deal with the person again. And the company's for not have this person drive away customers.

 

So you probably also don't report misbehaving students to their parents either. Thus not getting that corrected either.

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In the case of Carnival both of these answers are incorrect.

 

The agents who "just answer the phone" and work what's called the Direct Desk are termed CVS agents. Cruise Vacation Specialists. There are about 400 of them and they only do bookings. You could call Carnival 400 times and speak with someone different each time. They are not available to you for any followup service or questions.They do not have a phone extension with voicemail nor an email address for you to contact them. If you have a followup issue with your reservation including payments or problems, your calls go somewhere else.

 

A Personal Vacation Planner or PVP is a Sales/Reservation/Customer Service representative from Carnival who would be making the 1st contact by calling out or emailing out to you. They have a specific phone extension with voicemail as well as an email account and are available to do research, book and service your reservation. The relationship and level of service is totally different from working with the direct desk. There are about 600 PVPs and you get to speak with the same person about your reservation and any followup service every time.

 

Coincidentally, there is a CC thread started today detailing a special circumstance that a PVP handled for someone.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2638155

 

Carnival is not the only line that has designated cruise planning assistants for customers who call into the cruise line for booking info. And while it is somewhat stepped up in terms of individual focus in that they will provide assigned reps who can be contacted and who will contact you to directly for follow up, it really is no different than any cruise line booking agent in terms of their bottom line function. It may be a more personalized intended effort, but it is no different in terms of function,.

 

Call it what you will, it is still a booking agent directly employed by the cruise line who's goal is to secure your booking.

 

To add, many cruise lines also have dedicated reps available to certain tier level loyalty club members to assist with bookings, on board reservations, and other requests.

Edited by leaveitallbehind
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Carnival is not the only line that has designated cruise planning assistants for customers who call into the cruise line for booking info.

 

I'm aware of that. My niece is in her 6th year as a PCP outbound agent with Norwegian and my wife's brother is coming up on 10 years as a call center supervisor for Celebrity in Wichita.

 

What I was clarifying was that when someone dials 1-800-Carnival, they are not speaking with a PVP. They are speaking with a CVS direct desk agent with totally different job responsibilities, totally different time management requirements, a totally different upper management chain and because of exempt/non-exempt employee status, a totally different compensation package.

Edited by AdGuyMG
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I'm aware of that. My niece is in her 6th year as a PCP outbound agent with Norwegian and my wife's brother is coming up on 10 years as a call center supervisor for Celebrity in Wichita.

 

...and the service they perform on behalf of their customers is valuable, and I don't mean to imply that it isn't. But you also then understand as well that, while from a marketing standpoint the PCP title is a concept to personalize their service, it still has the same bottom line goal of securing bookings - which is my intended point to the OP, and that it is not a special service available only to a select few or at a separate fee.

 

Contrarily, the reps I referenced in my previous post who are available to select higher tier loyalty club members, while not at a separate fee, would only be available to those members and not the general cruise customer.

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