TA Question

[nycruiser80]

It is possible the cruise line never delivered the bottle. A few years a go I ordered a bottle of wine for my friends cabin traveling with me. I was a TA as well! By the second day the never got it and I went to voice my concern and guest relations had no record but I did! I was charged for it and had the paperwork so they provided! You never know...

 

Glad I'm not alone but I remember another incident years ago. I had clients on the Nordic Empress New Years cruise 2000. I ordered champagne with two flutes that had 2000 on the stem. While talking to the clients after their cruise they said they never got the gift. RCI ended up crediting me and I gave the clients back the money, I belive it was around $40! So I always made it a point to tell clients I was sending a gift and if they did not get it to let me know! So if anyone on here is told they are getting a gift and did not get it let your TA know, maybe the cruise line screwed up and you deserve a credit! I know a poster mentioned that they were promised wine by a TA and never got it, I beleive that is who I was responding to. They should call back the TA to get credit.

[Desert Cruizers]

Oh Imsulin on our first cruise, our TA provided a bus for a group of almost 60 from our area, well upon disembarking, no Bus. After Calls by our Host back to our TA, it turned out our Bus driver returned back to Palm Springs to Pick us up, but we were in San Pedro, waiting on him .Our Ta called the company and they had a 2nd bus headed for SP. It meant a 2 hr delay and except for a couple, we all took it in stride as an adventure and interesting way to end a cruise. :D. Our Ta called us and sure she called everyone else to appologize. I told her it wasn't her fault, but the drivers for going in the wrong direction and no appologies needed. :).

 

Gay

[pinkroses]

So, would you use a TA or deal directly with Royal Caribbean?

[imsulin]

Glad I'm not alone but I remember another incident years ago. I had clients on the Nordic Empress New Years cruise 2000. I ordered champagne with two flutes that had 2000 on the stem. While talking to the clients after their cruise they said they never got the gift. RCI ended up crediting me and I gave the clients back the money, I belive it was around $40! So I always made it a point to tell clients I was sending a gift and if they did not get it to let me know! So if anyone on here is told they are getting a gift and did not get it let your TA know, maybe the cruise line screwed up and you deserve a credit! I know a poster mentioned that they were promised wine by a TA and never got it, I beleive that is who I was responding to. They should call back the TA to get credit.

 

 

I had clients who would only cruise Princess, and three years in a row, they spent thousands on suite accomodations, and all they wanted was "Aste Spumanti" and strawberries. Three times I paid for these items to be waiting in the cabin, and three times these items never showed up for the duration of the cruise! I had order numbers, CC receipts..the whole thing! These clients were sitting across from me when I ordered these items! PCL was really difficult to deal with, but I eventually did get my money back, and just gave them cash for their next cruise - again on Princess. Best cruise lines for resolving glitches - IMO - Carnival, NCL, RCI, HAL. Speaking from TA experience. Also speaking as a very experienced cruiser.

[Guest maddycat]

We have an excellent travel agent. We've been using him for several years. He was refered to us by a couple from our area who we met on one of our cruises. Our TA is local (within state, about 40 minutes from us) but we only deal with him over the phone. He always sends us a bottle of wine as a thank you for booking with him. He also sends us a gift with our tickets (tote bag, beach towel, fanny pack, etc.). He always gets us a very good price for the cruise and usually provides OBC. We have no problem getting a cabin change or price drop. He's always available.

[Desert Cruizers]

pinkroses if I didn't have our TA I would book directly with the Cruise lines.

[cookmg40]

I beg to differ. I worked as a TA in a brick & mortar agency for several years, and routinely left gifts for my cruising clients. I ordered from the cruise lines' gift department, and NEVER got a discount, even though we were a preferred agency. I had to pay full price for wine/champagne/flower leis in Hawaii/T-shirts/kids' gifts,/cheese & crackers/candy/, champagne and strawberries, etc. For gifts and OBC, I paid with my personal credit card. I always had to pay the full price for any gifts delivered to the client's cabin, and trust me, I NEVER GOT A BOTTLE OF WINE FOR $2.00! I'm really offended by your statement, as I paid out of pocket for these gifts. It may have cost the CRUISE LINE $2.00 for wine, but it cost me about $20.00. So...please direct your cheap wine comment to the cruise line, and not towards TAs like me who paid out-of-pocket for client gifts. I provided good service, and always followed with a phone call. If there were problems, I attempted to correct them. I got quite a lot of repeat business, too. Sorry, but I think your comment was way out of line.

 

Imsulin, you are absolutely correct. My sister is a TA and when she orders bottles of wine for RCI cruisers, she pays the going rate in the Gifts and Gear catalog (and from her own credit card). If she was getting discounts, I would have many bottles waiting for me on my next cruise!

[imsulin]

Imsulin, you are absolutely correct. My sister is a TA and when she orders bottles of wine for RCI cruisers, she pays the going rate in the Gifts and Gear catalog (and from her own credit card). If she was getting discounts, I would have many bottles waiting for me on my next cruise!

 

Thanks! Your sister knows the score, as do I! If I were getting discounts, my non-existent wine cellar would be well stocked! Perhaps Garyorient is referring to Trader Joe's "Two Buck Chuck", which is actually pretty good! However, they don't deliver to cruise ships. And, I have to either drive two hours to Atlanta, or fly to Oregon to get this tasty stuff!

[farnamcoach]

maybe I will gwt something on my next cruise when im diamond. My last cruise I got strawberrys in y room I thought were from him. But when I read the card it was from my Personal assistant from work. It is a nice feeling when you get a surprise in your state room but it would never make or break my vacation

[twooley2]

We have begun working with a new TA and had our reservation transferred for the OBC before we knew how much it would be. She seemed very nice and was the original one to help us with information but we booked directly through RCL because the TA did not get in office at the beginning of the WOw sale. So I gambled on transferring it with her telling us she would give some sort of OBC well was I ever surprised. We booked two cabins and she gave us 500+ OBC between the two and RCL gave us 100 for each cabin making it a little over 700 dollars. I was estatic. I still am to be honest.

[mamaza]

We have begun working with a new TA and had our reservation transferred for the OBC before we knew how much it would be. She seemed very nice and was the original one to help us with information but we booked directly through RCL because the TA did not get in office at the beginning of the WOw sale. So I gambled on transferring it with her telling us she would give some sort of OBC well was I ever surprised. We booked two cabins and she gave us 500+ OBC between the two and RCL gave us 100 for each cabin making it a little over 700 dollars. I was estatic. I still am to be honest.

A $500 + OBC for the transfer? How much was that booking?

[twooley2]

the booking total with taxes and everything was 4650.00 for two cabins

[farnamcoach]

So far I have got 10 great cruises

[gerif]

Our former TA used to be really good - checking for deals, just the right cabin (when we were relatively new to cruising), bottle of wine, etc. When she retired, another agent at the same office "inherited" us - after four cruises with little to no service and no wine, I just booked our upcoming cruise directly with the cruiseline and will continue to do so.

[twooley2]

So far I have got 10 great cruises

Wow you are going on lots of cruises. thats great. I wish we could get that much time off. LOL

[nycruiser80]

Thanks! Your sister knows the score, as do I! If I were getting discounts, my non-existent wine cellar would be well stocked! Perhaps Garyorient is referring to Trader Joe's "Two Buck Chuck", which is actually pretty good! However, they don't deliver to cruise ships. And, I have to either drive two hours to Atlanta, or fly to Oregon to get this tasty stuff!

 

Actually RCI and Celebrity does offer a travel agent section in the gifts n gear on cruising power. I think a red or white is $13 or $14. It used to be $10. They also have chocolate covered dried fruit and other things that are a little less money then the consumer gifts. This was up until last year......that is when I left being a travel agent. I like this because I used to send two gifts on some bookings or an OBC and then one bottle of wine.

[farnamcoach]

Wow you are going on lots of cruises. thats great. I wish we could get that much time off. LOL

 

Took 20 years to get this much time I use every bit of it at sea:D

[mamaza]

Actually RCI and Celebrity does offer a travel agent section in the gifts n gear on cruising power. I think a red or white is $13 or $14. It used to be $10. They also have chocolate covered dried fruit and other things that are a little less money then the consumer gifts. This was up until last year......that is when I left being a travel agent. I like this because I used to send two gifts on some bookings or an OBC and then one bottle of wine.

Funny that some are stating that this isn't so .... Think it changed drastically or that some are afraid they might be expected to use that plus the OBC or the OBC is covered partially by the agancy where the Gifts 'n Gear purchase is not. So, why did you stop being an agent, NYCRUISER80?

[nycruiser80]

Funny that some are stating that this isn't so .... Think it changed drastically or that some are afraid they might be expected to use that plus the OBC or the OBC is covered partially by the agancy where the Gifts 'n Gear purchase is not. So, why did you stop being an agent, NYCRUISER80?

 

Maybe RCI stopped it this year.......who knows :)

 

I stopped being a travel agent for a few reasons....Hate to say this but I found clients getting increasingly difficult over the years. People don't realize how combersome certain aspects of arranging travel are. You would do all this work and then people would book themselves. Everyone thinks they are the expert! I felt unapprectiated. In addition I'm 28 and the pay in travel is not good by any means. I was salaried (not payed commission) and the pay was 20K a year. I live in the NYC area and lucky I can afford anything on that salary. I always wanted to be a teacher so I went to grad school; graduated and now I am working as a teaching assistant looking for a teaching position but thats been tricky!

 

I miss being a travel agent now and then BUT now I have a bit more time off that I can actually enjoy a trip back at the travel agency I would be frowned upon to take off! Belive that! We were frowned upon if we took time off.....travel agents who need to exeprience travel!! Whatever! Nevertheless I love teaching as it is very fullfiling....also very very challenging.