Carnival vs. TA's

[GrammyJill]

OK, there are many threads with many varied opinions as to many things.

 

My question is this: Why do you book with who you book with?

 

I know we can't say specific TA names & I don't want that I just want to know why & how you decide.

 

We know the destination & the date, but we still need to actually book. I have talked to a Carnival agent & I have gone to a website & gotten electronic answers to a few questions & I have called one TA. Now no one is offering any incentives Carnival isn't offering.

 

Let me hear it everyone! How do you decide?

[diane.in.ny]

When I was a newbie cruiser, I followed the advice of a trusted friend and booked through her agent. I've now been using the same agent for 15 years and I've also sent her new clients.

 

She is mainly a cruise only agent but she has even booked land tours for me that I have chosen. I make it very easy, sometimes, for her to earn a commission and, in return, she has shown me her appreciation in more ways than I can count.

[gargoyle999]

I save $$$ with my TA. Saved me between $120-$430 on my cruises vs keeping the booking directly with Carnival. Depends on the price of the cruise. But about 10%.

[kootenaygyrl]

I like to do the leg work and the investigating about the trips I take then I call my PVP at Carnival and she hooks me up. I live in a town with very few travel agents and I have found that when it comes to booking with Carnival no one knows it better than their PVPs

[PA Dutchman]

All our cruises we never had a better price with a TA vs PVP. We always check with TA and internet prices, apple to apple same price in the end. We could get a bottle of wine from our TA but prices were always the same. Don't care about wine. Just did 2 cruises today for Dec/Jan same thing.

[gargoyle999]

All our cruises we never had a better price with a TA vs PVP.

 

You need a better TA! :p

[gaylensgigi]

I use a TA.She is great.Prices are better,she does the work as far as checking price drops and specials and had almost always got upgrades for us.

There is a PVP that I use to have who was so good, we sent a letter to J Cahill about.He got promoted,and the PVP they gave his clients to does not have a clue,keeps emailing me to not book online because that will cost her a job? So, I called her once and asked a few basic questions....no help there.I have told her ,politely, that I do not need her services,yet she persists with the e mails.

[Mamma Boney]

My hubby is active duty military so I did ALOT of research and then we saw a MCCS / ITT TA.....she rocked it out and saved us $400.00 plus got us an upgrade! I will always use a TA!

[redlef]

OK, there are many threads with many varied opinions as to many things.

 

My question is this: Why do you book with who you book with?

 

I know we can't say specific TA names & I don't want that I just want to know why & how you decide.

 

We know the destination & the date, but we still need to actually book. I have talked to a Carnival agent & I have gone to a website & gotten electronic answers to a few questions & I have called one TA. Now no one is offering any incentives Carnival isn't offering.

 

Let me hear it everyone! How do you decide?

 

My TA always got me a little discount - usually around $25 total. She was just cutting her commission, which really made me feel uncomfortable. Then, I'd constantly be calling her, especially when I saw a price drop, and it would typically take a day of phone tag to catch up with her. I think I'm a pain in the neck client - constantly checking the web for price drops. Sometimes she got me the price drop, sometimes she couldn't (you know - after final payment.)

 

Anyhow, I just felt guilty, calling her constantly, taking her commission (although that was her choice, I told her to keep it). Then, Carnival wouldn't talk to me if I had a question because I was dealing with a TA, and I was playing phone tag with the TA whenever I had a question.

 

Finally, the TA kept trying to steer me to RCCL, where I've yet to see a value better than Carnival.

 

So my last 3 cruises I've dealt with the cruise line myself, I pester the cruise line operators about price drops, and feel much more in control of the whole vacation planning process, which is really what I prefer.

[GrammyJill]

Love all the replies! Still haven't quite decided.

 

Let me know what you think!

[quickrate]

You need a better TA! :p

I agree! My TA saved me $300 off my next cruise.

Pat

[jason534]

I've booked our 11 cruises (all Carnival) myself, the last two have been group cruises. I usually have lots of questions and a few people that make lots of changes, so I like being able to talk to Carnival myself. I've never had a problem getting lower rates as they appear, even with a group.

 

I will say prior to using the groups dept, I did have a couple of PVP's that I did not like working with. When I use a PVP, I talk to them more than once before booking so I am not "stuck" with one i don't enjoy dealing with.

[Tammylyne]

I have a ? regarding PVP and TA's?

Say I booked through carnival with a PVP

trip is over 120 days away but paid for cruise in full...is there any benefit to switching to a TA at this stage in the game..could we get a better price? Upgrade? or some sort of perk?

[CanWeGoYet?]

I read a post somewhere saying all the PVPs are concerned with is making the booking, so they just booked with carnival, found a travel agent who offered a better deal & then transferred to them. Basically presented as a win/win for all concerned. Does anyone know how it works when a PVP loses a booking to a travel agent? In the past I've avoided doing this, because I thought the PVP would be be penalized in some way - either losing a commission or losing business in general. The PVP I've used has been helpful to me, found me the extended balcony listed as an 8A. I may use a travel agent in the future, just want to know how it pans out for the PVP to lose a booking.

[cuyahoga11]

I read a post somewhere saying all the PVPs are concerned with is making the booking, so they just booked with carnival, found a travel agent who offered a better deal & then transferred to them. Basically presented as a win/win for all concerned. Does anyone know how it works when a PVP loses a booking to a travel agent? In the past I've avoided doing this, because I thought the PVP would be be penalized in some way - either losing a commission or losing business in general. The PVP I've used has been helpful to me, found me the extended balcony listed as an 8A. I may use a travel agent in the future, just want to know how it pans out for the PVP to lose a booking.

 

The PVP gets the points for the booking and does not lose a thing if you transfer to a TA but I believe there is a time limit after you book that you can transfer

[CanWeGoYet?]

I've heard of changing to a TA before final payment date, but don't know how it works if you have already payed in full. Incentives are sometimes the travel agent can offer a lower price, or perks like OBC or paid gratuities.

 

I have a ? regarding PVP and TA's?

Say I booked through carnival with a PVP

trip is over 120 days away but paid for cruise in full...is there any benefit to switching to a TA at this stage in the game..could we get a better price? Upgrade? or some sort of perk?

[hartskys]

It is against board guidlines to mention TA's or PVP's by name or to offer their phone #. Just wanted to let you know before you get a warning from the moderators

 

Oops. I didn't know that but thanks. :(

[gargoyle999]

The PVP gets the points for the booking and does not lose a thing if you transfer to a TA but I believe there is a time limit after you book that you can transfer

 

You have 30 days after booking to transfer to a TA unless it's after final payment date then I think it's 24 hours, maybe 48 hours.

 

My PVP had no issue when I asked about transferring to my TA. I think they may even like it better. They get the credit for booking but then you can't call them up anymore about it, you have to go through your TA. Less work for them! :)

[gargoyle999]

I have a ? regarding PVP and TA's?

Say I booked through carnival with a PVP

trip is over 120 days away but paid for cruise in full...is there any benefit to switching to a TA at this stage in the game..could we get a better price? Upgrade? or some sort of perk?

 

That is a good question. You'd have to do it within 30 days of booking. But I suspect that once you got the quote from the TA you'd know what kind of discount you'd get. Since Carnival would have the full payment I would think the TA would have to refund the difference or maybe they would offer you OBC for the discount they are offering.