How would you handle this TA situation?

[CLEMM]

My TA (who booked my cruise)recommended a tour company in Rome (pre cruise) so I asked her to get me prices for tours on specific days of specific sites for specific times. She got back to me with a quote from said tour company. The numbers seemed high to me so I went to a different company and got prices on my own for the exact same thing. The prices I got were one third of the price her recommnded company quoted. I am a little distressed because I would have thought that she would have recognized the price as being too high and would have researched others or at least told me that she thought the price was high. Am I being naive? Is a TA mark up that much? What should I tell her?

[Ma Bell]

The truth.

[DHADEN]

Is this the first/only time you have used this T.A.?

If so, count it up to "tuition expense" and move on. I would probably tell her that I won't be doing business with her anymore, but not until after the cruise.

 

Hope This Helps.

[gerif]

Personally, I would get a THIRD quote then, if that price is consistent with the other one you found for yourself, I would approach the TA and ask why hers was so high. There are always places with very low prices but you get what you pay for. So, give it the benefit of the doubt and get a third quote. Sometimes prices are high but are worth it (e.g., Tauck Tours are very pricey but strictly first class all the way).

[dkjretired]

Personally, I would get a THIRD quote then, if that price is consistent with the other one you found for yourself, I would approach the TA and ask why hers was so high. There are always places with very low prices but you get what you pay for. So, give it the benefit of the doubt and get a third quote. Sometimes prices are high but are worth it (e.g., Tauck Tours are very pricey but strictly first class all the way).

 

I wouild also do a third quote and also, you should expect her prices to be a little higher as you adding an extra layer or profit layer...

[Wine-O]

I would go on your Roll Call and see what others are doing and who others are using. You might be able to hook up with someone -- it's usually cheaper by the dozen.

[hajekfam]

Make sure that you are comparing the exact same thing -

Are entrance fees for museums, private guides (at the Vatican they have their own guides for the museum that can get you thru the lines quicker), etc. included in both? -

Are the prices both in the same currency (for example: your TA might be quoting US dollars and the prices you got were for Euros)? -

Is tip included in your TA price? -

Is lunch included in both or neither?

And as dkjretired said, get a few quotes from other companies, you could have gotten a lowball offer. Also, check with the Port of Call board for Italy ports and ask if others have used the company and how they did - you can also get names of other tour companies that previous cruisers have used. If you have an active Roll Call, you might be able to join others as Wine-O said.

If everything is the same and the tour company is reliable, then I would advise you to tell the TA that you decided to tour on your own and then book a tour yourself. The TA doesn't need to know that you are going to a different tour company, you could be using the hop-on, hop-off bus, walking tours from guide books, etc.

[Lsimon]

Another thing to make sure of:

In a lot of European cities, including Rome, there are a lot of private "tours" that are really just drivers. They will drive you to the different sites, give instructions, and wait for you in the car to take you to the next site. These drivers are not licensed tour guides so they can not take you into the sites to guide you through them. Make sure this isn't the difference in price between the two tours and make sure you're getting what you want in this regard.

 

The port of call forums on this site are a great place for info and recommendations on this topic.

[uppitycats]

I don't understand the problem? :confused: I researched tours, drivers, other options for my cruise, as did my TA. If I found something cheaper or more suitable for me, I just booked it, and told her. She found some things I didn't, and vice-versa, so in the end she booked some things, I booked other things, and then we put the package together. No big deal.

 

I just was polite, said "no thanks; I found something cheaper (or better)", and went on to the next step.

[jagoffee]

O.P., I think your situation is not at all uncommon. On my last cruise to the Med, I was part of a larger group. The TA organizing the event used a local U.S. tour group (Shoretrips) to provide tour options different thtn Celebrity's choices. They were not always apples to apples, but they were frequently more expensive than the Celebrity options. Shoretrips just contracts with local groups, so I did not see any advantage of using those choices. If you check the review of tripadvisor or CC you will be able to find better and less expensive choices in my experience. Personally I think many TAs just use a company like Shoretrips and take a cut of the profit. I thought that with over 100 people in the group that the TA would have done more work then select a third party to supply over priced options. I used a combination of some of the TA's recommendations, Celebrity's choices, and my own. I enjoyed my own the best (much smaller group) and did not find the TAs choices superior in any way.

 

The bottom line is that I would follow the recommendations suggested. Get a third quote and just tell the TA that their choices were much more expensive or that you are not interested in her options. I would also make sure that you have some indepented reviews for your quoted tours.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[Jade13]

For Rome, contact Stefano at Rome Cabs. He is the best, and has taken us personally around on two different trips.

 

His email might be romecabs (AT) yahoo.com (check his web site).

 

We haven't been back in a couple of years but was 40 EUR per hour, maybe 50 EUR per hour now. It also depends if you have a Sedan or Mini-van. We also use his drivers to take us to/from the port. The last trip he showed up personally in both directions.

 

If you want to go to the Vatican Museum you should book direct with on of their guides. You need to do it really far in advance to get your preferred time slot.

[rjm1cc]

I would ask her to compaire the two and tell me if I found a bargain or not. If I did then I would ask why she did not. Might be a good reason and you chose to continue with her.

[eandj]

First of all, yes, if you book tours, hotels etc with your TA. the commision they get is up to them and what the market will bear.

 

Secondly, as others have stated, when in Italy there is a WIDE variety of tours and services. If your TA booked a private car tour with English speaking guide, then yes the cost will be high. You can head to your ports of call board and book a really good tour with 6 or 8 others on your vruise and cut that rate over a third! You DON'T want just a driver if you are new to the area and really want some background and guidance.

 

As also stated, some tours are "drive bys". They don't stop and spend time at sites. They don't go into the buildings. ie: If you want a tour of the Vatican, not just walk bys, you pay more for entrance fees and a guide. Same at any other major site.

 

There are so many variables that you have to do a lot of research before you can claim something is unfair. Head to the tour company websiets and compare the exact itineraries for different tour options and pick the one that does what YOU want to do. Research is half the fun!;)

 

The roll call board is your best bet for easy booking a tour with like interests.

[CLEMM]

Thanks to all of you for your input and advice. I believe I am comparing the exact same thing, especially since part of the price was just transfers from airport to hotel and from Rome to port. Since the price in both quotes was broken down I was able to compare all aspects and even the transfers were 3 times as much. I emailed my TA and asked her politely why her cost was so much higher. The company I got a quote from was highly recommended on my role call but it is a good idea to go for a third quote. Thanks!

[jdvmd]

Thanks to all of you for your input and advice. I believe I am comparing the exact same thing, especially since part of the price was just transfers from airport to hotel and from Rome to port. Since the price in both quotes was broken down I was able to compare all aspects and even the transfers were 3 times as much. I emailed my TA and asked her politely why her cost was so much higher. The company I got a quote from was highly recommended on my role call but it is a good idea to go for a third quote. Thanks!

 

So has the TA responded? If so, what did she say?

[j!m]

i really dont understand

 

like me you are capable of finding vendors on the net and comparing one against the other

 

why involve a t/a at all??

 

do it yourself and

 

hava great cruise

[Lois R]

So has the TA responded? If so, what did she say?

 

Thanks...I was wondering what the TA said as well.

[FinelyCruising]

I think you can obtain a sanity check if you go to the port of call boards and do some leg work there, or a google search and find the tour companies website which defines these costs, or ask here, plenty will be familiar with the tours you were looking at and that the approximate costs were.

[biker1972]

In today's marketplace, a savvy TA knows that people are capable of doing Internet searches. They are not offended if someone finds a a "better" deal. If I choose a TA, and ask them to help with ground tours, I would want to know if they had personally (or someone from their agency) been in the city in question, or if they were using guides and hotels that they had been directed to by the Internet or tour organization. I recently had a TA doing arranging a Peru tour and each of the places were ones he had visited. Pricey, yes, but guaranteed quality!

[cruise53]

Get the third quote, still high and you are sure its the same Tell Her The Truth