can TAs still discount Princess prices?

[mowb07]

Hello!

 

I am in the process of booking a cruise this Fall on Princess for the first time. I've read several posts where people mention that Princess allows TAs to discount so I've gotten some quotes online and continuosly check the Princess website. On a whim, I walked into a travel agency I've booked a cruise with before (on another cruiseline) and requested a quote. The TA proceeded to call Princess, ask them how much it was and tell us the price, which is no different from the price on the Princess website. This TA offered no OBC or other incentive to book through them and when we asked what the advantages booking through them were over booking through Princess, we were told that we had the advantage of 24/7 service so that if anything went wrong on the ship, they would be there for us...

 

We told the TA that we received an online quote for $80pp cheaper + $50 obc per cabin and after confirming with us that we received that quote that same day said "let me see what I can do" and....called back Princess to confirm the price they originally gave him. He then explained that 5 yrs ago, Princess stopped allowing TAs to discount and if they ever catch a TA discounting they can revoke their right to sell Princess cruises.

 

We thanked him for his time and said we would think about it as we weren't expecting it to be that much and we left.

 

I guess my question is - are TAs still allowed to discount (as I have read many times on this board) or was this TA just trying to make some money off of us? I am pretty well travelled and have always booked my own arrangements. The only experience I have with a TA is with this one when we booked a cruise for our honeymoon almost 2 years ago. Any insight you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated!

[MCC retired]

TA's can still discount (rebate comm.) Princess as well as all the Carnival Corp cruise lines.:)

 

The TA that you were talking with was:

a) not telling you the truth

b) didn't know the truth (worse):eek:

 

TA's that offer the exact same offer as any cruise line , are trying to book the nieve client. Some will bite and book .:rolleyes:

 

TA's can offer an additional OBC for the cruise linesthat don't allow upfront discounting (rebating comm).

 

I can't believe that there are TA's still out there offering nothing better than the cruise line :eek:

[Toto2Kansas]

Hello!

 

He then explained that 5 yrs ago, Princess stopped allowing TAs to discount and if they ever catch a TA discounting they can revoke their right to sell Princess cruises.

 

We thanked him for his time and said we would think about it as we weren't expecting it to be that much and we left.

 

I guess my question is - are TAs still allowed to discount (as I have read many times on this board) or was this TA just trying to make some money off of us? I am pretty well travelled and have always booked my own arrangements. The only experience I have with a TA is with this one when we booked a cruise for our honeymoon almost 2 years ago. Any insight you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated!

 

It sounds like this TA is confusing Princess with a few other cruise lines that did stop discounting. To me, that would tell me that this particular TA knows very little about Princess cruise lines. Keep looking, as you can locate a TA that discounts the Princess price and offers OBC, such as you have already found online.

We run into the same problem with local TA's in our area. They only quote Princess pricing and don't discount their commission. Good luck, and I hope you find a good TA that discounts and also gives you great service like your local TA seems to be offering you. Great service is fine and dandy, but without the discount, thanking them and walking away is the same thing I would have done. ;)

[mowb07]

Thanks for clearing that up! You have confirmed our suspicions! I know its against the rules to get into specifics, but this agency is not small/has a reputable name so we were quite surprised the TA would feed us a story like that:eek::)

 

I guess we know not to go back to them - and I'm not going to dwell on the possibilty that we overpaid with them last time, its not worth it! LOL :)

[sultan_sfo]

Our Experience of Mechanics of TA Princess Price Check:

 

Each TA Agency has specific prices for each cruise with Princess based on the volume of business and whether the TA Agency has booked group space and additional discounts. When one calls the TA, the TA gets the price from Princess at that instant. The price the TA gets back from Princess is "that" TA's Agency price with Princess including all discounts and goodies. For example, even if we book on-board and request "our" TA pricing, what the Future Cruise Consultant sees on his/her computer is exactly what your TA would see.

[travelntreats]

Our Experience of Mechanics of TA Princess Price Check:

 

Each TA Agency has specific prices for each cruise with Princess based on the volume of business and whether the TA Agency has booked group space and additional discounts. When one calls the TA, the TA gets the price from Princess at that instant. The price the TA gets back from Princess is "that" TA's Agency price with Princess including all discounts and goodies. For example, even if we book on-board and request "our" TA pricing, what the Future Cruise Consultant sees on his/her computer is exactly what your TA would see.

You are partially correct and partially not. When a TA calls Princess, if there is "group space" that their agency or their cruise consortium they are a member of i.e. virtuoso, vacation.com, etc. has space on and is still available, that is the fares they are quoted. But a good TA will check for resident promos, past passenger, etc. for comparisons.... Then perhaps they may "rebate commission" as a further discount. It is not specific to the agencies volume they provide to the cruiseline that determines the rates they provide to their clients. That volume they are doing with ANY cruiseline mainly dictates the % of commission they earn.

[sultan_sfo]

To travelntreats:

First of all I am "not" a travel agent. Thank you for sharing your experience which is a lot more than I knew. The part of your quote I have put in "green" is for me always a given. But I like your "may" in the boldface statement.

 

The reason for my post is that I find it disturbing that there are more and more "accusatory" posts against travel agents now appearing often in the forum. The TAs are just giving a quote consistent with their "Agency" pricing policies.

 

...

so we were quite surprised the TA would feed us a story like that:eek::)

 

I guess we know not to go back to them - and I'm not going to dwell on the possibilty that we overpaid with them last time, its not worth it! LOL :)

 

...

But a good TA will check for resident promos, past passenger, etc. for comparisons.... Then perhaps they may "rebate commission" as a further discount.

[paul929207]

I never pay the Princess price. I always find a good discount.

[travelntreats]

To travelntreats:

First of all I am "not" a travel agent. Thank you for sharing your experience which is a lot more than I knew. The part of your quote I have put in "green" is for me always a given. But I like your "may" in the boldface statement.

 

The reason for my post is that I find it disturbing that there are more and more "accusatory" posts against travel agents now appearing often in the forum. The TAs are just giving a quote consistent with their "Agency" pricing policies.

Glad that my experience/knowledge, as a TA, perhaps helped you become a little more informed. And you are right when us TA's often get accused on a wide variety of topics. Like anything else, there are good TA's out there and some not so good ones ! :)

[Coral]

My guess is the agent that you dealt with is a very general travel agent or maybe has a speciality in an area that is not cruising (such as disney vacations or Sandals resorts, etc....). Because they sell everything - they really don't know much about specific lines, etc...

 

I am guessing she confused Princess with RCCL or Celebrity or just assumed none allowed for discounting.

 

Even amongst those agents who specialize in cruises -- it is probably difficult for them to keep up with all the cruise lines policies and regulations (some allow discounts, some allow people to bring drinks onboard, some don't have formal nights, etc...) as things change frequently and there is so much out there just in cruising. I actually feel sorry for the general travel agents as they are trying to cover everything.

[Pam in CA]

Find a TA who specializes in cruising and specifically, Princess. You will get the best rates from them. The TA you used obviously doesn't do many Princess bookings, if any, and you're getting incorrect information/advice. The bottom line is that they don't know what they're talking about so I'd dump them ASAP.

[Buddy604]

Remember too that some agencies have a policy against pre-cruise fare rebates but are more than happy to provide an equal or larger amount as an on board credit. It is the way the industry is gradually moving, glacially slowly. :D

[Yurita]

I know some people have been very lucky with TA's however, my case is the total opposite.

Before booking my december Princess cruise, I searched all over the web, went to 2 different TA companies including a very reputable one (that most people know) and called about 4 more local TA places.

They all offered me the same Princess price, except for one local company, which offered me a 3% discount for working as a health care member. A 3% discount, made a total of $18 discount for the whole cruise.:rolleyes:

I decided to book directly with Princess because if something happens, I would just call them without dealing with a 3rd person. Also, because I didn't find any 'great discounts' with anyone else.

So, not always you'll find a great deal thru a TA, there may be exceptions out-there, but in my case, Princess was my best option.

[mowb07]

I want to thank everyone, this has all been very helpful and informative, like I mentioned, I do not have a lot of experience with TAs.

 

Just to clarify, I never meant to be "accusatory" to any TA - its a highly competitve industry to be in since the internet came along and I have nothing but respect for this TA as obviously he was only trying to make some money for the service he was rendering - nothing wrong with that! I was simply looking for information as he had told us Princess doesn't discount and being in the profession, he should know, which is why I said he fed us a story. Don't want this to be a big deal - just wanted to make sure that was clear :)

 

Thanks again for all of your great advice!! That's why I come here :)

[caribill]

for one local company, which offered me a 3% discount for working as a health care member. A 3% discount, made a total of $18 discount for the whole cruise.

 

This means your total cruise fare was about $600, including port fees which are non-commissionable. If the TA rceived a $60 commission for such a booking, then $18 would represent 30% of that commission.

 

Booking a $3000 suite might get you a bigger dollar discount from that TA.

[Loonbeam]

I asked my TA about this specifically. To go along with what was already said here, the price the TA gets from Princess is 'their' price. It is what it is based on the agency. That price includes the agents commission. The agent then has the option to give back some of that commission in the form of a 'discount'. Agents that book a lot of Princess will either get a better rate, more options, and/or better commission which gives them more options. Plus there are group blocks held by some agencies, etc.

 

My agent is not a Princess specialist, not even a cruise specialist, but we use her for many different kinds of trips, so I am happy to give up a few dollars in potential discounts..

[sackman]

My agent is always able to beat the published princess.com fare. I've never paid the published fare.

[cdngrl]

I know some people have been very lucky with TA's however, my case is the total opposite.

 

Before booking my december Princess cruise, I searched all over the web, went to 2 different TA companies including a very reputable one (that most people know) and called about 4 more local TA places.

 

They all offered me the same Princess price, except for one local company, which offered me a 3% discount for working as a health care member. A 3% discount, made a total of $18 discount for the whole cruise.:rolleyes:

 

I decided to book directly with Princess because if something happens, I would just call them without dealing with a 3rd person. Also, because I didn't find any 'great discounts' with anyone else.

 

So, not always you'll find a great deal thru a TA, there may be exceptions out-there, but in my case, Princess was my best option.

 

my experience was the same, no one would beat the princess price and no one gave obc. i kept looking--for a YEAR!--and have finally found one. do keep looking. best of luck to you.

[Toto2Kansas]

my experience was the same, no one would beat the princess price and no one gave obc. i kept looking--for a YEAR!--and have finally found one. do keep looking. best of luck to you.

 

Yep, sometimes it can take awhile to find just what you are looking for. But in the end, the rewards are worth it, every single penny, nickle, dollar and hundreds of dollars are worth the time it takes to find just the right one. :):)

[Crystalkrt]

I usually book with Princess because still haven't found a TA that beats Princess past-passenger discount.

It's just my experience, though. I booked the Emerald and went online, to my closest 3 A's office ;), but no luck... same price as princess, so i ended up booking thru Princess.

[MCC retired]

A TA is permitted to discount (rebate comm) any Princess Rate Code (Past Guest, Senior, Resident , FLASH ):)

It's up to the TA to discount or not, to make a sale.:rolleyes:

It should be offered upfront , not negotiated for, after "shopping arround".:rolleyes:

[Ldyandrea]

I'm not a TA, but my sister became one this year (she's Commodore certified on Princess, so she does know her stuff) and it's my understanding that they can indeed discount and if you give your TA your past passenger number that pricing can be even better.

 

I myself have booked cruises both with and without a TA. The advantages of booking with a GOOD TA far outweigh the perceived convenience of booking directly with the cruise line. If your TA is doing their job, they will bust their butt to get you good pricing....and I should point out that the amount of money they make on a booking is really not much at all. Generally, after discounting, there frequently is only a few dollars that the TA gets paid for their work.

 

In closing, if you find a good cruise TA, hang onto them! :)

[Loonbeam]

Amen! As I mentioned above a good TA is worth their weight in gold. They may not always be able to get you the best possible deal (no TA has a good line on everything), but you know they have your back when needed. (Classic case in point - one year, right before a vacation, the airline changed a flight on us. Before I even heard about it from the airline, the TA had us rebooked on a better alternative at no cost).

 

You may not always pay the absolute cheapest possible price (but she usually comes very close, 1-2 percent at worst), but you also don't have to worry. And isn't that the point of a vacation?

 

 

 

I'm not a TA, but my sister became one this year (she's Commodore certified on Princess, so she does know her stuff) and it's my understanding that they can indeed discount and if you give your TA your past passenger number that pricing can be even better.

 

I myself have booked cruises both with and without a TA. The advantages of booking with a GOOD TA far outweigh the perceived convenience of booking directly with the cruise line. If your TA is doing their job, they will bust their butt to get you good pricing....and I should point out that the amount of money they make on a booking is really not much at all. Generally, after discounting, there frequently is only a few dollars that the TA gets paid for their work.

 

In closing, if you find a good cruise TA, hang onto them! :)

[luvs2travl]

I'm not a TA, but my sister became one this year (she's Commodore certified on Princess, so she does know her stuff) and it's my understanding that they can indeed discount and if you give your TA your past passenger number that pricing can be even better.

 

I myself have booked cruises both with and without a TA. The advantages of booking with a GOOD TA far outweigh the perceived convenience of booking directly with the cruise line. If your TA is doing their job, they will bust their butt to get you good pricing....and I should point out that the amount of money they make on a booking is really not much at all. Generally, after discounting, there frequently is only a few dollars that the TA gets paid for their work.

 

In closing, if you find a good cruise TA, hang onto them! :)

 

Couldn't agree with you more! Our T/A has 30+ years in the business and specializes in cruises - specifically HAL and Princess. We have yet to pay the cruiseline price for any of our cruises and usually receive great OBC's, free dinners in the specialty restaurants and gift bottles of wine as well. Not to mention that they are there for you if the "fit hits the shan" (anything goes wrong) on your trip!! :D

[Buddy604]

This means your total cruise fare was about $600, including port fees which are non-commissionable. If the TA rceived a $60 commission for such a booking, then $18 would represent 30% of that commission.

 

Booking a $3000 suite might get you a bigger dollar discount from that TA.

The non-commisionable portion of the fare runs from at least $220 to $270 and beyond. The commission on a $600 fare would have been about $35 for a smaller agency up to $59 for the biggest mega agency.

 

For less expensive cabins, the best thing for a TA to do is roll it into group space and get $50 off or some such, plus a grade or two upgraded from the regular launch fares.

 

The big multi-hundred dollar discounts come from the multi-thousand dollar fares. Even still, a smaller agency only earns perhaps $250 on a $3000 fare.

 

A number of agents roll back between 25 and 50% of their personal commission in passengers gifts or credits.

 

It's a good thing the industry is so fun, because it's not making too many people rich. :)