Would you use a travel agent if you couldn't get any perks?

[wolfganghowell]

Fortunately, many of us have enough cruise experience and know where to get information that it doesn't really matter what landlocked town a "cruise specialist" that has never stepped foot on a ship might be sitting in.

 

This is a fantasy.

 

Umm...guys....I don't think I belittled anyone who chose to book with the cruise line. My only comment was a general statement regarding small business getting eaten up in the big bad world. :)

 

I have plenty of cruise experience and know how to get information as well. We've done 19 cruises.

 

And sorry, MY experiences are not a fantasy. I'm really sorry you had bad experiences. We all make the choices that are best for OUR situations. I'm fortunate, I live in a big city that has lots of diverse business choices. I get that many don't have the option.

 

My TA has given me her cell and has been available to handle both simple and complex issues that perhaps I don't have the time to do. I choose to have an advocate and until this option is gone, it's the right decision for me and I don't think any of us should criticize the other. If booking direct with the cruise line works for you, great. For those of us who prefer a middleman, that's fine too. I'm a bit offended that calling MY experience and choice is a fantasy. I too am my own best advocate but if push comes to shove, I want someone involved with the insurance company or the cruise line if the situation warrants it. That's MY choice and I stand by it while respecting that others feel different.

[Ocean Boy]

Umm...guys....I don't think I belittled anyone who chose to book with the cruise line. My only comment was a general statement regarding small business getting eaten up in the big bad world. :)

 

I have plenty of cruise experience and know how to get information as well. We've done 19 cruises.

 

And sorry, MY experiences are not a fantasy. I'm really sorry you had bad experiences. We all make the choices that are best for OUR situations. I'm fortunate, I live in a big city that has lots of diverse business choices. I get that many don't have the option.

 

My TA has given me her cell and has been available to handle both simple and complex issues that perhaps I don't have the time to do. I choose to have an advocate and until this option is gone, it's the right decision for me and I don't think any of us should criticize the other. If booking direct with the cruise line works for you, great. For those of us who prefer a middleman, that's fine too. I'm a bit offended that calling MY experience and choice is a fantasy. I too am my own best advocate but if push comes to shove, I want someone involved with the insurance company or the cruise line if the situation warrants it. That's MY choice and I stand by it while respecting that others feel different.

 

I didn't knock you for the decisions that you have made. I just stated that I know where to get information and I don't really care where the person that I am talking to is situated. That is, if I talk to a person at all. And that is the choice that works for me.

 

BTW, I do understand your point about small businesses. There is a local bicycle shop in my town that provides awesome service to me when I need it. I would never buy a bike from anyone else. They know everything that a business needs to about customer service.

[dacsmom]

I used a TA for the first time for out Feb 2013 cruise because of the perks. I like to book myself, but this time the deal was too good to pass up. If they eliminated the perks, I would book myself.

[Let'sGo!]

The answer - No, I would no longer use a TA, if all I could get was $25 per passenger.

 

We have used an online TA for years, and have become part of their own loyalty program. I can usually count on getting TA paid gratuities, on-board credit, and sometimes a dinner for 2 in a speciality restaurant.

 

If not for those great little extras -- I would see no reason to go through a TA.

 

 

 

Ann

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

No.....:)

[tigger-ttfn]

What kind of perks are people getting with RCI?

I got a romance package for free when I booked Bermuda for Oct. That is the only time i have gotten a perk from RCC.

[Illyria]

To each his own. I use a TA (a couple of different ones over the years) because they always beat the cruise line's advertised price. Always. If there are perks, like onboard credit - that's mostly an added bonus. And this year my TA specifically pointed out to me that my deposit and my payment was going directly to Princess Cruises and not to him - as he put it, "if I get hit by a car tomorrow, you don't have to worry about getting your money back" :)

[Ocean Boy]

To each his own. I use a TA (a couple of different ones over the years) because they always beat the cruise line's advertised price. Always. If there are perks, like onboard credit - that's mostly an added bonus. And this year my TA specifically pointed out to me that my deposit and my payment was going directly to Princess Cruises and not to him - as he put it, "if I get hit by a car tomorrow, you don't have to worry about getting your money back" :)

 

Carnival, and its various brands, did not prohibit TA's from discounting cruise line prices as RCI did several years ago. For the most part, the price you get from RCI is the price you will also get from a TA unless they have some sort of cruise RCI approved deal.

[Heidils]

Carnival, and its various brands, did not prohibit TA's from discounting cruise line prices as RCI did several years ago. For the most part, the price you get from RCI is the price you will also get from a TA unless they have some sort of cruise RCI approved deal.

 

Ya like they bought a big block of rooms.

[KJL53]

On the Carnival forum, they are discussing a change that Carnival is making. As of August 1, 2012, travel agents will be forbidden from providing any cash-equivalent incentives to their customers such as onboard credit, specialty dining, etc., and instead will only be permitted to offer token gifts of no more than $25 in value.

 

One of the things that's nice about Royal Caribbean is that there is an interesting balance between booking directly and using a travel agent. On the one hand, by booking directly, one can have complete control over their reservation. Using a travel agent, however, can provide nice benefits such as prepaid gratuities, onboard credit, and more.

 

Now, imagine that Royal Caribbean adopts a similar rule, and travel agents are no longer able to provide these perks. Would you continue to use a travel agent then?

 

My thinking is that, generally speaking, the only reason I've used a travel agent in the past is because of the perks they've offered. Even if it's just prepaid gratuities, that's around $150 in savings for two people on a week-long cruise, and that's nothing to sneeze at. If I couldn't get any benefits from a travel agent, I'd probably book with Royal Caribbean directly.

 

Book with TA only for perks. Carnival and or Royal will have to hire more agents if Ta has no perks to offer.

[gazruss]

Booked our 4 cruises with the same bricks & mortar travel agent, never EVER had a perk of any kind, can't miss what you have never had :-)

[geocruiser]

We love our TA. She gives GREAT service. We have had things go wrong while on cruises with members of our little group traveling with us. She has been with us all the way with Ship to shore calling , dealing with the cruise line, ship, home office, and hospital in a foreign country. Add to that the air lines and ins co. She is worth her weight in gold. The perks don’t matter to us. But most time something is given to us. She stands by us. When something goes wrong on a cruise is when you need a good TA.

[bighairtexan]

No I wouldn't. Unless the perk is worth at least $100, it isn't worth it to me to relinquish control over my reservation.

[gw2fll]

No - if the incentive were only $25, we would stop using a TA in most circumstances.

 

However, there are occasions where I think they would be of value - very complicated / complex itin's requiring multi entry Visa's, complex flight arrangements into / out of remote airports, etc. Then I would consider leveraging their services even without the added incentive. The reason being, there are some arrangements that are just too complex to leave to inexperience in arranging. (Not that they would get it 100% right, but the odds are better.)

[nycruiser80]

This is a fantasy.

 

I've had major things go wrong TWICE, and there was no protection from the TA. They didn't run interference for me or negotiate for my best interests. In both cases, they said that nothing more could be done. I ended up handling both situations on my own, and achieved more than they were able to.

 

I've learned that I am my own best advocate and dealing direct is the best way to get the desired results. A TA cannot do anything better or more efficiently for me than I can do for myself.

 

 

With all due respect it is not a fantasy. I used to be a TA and we worked our tails off for our clients. Many a snow storms we had clients stranded and the airlines were of no help. We came through (working from home on a snowy Christmas eve missing the family get together ) and got what they needed. Does it always work out? No. A good travel agent knows how to handle a tough situation, even if it meant fibbing so we could speak to certain people. I did this, I am a man and I even had to pose as a teenage girl one time to American Airlines to get what I needed (LONG STORY but I actually did that and got the situation resolved). Like any job its tough because you need to please your client (who is demanding and why shouldn't they be) and you are trying to work with a big corporation that has tons of rules with many workers who are not well versed in the rules.

 

Even today, years after leaving travel, I just had a friend and my sister who needed help with travel. One booked a trip through Expedia and somewhere there was a mishap.The other booked an NCL cruise and was charged an oceanview rate for an inside. She was getting the run around from them. I am not saying only I can handle these things because I was a travel agent but having worked in travel day in and day out for over 10 years helped. Both of them are avid travelers but there are times where sticky situations may arise and having that extra knowledge helps.

 

So sitting from my end of the room I think a good agent can be your advocate and there are agents that work on weekends as well. I know some that work from home and their clients call them anytime. The key is finding a GOOD agent. That is hard to come by these days and honestly I know that travel agents for the masses will cease to exist. Travel agents for luxury travel will to do well for themselves.

[CI66774]

No - I have no reason to use a TA if I can't get added perks. I can do a better job myself at booking my own trip and I retain control over the booking. Why would I want to go thru a 3rd party for everything and waste time waiting for phone calls, emails, etc. when I can take care of it myself in much less time - unless there was something in it for me. I just booked a Disney cruise thru Costco - got a great Costco cash card. Then I booked a Celebrity cruise - got a terrific OBC. I do everything online and don't have to rely on someone who, in reality, probably isn't as efficient or thorough as I am.

[KMagz]

Like many on this board, I am cruise and internet savvy. I know more about MY cruise and MY preferences than any TA possibly would care to. With no financial incentive to use a TA, I would have no reason to use one.

[SPacificbound]

I won't use a TA period so it doesn't matter to me. :)

[hazeleyez3]

I guess we got lucky with the fact that our TA's help isn't a fantasy.

 

While I am quite knowledgable with the Internet and cruises, I would still use ours w/o the perks.

 

The few times we needed help, she was able to do so very quickly.

 

She was absolutely FANTASTIC with a situation we had with my mother in 2009...the first problem happened about 10 days before the cruise, and then another less than a week before we sailed.

 

We have always been able to get in touch with her. Doesn't matter what day or time it is. If she is going away she'll send us an email, stating where she is going, for how long, and we now have another's contact info when she is away. I forgot about her vacation one time and sent her an email. It wasn't anything time-sensitive (if it was I'd fwd the email to her partner). To my surprise, I recieved a response from her less than 12 hours later.

[foxesden1]

I would not continue to use a TA if only perk is $25 :mad:

 

Same same

[cas21]

TA`s in the UK can give you discount and some will get you price drops but you need to know which ones. RCL sometimes give early booking discounts.

On my latest cruise I received $364 TA discount $620 RC early booking discount and $365 C&A balcony discount Total discount $1349 at the time of booking this cruise was $2000 cheaper on the UK web site than the USA one.

[CoachT]

The most wonderful thing to remember is that Cruise Critic represents such a small percentage of the cruising public. There are also more people who have not cruised than have. In spite of some wrong information in this thread, travel agencies, while their numbers have diminished, are still thriving. More people are returning to travel agencies for the sole reason of their being too much information out there. So many people confuse information for knowledge.

 

There will always be people who book direct and their will be agencies that offer incentives when booking. They just cannot advertize them as a condition of booking. It won't be long however before the brands of RCI and other cruise lines follow suit with what Carnival has done. By the way there are many agencies who not only do not give perks, they also charge consultation fees when they take on a new client and with every booking even "simple" cruises. They grew tired of the shoppers and tire kickers so they decided to only work with the clients they wanted and not be shopped!

 

The agencies that give up most of their commission to get a booking employ nothing but order takers and as far as I am concerned, they provide a valuable service. Those agencies work with clients I and many other agents do not want! Working with a client that is not constantly searching or price drops or a "better" cabin is far more preferable and is less work for smaller and smaller compensation by the suppliers.

[reeran]

No - if the incentive were only $25, we would stop using a TA in most circumstances.

 

However, there are occasions where I think they would be of value - very complicated / complex itin's requiring multi entry Visa's, complex flight arrangements into / out of remote airports, etc. Then I would consider leveraging their services even without the added incentive. The reason being, there are some arrangements that are just too complex to leave to inexperience in arranging. (Not that they would get it 100% right, but the odds are better.)

 

 

I agree, but for a simple cruise or flight they are of no use, if anything they impede the process. Very few TAs will keep track of the prices like I do and even if they do if the price drops on their day off you are out of luck.

[reeran]

To my surprise, I recieved a response from her less than 12 hours later.

 

A 12 hour response time even if the individual is away (with someone covering) is not impressive! I wouldn't be able to afford to cruise if I responded to my clients in that time frame...they would go elsewhere.

[Ocean Boy]

Ya like they bought a big block of rooms.

 

And it is not very likely that the small TA's that people seem to be concerned about fading away would be able to buy that big block in the first place.