I need some help to sort out the mumbo jumbo I am getting from a TA

[greatam]

Greatam - did you try looking at the pricing for 1 person instead of 2? I just tried it and I find the price for 2 people is $230 more than for 1 person in the same stateroom (veranda). Add in the $122 taxes ie 230+122 = $352, which seems to be what their asking you to pay. I'm thinking your TA originally booked it for 1 person not 2.

Good Luck

 

I just did that and found the same thing. So in other words, two things happened. The dingy TA put it into the computer for ONE person instead of two but sent me paperwork with my name and "extra" on the second line of the booking which I believed meant I booked two people.

 

And Celebrity PUNISHES those who book as a single??? Not only do you pay for two people but you pay ADDITIONAL as a single? I certainly know about the 200% single supplement but 200% PLUS??? That is over the top. Still doesn't answer why there is almost $30pp difference in taxes and fees.

 

Guess I'll just forget the cruise even though one of my closest friends just got time off to go with me (and that was really difficult because her company has an embargo period with NO vacations from Halloween to New Years-their busiest period). She's going to have to go a long ways to convince me to get on this cruise.

 

Ya live and learn!!!

[toberman]

I

And Celebrity PUNISHES those who book as a single??? Not only do you pay for two people but you pay ADDITIONAL as a single? I certainly know about the 200% single supplement but 200% PLUS??? That is over the top. Still doesn't answer why there is almost $30pp difference in taxes and fees.

 

Think you have it a little off.... a single person pays $230 less than 2 - probably the price of food?? :)

So your TA should have charged you $230 more than they did right from the get-go. Poor wording on their part. So the pricing seems right for 2 people.

Now, the port fees and taxes definately don't add up. That you should question, but I would not cancel for such a small amount - esp since your friend has done so much to be able to go as well. Good Luck - Best wishes for whatever you decide.

[jdvmd]

Agree. Your friend went to a lot of trouble to get the time off and now you are telling her "no cruise." If you are not happy with the current TA, then have them transfer the booking back to Celebrity. You have plenty of time.

You would not be losing any deposit since the cruise isn't until December. Maybe a cancellation fee if the agency charges one.

[greatam]

Think you have it a little off.... a single person pays $230 less than 2 - probably the price of food?? :)

So your TA should have charged you $230 more than they did right from the get-go. Poor wording on their part. So the pricing seems right for 2 people.

Now, the port fees and taxes definately don't add up. That you should question, but I would not cancel for such a small amount - esp since your friend has done so much to be able to go as well. Good Luck - Best wishes for whatever you decide.

 

But that doesn't make any sense either. An additional $230 PLUS the taxes fees is MORE than what is on the X website right now FOR TWO and the price for the SV cabins plus certain categories of suites has gone up slightly since I booked. I took a screen shot of the pricing from the TA and Celebrity on the day I booked just to make sure we were comparing apples to apples.

 

My invoice only has taxes/fees for one person-$122.31. So even assuming the incorrect amount on the taxes pp, we still are left with about $170 UNACCOUNTED for using X pricing.

 

I'm just totally perplexed because I booked with an agent on the phone and when I called there this morning, I was told I did an INTERNET booking. NO I DIDN'T. I needed to know EXACTLY how to handle the "no name" person and wanted a live human to MAKE SURE it was correct.

 

Taught me a good lesson in NOT utilizing resources other than my own. Thanks for the help but the numbers still don't add up.

[Ashland]

Keep being persistant...This can be settled to your satisfaction in going above and beyond...You and your friend deserve the outcome you expected...and the product at the price at the time of purchase...Best of luck !!

[toberman]

I agree with jd... cancel with your current TA and book thru X. It's just not worth the aggravation any more. I know you have problems with your company and the gov right now, but step back and look at it. That's business, this is personal... and a whole lot more important! Take Sunday off and reassess everything. It can work.

[Starry Eyes]

It does sounds as if this agency has made a big mess of the booking. And now they are giving you a run around. were it me, I would probably give a supervisor one chance to fix the issue next week (unless you have already reached a supervisor). if they cannot or will not fix it, I would not want to be stuck with the agency any longer.

[delily]

Forget your TA. Call the company and ask to speak to a supervisor. They shouldn't be asking you to pay charges for anything that they can't explain.

[varoo]

Greatam, can you find out if there really was a legitimate drop in the taxes and fees, and if so, what caused it?

 

If you are on the Dec. 1 transatlantic, when I looked at it only yesterday (post #15) it was showing the taxes and fees as $122.31 per person, as you originally stated.

 

But now the X website is indeed showing $95.35 per person.

So something must have happened to cause the change.

[greatam]

Agree. Your friend went to a lot of trouble to get the time off and now you are telling her "no cruise." If you are not happy with the current TA, then have them transfer the booking back to Celebrity. You have plenty of time.

You would not be losing any deposit since the cruise isn't until December. Maybe a cancellation fee if the agency charges one.

 

IF I want to transfer back to Celebrity, I need a letter from the agency authorizing such. This per Celebrity.

 

The agency sent me the cancellation letter yesterday. To paraphrase-IF I cancel, the fee is $125 PER PERSON and they are charging for TWO (even though it now appears the dingy agent only made the booking for one). There was a line to sign deducting $250 from my deposit. And this amount just co-incidentally is the EXACT same amount as the OBC they offered. If I ask for a transfer and they have to issue the letter, I loose the ENTIRE deposit ($900).

 

I won't beat my friend out of her vacation. I was already planning to fly to Iceland on Nov 23 on a 4 day super priced package, then fly to Rome to join the cruise. We KNEW right up front she couldn't get three weeks off, two was a push. So we had dinner last night, decided if I can't get this pricing straightened out, she would think about joining me for the Iceland trip and we would just fly to Italy and spend a few days before flying to Amsterdam and London, then home. I have lots of airline miles to get us home in the pointy end of the plane and lots of hotel points so it would be less expensive for her and that is truly a consideration.

 

I just can't believe this very well known agency made such a mess of such a simple booking.

[jdvmd]

Can you post the name in an encrypted sort of way or give some clues?

I have never heard of such a large cancelation fee. Was this for a suite? Or holiday sailing? I don't think it was if I remember the history correctly.

[Starry Eyes]

IF I want to transfer back to Celebrity, I need a letter from the agency authorizing such. This per Celebrity.

The agency sent me the cancellation letter yesterday. To paraphrase-IF I cancel, the fee is $125 PER PERSON and they are charging for TWO (even though it now appears the dingy agent only made the booking for one). There was a line to sign deducting $250 from my deposit. And this amount just co-incidentally is the EXACT same amount as the OBC they offered. If I ask for a transfer and they have to issue the letter, I loose the ENTIRE deposit ($900).

...

I just can't believe this very well known agency made such a mess of such a simple booking.

How ironic that they want either adjust the invoice to add a second person OR charge you a cancellation penalty for two. I hope a supervisor is able to sort this out for you. If not, the jet setting vacation sounds really nice, too.

 

oh and a $900 deposit sound like a deposit for two...more painful irony?

 

Does this agency charg to make changes to your reservation, too? or just to cancel?

[Suitcasefull]

Can you post the name in an encrypted sort of way or give some clues?

quote]

 

Good idea. Just tell us to take the first letter of each word in the second sentence or some such.

[agabbymama]

Sorry to hear of your troubles greatam. :(

 

I have no advice for your present problem, but before using another TA, ALWAYS check first to see if they charge cancellation fees. I won't book with a TA that charges any kind of booking fee or cancellation fee.

 

I had a wonderful TA for about 15 years. Then when the airlines started charging TAs for booking airline tickets, she passed that fee on to me, plus her own fee. I stopped using her. I now usually book direct with the cruiseline myself, either on-line or phone call.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Have a great trip!

[happy cruzer]

I would try to get a manger at the large agency involved. Their employee has made a mistake. There should be a recording of the booking.

 

I had an agent make a error at the big Gnome agency and they checked the recording and honored what was quoted on the recording.

 

If they are a big company, they have to cover these kinds of mistakes occasionally. They may even have an insurance policy to cover errors.

 

If they will not make you happy, then you probably need to look at your states consumer protection laws and start writing letters.

[hideout]

I am a travel agent; I have no idea what this online agency is trying to do; I do this all the time. You should have been given the total price for 2 people; I would have made up a name for the second person, then changed it before final payment with no penalty. You should have paid the deposit for 2 people with the rest due at final. There is no penalty for changing the name prior to final payment except under some promos with Carnival, but you are talking Celebrity here. The price should have been the same and as long as you had made your deposit, the fare is locked in. Some online agencies charge a penalty for cancelling but you can do that and transfer the booking to another agent (and I don't recommend online agencies). They do have to release the booking, but this is YOUR cruise, not theirs, and they have no reason not to allow this. If they give you any grief, talk to Celebrity and tell them you want them fired and want to hire a new agent to take over this booking at the agreed upon price. Do you have your confirmation showing the price breakdown?

[isujim]

Interesting thread. Her last post was about 5 weeks ago. I would like to know how or if it was resolved?????? We all might learn something from this.