Extra perks booking with a travel agent?

[tings66]

Hi all,

 

I have read numerous times on this forum how some folks have booked their Celebrity cruise with a TA and get an extra perk like OBC.... I live in Canada and am wondering if this is just a US thing? I called my TA and she says she can't offer anything...Does anyone know if I can book with a US TA? or shed any extra light? thanks

[Pobman]

Yes you can... remember though it will be in US$ and covered by US rules/laws with regards to consumer protection which may be different to what you have in Canada.

[WpgCruise]

We too live in Canada and have found both traditional and on line travel agents much less able or perhaps willing to provide perks. I don't know why, but that's just what we have learned.

 

We have found that by booking through U.S. based T.A's some are prepared to provide perks. On our upcoming 2 week Eclipse cruise they are pre paying our gratuities. We have had cash payments as well on different cruises in the $250-$350 range depending on the cruise selected.

[A Sixth?]

I have been very satisfied with an online TA that is one of the ones on the Cruise Critic "Cruise Agencies"

 

Oh ya, I too live in thje Great White North but haven't booked a cruise in years through a Canadian TA... they just can't compete with the big boys south of the border

 

Here's the link:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/shipshop/

Edited November 10, 2013 by A Sixth?

[Fouremco]

We too live in Canada and have found both traditional and on line travel agents much less able or perhaps willing to provide perks. I don't know why, but that's just what we have learned.

 

We have found that by booking through U.S. based T.A's some are prepared to provide perks. On our upcoming 2 week Eclipse cruise they are pre paying our gratuities. We have had cash payments as well on different cruises in the $250-$350 range depending on the cruise selected.

Ditto through our mortar and brick Ottawa TA.

[groinky]

Hi all,

 

I have read numerous times on this forum how some folks have booked their Celebrity cruise with a TA and get an extra perk like OBC.... I live in Canada and am wondering if this is just a US thing? I called my TA and she says she can't offer anything...Does anyone know if I can book with a US TA? or shed any extra light? thanks

 

Hello from a fellow Haligonian. I always book thru an online travel agency. Their incentives are great. My local agent I used to use at best gave us a bottle of wine.

 

I have never had a problem with the online agent and my last cruise in September had an eight hundred dollar on board credit. I have 3 cruises booked for this winter and they average $150.00 OBC.

 

You do need to book in US funds but I don't see this as a big problem. You are still much farther ahead. I get great service from the online agency and have never had an issues. I will admit to being nervous at first but after mamy many bookings I will continue to book with them.

 

Hope this helps,

Nancy

[iancal]

We live in Canada. We usually book with the same on line US TA. As for perks, the only one we want is an OBC. We also maintain a USD bank account (we occasionally get US cheques) and a USD Visa card.

 

From time to time we do get quotes for a Canadian TA. When we do, we ask for quotes in both USD and CAD. They can be different when the currency fluctuates. We have had Canadian TA's tell us that they could not give us USD quotes. This is a tip off that we either dealing with an inexperienced TA or one who simply does not want to bother doing it.

 

Only once has a Canadian TA been able to give us a better price. It occurred when there was a larger than normal currency fluctuation in our favour. Typically I think that the cruise companies set the exchange rates a few months in advance, ie they do not let them float like most other travel providers.

[jasm8449]

I'm also a Canuck and have been paying in US funds and using an internet based TA in the States for a about 10 years to book my cruise. On my upcoming cruise, on top of the Pick Your Perk offer and OBC credit for having a Future Cruise Passage Certificate, we received a discount of $190US just for transferring the booking from Celebrity to the internet only agency.

[varoo]

Hi all,

 

I have read numerous times on this forum how some folks have booked their Celebrity cruise with a TA and get an extra perk like OBC.... I live in Canada and am wondering if this is just a US thing? I called my TA and she says she can't offer anything...Does anyone know if I can book with a US TA? or shed any extra light? thanks

It is definitely worth checking out online US travel agencies as you have nothing to lose but a few minutes of your time.

I know that at least some of them offer discounted rates to Canadians.

Sorry, but we are not allowed to name travel agencies here

 

I recently posted on another thread about a well-known TA offering suites on the Nov 30 Summit Caribbean cruise at a senior rate of $999 pp.

That is with prepaid gratuities included.

 

It was available to Canadians. (I checked that out by entering a Canadian province in the residency box and the same rate was offered.)

 

That rate was not showing on the Celebrity website. The lowest price they had posted for the same category was hundreds of dollars higher, without any gratuities.

 

When you look at a US travel agency website that has the option of entering a state or a province, you know that Canadians can book with them too.

 

[foxjim1]

We booked our cruise with USA TA and received a lower price per cabin, $75 OBC, classic drinks package, and prepaid grats. No brainier for us! This will be our 3 cruise and and only once did we book with a Cdn TA and they price matched but we had to pay grats as TA would not throw them in. We were dealing with a friends son working in industry so we decided to give him the business at that time. Shop around and see what they will quote you and then make a decision! Cdn TA talk about bricks and mortar but for me it's my money and I like to hang on to as much as I can!

[MsDolly]

Hi all,

 

I have read numerous times on this forum how some folks have booked their Celebrity cruise with a TA and get an extra perk like OBC.... I live in Canada and am wondering if this is just a US thing? I called my TA and she says she can't offer anything...Does anyone know if I can book with a US TA? or shed any extra light? thanks

 

I too have been booking thru a US TA for 10+ years now and am always getting great perks in the form of OBC from her. Yes I have to pay in US funds but it really doesn't matter as the cruiseline charges Canadian a premium for the exchange rate anyways.

[tings66]

thanks so much everyone--some great info that I will definitely leverage.