Travel Agents and cancellation fees

[wrk2cruise]

This is actually not entirely a true statement.

 

If you were booked into a group with that agency, they wouldn't be paid for you until you sailed (or really really close to it). Being paid in full doesn't always mean commission is paid out.

 

 

2 days before sailing. So yes really close to it.

[wrk2cruise]

The agency I used had a $25 loyalty OBC useable on your next cruise. So I went on B2B cruises. I received two $25 loyalty certificates. Catch 22 then set in...you can only use one $25 loyalty certificate on a cruise. Think about that for a second. Essentially, you can never use the other coupon because on every cruise you take with them, you get another $25 coupon. Solution...either have a discussion with them at which point they will somewhat begrudgingly let you use 2 on a cruise...or book a cruise with someone else with the same perks or better and then go back to that agency and spend the $25 credit.

 

Now wouldn't it have been a better loyalty program if a) they waived cancellation penalties for frequent cruisers or b) just let you use the coupons any way you want.

 

when you couple that with the fact that they never actually answer the call...they take the info and someone calls you back in a few hours; the cancellation fee; and the loyalty program......the only time it pays to do business with them is when they make a great offer. I do plan to use them again when they offer group rates and perks that other agencies don't offer....but they have lost my "normal" cruises like the B2B I just booked ($13K+). Of course if they do offer a group rate/fantastic deal, I can always cancel my current booking and just rebook with them and risk the cancellation fee).

 

I'm pretty sure that that's not the way they want their customers to book cruises....but they designed their programs and made their business decisions....so I'm being a rational consumer (I think).

 

 

I believe they have a policy for B2B where the loyalty benefit for the first cruise can be applied to the second one. The hitch is I think you have to contact them to set this up at least 4 weeks in advance.

 

I have booked some last minute cruises where they said there was not enough time to apply a loyalty credit (although the regular OBC was applied just fine). I think it has to be applied at least 2 weeks before sailing.

[ghstudio]

I believe they have a policy for B2B where the loyalty benefit for the first cruise can be applied to the second one. The hitch is I think you have to contact them to set this up at least 4 weeks in advance.

 

I have booked some last minute cruises where they said there was not enough time to apply a loyalty credit (although the regular OBC was applied just fine). I think it has to be applied at least 2 weeks before sailing.

 

You are correct...but they don't tell you...or at least they didn't tell us so we wind up with 2 credits. Yes, after a bit of unneeded discussion, they let us use both on our next cruise but they were careful to tell us they were doing us a favor. Give me a break.... Why do I have to notify them...I booked through them, they had my loyalty number...why would I have to notify them of anything?

Edited March 19, 2014 by ghstudio

[RealDeal]

You are correct...but they don't tell you...or at least they didn't tell us so we wind up with 2 credits. Yes, after a bit of unneeded discussion, they let us use both on our next cruise but they were careful to tell us they were doing us a favor. Give me a break.... Why do I have to notify them...I booked through them, they had my loyalty number...why would I have to notify them of anything?

 

I totally forgot about the $25 loyalty credit & have had one sitting in my account since 2012, which is when I last booked thru this agency. I have a trip coming up in Nov w/them & thanks to reading this I got the credit applied. Sort of annoying that this isn't automatic, but thx for pointing this out!!

[LunaSeaRetreat]

You are correct...but they don't tell you...or at least they didn't tell us so we wind up with 2 credits. Yes, after a bit of unneeded discussion, they let us use both on our next cruise but they were careful to tell us they were doing us a favor. Give me a break.... Why do I have to notify them...I booked through them, they had my loyalty number...why would I have to notify them of anything?

 

I agree it's a bit of a scam , but at the bottom of the conditions of the Loyalty Certificate this is written in red.

 

Ø BACK TO BACK OR CONSECUTIVE SAILINGS: Please note, Loyalty Members should contact us no later than four (4) weeks prior to the first sailing in the series of back to back or consecutive sailings to arrange for gift card application. Otherwise, gift cards earned at the completion of each one of these sailings will NOT be automatically applied to the next and will instead be electronically issued to you at the completion of the entire series of sailings. No exceptions to this policy will be made.

 

I missed one too. I'll remember in the future. I got a great deal from them on my next back to back in Australia.

 

Cynthia

[ghstudio]

I agree it's a bit of a scam , but at the bottom of the conditions of the Loyalty Certificate this is written in red.

 

Ø BACK TO BACK OR CONSECUTIVE SAILINGS: Please note, Loyalty Members should contact us no later than four (4) weeks prior to the first sailing in the series of back to back or consecutive sailings to arrange for gift card application. Otherwise, gift cards earned at the completion of each one of these sailings will NOT be automatically applied to the next and will instead be electronically issued to you at the completion of the entire series of sailings. No exceptions to this policy will be made.

 

I missed one too. I'll remember in the future. I got a great deal from them on my next back to back in Australia.

 

Cynthia

 

There is, of course, no logic to this other than trying to avoid paying some $'s... And it's ill thought out because by definition, it can only annoy an existing customer which is exactly what a loyalty program shouldn't do.

 

Btw, I believe that wording was added at some point...it wasn't on the original certificates....and it is not on their web site at least I couldn't find it. It's a loyalty program...it's not supposed to have gotchas in the fine print.

[ghstudio]

So today, we booked another cruise....and in this case we did go with the TA with the penalties. Penalty for cancellation is $50 a person (not $100) and their fare is $300 less than the published fare...and they are throwing in free gratuities on top of 1-2-3-4. So they lost a $10,000+ booking for the $100 per person penalty because their rate and perks were the same as celebrity and who knows what will happen between now and 2016. But they kept us for an early 2015 cruise ($2000) with a good fare and perks.

 

We are trying to move off celebrity, but we just rented a house in PR and the house rental ends the day the summit sails...so why not take a cruise "on the way home" :) For those that have followed my many rants and posts, we are doing this in CC not aqua....We just need a break from the menu in Blu (and I'll probably regret eating in the MDR, but then again, I might be pleasantly surprised).

 

Shopping for cruises is almost a full time job. Now I hope I can remember which cruise I booked with which agent.

[CoachT]

I will probably get points or banned for this, but there is so much more to an agency than just perks or a lower price.

 

Personally I am still dealing with fallout from the Millennium cancelled the remainder of their Alaska season at the end of August. All of those Future cruise credits issued earns the agency zero commission when they are booked. So we do a lot of work for free. Those agents with clients on those sailings either got phone calls when first told they wouldn't be sailing and booked excursions in Seward, cancelled other excursions and are now helping with the new booking. Or we called our clients about to sail to tell them the bad news.

 

So yes we do charge a consultation fee to match the client with the right trip and believe me there are more cruisers out there then there are posters on cruise critic. We also charge a cancellation fee in some cases just as any other professional consultant would if their services were used, a job started and then cancelled or changed.

 

Try getting a contractor not to charge a cancellation fee once the work is done or a change fee.

 

I may be losing business to those who "know what they want and won't pay", but I am also turning business away every single day. I currently have a waiting list to become a client and won't take on just anyone. You wont find me online or in the phone book. I am only by referral and only by appointment.

Edited March 26, 2014 by CoachT

[ghstudio]

I will probably get points or banned for this, but there is so much more to an agency than just perks or a lower price.

 

 

No you won't get banned...and I think most here, including me agree that if you really do "value add" stuff, you deserve a cancellation fee. My original gripe was about TA's that charge the cruise line full rate, pass on any perks offered by the cruise line without adding any additional perks...and then charge a cancellation fee. In that case, with no value add other than entering the booking, IMHO no cancellation fee is warranted.

[Karynanne]

No you won't get banned...and I think most here, including me agree that if you really do "value add" stuff, you deserve a cancellation fee. My original gripe was about TA's that charge the cruise line full rate, pass on any perks offered by the cruise line without adding any additional perks...and then charge a cancellation fee. In that case, with no value add other than entering the booking, IMHO no cancellation fee is warranted.

 

I can see where you would find this practice a "gripe"...but what about the TA that books you with a group booking (usually 8 or more cabins) and then passes along the savings to their passengers?

 

Our TA has done this numerous times, and we appreciate their service. They also inform us of price drops, and any changes to our booked itineraries.

[ghstudio]

I can see where you would find this practice a "gripe"...but what about the TA that books you with a group booking (usually 8 or more cabins) and then passes along the savings to their passengers?

 

Our TA has done this numerous times, and we appreciate their service. They also inform us of price drops, and any changes to our booked itineraries.

 

If they offer me a special rate...eg a group rate...then a cancellation fee may be ok...there's some value add. But if they aren't offering anything, there's no reason to charge a cancelation fee....and that's what happened to me...so I booked elsewhere.

[happy 2 b cruising]

So today, we booked another cruise....and in this case we did go with the TA with the penalties. Penalty for cancellation is $50 a person (not $100) and their fare is $300 less than the published fare...and they are throwing in free gratuities on top of 1-2-3-4. So they lost a $10,000+ booking for the $100 per person penalty because their rate and perks were the same as celebrity and who knows what will happen between now and 2016. But they kept us for an early 2015 cruise ($2000) with a good fare and perks.

 

We are trying to move off celebrity, but we just rented a house in PR and the house rental ends the day the summit sails...so why not take a cruise "on the way home" :) For those that have followed my many rants and posts, we are doing this in CC not aqua....We just need a break from the menu in Blu (and I'll probably regret eating in the MDR, but then again, I might be pleasantly surprised).

 

Shopping for cruises is almost a full time job. Now I hope I can remember which cruise I booked with which agent.

 

In your experience with Transatlantic cruises for the upcoming season, are there any deals like the lower fares from online Travel Agencies then what Celebrity is publishing? TA's in the U.S are now excluded from 123 Go & Pick Your Perk Promotions. Are TA's the least likely to get a discounted rate? Appreciate your expertize, thank - you.

[dmk]

We use a TA out of Arkansas for many years. She is very reliable and always returns our phone calls within a day or two. We have never paid a cancelation fee.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I believe we have the same TA and she is very good.!

[dmk]

Yes I would expect them to just suck it up. It is part of doing business and there are many many industries where sales related activities take a lot of time and effort even though sales might not go through. It is just part of making a sale and providing services.

 

You are so right!!

 

My husband works for a customs brokerage firm and assists large companies in what duties and taxes that they will have to pay to bring their item into Canada.

 

Suppose a company is bringing in a large piece of machinery. My husband needs to study what the country of origin is for all parts: What use this piece of machinary will have. Then, study the duties and taxes that must be based on this information. He will then add on his own fee for his time and efforts!

 

There is nothing stopping that company from going to a another Customs Brokerage to work out the same thing so they can compare prices.

 

There is absolutely no fee for that service no matter how many hours my husband spends on that. If there was a fee, his company would be out of business.

 

For that long winded explanation, I have absolutely no sympathy for TAs that charge a fee.