Financial advantage to booking thru Royal instead of a TA?

[bigsky]

Have always booked using our TA for all our cruises. Having some issues getting what I want done now and sometimes feel when I want to make changes, I'm bothering him. I've asked him to change our dining time 3 days ago, and it's still not done. Other reasons as well that I'm considering not using him anymore. I do get a 100.00 obc with him.

Is there any financial advantage booking thru Royal directly? I know it's nice to be able to just call them up anytime to have changes made immediately. Wasn't sure if I could get an obc thru them?

[dacsmom]

No, there really is no financial advantage. It depends on if your TA honors price drops or not. The only advantage is having complete control over your booking. I look at each cruise individually and sometimes book with my TA and sometimes directly through RC.

[negc]

No financial advantage and the service you receive by calling RCI directly, assuming you can get through without a long, long wait, can vary according to the quality of the person on the other end of the phone. Consider the frequently expressed advice to posters who have been unhappy with the answer they have received from a cruise line (RCI) rep: "hang up and call back and you will get someone else who may give you the answer you were looking for". If you aren't happy with the performance of your current TA there are likely a number of others in your vicinity who would welcome the opportunity to service you. You should also consider that should you experience a problem involving the cruise line, how vigorously will that RCI person argue your case with his or her employer?

[timbom]

I agree 99% of the time I tell the travel agent the correct price. They add nothing to an experienced traveler experience.

 

I would much rather book direct but can usually get a better price thru a discount TA

[bonnyweed]

I'm not willing to go through a middleman when I need to make a change to my reservation. I'm not willing to book through a TA. I guess if there was a huge financial benefit, I would change my tune.

I wish there was a discount for booking direct with RCI because it is saving them from paying a TA commission. I imagine then all the TAs would complain.

I think TAs are an endangered species. I can remember book airfares through and not having access to all the possible routings. Now the consumer has so much information available

I am not knocking TAs. I just think the logistics and information technology about travel has changed in a really transformational way.

[bigsky]

Thanks everyone!

 

Yes, my ta will call for me if the price drops and adjusts what I owe. I guess I have to decide if my obc is worth it.

As long as I don't lose out on price drops if I can't reach him. If he's not available, there are others in his office. This is all done by phone as he's located in another state from me.

[2calgarycruisers]

I always book my travel directly as I prefer control over my booking and hate paying a middle man for nothing. In this case, should I EVER cruise with RCL again I will use a TA, no question. RCL has done nothing but put up road blocks by lack of response via email (with after weeks of waiting, masses of cut and paste paragraphs which, in the majority of cases leave most of my questions unanswered) to the interminable wait times and lukewarm service by phone to difficulties with the pre-planning tool online. Generally I really enjoy the preplanning phase but this time I'm so frustrated I'm not even looking forward to the cruise. Whew... rant ended. :D

[matj2000]

Definitely use a TA.

I had a 2 cabin booking using the future cruise vouchers.

TA checked availability of 2 specific cabins on another ship/date and got a 24 hold.

Then I needed to cancel 1st trip and rebook the 2 cabins on the different ship/date.

I told her to make the switch and it was done.

She dealt with the RC and the crazy hold times, did all the names(which was already in their system)and the rest of the red tape stuff.

Got email conformations soon after, plus gratuities(4x80 =$320), OBC.

It took me about 10 minutes and she probably spent at least 1 hour working on this booking.

 

And yes they are open pretty late and on weekends. TA usually have quicker access to the cruise lines reps.

Edited March 28, 2014 by matj2000

[SPacificbound]

I do not book anything through a TA. From a 3 1/2 month trip to New Zealand and Australia, to booking a cruise, I want to handle my own travel plans. Part of the fun of travel is the the hunt and planning. :)

[bigboffs]

We normally use a T/A; however, they must meet our criteria. These include 7 day access, no fee for booking or changes, and a knowledgeable person to deal with. While the basic cruise cost will be virtually no different than booking direct with RCCL will provide, the differences are the goodies that may be offered by a T/A. Often, to get my booking we have received "sweeteners" such as prepaid gratuities, specialty dining, spa credit and/or OB spending credit. Both RCCL and T/A will honor the OBC one gets from a next cruise cert or booking onboard. Keep in mind that unless you book within final payment, you have 60 days or final payment whichever comes first to transfer to T/A. That being the case, often we are "comparative shoppers."

[matj2000]

I do not book anything through a TA. From a 3 1/2 month trip to New Zealand and Australia, to booking a cruise, I want to handle my own travel plans. Part of the fun of travel is the the hunt and planning. :)

 

 

I do my own bookings also.

I search the ship, dates, itinerary, cabins, etc.

When I decide, I just let the online TA make the calls to the cruise line, sit on hold, and punch in the data.

Sometimes I have booked through the cruise line and then transfer it to the online TA.

And yes, I do "have control" over my bookings, despite what the A-typers think...

[bonnyweed]

I do my own bookings also.

I search the ship, dates, itinerary, cabins, etc.

When I decide, I just let the online TA make the calls to the cruise line, sit on hold, and punch in the data.

Sometimes I have booked through the cruise line and then transfer it to the online TA.

And yes, I do "have control" over my bookings, despite what the A-typers think...

[/quote

 

Proud A-typer here. You lose control the second you transfer the reservation to a TA. The cruise line will no longer deal with you directly at that point. However, it seems to work for you and I am glad that it does.

[leaveitallbehind]

I agree 99% of the time I tell the travel agent the correct price. They add nothing to an experienced traveler experience.

 

I would much rather book direct but can usually get a better price thru a discount TA

 

As most mass market cruise lines do not discount stateroom rates through a TA, the prices are the same direct or through a TA.

 

The "discounts" you refer to are often from block room bookings, which often are secured long term when the initial booking price may be lower. The cruise lines will also issue a credit based on the number of rooms blocked by the TA. (A typical example is 1 person room rate at no charge for every 8 rooms blocked, or 1/16th reduction across all 8 rooms). Your stateroom selection would then be from that block and is often part of that TA's group booking.

 

Or the TA will issue an OBC or other perk which comes out of pocket from their booking commission. This - or in combination with the block bookings - is where the indicated "discount" comes from.

 

Nothing wrong with any of this as you may indeed end up with a favorable overall cost.

Edited March 28, 2014 by leaveitallbehind

[LMaxwell]

As most mass market cruise lines do not discount stateroom rates through a TA, the prices are the same direct or through a TA.

 

The "discounts" you refer to are often from block room bookings, which often are secured long term when the initial booking price may be lower. The cruise lines will also issue a credit based on the number of rooms blocked by the TA. (A typical example is 1 person room rate at no charge for every 8 rooms blocked, or 1/16th reduction across all 8 rooms). Your stateroom selection would then be from that block and is often part of that TA's group booking.

 

Or the TA will issue an OBC or other perk which comes out of pocket from their booking commission. This - or in combination with the block bookings - is where the indicated "discount" comes from.

 

Nothing wrong with any of this as you may indeed end up with a favorable overall cost - but just want to clarify that the stateroom rate is the same and not discounted.

 

Precisely. On a recent cruise I booked I could have saved an additional $30 per person off the same category room from RCI because the TA had a block of those rooms. I did not care for the location either way and so booked a "regular" room from the TA at the same rate as the cruise line. However, the TA also issued me $100 OBC. So I am $100 ahead versus booking with the cruiseline. I still picked my cabin that I wanted. I was booked, paid, and had email confirmation in under 30 minutes from start of dialing to hanging up. Lately that would be a miracle to have such a short hold time with RCI.

 

If I have questions or concerns I'll put them through the TA without hesitation or uneasiness. They have earned a commission to handle my booking; not just process the order of my booking. I do research here and usually know exactly what I am picking, so TA's are not investing a lot of time or resources in walking me through this.

 

If I were looking at a different type of vacation than I am used to taking I would probably call the company direct so that I knew I was getting reliable answers and having understanding of policies, etc.

[cruzsnooze]

I do not use a TA. If there is a price reduction I can deal directly with RCL and get things accomplished. This alone has saved more then any perk a TA can offer.

[leaveitallbehind]

I do not use a TA. If there is a price reduction I can deal directly with RCL and get things accomplished. This alone has saved more then any perk a TA can offer.

 

No arguments there - we have booked both directly and with a TA.

 

But now we do use a TA (the same one for about 15 years) and she is proactive regarding price reductions, etc. To be clear, she does not issue any out of pocket perks - nor do we expect any from her.

 

She is well deserving of her commission from her service to us. (She literally handles every detail of our cruise for us). Certainly we are directly involved with our choices, etc., but she does all the legwork from reservation to check in.

 

She also does not charge any separate fees whatsoever for anything related to booking, modifying, or cancelling a cruise (subject to the cruise lines policies).

 

I guess we have been very fortunate with our TA.

Edited March 28, 2014 by leaveitallbehind

[SSPhone]

We normally use a T/A; however, they must meet our criteria. These include 7 day access, no fee for booking or changes, and a knowledgeable person to deal with. While the basic cruise cost will be virtually no different than booking direct with RCCL will provide, the differences are the goodies that may be offered by a T/A. Often, to get my booking we have received "sweeteners" such as prepaid gratuities, specialty dining, spa credit and/or OB spending credit. Both RCCL and T/A will honor the OBC one gets from a next cruise cert or booking onboard. Keep in mind that unless you book within final payment, you have 60 days or final payment whichever comes first to transfer to T/A. That being the case, often we are "comparative shoppers."

 

Wish you could say who your TA is.............:rolleyes:

[bonnyweed]

Are we allowed to ask what the commission is that a TA typically gets? I am curious if it is a flat rate or a percentage and how much it is. I have always wanted to know.

[matj2000]

Proud A-typer here. You lose control the second you transfer the reservation to a TA. The cruise line will no longer deal with you directly at that point. However, it seems to work for you and I am glad that it does.

 

 

Why do I ever need to talk to anyone at the cruise line?

Just call the TA, tell them what I need and they do all the work.

I am not sure what kind of "control" you need...

[grandgeezer]

I do not use a TA. If there is a price reduction I can deal directly with RCL and get things accomplished. This alone has saved more then any perk a TA can offer.

 

Oh really??

I've been on 31 cruises and have booked everyone through online agencys, including the B2B2B we did on the Allure last fall.

I have three cruises booked this year, all on RCL's sister line Celebrity. The first one is next month, the transatlantic on the Silohuette. I paid the same rate but my agent gave me $225 obc, Celebrity offered 0.

In October we are booked on a 13 day Med cruised followed by the transatlantic, on Celebrity Equinox. We are getting a total of $1000 obc (there are some special obcs included). They have group bookings on both cruises so we paid $700 p.p. less than booking through Celebrity.

As mentioned, we've done 31 cruises and I've NEVER had to talk to the cruise lines after the initial booking. If I want to change cabins, or find a lower price, I e-mail them, and it's handled. I have NEVER missed out on a cabin change, or lower price, that I have asked for.

If it helps you sleep at night, by all means, continue to book through the cruise line. If you want to save money, do the homework, there are three agencies I deal with and everytime it's save me a ton of money, with little to no risk.

No, I don't work for any travel agency or have friends, or relatives who do.

[rimmit]

I have had the same TA since I was 5 and now I am 32. She has been great and the time savings is great. I just leave a voice mail of my request and she gets it done. Saves me hold time, talking to the resolutions team, typing all my info in, etc. i have never missed a price drop. If you have a good TA stick with 'em.

 

One cruise on Celebrity we had a bunch of issues. We got back and she wrote celebrity, dealt with it and got us 25% off our next cruise. Not sure if celebrity's customer service is that good these days as that was in 2002.

 

Either way it simplifies my life by just making a quick phone call. I do book my air, land vacations, etc. my self though. But for cruises, my TA is on autopilot when I call at this point.

 

They can really save you time and effort.

[harlekuin]

Are we allowed to ask what the commission is that a TA typically gets? I am curious if it is a flat rate or a percentage and how much it is. I have always wanted to know.

 

Depends on the volume the agency processes, but larger agencies get between 10 and 16% of the cruise fare. That does not include taxes, fees, etc. So as an example the cruise costs $1,000 pp. The fare that the TA gets paid on is about, in round numbers $600. So at 16% the agent would get $96 pp.

 

If the price goes down, their commission goes down as well. So when ppl want the TA to give the all sorts of "stuff", wine, OBC etc, remember it comes out of that $96. MOST TA's do not charge any sort of fee.

 

Huge online agencies make money by the McDonald's principle, sell a billion at 1 cent profit better than 100 at $10. I'm a TA (part time)and I even book with a large online agency because the spiffs are better than I can get for myself.

[Paulxyz2004]

I wish there was a discount for booking direct with RCI because it is saving them from paying a TA commission.

 

And you think the cruise line has no cost with the people handling your booking?

AFAIK those people are paid a commission, but whatever you call it, they get paid.

 

Actually TA´s are more a Money saver than a cost to a cruise line.

 

A TA will do a lot of "free" Advertising for a cruise line and the cruise lines would have to spend way more Money on Advertising and selling Cruises if it wouldn´t be for the TA´s to do the Job for them.

 

I have no personal interest to have it one way or the other, I just wanted to comment on your opinion about the Point paying a commision is costing the cruise line more Money and they should Discount direct bookings.

 

 

BTW, I´m using an online TA for many years now, getting great rates through them and they are available via email 24/7 to me. Their written policy is to get back to you within 24 hours, but I´ve never waited that Long. Often times I get stuff sorted in less than an hour. That´s not an hour of my time, but I take a Minute or two to write an email and I have a confirmation within under an hour from them.

Edited March 28, 2014 by Paulxyz2004

[bonnyweed]

Thanks so much for the information about TA commissions. Now, thanks to you, I know!

[grandgeezer]

Depends on the volume the agency processes, but larger agencies get between 10 and 16% of the cruise fare. That does not include taxes, fees, etc. So as an example the cruise costs $1,000 pp. The fare that the TA gets paid on is about, in round numbers $600. So at 16% the agent would get $96 pp.

 

If the price goes down, their commission goes down as well. So when ppl want the TA to give the all sorts of "stuff", wine, OBC etc, remember it comes out of that $96. MOST TA's do not charge any sort of fee.

 

Huge online agencies make money by the McDonald's principle, sell a billion at 1 cent profit better than 100 at $10. I'm a TA (part time)and I even book with a large online agency because the spiffs are better than I can get for myself.

 

AMEN brother, That last statement says it all..