Travel Agent Question

[djcass4199]

I have a question regarding booking and a travel agent. If I book a cruise online myself and pay the deposit and then transfer my booking to a travel agent before final payment, does the TA still get credit/commission? Or does the TA benefit only if the booking is started from scratch through a TA?

 

Thanks everyone!

[ginurse]

If final payment has not been made they still get the credit/commission.

[Sparky2]

If final payment has not been made they still get the credit/commission.

 

Isn't there a time limit, though, that it must be transferred by?

[dramamama19]

I think you have 30 days from time of booking to transfer.

[WindsorFred]

I think you have 30 days from time of booking to transfer.

 

I believe that is correct, we did this about 5 years ago so it may have changed. We have booked online or onboard since.

[NOSaints1]

I would rather use a Carnival PVP, I went to a TA a couple of weeks ago for a Carnival book , there like they haven't had them out for years and I'm like oh CC said there out and they see dumb founded. Another time my DW was wondering about the Breakaway so im like do you have any books on the Breakaway and they were like UH? What's the breakaway!

 

 

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[Not_Done_Living]

i always wonder why people would move to a TA -- -all the tools and info you need are online -- and TAs don't want to do the work to earn the commission any more.

 

when you book with a PVP -- they are the TA. just a T assigned by Carnival.

[Garycruz]

i always wonder why people would move to a TA -- -all the tools and info you need are online -- and TAs don't want to do the work to earn the commission any more.

 

when you book with a PVP -- they are the TA. just a T assigned by Carnival.

 

I don't usually book with a TA, but for my upcoming cruise in July my TA gave me $250.00 OBC so I made an exception. There were two price drops since I booked the cruise and the TA honored both of them. I have read some horror stories about people not being able to get a price drop and that would really bother me. But so far all has been good in that regard and the $250.00 OBC certainly has made it worthwhile to book with a TA in my case.

[Singer4Him]

We have always booked our cruises through a TA. She is the best! On our last cruise, she went to bat for us, was on the phone with CCL for two hours but got us a $537 OBC!!! I probably would not have had the patience to do it so I'm thankful that we booked through her.

 

This time, I went through and had a mock booking so that I knew what room number I wanted, etc. and she was able to get an even better price that what I had come up with.

 

Although we have never met her in person, we are SOLD on our TA!! We are able to do everything via phone, text, email and regular mail.

[JudyOh]

I would rather use a Carnival PVP, I went to a TA a couple of weeks ago for a Carnival book , there like they haven't had them out for years and I'm like oh CC said there out and they see dumb founded. Another time my DW was wondering about the Breakaway so im like do you have any books on the Breakaway and they were like UH? What's the breakaway!

 

 

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The TA was correct, Carnival has not had a brochure out since their 2009-2011. I read somewhere that they had new ones out but Carnival does not know anything about them. I am a TA and would love to have a new brochure, so much easier looking up cabins (how forward, mid or aft a cabin is, what is on the deck above or below, etc). My district sales manager said they aren't going to have one anymore, sure hope the rest of the cruiselines don't follow suit.

[NOSaints1]

They were out for up to April 2015.

 

 

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[APDMOM]

I'm confused... I thought they changed the rules so that a TA can no longer give you booking incentives on Carnival. Has this changed again?

[angel24_ga]

Yes you have 30 days to transfer a booking.

Yes Carnival just put out new books that go to April 2015. They are huge!

 

I am sorry if you have had bad experiences with TA's in the past. I think one of the issues is that Carnival and other cruise lines have dropped the commission so much (around $15-$50 a cruise) a lot of agents don't bother with it.

 

There are still a lot of good TA's (myself included) out there who go above and beyond for our clients. I love cruising and love helping others have great ones as well.!

[Casco Bay Kid]

TA's still exist?

 

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[wrigley80]

The TA was correct, Carnival has not had a brochure out since their 2009-2011. I read somewhere that they had new ones out but Carnival does not know anything about them. I am a TA and would love to have a new brochure, so much easier looking up cabins (how forward, mid or aft a cabin is, what is on the deck above or below, etc). My district sales manager said they aren't going to have one anymore, sure hope the rest of the cruiselines don't follow suit.

 

 

Go to Carnival's TA website and order the 2014-2015 brochures. I am a TA and I just ordered some this week and they arrived in 2 days. Love the new travel brochures

[wrigley80]

TA's still exist?

 

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Yes they do. I am a TA

[fishtaco]

The TA was correct, Carnival has not had a brochure out since their 2009-2011. I read somewhere that they had new ones out but Carnival does not know anything about them. I am a TA and would love to have a new brochure, so much easier looking up cabins (how forward, mid or aft a cabin is, what is on the deck above or below, etc). My district sales manager said they aren't going to have one anymore, sure hope the rest of the cruiselines don't follow suit.

 

Surly as a TA it is just as simple to get deck plans up on the web as it is for us non TA.s? Just open more than one window to compare decks! Plus many deck plan sites show the entire deck with corresponding side view for position unlike Carnivals site:)

[JudyOh]

TA's still exist?

 

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Yes they do, when someone has something go wrong, they wished they had used one so they would have someone to straighten things out.

[APDMOM]

Yes they do. I am a TA

 

Brianna, Could you please clarify for me: Are TA's still allowed to give incentives to customers on Carnival? I thought Carnival put an end to that just over a year ago. Did that change? Can a TA give OBC for example?

Thanks!

[Out to sea!]

I don't usually book with a TA, but for my upcoming cruise in July my TA gave me $250.00 OBC so I made an exception. There were two price drops since I booked the cruise and the TA honored both of them. I have read some horror stories about people not being able to get a price drop and that would really bother me. But so far all has been good in that regard and the $250.00 OBC certainly has made it worthwhile to book with a TA in my case.

 

Some TAs charge a fee to submit the ES paperwork because they lose some of their commission when the cruise prices goes down. That is why I don't use a TA anymore (well, maybe I would on a very short notice cruise but that would be it).

[wrigley80]

No TA's are not allowed to give incentives (at least we don't). However I know some do to get them to book with a TA over doing it on their own

[APDMOM]

No TA's are not allowed to give incentives (at least we don't). However I know some do to get them to book with a TA over doing it on their own

 

Thank you for clarifying! :)

[Casco Bay Kid]

Yes they do, when someone has something go wrong, they wished they had used one so they would have someone to straighten things out.

 

I haven't had hardly any issues I would need a TA to try and handle. I am right there. The TA is usually thousands of miles away. I think I can handle it.

 

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[cruizinisthebest]

I've used a travel agent before and haven't had any problems that they couldn't help me resolve. And I only use them BECAUSE of the incentives. Otherwise I could go online or call Carnival and do it myself. Maybe they aren't supposed to do it, but they do and my agency is wide out in the open about it. :)