Bad TA Experience!!! Great RCCL Resolution!!!

[leinhto]

I am posting this just to learn a little bit more about working with TAs. I never work with TAs, in fact this is only the 2nd time in my life I have used a TA for my personal travel.

 

I had 2 Open Bookings that I made on my last cruise. A group of friends and I are going on a cruise in Jan 2015 (see sig) but they are all using the same TA. I figured no problem I will go along with the gang. I had one of the bookings transferred to the TA. However, that's when the trouble started. I could not get a hold of the TA for 1 week. Then the prices went up on the category that we wanted. We were so disappointed.

 

She finally responded after I sent her an email, I got from one of my friends. She rushed and put a Courtesy Hold on a cabin but with the increased rate. I told her don't book it, I would like to wait to see if the price dropped. Well she CANCELLED the booking 4 days ago saying she'd wait for the price to drop before booking again. Now mind you I had made $100 deposit on the Open Booking and it came with OBC depending on sail length.

 

After a couple days of price surfing and realizing getting a hold of this TA would be a challenge in getting the price I want if it became available I sent an email 2 days ago asking the TA to release the reservation back to me. I went ahead and used my second Open Booking and booked my cruise directly through RCCL.

 

This morning when I called to confirmed if the first booking was released back to me RCCL rep said sorry booking is cancelled!!! I didn't realize she cancelled by reservation completely. What was she planning on doing about my deposit and OBC???

 

Fearing I lost my $100 and the OBC I asked RCCL to rectify the situation as I know longer wanted to deal with the TA. They got me to C&A and they made an exception, not sure why, and created a new booking with the OBC. I was pleased with that.

 

Lesson learnt, I won't use a TA again. Nothing against TAs, but I can do this on my own. But I wanted to learn from this experience on what went wrong and how this should have been handled if you want to return your reservation back to your own control.

[Clarea]

It's unfortunate that you were within the final payment period for your cruise, because that limited your options. Normally, I would have called Royal myself and booked the cruise with the NC certificate. I could then have transferred to a TA within 60 days. However, within final payment, you do not have that option. It seems your situation turned out as well as can be expected.

 

Just so I understand, did C&A take the $100 from your cancelled NC and apply it to your new booking?

[Folk Singer]

We had similiar with a TA and found they were using our card to pay for someone's holiday because the OP card was declined.

 

We got our cash back when we pressed for an answer of why certain charges were made to the credit card and then, they the TA went off for a Holiday and our cruise was cancelled. The TA didn't give the final payment to RCCL like, He was supposed too.. The Resolutions with the C&A were great and resolved all our problems so we stay with whom we trust now.

 

Although a lot of OP have great luck with a TA and if it works for them, why change things.

 

We will always use RCCL.

Edited November 15, 2014 by Folk Singer

[leinhto]

It's unfortunate that you were within the final payment period for your cruise, because that limited your options. Normally, I would have called Royal myself and booked the cruise with the NC certificate. I could then have transferred to a TA within 60 days. However, within final payment, you do not have that option. It seems your situation turned out as well as can be expected.

 

Just so I understand, did C&A take the $100 from your cancelled NC and apply it to your new booking?

 

No. They said since it had already been cancelled, the $100 is on its way back to my CC. I had to pony up $100 for the new booking. Was not a problem as I maintained the OBC offer.

[leinhto]

We had similiar with a TA and found they were using our card to pay for someone's holiday because the OP card was declined.

 

We got our cash back when we pressed for an answer of why certain charges were made to the credit card and then, they the TA went off for a Holiday and our cruise was cancelled. The TA didn't give the final payment to RCCL like, He was supposed too.. The Resolutions with the C&A were great and resolved all our problems so we stay with whom we trust now.

 

Although a lot of OP have great luck with a TA and if it works for them, why change things.

 

We will always use RCCL.

 

I am with you I always book direct. In fact I prefer to do it online. I am waiting until Future Bookings made on a sailing can be fully managed online. Still not sure why you have to call in for changes to those type of bookings.

[Clarea]

No. They said since it had already been cancelled, the $100 is on its way back to my CC. I had to pony up $100 for the new booking. Was not a problem as I maintained the OBC offer.

Well, that's still good. I was curious because the deposit from an NC is supposed to be non-refundable. Nice that they sorted it all out for you.