Travel Agent and Expections

[PrevailingConditions]

We used a travel agent for our first cruise back in 2004 and she did a nice job of booking our trip but we received no discounts or other extras. I have booked our vacations, including our cruises, ever since. We are currently booked through a local travel agent for the Nov. 7th, 2015 sailing of the Coral Princess (Full Transit) of the Panama Canal. What should we expect from our travel agent, specifically, discounts, on board credits, etc. We initially booked this cruise over a year out and now we're 244 days out and we barely heard from our agent. Are my expectations unrealistic?

[chrysalis]

We used a travel agent for our first cruise back in 2004 and she did a nice job of booking our trip but we received no discounts or other extras. I have booked our vacations, including our cruises, ever since. We are currently booked through a local travel agent for the Nov. 7th, 2015 sailing of the Coral Princess (Full Transit) of the Panama Canal. What should we expect from our travel agent, specifically, discounts, on board credits, etc. We initially booked this cruise over a year out and now we're 244 days out and we barely heard from our agent. Are my expectations unrealistic?

 

Why do you expect to hear from them at this stage?

 

Did you negotiate any discounts or on board credits when you booked?

 

Has the price of the cruise gone down since you booked?

 

There is another active thread that discusses TA discounts...perhaps you should also take a look at that one.

[Thrak]

If you have received "nothing" in the past from your TA then, if you continue to book with that TA, "nothing" is what you should expect.

 

Many here say they pretty much always get a discounted price, OBC, etc. from their TA. I think it may actually depend on what type of cruise you book, what type of cabin you book, your history with the TA, and whether or not the TA in question books a large number of cruises on the line you are booking.

 

If they book truckloads of RCI cruises and occasionally book Princess cruises don't expect much in the way of goodies when booking a Princess cruise through that TA. It really seems to depend on the TA.

 

Don't be afraid to contact several agencies and ask for a quote on a prospective cruise. You may be pleasantly surprised. When onboard ask other cruisers (especially if you are in a roll call and they have a meet and greet) about their TA and see what kind of perks they get. If you find a good TA that does well by you then give them your repeat business.

 

Note that, even if you approach a TA who is highly recommended by another cruiser, they may not be able to offer you any extra perks on a cruise where you have booked the cheapest inside cabin and the cruise is going to sell out.

Edited March 8, 2015 by Thrak

[paul929207]

Nothing. The time to request a discount or some perks is before you book.

 

Your TA is under no obligation to give you anything even when you book. Some do, but many give little or nothing.

[Parrottdizes]

At this stage it is too early to be hearing from your TA. Of course, if you missed your final payment and you did't hear from the TA.....well then there is cause for worry. I think the question to ask yourself is "do I like my TA". If you really like your TA and he/she takes good care of you; then don't worry about if they give you a discount. A discount or little gift is nice, but (at least to me) good service is the most important aspect of a good TA.

If you don't have a trusted TA, then before you book your next cruise you might call around to see how much of a discount another TA might give or if they will give you one at all. It can't hurt to ask.

[OCruisers]

Once you are booked and things are set, your TA will only call if something has changed... also, to remind you when your final payment is due.

If you have additional questions/concerns, YOU need to call your TA.

A good TA is there when needed and should respond promptly. ... but not "bug" you just to be calling.

LuLu

[Thrak]

Once you are booked and things are set, your TA will only call if something has changed... also, to remind you when your final payment is due.

If you have additional questions/concerns, YOU need to call your TA.

A good TA is there when needed and should respond promptly. ... but not "bug" you just to be calling.

LuLu

 

One problem people seem to have is when they can't reach their TA. The last time I needed to reach my TA I knew he was out of town. I called to leave a message and was pleasantly surprised to find that his phone had been forwarded to his mobile. He took care of what I needed right away from his hotel room. I consider that to be pretty good service. :)

[OCruisers]

:) We had a happy call from our TA last week: We were already booked (14 days in January on Emerald Princess mini-suite) but qualified for a $800+ discount with no need to cancel & rebook. Everything is the same except the price off the bottom, not OBC. :)

LuLu

[Shelly97060]

Once booked you should expect to hear from your TA when it is time for final payment.

 

You may also hear from them if Princess contacts them to see if you are interested in an upsell / upgrade or if there has been any changes to your ports of call, or flights.

 

My TA also regularly watches for price reductions and when she sees them she contacts me to let me know she has taken steps to get me the reduced price.

 

A good TA is responsive to your questions and requests for assistance. They are there to help if you have issues with your bookings or even during your trip. However, generally once booked there is very little need for them to contact you until final payment is due.

[dockhl]

We used a travel agent for our first cruise back in 2004 and she did a nice job of booking our trip but we received no discounts or other extras. I have booked our vacations, including our cruises, ever since. We are currently booked through a local travel agent for the Nov. 7th, 2015 sailing of the Coral Princess (Full Transit) of the Panama Canal. What should we expect from our travel agent, specifically, discounts, on board credits, etc. We initially booked this cruise over a year out and now we're 244 days out and we barely heard from our agent. Are my expectations unrealistic?

 

I have booked our last 6 cruises with one of the airline cruise travel agency partners. By using the airline's credit card and booking at least a balcony cabin on 10-14 day cruises, I have earned 8 frequent flyer miles for every dollar spent on the reservation. That coupled with booking our airfare using the same card and also earning additional miles for those actually flown has given me approximately 70 - 80,000 frequent flyer miles for each of those cruises. I have used some of those accrued miles to book free flights and also to upgrade to business class (180 degree lie flat seats) on a few of the flights to meet the cruises. That said, that company's travel agents have all been extremely helpful by contacting Princess periodically (during sales and other specials) and have then gotten me large discounts on some of the already booked cruises, increased OBC, etc. I don't think I'm supposed to mention the airline or their cruise travel agency partner here, but they have flown some friendly skies.

 

Mike