Travel Agent or P&O Direct.

[Daftlad]

I tried sneaking this question into one of the Brittania threads, but without any response.

So can I ask directly, what are people's opinions and experiences about using one or the other?

I ask simply because I get the feeling that if you use P&O Direct, you will benefit from any retrospective upgrades and or OBC than if you used a travel agent.

And I am talking specifically when booking a Select fare.

Opinions greatly received.

[Big Stevie]

When trying to book our cruise recently using the P&O website I kept getting the message that my cabin type had sold out. But when doing so via travel agents websites I was able to book.

 

So do a percentage of cabins get reserved by TA's?

[Daftlad]

When trying to book our cruise recently using the P&O website I kept getting the message that my cabin type had sold out. But when doing so via travel agents websites I was able to book.

 

So do a percentage of cabins get reserved by TA's?

 

I reckon that is certainly the case. I have yet to use P&O directly using a well known club in the East Midlands who have explained they are allocated batches of cabins to sell on.

The thing is that in most cases that I look at now prices advertised by both are almost identical. That is why going direct to P&O would seem to give you a greater chance of any "extras"

[newbieafloat]

As a solo traveller, I used a travel agent. I do not believe it would be economically viable for me to book direct.

[Pennbank]

If you are registered with a payback site like quidco you get 4% cashback from P&O Cruises when using the link to P&O website from the cash back site. ;)

Edited March 10, 2015 by Pennbank
reduced to 4%

[groovechick]

When we booked through a TA, we got a better position of cabin, OBC and free parking, they liaised with P&O re food allergies and everything was smooth as clockwork.

 

When P&O stopped doing business with some TAs for a while and we booked direct with P&O, we got contradictory information, incorrect info. (so we missed out on a cruise we really wanted to do) etc. At P&O you never get to speak to the same person twice (in our case the personal cruise consultant concept just hasn't worked) and they didn't seem in the least bit bothered that because they'd given us incorrect info we were not able to cruise with them last year. They seemed to think we could just book any other alternative cruise and embark at the drop of a hat, which with two working adults and children in college and school simply isn't possible.

[ormy]

I always think it better to use a Travel Agent - you are doing a face to face booking, you can ask questions, query points raised and if things not right you just go back to the shop - very difficult doing this online or on a premium rate phone line.

We like to book with the TA cruise specialist - always one in the shop.

[daiB]

As with many large purchases you must shop around. Get quotes from a number of specialist cruise TA's. Use people who sell cruises all the time. General TA's can not be expected to have the knowledge of the specialist.

[my marina bay]

Specialist cruise TA every time. Why do folk think they are getting a special service with PO direct - get real it's a call centre the majority are students on casual hours recruited from S/ton uni. As our friends said when their daughter got p/t work there 'the dog knows more about PO than she does'.

[Daftlad]

Specialist cruise TA every time. Why do folk think they are getting a special service with PO direct - get real it's a call centre the majority are students on casual hours recruited from S/ton uni. As our friends said when their daughter got p/t work there 'the dog knows more about PO than she does'.

 

My original posting was not about getting a special service from P&O, but the perceived likelihood of better retrospective benefits from them as opposed to a TA. As someone said a couple of posts previous, prices are identical from both but if there was a chance of additional benefits from one and not the other, would we be foolish to ignore that possibility, no matter how small it may be?

[netchells]

My original posting was not about getting a special service from P&O, but the perceived likelihood of better retrospective benefits from them as opposed to a TA. As someone said a couple of posts previous, prices are identical from both but if there was a chance of additional benefits from one and not the other, would we be foolish to ignore that possibility, no matter how small it may be?

 

My cruise booked with Thomas cook was 6% cheaper than P & O's price .......£610.00 onboard credit and booked the cabin we wanted

Edited April 8, 2015 by Host Sharon
Naming of TA's contravenes CC Guidelines

[Daftlad]

Can I ask if it was the price that was cheaper or the OBC was an increase on what P&O were offering or was it both?

I use a cruise specialist TA but have yet to find they offer anything less than P&O themselves.

[Presto2]

When the cruises came out last year we couldn't get a better price with a TA as we had in the past so booked direct. For is it has been better as we have had a number of questions we've needed to ask P&O and it has been far better than having to go through a TA. The price we got was fab too - then again we did book last March for this August. :)

[netchells]

Can I ask if it was the price that was cheaper or the OBC was an increase on what P&O were offering or was it both?

I use a cruise specialist TA but have yet to find they offer anything less than P&O themselves.

 

Hi the price was 6% cheaper than booking with p and o direct but the OBC was the same whoever I booked with

Edited March 15, 2015 by netchells

[amajaa]

If you are registered with a payback site like quidco you get 4% cashback from P&O Cruises when using the link to P&O website from the cash back site. ;)

 

I did similar and booked through Top Cashback at the beginning of January. The money is still showing as pending on our top cash back account. How long did it take to get your cashback?

[Daftlad]

Hi the price was 6% cheaper than booking with p and o direct but the OBC was the same whoever I booked with ��

 

Thank you.

[zider]

P&O is a Carnival Brand & Carnival do not allow UK TAs to undercut prices UK TAs get between 5/12.5 % commission depending on how many Carnival Brands cruises they sell & if they are caught undercutting the commission is cut as well. But they are allowed to give other incentive like, Free Car parking/Free Excursion/ More O.B.C/Free Meals in Speciality Restaurant's

Edited March 15, 2015 by zider

[SparklyB]

NHS staff get 5% discount if you go through P & O but worth asking if the TA can match that.

[jeanlyon]

The commission to travel agents was raised last year back up to sensible levels. I got an extra 5% off my Oriana cruise in September. Always better to use a TA for lots of reasons.

[Scriv]

What did you decide, Daftlad? I am wondering the same thing.

[srwpchelp]

I asked the same question a few weeks ago.

 

My experience.....

 

I contacted P&O directly and two well-known Cruise TA's (one in the North West and one in the East Midlands).

 

1. P&O quoted the wrong price but was able to specify the exact on board credit (OBC). Unacceptable.

 

2. The North West TA also got the price wrong and gave me a range (min / max) for the OBC. Unacceptable.

 

3. The East Midlands TA quoted the correct price and was able to specify the exact OBC. They also offered me a £35pp discount for being a new customer.

They immediately became my No.1 choice.

 

The "standard price" quoted by each company was the same for a cruise more than a year ahead.

 

I rang both TA's again and said that I had a received a better offer.

I provided the competitor details & the lower quote and then SAID NOTHING.

I let them go away, speak to a supervisor and come back to me with a better offer. It worked 2 out of 3 times.

 

I managed to get a 3% discount (£130 in total) with very little effort.

I was happy with the discount. It will pay for a few bottles of wine !!

 

FACT: If you don't ask then you don't get.

 

I found that it helped to know the exact cruise that I wanted to go on.

I made sure that the companies knew that I was a serious customer.

 

I ended up booking my cruise with the company that got everything right and offered the best price (the East Midlands TA).

 

You're paying a lot of money. They should work hard for your business.

[Host Sharon]

Please folks - brush up on the Cruise Critic Community Guidelines and stop naming specific Travel agents. Thanks for your co-operation.

[Scriv]

After a lot of looking around, I have now made my choice and have pre registered with P&O for my 2016 cruise after a very helpful discussion with a very well clued up Personal Cruise Specialist.

 

All done now, pending confirmation next Wednesday of course after the cruises are on open sale. I was very happy with the package.

[CCFC]

My biggest gripe with booking through a travel agent is their idea of final payment date is earlier than P&O's sometimes by several weeks. My next cruise had to be paid to the travel agent a full 30 days before RCI wanted the money.

 

I occasionally wonder what would happen if in the interim they went bust (which did happen to a big P&O travel agent a few years ago).

[Scriv]

It just suits us for several reasons to book direct. We just like not having a third party and it's even better now we have a named contact in our Personal Cruise Specialist.

Edited April 9, 2015 by Scriv