TA vrs Celebrity booking

[juanita1767]

Ok I have a question, we booked a future cruise while onboard and we didn't want it to go back to the agent we had used for the cruise we were on, so we kept it with celebrity. What would be the advantages or disadvantage of keeping it with Celebrity or moving it to a different TA?

[schlocklate]

We have booked directly w/ Celebrity and RCCL every cruise since our 1st 2. I've been wondering lately what the advantages of using a Cruise Specific Agent would be given the internet. So my question is if you are going to book and have 1 or 2 sailings you are interested in why you would use a Agent - I'm not opposed but is it just for convenience or are their other benefits.

 

We either go on short cruises, my wife and I (i.e. 3/6 Constellation Aqua Class) or longer with the family (2-3 cabins 7+ days, mix of OV, inside or veranda depending on price). Almost always Caribbean/Bermuda.

 

Would love Europe but the cost of flying 6 people to Europe is prohibitive.

 

-Terry

[TeaBag]

If you transfer to a TA within 60 days after booking, you get what the TA is offering in OBC's as well as what you got with the on-board booking.

[GottaKnowWhen]

Ok I have a question, we booked a future cruise while onboard and we didn't want it to go back to the agent we had used for the cruise we were on, so we kept it with celebrity. What would be the advantages or disadvantage of keeping it with Celebrity or moving it to a different TA?

 

Yesterday evening I transferred my next trip from Celebrity (booked while onboard) to one of the on-line agencies that supports CC.

1. I didn't want to go back to the agent we used for the last cruise, even if it did net us 50,000 air miles.

2. Consensus on this site was that switching makes sense.

3. I emailed and phoned 3 different agencies. Asked "what can you do for me?" 4. I talked with an agent at a local agency (recommended by a friend).

5. I have a time-share unit that I exchange through a large outfit with international reach; I checked and found that my next cruise would be about $800 less through them if I used my deposited week as credit.

 

I chose the on-line agency that a) sounded like they knew something about Celebrity; b) offered some additional OBC. Downside is that I will need to make my final payment a month sooner than if I had stayed with Celebrity, and I will need to pay the agency a small cancellation fee if I cancel. Neither concerns me. I have no idea if there will be any advantage other than the OBC.

[cle-guy]

 

I chose the on-line agency that a) sounded like they knew something about Celebrity; b) offered some additional OBC. Downside is that I will need to make my final payment a month sooner than if I had stayed with Celebrity, and I will need to pay the agency a small cancellation fee if I cancel. Neither concerns me. I have no idea if there will be any advantage other than the OBC.

 

I used to think the only advantage to a TA was perks.

 

However yesterday, I found another reason to use one. I'm booked on a TA with no perks, so applied to use my Shareholder OBC, which can only be used when there are no perks are on account.

 

I was denied.

 

I emailed my TA, she made a phone call, and 10 minutes, later, my shareholder credit perk was applied.

[hvsteve1]

Anyone asking if there is an advantage to booking through Celebrity rather than a TA has apparently not read the hundreds (thousands?) of posts on various boards over the years regarding people going around with a cruise line's customer service people and not getting satisfaction. We have used the same TA for the past ten years and have never had a problem with a cruise that was not resolved to our satisfaction. As it doesn't cost anything, and sometimes results in an additional OBC or other benefit, why would I not want to use a TA?

[cle-guy]

Anyone asking if there is an advantage to booking through Celebrity rather than a TA has apparently not read the hundreds (thousands?) of posts on various boards over the years regarding people going around with a cruise line's customer service people and not getting satisfaction. We have used the same TA for the past ten years and have never had a problem with a cruise that was not resolved to our satisfaction. As it doesn't cost anything, and sometimes results in an additional OBC or other benefit, why would I not want to use a TA?

 

My favorite answer I read here is "I don't want to lose control of my reservation" which is then inevitably followed up by a subsequent post by those posters months later complaining about how difficult it is to use the website to book things, see things and modify things - all of which a TA would handle seamlessly for us with just an email or phone call to hem, making the issues THEIRS not mine.

[lovemylab]

Anyone asking if there is an advantage to booking through Celebrity rather than a TA has apparently not read the hundreds (thousands?) of posts on various boards over the years regarding people going around with a cruise line's customer service people and not getting satisfaction. We have used the same TA for the past ten years and have never had a problem with a cruise that was not resolved to our satisfaction. As it doesn't cost anything, and sometimes results in an additional OBC or other benefit, why would I not want to use a TA?

 

While I agree that booking with a TA can sometimes have an advantage, I am one of those people who prefers to book directly through the cruise line. TAs in my area hardly ever offer additional OBC or other benefits.

 

If I notice a price drop or special promotion, I can call X myself and have it applied. If I am booked with a TA, I have to go through them. If their office is closed or the TA is out of the office, then I am forced to wait. If the price of the cruise goes back up before they reopen, then I have missed out. After almost missing out on a $500 price drop a few years back, I no longer book with a TA.

 

As for the website issues that cle-guy mentioned, I have rarely had a problem booking something online. When I do, I just pick up the phone and call X to do it through them. I don't see how having to go through a TA is easier. If anything, I would see it as more of a pain. I'd call the TA, they would call X, they would then have to call me back if there were additional questions or clarification, etc. This is assuming of course your TA is even in the office, otherwise you're leaving a voicemail and playing the waiting game.

 

The thing to remember is not all TAs are equal. You seem to have a great one, which works well for you. I have had a better experience in dealing directly with X so I will stick with them :)

Edited March 19, 2015 by lovemylab

[cle-guy]

While I agree that booking with a TA can sometimes have an advantage, I am one of those people who prefers to book directly through the cruise line.

 

If I notice a price drop or special promotion, I can call X myself and have it applied. If I am booked with a TA, I have to go through them. If their office is closed or the TA is out of the office, then I am forced to wait. If the price of the cruise goes back up before they reopen, then I have missed out. After almost missing out on a $500 price drop a few years back, I no longer book with a TA.

 

What I do in these situations, is put the cabin on a 24 hour courtesy hold via a website booking, and email my TA the confirmation number, so she can then grab it and take control of the booking.

[cruzeluver]

Our TA has been booking with Celebrity/Royal for a long time, so she knows about promos usually before the rest of the public does. We are able to take advantage of any promos X is offering plus get OBC on top of that from our TA. Twice in the past she became aware of price drops before we did and had them applied right away.

 

She also goes to bat for us and saves us dealing with the X web site and poor customer service issues. We just booked a future cruise on Reflection while on board Silhouette and were able to take advantage of the current 123GO promo, received an additional OBC for booking on board and they sent the booking to our TA who will give us an additional OBC on top of what we received from X.

[lovemylab]

What I do in these situations, is put the cabin on a 24 hour courtesy hold via a website booking, and email my TA the confirmation number, so she can then grab it and take control of the booking.

 

Which will only work if your TA isn't out of the office for the next 24 hours....

 

Also, if you change to a new booking number you will lose any benefits that you had from your previous booking (at least that has been my experience).

 

Something to be mindful of is the OP is from Canada. TAs in Canada rarely offer the incentives that TAs in the US offer.

Edited March 19, 2015 by lovemylab

[cle-guy]

What this does is hold the "inventory" so when she cancels this new reservation, she can take advantage of the price drop, as per Celebrity Policy. So she calls celebrity, cancels the hold and gets them to lower the old reservation price, since the "inventory" for the reduced fare is back in the system when I canceled the held cabin . On RARE occasions someone has scooped up a cabin during the minute or 2 it takes.

 

I had another issue where I found a good deal last minute, but the booking wouldn't book as a solo, only as a double, so she and I held it over the weekend till she could contact X directly to get them to allow the awesome fare as a solo. This was a GTY booking, and the website doesn't generally (if ever) allow single bookings into GTY cabins,

 

My TA also has ability to "courtesy hold" for 72 hours i recently discovered, as when I found a good deal on my upcoming TA, I wasn't sure I could re-arrange my schedule to deal with it, so she held it for 3 days till I could confirm it.

 

The secret to a TA, is to find one that is good about contact. Mine, I can get on Facebook, text, phone or email. Even when she's on a cruise, she replies within 8 or so hours generally. Mostly, replies come within minutes. So having an absent TA isn't something I've yet had to experience. Mine is an independent agent, but is affiliated with a large organization, and she has apps on her iPhone that allow her to handle all booking and inquiry details on the go.

 

There's nothing preventing a Canadian from using a USA travel agent either. SOME agencies may decline to handle foreign bookings, but many are fine with it.

Edited March 19, 2015 by cle-guy

[upwarduk]

Duplicate post without effective quote.

Edited March 19, 2015 by upwarduk

[upwarduk]

While I agree that booking with a TA can sometimes have an advantage, I am one of those people who prefers to book directly through the cruise line. TAs in my area hardly ever offer additional OBC or other benefits.

 

Same in UK.

At the moment, I have 2 Celebrity cruises booked, one with a TA ( as they were the only people to give me 25 C.C points for an early booking)

However, I won't use them again, as they e-mailed Celebrity, when there was an offer for the final Century cruise. By the time Celebrity had replied, the offer had expired. If I had booked directly with Celebrity, I could have rung them and been given a quick answer.

Edited March 19, 2015 by upwarduk

[goodycruising]

For Aussies:

Booking through a US TA when you are from another country can have issues with currency movements, unless you can lock in the money to US$ straight away for your booking. We book usually more than 12 months out and then budget for the trip. The Aussie dollar has tanked nearly 20c in the last 6-7 months. That can be a huge risk to take. We have booked a Solstice cruise for Nov 2016. Can't risk going through a US TA that far out in our situation.

 

The only thing we have done is lock in our spending on-board with a multi currency card. We have the US dollars tied up for that already :)

[LabGuy64]

if you move to one of the high volume TA' you can possibly get additional OBC .

 

 

 

Ok I have a question, we booked a future cruise while onboard and we didn't want it to go back to the agent we had used for the cruise we were on, so we kept it with celebrity. What would be the advantages or disadvantage of keeping it with Celebrity or moving it to a different TA?

[LabGuy64]

depending on what the TA offers...it might be well worth it to change even if past 60 days.

 

 

If you transfer to a TA within 60 days after booking, you get what the TA is offering in OBC's as well as what you got with the on-board booking.

[S&G1968]

I actually agree that the benefits of a Good TA start with them acting as a liaison should you have an issue, catching deals on your behalf like additional OBC's and/or perks all the way through handling the reservation and logistics freeing up your time.

 

I do most of my own research and Onboard booking but at the end of the day roll it over to my agent... They get the commission and I know I have another set of eyes on my vacation plans and the possibility of additional perks plus knowing someone is watching iut in my behalf.

 

Great TA's exist, you just have to find one!

 

Steve

[phoenix_dream]

We generally book through an online TA for the extra perks. The disadvantages? An extra cancellation fee (my TA charges $100 per passenger - I don't consider that small:(), and lack of availability on Sunday except for emergencies.

 

Unfortunately, I have yet to be able to find an independent TA who is more knowledgeable than I on cruising and Celebrity in particular, and who will offer any additional perks (except perhaps for a bottle of wine, which I do not need with a liquor package). I have tried local folks a number of times, and I end up needing to educate them on Celebrity.

 

Fortunately I have not had issues that required TA intervention so I can't speak to that. If we have any issues, we normally will call the Captains Club number at Celebrity and we have never had bad service there. Of course we do not ask them to change things about our reservation, which they would expect a TA to handle.

[cle-guy]

depending on what the TA offers...it might be well worth it to change even if past 60 days.

 

After 60 days, you CAN NOT transfer a reservation to a TA, you have to do it within 60 days of booking.

 

Alternative is to cancel and rebook under current program.

 

Here's the Form to make a transfer, note the T&C's on the bottom.

[CanadianDee]

 

Something to be mindful of is the OP is from Canada. TAs in Canada rarely offer the incentives that TAs in the US offer.

 

This.

 

Our three experiences with TAs who were specific to the cruise industry were not great.

 

I'm a detailed planner and enjoy the planning phase of any vacation so that part is not an issue.

[1982CruzStart]

We use US based TAs for our bookings. They offer great OBC and depending on the cruise line even rebates. I am a planner and make sure that I do my homework and then just use the TA to put into effect my plans and then take advantage of the perks they offer.

 

We use to use a Canadian TA but they just can't provide the perks that the US based ones can. I even found a US based one that can sell some cruises in Canadian $ which is particularly helpful with our dollar so crappy right now.

 

Before i found one that can work in CAD $ I booked one cruise through a cruise line and ended up transferring it to a local TA. I couldn't get my 'Cruise consultant' assigned by the cruise line to answer any emails and I needed some one to take care of the cruise payment when we were out of the country at the due date.

 

TA's are very worthwhile.

[HubbieO]

I've booked cruises through Celebrity and several TAs. I think that if you know what you want, have done the research, and are capable of making trip related arrangements on your own, then you're probably looking for the best deal in OBCs. Without question, a certain big box warehouse chain gives you the most. For my upcoming Med cruise, I booked onboard last year and got the $300 OBC. After I got back home, I called the travel department at the big box warehouse and got an additional $570 OBC. A few months later, I called and took advantage of the 123go offer, got an additional $400 off the cruise along with the Classic Beverage package and gratuities and only gave up $50 in OBC. You can't beat that.

[Iamcruzin]

I used to think the only advantage to a TA was perks.

 

However yesterday, I found another reason to use one. I'm booked on a TA with no perks, so applied to use my Shareholder OBC, which can only be used when there are no perks are on account.

 

I was denied.

 

I emailed my TA, she made a phone call, and 10 minutes, later, my shareholder credit perk was applied.

Just wondering If you booked with a TA why didn't you let him/her take care of it in the first place?

[Iamcruzin]

My favorite answer I read here is "I don't want to lose control of my reservation" which is then inevitably followed up by a subsequent post by those posters months later complaining about how difficult it is to use the website to book things, see things and modify things - all of which a TA would handle seamlessly for us with just an email or phone call to hem, making the issues THEIRS not mine.

 

I have also read posts where some have lost upgrades due to the fact that the TA didn't know a thing about the Captain's club perk or they were not entitled to the promo because they received a group booking. I under stand why they weren't entitled to the promo but the TA should have informed them of the promo so that they could make a choice. These people always seem to find Cruise Critic after it's too late. The usual reply from others is get a new TA which is a useless reply since you can't recommend one.

Edited March 20, 2015 by Iamcruzin