Is there a downside to booking with a TA?

[DawgDad93]

I would prefer to book through a TA that offers a good SBC, but I'm wondering if there is a downside to doing so rather than booking directly with NCL. We're looking at doing a haven suite on the Epic, so if there is any distinction that applies I would love to know.

 

Specifically, can you combine a SBC from a TA with the current Free at Sea offer? Do you lose some control over your reservation if you use a TA? (I'm happy to handle any details myself and would only be using a TA for a SBC.)

[ShannonSC2]

I believe it is up to you. Some TA's like to be in control of all reservations and others will let the client do it.

 

Sometimes using a TA you can get additional perks (extra OBC, or other things).

Edited March 25, 2016 by ShannonSC2
Wrong info put in

[KeithJenner]

The only real potential downside is that there is someone else involved. NCL won't talk directly to you on a number of things and you will need to go through the TA to do many things.

 

Whether that is a downside or not depends on you. I hate the idea, but others like to have someone else to help them out.

 

If you want the perks that a TA will give and don't mind not being in control of your booking then go for it.

[pretykym]

I'm actually going through a debacle with Ncl and my TA at the moment. Prices dropped and my TA is Mia (spring break / good Friday /Easter). Ncl won't do a thing to my reservation. It has to go through my TA. Quite honestly my TA has done nothing for me. No perks at all. I always get the impression she is bothered by me asking her questions. I have to fight for every inch. This is my last go with her. I will handle future travel myself. It's not worth the hassle.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[DawgDad93]

If you want the perks that a TA will give and don't mind not being in control of your booking then go for it.

 

Ha! What I really want is the SBC AND the control. My guess is my Type A personality is going to override my desire for a SBC if I have to choose.

[iceman2a]

I have always used a TA and will continue to do so. I have given my various PCC's at NCL a chance at earning my business but they always seemed to be uninformed and could never match what my TA offered.

[SPB in da RVA]

I NEVER use a TA. You can almost always get at least as god a price without one and when you have a TA you have an unneeded middle man in the process. You can't go directly to NCL for anything at all, you always have to go through your TA.

 

I know some people like to have someone else plan and do everything for them, but other than that there is usually little benefit to using a TA.

[littlelulu01]

If you're proactive and keep an eye on cc boards for potential issues with your sailing I say go for ta if they give you a bunch of goodies and lower price. The big box "c" warehouse used to be great with lower prices, and extra obc. Now it's just extra obc so it will pay to shop around ta's. The nice thing about big box is that you can call them and whoever answers can help you with booking if you see a price drop or better perks. Also important to know if ta charges a change or cancel fee above what NCL does. Most don't but good to ask.

 

With a Haven suite booked with ta you're likely to have quite a few goodies, lower price in addition to what NCL will give you. With an inside stateroom I haven't found ta much better than NCL direct so just easier for me to manage booking vs get $25 obc from ta.

 

I had cruise cancelled and ta didn't notify me for quite some time. I read about it on cc. I only knew what my options were and who to contact via others reports on cc. Then had to call ta and coach them through process. Even then I was not given what others reported getting who had better ta's. Cc doesn't allow you to mention ta's so it's anyone's guess who these great ta's are.

 

Good idea to sign up for your roll call on these boards. If something come up with your sailing it's a good bet that another passenger will report it on cc. People on roll calls will also post price drops or good perk offers that may benefit you. Haven gets all four perks but sometimes those perks are dsc which is typically a much better perk than shore excursion or internet mins.

[lisakoivu]

I always felt like a "bother" to my TA, so now i just book direct. I have never been assigned a PCC on NCL - just talk to whoever answers the phone. I DO have a great PCC on HAL who bends over backwards to help me get perks /upgrades/ extras throughout the process.

[mistertoaster]

I have an excellent TA. I always get more OBC than offered by NCL. You can combine OBC with Free at Sea. I did so on my recent Escape cruise. I have not had any downside with using my TA.

[cdnsteelman]

The right TA can essentially give you the best of both worlds. I do all the research (I like to anyway) and then price shop the commodity (selected ship / sail date / cabin) for the best combination of price and perqs. I have done this countless times and have developed a stable of three TAs at online discount agencies. They are always very responsive if I need something worked with NCL and I always end up way ahead on value. My TAs always actively work the upsell angle for me too at my request. I can live with not being able to talk to NCL directly immediately on an issue / request as I find my TAs responsive enough for my taste. If you need immediate response then you can forgo the benefits of the right TA for the convenience of immediate access to an NCL PCC.

 

As an example - the value differential between NCL and my TA was $1450! (~12%) on four in a suite on an 18 day Star sailing in March 2017.

 

I will say the three I use are US based. One of the three allows me to book and pay in Canadian dollars (I'm Canadian) while the other two don't have that facility in the back room. I found all three through that CRUISE site that allows TAs to COMPETE for your business. Their business model is to compete on price for volume as opposed to being full-service travel planners. The three I use, however, are very experienced and knowledgeable.

 

I would, however, never use a TA that just quotes the NCL price and sticks to it.

[2yves]

Make sure you get one that gives you OBC and doesn't charge you cancellation fees.

I think you will have to ask around to find a good one or experiment with a few until you find the right one.

[VideoTech]

I would prefer to book through a TA that offers a good SBC, but I'm wondering if there is a downside to doing so rather than booking directly with NCL. We're looking at doing a haven suite on the Epic, so if there is any distinction that applies I would love to know.

 

Specifically, can you combine a SBC from a TA with the current Free at Sea offer? Do you lose some control over your reservation if you use a TA? (I'm happy to handle any details myself and would only be using a TA for a SBC.)

 

We have never used a travel agent and can't see why we would. You'll find many posts on here about changes a customer wanted to make, but they couldn't because their TA either wouldn't do it for them, or NCL wouldn't talk directly to the customer, only the TA.

 

I'm not really sure why we'd want to put someone else in charge of making the decisions that we prefer to make, particularly as it can affect my vacation, not the TA's.

[OCruisers]

The only downside to using a TA is not having a good one.

[SPB in da RVA]

I have yet to find a TA that can do better than my minimum 20% discount of the actual current selling price (as opposed to that fictitious brochure price). And even if they came close or beat it by a percent or two, it would not be worth the hassle of having a middle man in the equation.

[littlelulu01]

The right TA can essentially give you the best of both worlds. I do all the research (I like to anyway) and then price shop the commodity (selected ship / sail date / cabin) for the best combination of price and perqs. I have done this countless times and have developed a stable of three TAs at online discount agencies. They are always very responsive if I need something worked with NCL and I always end up way ahead on value. My TAs always actively work the upsell angle for me too at my request. I can live with not being able to talk to NCL directly immediately on an issue / request as I find my TAs responsive enough for my taste. If you need immediate response then you can forgo the benefits of the right TA for the convenience of immediate access to an NCL PCC.

 

As an example - the value differential between NCL and my TA was $1450! (~12%) on four in a suite on an 18 day Star sailing in March 2017.

 

I will say the three I use are US based. One of the three allows me to book and pay in Canadian dollars (I'm Canadian) while the other two don't have that facility in the back room. I found all three through that CRUISE site that allows TAs to COMPETE for your business. Their business model is to compete on price for volume as opposed to being full-service travel planners. The three I use, however, are very experienced and knowledgeable.

 

I would, however, never use a TA that just quotes the NCL price and sticks to it.

 

Agree. I used this service for a couple upcoming cruises and was schocked how much more I was offered compared to direct and big box c. Example celebrity direct price was $6900. Ta took $900 off price plus gave me $400 more obc than celebrity. NCL direct price of $4900. Ta price of $4000 plus an additional $50 obc. I saw a price drop on celebrity and ta took off my already reduced price. So it pays to watch direct prices.

[Golfin55]

Ha! What I really want is the SBC AND the control. My guess is my Type A personality is going to override my desire for a SBC if I have to choose.

 

 

Your post is a contradiction. If you are a type A. You would not be seeking advice from strangers on the pros and cons of using a TA.

 

Every true type A I have encountered throughout my life have one thing in common. They have all the answers, they are never wrong and always think they are in control.

 

Just an observation.

[Sizzlechest]

A good TA is worth their weight in gold. They will work to get you the best deal possible. Many TAs get group discounts and pass the savings on to the customers. That's why SOME websites have lower prices than NCL on top of the extra bonus OBC and other perks. The main downside is that many TAs have additional cancellation penalties that are above and beyond what NCL will assess. Those penalties may come into effect way before NCL's cancellation deadline. Also, many TAs add on a ~$25 fee for documentation or such nonsense. You can usually get these waived if you ask.

 

I wish we could share TAs on this fourm because mine is great and I get lower fares as well as OBC and other credits when booking with them.

[Demonyte]

I have yet to find a TA that can do better than my minimum 20% discount of the actual current selling price (as opposed to that fictitious brochure price).

 

 

So you are paying for your cruises by gambling a lot and therefore booking with CAS? That's just fine and dandy but essentially you're not talking about same thing.

 

For regular passengers NCL won't budge from advertised prices so booking direct means paying more. I've yet to see a cruise that I could book cheaper direct than through my TA (my price has always been in total ~10% cheaper than what cruise line quotes).

 

As several people have stated, a good TA is worth their weight in gold and I don't mind leaving the queuing on the phone to their business, they'll get the job done (I don't ask them what is possible, I ask them directly to do a specific task or arrangements).

[don't-use-real-name]

There are so many which ways this can go.

I search out my cruise with all the details - doing a dummy booking directly

with NCL and then call my TA and compare notes.

Since I have an affinity relationship with TA corporate getting bonus miles -

points it just makes sense to have this person handle the details that I have

looked at in advance. Also a heads-up to book now or in a later time frame

to maximize the OBC and Promos offered. Adding and subtracting passengers

moving around to better staterooms and keeping the same original date on

the cruise contract to bump up the Latitudes Rewards points program.

Keeping the down payment to none or a minimum.

Since my TA takes fam trips on the cruise lines this TA is kept current on

situations of interest to me and my family. TAs generally have a heads-up

on what sales and promos are going to be offered.

One advantage I like greatly is the hours 24/7/365 and my usual connect

time is 2:00 AM EDT when I have the full attention with little or no waiting

to do my booking and questioning !

A plus with my TA is the graphic cabin mask that shows the cabins available

in the category that I search - do a overlay of the deck plans with cruisedeckplans

and I know right away the merits of what I am booking or an alternative.

Another PLUS is if I see a cabin that is teetering on being sold my TA can

put a HOLD on it for a short period of time while I research further what

that cabin deck and vicinity has to offer over other selections and pricing.

So I have control through my TA that I would not ordinary have. NCL

may not be so user friendly - book it or not - move on - don't keep me waiting !

Calls on hold - idiot numeric - Press 1 for English so on and so forth.

And the computer program that is you hit or click BACK erases your whole

line of booking starting all over (You were supposed to hit/click on MODIFY!)

With my TAs program hit or click the BACK button takes you back one page

keeping your booking intact.

 

It is nice to have a TA someone to come to your assistance and cut the

whatever colored tape to get to the meat of the booking fast and easy.

 

So what is there about not using a TA - for the moment I can't think of any !

[Keith1010]

It all comes down to the TA. If you have a TA who promises you things and who does not come through there is a down side from having chosen that TA.

 

But my belief is that the key is to find the right TA and that a strong TA can get you amenities that the cruise line cannot offer and just as importantly if someone goes wrong with the cruise line they can be your advocate with the cruise line.

 

Keith

[Arzeena]

I would say it is 50-50. At times it is best to book with a TA and at times it is not. And everyone has a personal preference. Whatever you are comfortable with is the "right answer" in the end.

[SPB in da RVA]

So you are paying for your cruises by gambling a lot and therefore booking with CAS? That's just fine and dandy but essentially you're not talking about same thing.

 

For regular passengers NCL won't budge from advertised prices so booking direct means paying more. I've yet to see a cruise that I could book cheaper direct than through my TA (my price has always been in total ~10% cheaper than what cruise line quotes).

 

As several people have stated, a good TA is worth their weight in gold and I don't mind leaving the queuing on the phone to their business, they'll get the job done (I don't ask them what is possible, I ask them directly to do a specific task or arrangements).

 

 

Just about any potential passenger can get discounts if they know here to look. It is not that difficult.

 

A TA has to weight very little in order to be worth the hassle of having to go through a middle man for everything.

 

You do not have to wait in a phone queue at all with NCL if you call the right number. With a TA you have to call them and then wait for them to call NCL and if NCL has any questions the TA has to call you back all ending up in a vicious game of phone tag. Not worth the hassle at all for maybe a few bucks of OBC that still does not come close to making up for the price you can get on your won.

 

The only "benefit" to a TA is giving complete control of you cruise over to someone else. If a person likes to do his own planning etc, then there is no ne at all for a TA. If that person prefers to make one call and not have to do anything, leaving everything up to someone else, else then a TA is the way to go. It all boils down to a matter of personal preference. I prefer not to pay someone to do for me what I can do for myself cheaper and with less hassle so I do not use a TA.

[swedish weave]

Just about any potential passenger can get discounts if they know here to look. It is not that difficult.

 

A TA has to weight very little in order to be worth the hassle of having to go through a middle man for everything.

 

You do not have to wait in a phone queue at all with NCL if you call the right number. With a TA you have to call them and then wait for them to call NCL and if NCL has any questions the TA has to call you back all ending up in a vicious game of phone tag. Not worth the hassle at all for maybe a few bucks of OBC that still does not come close to making up for the price you can get on your won.

 

The only "benefit" to a TA is giving complete control of you cruise over to someone else. If a person likes to do his own planning etc, then there is no ne at all for a TA. If that person prefers to make one call and not have to do anything, leaving everything up to someone else, else then a TA is the way to go. It all boils down to a matter of personal preference. I prefer not to pay someone to do for me what I can do for myself cheaper and with less hassle so I do not use a TA.

 

I didn't know you had to pay a TA !!

[titangas]

Just about any potential passenger can get discounts if they know here to look. It is not that difficult.

 

A TA has to weight very little in order to be worth the hassle of having to go through a middle man for everything.

 

You do not have to wait in a phone queue at all with NCL if you call the right number. With a TA you have to call them and then wait for them to call NCL and if NCL has any questions the TA has to call you back all ending up in a vicious game of phone tag. Not worth the hassle at all for maybe a few bucks of OBC that still does not come close to making up for the price you can get on your won.

 

The only "benefit" to a TA is giving complete control of you cruise over to someone else. If a person likes to do his own planning etc, then there is no ne at all for a TA. If that person prefers to make one call and not have to do anything, leaving everything up to someone else, else then a TA is the way to go. It all boils down to a matter of personal preference. I prefer not to pay someone to do for me what I can do for myself cheaper and with less hassle so I do not use a TA.

 

 

This whole post is completely false.

I do not understand the go through the middle man for everything part, once booked there is no need to go through for anything.

I have used a TA for 4 Disney Cruises, 3 Carnival and now 3 NCL cruises and have never had to go through them for ANYTHING after the original booking.

 

First off, booking through a TA will not cost you more, you will get the same rate that NCL will quote you - you will not get a cheaper rate on your won (own) and you do not pay them, the cruise line does.

 

If you book the cabin you want at the start, there is absolutely no reason for any back and forth contact that would require a middle man or any hassle.

 

I am a planner and do all of my own researching and planning. Once I know the cabin, cruise, dates I want - I search around for the best deals in kickbacks -- all of the big TA's always quote the EXACT same price as you get pricing through NCL. Afterwards I always have booked all of my own stuff through the NCL website just like everyone else after booking.

 

On my upcoming Alaska cruise in a family 2br suite, I received $1300 in incentives on top of the same price.