Is there any benefit to booking directly with NCL?

[Sizzlechest]

(That being said, for land vacations to WDW we have an agent we like very much and will go through her most of the time).

 

This is a little off topic for Cruise Critic, but YES. There are travel agencies that specialize in Disney and other major theme parks. They can be extremely helpful in finding discounts you may not have otherwise known about. They are also useful in recommending hotels off property, etc.

 

For all of you who disagree, let me come to you on your next pay day, to demand a portion of your pay. If I warrant or deserve the commission, is no concern of yours..that is between me and my employer, and if I choose to reward you with a little, accept it as it is meant a token of appreciation, and not an acknowledgment that you deserve it more than I do.

 

A NCL cruise reservation is a fungible commodity. It's the same whether you book through the cruise line or any TA on the planet. That money and/or perk you get back is what makes them stand out. If I were a TA, I would accept it as the new cost of doing business. If I felt it cut into my profits/salary too much, I'd find another line of work. That's what competition is all about.

[Into Cruising]

submit $100 to me.

 

You are not buying a reservation, as there is no charge to you for it, you are buying the cruise.

 

The cost of doing business should be a cost to the cruiseline, as it is simply reflected in the price. Vendors who have to kickback to the supplier is against all business ethics..

 

Pure and simple you simply do not value your agent. I'd let you shop your business around before doing business with you.... again you did not take the token of appreciation, you felt entitled. That is my entire point.

 

Not kidding about the $100, simply pay it forward by placing it in the collection basket this weekend. You were over paid, and need to rebate some of that back to society. Time to be a giver instead of the taker!

 

The agent does not work for you, you pay him nothing..He works for the cruiselines....he supports you for them. For that he gets paid a commission.

But what they heck, you deserve it more because you are giving him the pleasure of trying to help you. Perhaps the cost of going on a cruise should include the gratuity you pay the TA for taking care of you rather than just taking it for granted

[Into Cruising]

Give me one other example of how a middle man takes a product from a vendor and resells it for less than the cost.

 

NCL set the price, even playing field. Everyone can sell it for that price.

 

if no agent or agency would discount their commission, the price would be fixed no matter where you bought it. If the price was too high, you could refuse to buy it, thereby causing the cruiseline to adjust their pricing, in order to move product.

 

NCL asks the agents not to discount, but recognizes that at times there will be a need. They are explicitly told they can not advertise a discounted price. It is obviously left to the discretion of the agent.

 

the norm for the business now is expect the agency to discount, whereby they are selling themselves short. The agency gives up something, and usually the client gives up something too, in the way of service. And the bottom line is the cruiselines end up with exactly what they do not want...they are a discounted operations with no Brand protection. Their only option is to demand that agencies do no discounting (NOT LIKELY) or keep cutting back on commissions, until an agency can no longer afford to give their money away. (more Likely, as we have watched commissions lower and costs be identified as non commissionable.

 

I for one would prefer the cruiseline tighten up, Keep prices high and protect the brand where they can warrant the higher prices, thus giving beter commissions to the agents.

 

And for competition, as you say, if you do not like paying the piper, you can always change lines, and enjoy a cruise on the level of the value you place on it and are willing to pay.

 

I do not really begrudge you...get it while you can. If asked I will give you the best price I can, but there will be a point when I say I can not help you, and direct you to someone you can afford. In fact, agents who do not value their own worth, are our own worst enemies.

[Demonyte]

Give it up already, we get that you have your opinions and most of us here have different opinions.

 

I don't even bother to point out your faulty claims - again.

Edited May 20, 2016 by Demonyte

[Into Cruising]

You are welcome to your opinion, but not to make your own facts. We all know your POV too, so rather than telling me to give up, take your own advice, and stop trolling me.

 

Your premise is I work for the customer, but sorry, I do not, and no agent does....We work for the supplier who pays us for our services. We support the customer, but we are not required to discount a single penny to them, and are guided not to.

 

You might believe your agent works for you so you can Lord it over them, or perhaps you are an agent who simply is not worth the payment the cruiselines gives you. In that case your clients would get exactly what they are paying for.

 

Thanks for coming back to muck rake....if you try harder you can get yourself up to a million contributions mostly snipes to show off your self importance.

 

Be my guest. Disagree and shoot me down, and hey, even call me names....you are a big shot and have your following minions....be proud of yourself..... Great person, and a benefit to mankind, a Legend in your own mind!

 

I can quit now, I have been put down by the great and powerful. I have received the wisdom of his mind. So he has spoken and so it must be. No room for either facts or points of view in any forum with him in it!

 

Feel better now????? Proud of yourself? Go home to your wife and kids and tell them how brave and forthright you are! I am sure they all want to grow up to be like you!

[Sizzlechest]

Give me one other example of how a middle man takes a product from a vendor and resells it for less than the cost.

 

A middle man who wishes to go out of business is one who consistently sells below cost. Your premise is false. They don't "sell below cost" unless they can make up for it in other ways. For example, a video game console might sell under cost because they'll make it up on the games and subscriptions that follow. If the "middle man" can no longer operate with thin margins, then that middle man should find another line of work.

 

NCL set the price, even playing field. Everyone can sell it for that price.

 

if no agent or agency would discount their commission, the price would be fixed no matter where you bought it. If the price was too high, you could refuse to buy it, thereby causing the cruiseline to adjust their pricing, in order to move product.

 

You're leaving out that the TA gets a discount from NCL. They take advantage of group discounts by promising to fill cabins. The TA passes that savings on to you (or not). The risk is that they may not be able to sell all their promised cabins, but that's how many TAs operate.

 

the norm for the business now is expect the agency to discount, whereby they are selling themselves short.

 

No, not short. They're giving up some commission, but they're making it up on volume. They're eating up their competition's lunch. Adapt or die.

 

The agency gives up something, and usually the client gives up something too, in the way of service.

 

Based on my experience and most of the folks who have used TAs in this very thread, service has been SUPERIOR despite the lower prices.

 

And the bottom line is the cruiselines end up with exactly what they do not want...they are a discounted operations with no Brand protection. Their only option is to demand that agencies do no discounting (NOT LIKELY) or keep cutting back on commissions, until an agency can no longer afford to give their money away. (more Likely, as we have watched commissions lower and costs be identified as non commissionable.

 

Wrong. NCL gets paid twice in some cases. The TAs make group buys that they have to fulfill in order to get the discount that they may or may not pass to the customer. If they can't fill all those rooms, NCL still gets paid. But wait. NCL isn't going to let that ship sail under capacity. NCL drops the prices and the upsell department goes into action to fill those empty cabins. If NCL didn't like TAs selling discounted sailings, they could simply not allow TAs at all. All sales would have to go through NCL. The fact that they continue to allow TAs should tell you something is wrong with your assumptions.

 

I for one would prefer the cruiseline tighten up, Keep prices high and protect the brand where they can warrant the higher prices, thus giving beter commissions to the agents.

 

I have no desire to pay more money to sustain an (allegedly) failing business model. Central planning and market manipulation fails disastrously in the end.

 

And for competition, as you say, if you do not like paying the piper, you can always change lines, and enjoy a cruise on the level of the value you place on it and are willing to pay.

 

Funny you say that. In 2018, I might be giving Celebrity a whirl. The value of NCL over these last few years has been going in one direction: down.

[Into Cruising]

TA's do not buy group space...they take group space on consignment. what does not get sold is recalled by the cruiselines. Sometimes in very short order.

 

Most Group space is not given to TA's at a discounted rate...the benefit of group space is in the Gap points and TC credit. If the group is made up by the agency, they warrant the TC credit and GAP points. If a group is arranged by the client, the client dictates how the TC credit and Gap points are used.

 

I just did a quick look over available group rates, and in all but one case, the group price is higher than the current FIT price. In those cases, you simply sell the FIT and have the booking moved under the group.

 

The big box stores are definitely working under your premise. Their volume gives them more leverage than the average agency. They can be willing to make very little money on each transaction, but hope to get a high volume of transactions. Good business model as you say. They can drive out the competition.

 

However in doing so they are working against the wishes of the cruiseline, that wants to protect the Brand and maintain pricing, and not be considered a discount shop.

 

Now this is where the who works for who comes in. Who is in the cat bird seat? The cruiselines are. And as we have seen in the past, when enough of the smaller agencies get up in arms about the level of discounting and how they are being forced out of business, the cruiseline comes out with more policies and directions to preserve their life line. You may think that the majority of bookings are thorough a big box store, but that is not true. The family run franchise is the lifeblood and the bulk of business generating agencies for the cruiselines.

 

When a cruiseline such as NCL goes on the record as determined to protect the brand and maintain pricing structures, they will eventually act on it.

 

No individual agency can outlast or out do the rebates that the big box stores can do. We simply can not compete on price, so as you say we compete on value. But we can simply walk away from promoting or pushing a cruiseline that gives preferential treatment to some and not others.

 

But real point was that I do not think most people realize that all of those additional perks and tremendous OBC offerings, are directly out of the agency and agents pocket.

 

An agent sells a cruise experience, and when it gets to the stage that we have to pay too much to sell a cruise from any specific line, we start pushing another.. Think of it, I have to pay for the privledge of selling you a cruise.

Easy to say that a little commission is better than none. If that transaction does not cover our costs and expenses, and we actually lose money on it, it is better for us to walk away.

 

NCL should realize that if the public has decided that their prices are not good enough, and they actually require it to be subsidized by the agents, that there is a major problem. How will they know? When the agents stop doing it or start complaining loudly enough.

 

Luckily, not every client tries to put the agent through the wringer.

 

I recall the time when the airlines said we will not pay commissions to travel agents.....how many just stopped selling air travel. How many of them sell air travel today?

 

Do I believe that prices are too high? Heck Yes. But your beef is with the cruiselines, not with the independent travel agent.

[Into Cruising]

the perceived value of most lines has dropped drastically over the years, not just NCL, but almost al of them. At one time cruises were a great value, now while still a decent over all value, quite lacking when compared to the past.

 

All agents and agencies are not free of guilt either. I have chased a sale, and gone to the agency owner to see if he would kick in some to "help win the business" Kind of share the pain. In every case the answer was no, but I was free to give away all of my share of the commission. In essence I would get nothing for the sale, and he would get his % of the commission. I can understand his business decision, he has costs that I do not.

 

I was taught to qualify the customer... I asked what their budget is, and I offer them items within their budget. Even if I could , I would not sell them a BMW at a Chevrolet price. I will give them the best value I can for what they are spending.... but I can not subsidize their vacation to the extent that they get an incredible cruise, and my family is relegated to 6 flags over podunk