Travel agent issues

[SCMom]

I am really upset with our TA. We used this agency based on a recommendation of my husband's boss. Big Mistake. I am so upset because this cruise is such a big deal for us. We are traveling on the Escape for our 30th Anniversary and are taking our two twenty-something boys and one son's GF. That being said they never told NCL that we were celebrating our Anniversary. Despite repeatedly telling them that's what this cruise was all about. When I called NCL directly to ask something about the cruise and mentioned it they said "Oh, let me add that to your reservation."

A couple of weeks ago I called NCL about an upgrade since we had been booked since last Sept. and prices have dropped and also there was only one "Free at Sea" promo offered at the time of booking. They are now offering two. NCL told me if I contacted my TA before 30 days prior to the cruise they could probably do something for us. I contacted my TA right away and he told me that they will just tell you that to get you off the phone. That they are like the airlines now and what you book at you are stuck with. He did say he had a contact at NCL that he contacted and was on the phone with for 20 minutes and moved us from a mid-ship balcony on 15 (BA) to a family suite on 9 (B4). He told me that it was a much better room and when I asked "how?" he said it has a larger balcony. Well I looked it up and it doesn't. He told me he hoped this was okay because "he made an executive decision" and went ahead and changed the room and the old one was gone by the time he was calling me back to tell me what he had found out. Does anyone know if there is any way I can get rid of this TA and just go through NCL directly? Has anyone else had issues with their TA like this? I am so upset and I thought that using a TA would make me not have to worry about the details of this cruise but all I do is worry they have somehow ruined it for us. I am definitely not paying them for piece of mind. Anyone have any advice? Can anyone ease my mind that moving from a BA to a B4 is better? Thanks!

[cruizinwithkids]

I don't think you can change it at this point. The travel agency you booked with, owns the reservation.

 

I just checked the NCL site and while I do believe B4 is supposed to be a higher category than BA, the price of the B4 is actually less than the BA. Could you try going onto the NCL site and getting all the information, then call the TA and ask to speak to a manager or owner. Then push firmly but politely and ask how a room for $1099 per person is supposed to be an upgrade from a room that is $1249.

 

The large balcony and aft-facing balconies are the only ones that I can see that are "better" rooms.

 

I don't really have much hope, but perhaps with the facts and numbers in hand, and remembering you can get catch flies with honey than vinegar (or whatever that stupid expression is) you can do something.

 

If none of that works, take a deep breath and enjoy your cruise.

 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

[Sizzlechest]

I would suggest asking for a supervisor at the TA you booked with. If they can't get you to get the room you wanted, they should compensate you with some OBC for your trouble.

 

There are all different TAs and PCCs. Some of great, some are horrible and everything in between. I was blessed with a great one and ask for her by name every time I do a cruise. She just got me an upgrade from an inside cabin to a balcony 15 days prior to sailing for a rock bottom price. Most PCCs and TAs would tell you that you're out of luck. I wish I could tell you her name and who she works for but that's against the rules of this forum. I refuse to use anyone else.

[don't-use-real-name]

Curious - What time frame are you working within ?

Less than -90- days (and Final Payment) not much of a chance for having an improvement.

More than -90- days and Final Payment not paid yet - read your cruise contract

and see if you can FIRE your TA and deal directly with NCL without losing a

whole bunch of money but caution about keeping any promo bennies and a

desirable cabin.

 

In any case you should certainly let your TA know of your unpleasant experience

dealing with their organization candidly or straight forward - have a chat

with the Owner (Manager/Supervisor). They definitely need to know that

they are not doing business to the customers satisfaction. Maybe it is their

agent or possibly you that are not communicating on the same page.

Give them the opportunity to make it right or admit the chemistry was not

working with this transaction - the cruise industry should thank you for taking

the time to make every cruise a pleasant one - even more since this is an

"ANNIVERSARY" !

 

AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY !!!!!

 

Push for a favorable resolution - the previous post by Sizzlechest !

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Curious - What time frame are you working within ?

Less than -90- days (and Final Payment) not much of a chance for having an improvement.

More than -90- days and Final Payment not paid yet - read your cruise contract

and see if you can FIRE your TA and deal directly with NCL without losing a

whole bunch of money but caution about keeping any promo bennies and a

desirable cabin.

 

In any case you should certainly let your TA know of your unpleasant experience

dealing with their organization candidly or straight forward - have a chat

with the Owner (Manager/Supervisor). They definitely need to know that

they are not doing business to the customers satisfaction. Maybe it is their

agent or possibly you that are not communicating on the same page.

Give them the opportunity to make it right or admit the chemistry was not

working with this transaction - the cruise industry should thank you for taking

the time to make every cruise a pleasant one - even more since this is an

"ANNIVERSARY" !

 

AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY !!!!!

 

Push for a favorable resolution - the previous post by Sizzlechest !

 

The OP is cruising July 23rd, 2016

 

Bill

[bonvoyagie]

OUCH - we have now cruised NCL on two anniversaries - our 25th and 35th hopefully the ship will make up for your TA. I have a good TA who went out of his way to make them special for us.

 

It is probably too late to make any changes - or even get the TA out of the picture so while it is a bitter pill to swallow, at this point just kick back and enjoy the cruise - and either find a new TA or go through the cruise line directly on your next cruise.

 

Happy Anniversary.

[SCMom]

Thank you everyone for the advice. We are now less than 30 days out and final payment made. I thought when I started using them that it was a storefront TA but after we were in deep I found out it was just a husband and wife running it out of their home. Not saying that there aren't great ones that are done this way but I have no real recourse by asking for a manager when it's a husband and wife team. I guess I have learned my lesson on this one. I have been nothing but nice to them for fear that they would make things even worse if I said anything negative. He even told me on our last call to make sure if I did Cruise Next to make sure they make them the TA on it so that they will get the credit. I'm not thinking so. I think that I will do it all myself next time. I wish we could post who we use on here so that we could know of some really great TA's and also the one's to stay away from.

 

I really love visiting these boards and learning all I can about the cruises. Everyone has great hints and tricks and advice. I just watched I believe it was JW's post about his cruise on the Escape and loved the idea of taking bins to put on the shelves to hold your stuff!! What an awesome idea!

 

I am going to have to just trust that no matter what we will have an awesome vacation because we are so fortunate to be cruising on the Escape!! I really am excited about that. We will be with family and that is most important.

 

Thanks again for all the Anniversary wishes. I can't believe it's been 30 years!

[StolidCruiser]

You have unfortunately been burned by the “recommended travel agent”. The fact the TA made an “executive decision” and moved you to a cabin you did not approve is reason alone to give them the boot. Call Guest relations at 866-789-1795, explain the reason for wanting to “fire” the TA and they will work with you (depending on when the TA cabin move was made). It also doesn’t help that his explanation of the difference between a BA and a B4 was horse pucky. There’s little difference except for location and the prevalence of cabins connecting.

 

While disappointing, the fact the TA didn’t note your special anniversary in the booking isn’t that bad (but it does exemplify their lack of customer attention). Such is little more than a notation; you really will not get anything substantial because of it. Sure it’s super special to you but not so much to your TA or NCL.

 

More fundamental is your expectation that because recent prices and promos are better than when you had originally booked you can somehow gain from this situation. As you are beyond final payment, you are not entitled to be given any current offers, promos, price reductions or freebies to better your current booking. Many have reported being able to get something (which is always better than nothing), the cruiseline is under no obligation to do anything. A good TA has a better chance of working something out but neither he nor NCL told you anything that wasn’t true. NCL told you to contact your TA to maybe work something out. That’s true because your agreement is with the TA (not NCL). Your TA told you they say that to get you off the phone. That’s true because your agreement is with the TA (not NCL).

 

I mention this because, if I interpret correctly, your frustrations are mixed. You have a dingleberry TA that hasn’t really worked out to your satisfaction. That’s a valid gripe. You expected something because current prices and promos have improved since your original booking and thought you could “price match” to what is currently offered. Because you are after final payment, technically you can’t so that’s not a valid gripe.

 

In the worst case scenario, you’ll end up in a B4 shackled to TA you will never, ever use again. In the best case scenario, you’ll be able to give the TA the heave-ho and get back into a BA. Either way, you’ll end up with substantially the same thing.

 

It’s easy for an outsider to say: have a wonderful cruise and a happy anniversary. Don’t let this TA debacle ruin your experience.

[Sizzlechest]

I thought when I started using them that it was a storefront TA but after we were in deep I found out it was just a husband and wife running it out of their home. Not saying that there aren't great ones that are done this way but I have no real recourse by asking for a manager when it's a husband and wife team. I guess I have learned my lesson on this one. I have been nothing but nice to them for fear that they would make things even worse if I said anything negative. He even told me on our last call to make sure if I did Cruise Next to make sure they make them the TA on it so that they will get the credit. I'm not thinking so. I think that I will do it all myself next time. I wish we could post who we use on here so that we could know of some really great TA's and also the one's to stay away from.

 

Do yourself a favor and don't even THINK about using them again. The only reason to even use a TA is if they offer better prices or perks than through the cruise line directly. For example, a lot of the wholesale clubs have relationships with travel agents that offer discounted cruise prices, additional OBC and loyalty credit at the warehouse if you use them more than once. The downside to some TAs is cancellation fees above and beyond what NCL will impose and frivolous charges like a "documentation fee." The latter can be waived if you ask. If they won't find another TA at that agency. Smaller isn't always better.

[islesdave]

This TA is unprofessional and doesn't look properly out for their clients. I know a couple of home based TA's - they should have placed NCL on hold and contacted you about the cabin "upgrade" before deciding to go ahead and make the change. If you find a good TA, yes they sometimes can and do give extras for repeat business, referrals and others. Some also can give you group benefits that booking straight with NCL by yourself doesn't.

[hawkeyetlse]

Great points all around by StolidCruiser. I would just add that if the OP really wants to go back to a BA (but not their original cabin, if someone else has taken it), their TA can probably do that. And they should not be shy about expressing their dissatisfaction to the TA about the "executive decision" that the TA made based on their mistaken information about balcony sizes. We are not allowed to discuss TAs here, but there are plenty of other sites where the OP can share their experience with the TA's name attached. But it's only fair to give the TA a chance to fix the situation first.

 

Another suggestion is to follow the current trend on this forum and start calling the upsell line. People have reported that they can bypass their TA this way. But only do this, OP, if you are interested in paying for an upgrade (for example to a spa balcony, or a mini-suite). Since you said you booked last September, I'm guessing you paid about $1500 per person for your BA. So they may make you an offer to move to a higher category (but it most likely will not include any additional Free at Sea perks).

[LrgPizza]

Does your husband's boss just hate him, or are these people the boss's family? LMAO! What a sucky situation.

[FranknBeans]

Lesson learned.

[bonvoyagie]

My TA had a brick and mortar store and then as more and more of his business was over the phone and internet - he closed it and he and his wife ran the agency from their house ever since. My only point is that you should not judge the TA by the size of their storefront but by the service they provide.

 

We learned a lot about cruising from them and they really helped us avoid some of the traps new cruisers get into - they also got us a suite upgrade on our first cruise :D They have never done anything without talking to us first - that said, we have provided him with our preferences for upgrades :)

 

They are also avid cruisers and that is probably what makes them so special. I will miss him when he retires :D

[fshagan]

He even told me on our last call to make sure if I did Cruise Next to make sure they make them the TA on it so that they will get the credit. I'm not thinking so.

 

WARNING: If you buy a cruise next certificate on board they will be your TA again unless you specifically request that the booking be made with NCL direct!

 

More than one story has been told here about seeing, after the fact, that NCL has "assigned" the booking to the original (horrible) TA. I suspect you don't want to be associated with them ever again!

[txagfan]

WARNING: If you buy a cruise next certificate on board they will be your TA again unless you specifically request that the booking be made with NCL direct!

 

 

 

More than one story has been told here about seeing, after the fact, that NCL has "assigned" the booking to the original (horrible) TA. I suspect you don't want to be associated with them ever again!

 

 

 

I have a very hard time believing this. Find me some of these posts that purchasing a cruise next certificate obligates you to your previous TA.

[triptolemus]

WARNING: If you buy a cruise next certificate on board they will be your TA again unless you specifically request that the booking be made with NCL direct!

 

More than one story has been told here about seeing, after the fact, that NCL has "assigned" the booking to the original (horrible) TA. I suspect you don't want to be associated with them ever again!

 

A CruiseNext certificate does not represent a "booking" therefore there is no booking to be assigned to anyone.

 

NCL does give credit and notify the TA of the purchase and does communicate this to the pax to foster positive relationships with travel partners. But in no way does NCL assign or otherwise obligate your CruiseNext deposit. Purchasers of CNDs are able to log in to their own MyNCL account and see their CNDs and use them directly through NCL's booking engine regardless of the origination of the voyage the CND was purchased on.

Edited June 30, 2016 by triptolemus

[Demonyte]

WARNING: If you buy a cruise next certificate on board they will be your TA again unless you specifically request that the booking be made with NCL direct!

 

 

Nope, only if you book the cruise onboard. Just getting certificates does not mean that the certificate would be tied to your TA.

[BigWino]

NCL will give you a little card to present to the waitstaff the night you want to celebrate your anniversary. They will do something for you at the end of the meal to make it special, I do encourage you to follow up and do it.

[Sizzlechest]

A CruiseNext certificate does not represent a "booking" therefore there is no booking to be assigned to anyone.

 

NCL does give credit and notify the TA of the purchase and does communicate this to the pax to foster positive relationships with travel partners. But in no way does NCL assign or otherwise obligate your CruiseNext deposit. Purchasers of CNDs are able to log in to their own MyNCL account and see their CNDs and use them directly through NCL's booking engine regardless of the origination of the voyage the CND was purchased on.

 

I'm not doubting what you say, but I received a "Onboard Booking Certificate" in an email with my travel agent's info to get "the best deal on another cruise" with NCL. They don't mention CruiseNext, but that's what they're referring to. Apparently, the TAs are looking to be referenced when you do a CruiseNext booking on board.

[SCMom]

Does your husband's boss just hate him, or are these people the boss's family? LMAO! What a sucky situation.

 

Thanks for the laugh!! I needed that! I won't say anything to the boss. We will just quietly not use the TA again.

 

At first I thought they were great too! Talked forever. Said they would take good care of us. $25 per room OBC. Sounded great until I started asking more in depth questions. When I asked about what to do on Tortola, should we do the Baths or not, or where to go the answer was: "Oh we just love the beach. Grab a chair somewhere and sit by the ocean. It's all great in the Caribbean."

 

I'm slowly letting it go and just looking forward to enjoying our vacation.

[fshagan]

I have a very hard time believing this. Find me some of these posts that purchasing a cruise next certificate obligates you to your previous TA.

 

Oops, you're right and I am wrong. It's if you actually book a cruise while on board that you are assigned the same TA.

[Arzeena]

I am really upset with our TA. We used this agency based on a recommendation of my husband's boss. Big Mistake. I am so upset because this cruise is such a big deal for us. We are traveling on the Escape for our 30th Anniversary and are taking our two twenty-something boys and one son's GF. That being said they never told NCL that we were celebrating our Anniversary. Despite repeatedly telling them that's what this cruise was all about. When I called NCL directly to ask something about the cruise and mentioned it they said "Oh, let me add that to your reservation."

A couple of weeks ago I called NCL about an upgrade since we had been booked since last Sept. and prices have dropped and also there was only one "Free at Sea" promo offered at the time of booking. They are now offering two. NCL told me if I contacted my TA before 30 days prior to the cruise they could probably do something for us. I contacted my TA right away and he told me that they will just tell you that to get you off the phone. That they are like the airlines now and what you book at you are stuck with. He did say he had a contact at NCL that he contacted and was on the phone with for 20 minutes and moved us from a mid-ship balcony on 15 (BA) to a family suite on 9 (B4). He told me that it was a much better room and when I asked "how?" he said it has a larger balcony. Well I looked it up and it doesn't. He told me he hoped this was okay because "he made an executive decision" and went ahead and changed the room and the old one was gone by the time he was calling me back to tell me what he had found out. Does anyone know if there is any way I can get rid of this TA and just go through NCL directly? Has anyone else had issues with their TA like this? I am so upset and I thought that using a TA would make me not have to worry about the details of this cruise but all I do is worry they have somehow ruined it for us. I am definitely not paying them for piece of mind. Anyone have any advice? Can anyone ease my mind that moving from a BA to a B4 is better? Thanks!

 

You were moved from a MID SHIP BALCONY to a FAMILY SUITE ??

Edited July 1, 2016 by Arzeena

[hawkeyetlse]

You were moved from a MID SHIP BALCONY to a FAMILY SUITE ??

No, they meant a family balcony (they also specified category B4). There's nothing called a "family suite" on the Escape.

[Linda the Book Lover]

I am so sorry about your reservation. Meanwhile, have you tried calling the upsell number and seeing what they may to offer?While you are on the phone check if your anniversary is noted on your reservation. Happy Anniversary!