Working with a Travel Agent

[Duffysmom]

I'm not sure how to work with a TA. I usually find a cruise, pick a cabin and put on hold or make the down payment directly with Princess. Will a TA be able to discount the price after I made the reservation? I would like to have the comfort of having a TA looking out for my reservation and alerting me to Flash sales, etc. but I like to control the process.:D Advice would be appreciated.

[getaway101]

I always find the cruise and cabin I want (via Princess.com) along with the price Princess is charging, then I call my TA and see what she can do for me. Always get a much better deal through TA. Then I tell her which cabin I want.

[RocketMan275]

I'm not sure how to work with a TA. I usually find a cruise, pick a cabin and put on hold or make the down payment directly with Princess. Will a TA be able to discount the price after I made the reservation? I would like to have the comfort of having a TA looking out for my reservation and alerting me to Flash sales, etc. but I like to control the process.:D Advice would be appreciated.

 

I booked a cruise on-board last march. I contacted both travel agents I used and got their discounted quote, then I choose to transfer it to the best one.

 

Just to be sure, I asked my travel agent just this last week a similar question: would she be able to discount the price after I made the reservation with a PCC and she said "no problem".

 

BTW, I wouldn't count on a TA to watch for price reductions for you. You'll probably have to do that yourself.

[Coral]

"Most" flash sales occur after final payment and are often restricted to "new bookings only".

 

Not all agents discount. Also, some agents charge change fees and cancellation fees - I would stay clear of those.

[long cruiser]

Princess does't discound anything.They are in business to male money!

long cruiser

[moki'smommy]

Any agent who charges a cancelation fee is to be avoided--run, run away fast!

 

I would price what you want on Princess and then talk to the agent about what they can do on the same cruise/category. Any "deal" or perk that Princess is offering, a decent agent can get for you. Many agents can get you a discount by getting you into a group booking or using some of their points or commission as a deal for you. And do shop around for agents. The more Princess business they book, the higher their commission. And the higher their commission percentage, the more they can do for you.

[joybook]

I think a lot of you people in the US and other places seem to be a lot luckier than us in Australia when dealing with travel agents. I have yet to find a travel agent than will give me anything. Also their prices are no better than what Princess have done. I must say I usually find Princess pretty good to deal with direct.:)

[neverbeenhere]

A Cruise Critic Article for you.

 

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1615

 

 

 

 

Also, on your next cruise; Ask other passengers.

Edited July 10, 2016 by neverbeenhere

[neverbeenhere]

Also: Stockholder credit

future cruise deposit certificates

Referral credits

Princess credit card

[jefa]

I think a lot of you people in the US and other places seem to be a lot luckier than us in Australia when dealing with travel agents. I have yet to find a travel agent than will give me anything. Also their prices are no better than what Princess have done. I must say I usually find Princess pretty good to deal with direct.:)

 

I have to use a travel agent here in spain and they honestly never give anything away. Even if I go on the Princess website I am unable even to look at cabins and various prices, I just get a message saying Find an agent. My next cruise I have booked through the UK, and have actually been given a couple of days in a hotel included, plus some tours on the day I arrive, as I have booked a package. The price was fine by me, but I hate to think how much I could have saved if we were allowed to take advantage of all the sales in US.

[bigenna]

I've not found many discounts over 10% either. Usually get $50 OBC or so too. I think what you're seeing is this. Some agents don't discount. Instead they will give OBC of around 8-10% of the cruise fare on the website. Sometimes folks talk like you can get both but it's usually an either/or.

 

Or, it can come from combining promos. I've got a CB cruise coming up. My TA gave me a 10% discount and $50 OBC. The cruise line promo was $300 OBC. Add in military and stockholder and I've got a 10% discount and $550

 

I agree, I have thought the same thing either/or.

I know, they always come back with DH's military OBC, any cruise line promo, and theirs, making it sound like their offer. For quite some time now I have asked for the breakdown, ie - what is actually coming from you?

[caribill]

I agree, I have thought the same thing either/or.

I know, they always come back with DH's military OBC, any cruise line promo, and theirs, making it sound like their offer. For quite some time now I have asked for the breakdown, ie - what is actually coming from you?

 

That is common.

 

You will see many ads saying (at this time) we will give you a free beverage package if you book a balcony or above.

 

Obviously it is Princess that is providing that.

[pompeii]

I think a lot of you people in the US and other places seem to be a lot luckier than us in Australia when dealing with travel agents. I have yet to find a travel agent than will give me anything. Also their prices are no better than what Princess have done. I must say I usually find Princess pretty good to deal with direct.:)

 

I agree, I have thought the same thing either/or.

I know, they always come back with DH's military OBC, any cruise line promo, and theirs, making it sound like their offer. For quite some time now I have asked for the breakdown, ie - what is actually coming from you?

 

This has been my experience as well. I've contacted several travel agents, even ones recommended by fellow cruisers, and never was offered anything more than I already had by booking on my own. The only one time I went with a TA was a big online agency who was offering 10% of the cruise fare back in OBC. But even that didn't turn out to be 10% of what I considered the fare; they deducted hundreds for taxes and fees (I don't mean the port charges) before they figured the 10%.

 

I'd love to find one of those TAs people say give them discounts and extras and are really responsive. But even those recommended by fellow CCers haven't offer anything special.

[cruzsnooze]

Nobody cares about my booking more then I do. I don't need a middle man mucking up the waters. If there's a price drop the TA looses commission, so not all will watch prices for your benefit. An up sell that goes through your TA will likely get to you after those who booked directly so you could loose out on that. Only you know if the perk a TA offers you is worth giving up control.

[RocketMan275]

Nobody cares about my booking more then I do. I don't need a middle man mucking up the waters. If there's a price drop the TA looses commission, so not all will watch prices for your benefit. An up sell that goes through your TA will likely get to you after those who booked directly so you could loose out on that. Only you know if the perk a TA offers you is worth giving up control.

 

When was the last time Princess called to notify you of a price drop?

 

Upsells are a 'maybe' thing. There 'maybe' an upsell. The upsell 'maybe' offered to you by the cruise line. Discounts are a certainty, there is no 'maybe', you'll get one if you use the right TA.

[Tedferg]

Princess does't discound anything.They are in business to male money!

long cruiser

 

I don't think that is quite true - prices do go down from time to time and perks are added. I agree it is best for passenger to keep an eye on Princess offerings and not to expect TA to do this.

Edited July 11, 2016 by Tedferg

[Tedferg]

Also: Stockholder credit

future cruise deposit certificates

Referral credits

Princess credit card

 

Also Veteran OBC and Past Passenger discount.

[Eagle_and_hawk]

We always book directly with Princess online to start out with, then send the reservation to an agent we have been using the past couple of years to get their price.

 

On the last 7-8 we have booked, we always end up with 9-10% off the Princess price, either through a straight price reduction or a combination of some percentage off the fares & some OBC, which still net's out to 9-10%. Not sure why they go one way some times, and a different way another time.

 

We have to watch for price drops ourselves and then decide about changing. If it changes enough and we have not made final payment, we may cancel & rebook since the agent has no cancellation fees.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Nobody cares about my booking more then I do. I don't need a middle man mucking up the waters. If there's a price drop the TA looses commission, so not all will watch prices for your benefit. An up sell that goes through your TA will likely get to you after those who booked directly so you could loose out on that. Only you know if the perk a TA offers you is worth giving up control.

 

Again, this isn't true. On both of my last sailings, I did get 2 upsells through my TA. I have a very good TA who notified me right away of the offers, who got me the upsells, on top of a generous discount.

[Coral]

I am not a Travel Agent but have some friends who are. Here is my take on things from my limited knowledge, right or wrong. Agents feel free to correct me.

 

A TA who does a lot of business with Princess is going to get 15% commission off of the cruise fare. They don't get commission off taxes, port fees, etc.... Most agents have to pay their parent company something - sometimes 3-4% give or take depending on many variables. It can be much higher if a brick and mortar, etc..So that gives agents 10-12% to work off of. Now, if they want any commission whatsoever, they will take a few percentage points for themselves. So anytime you get 9-10% off of fare, you are doing really well. That means the agent is only making a few percentage points. Remember - they have to make a living also!

 

So if the commission is 15%, how do some say they get 20% off discounts. There are only a few possible ways and some probably don't happen every day. One would be an example of group space and the cruise going up quite a bit in price. For example, they grab Cabin A at $2000 pp when it opens and all of a sudden the cruise is very popular and the cabin is now selling quite a bit more. Because the agent has group space, they can sell it at their contracted price.

 

A second possibility and I don't know if this still happens is that there are some sailings that Princess gives group space away initially at a much cheaper price then they are going to release it normally to people. For example - spring transatlantic used to be give aways. They used to give really good pricing below regular price.

 

These ways below are probably more common but not 15-20%:

 

A third possibility would be flash prices. Princess allows agents to have flash pricing that they don't show on their website. These are last minute pricing but they are often significantly cheaper than through Princess direct. This is not the same flash pricing that goes out to people from Princess in emails. This is restricted to Travel Agents.

 

A fourth possibility is someone qualifies for significant discounts based on their CC# (resident rate, elite rate, having sailed awhile with Princess rate, etc..). So if someone is comparing a price on Princess's website or any travel agents website with out logging in and then they qualify for a great rate by the TA putting their phone number in or Captain Circle # in, they may think they are getting a great deal.

 

---

 

So realistically - 20% is not realistic. Even 15% is not very realistic either when basic commission is 15%. Somewhat possible given a few odd scenarios but not going to happen on most sailings.

 

I think 7-9% off cruise fare (not taxes) is a great discount.

 

I value the knowledge of travel agents. I have benefited from calling my agent to say "I am thinking of A" and they would add "Would you be interested in B - it is much cheaper, just a week off". Or I will call and say "get me out of the country for next month cheap" which opens the door to hear of specials they have seen that they think I may benefit from. If something goes wrong on a trip - I want my TA there. They are going to find out about cancellations often before we do, and mine has automatically secured me on another cruise before others have the opportunity to do so. So I value Travel Agents. I understand those who have been bitten by them - I had one of those bad agents also.

Edited July 12, 2016 by Coral

[Mytravellove]

I would love to know the name of a good travel agent who would pass on the savings to me or make suggest cruises based on MY goals. I only started cruising in 2011, so I am relatively a newbie. I've taken one cruise a year with my husband and the rest I've gone solo. Over the 5 years, I've dealt with 3 different travel agents. One I deal with because they handle the 'rewards program' that my credit card has in place. I get a 5% refund to my credit card the month I have completed my trip. This would be if I booked a package, airline, car rental or cruise....so it is not given by my TA.

The second one I have dealt with was in desperation when we had snow storm after snow storm and I just had to get away. I saw her name and offering via Facebook. Her webpage promised she would keep an eye on falling prices, offer group rates, and make the best suggestions after talking with me and have OBC for anywhere between $25 to $75. Well, she did none of what her webpage said she would do. She offered the same price I could get on the Princess site, was trying to book me on a cruise that was $300 more, leaving from the same port a day earlier. Had I not checked the Princess site myself, I would have thought she had made the best recommendation. I also had to remind her to deduct my $100 deposit from what she was charging me. She said she didn't have a group rate for me as she had no other bookings for that sailing and I didn't get even $10 in OBC from her. Very disappointing, but I will give her a chance to quote on other cruises, but be wary of her.

My third one is local, I can meet with her face to face if needed. She will not keep an eye on falling prices either, which is understandable considering the number of clients she has....but that is again not what her webpage says. The rate I am paying is the same as on the Princess site. However, I did ask her directly if she offered any OBC and she said she would give me $15 for each of the 2 short cruises I have booked with her for September. Not sure she would have offered it to me if I didn't ask specific questions.

What are your approaches to getting the best or even a better deal?

[dickinson]

Try googling top travel agents of what ever cruise line you are considering. If that doesn't work adjust your phrase a little bit in the google search engine. Also try looking up travel publications and see when they have rated TAs. There are a lot of online agencies that discount too. Also some big box stores.

 

Hope this helps.

[RocketMan275]

What are your approaches to getting the best or even a better deal?

 

I use two different (small) travel agents. I had heard that it was possible to get 10-15% discounts on Princess and Holland cruises. I contacted some folks who are frequent cruises and they provided the names of these two agencies. I also, rarely, use a 'big box' travel service. "Big box" stores don't do discounts but usually provide around 8% OBC. I wish I could be more specific but as you've probably noticed CC prohibits naming specific travel agencies.

 

Now, how do you find a good agent?

-People frequently say there is no such thing as a TA that discounts. They claim they have used the internet to compare prices and they can't find an agent whose advertised internet prices differ from the cruise lines. Well, they are right. You won't find advertised prices that differ from the cruise lines. The cruise lines won't allow TA to advertise discounts. The TA may claim they discount in their advertisements but when you check, it just a claim. Using search terms like 'discount' or 'cheap', etc. will not work either.

-You have to directly contact the agency and, usually, ask for a quote. It's a good sign when their webpage has a "Request a quote" button.

- Often TA will advertise huge discounts, 50% or more. But these 'discounts' are against the 'brochure' prices which have as much meaning as MSRP. You want to compare the TA current price with the price on the cruise line web price.

-Ask those who you know that cruise frequently. You can't use CC to ask, but there are other options. For example, ask those you meet on a cruise. Ask your friends. Google will provide you a list of agencies.

-None of my home town agencies discount. The agencies I use aren't even in the same state.

-Contact these agencies and asks some very specific questions:

* do you discount and how much? (if they answer no, politely thank them and move to the next one on your call list.)

* do you charge cancellation or change fees? (If they say yes, move on.)

- examine your affiliations. Often organizations you're already affiliated with (insurance, credit unions, etc) will offer travel services. (Ask the same questions.)

- be persistent. It can take a lot of time to find the right agent.

- do not use any agent that charges to your credit card. The only charge you see should be from the cruise line. This avoids one possible source of fraudulent charges.

- use google to look for reviews on any agency. But be careful. Some people give bad reviews for trivial matters and some reviews are not justified. There are also some agencies that you should avoid. I encountered one agency that wanted a $2000 fee up front and promised huge savings. They would even finance the up front fee. You should read the reviews.

 

You also need to ask yourself if all this is worth it. Suppose you save 10%. Two people in an inside, seven day cruise, in the Caribbean, you might save $100. If you book suites, you can save several hundred dollars.

 

Really wish I could help more.

[moki'smommy]

Over the many years and cruises, I've worked with about every sort of TA I'm aware of. You are right that service and "deals" vary. My overall opinion is that NO deal is worth bad service. No TA can specialize in every cruise line or every type of vacation. But every TA should be able to deliver excellent service.

 

MY experience only:

Local--while it is nice to "look them in the eye," I haven't found one who really knows anything about specific lines. There is no tracking of better rates, and typically no "deal" at all. It is not much different than booking on your own thru the cruise line except that you do have an advocate in the event of a disaster.

 

On line agency--I had one bad experience with an "agency" that books only on line and I use the term "agency" loosely. They were really a collection of people on blackberries or cell phones (yes, it was years ago) and they totally made a mess of my reservation. They did give a nice OBC.

 

I now use an agency that specializes in another line (gasp). They do a huge amount of on line work but have a bricks and mortar office. Their agents are not on commission; this means that each agent in the office is MY agent. This was recently demonstrated when Princess contacted them about a "move offer" for me--my agent was out, but another agent spent quite a bit of her day getting this together for me AND was able to get us in the same cabin for both legs of our B2B. They have no special pull with Princess although several agents have done Princess training and been on Princess ships. They did convert all their "points" into an OBC for me on our upcoming cruise. They have been able to pull off a few "miracles" for me on the line the specialize in. They do give a nice OBC on that line and have also arranged special excursions and sent a few "gifts." They are also large enough that many of the agents have a specialty area--international air, insurance, etc. When I have needs in these areas, I can talk to those individuals.

 

I would recommend an agency that specializes in the line you are using. First, they have more access to group rates or special deals. Secondly, their commission increases as their volume of sales increases. At the opening level (typically 10%), they make their expenses and agent salaries. As commissions increase, they have more money and "points" to reward you with OBCs or lower rates. I was not aware of these perks when I booked with my usual agency, but I now have the name of a Princess specialist.

 

Things to remember--if ANY agent in a corporation has completed training with a line, the office can place a sign in the window or on line advertising themselves as a "Whomever" specialist. That person does not even have to work at that office. Many travel companies have multiple offices, even nationwide. It only takes one trained individual to allow them to call themselves a specialist. Check out both the agency and "your" agent.

 

Big box/auto club/on line search engine names--you can get a good rebate deal if you routinely shop at their store (typically a gift card after the cruise) but service is typically lacking.

 

Shop carefully when choosing an agency and an agent. If all goes well, you may get minimal service and wonder what they do. But if something goes funky, they can make all the difference in the world!

 

Avoid any agency that charges up front fees, cancelation or change fees, or anything that doesn't pass the "smell" test.

ALL payments should go to the cruise line, not to the agency. By that I mean that you give your credit card number to the agent, but they charge is processed to "Princess Cruise line" not to ABC agency (made up name). Any agency that charges in their own name should be presumed to be crooked!

Edited July 17, 2016 by moki'smommy

[RocketMan275]

What are your approaches to getting the best or even a better deal?

 

Forgot one. The right credit card can save you quite a bit. I'm not talking about those offered by the cruise lines, you can do much better. Typically, the cruise line card will give you 1% on all purchases and 2% on cruise line purchases.

 

I have credit cards from two different big box stores. Both of them give 3% cash back on all travel and restaurants. That's more than the cruise line and it also applies to airline tickets, hotels, and dining. It's cash back so I can use it for anything. Cash can also be combined with all offers and promos. I'm not locked into a specific line but can use it anywhere. Sure, there is a membership fee but I save much, much more.