Book 1st Then Transfer?

[EmmasNana]

I have heard that many people will book a cruise direct with the cruise line and then transfer later to the TA that gives them the best deal/perks. I think you must do the transfer within 60 days?

 

So, what do you think of this plan? Have you done this?

[ColoradoGurl]

I think it depends on how good the travel agent's perks are. Some people look at using travel agents as giving up control of their booking, others look at it as not having to do any more work with their booking because someone else is keeping an eye on it for you.

 

Personally I have yet to see a travel agent deal worth giving up control of my booking for. I've seen $50-$100 of on board credit, a free bottle of wine and a free meal for 2 at a specialty restaurant; none of those are worth not being able to call Royal myself and make changes if need be, and not worth signing up for the penalties that also come with using some travel agents (like cancellation fees, or commission fees). If I found an agent giving away $300+ maybe I'd switch, but for a free meal? No thanks.

 

 

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[Biker19]

This is when you book on board. It's mainly done to get the additional OBC for booking on board. Otherwise, you can just book directly with the TA.

[Desert Cruizers]

Each of us books our cruise either with a TA or direct and it comes down to where one feels they have made the best arrangements for themselves. It is true, if through a TA your limited in that no changes can be done except through a TA, so one runs the risk of say with a Room change, and having to call and getting a hold of a TA and possibly losing out on the room because you didn't have an immediate response if over a weekend . We are low maintenance in that husband drinks only beer and I don't drink at all, we don't utilize the specialty restaurants so do very well with what we planned to spend for the cruise.

 

Speaking for myself, I use our local TA because should a problem arise with our booking, a TA in many cases can get the issue resolved faster then we could. An example was we were suddenly moved out of a Mid ship cabin to forward, our TA had us back in our room in 5 minutes. You should ask a TA if they have fees, provide an invoice & how will your payment for your cruise be paid, ( a call direct to the cruise line or through the TA to Cruise lines )

[John&LaLa]

I think it depends on how good the travel agent's perks are. Some people look at using travel agents as giving up control of their booking, others look at it as not having to do any more work with their booking because someone else is keeping an eye on it for you.

 

Personally I have yet to see a travel agent deal worth giving up control of my booking for. I've seen $50-$100 of on board credit, a free bottle of wine and a free meal for 2 at a specialty restaurant; none of those are worth not being able to call Royal myself and make changes if need be, and not worth signing up for the penalties that also come with using some travel agents (like cancellation fees, or commission fees). If I found an agent giving away $300+ maybe I'd switch, but for a free meal? No thanks.

 

 

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I really don't want to control my booking, easy to call TA and tell her what I want. She often mentions being on hold for extended periods of time. I don't need that. ;) We've been with this agency for 12 years, this is our 4th agent. I think we've had her for the last 7 years or so.

 

As far as perks, we typically get free tips. Some OBC, it's always a surprise, once a spa certificate from their marketing department, If the cabin is costly enough we often get an additional discount, and I even got a price reduction that I didn't ask for.

 

An extreme example is on our Serenade RS this coming April

Tips - $330

Agency discount - $250

Price drop - $492 (wasn't expecting one since therre is no way to compare when other cabins go down in price)

OBC - not sure yet, but we did get $300 for booking onboard

[Little Buddy's Mom]

My TA gives me 10% back, either as shipboard credit or she'll send a check when we return. I usually book direct with cruiseline and then transfer within 60 days. I don't mind giving up control of my booking, for that kind of money. Any unused credit is refundable and goes on our credit card.

 

$5,000 cruise fare (minus taxes, fees) will get us almost $500.

[EmmasNana]

Since I sail next in 12 days I will book a couple dummy cruises and then figure out what I want to do when I get back.

 

Thanks for all the input.

[kalliekae]

I think it depends on how good the travel agent's perks are. Some people look at using travel agents as giving up control of their booking, others look at it as not having to do any more work with their booking because someone else is keeping an eye on it for you.

 

Personally I have yet to see a travel agent deal worth giving up control of my booking for. I've seen $50-$100 of on board credit, a free bottle of wine and a free meal for 2 at a specialty restaurant; none of those are worth not being able to call Royal myself and make changes if need be, and not worth signing up for the penalties that also come with using some travel agents (like cancellation fees, or commission fees). If I found an agent giving away $300+ maybe I'd switch, but for a free meal? No thanks.

 

 

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Totally agree. Our first cruise was booked through a travel agent and it was not a good experience. I much prefer to have control over my own booking, and for the last 22 years, that's exactly what we have done.

[Rewind]

I've used a couple of different TAs as each one offers different deals depending when we book. One of them I found is impossible to deal with if I want to change cabins or even switch classes - only one person at the agency handles "online" bookings and nobody else can touch it.

 

The other agency I use is open 7 days a week for about 12 hours each day and has a full call center so I haven't had to wait more than a couple minutes to speak to a real person. I've changed cabins multiple times with them and it has never been an issue.

 

For my next cruise booked with the second agency, I have $190 stateroom credit and $50 dining credit. I have never booked onboard before but to me this is the best way to book as I get better deals than if I booked direct.

[nelblu]

I have heard that many people will book a cruise direct with the cruise line and then transfer later to the TA that gives them the best deal/perks. I think you must do the transfer within 60 days?

 

So, what do you think of this plan? Have you done this?

 

I got a booking via RCL and called my TA to see what I can get in percs. Currently, my TA is running a great promo in conjunction with RCL's WOW promo, however, it is only for new bookings and my TA doesn't consider my booking new. In the future I will not book on board as it limits the level of percs that I can get.

[rtazz17]

I think it depends on how good the travel agent's perks are. Some people look at using travel agents as giving up control of their booking, others look at it as not having to do any more work with their booking because someone else is keeping an eye on it for you.

 

Personally I have yet to see a travel agent deal worth giving up control of my booking for. I've seen $50-$100 of on board credit, a free bottle of wine and a free meal for 2 at a specialty restaurant; none of those are worth not being able to call Royal myself and make changes if need be, and not worth signing up for the penalties that also come with using some travel agents (like cancellation fees, or commission fees). If I found an agent giving away $300+ maybe I'd switch, but for a free meal? No thanks.

 

 

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Scratching my head? Why would you want to be the one having to call and make changes.... I send my travel agent a quick email and she takes care of anything I need... Also no cancellation fees at all....No fees at all... It makes no sense to not have a travel agent for the perks unless you are a control freak..You get perks for doing nothing... You are not "giving up control". You are having someone else do the leg work and phonecalls for you for free...

[rtazz17]

Totally agree. Our first cruise was booked through a travel agent and it was not a good experience. I much prefer to have control over my own booking, and for the last 22 years, that's exactly what we have done.

 

You have lost thousands of dollars over the yrs over one bad experience.. Doesnt make any sense..What is this control you are losing?

[dplusd]

I always book direct with the cruise line and transfer to my TA right after. Sometimes we book last minute cruises within final payment window and in those cases we can't transfer. Losing the ability to contact RCCL directly about my booking has not been a problem for me. I love the OBC perk and sometimes I can get a lower group rate too!

[little britain]

It's only a 48 hr window to swap to a TA in England. [emoji848]

 

 

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[matj2000]

Scratching my head? Why would you want to be the one having to call and make changes.... I send my travel agent a quick email and she takes care of anything I need... Also no cancellation fees at all....No fees at all... It makes no sense to not have a travel agent for the perks unless you are a control freak..You get perks for doing nothing... You are not "giving up control". You are having someone else do the leg work and phonecalls for you for free...

 

Totally agree.

 

I don't know what people think they are giving up.

 

I would rather have someone else sit on the phone with the cruise line.

 

The pre-paid gratuities are the best perk ever.

 

Why would anyone not want that?

 

Unless they are such a "control freak" they wake up at 3AM and decide they need to have their cabin changed "right now".......

[ColoradoGurl]

Totally agree.

 

 

 

I don't know what people think they are giving up.

 

 

 

I would rather have someone else sit on the phone with the cruise line.

 

 

 

The pre-paid gratuities are the best perk ever.

 

 

 

Why would anyone not want that?

 

 

 

Unless they are such a "control freak" they wake up at 3AM and decide they need to have their cabin changed "right now".......

 

 

It's not about being a control freak, you still have to make a phone call to the travel agent to ask them to call the cruise line. I got 2 price drops on my last cruise that my friends on the last cruise couldn't get because every time they called the travel agent, it took too long for the message to get through, or it was a weekend etc, and the price would go up by the time the travel agent got through.

 

 

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[preschool teacher]

We do use a TA to book...as for the perks, we always get an inside cabin and the perks are very minimal....we get 100.00 OBC, but hey I'll take it!

To get a lot of perks you must book a balcony or higher....happy cruising!

[magiccruiser1]

I did this. I booked the cruise I wanted on the Anthem, in an interior studio room, direct through Royal.

 

I then continued to search until I was told to try a certain agent. I was able to upgrade to a full balcony. Not only did I upgrade, I got $100 obc and free gratuities. Considering the obc and gratuities, I come out paying $55 less for the balcony, versus the 100 square foot interior studio room.

[matj2000]

It's not about being a control freak, you still have to make a phone call to the travel agent to ask them to call the cruise line. I got 2 price drops on my last cruise that my friends on the last cruise couldn't get because every time they called the travel agent, it took too long for the message to get through, or it was a weekend etc, and the price would go up by the time the travel agent got through.

Forums

 

Not sure who your friend is using, but most online cruise TA have longer/better hours than the cruise line themselves.

 

[ColoradoGurl]

 

Not sure who your friend is using, but most online cruise TA have longer/better hours than the cruise line themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure either, but it was someone local and not an online or national place, so maybe that was why.

 

I've looked at the online places, including Costco which I love, and the perks just aren't very good. I've stopped paying for balconies because I never use them, and I know that is usually the lowest level room that gets perks so that might be the reason, but even so, a bottle of wine, a free meal...still not worth having to deal with the hassle of calling and asking someone else to take care of changes for me, then waiting for them to call me back to let me know if they did it or not etc. Maybe I'm just impatient, but it feels like more of a hassle to deal with a middle man for perks that don't have much value. To each his own.

 

I wouldn't discount using a third party if the price was equitable or cheaper and they offered a perk for an inside or promenade room that had more value to me. I'm ok with free restaurants and I can bring my own wine (which I didn't finish last time because I'm not a big drinker). But a few hundred bucks in on board credit would suffice. That doesn't seem to be offered to people in lower categories though.

 

 

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[Biker19]

Not sure who your friend is using, but most online cruise TA have longer/better hours than the cruise line themselves.

 

Hmmm....didn't know you can have better hours than 24/7.

[whitshel]

You definitely need to shop around for the best perks too. I use a website that competes for my business, I put in what ship, date and cabin type then watch the quotes(perks) come back from many different t/a's.

 

You just have to be aware of what each specific t/a cancellation/change policies are.

[Joyful Joyful]

I think it comes down to which travel agency you use, and how efficient they are. We always book through our travel agent, and it is very easy, never have to wait on the phone etc. all it takes is an email to her. We have put her through her paces for our next cruise (changing room categories while getting a better bottom line, dining times, etc.), and she didn't bat an eye! I am not a fan of sitting on the phone for long periods of time, and am happy that she is willing to do so, AND she knows the "ropes" far better than I do, and can "speak their language" and ask the right questions.

 

It's a personal choice...

[NightOne]

It's a personal choice...

 

 

I agree.

 

I'm not sure what world all these people live in where they never have to make a phone call and be on hold for a few minutes. (Or that it is the biggest horror of their life) :)

 

I think the longest hold I have ever had with Royal is like 14 minutes. Put it on speaker phone and login and read some Cruise Critic threads. No big deal.

 

As far as giving up control, you absolutely do. If you book with a TA and have an issue that you call Royal about they will tell you to call your TA. If you cannot get ahold of your TA, too bad. Bottom line is that you are putting a middleman between you and your booking when you use a TA.

 

With that said, it is a personal choice. Choosing not to use a TA doesn't make less sense just because some people think that. :)

 

 

 

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[dorinel]

You definitely need to shop around for the best perks too. I use a website that competes for my business, I put in what ship, date and cabin type then watch the quotes(perks) come back from many different t/a's.

 

You just have to be aware of what each specific t/a cancellation/change policies are.

 

I plan on booking a cruise while onboard the Anthem and move it to my cruise agent that I have used for years. I have always received great perks (wine, specialty dinner, gratuities and OBC), plus a loyalty OBC.

 

What site are you using? I found what you stated, very interesting. Thanks,