Booked with TA - can we change to a direct booking

[Csardas]

UK Booking.

 

TA wants balance a whole month in advance of Oceania. Has anyone transferred to a direct booking? Have only booked the cruise itself with TA and done all the rest, flights/transfers ourselves.

[LHT28]

Call Oceania & ask

The TA would have to sign off on the file

[Glenndale]

We booked on board for next November and 'O' passed the booking to our TA who gave us a further discount.

TBH the paltry interest rates available over a month is hardly worth the trouble.

[Pandora1958]

UK Booking.

 

TA wants balance a whole month in advance of Oceania. Has anyone transferred to a direct booking? Have only booked the cruise itself with TA and done all the rest, flights/transfers ourselves.

 

I'm pretty sure you need TA's approval to transfer. It takes commission away from them and any perks that TA might give you is lost. US pays final 90 days on most cruises with O.

[LHT28]

UK Booking.

 

TA wants balance a whole month in advance of Oceania. Has anyone transferred to a direct booking? Have only booked the cruise itself with TA and done all the rest, flights/transfers ourselves.

Didn't you just book this ?

What is the payment schedule in the UK?

 

Is it 90 days prior for the final payment & what date is the TA requesting it?

[alexandra cruiser]

Is this a new TA to you,said you used one before,right? Ask her WHY they want it before 90 day for O,makes NO sense to me.

Find another agent and transfer to them, I did this in US with no probs. Is UK somehow different.

Never heard of such a thing and would NOT pay in advance.Would try calling O and just ask what the procedure would be.

Do let us know.

[JimandStan]

Is this a new TA to you,said you used one before,right? Ask her WHY they want it before 90 day for O,makes NO sense to me.

Find another agent and transfer to them, I did this in US with no probs. Is UK somehow different.

Never heard of such a thing and would NOT pay in advance.Would try calling O and just ask what the procedure would be.

Do let us know.

 

 

The rules are entirely different, outside of the United States.

UK is bad, Australia is the worst.

[zoncom]

I would only go for this if check is made out to Oceania. Sounds like a small, perhaps marginal agency? Its your $$, beware.

[YoHoHo]

If worry of using a small "marginal" (and why would any choose a marginal in the first place) and the advance payment is a concern of fraud or bankruptcy I would not pay by cheque; a UK credit card can help. Also, is your agency a ABTA member? They too can have financial protection.

 

A not huge but certainly not marginal agent we used several times previously, would first send a reminder email about final three weeks in advance and would prefer to get approval at least 10 days ahead. This allowed for missed email, systems down, declined cards, etc. Sound procedure IMHO.

 

Who made the charge on your CC when you made the deposit, was it O or the agency? Did you sign an authorization for the agency to make payment to O on your behalf or that they could collect payment themselves?

 

More simply, OP, what did the TA say when you asked why they wanted it a month in advance vs a time frame you prefer?

[JimandStan]

That is all very sound advice IF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A BOOKING WITHIN NORTH AMERICA.

 

In the United Kingdom, the rules are dramatically different, and Travel Agents over there have an economic stranglehold on their bookings.

 

Given how different their situation is, IMHO, it is counterproductive for us to offer advice.

[YoHoHo]

That is all very sound advice IF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A BOOKING WITHIN NORTH AMERICA.

 

In the United Kingdom, the rules are dramatically different, and Travel Agents over there have an economic stranglehold on their bookings.

 

Given how different their situation is, IMHO, it is counterproductive for us to offer advice.

we are speculating why the OP is concerned. I think the question of what the TA told them would give us insight into how things work in the UK. maybe we can learn a little. Also my comment about the agency being a ABTA member is protection from a British association ( again speculating as to why the OP is concerned)

[ORV]

I'm pretty sure the final payment date changes with the length of cruise. At least in the US.

 

Of course as mentioned it could be something UK related.

[Csardas]

Hi all,

Thanks for the input.

TA is ABTA, but we will pay by credit card for more protection.

Cruise date is the 5th of July and the TA wants the balance on the 9th of March. Oceania's booking confirmation states balance to be paid on 6th of April. The TA is cheaper -by £29 each!-with no additional "perks" to booking direct.

Very envious of the service and extras offered by US TAs but I tried a few and they wouldn't take a booking from the UK.

Oh well!

[lovetocruise17]

My TA will take our final payment about 10 days before its due. I am using a credit card and I think when that is used or a check is used they want to make sure it clears before the final payment date. I'm fine with this happening as so many people have credit card problems.

 

 

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[zoncom]

Years ago several US cruise agencies went out of business taking cruise deposits with them. My US discount cruise agency booker told me a foreigner can book with US agency if they can produce a US address. Have also heard some US agencies allow cruiser to use their address. Worth checking out.

[Paulchili]

Hi all,

Thanks for the input.

TA is ABTA, but we will pay by credit card for more protection.

Cruise date is the 5th of July and the TA wants the balance on the 9th of March. Oceania's booking confirmation states balance to be paid on 6th of April. The TA is cheaper -by £29 each!-with no additional "perks" to booking direct.

Very envious of the service and extras offered by US TAs but I tried a few and they wouldn't take a booking from the UK.

Oh well!

 

Just check your credit card immediately after your payment to make sure that the payment went to the cruise line and not the agency.

That is where the problems were in the past - the agencies in distress would collect final payments into their accounts without ever paying the cruise line and then going out of business.

PS Why anybody would pay with a check these days is being me. Not only do you lose the protection provided by the credit card but you get nothing in return for your large amount of money spent.

With credit cards you get up to 3 points/$ spent that accumulate quickly towards free business class tickets or free luxury hotels.

Edited December 22, 2016 by Paulchili

[Paulchili]

Just check your credit card immediately after your payment to make sure that the payment went to the cruise line and not the agency.

That is where the problems were in the past - the agencies in distress would collect final payments into their accounts without ever paying the cruise line and then going out of business.

PS Why anybody would pay with a check these days is being me. Not only do you lose the protection provided by the credit card but you get nothing in return for your large amount of money spent.

With credit cards you get up to 3 points/$ spent that accumulate quickly towards free business class tickets or free luxury hotels.

 

Why anybody would pay with a check these days is being me - this should read "is beyond me" (auto correct bug did it :D)

[FlaMilkman]

Hi all,

Thanks for the input.

TA is ABTA, but we will pay by credit card for more protection.

Cruise date is the 5th of July and the TA wants the balance on the 9th of March. Oceania's booking confirmation states balance to be paid on 6th of April. The TA is cheaper -by £29 each!-with no additional "perks" to booking direct.

Very envious of the service and extras offered by US TAs but I tried a few and they wouldn't take a booking from the UK.

Oh well!

 

It isn't that they wouldn't take a UK booking, it is that they may not be allowed to take the booking. My in-laws live in the UK and we live in Florida. Last week I tried to book a Princess cruise that includes my in-laws. To say the least it was a huge battle with Princess to allow my TA to make the booking. We argued that I was making the reservations and paying for it on my US based credit card. It wasn't until my TA contacted Princess's home office, had my in-laws complete the registration information online (including passport and travel arrangements) and obtained a waiver that the TA was able to take control of the booking.