TA transfer question

[IrishDMBF]

I am booked on the equinox in July. I made the reservation directly with Celebrity. I have cruised before but haven't had control of the reservation. I am interested in transferring to a TA. I have shopped around and seem to be able to get $250 OBC on top of my GoBetter perks from Celebrity. I know people do it all the time but I am a little leery.

I have also talked to my Father in Law who cruises a lot and uses a TA. He has never heard of ever been able to get extra perks from a travel agent as his one has never given him any and thinks I could lose the whole reservation if I transfer because I would have to pay the TA and not the cruise line. I called his TA and she couldn't give me anything. I am still thinking about transferring to a TA who is backed up by a big travel company.

How are some TAs able to give extra OBC that others aren't. Any positive or negative stories?

[SusieV]

I would never book directly with the cruiseline- you are just passing up free money. Oh, and you don't pay the TA, the cruiseline does. A reputable TA will charge your card directly to Celebrity, not to their agency. However, you only have 60 days from the date of booking to transfer.

 

TAs get commission when you give them the booking- the perks are what they rebate out of their commission. Their rate depends on volume, so some can offer more if they choose.

 

My TA kicks back about 8% of the cost of the trip as OBC, sometimes more.

[PROCRUISE]

I am booked on the equinox in July. I made the reservation directly with Celebrity. I have cruised before but haven't had control of the reservation. I am interested in transferring to a TA. I have shopped around and seem to be able to get $250 OBC on top of my GoBetter perks from Celebrity. I know people do it all the time but I am a little leery.

I have also talked to my Father in Law who cruises a lot and uses a TA. He has never heard of ever been able to get extra perks from a travel agent as his one has never given him any and thinks I could lose the whole reservation if I transfer because I would have to pay the TA and not the cruise line. I called his TA and she couldn't give me anything. I am still thinking about transferring to a TA who is backed up by a big travel company.

How are some TAs able to give extra OBC that others aren't. Any positive or negative stories?

 

 

You may have to do some shopping around with regards to finding a TA to transfer to, but I have done what you're asking about several times although I normally just book with my TA. Actually my TA does the actual transfer for me, price and perks that the cruise line may have given me stay intact, and my TA using throws in another $75-100 OBC. Never had a problem.

[helen haywood]

You have, I think, 60 days to transfer a reservation. When did you book your cruise? All cruises are different. You may be able to get OBC or free gratuities or something else from a TA. They may have a group rate on the cruise and could give you a lower price. I'd do some research in getting names of TAs and then call them and ask what they would do for you if you transferred your booking.

 

I will say that I have always gotten something from a TA when I've done this. Not all TAs will/can do this; it sounds like that is the case with your FIL.

 

 

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[cdn_tbird]

I would never book directly with the cruiseline- you are just passing up free money. Oh, and you don't pay the TA, the cruiseline does. A reputable TA will charge your card directly to Celebrity, not to their agency. However, you only have 60 days from the date of booking to transfer.

 

TAs get commission when you give them the booking- the perks are what they rebate out of their commission. Their rate depends on volume, so some can offer more if they choose.

 

My TA kicks back about 8% of the cost of the trip as OBC, sometimes more.

 

 

That's a pretty sweet deal from your TA. Wish CC would allow PMs. I'd love to know who your TA is

[jb008]

Keep an eye out for agency cancelation fees though. I'm aware of one TA company that offers a pretty generous OBC as a kickback from their commission (10% of the commissionable portion of the fare, rounded down to the nearest $25 increment) but does impose a separate penalty fee if you cancel your booking, separate and in addition to the cruise line's penalties.

 

I've spoken with 2 separate agencies that have discontinued giving perks (e.g., OBC or dinner) beyond what X offers because of how thin their margins are on cruise bookings while another offered me an OBC... It's not my job to make sure their business is profitable as long as I'm booking an advertised rate, promotion, or offer they're willing to make me.

 

I do suggest you do your homework on TAs though by checking the BBB and look for some feedback from people who have worked with a company in the past. I asked around at the last Connections party I went to and is how I found the TA that does a large OBC kickback but carries the separate Cx penalty.

[DrivesLikeMario]

You can only do this within 60 days of the original booking. Many people do this every day. If you don't, you're passing up free OBC. Try to find a good TA that will return phone calls and emails within a short amount of time and one that is detail-oriented.

[IrishDMBF]

Thanks. Cruise was only booked 2 weeks ago. Pretty sure I have found a good agent. DH is a little nervous because he thinks it's too good to be true and something for nothing. I know it's a common practice but want to make sure I choose wisely.

[eandj]

Your dad is incorrect and if he cruises a lot needs to find a good T A who values his business and loyalty.

That being said, tho, know that agencies that book in LARGE quantity, are more likely the ones that can offer lower rates or added obc's. Not often possible for the neighborhood brick and mortar agency.

 

We use a Web based agent. (Not a big name company often advertised .) But our agent does many group bookings and offers us those rates. We just booked our next winter cruise on board last month. Along with the two perks, $250 obc and $100 off base rate offered onboard, our agent took $600 off the total due when he inovice us. We love that more than obc's.:)

[Kamloops50]

I am booked on the equinox in July. I made the reservation directly with Celebrity. I have cruised before but haven't had control of the reservation. I am interested in transferring to a TA. I have shopped around and seem to be able to get $250 OBC on top of my GoBetter perks from Celebrity. I know people do it all the time but I am a little leery.

I have also talked to my Father in Law who cruises a lot and uses a TA. He has never heard of ever been able to get extra perks from a travel agent as his one has never given him any and thinks I could lose the whole reservation if I transfer because I would have to pay the TA and not the cruise line. I called his TA and she couldn't give me anything. I am still thinking about transferring to a TA who is backed up by a big travel company.

How are some TAs able to give extra OBC that others aren't. Any positive or negative stories?

 

 

Keep in mind that with Celebrity you have eoither 60 or 90 days after to transfer to a TA. If after that you'll have to cancel and then rebook with the TA and lose any perks you booked with.

[CEOofVacation]

In future, you can use a large (good) TA to book directly instead of going to the cruise company. The OBC and other cash back are published online. You will still get everything that the cruise line is offering as a promo at that point in time. For a couple of my cruises this year, I am getting back $500 to more than $1K OBC from the TA.

[caribill]

I've spoken with 2 separate agencies that have discontinued giving perks (e.g., OBC or dinner) beyond what X offers because of how thin their margins are on cruise bookings.

 

 

Cruise agencies that discontinue giving perks are deciding not to share some of the financial benefits they get when they do business with a cruise line.

 

o Many TAs will have made group bookings (not that you have to be a member of any group) and thus get group pricing which is lower than the current Celebrity price. So in addition to the regular commission, if they are not giving perks they are keeping all of the discount from Celebrity for themselves.

 

o Also cruise lines will give TAs "amenity points" that the TA can use to give the passengers items like OBC or some wine or something else. But these amenity points can also instead be used to give the TA a bigger commission. So a TA can decide to either give the amenity of $25 OBC to the passenger or just get $25 higher commission.

[nojoke]

I have done what you are asking about: booked with the cruise line, then transferred the booking to TA.

Just go online and check out the different web-based agencies and enter your particular cruise and see what they are offering for OBC, free gratuities, specialty dining, etc (by doing a "dummy" booking). Once you find a deal that you like, call the TA and they will handle getting your reservation transferred. We have used web-based TA's for years and never encountered a scam.

[cmstl97]

There is a site out there that allows agencies to bid on your trip. You do have to watch out for the cancellation fees but they are not that substantial. If you are certain it's a cruise you will take and the price is right, the fee can be worth the risk. In my situation, worst case scenario was I was out $100. That particular agencies price was about $90 lower than the others. Ultimately it's a wash. You can find plenty of reviews online that may ease your concerns too.

 

I'm in the process of trying to transfer an onboard booking right now and will be getting an extra $200 OBC plus gratuities covered by the agent - if Celebrity will ever complete the transfer. The TA said 2-3 days is typical but it's been over a week now. This is no fault of the TA even though. Hopefully it's completed soon.

[jagoffee]

Thanks. Cruise was only booked 2 weeks ago. Pretty sure I have found a good agent. DH is a little nervous because he thinks it's too good to be true and something for nothing. I know it's a common practice but want to make sure I choose wisely.

 

 

I know it can be a little scary the first time you use a particular TA. I book direct and transfer my bookings frequently. I always get a quote via e mail (not just from their website) as I find the OBC is usually better. Once I find a good TA I use them most of the time, but I always get a quote first. I also confirm that they do not charge for a cancellation or change and that any the go to Celebrity and not the actual TA.

 

If it makes your husband feel better you should tell him that when you book a cruise directly with Celebrity, Celebrity does not pay anyone a commission. Celebrity makes a better profit.

 

When you book a cruise with a TA They receive their commission from Celebrity. By giving you additional refundable OBC the TA is sharing some of their commission with you. Since you already selected and booked the cruise the TA is not really adding a lot of value and you are allowing them to make some commission on your booking. A win-win.

 

A logical person might wonder why Celebrity does not just offer some of the commission in the form of a rebate if you book direct? Obviously this would not make them very popular with the TA community. Celebrity does not want to compete with the TA community, but rather partner with them.

 

Celebrity is one of the cruise lines that does not allow TAs to discount the cruise price thus they use OBC as a way to get around this restriction. It is different with Princess as they allow discounting.

 

I apologize if I offered you more information that you wanted, but I thought it might help you. This should help you DH understand.

 

Also once you have made the TA decision you can go on Celebrity's website and initiate the transfer.

[Knolmom]

I usually book wth a TA from a Big Box Warehouse club( yes this is as much as I can say)located on the WestCoast. They usually give on board credit of about 5 percent of the cost of your booking, depending on the type of cabin that you book. So this time I noticed that they were offering a gift card of about 7 % of the cost of the cruise to be used at their stores, instead of on- board credit. I figued I would book direct with Celebrity to get the free drink package and the free tips instead, which really add up for a 14 day cruise on The Eclipse.

The day after I booked with Celebrity I decided I wanted to choose a different cabin and pay more money. I couldn't even get them on the phone FOR TWO DAYS! ZERO customer service from Celebrity. I immediately contacted the Warehouse Club and asked them to transfer my reservation. They were able to get Celebity on the line for me, and, after a short e-mail from me to Celebrity, I now have the free drinks package for 2, the free gratuities for 14 days, AND a $700 gift card from the Warehouse Club! That's a lot of gas, if nothing else!

[Knolmom]

In addition to the above post, I want to say that I have called them three times, changed my cabin twice and had them call Celebrity with me on the line to ask a question that thry( the TA) could not answer. No charge for changes or questions. They told me to call anytime, they are available from 8 AM until 10 PM, and also on weekends, with an average wait of 2 minutes( except between 8-9 AM.

[sailnsee]

We just booked a last minute Easter cruise- I found a cabin and had reserved it thru the celebrity site. I called a large online agency and they did the transferring of the reserved cabin ....btw- the price was the same but besides the beverage pkg and gratuities that I was getting from X they gave me $450! Happy cruiser😍

[4774Papa]

I usually book wth a TA from a Big Box Warehouse club( yes this is as much as I can say)located on the WestCoast. They usually give on board credit of about 5 percent of the cost of your booking, depending on the type of cabin that you book. So this time I noticed that they were offering a gift card of about 7 % of the cost of the cruise to be used at their stores, instead of on- board credit. I figued I would book direct with Celebrity to get the free drink package and the free tips instead, which really add up for a 14 day cruise on The Eclipse.

The day after I booked with Celebrity I decided I wanted to choose a different cabin and pay more money. I couldn't even get them on the phone FOR TWO DAYS! ZERO customer service from Celebrity. I immediately contacted the Warehouse Club and asked them to transfer my reservation. They were able to get Celebity on the line for me, and, after a short e-mail from me to Celebrity, I now have the free drinks package for 2, the free gratuities for 14 days, AND a $700 gift card from the Warehouse Club! That's a lot of gas, if nothing else!

 

 

We all have had different experiences regarding booking. I like to book early, so early that I am usually the person that creates the cc roll call for the cruise. When I check the big box TA s my cruises are never listed on their website.

 

Also, I have read here on cc of people that booked with a TA and when a price reduction came out by X, they couldn't contact their TA and missed the price drop. I like controlling my reservation and book with X. I have never had a problem contacting a person from X on the same day that I called.

[sanger727]

I will usually book cruises through a TA. For celebrity, hands down, there are better deals to be had via TAs than through celebrities website. I've found this more for celebrity cruises than other cruise lines.

 

The company I usually book with is a large online travel website that specializes in cruises. When you book early, the consistently have better pricing than celebrity (think they may pre-book blocks of cabins). They are great to work with due to the size of the company. If I call for a price drop and my TA isn't available, they just transfer you to an on duty manager who takes care of it - doesn't affect the TAs ownership of the booking.

 

We are currently booked in a 2B cabin on a Hawaii cruise in April 2018. The lowest the price has ever dropped on the 2B for that sailing is $2,174 - though for most of the last 6 months it's been priced at $2,700-$3,400... we paid $1,952 for it. Now I was watching the price myself and jumped on that lowest price drop, but somehow my TA was able to beat it still! Yay

 

Now, they don't give much in the way if OBC but I'm satisfied with the discounted prices, how easy they are to work with, and the fact that they don't charge any booking or cancellation fees.

 

 

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[hillbilly73]

We have found a online agency we deal with that returns approximately 10% or more of the cruise cost in the form a refundable OBC. We still enjoy the face to face and knowledge of Celebrity their onboard people provide. The first time we booked onboard we waited until we got home and went through the transfer process. It is very easy and as said is 60 days from booking. Now life is even simpler we have used the same agency for about 8 cruises on different lines with good results. The key is finding that agency you like and trust.

 

So now that we are primarily Celebrity converts we book on board the interfacing and ability to see exactly what the agent is seeing in way of perks and deck plans make it very pleasant. I know before I set down what the TA is going to provide in way of OBC and Celebrity sends the booking directly to the agency. It is very nice to look at the credit card when returning home and finding a credit on the card. Also the fact the wife won the very nice bling at the Future Cruise department give away the first time we did this helps.:D

[eandj]

We all have had different experiences regarding booking.

 

Also, I have read here on cc of people that booked with a TA and when a price reduction came out by X, they couldn't contact their TA and missed the price drop. I like controlling my reservation and book with X. I have never had a problem contacting a person from X on the same day that I called.

 

I book with a TA. The discounts that I receive on the base price has never been outdone by X's sale pricing. So as you say, different experiences for different people, different methods of booking, itineraries, timing etc. ;)

New cruisers should know tho, that just as they would shop for the best price when making a major purchase, you can do the same when booking a cruise. It's not that difficult if you want to save some dollars.

[Kamloops50]

I book with a TA. The discounts that I receive on the base price has never been outdone by X's sale pricing. So as you say, different experiences for different people, different methods of booking, itineraries, timing etc. ;)

New cruisers should know tho, that just as they would shop for the best price when making a major purchase, you can do the same when booking a cruise. It's not that difficult if you want to save some dollars.

 

 

Only if can access a TA that givens large OBC. Not many in Canada for sure.

 

 

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