Book with Princess, transfer to TA?

[Sea and Me]

We have always used a TA. I guess the reason is that I like to see the person that is helping me!! I have been thinking of booking with Princess since I know the cruise, the cabin that I want and to use the 3 for free sale. I have researched everything and my DH said "do it yourself". The question I have how many of you book directly with Princess and how many of you transfer the booking to the TA. Thanks for your responses.

[tailspintom]

We have always used a TA. I guess the reason is that I like to see the person that is helping me!! I have been thinking of booking with Princess since I know the cruise, the cabin that I want and to use the 3 for free sale. I have researched everything and my DH said "do it yourself". The question I have how many of you book directly with Princess and how many of you transfer the booking to the TA. Thanks for your responses.

We have booked directly on the ship upon the purchase of a FCC to secure the cabin we wanted and then transferred to the agency we generally use multiple times. The benefit was a significant OBC from the TA. Having said that, on one occasion the Princess Future Cruise person suggested that we go through our agent as he had secured better cabins for better pricing than could be had through Princess. We found this to be very principled.

[ggprincess2004]

I book directly with Princess, and sometimes transfer to a TA, if the stateroom price is better, if there is additional OBC offered. But, because I book window suites on the three ships that have them, very frequently they are not discounted, etc., and our booking just remains with Princess. I know that when the offers from Princess change, i.e. AIBP v. prepaid gratuities, OBC, et al, Princess will not charge to refare the cruise (US based) while some TA's may. So, I don' t really have any hard and fast rules. It comes down to the better deal, flexibility and any hidden fees that might be lurking if I want/need to change plans.

[Steelers36]

I would PREFER to book directly with Princess (and have in the past), but whether booking myself and transferring, or starting with TA, it's just too hard to ignore the great discount and some OBC. Since I figured out years ago, with the help of this website and CC Princess posters, I began to discover good US TA's to work with (rare to find any discounters in Canada, if any true ones at all).

 

I like to be in control of all of my own travel arrangements (and pretty much do all the reservation work for the TA), and some of that is given up with a TA, but can still talk to Princess and deal with them on some matters. My main/only concern with any TA is will I get prompt notice of any change whatsoever coming from Princess like an upsell or other offer so that it can be acted on quickly enough? What we are saving in dollars outweighs my concern. If it was only $25/pp OBC, for example, I'd book direct because my control of reservation and the direct relationship with Princess would be more important. Don't ask me where the $ cut off is because I don't know and haven't had to face that kind of decision. :cool:

[Thrak]

Our first cruise was booked through a TA. After that I have always booked the cruises directly. Often we transfer them to the same TA we started with. In the case of our upcoming cruise the TA knocked a significant amount of money off the cost of the cruise. Our bill with Princess remained the same but when the TA made final payment our credit card wasn't charged for the full amount. He is also extremely responsive no matter if it's a weekend or if he's across the country doing something else. I can call his office and, if he's out, his voice mail gets transferred directly to his cell.

[trbarton]

We have always used a TA. I guess the reason is that I like to see the person that is helping me!! I have been thinking of booking with Princess since I know the cruise, the cabin that I want and to use the 3 for free sale. I have researched everything and my DH said "do it yourself". The question I have how many of you book directly with Princess and how many of you transfer the booking to the TA. Thanks for your responses.

 

I look at the Princess site to see what's available & the price. Then with that information I contact the T/A that I use to see what they can give me with the price & other perks. I have always gotten a better deal. On one occasion I wanted a sideways inside stateroom & since these staterooms are few in numbers I did book myself & then transfer to my T/A.

Tom😎

[Pam in CA]

I always book directly with a TA and save at least 10% plus OBC. My TA gets back to me almost immediately when I email her for a quote and it doesn't seem to matter the time of day or day of the week.

[Hopeless67]

Steelers36 you are right we rarely get better prices or OBC from TA in Canada.

[DSLibrarian]

I often book with my big box TA but sometimes it makes more sense to book directly with the cruise line and transfer it later to the TA. For instance, AMEX recently had a promotion for a $100 refund when charging $500 on a cruise. Our TA doesn't accept AMEX so by keeping the booking with Princess, we were able to save $200. (Both dh and I have AMEX cards so we could each use the offer.) I'll still transfer the booking to the TA sometime before final payment for an additional 8-10% savings

[Steelers36]

Our first cruise was booked through a TA. After that I have always booked the cruises directly. Often we transfer them to the same TA we started with. In the case of our upcoming cruise the TA knocked a significant amount of money off the cost of the cruise. Our bill with Princess remained the same but when the TA made final payment our credit card wasn't charged for the full amount. He is also extremely responsive no matter if it's a weekend or if he's across the country doing something else. I can call his office and, if he's out, his voice mail gets transferred directly to his cell.

 

That is great service.

[daletabu]

Our experience is we generally book directly with Princess, get the cabin we want, etc., and take advantage of any deals they have going. Then, prior to final payment due date we pay 90% of the cruise, and then take advantage of our Big Box and use their TA and get a nice bump in OBC from them. Another reason is the Big Box no longer accepts AmEx and we can pay 90% of the cruise on AmEx and then the remainder we do the Visa with the Big Box. For example, we are taking a Trans Atlantic again in April, go the drink package included, OBC from Princess, credit also for our stock and DH military, and then we will turn over just before it is due to the BB. We usually end up with over $1000 OBC this way.

[Colo Cruiser]

We have always used a TA. I guess the reason is that I like to see the person that is helping me!! I have been thinking of booking with Princess since I know the cruise, the cabin that I want and to use the 3 for free sale. I have researched everything and my DH said "do it yourself". The question I have how many of you book directly with Princess and how many of you transfer the booking to the TA. Thanks for your responses.

 

 

We book with a TA and save 8% to 15% versus booking with Princess.

We never book onboard. Just buy FCD's and book when we return home.

[justafem]

Our first cruise, we booked with a local agent, who gave us nothing. Well I take that back, she sent us chocolate strawberries. We did all the work, chose our rooms, knew what the price was, etc. We had to contact her when the fare dropped and a promotion started for prepaid tips. No upgrade in cabin status (insides), no onboard credit, no discount in fare. Lesson learned.

 

Next cruise we booked through princess and were upsold to a WS from a premium view. SUITE!

 

Next was done through a bidding site, where TA's compete for your business. Discounted fare,. onboard credit and went from inside to OV. Same on the next, but it was very last minute and only a couple of weeks after the thrid.

 

Next booked through princess and kept it there. Nice amount of onboard and prepaid tips, again a WS.

 

Our next cruise was booked through princess and transferred to a TA due to their sale. We got the AIBP for 2 and soda and more for the other 2, 2 prepaid specialty dinners, about a 10% discount on the fare and prepaid tips for everyone. No onboard,.but we'll have no expenses other than excursions that we go independent normally. Another WS for us!

 

I love WS, I think that was their intention when they upsold us the first time!

[skrodle]

Princess is one of the few that makes it pretty easy to transfer to a TA. PM me if you need help finding one

[Coral]

I always book with an agent who discounts - much cheaper than booking direct.

[macleay]

Princess is one of the few that makes it pretty easy to transfer to a TA. PM me if you need help finding one

This is a dumb question but i can't figure out how to PM you.

[jagoffee]

This is a dumb question but i can't figure out how to PM you.

Cruise Critic does not have the capability to PM. I think someone was confused about a different site/forum.

[macleay]

Dang, too bad. I don't have a TA and would like to find a good one. I've already booked my latest cruise but if I can get money off, that would be awesome!

[Funkat]

Dang, too bad. I don't have a TA and would like to find a good one. I've already booked my latest cruise but if I can get money off, that would be awesome!

 

I'm with you on that! We booked directly through Princess and would love to possibly get some OBC but don't know which TA's are good.

[Musky Ike]

We book with a TA and save 8% to 15% versus booking with Princess.

We never book onboard. Just buy FCD's and book when we return home.

Same here. I see no advantage in booking direct just to then transfer that booking. I find exactly what We want on Princess.com and then book with the TA that can give me the best overall deal figuring in price, OBC etc. They include any current princess promotions and then some. It takes some work, but I'm retired so I have the time. ;p

[DeepWaterMariner]

It depends on the situation. I don't need a TA to find a cruise since I've already done the research. If I'm already onboard (no matter the cruise line) I'll book with the future cruise person to get tbe FCC and transfer the booking to a TA that almost always discounts the price. If its a long and expensive cruise and I'm not onboard, I have a go to TA who will discount the cruise and is also experienced with this type of cruising. If its something we are putting together on short notice, we use a cruise website where TAs bid for your business. We put together a long trip we designed ourself which included 3 cruise bookings and a river cruise booking using this method earlier this year. Its more work but saved us money.

[tothemall&beyond]

We always book directly through Princess website and then later on, just before final payment date, we transfer it to our TA for the OBC's, etc. The few times we transferred to the TA earlier on, we were frustrated by having to wait for the TA to call us back or forward offers to us.

By booking directly and waiting to transfer to TA, we keep control of our booking which allows us to easily re-fare to new promos (including changing cabins on 3-for-Frees), discuss Princess Air issues, and accept upsell or moveover offers because they'll get emailed to us, not the TA.. The latter is a real problem when you have a TA, as any delay in them relaying the offer, generally means you'll be closed out of it because they are first come, first served.

[satxdiver]

I first booked through a TA. I watch this and Princess websites looking for sales or reduced fare. I then contacted the TA to get the offer. They never contacted me but a few times were able to get a better deal after I called them to alert them. They started complaining about how I was a high maintenance cruiser when once I complained about a charge they posted to me. I moved my future cruises I had booked through them back to Princess and received a rather nasty note from the TA when they found out. I had not told them I was doing it since there already had been bad blood between us.

 

I now book through Princess and then scour the internet to see if some discount TA will be willing to offer me something to cause transferring the booking to them. I have since learned to wait until just before final payment in most cases after a booking I transferred last year was messed up by the TA causing it to almost cancel. Lessons learned over the years in my particular case.

[Musky Ike]

Good point on the slow to no reaction to emails by some TA's. I have been able to deal directly with Princess on ezair both with initial air booking and fare changes even though the cruise is booked with a TA.

[suzyed]

I always book with an agent who discounts - much cheaper than booking direct.

Ditto! Cheaper and usually more OBC!