Booking through Oceania or TA

[Rebels82]

I am looking into our first Oceania cruise. I have been on several other cruise lines before. Is there any benefit to using Oceania rather than a TA to book the cruise? We will be using the O Life airfare. Thanks.

[AZjohn]

Is there any benefit to using Oceania rather than a TA to book the cruise?

Hi Rebels82,

I can not think of one reason to book directly with O.

I can think of many reasons to use a TA to book.

If any issues arise, I would much rather have my TA help deal with O rather than an O employee that works for O.

Going with my TA saved me a lot of money (OBC and cash in pocket) compared to anything O rep could do.

 

Also, just curious why you are going with O air?

 

Cheers,

John

[LHT28]

many TA's will offer perks in addition to what O offers

shop around

If there is a problem a good TA can help get it sorted out

[Rebels82]

Thanks for the info!

[Carol From California]

I am looking into our first Oceania cruise. I have been on several other cruise lines before. Is there any benefit to using Oceania rather than a TA to book the cruise? We will be using the O Life airfare. Thanks.

 

My TA gives a rebate on Oceania....approximately 12%. That is one good reason to not book directly with Oceania.

[warburg]

Greetings from South Beach, Rebels82. It is possible to book with O and a TA. I do. We book on any line that has something to offer, and I also have am AmX Platinum Card. On our upcoming Regent cruise on Explorer, I noticed a $250 incentive to book after we had booked on board and transferred the booking to our TA. We got the cash. Happy sailing.

Mary

[jsjs]

I agree that booking with a travel agent is the way to go because they are there to solve problems and the agency almost always provides an extra shipboard credit, wine tasting, or something to thank you for your business.

 

There are separate threads on cruise critic about the advantages/disadvantages of booking cruise only or O-Life with air. We always arrive at least a day prior to boarding the ship so there is a deviation fee to consider. We do not live near a gateway city so there is an additional cost for the extra flight segment to consider. Some people are happy flying the lowest cost economy fare and some want more leg room and/or services or specifically wish to use a favourite airline. In each case, I need to analyse it to see what's going to work best for us.

 

Then I need to consider the actual value of the O-Life perks to us. We rarely do ship shore excursions although there would be some places in the world where I would do ship excursions. We drink less than the beverage package. So, the shipboard credit may be the best choice for us. But again, it needs to be analysed to see what's most beneficial for a specific cruise.

[Classiccruiser777]

Booking on board then transferring the booking to a TA is usually an excellent way to go. Lower deposit, low price guarantee, OBC and our TA then adds additional OBC, usually gratuities and a post cruise rebate.

[Carol From California]

Greetings from South Beach, Rebels82. It is possible to book with O and a TA. I do. We book on any line that has something to offer, and I also have am AmX Platinum Card. On our upcoming Regent cruise on Explorer, I noticed a $250 incentive to book after we had booked on board and transferred the booking to our TA. We got the cash. Happy sailing.

Mary

 

We get 12% rebate from our TA which is a lot more than $250. We also get $300 OBC from Am Ex because we pay for the cruise with our Platinum card. It also includes a free wine tasting and bottle of wine.

[Ken the cruiser]

I am looking into our first Oceania cruise. I have been on several other cruise lines before. Is there any benefit to using Oceania rather than a TA to book the cruise? We will be using the O Life airfare. Thanks.

We have an Oceania PCC and love her! We book as early as possible and always get the new itineraries 5 days to study before they are released to the public. The big perk with that is we get our cabin request placed within minutes of them getting officially released. This comes in very handy if you like a particular cabin location that is very popular.

 

Then, once we have our booking exactly like we want it, we then transfer it within 30 days to our TA and get an exceptional amount of OBC for the transfer. Our PCC gets credit for booking the cruise, we get the cabin we want and a bunch of OBC, and our TA gets the commission for handling our booking once it's transferred. For us, it's a win-win for everyone and we couldn't be happier.

 

The issue with a TA for us is that you have to find one that works for you. We called a variety of them, big box and small franchises, and each offered various deals, various levels of support and varying degrees of knowledge when it comes to "behind the scenes" specifics of the various cruise lines we like to sail with. That's why we decided to book with a cruise line's PCC and tap into their inside knowledge, then transfer the booking to our TA.

Edited October 4, 2017 by Ken the cruiser

[oceansandseas]

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Just curious LHT28.....I remember you saying that you booked with a US TA. When you do this, can you still get the Canadian Specials? I am Canadian. Just happened to think of this while reading your above post.

 

Carol....I wish I knew how to get 12% rebate. I will ask if I am ever on a cruise with you. lol

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[LHT28]

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Just curious LHT28.....I remember you saying that you booked with a US TA. When you do this, can you still get the Canadian Specials? I am Canadian. Just happened to think of this while reading your above post.

 

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Yes

I can book in USD or CAD whichever one has the best rate for me at the time

 

 

Lyn

[tvmovielover]

We had a TA for years who gave rebates but did not have a relationship with Oceania. We booked our recent Nautica cruise with a different TA because of a great deal and she is now our permanent TA good for all travel but with a great relationship with O. She helped us change our bad return flights without a deviation and helped us get an upgrade for a little less just before the cruise. Bottom line: you can do it either way and book with O and then transfer to a TA but get a TA with a good relationship with O.

[bbbbob]

A good TA always has your back.