travel agent decision

[cruisinrealtor]

No worries I wont name anyone specific.

I have 2 agents I'm looking to use for my next cruise.

agent A is recommended from friends and is offering 150 OBC . This agency is not on the recommended list on RCCL website though.

agent B I don't know at all however the agency is recommend by RCCL. They are offering 125 OBC.

IF I could get agent B to offer 150 OBC which one would you choose?

[Clarea]

I would choose the one recommended by friends, if those friends have used the agent for some time and several cruises.

[molly361]

I would choose the one recommended by friends, if those friends have used the agent for some time and several cruises.

Ditto this

 

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[cruisinfanatic]

No worries I wont name anyone specific.

I have 2 agents I'm looking to use for my next cruise.

agent A is recommended from friends and is offering 150 OBC . This agency is not on the recommended list on RCCL website though.

agent B I don't know at all however the agency is recommend by RCCL. They are offering 125 OBC.

IF I could get agent B to offer 150 OBC which one would you choose?

I would not go by what Royal recommends. A good TA is a good TA. Either they do their job or they don't.

First hand recommendations are best. Plus you can blame your friends if the TA screws up!

[TwinMamainMN]

Agent A recommended by friends. No question.

 

How do you think Agent B got on the RCCL "magic list?" Probably by paying to be there and/or selling lots and lots of passengers on RCCL ships.

[awestover89]

I would choose the one recommended by friends, if those friends have used the agent for some time and several cruises.

 

Agree. Royal's "recommended" list of travel agents is just a list of agents who regularly sell more than $5,000 worth of Royal Caribbean cruises and fill out a bunch of paperwork. Most travel agents are part of a host agency (think of it almost like a franchise) so they don't have to go through all the legal work of setting up contracts with thousands of different tour operators. In that case the agent has to fill out paperwork to their host agency, requesting the paperwork necessary to send to Royal, and is just a major headache.

 

Always go with personal recommendations over corporate "sponsored" posts, which is essentially what Royal Caribbean's travel agent locator is.

[Keith1010]

As long as you respect your friends and also have spoken to the agent they recommended and feel good about them I would go with your friend's recommendation.

 

Keith

[taglovestocruise]

I would pass on both. It is pretty easy to find a TA that gives OBC, specially dinning and pre paid gratuities as well as some now offering a limited travel insurance plan. happy cruising

[cruisinrealtor]

Thanks everyone. Decided to go with TA that came recommended.

Getting the 150 obc was impressive since last cruise I only received 100 and they really didn’t do anything for me. This agency seems to have great customer service.

[A2Mich]

Thanks everyone. Decided to go with TA that came recommended.

Getting the 150 obc was impressive since last cruise I only received 100 and they really didn’t do anything for me. This agency seems to have great customer service.

 

I likely would have done the same. Personal recommendations mean much more to me then a corporate sponsorship.

[bob brown]

I have cruised enough times to consider myself perhaps not an 'expert', but certainly very well informed, from experience, as well as spending time on boards such as Cruise Critiecs....

I have found that I know at least as much, and often, a lot more than many travel agents I have dealt with. So I do my own research, and choose my own cruises as well as cabins. No travel agency is motivated to spend as much time researching as you would do for yourself. Once I have, I go thru that "big box store" travel service to do the actual booking, and get the lowest rates, some OBC or other promotion given by the cruise line to all, plus sometimes an extra goody thrown in like a meal in a specialty restaurant. And then a gift card equal to about half the commission the travel service receives, when I get home from the cruise....:cool:

[mek]

I have found that I know at least as much, and often, a lot more than many travel agents I have dealt with. So I do my own research, and choose my own cruises as well as cabins. No travel agency is motivated to spend as much time researching as you would do for yours :cool:

 

I completely agree and no offense to those TA's who really are professionals, but the majority of TA's I have worked with are little more than order takers.

 

I recently took a very expensive trip to Africa that included a safari. As I had never been to Africa I thought it would be a good idea to use a TA. I ended up teaching her more about travel than she did me and I asked a gizillion questions. She admitted that most people call her up and tell her they want to book a trip or cruise, she looks up what is available and they say, "book it."

 

Although she was nice, I never received a follow-up call after I returned to see how things went - which really surprised me considering the price of the trip. Her loss as there are several exotic land based trips I would like to take over the next few years and won't use her again just because there wasn't any follow-up.

[CEOofVacation]

I completely agree and no offense to those TA's who really are professionals, but the majority of TA's I have worked with are little more than order takers.

 

I recently took a very expensive trip to Africa that included a safari. As I had never been to Africa I thought it would be a good idea to use a TA. I ended up teaching her more about travel than she did me and I asked a gizillion questions. She admitted that most people call her up and tell her they want to book a trip or cruise, she looks up what is available and they say, "book it."

 

Although she was nice, I never received a follow-up call after I returned to see how things went - which really surprised me considering the price of the trip. Her loss as there are several exotic land based trips I would like to take over the next few years and won't use her again just because there wasn't any follow-up.

 

Expecting a follow-up from a TA after a cruise is a bit unrealistic. They are busy taking orders, just think in terms of if they booked 100 cruises per month, it means that they would be busy contacting 100 people per month about their experience. Usually if there is a problem with a cruise, the TA would hear about it from the client.

 

We have developed a personal relationship with our TA and we chat on the phone, text and email one another regularly outside of booking. I do not expect him to folllow up with his clients after a cruise. Even though we chat alot, half the time he could not even remember which cruises he had booked us on.

[Merion_Mom]

Expecting a follow-up from a TA after a cruise is a bit unrealistic. They are busy taking orders, just think in terms of if they booked 100 cruises per month, it means that they would be busy contacting 100 people per month about their experience. Usually if there is a problem with a cruise, the TA would hear about it from the client.

 

We have developed a personal relationship with our TA and we chat on the phone, text and email one another regularly outside of booking. I do not expect him to folllow up with his clients after a cruise. Even though we chat alot, half the time he could not even remember which cruises he had booked us on.

She said that it wasn't a cruise. It was a "very expensive trip that included a safari."

[mek]

She said that it wasn't a cruise. It was a "very expensive trip that included a safari."

 

Yes it was, but I always get a welcome home, (form) letter form the on-line TA I use for cruises that thanks me for my business.

 

I was in sales for years and I absolutely would make it a point to follow up with clients that I thought might bring future business to me. As I previously mentioned, there are professional sales people and then there are order takers. Bet which ones make more money?

[iluvit!]

About the OBC-my current cruise outlet agent reduces it almost every time I get a price drop. It’s now $50 on a $1350 fare, down from $150 on a $1900 original booking. I understand that the OBC is a percentage of their commission, but am thinking of finding one that gives prepaid tips. Don’t suppose they could decrease that?

 

 

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[Bigbluegal]

Do most people book and then transfer to a travel agent or book through the agent? How late can you actually transfer your booking?

[A2Mich]

Do most people book and then transfer to a travel agent or book through the agent? How late can you actually transfer your booking?

 

I’ve done both. Booked directly with our TA, and have also booked on board through Next Cruise and then transferred.

[A2Mich]

Yes it was, but I always get a welcome home, (form) letter form the on-line TA I use for cruises that thanks me for my business.

 

I was in sales for years and I absolutely would make it a point to follow up with clients that I thought might bring future business to me. As I previously mentioned, there are professional sales people and then there are order takers. Bet which ones make more money?

 

I always get a follow up whe. I return from a cruise also. First, it’s also an invitation to complete a survey for their website, and also a thank you letter from her.

[bob brown]

Do most people book and then transfer to a travel agent or book through the agent? How late can you actually transfer your booking?

I have also done it both ways. Some cruise lines set a maximum amount of days from the time you book (say 60 on RCI for example) they will allow you to transfer your booking to a TA. And I learned something new recently....I booked a cruise on board the Anthem of the Seas on 12 December, for another on 25 February. The 'Next Cruise' agent on board assured me I could transfer that under those terms.....wrong....when I called my TA the day after I landed, 15 December, she said RCI will not allow transfers after final payment date. I had no choice on board, as it was already past when I booked it, but the Cruise Next agent either didn't know or told me wrong....

[Merion_Mom]

I have also done it both ways. Some cruise lines set a maximum amount of days from the time you book (say 60 on RCI for example) they will allow you to transfer your booking to a TA. And I learned something new recently....I booked a cruise on board the Anthem of the Seas on 12 December, for another on 25 February. The 'Next Cruise' agent on board assured me I could transfer that under those terms.....wrong....when I called my TA the day after I landed, 15 December, she said RCI will not allow transfers after final payment date. I had no choice on board, as it was already past when I booked it, but the Cruise Next agent either didn't know or told me wrong....

Yes, the person on board screwed up.

 

 

The rule on RC is that you can transfer your booking to an agent as long as it is within 60 days of booking AND before final payment date. If you had had the agent's name put on your booking while you sat at the Next Cruise desk, the agent would have had your booking.

[Clarea]

About the OBC-my current cruise outlet agent reduces it almost every time I get a price drop. It’s now $50 on a $1350 fare, down from $150 on a $1900 original booking. I understand that the OBC is a percentage of their commission, but am thinking of finding one that gives prepaid tips. Don’t suppose they could decrease that?

They might switch from prepaid gratuities to OBC if their commission decreased significantly.

[iluvit!]

I see. And what of the prepaid card given by the big box store? I have a European cruise booked with them and was assured the $190 would not vary due to price drops. Of course you don’t get to spend it on board, it’s delivered upon completion of the cruise.

 

 

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[Clarea]

I see. And what of the prepaid card given by the big box store? I have a European cruise booked with them and was assured the $190 would not vary due to price drops. Of course you don’t get to spend it on board, it’s delivered upon completion of the cruise.

Don't know for sure, you would have to ask the travel agency, but I suspect there's a clause somewhere that covers changes due to reduced price.

[lenquixote66]

No worries I wont name anyone specific.

I have 2 agents I'm looking to use for my next cruise.

agent A is recommended from friends and is offering 150 OBC . This agency is not on the recommended list on RCCL website though.

agent B I don't know at all however the agency is recommend by RCCL. They are offering 125 OBC.

IF I could get agent B to offer 150 OBC which one would you choose?

 

Friends recommended a TA in 2015 .We have booked many cruises with them since primarily because they offer free insurance and offer loyalty points. For every cruise we book with them we get X amount of points which can be accumulated and used at a later date.