Have booked Seaside YC but am looking for thoughts on using TA

[chisoxfan]

We cruise often on X and HAL and happily have used the big Northwest based box store as our TA.

We have booked the Seaside through MCS and have received the discounts (sizable) through Voyagers status. I originally thought I would simply transfer to a TA to receive additional OBC.

Doing some research I found many of the 'giant' TA's that handle MSC have less than stellar reviews. There are many complaints about not receiving promised benefits and many add extra fees for cancellations, etc. I did call one smaller agent that had received an award from MSC and the kindly agent told me because of the pricing they could only offer a very small OBC (50-100).

They also had a large cancellation penalty negating any benefit.

She frankly recommended I stay with my cruise line booking which certainly would be my feeling.

 

I know specific TA recommendations are not allowed but is it worth it to pursue this? If there are meaningful perks I can get from dealing with a reputable TA I am certainly interested but I am not encouraged with what I saw so far.

 

Also, I am wondering if the additional VC discounts impact the perks ultimately offered?

 

Have been cruising a lot in the past decade but continue to learn and frankly would be lost without the gracious help offered by CC posters. Many thanks.

[shukapaw]

I take full advantage of the VC benefits and also get a generous discount from my TA on top of that. I've been dealing with him for years and his agency is reputable and has a longstanding relationship with MSC. He also gives a generous discount on all the other cruise lines we use. :D

 

I've booked directly through him and, on occasion, have booked myself and transferred the booking to him.

 

If you'd like more info, let me know.

 

~Brian

[slei15]

The perks you will receive from a TA are based on the amount of commissions they receive for the sailing, and factoring in for the TA the amount of work expected to have to be done for the booking, ultimately tying into how much revenue the TA feels they need to make for the booking to be profitable. The level of commission earned depends on the volume of booking done with the cruise line, so adding in the deeply discounted cruise, the TA may not have that much excess commission to play with for perks. IMHO any TA charging a cancellation or service fee is not worth using, as they should be making their money from the cruise lines and providing their services to you complimentary. The better service provided to you, the more likely you are to use them again for future bookings and refer them to others, enabling them to earn incremental future commissions. The only time a TA should speak of a cancellation fee is if it is a booking in penalty and the cancellation fee is a pass-through from the cruise line.

[chisoxfan]

The perks you will receive from a TA are based on the amount of commissions they receive for the sailing, and factoring in for the TA the amount of work expected to have to be done for the booking, ultimately tying into how much revenue the TA feels they need to make for the booking to be profitable. The level of commission earned depends on the volume of booking done with the cruise line, so adding in the deeply discounted cruise, the TA may not have that much excess commission to play with for perks. IMHO any TA charging a cancellation or service fee is not worth using, as they should be making their money from the cruise lines and providing their services to you complimentary. The better service provided to you, the more likely you are to use them again for future bookings and refer them to others, enabling them to earn incremental future commissions. The only time a TA should speak of a cancellation fee is if it is a booking in penalty and the cancellation fee is a pass-through from the cruise line.

 

Yes, I completely agree. The claim of the one 'touted' MSC agent I spoke to was that commissions were minimal on my booking. I was looking for confirmation that this was true.

I am not sure how Voyagers Club 'discounts' would affect the final commissions paid to TA.

[slei15]

Yes, I completely agree. The claim of the one 'touted' MSC agent I spoke to was that commissions were minimal on my booking. I was looking for confirmation that this was true.

I am not sure how Voyagers Club 'discounts' would affect the final commissions paid to TA.

 

The more discounts placed onto the booking, the less commissions the TA will receive, meaning the less they can return to you. Just like when a car salesman sells a car or a real estate agent sells a house, the higher price they sell it for, the more commissions they will receive. The more discounting done on the deal, the lower the revenue basis for a commission payment. MSC is not paying commissions on the pre-discounted value, but rather on the actual sale value. It is the opposite of how we think about tipping here in the US, that if you use a coupon you should still tip on the undiscounted value of the meal...They are paying commissions as a % of the discounted amount.

[chisoxfan]

The more discounts placed onto the booking, the less commissions the TA will receive, meaning the less they can return to you. Just like when a car salesman sells a car or a real estate agent sells a house, the higher price they sell it for, the more commissions they will receive. The more discounting done on the deal, the lower the revenue basis for a commission payment. MSC is not paying commissions on the pre-discounted value, but rather on the actual sale value. It is the opposite of how we think about tipping here in the US, that if you use a coupon you should still tip on the undiscounted value of the meal...They are paying commissions as a % of the discounted amount.

 

Yes I am clear on all of this. Obviously, if the cruise is 4,000 the commission to agent is more than if the cruise is 3,000, The agent in question was suggesting on a 3,300 cruise the commission was meager and the OBC would be 100 or so. To 'support' this they said I would be better off not transferring my booking. So, bottom line I am trying to ascertain if it is worthwhile pursuing transfer of this booking understanding that I do not want to engage with a TA that is not reputable or adds fees. Thank you.

[Into Cruising]

I often look at it from the other side. How would you react if the TA asked you to "donate" a portion of your salary to them. It is in essence what you are asking the TA to do for you. You do not pay the TA for their efforts on your behalf. The cruiseline pays the TA for the efforts they put forth for them in generating revenues. Similar to a TA being an extention of their sales forth. The cruiseline pays the Agency a commission and an override based on their overall volume of business. The Agency has a process of splitting that with the specific AGENT. In most cases the AGENCY will not rebate back to the Customer, but will allow the AGENT to kick back a portion of their commission to a customer. In many cases the split is 50-50, but it can go up in the AGENT'S favor as they also do more volume for the AGENCY. I have heard so many customers say they expect and demand such kickbacks, and some commission is better than no commission. A good agent can read the client and tell if they are going to be labor intensive and require excessive handholding. They can also read which are "shopping" for price and can not be counted on to close the sale or to bring in additional referrals. As is true in most businesses, you get what you pay for. And just like, dealing with a car salesman, no matter what "deal" you thought you got, they will not be making it if they are not making money. If you value your TA, chances are good that they will also value you as a customer. If you do not think they are worth their commission, chances are good they will think the same about you, too.

[chisoxfan]

I often look at it from the other side. How would you react if the TA asked you to "donate" a portion of your salary to them. It is in essence what you are asking the TA to do for you. You do not pay the TA for their efforts on your behalf. The cruiseline pays the TA for the efforts they put forth for them in generating revenues. Similar to a TA being an extention of their sales forth. The cruiseline pays the Agency a commission and an override based on their overall volume of business. The Agency has a process of splitting that with the specific AGENT. In most cases the AGENCY will not rebate back to the Customer, but will allow the AGENT to kick back a portion of their commission to a customer. In many cases the split is 50-50, but it can go up in the AGENT'S favor as they also do more volume for the AGENCY. I have heard so many customers say they expect and demand such kickbacks, and some commission is better than no commission. A good agent can read the client and tell if they are going to be labor intensive and require excessive handholding. They can also read which are "shopping" for price and can not be counted on to close the sale or to bring in additional referrals. As is true in most businesses, you get what you pay for. And just like, dealing with a car salesman, no matter what "deal" you thought you got, they will not be making it if they are not making money. If you value your TA, chances are good that they will also value you as a customer. If you do not think they are worth their commission, chances are good they will think the same about you, too.

 

Was not trying to get into a philosophical discussion of TA's or what they 'deserve' in compensation. I was simply looking for a transfer of a booking. Limited work if any for the TA.

You could argue even if they split the commission with me it is 'easy money' . Plus I am guessing (like the car salesman you mentioned) here are many agreements in the industry where TAs are rewarded for volume etc. I value service and expertise and do not mind paying for same but this is a case where I am not seeking this. Sadly, in my experience with most TA's their specific cruise info is lacking (as is that of the direct cruise line personnel).

 

In my personal dealings (whether buying a car or other) I am very sensitive to the time and effort a salesperson makes to assist me and I expect to reward this. They can cement my patronage by being knowledgeable and trustworthy.

 

So bottom line, I am trying to ascertain whether it is realistic for me to avail myself of some benefits on my first MSC cruise by transferring this booking to a reputable agent- should be a win win situation.

[Into Cruising]

I fully understand, that much of the work is done already, and an agent may be more than willing to gain your business, especially since it is not your first cruise, and that you seem to cruise quite often.

 

My take is the assumption that a TA should be able to give you more than the actual cruiseline has gotten prevalent. If the cruiseline is offering OBC for bookings, the TA can pass those right along. The cruiseline will never offer more than an associated agency can offer, without taking it from their own pockets. Most have rules against doing so. And most have rules against agencies cutting the posted cost the cruiseline offers. But agencies can offer "tokens" or incentives, but are discouraged from discounting or rebating.

 

What the agent can offer is more personal service and a higher level of attention. They should also be able to provide you with a greater product knowledge, assistance when things go awry, and the ability to intercede on your behalf, leveraging their business relationship with the line. That is the value of the agent.

 

Anything they give you over what the cruiseline offers is coming directly out of their pocket. But that is their business decision.

 

That was my point. I was not trying to disparage you in any way.

[seapad]

A lot of it too is dependent on the type of cabin that you are booked into. A more expensive type of cabin would generally return a higher rebate in OBC or other amenities, while a less expensive type of cabins (like inside etc....) would return less - as the agent would receive much less commission.

I am booked into a YC inside, and given $150 OBC from TA , plus my black card incentives and other direct incentives from MSC. But my other family members, who are booked into YC1, are receiving between $200 to $250 OBC. If you may read up on some of the earlier cruise reviews, many have reported they receive good OBC from TA plus whatever direct incentives from MSC. But again, the amount of OBC from TA depends on the cabin as well.

[chisoxfan]

I fully understand, that much of the work is done already, and an agent may be more than willing to gain your business, especially since it is not your first cruise, and that you seem to cruise quite often.

 

My take is the assumption that a TA should be able to give you more than the actual cruiseline has gotten prevalent. If the cruiseline is offering OBC for bookings, the TA can pass those right along. The cruiseline will never offer more than an associated agency can offer, without taking it from their own pockets. Most have rules against doing so. And most have rules against agencies cutting the posted cost the cruiseline offers. But agencies can offer "tokens" or incentives, but are discouraged from discounting or rebating.

 

What the agent can offer is more personal service and a higher level of attention. They should also be able to provide you with a greater product knowledge, assistance when things go awry, and the ability to intercede on your behalf, leveraging their business relationship with the line. That is the value of the agent.

 

Anything they give you over what the cruiseline offers is coming directly out of their pocket. But that is their business decision.

 

That was my point. I was not trying to disparage you in any way.

 

No offense taken. Frankly the cruise industry and the auto industry IMHO are two of the most user unfriendly industries 'afloat' (no pun intended). I find the info on Cruise Critic generally more expansive and accurate than that offered by the cruise lines. I am sure there are dynamite TA's out there but as a frequent and inquisitive traveler I typically find that I oftentimes know more than they do.

[Into Cruising]

Way too many of the TA's are in it for the perks of fam cruises, free and discounted. I am shocked when I read some of the questions by TA's on Facebook on cruiseline TA sites.

[Tapi]

We booked our first MSC cruise through a large online TA and we had all sorts of glitches and snafus, none of which the TA helped with. Thankfully, calling MSC directly and bypassing the TA yielded better results. Unlike many cruise lines that will not talk to you if you’re booked through a TA, MSC took my phone calls and helped me rectify things.

 

We are now booked on our second MSC cruise and we’ve decided to book directly through their website. The difference in price wasn’t substantial and so far, I haven’t had a single issue and everything has been “smooth sailing”. That alone is worth any OBC that an unresponsive and incompetent TA is willing to offer.

 

 

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[Into Cruising]

I agree that the reps at MSC have been very helpful to me, also.

[chisoxfan]

We booked our first MSC cruise through a large online TA and we had all sorts of glitches and snafus, none of which the TA helped with. Thankfully, calling MSC directly and bypassing the TA yielded better results. Unlike many cruise lines that will not talk to you if you’re booked through a TA, MSC took my phone calls and helped me rectify things.

 

We are now booked on our second MSC cruise and we’ve decided to book directly through their website. The difference in price wasn’t substantial and so far, I haven’t had a single issue and everything has been “smooth sailing”. That alone is worth any OBC that an unresponsive and incompetent TA is willing to offer.

 

 

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We have been spoiled by the Warehouse Box store. You get pricing on line with OBC or gift card and we get an additional 2%. I did not want to get involved with some of the huge internet TA's based on questionable reviews I saw. We will likely stick with the booking through MSC and I am OK with this and happy with our rate..... just did not want to leave significant dollars on the table.