To TA or not to TA..that is the question

[AmyJA]

Hey I'm happy for you, but some of us choose to use a TA. I'm quite satisfied and I'm someone who likes control. I tell my TA what to do and she does it. Yes I have contacted cruise lines directly so I know when I'm getting a better deal. I have booked two cruises with the same TA, and this year booked two more.

 

Please don't be insulting and suggest we only use TA's because "we don't know how to use a computer" and the rest of that nonsense. Really??!!

 

Yep...I work on a computer all day...5 days a week for a living and am required to preform various searches. I have booked both cruises and land based vacation on my own quite a lot. I use a TA always for cruises and for some land based trips for many reasons. I also do myriads of research before (have five pages on the ship I going on next) and then go to my TA.

 

Just my personal opinion, but there are a few of people on this forum that I find...well yes insulting quite often. I really don't think they "get" that they are mean spirited.

[AmyJA]

Good for you!!! Saying what the rest of us are thinking. I am new to CC but I’ve noticed this poster is always condescending in their responses and should really curb their nastiness as it makes their posts unbearable.

 

We come here for advice not condescending messages! If you can’t be positive- keep your fingers away from the keyboard!

 

 

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Ditto . . . .

[zitsky]

Yep...I work on a computer all day...5 days a week for a living and am required to preform various searches. I have booked both cruises and land based vacation on my own quite a lot. I use a TA always for cruises and for some land based trips for many reasons. I also do myriads of research before (have five pages on the ship I going on next) and then go to my TA.

 

Just my personal opinion, but there are a few of people on this forum that I find...well yes insulting quite often. I really don't think they "get" that they are mean spirited.

 

I didn't mean to be rude myself, but gee, you can only take so much. After a while you have to "let it out". People come here for advice. It's easy to say "here's what I would do" without being rude or condescending.

[Shoppie124]

I didn't mean to be rude myself, but gee, you can only take so much. After a while you have to "let it out". People come here for advice. It's easy to say "here's what I would do" without being rude or condescending.

 

 

 

TOTALLY AGREE!!!

 

Everyone is entitled to have their opinion as long as they are respectful of everyone else’s opinions. If you had asked me before this thread if I would use a TA, I would have said no. Now here I am after I did a ton of research, asked friends, ask strangers and even asked Siri... here I am with a reservation with a TA and I’m very happy with my results!!

 

 

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[drsel]

Why do you use a TA vs booking direct? I was warned by NCL that you won’t be eligible for an upgrade if you use a TA. They also told me if the cruise is canceled by NCL they give incentives and the TA sometimes keeps them.

 

Anyone with experience?

 

 

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Not using online TAs is a big mistake. My online TA has now stopped giving OBC, but gives a direct discount instead, which is slightly more than the combined discount + cash card given by the big box TA.

 

I don't ever have to wait for any phone calls, nor do I have to make any calls.

 

I get email replies in 5-10 minutes, believe it or not!

 

And also reminders for final payment well in advance of the due date.

[AmyJA]

I didn't mean to be rude myself, but gee, you can only take so much. After a while you have to "let it out". People come here for advice. It's easy to say "here's what I would do" without being rude or condescending.

 

 

I'm there with you! And thank!!!!

 

You have no idea how many times I have started to respond. And decided to turn the other cheek.

[Cuizer2]

I'm there with you! And thank!!!!

 

You have no idea how many times I have started to respond. And decided to turn the other cheek.

 

Which cheek is the other cheek? :confused:

[AmyJA]

Which cheek is the other cheek? :confused:

 

......;p.....

[Cafedumonde]

I booked five directly with NCL and was always pleased with both the rate I paid and the 'perks' I had, if any. My best example? My 2015 Pearl trip to Alaska... I originally booked a 7-day in September in an inside, and was perfectly OK with the price. Then I opted to switch to a 10-day May trip, also in an inside, which was almost $1000 less - and since I had already made a sizeable payment (spare me the lectures), they ended up refunding me about $800 of that. Then, they offered a promo for the drinks package and free gratuities... I spent about 30 minutes on hold, but ended up with an upgrade to a balcony AND both the drinks package and gratuities - and apparently gratuities on the drink package, because I didn't ever send any more $$. Just after final payment due date, the price dropped again, and I was bumped up to a mini suite - all I had to do was call. Not bad, eh?

 

For my upcoming sixth trip, I used a TA. The rate was a little better, but more importantly, the TA offer was to cover the drinks package gratuities on top of the NCL offer of the "two free" things. We haven't seen a price drop - just increases. Though with a ship change by NCL, I was a little disappointed that somehow our rate went up a bit - which, really, should not have happened. We were not offered the option to stay on our original ship and change itineraries - just unceremoniously dumped onto the Breakaway. My TA is super nice and great when I can get her on the phone, but hard to catch or get a response by email. Considering that email is my primary and preferred means of communication, this has been very frustrating for me.

 

All that to say - having done it both ways, unless it's a truly spectacular deal, I'm not sure I'd use a TA again. And if I do, I'd probably look for a recommendation from someone to use a different one. I was pretty content to book and handle my reservation on my own.

 

This exact situation happened to us when they switched us from Gem to Breakaway. Price went up a bit. Cabins not as good, plus they dropped one of our ports. Our big box TA did not know anything about it. Never contacted us (found out about it on the boards), and NCL never contacted us either! Very weird. We were so put off, we just ended up cancelling the cruise and rebooking elsewhere.

[jimbri]

What is the best way to find a good, reputable online TA? Do certain keywords make for a better result? Or is it better to just check out TA's with familiar names who have been around awhile? I've only been on 5 cruises. Three I did through the cruise line and the other two I used by credit card points so I booked through them. It never dawned on me to ask cc company for perks. I did check around and their prices seemed good but I now wonder if I could have gotten OBC. Thanks.

[pghflyer]

wish we could help you better, for some reason cruise critic thinks we are all so gullible to agents self-promoting that they don't allow anyone to share feedback or recommendations on a significant part of the cruise experience.

 

You can google for a site where cruises compete for your business by submitting bids. When you get bids, you can read reviews posted by purchasers on the travel agency. I've used three different agencies there and had no problem with any of them. Because I liked and noticed I always got the best quotes from one particular agency, I sometimes go right to them first.

[jimbri]

wish we could help you better, for some reason cruise critic thinks we are all so gullible to agents self-promoting that they don't allow anyone to share feedback or recommendations on a significant part of the cruise experience.

 

You can google for a site where cruises compete for your business by submitting bids. When you get bids, you can read reviews posted by purchasers on the travel agency. I've used three different agencies there and had no problem with any of them. Because I liked and noticed I always got the best quotes from one particular agency, I sometimes go right to them first.

 

 

Thank you.

[drsel]

wish we could help you better, for some reason cruise critic thinks we are all so gullible to agents self-promoting that they don't allow anyone to share feedback or recommendations on a significant part of the cruise experience.

 

You can google for a site where cruises compete for your business by submitting bids. When you get bids, you can read reviews posted by purchasers on the travel agency. I've used three different agencies there and had no problem with any of them. Because I liked and noticed I always got the best quotes from one particular agency, I sometimes go right to them first.

But how do you pay the agent with the best offer? Do they ask you for your credit card info on the phone or email? Which way is safe?

[pghflyer]

Yes you do pay the agent directly - a very limited few let you do this online over their website, most you call and provide your number over the phone. I am probably on the young side on this forum so very uncharacteristic to vote against technology, but I would say phone is probably safer as long as you are the one calling the number (I would never provide important data to someone calling me). Not sure I would trust most travel agency websites to store my credit card with all these breaches.....of course, some may do that once you give it over the phone, but in most cases they process it right there and don't keep the number (they always ask me for my CC number every time).

 

I would never provide my credit card over email either, then it is saved in your sent items.....as well as whatever path it took to your agent on whatever device(s) they get email....

 

Good luck - reality is you have very low credit card fraud liability as most issuers cover that.

[phoenix1181]

The TA's I've used (2) pass the credit card information to the cruise line and the cruise line processes the payment. I wouldn't be comfortable paying the TA directly and having them pay the cruise line.

[Cruiser_1977]

The TA's I've used (2) pass the credit card information to the cruise line and the cruise line processes the payment. I wouldn't be comfortable paying the TA directly and having them pay the cruise line.

 

How does your TA get paid for their services? Usually you give them your CC info. They take their part and pay the CC via their "portal". This gives the TA credit for booking.

[pghflyer]

Not sure how it happens, but the charge on my statement is always NCL. Assume they get some kind of commission from NCL eventually

[phoenix1181]

How does your TA get paid for their services? Usually you give them your CC info. They take their part and pay the CC via their "portal". This gives the TA credit for booking.

 

No clue how they get paid but I've always assumed the cruise line paid them directly. All our cruises have been paid with a credit card & the charge was from RCL or NCL, never the TA.

[lisakoivu]

I always use a TA. She always gets me a better price than I can do on the website, and I think this has to do with methods she has to massage the exchange (I'm Canadian) that I just don't have access to. For upgrades, she just sends me the email that NCL sends her and I'm in total control. We sailed March 2018 on the BA from NY for $1175 pp in a balcony. Originally inside, and I bid $75 Cdn pp and it got accepted for a balcony. My TA is the best. I used to book through NCL, but I just don't have time for their inaccurate info and website glitches. I much prefer this!

[AmyJA]

Many TA's get paid by the cruise line or with land bases operation by Disney, Sandals, et al.

[April7901]

This exact situation happened to us when they switched us from Gem to Breakaway. Price went up a bit. Cabins not as good, plus they dropped one of our ports. Our big box TA did not know anything about it. Never contacted us (found out about it on the boards), and NCL never contacted us either! Very weird. We were so put off, we just ended up cancelling the cruise and rebooking elsewhere.

 

We were probably on the same cruise, 'cause this was my exact situation. No word from NCL - found out about the change on the roll call. I definitely don't blame my TA for the lack of communication on that - clearly NCL wasn't interested in discussing it either lol