RCCL & TA?

[grandgeezer]

On 7/17/2019 at 3:09 PM, not-enough-cruising said:

It's not smoke and mirrors, it's as clear as day. Here are the exact details for an upcoming booking on Oasis for February 2020, 8D cabin, you pick the room.

 

If booked online through RCCL website $1665 fare per guest, $137.40 taxes and fees, BOGO50 Promo -$536.50 = $1238.90 per person NON REFUNDABLE.

 

Booking same exact room through my TA $624 fare, $349.17 taxes and fees = $973.17 FULLY REFUNDABLE. I also received a $75.00 OBC from the TA

This looks like a group rate, if it is, it's like comparing apples with oranges. Group rates through a travel agent is a whole different ball game than a regular fare.

[not-enough-cruising]

1 minute ago, grandgeezer said:

This looks like a group rate, if it is, it's like comparing apples with oranges. Group rates through a travel agent is a whole different ball game than a regular fare.

Not really apples and oranges, because it’s the same exact room class either way. 

The point of the thread is utilizing a TA to the maximum benefit, and obtain a better package that one can with RCCL (or any other line) direct. 

[cruisinfanatic]

15 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

1. Be careful with using absolutes, it seems like someone comes up with an exception (like I have).

2. Just because RCI does it one way with most TAs, that's no necessarily the only way.

 

Biker, who doesn't pay a booking fee.

Your TA is absolutely double dipping.

Most people are worried about getting change fees for TA's and you're paying a booking fee.

You should look around. Most TA's will probably give you the same or better deal without charging a side amount just for the privileged of booking with them

[Biker19]

6 minutes ago, cruisinfanatic said:

Your TA is absolutely double dipping.

Most people are worried about getting change fees for TA's and you're paying a booking fee.

Interesting that you seem to know what my TA is doing.

 

Biker, who is getting about the same discount as most good TAs provide at about 10% (and sometimes much more) - he's just getting it in a different way.

[cruisinfanatic]

10 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Interesting that you seem to know what my TA is doing.

 

Biker, who is getting about the same discount as most good TAs provide at about 10% (and sometimes much more) - he's just getting it in a different way.

I don't understand why you are ok with giving your TA $50 (per person or per booking?) of the discount they give you.

[Biker19]

15 minutes ago, cruisinfanatic said:

I don't understand why you are ok with giving your TA $50 (per person or per booking?) of the discount they give you.

Do you think TAs work for free?

 

Let me do a comparison on a published $1000 fare:

 

the typical way the RCI - TA relationship works is that you pay $1000 to RCI and the TA gives you $100 OBC (or some perk equivalent to that). After the cruise, RCI gives the TA $150 in commission. The TA thus makes $50.

 

the way my TA works, is that RCI gets $850, the TA gets their $50 up front and I get the same $100, it's just that I get it up front.

 

You can call the $50 the TA makes whatever you want (booking fee, commission, grats, etc) and yes I realize that the TA may get some further small kickback from RCI.

 

Biker, who realizes that he could squeeze out a bit more out of some other TA but is satisfied with the pretty good discount he gets from his current one. He also is of the mind that he won't bother calling for price drops unless it's at least $25.

Edited July 19, 2019 by Biker19

[grandgeezer]

1 hour ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Not really apples and oranges, because it’s the same exact room class either way. 

The point of the thread is utilizing a TA to the maximum benefit, and obtain a better package that one can with RCCL (or any other line) direct. 

If you took the time to examine my post, you would have found out it was a reply to a specific post about taking a reduction in price or taking an obc from a travel agent, with $300 referenced in both cases.

I've booked forty six cruises, including a handful of group rates, over the years, and have utilized an online travel agency for everyone. I would guess the total  savings would be in the $12,000 to $15,000 range. In fact $1150 refundable obc on our next cruise in August.