Travel agent blocks Royal Up question

[Krazyfuntimes]

I booked a cruise in March for next year while on board at the Next Cruise desk. They transferred it to my big box TA. While reading CC I discovered that this TA does not allow guests to participate in the Royal UP program. This TA states that RC does not allow them.

 

Shouldn't this have been mentioned before they transferred it to them by RC? This TA states they are not obligated to share this information nor do they feel RC should have said anything.

 

Just wondering, not a huge deal, but I still feel it is important to know prior to booking. I was wondering why I never got offers on any previous cruises. I always book the cabin I want and location, but there might come a day when I would like to participate just for fun.

 

Thanks and happy cruising!

[Krazyfuntimes]

I booked a cruise in March for next year while on board at the Next Cruise desk. They transferred it to my big box TA. While reading CC I discovered that this TA does not allow guests to participate in the Royal UP program. This TA states that RC does not allow them.

 

Shouldn't this have been mentioned before they transferred it to them by RC? This TA states they are not obligated to share this information nor do they feel RC should have said anything.

 

Just wondering, not a huge deal, but I still feel it is important to know prior to booking. I was wondering why I never got offers on any previous cruises. I always book the cabin I want and location, but there might come a day when I would like to participate just for fun.

 

Thanks and happy cruising!

[molly361]

It's not Royal not allowing them it's the big box TA that is choosing not to participate

[Clarea]

I agree, that is something your travel agent should clearly disclose.

[irishgal432]

The only thing you can do is to call and voice a complaint. I have done an non every cruise I have booked. They are still under the assumption it works like the ncl program where they have to get involved. Explain to them as I have done that the ta does not have to be involved. 

Edited September 13, 2019 by irishgal432

[irishgal432]

To add. Go to their website and search feedback. That will bring up a screen that allows yoU to provide feedback. It enough people do it they may change their policy. 

[StolidCruiser]

Why do you feel it is Royal's responsibility to inform you of your TA's policies and restrictions?

[Clarea]

I also feel like the travel agent should agree to you moving your booking elsewhere because they did not fully inform you of their policy on RoyalUP.

[awestover89]

RC shouldn't have said anything; I imagine they get thousands of transfer booking requests, and looking up the exact details of their contract with each individual agency wouldn't be realistic. Plus it would then open up a whole different can of worms if there are policies that agencies have that don't involve Royal directly (i.e. some agencies have cancellation fees, even when Royal does not) If Royal started telling people about some travel agent specific policies, others would complain that their particular situation wasn't warned against.

 

As far as the TA, I feel they should disclose that information (and they might in some super fine print) but I'm not sure if they should have to disclose it. I booked my first cruise through a big box and found out about all their policies the hard way after booking; cancellation fee, processing fee if I wanted a price drop, earlier final payment date. It was a disaster. I went without a TA for a while before finding a local agent and then becoming one myself so there'd be no more nasty surprises.

[Ashland]

33 minutes ago, molly361 said:

It's not Royal not allowing them it's the big box TA that is choosing not to participate

Absolutely this ^^^^^.

[Krazyfuntimes]

The TA said, it is Royal not allowing it. Something about not getting more money after the cabin has been upgraded. I totally understand that part.

 

I was just wondering if it should be in fine print anywhere, which it is not and they say it never will be, nor will they tell me. They do ramble off a ton of policy info, but that won't ever be included per the supervisor I talked too.

 

It is not a big deal, but i think it should be printed somewhere, so I know (now if I find my readers to read all of it is another story, LOL).

[Merion_Mom]

11 minutes ago, Krazyfuntimes said:

The TA said, it is Royal not allowing it. Something about not getting more money after the cabin has been upgraded. I totally understand that part.

 

I was just wondering if it should be in fine print anywhere, which it is not and they say it never will be, nor will they tell me. They do ramble off a ton of policy info, but that won't ever be included per the supervisor I talked too.

 

It is not a big deal, but i think it should be printed somewhere, so I know (now if I find my readers to read all of it is another story, LOL).

 

That first paragraph didn't make any sense to me.

 

It IS the BigBoxTA saying it.  RC doesn't prohibit anyone from participating in RoyalUp, AFAIK.  

 

RC certainly does get more money if you upgrade through RoyalUp.  Your TA probably doesn't derive any benefit from it.

[stevea36]

Neither RCI nor Celebrity prohibit, in any shape or form, any of their Travel Advisors from participating in the Royal Up (or Move Up) program.   I agree with clarea that if a TA does not allow you to take part and did not disclose this to you that you should be able to move the booking to another TA.  Just Contact RCI and tell them that you want to move your booking because the TA did not disclose this to you.  If they say they cannot, go up the ladder...

 

 

[jagsfan]

if you use the big box TA I use you also don’t get notice of possible free upgrades.  

They do not check the upgrade faxes that come in. So the client never knows if they happen. 

That includes notice of Royal Ups. 

So far the OBC or check after sailing has been reward enough for me to stay with them. 

As far as transferring the booking away from a TA, I believe most cruise lines imposes time restrictions. 

[orville99]

Small point, but next cruise booked onboard automatically goes to the travel agency that held the current cruise unless you specify something different. I presume you used the big box TA for the cruise you were on when you booked the one in question. 

 

[irishgal432]

1 hour ago, Krazyfuntimes said:

The TA said, it is Royal not allowing it. Something about not getting more money after the cabin has been upgraded. I totally understand that part.

 

I was just wondering if it should be in fine print anywhere, which it is not and they say it never will be, nor will they tell me. They do ramble off a ton of policy info, but that won't ever be included per the supervisor I talked too.

 

It is not a big deal, but i think it should be printed somewhere, so I know (now if I find my readers to read all of it is another story, LOL).

I got communication and then talked to an agent and they said the big box ta opted out of it. 

[Krazyfuntimes]

1 hour ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

That first paragraph didn't make any sense to me.

 

It IS the BigBoxTA saying it.  RC doesn't prohibit anyone from participating in RoyalUp, AFAIK.  

 

RC certainly does get more money if you upgrade through RoyalUp.  Your TA probably doesn't derive any benefit from it.

 

Big box said "RC doesn't let them participate". Big Box TA then said "something like they don't get more money if they did participate in the royal up program". So confusing...Not sure what the true reason is. 

 

Bottom line is they don't participate. Not a big deal, but please print it somewhere or inform guests booking in case that makes a difference. I have done WS guarantees as well as  picked my exact cabin before, so I am not picky. I would however like to be included if there is a chance I could get a great deal. Who doesn't love to gamble on a cabin last minute, LOL

 

[dolphingirl47]

I don’t get this at all. I am a travel agent and I am also a Royal Caribbean customer. I book my personal travel through our agency. I went on two Royal Caribbean cruises so far this year and on both occasions, I got emails to bid on upgrades directly from Royal Caribbean to my private email address, which is attached to my Crown and Anchor account. 

 

Corinna

[Clarea]

1 hour ago, dolphingirl47 said:

I don’t get this at all. I am a travel agent and I am also a Royal Caribbean customer. I book my personal travel through our agency. I went on two Royal Caribbean cruises so far this year and on both occasions, I got emails to bid on upgrades directly from Royal Caribbean to my private email address, which is attached to my Crown and Anchor account. 

 

Corinna

 

You would not have received those bid offers had you been booked with a travel agency that has opted out of the RoyalUp program. 

[klfrodo]

1 hour ago, Krazyfuntimes said:

 

Big box said "RC doesn't let them participate". Big Box TA then said "something like they don't get more money if they did participate in the royal up program". So confusing...Not sure what the true reason is. 

 

Bottom line is they don't participate. Not a big deal, but please print it somewhere or inform guests booking in case that makes a difference. I have done WS guarantees as well as  picked my exact cabin before, so I am not picky. I would however like to be included if there is a chance I could get a great deal. Who doesn't love to gamble on a cabin last minute, LOL

 

Very simple solution. Stop booking with the big box TA

[stevea36]

2 hours ago, jagsfan said:

if you use the big box TA I use you also don’t get notice of possible free upgrades.  

They do not check the upgrade faxes that come in. So the client never knows if they happen. 

That includes notice of Royal Ups. 

So far the OBC or check after sailing has been reward enough for me to stay with them. 

As far as transferring the booking away from a TA, I believe most cruise lines imposes time restrictions. 

You can transfer a booking from a TA only if a) the TA agrees to it, or b) RCI has reason to believe that the TA is not correctly servicing the client (this case).   There is no time limit on transferring from a TA.   There is, however, a 60 days from reservation date time limit on transferring from RCI to a TA.

 

TAs do not get the Royal Up notifications for any of their clients, the notification goes directly to the client.

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, stevea36 said:

You can transfer a booking from a TA only if a) the TA agrees to it, or b) RCI has reason to believe that the TA is not correctly servicing the client (this case).   There is no time limit on transferring from a TA.   There is, however, a 60 days from reservation date time limit on transferring from RCI to a TA.

 

TAs do not get the Royal Up notifications for any of their clients, the notification goes directly to the client.

 

But the TA does get an increase in commission if the client's RoyalUp bid is accepted, right?

[Ourusualbeach]

3 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

Your TA probably doesn't derive any benefit from it.

Carol, TA's absolutely get additional commission if their clients win the bid. Win/Win. 

[Ourusualbeach]

5 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

But the TA does get an increase in commission if the client's RoyalUp bid is accepted, right?

Right 

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Right 

 

So what would be a reason that a travel agency would opt out of the RoyalUp program?