HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A CRUISE WITH A LOT OF ta'S?

[tuggers]

I was on Century with a group who were doing classes. I was appalled first by their disregard for the dress codes (khakis on formal night and worse in the dining room!) but more so by the fact that as soon as they saw my friend and I recognized for most cruises on that sailing, they came and found us all over the ship, sometimes breaking into conversations we were having with other people, and 'pushed' their business cards on us. Upon being told that we both had our own travel agents, they really put on the hard sell about what they could and would give us in the way of perks to switch to them,

 

I found it all very unprofessional as did my friend and we started to actively avoid them.

 

Anyone else have an experience like this?

[caviargal]

As a TA recently onboard an X ship for a seminar at sea, I was also appalled at the lack of respect for the dress codes. While most looked quite nice, several were far too casually dressed.

 

I must say that the pax who were allowed in for dinner in jeans and flip flops were even worse.

 

I would never approach a pax and try to get their business. There are people in every profession who present a poor example. It is too bad you experienced this firsthand.

[Ships R Great]

Gail, I was on Zenith in Dec. when TAs were having a seminar cruise. No one tried to hard sell us, and we were also recognized for most cruises on board. I can't speak to the dress issue as I did not see any TA that I recognized dressed inappropriately. Wish I could be on Zenith with you in Oct. but we will be in Hawaii then. I do love that little ship!

[cruising with marti]

Having been in the travel business for many years, (4 travel agencies in the S.F. bay area) I can assure you that when I or any of my agents attended any kind of seminar whether on a ship or hotel, convention center, we were appropriately dressed.

 

I believe that poor behavior is not limited to Ta's.

 

 

Phil

[ocngypz]

I've attended a number of seminars at sea on Celebrity, the most recent in October on Zenith. We all were appropriately dressed... and all very low key with other pax. On principal I do not carry business cards with me. If someone asks what I do, I tell them. Only if they express interest, do I ask for their card.

 

Working 6 and 7 days a week, my brain needs some escape!!

 

I remember one seminar I attended. OMG... I was so appalled by the behavior of some agents onboard towards the Guest Relations staff... and others I wanted to hide in my stateroom.

 

Tacky tacky tacky.. agents who push their cards on others. Geesh.. do they really think someone would want a tacky agent??? BLECH!!

[TEXASMUNK]

and tacky lawyers

and tacky doctors

and tacky longshoremen

 

etc,etc,etc

 

You just got lucky and had them all bunched together! Hopefully they will be short lived in the industry and will return to their true calling in life.....

 

Swim instructors in the shallow end of the gene pool.

[red knight]

AS a Ta I never give out my cards when on a cruise! Actually as I wound up at a table and in a CC party on X with another TA on a cruise last year we did exchange cards, that was it. I have cruised in TA groups and have never seen what you describe, sorry you had to! I would toss them overboard personally, but that too would be bad form!:)

[newmexicoNita]

I know we don't always have the best reputations, but my company would come unglued if we didn't follow the dress code while attending a siminar at sea or any other type of event. I remember about a year or so ago when we toured a couple of ships one Saturday: we were given strict instructions as to what we could wear for our visits to the ships. I will say, there were a group of agents (certainly not our company) that didn't get the same message we got. I would never embarrass myself or my company by not following the correct dress code or by acting in a less than professional way. this does not mean I wouldn't have a good time, but I try to be on my best behavior when I am working. Seminars are part of work I feel. NMnita

[newmexicoNita]

AS a Ta I never give out my cards when on a cruise! Actually as I wound up at a table and in a CC party on X with another TA on a cruise last year we did exchange cards, that was it. I have cruised in TA groups and have never seen what you describe, sorry you had to! I would toss them overboard personally, but that too would be bad form!:)

I don't think I have even given out a card either: I do let people know I am a TA and I have had them give me their EMail addresses, but only on rare occassions.

[tuggers]

This bunch was unbelievable! They came in the Martini Bar every night and sat near the middle so that one side of the table was smoking and then they all would light up making non smokers have to move to other tables. They drank too much, Talked too loud, talked about the pax in voices that carried WAY too far and complained about the lack of night life ad naseum!!

 

Sure wasn't a good advertisement for their profession. I asked what company they were with but they said, 'a bunch of different ones'. I wanted to know because I didn't ever want to book with that company!

[dtm]

Every cruise I've ever been on had a lot of T & A on it, but I've never considered it to be a problem!

 

Dan

[tbelian]

The only real experience I have had with TA(s) being on the cruise was one cruise on Century, when they absolutely positively monopolized the future cruise consultant's time. The impression I got was that they felt they should get 'priority' because after all the were TA(s) and could 'bring a lot of business to the table'.

 

I also felt that the future cruise consultant at the time (Mahelia, or Makela? , she has been mentioned here before and is now captain's club representative) LET them monopolize her time. Bad form.

[The Big Booper]

Every cruise I've ever been on had a lot of T & A on it, but I've never considered it to be a problem!

 

Dan

The crowd here seems to have missed the point of your little funny post. :D

[Blazerboy]

We were sailing on the Harmony back from Hawaii, and were disembarking in Ensenada to be bused to San Diego. Because some passengers got on in Japan, they were allowed to stay on until San Diego, so the topic of conversation was all about how dreadful it would be to stay on, and to have to deal with all these TA's on their one-night Fam trip. I, being young and naive, repeated this when asked if I minded getting off in Ensenada, saying well, at least I didn't have to stay on with all those TA's. Low and behold, two of the friends that I made on that cruise, and who were seated with me in the dining room for the whole cruise, were both TA's.:o I heard later that, yes, there were some obnoxious people on the overnight to San Diego, but also heard that some of them were the passengers coming from Japan, and not the TA's.

 

So, yes, when groups get together on a ship, they can act like the rules don't apply to them, be ill-mannered with the staff, and generally make other passengers' lives unpleasant (if they let them...) But that is "group" behavior not necessarily "that group" behavior.

 

Also, the fact that I didn't know my two new friends were TA's speaks volumes about their discretion, and, unfortunately, about my stereotyping.

 

Mea Culpa, because now some of my best friends are TA's. ;)

 

Andrew

[cruising with marti]

Andrew, how about X TA's, aren't we friends???;)

 

 

Phil

[newtocc]

Well, I don’t know about you guys, but if it wasn’t for the ta ta’s, I’d never cruise again!

[Blazerboy]

Phil, hmmm, I'm not sure because...afterall...some ex-ta's are salesmen trying to sell me a Swedish-American bill of goods!:eek:

 

Of course we're friends!:D

[cruising with marti]

Well, I don’t know about you guys, but if it wasn’t for the ta ta’s, I’d never cruise again!

 

 

LOL, could not agree more:D

 

 

Phil

[WeBeCruisin']

On our SeaDream trip in October of 2001, SeaDream had an offer, since they had just recently been created, where travel agents could cruise with them at a reduced rate and bring guests, who paid only $1200 for a seven-day Med/Gibraltar/Canary Islands/Casablanca cruise. That's half to one-third of their usual rate.My wife and I were two of the "guests".

 

We didn't find the agents to be particularly obnoxious, but it was amusing to see how virtually every conversation devolved into a competition as to who had been on the most cruises and who had the most clients. An unbelievable amount of one-upsmanship took place.

 

Allen

[cruising with marti]

On our SeaDream trip in October of 2001' date=' SeaDream had an offer, since they had just recently been created, where travel agents could cruise with them at a reduced rate and bring guests, who paid only $1200 for a seven-day Med/Gibraltar/Canary Islands/Casablanca cruise. That's half to one-third of their usual rate.My wife and I were two of the "guests".

 

We didn't find the agents to be particularly obnoxious, but it was amusing to see how virtually every conversation devolved into a competition as to who had been on the most cruises and who had the most clients. An unbelievable amount of one-upsmanship took place.

 

Allen[/quote']

 

 

 

Allen, one upsmanship? is that any different that a some of us?:D

 

Phil

[WeBeCruisin']

Allen, one upsmanship? is that any different that a some of us?:D

 

Phil

LOL, Phil. Good point! This was especially amusing because everyone was being so fakey nice and sweet to each other while actually trying to put each other down. And, by coincidence, it seems like all of the agents were women. I don't remember any male agents.

 

Allen

[cruising with marti]

LOL' date=' Phil. Good point! This was especially amusing because everyone was being so fakey nice and sweet to each other while actually trying to put each other down. And, by coincidence, it seems like all of the agents were women. I don't remember any male agents.

 

Allen[/quote']

 

All women huh, does that surprise you " fakey nice and sweet to each other, while actually trying to put each other down"

 

Bet I am in big trouble now:D

 

 

Phil

[gkm]

Yep, you are.

 

Garry

[WeBeCruisin']

Yep, you are.

 

Garry

 

Sic 'im, Garry!

[cruising with marti]

Sic 'im' date=' Garry![/quote']

 

 

AH, I can handle Garry, she is my southern peach:)

 

 

Phil