Travel Agent Booking

[lvog]

Is it customary to receive an OBC or some type of complimentary offering after booking  a very expensive 3 week cruise ? Not sure what, if any, expectation one should have. 

[wesport]

I use several travel agents. I ask for quotes before booking to determine who I book with. Sometimes with Seabourn I have received a $300 obc from my TA, and sometimes not. Depends on the cruise. 

[lvog]

1 hour ago, wesport said:

I use several travel agents. I ask for quotes before booking to determine who I book with. Sometimes with Seabourn I have received a $300 obc from my TA, and sometimes not. Depends on the cruise. 

Thanks. I’ve recently started to book through an agent after previously scheduling directly with the line.

[rallydave]

On 1/13/2020 at 5:10 AM, lvog said:

Thanks. I’ve recently started to book through an agent after previously scheduling directly with the line.

Yes, you should get financial benefits when booking with a TA.  These could run from OBC, cash rebate in the area of 10% included excursions, etc.

 

These Travel Agents are out there, just have to find them as we are not able to provide their names here.  These TA's also provide help in the case of issues and work for you and not for the cruise line as the agents at the cruise line booking office do.  Just ask your fellow cruisers on board as there are quite a few TA's who provide significant benefits.

On 1/13/2020 at 5:10 AM, lvog said:

Thanks. I’ve recently started to book through an agent after previously scheduling directly with the line.

 

[buchhalm]

How common is something like this:

Travel agent advertising "brochure price, $22,000. OUR price $6,333. You save 70%.

Then you get a quotation for this $6,333 cabin which turns out to be for a cabin category the cruise line itself sells for $6,750 for the same category.

So where is the 70% saving? Bait advertising. Load of rubbish. 

 

[Hoyaheel]

That's common. Many cruiselines advertise 2-for-1 pricing or 50% off brochure - you quickly learn which lines do that so you know to always look at the "real" cost of the cruise. Bottom line - check what the TA is offering, check what the line itself is offering, and book whichever suits you. I *hate* using TAs but they almost always offer at least SOMETHING I can't get booking directly on my own, so I use them (as booking agents more than anything else - I assume my own risk and do my own research because I enjoy it).

[rallydave]

53 minutes ago, buchhalm said:

How common is something like this:

Travel agent advertising "brochure price, $22,000. OUR price $6,333. You save 70%.

Then you get a quotation for this $6,333 cabin which turns out to be for a cabin category the cruise line itself sells for $6,750 for the same category.

So where is the 70% saving? Bait advertising. Load of rubbish. 

 

What you have described is the "norm" in cruise line pricing.  You can't blame the TA for this, it is the cruise line that is putting those crazy brochure prices out there to make the prices they actually are offering for booking look like such a great deal.  The TA's are simply following the cruise line leads and another thing to look for is if or if not the Port fees and taxes are included in the "brochure price"??  If the port fees and taxes are broken out separately, they will NOT be included in the brochure pricing or in the offered 70% discount.  As Hoyaheel said, it is a game made to get people to think they are getting a better deal than they really are.  It is the marketers and advertising people who do this just like the 50% off advertising in big print with the words "up to" in small print to make you think everything is half off.

 

It's the bottom line you pay and most, if not all cruise lines restrict TA's from "discounting" their cruises or advertising that so they have come up with the rebate which is taken off the TA's commission while the cruise line gets the full advertised price.

[alexandra cruiser]

I talked to a passenger and he gave me great TA name,,,based in Texas.

Find lowest price,,,then they give %5 back to you by check before cruise.

Also, if over 10 days ,,they also give OBC,,,amt.depends on cruise  price.

Try looking for luxury TAs ,,,and just asking.

They do all the stuff,,even help in booking shore exc..seems the have an IN to get them when waitlisted ,too.

Feel better doing all the research,,then they handle rest.

[fdnycruiser]

Full disclosure, I’m NOT a TA.  However ,many TA’s can give you a much better price than brochure. The larger agencies sometimes guarantee the cruise line X amount of cabins. Depending on the incentives and rate they paid they often can give you very good pricing. Also, sometimes a cruise is listed as sold out, but the TA may still have some inventory. BTW, I used to book directly, until the cruise line explained why a TA had extra incentives. I transferred the booking, and have been using a TA ever since.

[rallydave]

5 minutes ago, alexandra cruiser said:

I talked to a passenger and he gave me great TA name,,,based in Texas.

Find lowest price,,,then they give %5 back to you by check before cruise.

Also, if over 10 days ,,they also give OBC,,,amt.depends on cruise  price.

Try looking for luxury TAs ,,,and just asking.

They do all the stuff,,even help in booking shore exc..seems the have an IN to get them when waitlisted ,too.

Feel better doing all the research,,then they handle rest.

Familiar with the TA you talked about and just be aware their give back is about 1/2 of what other great TA's provide.  Just have to talk to the right person to find one of those TA's.

[lvog]

I booked my 3 week cruise while on a Seabourn Cruise last year. By booking on board, we received a 5 percent discount. All I received from my TA was a bon voyage note.

[buchhalm]

Thanks all.

What I was gettin at is these sort of methods would make anybody think that they are getting a $20,000+ cabin for $6,000, if they book with an agency. Oh well. :-)

Does anyone here know what (apart from the height of the deck) the difference between all those V staterooms are?

I am looking at Seabourne Quest in particular.

So far we have booked "guarantee" staterooms with Seabourne, but this time I rather choose the location.

[rallydave]

3 minutes ago, buchhalm said:

Thanks all.

What I was gettin at is these sort of methods would make anybody think that they are getting a $20,000+ cabin for $6,000, if they book with an agency. Oh well. 🙂

Does anyone here know what (apart from the height of the deck) the difference between all those V staterooms are?

I am looking at Seabourne Quest in particular.

So far we have booked "guarantee" staterooms with Seabourne, but this time I rather choose the location.

The only thing I know is different other that the deck number and fore and aft is the Verandas on Deck 5 are metal below the railing while all of the other decks are glass below the railing.   Our first 2 cruises on Seabourn were on Quest and Odyssey which along with Sojourn are all virtually identical and we were happy in V2's on Deck 5.  No problems looking out.  This year back on Quest on Deck 6 and interested to see if the Veranda makes any difference; doubt it will and only reason on Deck 6 was a free upgrade after booking a V2 on Deck 5.

 

Hope this helps,

 

 

[buchhalm]

11 minutes ago, rallydave said:

The only thing I know is different other that the deck number and fore and aft is the Verandas on Deck 5 are metal below the railing while all of the other decks are glass below the railing.   Our first 2 cruises on Seabourn were on Quest and Odyssey which along with Sojourn are all virtually identical and we were happy in V2's on Deck 5.  No problems looking out.  This year back on Quest on Deck 6 and interested to see if the Veranda makes any difference; doubt it will and only reason on Deck 6 was a free upgrade after booking a V2 on Deck 5.

 

Hope this helps,

 

 

Excellent. Thank you.

[jozi]

5 hours ago, lvog said:

I booked my 3 week cruise while on a Seabourn Cruise last year. By booking on board, we received a 5 percent discount. All I received from my TA was a bon voyage note.

You can transfer the booking to your agent and they can make the before/after arrangements And maybe able to score some goodies.  In future You can also put a deposit down on an open booking whilst aboard and book specific cruise  later, still getting the 5% Discount. 

[lvog]

8 hours ago, jozi said:

You can transfer the booking to your agent and they can make the before/after arrangements And maybe able to score some goodies.  In future You can also put a deposit down on an open booking whilst aboard and book specific cruise  later, still getting the 5% Discount. 

 

8 hours ago, jozi said:

You can transfer the booking to your agent and they can make the before/after arrangements And maybe able to score some goodies.  In future You can also put a deposit down on an open booking whilst aboard and book specific cruise  later, still getting the 5% Discount. 

Thank you for this information.