Booking future cruises - TA vs direct

[funinhounslow]

I know we may be a way off from booking cruises again, but hopefully that day will come soon.

 

I was just wondering if there were any lessons to be learned from recent experiences regarding refunds? (FWIW when my cruise was cancelled I opted for FCC and my TA was able to book on a new cruise with no fuss.)

 

It seems to me that the use of a TA may complicate the refund procedure by adding an extra layer of bureaucracy? Also it may "muddy the waters" if anyone wanted to go down the S75/chargeback route...

 

I'm wondering if booking direct may not be a better option in future. Pandemics aside, maybe the simplicity of one transaction and one company to deal with might make it worth paying a slight premium?

 

Or am I missing something?

 

[grapau27]

Our Next cruise is booked direct with P&O.

After 42 years booking through a TA 17 years for cruises the first time there was a problem they were useless.

Edited May 26, 2020 by grapau27

[ohnonotmeagain]

I used to book through an agent as people said " oh we always get such and such from our agent ", well I may have had  the odd £50 off now and again but certainly not every time. Now I I book direct and am happy to do so, particularly in light of recent events. 

Extra layer of bureaucracy  in my opinion. 

[Twogreynomads]

Our TA has always given us great service and handled our refund claim very well so we would certainly carry on using them.

I suppose it all boils down to how you have been treated and there is no doubt that a lot of people have been dissatisfied with their TA and with P&O

 

Viv

[Pine Man]

I always used to do all my research for forthcoming cruises on P&Os web site and then, armed with the information, set off to my TA who used to be in the plumbing business and is now into farming.

 

Most times it worked out ok but their were a few hiccups where things got missed so about three cruises ago I decided to book online with P&O but there was an issue with their web site and I had to phone them. I couldn't have wished for better service on the phone and booked that cruise immediately knowing that everything was exactly as it should be.

 

Since then I have booked additional cruises on the phone and never been let down.

 

I was due on Azura last April and got my full refund just over a week ago without having to make any contact other than ther online claim form.

 

I hope I will be able to, safely, cruise again and will definitely book direct.

[Harry Peterson]

Interesting question.  But no clear answer, I think.

 

I’ve almost always used an excellent cruise specialist agent, partly for the additional discount that can be negotiated and partly because they’ve been infinitely more efficient, easy and pleasant to deal with over the phone than P&O have been.

 

However, when it came to getting refunds on a couple of occasions they did nothing whatever, apart from acting as a postbox. I did all the work, and made all the running. I didn’t really expect more than that, but some support would have been appreciated.

 

The S75 and chargeback position is less than clear.  Agency law comes into it, but the answer may depend on individual circumstances and bookings. 

 

One agent in particular, though, stands out. Long established company with a recently enhanced High Street presence. No names allowed here, but they’ve actually been making refunds out of their own funds, even without a refund from the principal providing the travel arrangements.

 

Now that IS customer service par excellence, and they’ll be getting my future business.  Their line is that they know their customers need the money, and they’re discussing with each company they deal with what their policy is.  They’re reviewing future contracts on the basis of responses, and they’re big enough to matter in the eyes of tour operators.

 

I wonder if they’ll still be handling Carnival customers, or maybe warning them to book elsewhere.

[jeanlyon]

I get the impression not only from my TA but from others who use TAs that P&O kept them out of the loop.  Mine told me he could never speak to anyone who said the same thing twice.  It was him that told me I would be getting a cheque direct from P&O.  Then I was contacted by P&O direct to ask for my bank details.

 

If I book again, I would use him again.  How many times would a situation like this arise?

[majortom10]

We already have one booked for this year and 3 for next year and was going to book for 2022 when programme released in Sept/October or whenever but how I feel at the moment I dont want to cruise again so the question of TA or direct doesnt come into the equation at the moment.

[Son of Anarchy]

Prior to PandO's price fixing, we used TA's for the discounts they were able to apply, or sometimes add OBC.  

 

After the price fixing, we found that we could get some extra OBC due to my job, but this only applies when booking a Select fare directly with PandO.  The TA that we tended to use most of the time, was able to match the OBC by reducing the price.  We continued to use them for a few cruises, but eventually decided it was easier to book direct, and take the OBC.  For Early Saver fares the TA was ably to slightly undercut PandO so have continued to use them when booking ES.  However, a different TA was able to undercut the price for our booking for next year's worldie on a Select fare, and give an additional discount in lieu of extra OBC.  We were also able to pre register at launch choosing our cabin prior to general sale, which is a service PandO do not currently provide for pre-registration.

 

The experience others on this site of both of these TAs has been quite negative.  My experience of both TAs has been very good.  Of course, there wasn't a pandemic at the time.  Obviously, still remains to be seen what happens with next year's worldie.

 

Due to the negative feedback of the TAs that I have previously used, and have one future booking with, I am more likely to book any future cruises directly with Pando, whether they be Select or ES.  In fact, our next cruise is an ES which we used FCCs for, following cancellation, booked directly.

 

But there are advantages booking via TA has, eg the ability to request a specific cabin at launch pre-registration mentioned earlier, which may appeal to many and would mean that they have to use a TA.

[Josy1953]

For many years we booked directly but for the last couple of years we have used a large cruise specialist TA but they were less use than a chocolate fireguard in this situation.  They did nothing to help us to get our refund, they reduced their open hours, and did not reply to emails or queries via their website.  I have definitely learned a lesson that saving a few pounds is not worth the hassle in case of a problem despite appearing to have excellent customer service in the good times.

[funinhounslow]

Thanks for the interesting replies. I am leaning towards booking direct in the future and this seems the wiser option all things considered...

 

4 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

I have definitely learned a lesson that saving a few pounds is not worth the hassle in case of a problem despite appearing to have excellent customer service in the good times.

 

Well this is it. I had a similar experience last year when an internet booking site went bust leaving me in the lurch. The story only has a happy ending because the both the hotel and credit card company went "above and beyond" to help.

 

I think for the sake of peace of mind I will look into booking direct from now on. I think the key lesson is that the fewer parties involved in a transaction the better - it's simpler and reduces the potential for being fobbed off/buck passing.

 

Now to wait for cruising to resume...

 

Thanks again all!

[Harry Peterson]

9 minutes ago, Son of Anarchy said:

But there are advantages booking via TA has, eg the ability to request a specific cabin at launch pre-registration mentioned earlier, which may appeal to many and would mean that they have to use a TA.

That’s a major point actually.  The ability to pre-book a particular cabin is unique to certain agents, and mine has been absolutely first rate at that. Never let me down, despite my limiting the options to just two cabins.

 

And a 5% discount on several thousand pounds over and above all the usual P&O discounts isn’t peanuts!

[Adawn47]

I've used a TA twice for booking cruises and each time there was a problem with my select fare bookings. The first was when we were "upgraded" even though when she asked I said 'definitely not'. It was eventually corrected and they allowed us to select another cabin but it wasn't anywhere near the one we'd originally booked. The next time, same TA but different girl, selected first sitting when I'd asked for second, and only found out when I checked the invoice from P&O. Not a major problem, easily rectified but enough was enough. Since then I book direct and so far, touch wood, no problems. 

Avril 

[terrierjohn]

17 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

That’s a major point actually.  The ability to pre-book a particular cabin is unique to certain agents, and mine has been absolutely first rate at that. Never let me down, despite my limiting the options to just two cabins.

 

And a 5% discount on several thousand pounds over and above all the usual P&O discounts isn’t peanuts!

I think we must use the same TA Harry, and I think that will continue. if you do use other cruise lines then it is even more beneficial to be able to use the same agent.

[jeanlyon]

Actually as I have 3 cruises still booked through my TA, I guess I will be staying with him.  As someone above said, I always get the cabins I want through him.  Last autumn I booked on board on launch, particular asked for the deck I wanted on the pre-reg.  Woman on board told me she would request that.  When my TA got the booking through, we were on A deck.  He quickly changed it, but I think I would always go with him.  I always get a discount as well.

Edited May 26, 2020 by jeanlyon

[Harry Peterson]

Doesn’t the answer depend very much on the question ‘which agent’?  

 

Mine, a large cruise specialist with a small retail presence but taking phone bookings from all over the country, has been exemplary in handling bookings, and enabled me to get pre-booked specific accommodation that could not have been achieved with P&O. And a decent discount.

 

But I am now drawn to the one I mentioned earlier that has made refunds out of its own pockets, and is now challenging companies on behalf of clients.

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Interesting question.  But no clear answer, I think.

 

I’ve almost always used an excellent cruise specialist agent, partly for the additional discount that can be negotiated and partly because they’ve been infinitely more efficient, easy and pleasant to deal with over the phone than P&O have been.

 

However, when it came to getting refunds on a couple of occasions they did nothing whatever, apart from acting as a postbox. I did all the work, and made all the running. I didn’t really expect more than that, but some support would have been appreciated.

 

The S75 and chargeback position is less than clear.  Agency law comes into it, but the answer may depend on individual circumstances and bookings. 

 

One agent in particular, though, stands out. Long established company with a recently enhanced High Street presence. No names allowed here, but they’ve actually been making refunds out of their own funds, even without a refund from the principal providing the travel arrangements.

 

Now that IS customer service par excellence, and they’ll be getting my future business.  Their line is that they know their customers need the money, and they’re discussing with each company they deal with what their policy is.  They’re reviewing future contracts on the basis of responses, and they’re big enough to matter in the eyes of tour operators.

 

I wonder if they’ll still be handling Carnival customers, or maybe warning them to book elsewhere.

That is excellent customer service.

Usually if you book through a TA the cruise company will not entertain you and trying to get through to P&O if you clicked 2 for booked through a TA I was cut off so had to press 1 booked direct to get through.

The TAs should have a big influence with cruise companies but the refund saga showed they do not.

[ann141]

We always used to book through a reputable TA who gave us 5% discount but unfortunately the company went into administration though P and O took over our bookings and I think as a result it has been easier to get our refund.I am not happy though that when speaking to customer services at P and o you often get different answers so when we are ready to book again we may book through one of the large and better known TA s who have been recommended to us if they can give us a reasonable discount.For a short cruise we will probably book direct but 5% discount or similar on a long cruise is a considerable saving.I will make sure I read terms and conditions before booking with TA though as we booked a short cruise for September (not P and O ) and if we cancel there is an admin fee of £50 from the TA. Another problem we have had previously is of independant agents working for a particular company and when once there was a major problem the person we were dealing with was on holiday and the main office would not deal with the problem but said we had to wait until the agent returned home.

[Harry Peterson]

27 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

That is excellent customer service.

Usually if you book through a TA the cruise company will not entertain you and trying to get through to P&O if you clicked 2 for booked through a TA I was cut off so had to press 1 booked direct to get through.

The TAs should have a big influence with cruise companies but the refund saga showed they do not.

It particularly impressed me, but it’s a family owned business very keen on doing the right thing by its customers - for good commercial reasons.

 

I do very much like the idea of a travel agent that’s prepared, and financially able, to pick and choose tour operators according to the way they treat their customers.

 

As I said, I wonder whether they’ll be booking Carnival companies - though it’s quite possible of course that they were able to lean on Carnival/P&O to extract the money needed to repay themselves. They have rather more clout than individuals do!

[grapau27]

32 minutes ago, ann141 said:

We always used to book through a reputable TA who gave us 5% discount but unfortunately the company went into administration though P and O took over our bookings and I think as a result it has been easier to get our refund.I am not happy though that when speaking to customer services at P and o you often get different answers so when we are ready to book again we may book through one of the large and better known TA s who have been recommended to us if they can give us a reasonable discount.For a short cruise we will probably book direct but 5% discount or similar on a long cruise is a considerable saving.I will make sure I read terms and conditions before booking with TA though as we booked a short cruise for September (not P and O ) and if we cancel there is an admin fee of £50 from the TA. Another problem we have had previously is of independant agents working for a particular company and when once there was a major problem the person we were dealing with was on holiday and the main office would not deal with the problem but said we had to wait until the agent returned home.

For years we booked exclusively with a high street TA but sadly they went bust last year and the second cruise with a new TA ( Azura March 20) really opened my eyes.

In January I booked an aft balcony direct with P&O but had rang the TA first who said there were no cabins available.

[jake 26]

We have booked our last 3 cruises on board, and were able to get the cabin we required each time, extra obc and the deposit was £50 pp via credit card. Confirmation invoice sent to our cabin.

We were offered the option of transferring our  booking to a TA but elected not to as we'd had problems with our previous one (cold).

 

The recent refund was straightforward (just over the 45 days so that was acceptable), and our friends were similar (they booked direct on board).

 

OK you may get a bit more discount other ways but we will book on board again if possible, the £50 pp is convenient, and very little to lose if you decide to cancel.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, jeanlyon said:

I get the impression not only from my TA but from others who use TAs that P&O kept them out of the loop.  Mine told me he could never speak to anyone who said the same thing twice.  It was him that told me I would be getting a cheque direct from P&O.  Then I was contacted by P&O direct to ask for my bank details.

 

If I book again, I would use him again.  How many times would a situation like this arise?

I can understand your reasoning.

Strange how when we rang P&O and clicked 2 for booked with TA we were told to contact them and cut off.

After speaking to 9 different TA agents it was clear P&O were not liasing with them.

In the end I clicked 1 for booking direct.

[bobupandown]

Once booked with a TA, never again. Since then I have always book direct, so far been ok, until last week when I tried to book for the Caribbean 2022.

But rang this afternoon totally different experience, so all booked now for the Caribbean January 2022. 😃

[Happy afloat]

We used to book with a high street agent who sadly went out of business last year, apart from a couple of bookings made on board to take advantage of the low deposit. Interestingly, p&o insisted on sending the bookings to the agent anyway. Since then we've booked direct via the phone, as the website usually crashes part way through a booking, and have found it very straightforward and the staff really good. 

We also find booking as soon as they become available gets you the most cost effective deal, countering any discount we may have got from the ta.

[happy v]

I've always booked direct. Bit of a control freak I like to be in charge of my money. A few years ago because of all the comments on here I tried a cruise TA. I wasn't impressed at all. I always phone because I get a discount. I have never had a P&O employee who was anything less than excellent.

I think it's worth noting that a few people in the past who have had problems and needed to cancel got nowhere with their TA and had to contact P&O themselves. It is however individual choice. If you have a good TA you will use them again.

Harry I also saw the interview with Irene and John and they did come over very well. Must have been on NE news.