Nobody knows !!!!

[Elorac123]

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Where did you see that? 🙂 I looked at the Princess website and the Sun Princess is not included in the cruises available. When I looked at on-line TA's they list the Sun Princess cruises as 'sold out'.

Screen shot just taken, you can click right through to book on Princess website

Cheers Carole 

[Elorac123]

Oh, should Have gone to specsavers, they changed the ship name !
Cheers Carole

[Aus Traveller]

18 minutes ago, Elorac123 said:

Oh, should Have gone to specsavers, they changed the ship name !
Cheers Carole

So the cruise was on the Sapphire Princess, not the Sun Princess. A bit different. Princess wasn't advertising a cruise that they know won't happen.

 

I don't object to their advertising cruises in May or later next year. These cruises might happen and anyone booking should realise there is some doubt about that. If they don't they must be living under the proverbial rock.

[By The Bay]

15 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

Where did you see that? 🙂 I looked at the Princess website and the Sun Princess is not included in the cruises available. When I looked at on-line TA's they list the Sun Princess cruises as 'sold out'.

It might have been the case, however this is a screen shot I took today. No Sun or Sea mentioned sailing in Australian waters.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, By The Bay said:

It might have been the case, however this is a screen shot I took today. No Sun or Sea mentioned sailing in Australian waters.

I agree that some time ago, the Sun Princess would have been shown as the ship that was doing those itineraries. However, from when she was withdrawn from the fleet (a week or two ago?), the Sun Princess would have been removed from the list of ships on which Princess was selling cruises.

 

The whole point of your post yesterday, was the claim that Princess is still selling cruises on a ship that was not going to be part of the fleet when the cruises are due to occur. Therefore, cruises that will not go ahead. Sorry to say, but you were not correct. There is not much point in now saying "It might have been the case". No. There is nothing to back up the claim. 🙂

[Elorac123]

26 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I agree that some time ago, the Sun Princess would have been shown as the ship that was doing those itineraries. However, from when she was withdrawn from the fleet (a week or two ago?), the Sun Princess would have been removed from the list of ships on which Princess was selling cruises.

 

The whole point of your post yesterday, was the claim that Princess is still selling cruises on a ship that was not going to be part of the fleet when the cruises are due to occur. Therefore, cruises that will not go ahead. Sorry to say, but you were not correct. There is not much point in now saying "It might have been the case". No. There is nothing to back up the claim. 🙂

It was my post not bythebay,no need to get your knickers in a twist about a honest mistake,I publicly apologise for slurring Princess.

Cheers Carole

[getting older slowly]

Noticed on the News Flight Centre are closing a lot more stores.......

 

It will get to a point...where only online booking is the only way......

 

No middle man   cruise lines make more money....

 

Don

[Docker123]

1 minute ago, getting older slowly said:

Noticed on the News Flight Centre are closing a lot more stores.......

 

It will get to a point...where only online booking is the only way......

 

No middle man   cruise lines make more money....

 

Don

We have a Captain store and an associates store within about 250m of each other. Certainly prefer the associates. 
 

It has been interesting over the last year or so how much more aggressively Captain has been advertising cruises. Perhaps a collapsing of the brands on the books.

 

[getting older slowly]

1 minute ago, Docker123 said:

We have a Captain store and an associates store within about 250m of each other. Certainly prefer the associates. 
 

It has been interesting over the last year or so how much more aggressively Captain has been advertising cruises. Perhaps a collapsing of the brands on the books.

 

 

INteresting     we started with   C.... About... then followed our TA the Assoc.....

 

But it is all looking shaky like a jelly.....

 

Don

[MMDown Under]

We have an Associates and a FC in our shopping centre.  Yesterday, Associates was closed with one person inside, whilst FC was open with a sign "by appointment only", with three staff inside.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

2 hours ago, getting older slowly said:

Noticed on the News Flight Centre are closing a lot more stores.......

 

It will get to a point...where only online booking is the only way......

 

No middle man   cruise lines make more money....

 

Don

So more money goes overseas. 🤔🛳🛳💲💲🛳🛳😳
Don’t forget your cruise fare is inclusive of commission and if you book direct with the cruise line they do not reduce the fare. 
 

[MMDown Under]

33 minutes ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

So more money goes overseas. 🤔🛳🛳💲💲🛳🛳😳
Don’t forget your cruise fare is inclusive of commission and if you book direct with the cruise line they do not reduce the fare. 

Cruise lines have slowly refunded or offered FCC to passengers, which then have to be paid by TAs, which slowly refund these.  Seems to be double work to me, with no advantage to passengers.  When you book through a TA, you loose the right to contact the cruise line/air line direct with regard to your complaints about slow refunds/fccs. etc. 

[MicCanberra]

There are pros and cons for each method of booking.

[MMDown Under]

4 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

There are pros and cons for each method of booking.

I have done both, through necessity, but have never understood the advantage, unless that is  the only way you can make the booking.  What are the pros, if you are an experienced traveller?

Edited October 2, 2020 by MMDown Under

[The_Big_M]

Each TA has their own style, so you can't generalise, the same as each cruise line has different policies and approaches.

 

e.g. with some TAs you may get more credit, and/or may get points, and/or may get better/personal service, and/or may have different payment terms, maybe better or worse, or may be more convenient (or not). And sometimes specific deals may only be available through a specific agent. That's why it can't be said there is no one best way, but each person has to assess what they value more, and also choose which suits them better.

 

For example, I've had 4 different TAs with travel affected by covid, and the responses have all been different just on that one issue:

1) Had a mechanised process, and poor service, but didn't charge anything for refunds

2) Had reasonable service, but is charging for refunds (improperly)

3) Had personal, decent service, and isn't charging for refunds

4) Had personal, somewhat vague service (refund policy unknown)

 

But you can also have variability in dealing with individuals at cruise lines, so it just comes down to finding what suits you.

[MicCanberra]

Sometimes a TA will offer a Fly/ Stay/ Cruise package deal that just cannot be done for the same price if booking for yourself.

[bazzaw]

I don't have a dog in this fight anymore 🙂 - but I was watching a video about the cruise industry that said that the major players ( Carnival Corp and RCL) had gotten multi-Billion$ finances to last them through to the middle of next year with no income until then - also said that Carnival is currently burning through $500 million USD per month!!!!  Meanwhile the clock is ticking!!!!  This may eventually turn out to be a much bigger deal than FC closing up!! I know that many/most of us had no conception in March that we would reach October now with no resolution - another 6 months will soon tick by. 

 

[MMDown Under]

19 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Sometimes a TA will offer a Fly/ Stay/ Cruise package deal that just cannot be done for the same price if booking for yourself.

Agreed that is where TAs offer real value, for convenience alone.  

[Aussieflyer]

On 10/2/2020 at 9:03 AM, getting older slowly said:

Noticed on the News Flight Centre are closing a lot more stores.......

 

It will get to a point...where only online booking is the only way......

 

No middle man   cruise lines make more money....

 

Don

Though surely no one uses that TA - lots of bad rap.😱

 

And on a positive note received my refund from Silver Muse 22 Dec cruise this week - 58 days but that has been par for the course. As it had been fully paid I was pleased to receive the money back though sad I'm not sailing. It is still showing on the SS site but suspect it won't go ahead.

[getting older slowly]

5 minutes ago, Aussieflyer said:

Though surely no one uses that TA - lots of bad rap.😱

 

 No we do not use that TA... it was just a general comment.... inferring there will be less and less TA on the ground .... our's has been very good to us and will continue  to use her...

 

Don

[Aussieflyer]

5 minutes ago, getting older slowly said:

 No we do not use that TA... it was just a general comment.... inferring there will be less and less TA on the ground .... our's has been very good to us and will continue  to use her...

 

Don

I do think some people (perhaps those who feel they lack experience in booking and probably not posters on here) use them and like to actually go into a physical store - there is always someone in my local store when I walk past.Less bricks and mortar TAs seems to have been a trend with many going online. I use an online one I use when I don't book directly.

Edited October 3, 2020 by Aussieflyer

[NSWP]

19 hours ago, Aussieflyer said:

I do think some people (perhaps those who feel they lack experience in booking and probably not posters on here) use them and like to actually go into a physical store - there is always someone in my local store when I walk past.Less bricks and mortar TAs seems to have been a trend with many going online. I use an online one I use when I don't book directly.

Some travellers (seniors)  don't have computers, or i phones, or i pads, old school they go to the high street TA. 

[Aussieflyer]

6 hours ago, NSWP said:

Some travellers (seniors)  don't have computers, or i phones, or i pads, old school they go to the high street TA. 

True though most of my friends (who are seniors) do use the internet - if not booking direct it will be with an online TA. There are a number of well established bricks and mortar TAs here who have a loyal client base - most of  then started as independents and have become part of larger groups over time.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

8 hours ago, Aussieflyer said:

True though most of my friends (who are seniors) do use the internet - if not booking direct it will be with an online TA. There are a number of well established bricks and mortar TAs here who have a loyal client base - most of  then started as independents and have become part of larger groups over time.

I think we may see a return to. the days of the independent TA .A good one can deal direct with the cruise lines on the clients behalf and pass on the savings from not having to pay franchise fees .

[Aussieflyer]

2 hours ago, Kiwi Kruzer said:

I think we may see a return to. the days of the independent TA .A good one can deal direct with the cruise lines on the clients behalf and pass on the savings from not having to pay franchise fees .

That would  be a welcome move though I wonder if ‘the big boys’ have got things sewn up by now.