I Give UP

[cruising Katie]

After years of using a TA, I had a busy trip to Norway booked. when the paperwork was e mailed it was all wrong, wrong year, wrong name, wrong booking #,  wrong pre-cruise hotel, wrong $$.  I could go on.

When i called my TA she was very Oh Well, it really does not matter. she can correct, the corrections were still wrong. finally got most corrected, got $$ corrected, but i still was concerned.  I travel alone and want have the proper paperwork with me.  I tried one more time with a river cruise this time,  that was the year that canals from Amsterdam to Budapest had not enough water in them, the TA knew it, but figured I would not mind being stuck every few days?  Ended up having more of a bus trip than river cruise.  Since then, I have only used the direct to the actual cruise line.  My PCC so far has been wonderful on HAL.    

Kate 

[rervousneck]

4 hours ago, taxmantoo said:

He would never have said that if he would have had to deal with millennials 🙂 

The biggest problem with millennials is they remind older people of who they once were.😁

Edited June 25, 2021 by rervousneck

[boze9999]

Many of us have worked for corporations and we need to remember what that means. Our HAL PC's are bound by their rules of employment and in these unprecedented times, their requirements are even more stringent. As we read all of the "hearsay" about my TA said "this", it fuels the fires, rumors and anxieties. We all are frustrated by receiving little or no news - and as a couple with 14 cancelled cruises, we're searching daily for patience.....I can't imagine the corporate and international logistics HAL is faced with - much more than each of us individually. We're almost at the finish line....and the starting line.....so my mantra now is "it comes when it comes" - something we learned while waiting for meal service at Windsor Palace.....Wrapping you all with patience......

[Florida_gal_50]

3 hours ago, iancal said:

On more than one occasion TA’s have shared information with us about a cruise line or a specific ship that a cruise line employee, consultant or CSR, would never have shared.  
 

A cruise line consultant may know that a substantial change is in the works from HQ but is forbidden to mention same until it is ‘official’.

 

 They may have data, knowledge or feedback that many cruisers are not happy with a certain ship however their employment restricts them from being as candid as they might otherwise be with prospective cruisers.

We (or at least I) am not talking about air conditioning issues.  We (i) are talking about itinerary changes etc.  You can read plenty about ship issues on cruise critic.  I know some people feel that ta’s walk on water and they know all.  I’m pretty confident that they don’t know about itinerary changes and the like.  If that works for you great.  I just don’t see the value in having one.  A pcc is able to match any price now as long as it’s in writing so that’s not of any value.  I’ve used ta’s in the past that couldn’t name which ships belong to which line never mind know issues about every ship world wide 😛.

[iancal]

29 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

We (or at least I) am not talking about air conditioning issues.  We (i) are talking about itinerary changes etc.  You can read plenty about ship issues on cruise critic.  I know some people feel that ta’s walk on water and they know all.  I’m pretty confident that they don’t know about itinerary changes and the like.  If that works for you great.  I just don’t see the value in having one.  A pcc is able to match any price now as long as it’s in writing so that’s not of any value.  I’ve used ta’s in the past that couldn’t name which ships belong to which line never mind know issues about every ship world wide 😛.

I worked in an environment of channel sales.   Not dissimilar to how cruise lines work.  They have direct sales and channel (TA) sales.

 

Often these are two separate groups within the company.   Large and important channel sale customers will have contacts at the VP level.  Information flows down to a large agency in this way.  Typically down to the agencies heavy hitters....the agents that write huge amounts of business.  You can be assured that these people will often know more about what is going on with  a cruise line's marketing and sales than will the CSR at the end of the phone or the PCC.  The latter will be the last to be told...officially.  And they will only speak to officially released info.

 

There are terrible TA's.  In point of fact so many good ones have left the industry that it is hard to find a good one.  People like me who used TA's for business travel for years now find it so much easier (and less expensive) to do the research ourselves and make our own arrangements.  Since retirement ten years ago various TA's have saved us a great deal of money through OBC's or by pointing out competing offers that we were not aware of.  Not to mention independent feedback on ships. 

 

 

Edited June 26, 2021 by iancal

[sail7seas]

On 6/24/2021 at 9:41 PM, Florida_gal_50 said:

I think patience is the word.  I know people think hal is deliberately lying about it’s plans to suck people in.  I’m pretty sure most employees are kept in the dark until the last minute.  Plans will change for the near future at a very minimum.  

 

 

Thank y ou for your help   😉

[zgscl]

The key point I think is an excellent PCC is better than a decent TA and a great TA will be better than a decent PCC. For years we had a mediocre TA because a relative had used her for years. About 10 years ago we switched and I couldn't be happier. I hate to think about planning travel after she retires. I may very well switch to using a PCC/calling the 800 number and managing online though I will probably hope to find another good one if I can. I know many have retired particularly throughout the pandemic. It really is a shame because a good TA can add so much value.