What Am I Missing….This Stinks

[nocl]

2 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

I'd wager that you didn't say: I want to book a double, but my companion doesn't exist, so that i can just pay at the price of a per person double rate.

I did say that I wasn't sure if anyone would be able to. I had some one that might but most likely not. they had no problem booking.  

[crusinthrough]

On 10/28/2021 at 4:25 PM, oskidunker said:

It wont work. They will not refund the fantom parties money if everything is paid. They can then impose the single surcharge on you. Dont do this . It happened on Princess to a friend of mine. If it worked, everyone would do it. 

I'm not sure what part you are saying doesn't work as if it's someone is trying to be deceptive.  

 

On Celebrity you can book a room for two with one passenger and the 2nd passenger as a TBA.  You can change the TBA to a name at anytime but it must be before final payment.

 

You can also book as a double with two names in the room.  If the 2nd party is a no show at the pier you will be refunded port taxes.  Alternately, if you remove the 2nd party before final payment your cruise will be repriced to the current solo rate.  If you remove the 2nd passenger after final payment, the refund for the passenger will be based on the cancellation percentage at the time of cancellation and the cruise can be repriced at the prevailing rate for a solo.  

 

I suggested to book as a double vs a single as the SIL may find someone to go between now and the cruise.  

 

I cannot speak for Princess as all cruise lines policies are not alike.  

[jg51]

9 hours ago, neverlaysup said:

If that is the case, you are overpaying for your cruise. There are plenty of "not to be named" online agencies that will give you 8-10% of your fare paid back as OBC. The cruise rate is no different than that on X's website but it sure is nice to get a few hundred in my on board account when we sail. If you are using another agency that discounts the cruise by the same margin, then so be it. If not, you need to re-evaluate how you book cruises.

.

Hello, "neverlaysup."  Thanks for your interesting comments.

You may find the following hard to believe, but it is true, so here we go ...

 

We have been traveling (all fifty states and over thirty nations) for about forty-three years.  During the last forty years (since 1981), we have NEVER used a travel agent -- because, over the course of the first three years, we learned how to make arrangements ourselves, and we much preferred the ease and greater degree of control that we found that we exercised by doing everything ourselves.

 

We never knew -- until you told us today -- that all the "on-board credit" (that we've incessantly read about, for more than a decade) has been a result of the use of travel agents. 

 

You said this:  "you are overpaying for your cruise"

On the contrary, we strongly suspect that the following is what is happening instead:

(1)  Someone who uses a travel agent is paying more than we  pay by booking directly ... and then ...

(2)  The travel agent takes the overpayment and arranges with the cruise line to convert it into on-board credit (so that the passenger is forced to spend it on the ship) ... and then ...

(3)  The cruise line, to thank the travel agent for the extra money, gives him/her a kickback.

 

We will continue to book our own travels, rather than use a travel agent, who may be involved in a "shady" business transaction.

.

 

[kaprin02]

4 hours ago, jg51 said:

 

 

You said this:  "you are overpaying for your cruise"

On the contrary, we strongly suspect that the following is what is happening instead:

(1)  Someone who uses a travel agent is paying more than we  pay by booking directly ... and then ...

(2)  The travel agent takes the overpayment and arranges with the cruise line to convert it into on-board credit (so that the passenger is forced to spend it on the ship) ... and then ...

(3)  The cruise line, to thank the travel agent for the extra money, gives him/her a kickback.

 

We will continue to book our own travels, rather than use a travel agent, who may be involved in a "shady" business transaction.

.

 

That was absolutely not the case for a recent cruise I booked. I could have booked the cruise directly with Celebrity.  Instead I booked with a TA.  The price quoted by Celebrity was exactly the same as the TA.  However, I received extra OBC through the TA (more that I would have booking directly with Celebrity).  Sometimes TAs can even get cheaper rates than booking directly.  So unless you are getting some secret "direct booking discount" that's not available to anyone else, you are paying more than someone who books through a TA and gets extra OBC.  There is nothing "shady" about about it.

[mfs2k]

4 hours ago, jg51 said:

We have been traveling (all fifty states and over thirty nations) for about forty-three years.  During the last forty years (since 1981), we have NEVER used a travel agent -- because, over the course of the first three years, we learned how to make arrangements ourselves,

For the most part I agree with you about booking direct and having control over you’re own vacation. But you might be surprised if you do some comparison shopping with online travel agencies for a particular cruise you’ve chosen.  They often have better deals than you can get by booking directly. On our 14 or so cruises we booked direct about 10 times but four of those times we found better deals with travel agencies and the vacations were just as wonderful. It often pays to compare. 

[nocl]

13 hours ago, crusinthrough said:

I'm not sure what part you are saying doesn't work as if it's someone is trying to be deceptive.  

 

On Celebrity you can book a room for two with one passenger and the 2nd passenger as a TBA.  You can change the TBA to a name at anytime but it must be before final payment.

 

You can also book as a double with two names in the room.  If the 2nd party is a no show at the pier you will be refunded port taxes.  Alternately, if you remove the 2nd party before final payment your cruise will be repriced to the current solo rate.  If you remove the 2nd passenger after final payment, the refund for the passenger will be based on the cancellation percentage at the time of cancellation and the cruise can be repriced at the prevailing rate for a solo.  

 

I suggested to book as a double vs a single as the SIL may find someone to go between now and the cruise.  

 

I cannot speak for Princess as all cruise lines policies are not alike.  

Princess policies are pretty much the same, though solo cruisers can book base fare with no inclusions directly.

[neverlaysup]

5 hours ago, jg51 said:

.

Hello, "neverlaysup."  Thanks for your interesting comments.

You may find the following hard to believe, but it is true, so here we go ...

 

We have been traveling (all fifty states and over thirty nations) for about forty-three years.  During the last forty years (since 1981), we have NEVER used a travel agent -- because, over the course of the first three years, we learned how to make arrangements ourselves, and we much preferred the ease and greater degree of control that we found that we exercised by doing everything ourselves.

 

We never knew -- until you told us today -- that all the "on-board credit" (that we've incessantly read about, for more than a decade) has been a result of the use of travel agents. 

 

You said this:  "you are overpaying for your cruise"

On the contrary, we strongly suspect that the following is what is happening instead:

(1)  Someone who uses a travel agent is paying more than we  pay by booking directly ... and then ...

(2)  The travel agent takes the overpayment and arranges with the cruise line to convert it into on-board credit (so that the passenger is forced to spend it on the ship) ... and then ...

(3)  The cruise line, to thank the travel agent for the extra money, gives him/her a kickback.

 

We will continue to book our own travels, rather than use a travel agent, who may be involved in a "shady" business transaction.

.

 

I think you need to do some more research on booking your next cruise.

 

1- I am paying less or the same thing by using my online travel agency.....Never in my life have I paid more than what the Celebrity website has listed.

 

2- There is NO OVERPAYMENT, there is however a holdback by the cruise line of 10%, that they will pay the agent to sell the cruise. The agent uses this to give me OBC. The same thing happens in the new car industry that nobody really knows about. You can either book direct with the cruise line and let them keep this money themselves or use an outside agency and try to recoup some of this holdback for yourself.

 

3- It is not a kickback, it is a hold back and they are different.

 

Now, there are online agencies that will give you nothing or just a few bucks for booking with them and there are also some discount brokers that can get you a smoking deal that you will never get anywhere else. The key is to shop around and know where to look. If you shop at some member only stores that sell travel, they will give you that same money I get as OBC as a gift card instead. 

 

Nothing shady going on with comparison shopping other than being as educated about the pricing as I can.

 

BTW, the travel agent doesn't do squat for me, I make my own arrangements, they are simply the broker.

[mayleeman]

No one should tell anyone else what they should be doing. It may work for others to book with TAs, and it works for some of us not to. Why get so insulting if someone does not want a TA?

[helen haywood]

I don’t mean to insult anyone.  If a person has never realized that generally the reason for using a travel agent is not because we aren’t capable of booking it ourselves but because the TA’s price is less than Celebrity’s price and includes OBC…then I think this would be helpful information.  I always price a cabin directly on the Celebrity website so I know their base price.  I then get multiple quotes from different agencies.  Some have the same price as Celebrity but are offering OBC.  The agency I book with is one offering a reduced price and OBC.  I don’t know all the reasons an agency may be able to offer a lower price…perhaps a group rate…I just make the booking.  😁

 

So that’s my experience in why I shop around to book a cruise with a travel agency.

[Hlitner]

There are a few factors at play when mass market lines price singles as well as 3rd 4th in a cabin.  Most mass market lines use a business plan that gives strong consideration to "maximizing onboard revenue."  An empty berth deprives the cruise line of the onboard revenue it would have gained if there had been another passenger.  In Celebrity's world that is "opportunity loss revenue."  So even if a single person pays the same price as paid by two cruisers in a cabin the cruise line is losing the extra revenue that would have been generated by that missing person.   We are talking items like tips, drinks, excursions,  alternative restaurants, bingo, etc.

 

This is somewhat different on the luxury lines (such as Seabourn) where onboard revenue is a relatively minor contributor to profits.  That line is truly all-inclusive in nearly every respect except for excursions.  We can cruise for weeks on Seabourn and not spend a penny onboard since everything is included in the cruise fare.  On that line they do not even have ship photographers or games like Bingo where cruise lines can pad their profit margins.  Even the alternative restaurants are included in the normal cruise fare.

 

Hank

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

8 hours ago, jg51 said:

.

Hello, "neverlaysup."  Thanks for your interesting comments.

 

 

You said this:  "you are overpaying for your cruise"

On the contrary, we strongly suspect that the following is what is happening instead:

(1)  Someone who uses a travel agent is paying more than we  pay by booking directly ... and then ...

(2)  The travel agent takes the overpayment and arranges with the cruise line to convert it into on-board credit (so that the passenger is forced to spend it on the ship) ... and then ...

(3)  The cruise line, to thank the travel agent for the extra money, gives him/her a kickback.

 

We will continue to book our own travels, rather than use a travel agent, who may be involved in a "shady" business transaction.

.

 

 

You are welcome to believe or suspect whatever you choose to believe or suspect.  But the facts are that travel agents are not involved in shady business transactions and that many of them offer significant REFUNDABLE OBC which can be used on board or used to reduce the price of the cruise.  I do my own research and simply instruct the travel agent what to book.  If I book on board or directly with the cruise line, I transfer the booking to a TA for this additional benefit.  I too am widely traveled.

[zitsky]

For me it's a two way street.  The TA might give me $400 OBC.  If I think they've done a good job I might send them a $25 Amazon gift certificate. I do this even when I'm giving them extra business.

[Guppy99]

9 hours ago, jg51 said:

.

Hello, "neverlaysup."  Thanks for your interesting comments.

You may find the following hard to believe, but it is true, so here we go ...

 

We have been traveling (all fifty states and over thirty nations) for about forty-three years.  During the last forty years (since 1981), we have NEVER used a travel agent -- because, over the course of the first three years, we learned how to make arrangements ourselves, and we much preferred the ease and greater degree of control that we found that we exercised by doing everything ourselves.

 

We never knew -- until you told us today -- that all the "on-board credit" (that we've incessantly read about, for more than a decade) has been a result of the use of travel agents. 

 

You said this:  "you are overpaying for your cruise"

On the contrary, we strongly suspect that the following is what is happening instead:

(1)  Someone who uses a travel agent is paying more than we  pay by booking directly ... and then ...

(2)  The travel agent takes the overpayment and arranges with the cruise line to convert it into on-board credit (so that the passenger is forced to spend it on the ship) ... and then ...

(3)  The cruise line, to thank the travel agent for the extra money, gives him/her a kickback.

 

We will continue to book our own travels, rather than use a travel agent, who may be involved in a "shady" business transaction.

.

 

This is curious. I call my TA, I tell her precisely what to book (right down to the specific cabin number, which I have already identified as being available). I get an additional benefit (in most cases OBC) for going through a ta or transferring my reservation to a TA.  The TA provides an additional  huge benefit. if I have a question, need a change, or an add-on...it takes me less than 10 minutes to get her on the phone and she always calls me back.  Have you ever tried calling Celebrity direct? Even if after an hour + wait, the chances of getting someone that can actually and correctly answer or help is iffy at best.

I am perfectly able to make my own arrangements....soup to nuts, however, I would rather have great customer service and additional benefits if they are available.  

 

BTW...travel agents are by and large legitimate. implying otherwise in a broad stroke fashion is really uncalled for.

[neverlaysup]

2 hours ago, mayleeman said:

No one should tell anyone else what they should be doing. It may work for others to book with TAs, and it works for some of us not to. Why get so insulting if someone does not want a TA?

Wss never my intent to insult, I simply wanted them to know there are better ways to book that they could benefit from. Given that they have book 40 cruises is the past, they potentially left thousands of dollars on the table that they could have used via OBC.

[mayleeman]

9 minutes ago, neverlaysup said:

there are better ways to book

 

Only if they wished to give up control. I would guess after 40 cruises they know what is important to them far better than anyone to whom OBC is more important, just as I cannot imagine why anyone would cede control.

 

Invariably in these threads, people explain why they do not use TAs and then get attacked for "leaving money on the table" (=code for being foolish). Why is it always the TA fans who disparage self-guided cruisers?

[neverlaysup]

9 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

 

Only if they wished to give up control. I would guess after 40 cruises they know what is important to them far better than anyone to whom OBC is more important, just as I cannot imagine why anyone would cede control.

 

Invariably in these threads, people explain why they do not use TAs and then get attacked for "leaving money on the table" (=code for being foolish). Why is it always the TA fans who disparage self-guided cruisers?

How are you giving up control by using a TA or broker? I don’t really understand that logic because I don’t see any difference in the booking and management of my cruise experience. I would love to understand a different point of view by understanding what I am giving up. 
 

OBC s really not important to me either, however, if I am going to spend $5000 on a cruise by booking via company site or TA, I might as well get $400-$500 in additional OBC. That money equates to a couple free shore excisions, specialty dining, tips, drinks…..

[mfs2k]

26 minutes ago, neverlaysup said:

How are you giving up control by using a TA or broker?

Many people prefer to call the cruise line directly if they see a price decrease without relying on an agent to do their bidding. 

 

There are other individual reasons. For example I used to work in a high profile travel position and directly reached out to a ships sailing coordinator to request last minute courtesy upgrades. This got me comp suite upgrades a few times. Not sure if this would have been possible if I booked through a TA.  

[Guppy99]

40 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

 

Only if they wished to give up control. I would guess after 40 cruises they know what is important to them far better than anyone to whom OBC is more important, just as I cannot imagine why anyone would cede control.

 

Invariably in these threads, people explain why they do not use TAs and then get attacked for "leaving money on the table" (=code for being foolish). Why is it always the TA fans who disparage self-guided cruisers?

I have no clue why you are choosing to be insulted on someone else's behalf. Clearly no insult was intended.  This is like telling my 85 year old mother that online bill pay is so much better and more convenient than writing checks. She simply doesn't want to do it. As long as she is aware of the missed benefits, that's ok. Travelers here, are just attempting to help really. 

 

[Guppy99]

1 minute ago, mfs2k said:

Many people prefer to call the cruise line directly if they see a price decrease without relying on an agent to do their bidding. 

 

There are other individual reasons. For example I used to work in a high profile travel position and directly reached out to a ships sailing coordinator to request last minute courtesy upgrades. This got me comp suite upgrades a few times. Not sure if this would have been possible if I booked through a TA.  

Most certainly not the average person's circumstances. 

[neverlaysup]

38 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

Many people prefer to call the cruise line directly if they see a price decrease without relying on an agent to do their bidding. 

 

There are other individual reasons. For example I used to work in a high profile travel position and directly reached out to a ships sailing coordinator to request last minute courtesy upgrades. This got me comp suite upgrades a few times. Not sure if this would have been possible if I booked through a TA.  

If I see a price decrease, I call my TA and reprice the cruise and either get a refund or a lesser amount due. The benefit of the TA is that I don’t have to wait on hold with the cruise line. 

As for the high profile upgrades or comp suites, no average cruiser is going to get this by booking directly, so not really a good example. 
 

Anyway, we have hijacked a perfectly valid thread and gone off topic so I apologize to the OP. 

[N 2 Sun]

6 hours ago, Hlitner said:

There are a few factors at play when mass market lines price singles as well as 3rd 4th in a cabin.  Most mass market lines use a business plan that gives strong consideration to "maximizing onboard revenue."  An empty berth deprives the cruise line of the onboard revenue it would have gained if there had been another passenger.  In Celebrity's world that is "opportunity loss revenue."  So even if a single person pays the same price as paid by two cruisers in a cabin the cruise line is losing the extra revenue that would have been generated by that missing person.   We are talking items like tips, drinks, excursions,  alternative restaurants, bingo, etc.

 

This is somewhat different on the luxury lines (such as Seabourn) where onboard revenue is a relatively minor contributor to profits.  That line is truly all-inclusive in nearly every respect except for excursions.  We can cruise for weeks on Seabourn and not spend a penny onboard since everything is included in the cruise fare.  On that line they do not even have ship photographers or games like Bingo where cruise lines can pad their profit margins.  Even the alternative restaurants are included in the normal cruise fare.

 

Hank

Thank you Hank. I’m honored you responded…and with such clear and helpful info. 
 

While I’ve not been on Cruise Critic much over the last two years, prior to that, your very excellent posts have helped guide each of our cruise vacations. 
 

You are a wealth of interesting info and great advice. 
 

Thank you for sharing. 

 

Marilyn

 

[hiccups]

14 hours ago, jg51 said:

.

Hello, "neverlaysup."  Thanks for your interesting comments.

You may find the following hard to believe, but it is true, so here we go ...

 

We have been traveling (all fifty states and over thirty nations) for about forty-three years.  During the last forty years (since 1981), we have NEVER used a travel agent -- because, over the course of the first three years, we learned how to make arrangements ourselves, and we much preferred the ease and greater degree of control that we found that we exercised by doing everything ourselves.

 

We never knew -- until you told us today -- that all the "on-board credit" (that we've incessantly read about, for more than a decade) has been a result of the use of travel agents. 

 

You said this:  "you are overpaying for your cruise"

On the contrary, we strongly suspect that the following is what is happening instead:

(1)  Someone who uses a travel agent is paying more than we  pay by booking directly ... and then ...

(2)  The travel agent takes the overpayment and arranges with the cruise line to convert it into on-board credit (so that the passenger is forced to spend it on the ship) ... and then ...

(3)  The cruise line, to thank the travel agent for the extra money, gives him/her a kickback.

 

We will continue to book our own travels, rather than use a travel agent, who may be involved in a "shady" business transaction.

.

 

You act like we can't price the cruise with the cruise line and then compare the fare with the travel agent.  We have never once paid a penny more than booking directly with the cruise line, and in fact, usually pay LESS.  Then we get OBC or a rebate on top of the same cruise fare.

As someone else said, believe what you like, but don't say everyone else is overpaying.  We're smarter than that.

[hiccups]

8 hours ago, mayleeman said:

No one should tell anyone else what they should be doing. It may work for others to book with TAs, and it works for some of us not to. Why get so insulting if someone does not want a TA?

But saying that anyone that uses a travel agent is paying too much by dealing with "shady" travel agents isn't insulting?

[mayleeman]

7 hours ago, hiccups said:

But saying that anyone that uses a travel agent is paying too much by dealing with "shady" travel agents isn't insulting?

Did I say that? 

 

 

[woneill63]

Wow, quite a few responses on this thread, interesting topic.

If I am sailing solo, and got a price increase of 30/40 % over booking two in a cabin, what's to stop me from "booking" a stateroom for two and then just showing up all alone ?  You could say your cabin mate missed their flight or got in a car accident on the drive in to the port.