Book direct or through travel agent?

[davekathy]

3 minutes ago, clochette said:

I have always booked my own cruises because I never seem to find a cheaper rate via a TA I guess I have not found the right TA

We haven't had a good TA since 2008 (small local brick and mortar).  Used a few online TAs since then. I give the TA all our details and then ask if they can give any additional perks/benefits. I book directly with the Cruise line (over the phone) or while onboard the ship. Never let the booking go directly to the TA of record (online TA). I'll make that decision at a later time. We've got two future Celebrity cruises booked and have left them with Celebrity. Past the window to transfer. Nothing offered by the online TAs that was worth the transfer. 

[Ourusualbeach]

20 minutes ago, clochette said:

I have always booked my own cruises because I never seem to find a cheaper rate via a TA I guess I have not found the right TA

It depend entirely on what kind of cabin you are booking.  For balconies and below many TA's have access to group rates which are refundable and lower than Royals non refundable rates.  You won't in most cases see them as they are not supposed to be publicly advertised but you may find a TA that promotes them.  Junior suites and above are the same price with or without a TA.

[clochette]

19 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

It depend entirely on what kind of cabin you are booking.  For balconies and below many TA's have access to group rates which are refundable and lower than Royals non refundable rates.  You won't in most cases see them as they are not supposed to be publicly advertised but you may find a TA that promotes them.  Junior suites and above are the same price with or without a TA.

I really wished we booked suites but unfortunately only balcony or lower, I guess I need to find the right person/TA

[Ret MP]

34 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

It depend entirely on what kind of cabin you are booking.  For balconies and below many TA's have access to group rates which are refundable and lower than Royals non refundable rates.  You won't in most cases see them as they are not supposed to be publicly advertised but you may find a TA that promotes them.  Junior suites and above are the same price with or without a TA.

I don't think I've ever got a straight answer to this.  And this is not a sarcastic question, I really am curious about it as I would like to deal with a small TA (preferably local) but the Big Box TA do offer those large OBCs, like up to  $1,500.00.  So, why/how does Big Box TAs offer the big OBCs and the smaller ones don't or can't come even close.  At least not the ones I've talked to.  

Your post that says, "Junior suites and above are the same price with or without a TA", really made my curiosity peak about this.  

[Ourusualbeach]

41 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

I don't think I've ever got a straight answer to this.  And this is not a sarcastic question, I really am curious about it as I would like to deal with a small TA (preferably local) but the Big Box TA do offer those large OBCs, like up to  $1,500.00.  So, why/how does Big Box TAs offer the big OBCs and the smaller ones don't or can't come even close.  At least not the ones I've talked to.  

Your post that says, "Junior suites and above are the same price with or without a TA", really made my curiosity peak about this.  

All the OBC unless it is the small group or early booking or promotional OBC that Royal offers comes out of the TA's commission.

 

Every TA operates under a different business model.  Big box stores have very little overhead as they operate from a call center or in some cases the agents work from home.  They may be paid a low hourly wage plus a very small portion of the commission as they are really just order takers and not travel agents.  The big box or discount on line TA's then have the room to be able to rebate part of their commission.  Royal has strict rules on what can and can't be done with respect to this and limits the amount that can be offered and how it is offered.

 

Smaller TA's that operate their own business may have a storefront and other operating costs so they can't afford to give up part of their commission.

 

Independent TA's that work for large companies may only receive a small % of the commission after corporate and the franchisee (who also operates a storefront) take the majority leaving the TA with 30 to 40% of the initial commission.  Pretty hard for a TA to match what the big box store is offering when they don't even make that much.

 

There really are so many variable that it's not fair to expect that just because one set of TA's can do it that they all should be able to (that was just a general comment and not related to what you posted)

 

 

With respect the the comment about JS's.

 

Royal offers group space for balconies and below. Those rates are available through a TA who has access to the group space.  These rates in addition to being refundable are also lower in the vast majority of cases that the non refundable rates that Royal offers.  Junior suites and above are not offered in group space so the pricing that a TA has will be identical to the price Royal has.

 

 

 

 

[Ret MP]

3 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

All the OBC unless it is the small group or early booking or promotional OBC that Royal offers comes out of the TA's commission.

 

Every TA operates under a different business model.  Big box stores have very little overhead as they operate from a call center or in some cases the agents work from home.  They may be paid a low hourly wage plus a very small portion of the commission as they are really just order takers and not travel agents.  The big box or discount on line TA's then have the room to be able to rebate part of their commission.  Royal has strict rules on what can and can't be done with respect to this and limits the amount that can be offered and how it is offered.

 

Smaller TA's that operate their own business may have a storefront and other operating costs so they can't afford to give up part of their commission.

 

Independent TA's that work for large companies may only receive a small % of the commission after corporate and the franchisee (who also operates a storefront) take the majority leaving the TA with 30 to 40% of the initial commission.  Pretty hard for a TA to match what the big box store is offering when they don't even make that much.

 

There really are so many variable that it's not fair to expect that just because one set of TA's can do it that they all should be able to (that was just a general comment and not related to what you posted)

 

 

With respect the the comment about JS's.

 

Royal offers group space for balconies and below. Those rates are available through a TA who has access to the group space.  These rates in addition to being refundable are also lower in the vast majority of cases that the non refundable rates that Royal offers.  Junior suites and above are not offered in group space so the pricing that a TA has will be identical to the price Royal has.

 

 

 

 

Man, it ain't a level playing field out there, is it!  I guess it takes a special person to want to do that job, to want to navigate through all the Cruise Line B.S. and inequities.  

 

I still believe that, at least, the Big Box TAs get a kick back at some point.  Just like the owner's of Car Dealerships get what they call "Residuals" at least it was many years ago.  Owner's of car dealers got several hundreds of $s kick back for each unit that the dealership sold at the end of they year or sometime during the year.  Don't know if that is still going on today.  They don't talk about that, then or now!

 

JMHO!

[Morecruisesplz]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

It depend entirely on what kind of cabin you are booking.  For balconies and below many TA's have access to group rates which are refundable and lower than Royals non refundable rates.  You won't in most cases see them as they are not supposed to be publicly advertised but you may find a TA that promotes them.  Junior suites and above are the same price with or without a TA.

Not true.

[Ourusualbeach]

7 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Man, it ain't a level playing field out there, is it!  I guess it takes a special person to want to do that job, to want to navigate through all the Cruise Line B.S. and inequities.  

 

I still believe that, at least, the Big Box TAs get a kick back at some point.  Just like the owner's of Car Dealerships get what they call "Residuals" at least it was many years ago.  Owner's of car dealers got several hundreds of $s kick back for each unit that the dealership sold at the end of they year or sometime during the year.  Don't know if that is still going on today.  They don't talk about that, then or now!

 

JMHO!

The commission rates paid by the cruise lines vary based on sales volume as does the marketing $ allocated.

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, fredmdcruisers said:

Not true.

Well that's a meaningless statement and it actually is true at least by the rules set forth by Royal.  There are a few agencies that do break the rules at times.

[Ret MP]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

The commission rates paid by the cruise lines vary based on sales volume as does the marketing $ allocated.

Hey, I read it on the internet.  I know that TAs get 10% across the board.  There's no debating it, damn it!

 

Of course, I'm kidding.

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, Ret MP said:

Hey, I read it on the internet.  I know that TAs get 10% across the board.  There's no debating it, damn it!

 

Of course, I'm kidding.

That is so far off base it's laughable

[Ret MP]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

That is so far off base it's laughable

You did read my red tiny font, didn't you?

[Morecruisesplz]

3 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Well that's a meaningless statement and it actually is true at least by the rules set forth by Royal.  There are a few agencies that do break the rules at times.

Can't be meaningless yet true. Has nothing to do with breaking rules either. The better TAs offer obc and perks that booking direct do does not. The more you spent the higher your obc can be.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, Ret MP said:

You did read my red tiny font, didn't you?

LOL, my eyes are barely good enough for the regular font.🤣

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Can't be meaningless yet true. Has nothing to do with breaking rules either. The better TAs offer obc and perks that booking direct do does not. The more you spent the higher your obc can be.

And I never mentioned that. All I was referring to was the price.  What some TA's offer above and beyond that is of course extra.  Nothing that I stated was untrue.

[Morecruisesplz]

3 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

And I never mentioned that. All I was referring to was the price.  What some TA's offer above and beyond that is of course extra.  Nothing that I stated was untrue.

10 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Well that's a meaningless statement and it actually is true at least by the rules set forth by Royal.  There are a few agencies that do break the rules at times.

[Ret MP]

3 minutes ago, fredmdcruisers said:

 The more you spent the higher your obc can be.

But, the only, seems to me, TAs that offer substantial OBCs, like $1,500.00 are the Big Box TAs.  I'd love to mention some of the TA agencies that do and don't offer the big OBC but apparently it's against the rules.  

[Morecruisesplz]

3 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

But, the only, seems to me, TAs that offer substantial OBCs, like $1,500.00 are the Big Box TAs.  I'd love to mention some of the TA agencies that do and don't offer the big OBC but apparently it's against the rules.  

You are going to have to get off CC and do some homework to get answers to the questions you keep posting about. $1500 is "meningless" without the words before it... "up to." Do you think Anyone is going to give you $1500 for spending $1000. Use some common sense and research the offers. Call some TAs. Find one you can transfer your cruise to, save some money and get excellent service. (No I am not a TA or related to one.)

[Ret MP]

14 minutes ago, fredmdcruisers said:

You are going to have to get off CC and do some homework to get answers to the questions you keep posting about. $1500 is "meningless" without the words before it... "up to." Do you think Anyone is going to give you $1500 for spending $1000. Use some common sense and research the offers. Call some TAs. Find one you can transfer your cruise to, save some money and get excellent service. (No I am not a TA or related to one.)

I've not only researched the offers, I've used them.  My last cruise on the Ovation of the Seas, Star Loft, May, Alaska, I got the $1,500.00 OBCs, and BTW, it wasn't my first time getting it.  At the time of booking the TA (Big Box) that offered it required at least $15,000.00 fare to get the $1,500.00 OBC.  Now it is up to $20,000.00 to get the $1,500.00.  If you go back in previous posts, you'll see where that exact subject was discussed.  Oh, I've done a lot of research with this very subject, the subject of how much OBCs are and how you get them, more than I let on.  When I ask a question, like how one type of TA can offer something that another doesn't or can't, it is a genuine question.  But, again, I know how to get the OBCs and how much you have to spend to get them and how much they are.  "Do you think Anyone is going to give you $1500 for spending $1000".  NO! And I never said so. I don't need your suggestion to get off CC and do some research about this general subject.  

 

BTW, why so angry!

Edited October 25, 2022 by Ret MP

[Ret MP]

On 10/2/2022 at 1:06 AM, Ret MP said:

Well, with the big box TA I generally use, it was a little less than $15,000.00 to get the $1,500.00, We got the $1,500.00 on our cruise in May to Alaska in a Star Loft Suite, 4 of us, and I believe it was less than $15,000.00 total fare, it was booked almost a year out.  And I just now looked into their website and it has increased to $20,000.00+.  It appears the goal post is being moved further away but the prize hasn't moved at all. 

 

BTW, I've talked to two very well known Travel agencies.  Both have a big and loyal following on a couple of Social Media Sites and one has a virtually complete video library of cruise ships on YouTube, that the owner of the agency does.  Actually well done. 

 

I explained/told them both what the big box agency(ies) were offering and one, the one with the YouTube videos, whom I actually talked to the owner, said that he could not match that and that the big box agencies are only concerned with quantity, not quality.  The other, the agent I talked to (email actually) said that her and her agency doesn't offer those either but was willing to give me a $50.00 or $100.00 (I can't remember the amount for sure) OBC and it would have to come out of her commission.  I did not take her up on the offer.

 

 

 

Hummmmmm

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

The better TAs offer obc and perks that booking direct do does not.

I think the discussion was about the base fare, not the overall cost. It is very rare for a TA to openly advertise/book the base fare as anything other than the fare shown on the RCI web site (unless the RCI web site has some pricing glitch).

[Screasy]

12 hours ago, Screasy said:

OK, so I have been on one cruise which I booked myself a few years ago.  Plain vanilla Carnival.  It was good, but I am retired now and after boat-loads of research  I am thinking of upgrading to more premium-type lines. (HAL, Oceania, Viking etc)

 

I have contacted a recommended TA from a very popular Youtube channel, and have found the person to be very unresponsive.  Although they are specifically recommended, I have corresponded with them on occasion for over two months, have never gotten a call (which they first recommended, and I later requested) and when I email them, it is always a few days or more before I am answered.

 

It may be that they are busy, which is fine, but I am wanting to find a good TA.  I am seeing a lot of jargon on here (big box TA etc) that is totally lost on me.  How do I go about finding a "big box" company and know who is good, or if I even need a "big box person"? 

 

I am guessing the forum does not allow specific recommendations?  If not, this is unfortunate.  Where could I go to begin this process?

 

Thanks in advance!

Anyone?

[davekathy]

8 minutes ago, Screasy said:

Anyone?

Google. Or other cruise related social media sites. TA recommendations are against CC guidelines. 

Edited October 26, 2022 by davekathy

[Morecruisesplz]

5 hours ago, Ret MP said:

I've not only researched the offers, I've used them.  My last cruise on the Ovation of the Seas, Star Loft, May, Alaska, I got the $1,500.00 OBCs, and BTW, it wasn't my first time getting it.  At the time of booking the TA (Big Box) that offered it required at least $15,000.00 fare to get the $1,500.00 OBC.  Now it is up to $20,000.00 to get the $1,500.00.  If you go back in previous posts, you'll see where that exact subject was discussed.  Oh, I've done a lot of research with this very subject, the subject of how much OBCs are and how you get them, more than I let on.  When I ask a question, like how one type of TA can offer something that another doesn't or can't, it is a genuine question.  But, again, I know how to get the OBCs and how much you have to spend to get them and how much they are.  "Do you think Anyone is going to give you $1500 for spending $1000".  NO! And I never said so. I don't need your suggestion to get off CC and do some research about this general subject.  

 

BTW, why so angry!

Not angry. I thought you were actually asking for help! Thanks.

[Morecruisesplz]

Advertise... probably. Offer if one requests a specific cruise price ... it does happen. Thanks!