Personal Vacation Planners

[Gman2004]

No matter how you look at it, PVP - or whatever Carnival calls them, is a cruise line's attempt to circumvent the travel agents community. Travel agents book people on these cruises - then have to give an "emergency" home number - then you get a call from them after the cruise to see if they can help you with another cruise. Anyway you look at it - it is bad for travel agents.

 

I like how you failed to mention that these same guests go on Carnival's website (I am not talking about fun pass either) and voluntaryly input their name, phone number, and address. Oh and by the way there is a box that asks them if they are working or booked with a travel agent. I'll give you one guess on how most people answer that question.....the answer is a two letter.;)

[lvtotrvl1]

Gman..that was not my post. Hope you have a happy weekend;) Sounds like you need a little fun in your life;)

[krazy4kruisin]

I've used a rep at RCCL & Princess and a TA. From now on I will alway use a TA just to keep the $$'s going to a small business here in my own community. I have not gooten any better services by using one or the other.

[Gman2004]

Wow...didn't expect such harsh responses. Never said they are trying too. I said if they could they would. Been in the business a long time and Carnival did try this years back, hence their marketing program "CCL loves travel agents".

 

Well if you re-read my post you will see what I said is that Carnival started taking direct business not because they want to put travel agents out of business, but because the travel agents are not filling the ships.

 

My origianl post, if you read it, says I think the good PVP's are good competition.

 

how are the people (travel agents) who do a majority of Carnival's business their competition? This is my point and you don't seem to get it. Carnival is not in competition with their travel agents. They both are trying to fill the same ships. Competition would be Disney, Branson, Vegas, the other cruise lines, but not travel agents.

 

I try to match them to a product they will be happy with so they come back as a customer. FYI The major cruiselines all pay the same commissions to large agencies.

 

Good for you. If you do this then I am sure you have plenty of repeat business.

[Gman2004]

Gman..that was not my post. Hope you have a happy weekend;)

 

??? Forgive me, but you lost me on this one.

 

 

Sounds like you need a little fun in your life;)

 

Oh don't worry I have lots of fun, I just don't go around thinking people are trying to cut me out of the picture and put me out of business.;) There must be some guy with a big white beard sitting behind some desk somewhere coming up with ways of how he is going to put travel agents out of business.......one day he came up with the idea of a PVP.:rolleyes:

[dan40]

Gman,

I have a big white beard and I do not sit around thinking up TA OOB ideas.

But I'm also registered on Canival's website and have been called by PVPs even tho I listed my TAs' name in my registration. I sometimes ask them questions but always book thru my TA.

PVPs are competition for TAs same as the TA down the street is competition and the online TAs are. Anybody that can book travel and take the commish is competition and PVPs take away commissions.

When any cruiseline wants/needs to fill a ship, they notify their own agents and PVPs and they fax and email the same deals to all their TAs.

 

Dan