not happy

[shoreguy]

I did book a specific cabin AFT 9168 on BE because there are 3 of us and we were told that we could not book a GTY with 3. So basically what you are saying is keep the aft cabin I have and not try and get a BD (mid ship cabin) where my in-laws are?

 

Nope - I was getting confused - looking at the deck plan 9168 is a BD and not realy an aft cabin. 9186 is a BE. If you can get a BD and save money go for it.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Nope - I was getting confused

Ok now I am confused. lol Help now I don't even know what I asked lolol. Seriously.....keep the AFT 9186 or push for mid ship BD?

[SailAways]

If you requested a specific cabin, obviously the TA is going to put it on hold in case you come back to them so it will be available for you.

 

I did not "request" a specific cabin, I was pricing many options, such as what would a balcony cost, what would an AC cost, aft versus starboard, etc.

The hold was purely done at the TA's discretion, and not with my blessing at all.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

I am sooooooo confused on what to do. What does everyone prefer? AFT Cabin or Mid Ship cabin on Deck 9???

[Theresa522]

Hi, I have stayed in both. It all depends on what you like. Midship is better for people who tend to get motion sickness and or do not like LONG walks from the elevator to your room.

 

Aft is also great though. Hey you can always toss a coin.. ;) :D

[dwrist]

Geri,

I am no expert but my experience---our first cruise was a mid ship, oceanview cabin, it was totally enjoyable and we would cruise that again but for one thing. We booked a cruise last Feb on the Star to Mexico. We booked a gty mini suite. We were asked if we wanted an upsell to an AC penthouse on the bow. We took it, as we could not resist the price. We fell in love with the cabin, the view and the service that came with it. So much so, that we booked a AD aft on the Star for Aug to Alaska. The idea of sailing and watching the wake from the back and the 180 degree view of Alaska is what we need right now. We have now booked the AD aft on the Pearl for Panama in April. We cruise for the ocean and the relaxation that we need. So go for it. Ask the dr if you are afraid of seasickness. There are too many good meds out there for anyone to suffer from seasickness. Good luck on your decision and enjoy your cruise with whatever you decide. :)

[shoreguy]

I am sooooooo confused on what to do. What does everyone prefer? AFT Cabin or Mid Ship cabin on Deck 9???

 

You really don't have what many would call an Aft cabin like the AD that faces aft. No brainer for less money take the BD. No advantage to a Starboard facing BE in the Aft section of the ship.

[Writeratsea]

You really don't have what many would call an Aft cabin like the AD that faces aft. No brainer for less money take the BD. No advantage to a Starboard facing BE in the Aft section of the ship.

I always love to read the comments you post. They are always concise and the exact information that the person is seeking. Just wanted to let you know how I appreciate your expertise. If we ever meet aboard ship, I will buy the first martini. LOL From what I have read, when you give advice, it is worth taking.

NCL Majesty Aug 2004

NCL Majesty Sept 2005

NCL Majesty Sept 2006

[Writeratsea]

Well, as a TA I have to admit I do put cabins on hold for clients. If, 1-I am pretty certain the client wants to cruise this ship and this date and 2-the ship is beginning to fill up. The other day I had an old (not agewise) client email me, they are thinking of a little vacation cruise in late fall. No, for them i didn't hold anything, they are Thinking, but I don't think ready to book. I did hold one for a client a few weeks ago. If I hadn't had, they would have lost out altogether. It turned out to be one of only 3 cabins in that catagory still available for a January sailing. NMnita

When I worked as a TA over 30 years ago, pre SABRE, you had to constantly book, cancel and rebook airline seats. Especially if the clients were business people. Sometimes I would have a stack of changed itinerary cards just for one possible trip. Being business people, they constantly changed their flights, their destinations and their departures. It could get you dizzy. It was no big deal to cancel reservations, no penalties involved as long as you canceled within a certain time. It is so much better today, so much information available at the touch of a keyboard. But people are still people. Most TA's are on commisson or have performance bonuses at stake. So when you call for information, they usually ask you if you have done business with the agency. If yes, they call up your prior history. Now if you express an interest in something, they can tie to your name. It is not only the other competing agencies that they are competing with, but also within their own agency if it is large enough. I don't condone this practice of booking without permission but that is reality is sales driven occupations. That is why I asked New Mexico Nita if she had any insights on block booking, which obviously lessens what cabins are available to the general public. Just so you know NMNita, I always read a thread when I see either you or Shoreguy respond.

NCL Majesty Aug 2004

NCL Majesty Sept 2005

NCL Majesty Sept 2006

[newmexicoNita]

When I worked as a TA over 30 years ago, pre SABRE, you had to constantly book, cancel and rebook airline seats. Especially if the clients were business people. Sometimes I would have a stack of changed itinerary cards just for one possible trip. Being business people, they constantly changed their flights, their destinations and their departures. It could get you dizzy. It was no big deal to cancel reservations, no penalties involved as long as you canceled within a certain time. It is so much better today, so much information available at the touch of a keyboard. But people are still people. Most TA's are on commisson or have performance bonuses at stake. So when you call for information, they usually ask you if you have done business with the agency. If yes, they call up your prior history. Now if you express an interest in something, they can tie to your name. It is not only the other competing agencies that they are competing with, but also within their own agency if it is large enough. I don't condone this practice of booking without permission but that is reality is sales driven occupations. That is why I asked New Mexico Nita if she had any insights on block booking, which obviously lessens what cabins are available to the general public. Just so you know NMNita, I always read a thread when I see either you or Shoreguy respond.

NCL Majesty Aug 2004

NCL Majesty Sept 2005

NCL Majesty Sept 2006

Well I certainly hope Shoreguy and I give correct advise: I know he does, not always sure about my own. LOL As I said, yes, large agencies particularly do book blocks from time to time and yes, you are right about many of us working on commission. My first agency, well certainly it wasn't mine, we were salaried and recieved bonuses, I prefer the straight bonus truthfully. I can decide if I want to give gifts, adjust my commission or whatever. It is my money I am playing with. And yes, we have so much information at our fingertips. It does make it easier in many ways; also more acturate plus I think we can do a better job. If I can pull up a record and see, m/m john jones do not like Carnival, I will save everyone time but not researching carnival or knowing they only book suites, I won't give them rates for standard outside. NMNita

[beachchick]

newmexicoNita: It sounds to me like you don't put a hold on cabins for new clients (or prospective new clients) unless they request it nor for established clients who aren't pretty certain what they want. If an established client is fairly certain they want to cruise on X ship on Y date and you see it filling up, it would make sense to hold a cabin. Still, if I were your client, I would want and expect you to contact me first. Now, if I had said, "Well, we're not quite sure, but if you see the ship selling out, please hold X cabin for us," then of course I wouldn't expect you to contact me before you did so. When you pull up a record and see things that established clients do or don't prefer, you do them a real service. As you say, you save everyone time and effort by zeroing in on their known preferences. That's what a good TA should do, IMO.

 

I certainly understand about commissions and wanting to make and keep connections. I expect that with the internet at our fingertips, you work harder than ever because clients have so much (sometimes too much) information available for travel planning.

 

beachchick

 

p.s. You give very good advice too.

[sunshine 229]

Well, as a TA I have to admit I do put cabins on hold for clients. If, 1-I am pretty certain the client wants to cruise this ship and this date and 2-the ship is beginning to fill up. The other day I had an old (not agewise) client email me, they are thinking of a little vacation cruise in late fall. No, for them i didn't hold anything, they are Thinking, but I don't think ready to book. I did hold one for a client a few weeks ago. If I hadn't had, they would have lost out altogether. It turned out to be one of only 3 cabins in that catagory still available for a January sailing. NMnita

 

Well I think that is fine as long as you explain the situation to the customer and ask if they want you to hold the cabin since the ship is filling up. To do it without asking them first seems a little unethical to me. Once you have that cabin on hold it will show as booked if they ask for it from another agent, won't it? So by holding it without their permission you are basically forcing them to book it from you, only for a short period of time I realize, but still IMO opinion something you shouldn't do without their consent, and if one of those special deals comes up a day or two after you place the hold they will lose out on it. To me a TA shouldn't hold a cabin in someone's name without that person's knowledge and OK.JMO.

[smeyer418]

Many TA hold blocks of rooms on ships. Its why you can find a room sometimes when the cruiseline shows them sold out. Unethical? What specific ethical rule are you saying they are breaking? They have guessed at how many rooms their customers will need. The cruiseline allows them because they do a lot of business to put them on hold. If they guess wrong at some point they release them- if they guess wrong too often leaving large numbers of unsold rooms the cruise line probably won't let them reserve them. Do I like this? probably not because it lets knowledgeable TA's to grab the best rooms. But is it unethical? Not even close IMO because I don't see the ethical violation.

[Writeratsea]

Well I think that is fine as long as you explain the situation to the customer and ask if they want you to hold the cabin since the ship is filling up. To do it without asking them first seems a little unethical to me. Once you have that cabin on hold it will show as booked if they ask for it from another agent, won't it? So by holding it without their permission you are basically forcing them to book it from you, only for a short period of time I realize, but still IMO opinion something you shouldn't do without their consent, and if one of those special deals comes up a day or two after you place the hold they will lose out on it. To me a TA shouldn't hold a cabin in someone's name without that person's knowledge and OK.JMO.

I think NMnita was very clear about how she decides whether to hold a cabin for a customer or not. Very simply, it comes down to her discretion and experience not only for that particular cruiseline, but also the popularity of the week involved. She also takes into consideration the customer's previous preferences. But the bottom line is that the hold is only good for a specific time, for example 48 hours. Cabins are constantly being held and released, which is why you have to contiuously check to see what inventory is available. But until you commit to a sailing by paying for a deposit, the booking is tenuous at best. Without being secured by a deposit the booking is meaningless and they expire. It is not easy for the TAs to monitor and keep track of all the bookings of their customers.Some TAs do a better job than others. In commenting, I was just trying to illustrate what goes on in the booking process.

NCL Majesty Aug 2004

NCL Majesty Sept 2005

NCL Majesty Sept 2006

[Writeratsea]

Many TA hold blocks of rooms on ships. Its why you can find a room sometimes when the cruiseline shows them sold out. Unethical? What specific ethical rule are you saying they are breaking? They have guessed at how many rooms their customers will need. The cruiseline allows them because they do a lot of business to put them on hold. If they guess wrong at some point they release them- if they guess wrong too often leaving large numbers of unsold rooms the cruise line probably won't let them reserve them. Do I like this? probably not because it lets knowledgeable TA's to grab the best rooms. But is it unethical? Not even close IMO because I don't see the ethical violation.

Agencies block book not only cruise cabins, but airline seats, hotel rooms, rental cars, excursions etc. It is a way to stabilize their business. But they do have commitments when they block book. There may be penalties if they release too many rooms back to the seller, or their cheaper overall rate may be raised, lose bonuses, etc. So the agencies are careful not to overcommitt too much. From the cruisline's perpective, these are rooms that most likely will be sold based on the past performance of the agencies and they tend to sell earlier, so it helps the line's cash flow. The owner of the agency I booked with told me that with 15 years experience, he now knows what the best rooms are for each specific ship. Hasn't he earned that knowledge from trial and error over the years. I read posts all the time about people who didn't check deck plans and booked rooms under the disco, the kitchens, suites that adjoined thin walls etc. Then they complained about the noise at 3 AM when the kitchen cleaned up. Now if that knowledgeable TA happens to be yours, then you win, you don't get into those situations. Which is why cruise critic is such a great resource if you don't have the most knowledgeable TA.

NCL Majesty Aug 2004

NCL Majesty Sept 2005

NCL Majesty Sept 2006

[7SeasLover]

 

Some day I am going to tell my personnel cruise consultant to read the boards :D

 

 

 

Someday, when I'm booking a pricey itinerary I'm going to tell them that I'M Shoreguy!

[watchdiva]

We too got "caught" by an online TA that had replied to a request for quotes on a specific itinerary (NCL Pearl). We had some e-mails going back and forth and a phone call but never a commitment/request asking him to hold a specific cabin for us. The long and the short of it is that we "lost" a significant OBC because he had held the cabin in our name on a Tuesday and we weren't going to book until Wednesday (to take advantage of the Wednesday Sales). When he attempted to book on Wednesday NCL said sure but no OBC because the cabin was already held the day prior. DH and I were livid - we never requested him to hold a specific cabin for us, just asked about availability. I told him that he needed to work out whatever he needed to do to guarantee our OBC - he said there was nothing he could do. I refused to book with him (even though he was the lowest quote).

 

We waited another 5 days, got another quote from a fantastic TA who not only got us a super cabin but also the same OBC that we had "lost". Bottom line - I agree with previous posters and have learned a solid lesson here. I will definitely be very explicit in the future when dealing with a TA that I don't know - do NOT hold a cabin in my name. Since we tend to book very far out (9-12 months) there's enough selection so that it won't be a problem.

 

This particular problem TA has been mentioned on other boards that I frequent as causing similar problems for other cruisers - at least we weren't alone:) and were lucky enough to find a true "Pearl" of a TA.

[Writeratsea]

We too got "caught" by an online TA that had replied to a request for quotes on a specific itinerary (NCL Pearl). We had some e-mails going back and forth and a phone call but never a commitment/request asking him to hold a specific cabin for us. The long and the short of it is that we "lost" a significant OBC because he had held the cabin in our name on a Tuesday and we weren't going to book until Wednesday (to take advantage of the Wednesday Sales). When he attempted to book on Wednesday NCL said sure but no OBC because the cabin was already held the day prior. DH and I were livid - we never requested him to hold a specific cabin for us, just asked about availability. I told him that he needed to work out whatever he needed to do to guarantee our OBC - he said there was nothing he could do. I refused to book with him (even though he was the lowest quote).

 

We waited another 5 days, got another quote from a fantastic TA who not only got us a super cabin but also the same OBC that we had "lost". Bottom line - I agree with previous posters and have learned a solid lesson here. I will definitely be very explicit in the future when dealing with a TA that I don't know - do NOT hold a cabin in my name. Since we tend to book very far out (9-12 months) there's enough selection so that it won't be a problem.

 

This particular problem TA has been mentioned on other boards that I frequent as causing similar problems for other cruisers - at least we weren't alone:) and were lucky enough to find a true "Pearl" of a TA.

You have used an important phrase "when dealing with a TA that I don't know". That really is the key to the whole situation. Now you have a fantastic TA that you can trust. You also realize the potential problem that can ensue when you shop the different online agencies for prices. I wasn't aware that this abuse was a problem or common. Thank you for mentioning your experience, it will help a lot of other people avoid that experience in the future. This thread has taken an interesting twist but as usual cruise critic boards are just amazingly helpful and useful.

NCL Majesty Aug 2004

NCL Majesty Sept 2005

NCL Majesty Sept 2006

[newmexicoNita]

Well I think that is fine as long as you explain the situation to the customer and ask if they want you to hold the cabin since the ship is filling up. To do it without asking them first seems a little unethical to me. Once you have that cabin on hold it will show as booked if they ask for it from another agent, won't it? So by holding it without their permission you are basically forcing them to book it from you, only for a short period of time I realize, but still IMO opinion something you shouldn't do without their consent, and if one of those special deals comes up a day or two after you place the hold they will lose out on it. To me a TA shouldn't hold a cabin in someone's name without that person's knowledge and OK.JMO.

Again, it totally depends on the situation as far as I am concerned. One example: a few weeks ago clients that were new to me as clients, but a couple that I know personally very well: they called, knew what ship they wanted and what the price should be. I even asked them what they knew about the cruise line as it is a love/hate one: (no, not NCL) I knew they had done their research, wanted an inside because of the cost of the cruise and are veteran cruisers; yes, I held the cabin, there were only 3 left in the catagory. I did the same for another couple a few months ago: celebrating an anniversary, choose a suite, I was rather sure the suites would never go on sale and again, in the location they wanted there were only a couple of suites left: To me these are the times when I would, as a rule no. I will get back to them asap and let them know what is available. As you said jmo. lol

Nita

[sunshine 229]

Many TA hold blocks of rooms on ships. Its why you can find a room sometimes when the cruiseline shows them sold out. Unethical? What specific ethical rule are you saying they are breaking? They have guessed at how many rooms their customers will need. The cruiseline allows them because they do a lot of business to put them on hold. If they guess wrong at some point they release them- if they guess wrong too often leaving large numbers of unsold rooms the cruise line probably won't let them reserve them. Do I like this? probably not because it lets knowledgeable TA's to grab the best rooms. But is it unethical? Not even close IMO because I don't see the ethical violation.

 

If a cruiseline holds a block of rooms in their own name and the cruiseline lets them do this then no, I don't think it is unethical. However if a TA I have simply talked to and not given any instructions to hold a cabin for me, puts a hold on it in my name then yes, I think it is unethical.

I assume that is what was done in the case originally being discussed because if the hold was not put on in the clients name why were they refused the OBC when they tried to book a day or 2 later?

[beachchick]

Many TA hold blocks of rooms on ships. Its why you can find a room sometimes when the cruiseline shows them sold out. Unethical? What specific ethical rule are you saying they are breaking? They have guessed at how many rooms their customers will need. The cruiseline allows them because they do a lot of business to put them on hold. If they guess wrong at some point they release them- if they guess wrong too often leaving large numbers of unsold rooms the cruise line probably won't let them reserve them. Do I like this? probably not because it lets knowledgeable TA's to grab the best rooms. But is it unethical? Not even close IMO because I don't see the ethical violation.

 

But this isn't block booking. This is a TA placing a hold on specific cabins after a potential customer has called to inquire about pricing, and under the potential client's name, without getting the consent of the potential client. (These were not cabins already held in block by the agency--the TA had to put a hold on them separately.) By doing so, the TA is ensuring that during the 48 hour hold period, the potential client cannot book those cabins through anyone else or take advantage of any "new bookings only" deals because NCL apparently considers a hold the same thing as an actual booking (which I also think is wrong--if I haven't paid a deposit, I haven't booked the cruise).

 

In any case, if an agency has a block of cabins, I am not aware that I have to have one of those held either. What if the cabin I want is available (and not held by another agency) but is not in that block? Will the TA refuse to book me in the cabin I want because it's not part of the agency's block booking? I would hope not.

 

The bottom line is that I do not want a TA to hold a specific cabin in my name unless I request it.

 

beachchick

[roykirk1]

Hi

 

Cruise newbie here. Interested in this discussion about prices. How do you find different prices?? I checked several different places (5 or 6 online sites, including the big names, and also called NCL directly) and got the same price from EVERY one. The only difference was that a couple of sites offered some extras ([a] 2 nights hotel at select locations, one voucher per cabin coupon book, or [c] airline miles). Was it just the cruise I was looking at (8/12 on the Dawn and 8/13 on the Spirit) or am I looking in the wrong places. (Sorry, not sure what the rules are here about posting specific sites. If that's banned, I'd appreciate a PM with some advice for future use.)

 

I was also very .... upset... with the guarantee pricing policy. I dont know much about cabin location, etc, so I would be "happy" with any outside cabin. So guarantee sounds great to me. But we have 3 passengers, so I was denied the advantage of booking a guarantee!! Turned out that if I had 4, and opted for 2 gty rooms, the price difference would be barely noticeable (2480 for one 3 person cabin vs 2620 for 2 gtys). Basically, a couple could book for 1310 at the same time/day as me and get the same room I would have to pay 2500 for!!!!! RIDICULOUS. This means our 9 yo is effectively costing 1200. Grrrrumble.

 

I realize that not all rooms can accomodate 3 (supposedly, anyway... they all have the same sq footage, why cant they just stick a rollaway bed in there??) and this is the "good reason" why they cant take 3 person gtys. Frankly, even if this were a real problem, they know exactly how many rooms there are of each type, and can easily just create a 2, 3 and 4 person gty price.

 

This obvious (anti-family??) inequity almost caused me to give up and not book at all. I was too furious with the complete and utter idiocy of the situation. Ultimately, we decided to book 2 cabins and bring an in-law. Now we just have to decide who sleeps where. (Tropical storm brewing.)

 

I'm not sure what can be done, but would appreciate other's comments and insights about this insane (to me) pricing flaw. Afterall, we would have happily booked one room for 18 or 1900 and let NCL get another 1300 for the other room... or even more (1700, I think) for the picky cruisers who prefer to lock down a cabin. Why does NCL allow this situation to exist?

 

Wow. I'm surprised how upset I am still. LOL. Thanks for listening.

[sunshine 229]

But this isn't block booking. This is a TA placing a hold on specific cabins after a potential customer has called to inquire about pricing, and under the potential client's name, without getting the consent of the potential client. (These were not cabins already held in block by the agency--the TA had to put a hold on them separately.) By doing so, the TA is ensuring that during the 48 hour hold period, the potential client cannot book those cabins through anyone else or take advantage of any "new bookings only" deals because NCL apparently considers a hold the same thing as an actual booking (which I also think is wrong--if I haven't paid a deposit, I haven't booked the cruise).

 

In any case, if an agency has a block of cabins, I am not aware that I have to have one of those held either. What if the cabin I want is available (and not held by another agency) but is not in that block? Will the TA refuse to book me in the cabin I want because it's not part of the agency's block booking? I would hope not.

 

The bottom line is that I do not want a TA to hold a specific cabin in my name unless I request it.

 

beachchick

 

Yeah, that's what I was trying to say but maybe more clearly put. :D

[newmexicoNita]

Hi

 

Cruise newbie here. Interested in this discussion about prices. How do you find different prices?? I checked several different places (5 or 6 online sites, including the big names, and also called NCL directly) and got the same price from EVERY one. The only difference was that a couple of sites offered some extras ([a] 2 nights hotel at select locations, one voucher per cabin coupon book, or [c] airline miles). Was it just the cruise I was looking at (8/12 on the Dawn and 8/13 on the Spirit) or am I looking in the wrong places. (Sorry, not sure what the rules are here about posting specific sites. If that's banned, I'd appreciate a PM with some advice for future use.)

 

I was also very .... upset... with the guarantee pricing policy. I dont know much about cabin location, etc, so I would be "happy" with any outside cabin. So guarantee sounds great to me. But we have 3 passengers, so I was denied the advantage of booking a guarantee!! Turned out that if I had 4, and opted for 2 gty rooms, the price difference would be barely noticeable (2480 for one 3 person cabin vs 2620 for 2 gtys). Basically, a couple could book for 1310 at the same time/day as me and get the same room I would have to pay 2500 for!!!!! RIDICULOUS. This means our 9 yo is effectively costing 1200. Grrrrumble.

 

I realize that not all rooms can accomodate 3 (supposedly, anyway... they all have the same sq footage, why cant they just stick a rollaway bed in there??) and this is the "good reason" why they cant take 3 person gtys. Frankly, even if this were a real problem, they know exactly how many rooms there are of each type, and can easily just create a 2, 3 and 4 person gty price.

 

This obvious (anti-family??) inequity almost caused me to give up and not book at all. I was too furious with the complete and utter idiocy of the situation. Ultimately, we decided to book 2 cabins and bring an in-law. Now we just have to decide who sleeps where. (Tropical storm brewing.)

 

I'm not sure what can be done, but would appreciate other's comments and insights about this insane (to me) pricing flaw. Afterall, we would have happily booked one room for 18 or 1900 and let NCL get another 1300 for the other room... or even more (1700, I think) for the picky cruisers who prefer to lock down a cabin. Why does NCL allow this situation to exist?

 

Wow. I'm surprised how upset I am still. LOL. Thanks for listening.

slow down and back up: a couple issues that you do need to understane:1-gty cabins are cabins that are not sold otherwise; even though almost every cabin can accommodate 3 or more but the safety rules prohibit allowing every cabin that will hold 3 or more to have that many. Obviously when you are gettin a better price the cruise line will try to sell as many cabins to those paying full price they can. I probably haven't explained this very well as it is completecated, but it has nothing to do with NCL or any other line for that matter. 2-NCL is very family friendly; one of the few lines that does not charge for kids under 2; some charge full price, they often run specials where kids of any age cruise free and they have an excellent kids program. 3-Those who do get the discounted rates via the net are getting fewer and fewer. As a TA I have checked out of curiosity a few times just to compare. Almost every internet company I have checked with offer the same prices. On occassion I have found the price I have to be even a little lower, never much, but some. Yes, there still are bargains out there and many will jump in here and let you know about the deal they got. 4-if you really do want to find the best prices you have to be very flexible on dates and many have to cruise at a certain time. The higher the season the less bargains out there. some agencies, both internet and regular agencies do block cabins from time to time and will offer better prices by buying in volume. Hope this helps explain the pricing policy and calms you down a little. BTW:not much difference in pricing you said, do you have any idea the value of some of the perks some companies offer not to mention many lines are requiring across the board pricing thus there is no give and take. NMNita

[smeyer418]

But this isn't block booking. This is a TA placing a hold on specific cabins after a potential customer has called to inquire about pricing, and under the potential client's name, without getting the consent of the potential client. (These were not cabins already held in block by the agency--the TA had to put a hold on them separately.) By doing so, the TA is ensuring that during the 48 hour hold period, the potential client cannot book those cabins through anyone else or take advantage of any "new bookings only" deals because NCL apparently considers a hold the same thing as an actual booking (which I also think is wrong--if I haven't paid a deposit, I haven't booked the cruise).

 

In any case, if an agency has a block of cabins, I am not aware that I have to have one of those held either. What if the cabin I want is available (and not held by another agency) but is not in that block? Will the TA refuse to book me in the cabin I want because it's not part of the agency's block booking? I would hope not.

 

The bottom line is that I do not want a TA to hold a specific cabin in my name unless I request it.

 

beachchick

 

Thanks now I understand the concern better.