Why no TA recommendations?

[Treven]

Another point of view. Consider that if CC did allow TA advertising, that could easily become misconstrued that the TA & CC were in business together. Later, in preparation for a cruise, the TA screwed something up for you. I'm certain that you would go screaming to CC because one of "their" TAs screwed up.

[negc]

Actually, CC does allow paid TA advertising. The point that Karen is making involves posts from persons who claim to be clients who are recommending a particular agency, but are in fact, the TAs themselves promoting their agency without making a full and accurate disclosure of their identity. There is no way for CC's monitors to verify the true identity of such posters.

[Host Karen]

...There is no way for CC's monitors to verify the true identity of such posters.

 

This is very true, Bill, but it applies to all posters. Before I became a host, I took the other members at face value and failed to consider that they may have other motives behind their posts in addition to -- or other than -- trying to help out other members. The guidelines limiting advertising and recommendations on this website try to walk the fine line between preventing TAs or tour operators from posing as cruisers and posting what are essentially advertisements and allowing real cruisers to recommend someone who gave them great service before or during their cruise. While it's impossible to ferret out all the advertisers, the hosts do their best.

 

Karen

[pcur]

I would be a prime candidate to not use a TA, but I do.

 

I do an unbelievable amount of research and price checking. As many on this board know, I have a looooong list of online travel sites that I subscribe to for their newsletters and deals. THEN, I go to my TA. Why?

 

Well, aside from loyalty, she did an amazing job for us after our Brilliance cruise last October. We were stranded in Barcelona, and after the nightmare was over, DH had bronchial pnemonia and I was exhausted. My TA pushed me into fighting back, and pushed our airfare vendors (who I booked on my own, by the way), and pushed the travel insurance company, and pushed RCCL, until we received a very fair amount of refunds and vouchers.

 

So, it's not always the front-end booking that counts with a good TA.

[Fran Harp]

Hi Wayne. I didn't know why I would want to use a TA either - I wasn't getting any perks, it took the control out of my hands and they didn't have a cabin I wanted. However, I just learned that I can earn a $200 ship board credit if I transfer my reservation from RCI to a TA! (I can still keep my current cabin, they still honor price drops, no fee - a win-win!) SO... although I'm still booked through RCI, I am tempted to transfer my reservation to a GREAT TA who will offer the same incentives as the on-line TAs that I have found.

 

I decided to book through the TA again, mainly because everything gets done....airfare, transfers, hotels, cruise. I did look up the cruise on the RCI website, and tell him what room I'd like to get if possible, and he got what we wanted. I will get all the cruise documents on time, all in one package and not have any worries. His comment was that when there's a problem, he's better at getting the answers (well, his words were "bullying" the answers out of them). It's worth it in terms of knowing there's nothing to do but wait for the cruise date to come.:D

 

Fran in Toronto