How far do you push your TA?

[KAWS]

OK here's the scenario. I have booked on the Crown Princess for next July. TA gave us a $50/cabin shipboard credit and we paid our deposit (usual amount). All is well.

 

I go looking on their site to make sure prices haven't gone down, and see this:

 

ALL PRINCESS CRUISES ON SALE THIS WEEK!

Bookings receive:

$240 value onboard coupons.

$250-$600pp deposits SLASHED to $100pp!

Most sailings 1/07 - 12/07 have shipboard credit of $50-$150/cabin HURRY - Very Limited Time! Princess chooses to exclude Xmas or New Year's sailings.

 

 

So I emailed the TA and asked her if we could get the first one (onboard coupons) because I realized we already had paid deposit and received a credit so wasn't asking for those. I told her that I notice there was absolutely NO mention of this being a new booking perk.

 

She replied with:

This is for new bookings only and it is something that Princess Offers.

I cannot add the booklets.

 

At that point I gave Princess a call to ask them the specifics of this and basically to see if the TA was telling me the truth. The rep told me that I would be eligible to receive the coupon booklet but that my TA would have to ask for it herself. I was a little shocked and I must say, disappointed in TA's response at that point.

 

So I've emailed TA again and told her what the rep said and asked her to try again for us.

 

Now I know I'm going to get some brutally honest answers on this board, but that's ok. Was I too pushy in asking again after she said no, and if she still says no, do I just call it a day and give up or is there something else I can and maybe should do? I have had no past dealings with this TA and do not wish to be her customer from hades but a $240 booklet is a $240 booklet! OR, does anyone have experience with this sort of a coupon booklet and am I fighting for something that basically will be for stuff that no one uses in the first place?

 

Kim

[miami]

As long as you don't get nasty with your TA, there's no harm in asking her to call again.

 

Not on Princess but... Last year, my mom received an email from NCL. It had better prices for the same cabins on the cruise we had booked (4 cabins). I called the TA who called NCL. She was told that it was for Latitude members only. Since this was our first cruise with NCL, we are not sure why she got the email. Anyway, I went in a few days later and she called NCL again. They ended up upgrading us and giving us a $200 OBC per cabin. This was after final payment.

[LHT28]

Your far enough out so just cancel & re-book with someone else that will at least try for the discounts.

[Spikesgirl]

If (s)he isn't willing to perform, then you have every right to switch to someone who will at least attempt to acquiesce to your request. Some TAs do get a bit lazy and forget that their job is to give you the trip you deserve. unless this TA does that, cancel and go somewhere else. There may be one that specializes in cruises and knows a bit more about the industry.

 

Charlie

[newmexicoNita]

I hava to agree with Spikegirl. If indeed it isn't for new bookings only there is no reason why your agent can't cancel your original booking and re-book. Yes, you will have to wait probably about 1 billing cycle to see the original deposit show up on your CC but it can be done. Like someone said handle it as tactfully as possible, but you have a right to the better price. If she won't I think I would switch agents. NMNita

[mafig]

I would not cancel and rebook for Princess' coupon booklet. If you do, when you see this booklet, you'll wonder why you put yourself through all this.

 

$240?! Maybe it's worth that amount, but only if you spend close to $1,000. We were on Caribbean Princess recently and used, maybe one coupon. Here's some examples of the coupons:

 

Spend $100 in gift shop, get 5% off.

Buy 3 drinks get one free

$5 match play in casino (the only one I believe we used).

But 5 pictures, get one free.

 

Seriously, fight for the coupon book if you wish. Cancel your cruise and rebook with someone else if you want to, but, believe me, the booklet isn't worth getting upset about.

[KAWS]

Well I think I'll do exactly nothing at this point. I've sent that second email asking her to try again and hopefully she'll do that. If not, it's certainly not worth cancelling and rebooking. I love the cabin location that I have and the price that I got it for in the first place was pretty good (best I've seen anywhere in fact).

 

As others have stated and shown here, that coupon book is not something I think is worth fighting for. If it were a $240 reduction or onboard credit, that might be another matter entirely.

 

I'll just take the wait and see attitude on this one and what will be will be. Not going to let it upset me any more or taint any opinions I have of the TA or the whole process.

 

Thanks everyone for your ideas, information and help. I appreciate it all.

 

Kim

[newmexicoNita]

Well I think I'll do exactly nothing at this point. I've sent that second email asking her to try again and hopefully she'll do that. If not, it's certainly not worth cancelling and rebooking. I love the cabin location that I have and the price that I got it for in the first place was pretty good (best I've seen anywhere in fact).

 

As others have stated and shown here, that coupon book is not something I think is worth fighting for. If it were a $240 reduction or onboard credit, that might be another matter entirely.

 

I'll just take the wait and see attitude on this one and what will be will be. Not going to let it upset me any more or taint any opinions I have of the TA or the whole process.

 

Thanks everyone for your ideas, information and help. I appreciate it all.

 

Kim

Kim, good for you and no, those coupon books are like any other coupon books, certainly not worth loosing sleep over. Do let us know if you get any satisfaction and remember this: you were content with the original price or you wouldn't have booked. NMNita

[mjt2890]

Those coupon books suck. My Dad went ape on a carnival cruise because he was promised one. He finally got it on like night 3 of 7 and the only good coupons were b1g1 free drink and $5 free credit in casino (1 chip) ... the rest got thrown away. He spent so much time and energy to obtain that silly coupon book too :D

[BobbiOh]

In somewhat defense of your travel agent....

 

It's possible that the information that she gave you was the information that she was given. It's not unusual to call a supplier and get a different answer from every person that you speak to.

 

That said, after you've been in the industry for a certain number of years, you tend to learn what is possible and what isn't and from that you can figure out if you need to ask a different person. I don't know her experience level.

 

It's just a sense of knowing when to keep asking questions.

[Guest rfrenchbaxter]

I agree with the ones that said the booklet is not worth canceling for. In fact, you may end up with one anyway in your cabin. We had one and I think we used 2 out of the entire book. You do have to spend to receive!

Rfrenchbaxter

[Happy ks]

I'll agree with the majority rule here. We have been given coupon books in the past and fine that other than one free drink with purchase, we don't bother with the other coupons. We'll even leave the booklet behind, in case the next cruiser wants to use some of them.

 

So, the booklet for us is worth in reality $5-6.

 

A reduced deposit, not a big deal, you will pay for the cruise sooner or later. An onboard credit, I was once told (by a TA) that it costs the TA nothing and is really hidden into the cruise fare cost. It's really only an advertising gimmick. A true credit is something you get after you have padi the fare and they are soothing you from some problem that ensued.

 

I was upset recently when I realized I could have gotten free travel insurance after I'd purchased ours. Then, thanks to this board, I read that several people had tried to use the same travel insurance and only have gotten grief from it. So, you get what you pay for.

 

Be happy, don't think about all this and enjoy your cruise :)