pvp or travel agent?

[Cruiser from MS]

If I am going on Carnival I will only use my PVP. I believe I have the best PVP at Carnival, she really has looked after us on the two cruises I have booked with her. If I have a question she returns my call promptly and she does not make me feel rushed when I talk to her. :)

[bthorn1108]

because the more you spend the more they make, so they are loooking to get you to spend more, not looking for what is in your best interest!:rolleyes:

 

I'm not sure what your personal beef is with TA's, but you should be VERY careful about how you categorize a specific segment of people.

 

As a TA, it is in my best interest to give the clients what they want, or steer them in the direction of what I think they will be happy with. The best advertisement I can possibly get is "word of mouth praise" for a job well done.

 

If I made an additional $50 off of you today, because I "upsold" you and never heard from you (or your friends/family) again, I'm only up $50.

 

On the other hand, if I point you in the correct direction and you are happy with my advice/service, I may not make a lot of money from you today, but I will hear from you in the future and probably your family and friends.

 

I'm not necessarily working for today, I'm working for what I can build it into tomorrow.

[luvz2cruz637]

You are just dead set against working with a TA as I see it, but thats ok too. But your statement is categorizing all TA's and is really incorrect.....If a client says I want an oceanview stateroom....balcony, or even an inside stateroom and have specific category they want, and thats the price you quote for them, How is that spenidng more of their money. The key word is it's THE CLIENTS MONEY and they ultimately decide on what they are willing to pay regardless of the category stateroom, which would be the same if they called the cruiseline direct. Sure, the cruiseline likes you to book direct, simply because they do not have to pay any commission to a TA, but they also rely on TA's who sell the vast majority of their staterooms and are thankful.

 

I bet you hate car salesmen, insurance brokers and many others who perhaps work on commission and trying to make a sale, and probably will do anything possible to bypass them if at all possible, and thats ok too, but I just dont understand your logic on TA's making money off of you !

 

no need to get nasty we all have our own opinions and that is mine!

[luvz2cruz637]

I'm not sure what your personal beef is with TA's, but you should be VERY careful about how you categorize a specific segment of people.

 

As a TA, it is in my best interest to give the clients what they want, or steer them in the direction of what I think they will be happy with. The best advertisement I can possibly get is "word of mouth praise" for a job well done.

 

If I made an additional $50 off of you today, because I "upsold" you and never heard from you (or your friends/family) again, I'm only up $50.

 

On the other hand, if I point you in the correct direction and you are happy with my advice/service, I may not make a lot of money from you today, but I will hear from you in the future and probably your family and friends.

 

I'm not necessarily working for today, I'm working for what I can build it into tomorrow.

 

AGAIN... i am entitled to my opinion and choose to work with who i want. thank you.

[Travel Angel]

AGAIN... i am entitled to my opinion and choose to work with who i want. thank you.

 

Beverly... we better be careful what we type or we will get blackballed from this member for something other than travel : )

[luvz2cruz637]

Beverly... we better be careful what we type or we will get blackballed from this member for something other than travel : )

 

are u serious? unbelieveable......

[dan40]

Sorry 2X post

 

Dan

[dan40]

pvp's are the ONLY way to go! Travel agents make money off of you... thats my opinion.

 

 

How dey do dat with the same or lower prices???

 

A good PVP is way better than a bad TA. And a good TA is way better than a bad PVP.

 

But good to good, a PVP has a certain price in the computer and CANNOT do anything with it. A TA has the EXACT same price [including past guest, military, state discount, whatever] but they can give a group rate even if your booking one cabin. PVP's can't. Plus a TA can cut into their profit and a PVP can't.

For example: A PVP quotes $1000. + taxes and fees for 2. The TA can ALWAYS quote the exact same fare. So if you book with the TA, they pay Carnival $850.00 plus taxes and fees. Making $150 for their time and trouble. You paid them $1000. ++ and had you booked with Carnival you would have paid them $1000.++ So no difference to you.

 

BUT.....

 

The PVP cannot change the $1000. Whereas the TA has $150 to play with.

The TA could take $50. off so you pay $950. and they only keep $100. for their profit. They could go down any amount to $850. making $0.00. They wouldn't be around long but you'd save $150.

THAT ABSOLUTELY CANNOT HAPPEN WITH A PVP.

 

What the TA cannot do is advertise a lower prices than Carnival, but one on one they can charge a lower price.

 

But remember we're only comparing good TA's and good PVP's with one another. Within that envelope, I'd rather deal with the independent businessperson rather than the salaried clerk.

 

The real problem is finding a good one of either. I found a good TA, why would I go thru the pain of trying to find a good PVP [when there is no advantage if successful]. If you have a good PVP, why go thru the trials of trying to find a good TA [unless the small price diff. is important].

 

PS, I am not a TA.

 

Dan

[Travel Angel]

How dey do dat with the same or lower prices???

 

A good PVP is way better than a bad TA. And a good TA is way better than a bad PVP.

 

But good to good, a PVP has a certain price in the computer and CANNOT do anything with it. A TA has the EXACT same price [including past guest, military, state discount, whatever] but they can give a group rate even if your booking one cabin. PVP's can't. Plus a TA can cut into their profit and a PVP can't.

For example: A PVP quotes $1000. + taxes and fees for 2. The TA can ALWAYS quote the exact same fare. So if you book with the TA, they pay Carnival $850.00 plus taxes and fees. Making $150 for their time and trouble. You paid them $1000. ++ and had you booked with Carnival you would have paid them $1000.++ So no difference to you.

 

BUT.....

 

Thanks... this is what we have tried to explain but just does not seem to be getting thru !

 

We can and do discount cruise fares when possible and always look for means to offer lower fares for the customer i.e. forming a group that may include :::perks::: and lower cruise fares/deposits that the pvp cannot do. And we usually provide a thank you gift (out of our pocket) that a PVP does not.....Also, many times a client is looking for other vacation options to a specific port of call they visited while on a cruise i.e. all inclusive vacation package, and an experienced TA can help just as well in that, but a PVP sure cannot and would never suggest alternative vacation concepts, simply because that would cut them out of their income.

 

The costs that a TA incur on a typical cruise booking include: numerous phone calls, paperwork, postage, accounting, client gifts and dont forget checking for rate reductions at request of clients come, all of which are coming out of the TA or agencies pocket, so if you really look at it, you are getting a value for your cruise costs, if you have a good TA you are working with.

As others have said, sometimes we may make minimal income from a booking in the short term, but always hope that GREAT SERVICE and COMPETITIVE FARES offered will provide referrals and repeat business to us for future travel plans.

 

Bottom line: Costs to the customer $0.00 to work with a TA (in most cases unless an agency service fee is required and some do charge this type of fee now) and clients get the benefit of an experienced travel planner WHO IS LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR CLIENT -or- it will cost them $0.00 to book thru CCL direct and miss out on some possible benefits a TA can provide.

 

It's the clients choice, but they should consider all factors before deciding who and where they book ANY vacation travel with.

[jiggywatson]

thanks to everyone who supplied me with great info.

[Kurbanfan]

because the more you spend the more they make, so they are loooking to get you to spend more, not looking for what is in your best interest!:rolleyes:

 

They can't make you spend anymore then what you are willing to pay.;)

PVP's and TA's are both paid by Carnival. Easy decision for me. I would rather have my TA who has taken great care of me for 10 plus years get paid by Carnival then someone I only talk to on the phone or internet.

Never paid more then I wanted. Never paid more then what a pvp can offer me..........

It all comes down to who you feel comfortable with..........

[Travel Angel]

thanks to everyone who supplied me with great info.

 

 

Glad we were able to help and sorry that we had some heated discussions you were exposed to. Everyone has and is entitled to their opinion.

 

I hope that with all the input you gained from this thread, you wil be better informed when making a decision on what is the best way for you to book your upcoming and future cruise or land vacation packages.

 

Curtis J. Thorsen

MCC

[Traveling Bob]

A good PVP is way better than a bad TA. And a good TA is way better than a bad PVP.

But good to good, a PVP has a certain price in the computer and CANNOT do anything with it. A TA has the EXACT same price [including past guest, military, state discount, whatever] but they can give a group rate even if your booking one cabin. PVP's can't. Plus a TA can cut into their profit and a PVP can't.

What the TA cannot do is advertise a lower prices than Carnival, but one on one they can charge a lower price.

But remember we're only comparing good TA's and good PVP's with one another. Within that envelope, I'd rather deal with the independent businessperson rather than the salaried clerk.

The real problem is finding a good one of either. I found a good TA, why would I go thru the pain of trying to find a good PVP [when there is no advantage if successful]. If you have a good PVP, why go thru the trials of trying to find a good TA [unless the small price diff. is important].

Dan

 

Dan,

Thanks for being right on. But it seems that some people are in love with their PVPs. Not only are they perfect, no one better say a word against them!

[S.S.Oceanlover]

If you like to research on CC than chances are you already know more about cruising than the average TA. The problem I had with booking with Carnival through my TA is that then if you have a question/issue and your can't reach your TA (mine happened to be on vacation one week), then you can't call or email Carnival. They will not talk to you.

 

I had some issues when I booked a group cruise and I had to keep using my TA as my voice with Carnival because Carnival refused to talk to me directly. Well I have learned that I don't need anyone to talk for me. ;)

 

I would book my next with Carnival directly. With RCCL, I still use a TA...but I tell her exactly what I want to book.

 

I would do the total opposite. Book RCI direct since I can't get a discount and book CCL with a TA to get a discount.

 

I guess since I have a good TA it has me scratching my head how your agent can go on vacation with nobody to cover for her.:confused:

 

Bill