Who do we need to ask for??

[Aussie Cruisers]

Hi everyone,

 

When checking the prices for our upcoming cruise, we noticed it dropped y'day by US$600 so I emailed our TA to call X for the discount.

 

She called and was told that they knew nothing about it. She also called the Australian wholsaler who also knew nothing about it.

 

I explained that I have been looking at the X website every few days to book the same category room and it dropped.

 

Am I doing something wrong here???? I have read about people calling for the price drop and there being no problem.

 

HELP! Who should my TA call? Who should she ask for when she calls?

 

Thanks in advance! :o

 

Mark.

[foxyG]

Hi Mark

 

We had a very similar situation with our Constellation cruise for Feb 09 a few weeks ago. The price of our 2C cabin dropped by $700 and I rang our UK TA to ask them to apply for the new price.

 

My problem was getting the TA to believe that -X- would apply the dropped price as she was adamant that they wouldn't. After quite a long and heated exchange she agreed to contact -X- but more or less insinuated that I was wasting her time! Half an hour later I had the same agent call me back, very contrite, to tell me that -X- HAD applied the price drop to our booking.

 

I don't know how -X- operates in OZ, but over here the agent called the -X-TA UK sales support centre and they sorted it out. I'm pretty sure there will be more advice forthcoming from more experienced -X- cruisers.

 

Good luck... that $600 will sure cover a lot of "tinnies" :D

 

George

[irishgirl]

I cruise with a friend from London periodically. She always uses a TA here in the U.S. to book her cruises. You might want to try that next time.

 

Judy

[lucky white heather]

Hi everyone,

 

When checking the prices for our upcoming cruise, we noticed it dropped y'day by US$600 so I emailed our TA to call X for the discount.

 

She called and was told that they knew nothing about it. She also called the Australian wholsaler who also knew nothing about it.

 

I explained that I have been looking at the X website every few days to book the same category room and it dropped.

 

Am I doing something wrong here???? I have read about people calling for the price drop and there being no problem.

 

HELP! Who should my TA call? Who should she ask for when she calls?

 

Thanks in advance! :o

 

Mark.

 

Hi Aussie cruisers,

you are like us in the UK...we don't expect the price we pay to drop and because of our ignorance X get away with it because if you don't ask them either directly if you book directly, or via your selected TA if you book via them, you won't be informed about any price drop. US cruisers are mainly aware of price drops and apply regularly and are usually successful! Some TA's have never been asked to get a price drop applied to a booking so they are unaware of who to ask in X .We've had a similar experience to yours before now!

We got the first price drop (over £200) ....but our TA said there was a ( not insignificant) £40 fee to be paid to re-do our paperwork to recognise the new price which was what X was charging them to do it, this was wrong, but the bulk of the price drop left even after this deduction was still worth having and so we said we would take the "fee" matter up personally with X but accept paying it in the meantime..

There were 2 other price drops thereafter...we did not get them for 2 reasons...

1) the TA said it was stupid to apply for the second price drop which was another £40 as it would be the same as a second re-arrangment fee (another £40) to apply

2) another price drop of £200 occurred but we were not eligible for it as it only applied to "cruise only" bookers and we had an air inclusive deal with X .

After a lot of inter discussion with our TA ( who was obviously looking to his commission falling if we got these price drops applied and was a bit put out by the thought of this), much letter writing/ emailing to X, and tremendous help from someone "in the know" on these boards we finally got the £40 refunded back for the first fee and learned from the horse's mouth that no fee is ever charged by X to apply a price drop if you are eligible for it..

 

I would insist your TA looks into the price drop by phoning X HQ in OZ wherever it is and also do that yourself....email everyone you can think of locally to explain your enquiry ,what is appropriate to your booking, and write them too since your future cruise expenditure depends on knowing what is appropriately correct information. You just have to read the boards here (particularly your roll call) to know when any price drop happens and how much...the trick is to know you are eligible for a price drop and get it applied quick smart by doing your research on what is necessary info. to know first of all .

[tbelian]

HELP! Who should my TA call?

 

I hope this doesn't get misinterpreted, but.

 

I think your TA should know this. Your TA should work as an 'agent' on your behalf. You should not have to do much leg work (if any). That's part of the reason to use a TA, at least in my opinion.

[lucky white heather]

I hope this doesn't get misinterpreted, but.

 

I think your TA should know this. Your TA should work as an 'agent' on your behalf. You should not have to do much leg work (if any). That's part of the reason to use a TA, at least in my opinion.

 

Our TA was really only helping us because we ASKED for our price drop . It was going to affect their commission so obviously they don't want to do much if it means reducing their "Take"...the answer is to know which TA's will do the work you want them to do on your behalf and this is not easy to find over here particularly as it is not really common knowledge amongst the UK cruisers circle that price drops are even available if your booking is eligible.

We have used our former TA for a long time over many many bookings..... never got any OBC applied nor any reduced price....they "pretended" not to know about price drops when we enquired after learning about them on CC .....even although one of the staff in the agency used to work with X itself and was quite aware of the X "name" we finally were forced to contact over the wrongly charged "fee" mentioned in my previous post.

 

US cruisers are lucky in this respect...they are very savvy about what their TA should be doing on their behalf .Our TA's are not used to having a reduced price become effective to bookings already made...in the UK generally we believe the price agreed on booking will not alter .

[Aussie Cruisers]

Thanks everyone... I understand, but sadly there is no -X- office as such in Oz. There is only an agent on -X-'s behalf, and they have not received the new price yet. I assume it takes a few days to be processed.

 

TBelian - no offense taken... I know how the industry works (I used to work for QF) so I am trying to help my agent as she has never been asked this and was stonewalled by the Aust agent. She advised me she called -X- but they "knew nothing of the new price." So, either she did call the US office and got a bad sales rep (maybe...) or she called the wrong place by accident. Hence my question... "Who should she call/ask for?"

 

I will email her again and tell her what you guys said.

 

Thanks!

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Thanks everyone... I understand, but sadly there is no -X- office as such in Oz. There is only an agent on -X-'s behalf, and they have not received the new price yet. I assume it takes a few days to be processed.

 

TBelian - no offense taken... I know how the industry works (I used to work for QF) so I am trying to help my agent as she has never been asked this and was stonewalled by the Aust agent. She advised me she called -X- but they "knew nothing of the new price." So, either she did call the US office and got a bad sales rep (maybe...) or she called the wrong place by accident. Hence my question... "Who should she call/ask for?"

 

I will email her again and tell her what you guys said.

 

Thanks!

 

AussieCruisers if you go into the Celebrity web site and click on 'contact us', you will find a list of international X agents one of which one is an Austalian agent in Sydney. So if you can't sort out with your TA contact X's agent.

We have had a refund in the passed but it was an online booking through a US TA.; which we normally use, because they always offer better deals, with OBC's and upgrades. So provided the decrease doesn't stipulate new bookings only X will refund the difference without question. So make your agent earn their commission, that is why you used them in the first instant. Don't take no or don't know for an answer, if you have evidence of a decrease on the cruise category that you booked.

Good luck.

 

RoyBoy:)

[Aussie Cruisers]

:( too late... the price has gone back up and my agent missed it. I did email her of the price drop and she had time, but it didn't work out.

 

Am very sad right now.....

[Ardy53]

Hi

 

Can I just clarify this with you all.

 

I booked through a Travel Agent in South Africa about a month ago for my August cruise. I have paid the TA a deposit (balance due end-June) but there is no payment reflecting on my Celebrity reservation no.

 

The same class cabin that I have reserved now shows prices at my original price plus others at $350 cheaper.

 

Is this when I need to contact my TA to rebook another cabin at the lower price?

 

Or do I automatically get this price when they make payment to Celebrity?

 

Or do I get the difference automatically added to OBC?

 

So many questions - my only other cruise (Carniva), we booked through a TA and I had never even heard of CruiseCritic or price changes !!

 

Thanks

 

Roy

[lucky white heather]

Hi

 

Can I just clarify this with you all.

 

I booked through a Travel Agent in South Africa about a month ago for my August cruise. I have paid the TA a deposit (balance due end-June) but there is no payment reflecting on my Celebrity reservation no.

 

The same class cabin that I have reserved now shows prices at my original price plus others at $350 cheaper.

 

Is this when I need to contact my TA to rebook another cabin at the lower price?

 

Or do I automatically get this price when they make payment to Celebrity?

 

Or do I get the difference automatically added to OBC?

 

So many questions - my only other cruise (Carniva), we booked through a TA and I had never even heard of CruiseCritic or price changes !!

 

Thanks

 

Roy

 

Hi Roy...first of all I am no expert but have learned the hard way that the price you agree to pay can change... and many savvy cruisers ( myself being more savvy now than I used to be after I discovered CC and the wealth of info you can get from browsing these boards!) have benefited monetarily.

 

It is in X's contract that under certain conditions your price can fluctuate...and a refund will be given to you if eligible BUT YOU HAVE TO REQUEST IT IS APPLIED EITHER THROUGH YOUR TA OR DIRECT with X IF YOU BOOKEd DIRECT..which means checking the current price for your cabin grade regularly to see what is happening to the price they are asking...is it less or perhaps more than you initially agreed. ????

 

Depends on grade of cabin you booked and either with or without X air.

 

To get the cheaper price for your CHOSEN cabin you have to check onscreen info for these price drops ( lower price than you agreed to pay) then apply to have the new price applied to your specific booking either through the TA if you used one or direct with X if you got them to do your booking.

You are not needing to change cabins if a price drop affects your chosen grade..you retain your chosen cabin but get it cheaper.

 

If you want to choose another currently cheaper cabin though you could, but don't know if/ how this would be beneficial as you may incur a fee to change or cancel existing booking and re- book in your cheaper cabin.... make your decision based on changeover cost.

 

Price drops are not applied AUTOMATICALLY...you have to see one and ask X to apply it....you may not be eligible...see reasons above regarding air inclusive or not/ new bookings only/ cruise only bookings.

When we got our only price drop applied.... we got the cost taken off the account...not applied as an OBC...but you might be able to have any eligible refund applied this way????.

 

Others on these boards may be more helpful but look at the rollcall for your cruise...price drops are mentioned on them virtually immediately they become available by others who have a vested interest in saving money too!

[Ardy53]

Thanks Lucky White Heather

 

That gives me a lot to go by - I have not booked air, so I will get my TA to apply for the lower price.

 

BTW, my roll-call must be the slowest/deadest around - only 2/3 other couples there.

 

Will report back here after finding out about my price drop.

 

Roy

[lucky white heather]

Thanks Lucky White Heather

 

That gives me a lot to go by - I have not booked air, so I will get my TA to apply for the lower price.

 

BTW, my roll-call must be the slowest/deadest around - only 2/3 other couples there.

 

Will report back here after finding out about my price drop.

 

Roy

 

You TA is there to work for you but many are not interested in Price drops as it cuts their commission down..but nothing to be gained by letting things go..it costs an email or phone call to your TA and they might not be aware of price drops.... our former TA claimed not to be????? In the UK for example..it is not common knowledge that price drops occur far less how to get one applied ! We only found out about them through CC and had to get through the problems of our former TA not wanting to try for any reduction we should have been entitled to.... BUT TA's could be unaware of them or how to achieve one.

Good luck...these boards are a fantastic way of finding out what gives!!! US cruisers have so many TA's and cruiselines to choose from they know how to search around for the cheapest price because they have been doing it for years! As well as that reduced pricing comes out pretty regularly to fill so many ships sailing over there.!

 

Pity your roll call is so poor...maybe that is why they are reducing prices ????? ...to encourage bookings.

[lucky white heather]

Thanks Lucky White Heather

 

That gives me a lot to go by - I have not booked air, so I will get my TA to apply for the lower price.

 

BTW, my roll-call must be the slowest/deadest around - only 2/3 other couples there.

 

Will report back here after finding out about my price drop.

 

Roy

 

ps. meant to say we will be on Summit in a couple of weeks after its dry dock on its repo. cruise SOU to BCN.. do you want to ask anything about the ship? we have not sailed it before but we have done several cruises on the M class sister ship Millenium..exactly the same layout etc...same cabins etc etc ...and it looks like you may be doing the BCN to VCE or the oher way round...we've done that on ML several times too so if you want to know anything????

[Ardy53]

..but nothing to be gained by letting things go..it costs an email or phone call to your TA and they might not be aware of price drops.... our former TA claimed not to be?????

 

Good luck...these boards are a fantastic way of finding out what gives!!!

 

Yippeee !!!

 

TA just called and $700 cheaper trip for us !!!!!

 

... and guess what ?? TA also didn't know that this could be done !! I bear no grudge towards my TA - have used her for 10 years (mostly business) and will continue to do so... she just did not know about it.

 

BTW $700 on an inside cabin is a 20% saving !!! That's a lot of extra drinks now affordable

 

Thanks for the help everyone.

 

Roy

 

PS Lucky White Heather, I will be quizzing you about your planned and past trips, maybe not on this thread though !!

[lucky white heather]

Yippeee !!!

 

TA just called and $700 cheaper trip for us !!!!!

 

... and guess what ?? TA also didn't know that this could be done !! I bear no grudge towards my TA - have used her for 10 years (mostly business) and will continue to do so... she just did not know about it.

 

BTW $700 on an inside cabin is a 20% saving !!! That's a lot of extra drinks now affordable

 

Thanks for the help everyone.

 

Roy

 

PS Lucky White Heather, I will be quizzing you about your planned and past trips, maybe not on this thread though !!

 

Well done Roy...result as they say!

You can email me on yvonnebarrieatbtopenworld.com if you have any queries in particular regarding our Summit trip (sail date 29th April)..it isn't appropriate to clog up the boards with this, so anything you want to know I can offer to assist you with if you email any queries to me.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

:( too late... the price has gone back up and my agent missed it. I did email her of the price drop and she had time, but it didn't work out.

 

Am very sad right now.....

 

I would get a new travel agent. Yours did not earn her commission.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Hi Aussie cruises,

 

Such a shame you missed out on such a big saving on your forthcoming cruise. Your TA is past their use by date.;) There are plenty more out there who will work for you and for their commission.:)

[Aussie Cruisers]

To be fair to my TA (who is such a lovely person) it was the Australian Wholesaler of Celebrity who is at fault. It seems as though they don't honour the price drops, and as they sell it to Australians here, we have no choice. Next time I will go with a US agent. If you know a good one, please email me!

 

My TA is a wonderful person and she honestly did what she could!

 

M.

[MMDown Under]

It wouldn't hurt to contact Celebrity's main office in US and express disappointment re the unfair discrimination experienced by their Australian passengers, because Celebrity's Australian representative has not been given permission to extend price reductions to Australian customers.

 

From CC, it is evident that they give price reductions to UK and South African customers now, in addition to US customers.

 

Australia/NZ is an expanding market, with an increasing number of ships being repositioned to Australian/NZ to cruise the summer season. Australian/NZ are great world travellers, despite the poor rate of currency exchange. We might be naive about cruise pricing, but we are quick learners and we're not fools!

 

It goes without saying that I will book through US Agent in future, if this practice doesn't change.

[Ardy53]

...

 

From CC, it is evident that they give price reductions to UK and South African customers now, in addition to US customers.

 

Just to clarify what happened in my case ...

 

The same type of cabin that I had reserved showed prices at my original price plus others at $350 cheaper.

 

So my TA rebooked me in another cabin that was showing the reduced price - not sure if that is the same as applying a price reduction.

 

Roy

[aroncho]

Hi everyone,

 

When checking the prices for our upcoming cruise, we noticed it dropped y'day by US$600 so I emailed our TA to call X for the discount.

 

She called and was told that they knew nothing about it. She also called the Australian wholsaler who also knew nothing about it.

 

I explained that I have been looking at the X website every few days to book the same category room and it dropped.

 

Am I doing something wrong here???? I have read about people calling for the price drop and there being no problem.

 

HELP! Who should my TA call? Who should she ask for when she calls?

 

Thanks in advance! :o

 

Mark.

Hi Mark!

We are about to book "auckland to sydney on board the millenium" sailing 1/18/2009

I will apreciate ,if you are reffering to that cruise, if you can post the price and stateroom category so that we'll be able to check our booking

thank you

aroncho

[lucky white heather]

Just to clarify what happened in my case ...

 

The same type of cabin that I had reserved showed prices at my original price plus others at $350 cheaper.

 

So my TA rebooked me in another cabin that was showing the reduced price - not sure if that is the same as applying a price reduction.

 

Roy

 

Hi Roy, technically this was not a price reduction as you actually downgraded from one vcabin to the one below I think from reading your post..

By the way, I responded to your email yesterday with a port by port rough description of what to expect...hope you got that and it helps you for your upcoming cruise?

[poppy78]

I think that in OZ we are paying more for our cruises than residents of other countries.

 

I have travelled on Celebrity previously and I found that booking through the TA in Australia I did pay a fair bit more than the prices advertised on US web sites. However, it was still a fairly reasonably priced cruise by Australian standards so I didn't worry about it.

 

Now I want to book a trip to the Galapagos with Celebrity and was very disappointed when the TA came back with the price!

 

I know Galapagos trips are expensive, but TA came back with a price of about $4,180 AU pp (can't remember the exact amount), for a 7 night Galapagos cruise. The TA said that all Galapagos cruises in 2009 were the same price, so this was the best price they could find. My husband has checked the celebrity website and a number of other US websites and there are 10 night packages advertised at prices that would be less than the 7 night cruise quoted by TA. It doesn't seem like 10 night packages are even able to be booked in Oz.

 

Also Celebrity are charging an Asia Pacific Fuel Surcharge? Why should I pay an extra fuel surcharge based purely on where I live? Unless the cruise package includes a flight from my home country (it doesn't), I cannot see the justification for this. It just seems like Celebrity think they can get away with charging more in the Australian market.

 

Yes, I could book via a US web site, but then I lose any limited protection I have under Australian consumer law when booking through an Australian TA, and if anything goes wrong, I may find myself making a lot of overseas phone calls in the middle of the night.

[MMDown Under]

Like many Australians, I was well aware that we paid more for our airline tickets and cruises.

 

Although we have travelled overseas extensively, we did not cruise for many years for that reason.

 

It is one thing to rip Australians off when we cruise from Australia, but it is quite another to rip them off when they cruise from overseas ports.

 

The internet has changed this forever.

 

I already book most of my overseas travel requirements, including flights, via the internet. I do my research and choose recommended reliable companies and have never been let down. (I even got a refund from Ryan Air, when they changed a UK flight timetable, which didn't allow enough time to connect with a booked European flight.) I book with credit cards and have confidence in the protection laws of the countries I make bookings and wouldn't be surprised if UK and USA have better protection laws than we do, but fortunately haven't had to test this out here or abroad.

 

When the local deal is a good deal, of course I book locally.

 

It is just one more step to book my cruise travel overseas.

 

As I'm also planning a future visit to the Galapagos Islands, I suggest you look at the Ports of Call - South America - Galapagos thread, where you will find a mountain of valuable information on Galapagos with Celebrity, as well as an amazing variety of small ships cruises (already saved to my favourites).

 

If enough people reject this blatant discrimination towards Australians, cruise lines will introduce a more equitable costing/booking system, then everyone will benefit, including our local TA industry.

 

Cruising is a perishable product and we live in a wonderful big world with endless travel possibilities.