Diamond Member With Booking Question

[SPARKLE10]

Hi::)

 

We've taken 45 cruises over the past 21 years; and we've always used travel agents.:o I have one I've been with for 21 years and another just a few years. Recently, I've been rather disappointed with both of them and the service they've been providing me, with regards to the information I ask for; and how long it takes to get back to me with that information. I know one advantage to booking directly with RCCL, is the fact that when you see a price reduction, you don't have to wait for your TA to take care of it for you. I always have to notify them myself, as they never seem to know when one of the cruises I have booked has had a reduction in price. Booking directly, I can take care of that myself.

 

Today, I called RCCL directly, for information on a cruise I was considering booking. I was really pleased with the call and the service I received from the RCCL rep....(I know it depends on who you're lucky enough to talk with)....

 

Anyway, to finally :rolleyes: get to my question. Are there any disadvantages to booking directly with RCCL and not using a TA?:cool: Do they send you e-docs, or is it by mail?

 

I know a lot of people will know the answer to this question.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Happy Cruising....Sparkle 10 (Anita):p

[cyukuk]

Like yourselves I have found TA's to be a tremendous delay line when trying to get any thing done. When our cruise was chartered out after booking RCCL refused to discuss it in any way with us because we had used a TA. That was the last TA we ever used.

 

I have always been very impressed with the quick response from both Miami and UK offices of RCCL , even if they are Bull******ng, they do it very authoritively !!!!

 

Luv

Cy:)

[bilyclub]

The C & A is the best for dealing with bookings. A T/A would have to be real good to get my business.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Hi Anita - Bet you remember our cruise!

 

We too are Diamond members and for most of our cruises I have booked directly with RC. I usually go on line, pick out what I want, and then call them. I don't book on line as I usually have a specific cabin in mind and that's the only way to get them to check it out as far as availabililty.

 

A couple of things that I keep in mind. Once the original reservation is made and you have a reservation number you can call back and talk to anyone. They can bring it up right on their computer. I must admit some of their reps are better than others, but I have never had a "bad" one, and if I don't think we are communicating well, I will just call back and get a different person.

 

I keep tabs on the price and have received credits/discounts on several trips because the price went down. No hassles. You have to call them though and they will immediately issue a credit.

 

As far as travel agents, we used them only a couple of times. I realize that many are very professional and "look after their customers." However, in most cases I felt like I was doing the work - I book flights, hotels, cars, etc. almost every week and sometimes felt that I was more knowledgeable. This became most evident over the last few years with the airline crunch and making suggestions for alternative routes (I think you may remember my husband travels weekly), and sometimes I came up with better connections than the travel agent. This can be especially true if you don't live in a major city and have to make a connection (as I know you have to).

 

We have also traveled worldwide - this makes a huge difference - I think if you don't need the advice of a travel agent and all they are doing is making a booking, you might as well do it yourself.

 

Hope that helps - Saw where you had booked on the Oasis - we are scheduled on the Jewel for the Panama Canal next April.

 

Poi deploy was a great group - Best regards, Pat

[Grandma Dazzles]

Didn't answer one of your questions. We have always received our documents in the mail. However, I book our airline separately, not through RC, as I am usually using frequent flyer miles.

 

Funny story to that one - right before we left on the Freedom our documents came in the mail - I was furious - RC had moved us to a different cabin. We always try to get an Aft cabin (like we had on the Radiance), anyway I had booked the Freedom way out - couldn't believe they would change cabins on us just a few weeks before sailing. I jumped on the phone - the lady I spoke with asked if I had checked the new cabin number and what had happened - of course I had been too mad to do that - they had upgraded us to a suite and that was why it was a different cabin number. I was pretty embarassed and of course said we would be delighted to accept the suite.

 

Pat

[Tanker4]

We're also Diamond members and have booked quite a few cruises over the years both with and without TA's but have pretty much gone to booking direct with RCL as we've had a few bad experiances with a couple of TA's in the past. We always call the C&A number and have never had a problem. Also, the C&A folks seem to be a little more accurate with answers to our questions than the general booking folks. That said, I understand that some folks might receive a few extras from their TA but I can't substantiate that. Maybe other folks can answer that question.

[DataStar]

We, too are Diamond members, and have used a TA for some bookings. I think we have a very good travel agent, who is also a friend. Having said that, I generally am trying to get the best value for our cruise dollar, and I try to watch the prices on the RCI website on pretty much a daily basis. If I find a better price, and have gone through a TA, I find that I have to call the agent, who's business hours are many less then RCI's, and ask him to take the time to call and get our booking updated so that he can make a smaller commission on the trip. Ultimately, I'm not sure that I'm not doing my TA a disservice by booking through him, since most of my calls = more work + less commission. I can't use a TA for air, because, with 3,000,000 frequent flyer miles, we usually get free tickets.

 

When booking direct (I also call the C&A number) we've had great results, as others have said earlier on this thread. Really nice people, who try to help. And when calling to get the momentarily better price, there's never been a case when we didn't get a quick OK and an updated invoice emailed within a few minutes.

 

Will my TA send us a bottle of wine? Sometimes, but all in all, I think I would lean in the direction of working directly with Royal Caribbean for my cruise bookings.

 

Don't know if this helps, but I hope it does.

 

Regards,

 

Alan

[lacruiser]

We are also Diamond members, and my husband flies weekly for his work and books his own travel. When we first cruised, we used TA's -- a couple of different ones. However, after the first couple of cruises we switched to booking directly with RCI for all the reasons already mentioned. The latest twist for us is that we now book directly with RCI, then transfer the booking to whichever TA is offering the best perk. For our upcoming trip on Enchantment, the TA offered paid gratuities so we switched to them (an internet-based TA). To my mind, that's the best of both worlds. We have the convenience of direct communication, and then an extra goodie when we switch the booking. Some will offer prepaid gratuities, others will do an OBC -- just find the perk that suits you best.:D

[SPARKLE10]

Hi::)

 

Thanks to everyone who replied so quickly. Hi to Pat. Of course I remember you and the great cruise we were on just a year ago on the Radiance for Halloween (Hawaii).. Wasn't that the most fun? Yes, we're booked on the Oasis Inaugural also. First time for us on an Inaugural cruise. Not sure what to expect from an Inaugural cruise. We were on the Independence of the Seas last month for a 14 day Italian Med. cruise and I asked the cruise consultant there....I can't remember his name; what to expect on the Oasis, since we're booked for the Inaugural sailing, and he said he didn't know.:rolleyes:

 

Everyone confirmed what I was thinking anyway. I usually know more than my TA and she even said that to me one time. And, I never get any extras from her, i.e., obc, wine, etc. Nothing. So, why am I still going through her for my bookings? I don't know. I think from now on, I'll just handle everything myself directly with RCCL.

 

Thanks again....

 

Happy Cruising....Sparkle 10 (Anita):p

[wrp96]

I'll give you one advantage to booking with a TA.

 

I prefer aft cabins, and tend to want certain cabins on certain sailings. When RCCL opened up their Alaska bookings for next season, I had an email from my TA that I had the cabin I wanted on the sailing I wanted - about an hour before Crown & Anchor opened, which is before the main reservations line opened - and long before they had the cruises open for booking on the website. By the time many people got through to RCCL to book, the cabins they wanted were already taken - probably by people like me that booked through TAs.

[karena1]

I always book our cruises direct with RCI, usually when we are on another cruise. I much prefer having control over my reservation. Then right before final payment I transfer to our TA that I found last year. She gives me a great OBC for transferring the reservation, but pays Royal with my CC directly so I get my double points. So for me it is a win/win. I keep control of my reservation until the last minute, and then I get an OBC for transferring it. So far, she has been great.

[SPARKLE10]

Pat:

 

Remember the problems we had with change of itinerary on the Radiance cruise a year ago? We went on the Jewel of the Seas for New Years Eve, and I couldn't figure out where the OBC came from; and then when I got home I had a letter from RCCL, stating they gave us OBC because of the problems on that cruise; the itinerary changes and some of the other things that didn't go as planned. It certainly was a nice surprise.

 

Sparkle 10 (Anita)

[dutchess43]

I now book my reservations myself so I can have control over the booking. I check my pricing everyday when I had a TA I had to inform my TA when there was changes so I am doing the work myself. As RCI no longer lets the TA reduce the fare I would have to get great OBC's to consider changing the reservation. When I book or ask questions I too call C&A & seem to get better results.

[bike1964]

I now book my reservations myself so I can have control over the booking. I check my pricing everyday when I had a TA I had to inform my TA when there was changes so I am doing the work myself. As RCI no longer lets the TA reduce the fare I would have to get great OBC's to consider changing the reservation. When I book or ask questions I too call C&A & seem to get better results.

 

You hit the nail right on the head. I like to be able to make quick changes to the res. and not have to call a TA. If you see a price drop on a Sunday, you might miss out. I have had 6 different cabin assignments on our next cruise and have gotten back over $600 from RCCL due to price drops. If I was using a TA for all of these changes, they would shoot me!!!:(

[critterchick]

I do direct bookings with RCI because I had a terrible time earlier this year getting my TA's attention. Then he left the agency and his booking stayed there. The new agents were overwhelmed and, in some instances, clueless. Although the mess wasn't their fault, I have to say that it also shouldn't have been my problem.

 

So for RCI (Azamara and Celebrity, too) where the price is the same whether you book directly or use a TA, I'll continue to do the bookings myself. I have fun keeping track of price drops and specials. Then just before final payment I'll transfer the booking to our new TA, who always gives us some kind of OBC.:)

[pcur]

We will be Diamond Plus after our next cruise, and we've been with RCCL since 1973. I would never book a cruise without my TA. Actually, I did book one b2b when she was out of town over a weekend just to get the same cabin, and then transferred it over to her. We've been with her for 10 years.

 

I can understand all of the above comments about booking yourself, having control over your booking, etc., and that would be true if your TA doesn't take care of business quickly. But, mine does! I called her two days ago after finding a $300 drop per person on one of our cruises, and she literally ran to her office (she works at home), and I had the confirmation in my email within 5 minutes.

 

OK, so that's good, right?

 

The REAL reason we keep going back to her is she absolutely chewed up RCCL and spit them out about 3 years ago when we had a horrible post-cruise problem with them (I'm talking stranded, sick, and don't know when we can get home from Spain!!!). After we did get home she bullied RCCL and British Airways into giving us credits in addition to our travel insurance payment.

 

So, for all the negative comments about using TA's above, I have just the opposite story to tell.

[aqhacruiser]

I always book direct with RCCL online, manage my own reservation and when close to final pmt I transfer it to a great TA that gives me a nice perk. I prefer to have control over my own reservation as I feel I can watch for price drops, coupons, choose my excursions, dining times, have all discounts applied, insurance, etc. better then a TA that has many clients to take care of. I also like the freedom to change a cabin or book one quickly without having to depend on a TA to do it for me and risk losing the cabin I want while I wait for a TA to return a phone call and if I have a question or concern I want to be able to talk to RCCL directly and not get second hand info from a TA. When I do transfer, my reservation is it completely done the way I want it, yet I still get a great perk from my TA and have the benefit of a TA working for me should something go wrong on a cruise. If you do not mind losing control over your own reservation then book with a TA, if you want to manage your own reservation then book with RCCL. If you book with RCCL direct you always have the option of transferring later before final pmt.

[aqhacruiser]

Hi::)

 

We've taken 45 cruises over the past 21 years; and we've always used travel agents.:o I have one I've been with for 21 years and another just a few years. Recently, I've been rather disappointed with both of them and the service they've been providing me, with regards to the information I ask for; and how long it takes to get back to me with that information. I know one advantage to booking directly with RCCL, is the fact that when you see a price reduction, you don't have to wait for your TA to take care of it for you. I always have to notify them myself, as they never seem to know when one of the cruises I have booked has had a reduction in price. Booking directly, I can take care of that myself.

 

Today, I called RCCL directly, for information on a cruise I was considering booking. I was really pleased with the call and the service I received from the RCCL rep....(I know it depends on who you're lucky enough to talk with)....

 

Anyway, to finally :rolleyes: get to my question. Are there any disadvantages to booking directly with RCCL and not using a TA?:cool: Do they send you e-docs, or is it by mail?

 

I know a lot of people will know the answer to this question.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Happy Cruising....Sparkle 10 (Anita):p

 

I book direct and always get docs by mail, C & A reps have been very good everytime I booked a cruise and very quick to make any changes and to email confirmations, In my opinion, I can't see any disavantage in booking with RCCL direct:)

[pcur]

I always book direct with RCCL online, manage my own reservation and when close to final pmt I transfer it to a great TA that gives me a nice perk. I prefer to have control over my own reservation as I feel I can watch for price drops, coupons, choose my excursions, dining times, have all discounts applied, insurance, etc. better then a TA that has many clients to take care of. I also like the freedom to change a cabin or book one quickly without having to depend on a TA to do it for me and risk losing the cabin I want while I wait for a TA to return a phone call and if I have a question or concern I want to be able to talk to RCCL directly and not get second hand info from a TA. When I do transfer, my reservation is it completely done the way I want it, yet I still get a great perk from my TA and have the benefit of a TA working for me should something go wrong on a cruise. If you do not mind losing control over your own reservation then book with a TA, if you want to manage your own reservation then book with RCCL. If you book with RCCL direct you always have the option of transferring later before final pmt.

 

I also do everything you mention above, BUT my TA makes the actual changes with RCCL. I do all my own research, book my own hotels and air, check for all the discounts, coupons, and sales.....all of the above. I lose no control going through her for the rest. RCCL can be irritating sometimes, and not so efficient with the details. She takes care of all of that for me. Anything I want, I get, and fast. If she isn't available, her assistant covers for her and takes care of me. During the WOW sale last June, her assistant was redialing RCCL for hours to get me a sale price. Works for me! :D

 

If you have the right TA like I do, then you lose none of the control and all of the hassle.

 

Just this week we cancelled an RCCL cruise and rebooked on Celebrity for a lot less. I told her I wanted a specific cabin number, and I'd pass on the Elite free upgrade if the cabin wasn't in a good location. She and the booking agent booked me in a cabin category LOWER than what I wanted, and then UPGRADED me to the exact one I wanted, which saved me $20. She told me, "$20 is $20, so why not save it?".

[Hlitner]

We book quite a few cruises (about 5 a year) with many different lines. Is there an advantage to using TAs? Yes, absolutely. Is there an advantage to using a specific TA (many like to use the same TA all the time)? Not necessarily! Let me explain.

RCI has been using very tight price controls (TAs follow the rules or else!) for several years. So, theoretically, all TAs should have the same price. But, certain TAs and travel consortiums will offer lower "group rates" or special authorized promotions on certain cruises. This means there are often advantages to shopping around for the best prices. We use our own "short list" of on-line TAs (currently we have 6 on our list) and always price-out cruises with all the TAs. We will also do a search of a few other agencies as kind of a quality control. It sounds like a lot of work, but it probably takes us less than 30 min to check-out each booking. Sometimes it works,,,sometimes the prices are about the same. But when it works, the savings can be dramatic (we are talking $1000+ on some bookings).

 

The other thing about RCI is they are very friendly when it comes to price drops...right up until the last minute. If you see a price reduction on a booked cruise, they will give you the reduction if you call your TA (or the cruise line if you booked direct). We currently have an Explorer of the Seas booking, and we have so-far received 3 price reductions. But, this does mean monitoring the current prices and making a call when you see a change.

 

Things are a bit different with the CCL cruise lines (Princess, HA, Carnival, etc). They will not generally give you advertised price reductions after you have made your final payment. However, they will sometimes consider upgrades and/or on-board credits. For us, we have found that it is just a matter of spending a few minutes on-line and the phone to often save hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

 

Hank