Why use a travel agent?

[LOW Cruisers]

We have only made three crusies, Majesty, Grandeur and Jewel. Our next cruise will be in Sept this year on the Radiance. We let a friend that is a travle agent make our first cruise but have worked with RCI for the other three. While we have had great results dealing directly with RCI would I have something to gain by using an agent? Just curious.

[OV8]

A great travel agent will be able to not find u a great deal/price but also find u great excursions & must do's/see's.

 

Basically, it comes down to what added benefits u perceived to have gain & value it out that way.

 

For a cruise I wouldn't use 1.

But for a 25th aniverary in Tahiti - well these types are a rare breed & more often than not require a fee.

[grneyes]

We never use a travel agent, always call RC.

Some people think they can get a better deal I am not sure that is true.

Also sometimes travel agents send you a bottle of wine or some gift for using them and people like that.

I like calling RC direct asking ?'s or checking on prices on my own.

Happy sailing

[gjkubel]

Some TA's can give you a fairly generous amount of OBC. I typically receive about 12% of the price in OBC by transferring to a travel agent. That is a rather sizeable benefit. I typically keep my reservation with RCI until final payment is due and then transfer.

 

Some will tell you a TA is good for vacation planning, and while that is true if you find a good TA, many of us on these boards know as much if not more than a TA about what we want. If you fall in that category, the only benefit I can see to using a TA is to get some kind of perk, such as OBC.

 

Note, there is also a danger to using one of these TAs, as they are not always responsive, so it may be harder to act on a price drop or change cabins if the one you want opens up.

[mjldvlks]

Short answer, there is no good reason to use a travel agent UNLESS you get some added value as a result. It likely won't be an actual discount, but it could be the TA sharing the commission with you in the form of OBC or something like that. It also may be worth it to you to not have to mess with the booking yourself. But frankly, we enjoy the plotting and planning and would just as soon handle that ourselves.

[MISSYLOU]

We use a travel agent because she gets the best rates and cabins and she handles things that I might not have thought of.

[transam84]

I use a travel agent because I like the personal relationship, I get a little gift like a bottle of wine or $50.00 on board credit, she was able to get me group rate when I have a large group like my Explorer cruise in 2010 for my DS's college grad. She also tells me she has some group amenities that she will discuss with me as we get closer. Mostly a personal thing.

[RayJacki]

I use a travel agent because I like the personal relationship, I get a little gift like a bottle of wine or $50.00 on board credit, she was able to get me group rate when I have a large group like my Explorer cruise in 2010 for my DS's college grad. She also tells me she has some group amenities that she will discuss with me as we get closer. Mostly a personal thing.

 

 

Does anyone know if Group Travel with amenities can also be booked directly with RCCL ... perhaps in a "group department" or something like that?

[Sue L]

Does anyone know if Group Travel with amenities can also be booked directly with RCCL ... perhaps in a "group department" or something like that?

 

 

Yes, but then you are in charge of the group and believe me it is not as easy as you think. You need to have 8 double occupancy cabins to form a group and then depending on the sailing you will get GAP points that give you perks. You will also get a free berth (1 person's fare) back in a rebate minus the non-commissionables and they still pay taxes and fees. The free berth is based on the the greatest number of a category.

[Mary1951]

A friend of mine who uses my TA had a mishap with pass port and needed to get a new one pronto , since the government is so (can't think of word) even though the fact he had just recieved his passport 3 weeks before had to go through all the red tape , my Ta spent his whole day waiting for them to call him , not taking breaks nor dinner so my friend could get new passport . He needed 3 people to vouche for him and we and 4 of our couple friends were already on vacation , so TA went extra mile , I'll get rid of hubby LOL before I change him . Service has always been great and he always gets me what I want , when I want and never suggests things I won't like .

[tkportersat]

My mom uses a travel agent - I don't. I haven't seen a big difference other than maybe advising a good room and setting them up at a good table by the window for dinner. I personally like to have control over my booking so I book online.....I can make changes or cancel whenever I feel like it. With a TA you are at their mercy. I can only see an advantage of having a TA if it is something new to you and you don't know what you are doing or what you are looking for.

 

If I did a land vacation I would probably use a TA to help me figure things out.

[sleepybert]

I like to do my own booking and planning. Some of the TA's I've had in the past have just made the whole thing too stressful (unreturned phonecalls, errors, etc.)

 

This way I know everything is right and I can talk to RC directly if I have an issue.

[CruisingGoddess]

I'm planning my 3rd cruise and I've always used a travel agent because I've always gotten perks that the cruise line didn't offer. While the price for my upcoming RCI cruise is the same as RCI direct, I'm getting $100 onboard credit, free pre-paid gratuities, and a free spa treatment through the TA.

[cruisecookie]

I usually book the cruise that I want directly with RCCL. Just before my final payment due date I turn my reservation over to my TA. I do this because my TA gives me incentives -- onboard credits, paid gratuites, etc. My TA is happy to take my reservation because it's easy for him. Since my cruise is already planned there is very little work for him to do. It's a great situation for both of us!

[cruzincanuck]

I booked via RC ( I am quite particular about the cabin and watching any price reductions) and then prior to final payment I transfer the reservation to my TA. My Visa card allows me to use up my accumulated points as cash towards the cruise ( in my next cruise, a discount of $400.00) and I get double points through her agency for booked trips (including insurance). So I do it for the points and the eventual cash towards the trip.

[1st mate]

We like using our TA,(we have used her services for several years) she can and has saved us money, found us good prices both on cruise and air fares, arranges our air the way like it, has alot of suggestions on our travel concerns, arranges our travel insurance and MOST of all, can be contacted if we have problems.

 

I believe her fee is like $50.00, I KNOW it is worth every penny. If we book a cruise on-board we always transfer it to her.

[JetsFanCruiser]

I use a TA as well, amd I'm really interested to know if the upgrade fairy would be more likely to visit a guest that booked directly with RCCL as opposed to one that used a TA. I'm thinking it may be easier for RCCL to give the upgrade to guests directly.

 

Can anyone comment if they received an upgrade with a TA as opposed to when booking directly?

[TBSCruiser]

My TA charges absolutely no fees, is practically available 24/7 as she checks her email at nights and her one off weekend day. She checks for price drops and calls us with the good news and has gotten us several upgrades when we aren't picky on our cabin.

 

She calls me with specials and deals that she knows might appeal to me. She does all our air, pre and/or post cruise hotels, private transfers, and sets up tours and such when ever we need it.

 

A good TA is worth their weight in gold. Does she give us anything? Yes,....her time and expertise.

 

Could I book it myself, absolutely. I have been all over the world several times, been on dozens of cruises but I like having someone to back me up if any problems arise.

[camofwilliamsburg]

My TA has given us back 10% of the cruise fare as OBC. She also makes sure all of my coupons are applied. When there is a price drop it is done very fast....no problems ever. It does not cost me a dime to use her but I get back.

[LOW Cruisers]

Thanks to all of you for your response. I am not a world travler and have a lot to learn but it does appear that a good TA is someone I may want for future cruises. I don't quite understand the transfering of my pre arranged reservation with RCCI to a TA but I will ask my old friend. Thanks again.

[ubdkjrb]

The vast majority of those that use TA's do so because they get OBC. It's not the service, it's not the bottle of wine, it's not the expertise, it's not the Xmas card - it's the money.

 

Another point - most TA lovers will tell you that their TA watches 24/7 for price drops and have received many. My question - how do you know? Really, the only way to know is to check yourself. Then it's not really an advantage, is it? I check for price drops three times a day, religiously. I check regularly to see if my favorite cabin location has freed up, religiously. I don't need a TA to arrange for a window table in the MDR; I simply see the maitre d' first thing and arrange it myself.

 

Peter

[BobbyD]

I'm slightly biased because my wife is a TA. But, as a corporate agent, she books our cruises through her company's cruise agent, who only does cruises. Most travel agencies charge a fee for airline tickets because they do not get commision any longer (like the good old days). Cruises are different as the agency still gets commission from the cruise line. One of my wife's benefits is that she is able to deduct the commision from the cruise only portion for both her and I. If we went through the cruise line, we would not get the deduction of the commission (since none would be paid to the cruise line). Since I am married to a TA, I would recommend using the TA, assuming that they are competent! I do know that not all are so you will have to decide that. They do need to make a living, which is getting harder and harder these days in the vacation world of do-it-yourself.

[TBSCruiser]

The vast majority of those that use TA's do so because they get OBC. It's not the service, it's not the bottle of wine, it's not the expertise, it's not the Xmas card - it's the money.

 

Another point - most TA lovers will tell you that their TA watches 24/7 for price drops and have received many. My question - how do you know? Really, the only way to know is to check yourself. Then it's not really an advantage, is it? I check for price drops three times a day, religiously. I check regularly to see if my favorite cabin location has freed up, religiously. I don't need a TA to arrange for a window table in the MDR; I simply see the maitre d' first thing and arrange it myself.

 

Peter

 

How do I know, because I get the proof in form of a new confirmation with the lower price. She always seems to get me one of my first choice cabins, and because she does all this then I have free time to do other things. Sorry you have to spend so much of your day doing the things a good TA will do for you!!!

[Amberderossi]

Why use a travel agent?

 

If you book your cruise yourself, you have one booking with the cruise-line.

 

If you book with a TA, they more then likely will have upwards of 100 bookings with the cruiseline.

 

Book one that is an outside sales agent for a host, and you are talking about 1000 bookings with the cruiseline or more.

 

Book one with a TA that is part of a franchise or a consortium and you are now talking about someone who is affiliated with a company that has 10,000 bookings with that one cruiseline or more.

 

Just who do you think the cruiseline is going to help if there is ever a problem. Who are you going to call in there is a problem onboard.

 

By 2012, there will be 200 ships going to 1,000 ports of call. Someone is an expert or has a niche in a area of the world and in a cruiseline. If you are an inexperienced cruiser and don't have time a travel agent is a must.

[BroncosFan2010]

Our TA is very friendly, quick to respond to questions, and we have never been disappointed in our rate. We always receive a bottle of wine in our cabin, along with great luggage tags (easy to identify our luggage with them), and a photo album to place our trip photos. While we don't get OBC with our TA, we have always been able to book for at least $200 less than what RCCL is telling us when we call them direct. I believe the reason for this is because the agency buys cabins at a group rate and sells them to us. If they are not selling, they get discounted further.

 

We had an E1 extended balcony (deck 7 forward), on the Serenade, with a Southern Caribbean Itinerary (1 sea day) for $540 per person through our TA. RCCL had us in the same cateogry cabin for $799. You do the math.... we booked with the TA.