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On 7/25/2019 at 2:59 PM, CruiseGus said:

Not an MEI customer (not yet anyway),  but I was pretty impressed on how fast annette@mei-travel responded to the initial question

Prompted me to reach out and get a quote for my next cruise, I'm not a shopper so that's where I landed because of the quick response ? 

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1 hour ago, AnnetteJackson said:

No it would not be rude.  The agent is trying to do something to thank you for the business.  Feel free to let them know your preferences.  Matt let me know early on not to send Champagne as they didn't drink it.  We like sending gifts that can be used.

Thank you for the advice.  I just did not want to sound petty or like I expect a gift.  I don’t expect anything but I hate waste

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2 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Actually, MEI can book customers outside of the US now as well.  Nothing but superior service from MEI for over 5 years.

Thank you, that is very useful to know. I might just give them a try next time round. I'm a bit nervous about giving up control of my bookings to someone so far away but you all speak so highly of them that I may take the plunge. They seem to provide service that is pretty much non-existent in TAs where I live.

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I completely understand your desire to retain control.  It was very very hard for me to give up control.  Then I ran into my first big problem (double cancellations of Empress)....and I was never so glad to have someone acting as my advocate doing all of that time-consuming work of refunds and rebookings and airline cancellation fees and on and on.  It took me about 2 seconds after that to make [email protected] my lifelong agent.  Then I found out she was my neighbor and our backgrounds were astonishing interrelated and that just made the bond that much stronger.  

Nobody really NEEDS a travel agent when things go right but trust me, if you cruise for long enough you will eventually have a big issue that will put you back on your heels UNLESS you have someone who can jump in and throw you a life preserver.  Michelle was, herself, on a cruise last week in Puerto Rico and she STILL managed to answer every email I sent and accomplish every task I asked of her.  THAT is dedication !

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@AnnetteJackson, would it be acceptable to approach a specific MEI agent directly? I've just been having a look at the "Meet Our Team" section of the website and I see that there is an agent (Heather) in North Hollywood, CA, which is where my son lives. I would probably feel more comfortable knowing that she's just around the corner, so to speak, plus there are a couple of posters on here who speak highly of her... 

Sorry if I'm sounding like a control nut; I'm not really, but I used to be a TA myself back in the day, which is why I find it so hard to sit back and let others do the work... :11_blush:

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9 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

@AnnetteJackson, would it be acceptable to approach a specific MEI agent directly? I've just been having a look at the "Meet Our Team" section of the website and I see that there is an agent (Heather) in North Hollywood, CA, which is where my son lives. I would probably feel more comfortable knowing that she's just around the corner, so to speak, plus there are a couple of posters on here who speak highly of her... 

Sorry if I'm sounding like a control nut; I'm not really, but I used to be a TA myself back in the day, which is why I find it so hard to sit back and let others do the work... :11_blush:

Feel free to reach out to her.  She does a lot of Disney and overseas travel, but she does book a lot of cruises as well.

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If you price it out yourself and your agent gives you a different price than you saw online, just ask them. For example, our MEI Agent (Kathy G - she is awesome!) always prices it out with refundable deposits which is more than non-refundable and what the RC site defaults to, if I understand correctly.

I've worked with other agencies and with MEI. A good agent won't be upset with your questions. Just ask. They want you to be happy and have a great vacation so you come back. 

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2 hours ago, wllm1969 said:

I looked on MEI website and there is no one near me. Do you serve clients that are long distance? How do you do that? 

WE have agents all over the US - even more than you saw on the site.  You can fill out the quote request and ask for someone near your home location or if you want to email me directly with how you would like to be contacted and a few details, I can match you up with an agent that will respond in the style you like.  Some people prefer text, email or phone calls and I have agents that have those preferences as well.

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On 8/2/2019 at 5:04 AM, wllm1969 said:

I looked on MEI website and there is no one near me. Do you serve clients that are long distance? How do you do that? 

hi there

we are happy to help any time and I have clients all over the country and the world in fact
feel free to email us if you want a quote or have a booking you want to transfer to us

Give us a Try!  Travel Agents aren't all that bad...?

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On 8/9/2019 at 10:56 AM, michelle said:

hi there

we are happy to help any time and I have clients all over the country and the world in fact
feel free to email us if you want a quote or have a booking you want to transfer to us

Give us a Try!  Travel Agents aren't all that bad...?

I have to check you guys out next time we want to book a cruise. 

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I just wanted to add my two cents to this thread. After reading this thread I decided to contact MEI Travel. Now, I already had booked on my own back on 4/1. After I was contacted by Danette from MEI and had given her all the info, not knowing that RCCL doesn't allow a transfer to a travel agent after 60days of booking, I received a e-mail from RCCL stating this fact. I e-mailed Danette thanking her and apologizing for wasting her time. She then said hope was not lost and she was going to contact another dept and see what she could do. Low and behold about 10 days later, my reservation transfer was approved and on top of that, she got me a price drop of almost $500 off my original reservation price, 4 months after my initial reservation and first payment, along with a OBC as a gift from her. The savings would have been more than enough. 

That's what I call service! I will never go it alone again and always recommend MEI Travel!

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38 minutes ago, FManke said:

I just wanted to add my two cents to this thread. After reading this thread I decided to contact MEI Travel. Now, I already had booked on my own back on 4/1. After I was contacted by Danette from MEI and had given her all the info, not knowing that RCCL doesn't allow a transfer to a travel agent after 60days of booking, I received a e-mail from RCCL stating this fact. I e-mailed Danette thanking her and apologizing for wasting her time. She then said hope was not lost and she was going to contact another dept and see what she could do. Low and behold about 10 days later, my reservation transfer was approved and on top of that, she got me a price drop of almost $500 off my original reservation price, 4 months after my initial reservation and first payment, along with a OBC as a gift from her. The savings would have been more than enough. 

That's what I call service! I will never go it alone again and always recommend MEI Travel!

Thank you for giving us a try!

So glad that Danette was able to save you money along with a little extra gift!  

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I filled out the contact form on this website and have been communicating with Stephanie from MEI. She has been helpful. Now I just have to decide on which cabin we want. Either a OVB or a JS. We just had a JS on our very first cruse on Symphony a little over a week ago and we want to take advantage of our casino royal offers. $1250.00 off combined between both!

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Stephanie has helped us with our last 4 cruises on RCCL. She has saved us each time and is so easy to deal with. Our latest booking last week for January was great and she took care of the reservations through Casino Royale. It is so much easier letting her do this plus gave us some OBC.

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Hello everyone! Has anyone else been able to transfer a cruise to an agent after the 60 days or is that some kind of rare thing that can be done once in a while?

I booked an Alaska cruise back in November and after seeing this post I decided to check the price again. The difference was $350 so we called Royal Caribbean and they matched the price. Has anyone else had any luck with doing that?

Is there a limit on the number of times the price of a cruise can be changed if there is a difference with each sale that happens?

Thank you!

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1 minute ago, chrisb732 said:

Hello everyone! Has anyone else been able to transfer a cruise to an agent after the 60 days or is that some kind of rare thing that can be done once in a while?

I have heard others had luck with this in the past. Seems to be a YMMV situation.

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6 minutes ago, chrisb732 said:

Hello everyone! Has anyone else been able to transfer a cruise to an agent after the 60 days or is that some kind of rare thing that can be done once in a while?

I booked an Alaska cruise back in November and after seeing this post I decided to check the price again. The difference was $350 so we called Royal Caribbean and they matched the price. Has anyone else had any luck with doing that?

Is there a limit on the number of times the price of a cruise can be changed if there is a difference with each sale that happens?

Thank you!

There is no limit to how many times you re-price as long as it is prior to final payment. 

As far as transferring to a TA after 60 days, I have heard that MEI agents have had luck in that department.

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17 minutes ago, chrisb732 said:

Hello everyone! Has anyone else been able to transfer a cruise to an agent after the 60 days or is that some kind of rare thing that can be done once in a while?

I booked an Alaska cruise back in November and after seeing this post I decided to check the price again. The difference was $350 so we called Royal Caribbean and they matched the price. Has anyone else had any luck with doing that?

Is there a limit on the number of times the price of a cruise can be changed if there is a difference with each sale that happens?

Thank you!

Hey there!

We will not have any issues taking something over after the 60 day mark.  It may take a couple of days, but we can accept the transfer and start looking for discounts for you right away!

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So many people in this thread talk about how responsive and great Stephanie is. While I agree that she was extremely responsive leading up to my booking and forking over my down payment, she has not been since. With the exception of what I assume to be automated emails talking about new cruise deals offered by RCCL with a tag that states she is continually looking for better offers, she has not responded to me yet. I’ve sent two different emails weeks apart and have heard nothing. This has been my first experience with a travel agent, and I hope to not be my last. But, the lack of responding to emails is very disappointing. Particularly since it was so great on the front end...while trying to get my business. 

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28 minutes ago, Jim82Mac said:

So many people in this thread talk about how responsive and great Stephanie is. While I agree that she was extremely responsive leading up to my booking and forking over my down payment, she has not been since. With the exception of what I assume to be automated emails talking about new cruise deals offered by RCCL with a tag that states she is continually looking for better offers, she has not responded to me yet. I’ve sent two different emails weeks apart and have heard nothing. This has been my first experience with a travel agent, and I hope to not be my last. But, the lack of responding to emails is very disappointing. Particularly since it was so great on the front end...while trying to get my business. 

Oh wow, certainly a different experience.  I just spoke to her and made a payment, quick and easy.  

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11 hours ago, Jim82Mac said:

So many people in this thread talk about how responsive and great Stephanie is. While I agree that she was extremely responsive leading up to my booking and forking over my down payment, she has not been since. With the exception of what I assume to be automated emails talking about new cruise deals offered by RCCL with a tag that states she is continually looking for better offers, she has not responded to me yet. I’ve sent two different emails weeks apart and have heard nothing. This has been my first experience with a travel agent, and I hope to not be my last. But, the lack of responding to emails is very disappointing. Particularly since it was so great on the front end...while trying to get my business. 

Hello,

I would love it if you would contact me directly with some examples and feedback so I can work with her on this.  I would be happy to move you if you are unhappy with your agent to another agent.  Just email me at [email protected] and I will jump in to make sure you are happy.

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Stephanie has done a fine job for me and my family also.  Our first MEI experience was the group cruise last November and Stephanie handled ours and my daughter's reservations.  Since then we have booked two additional cruises with her.  The last, just a week ago on the Celebrity Edge.  The day after booking the price went down and when I received my confirmation it reflected the new lower price.  I've found her to be responsive and helpful.

If you ever get the chance to take one of the group cruises do it. Annette does an amazing job organizing the activities and herding the cats.  

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On ‎8‎/‎13‎/‎2019 at 8:40 PM, Jim82Mac said:

So many people in this thread talk about how responsive and great Stephanie is. While I agree that she was extremely responsive leading up to my booking and forking over my down payment, she has not been since. With the exception of what I assume to be automated emails talking about new cruise deals offered by RCCL with a tag that states she is continually looking for better offers, she has not responded to me yet. I’ve sent two different emails weeks apart and have heard nothing. This has been my first experience with a travel agent, and I hope to not be my last. But, the lack of responding to emails is very disappointing. Particularly since it was so great on the front end...while trying to get my business. 

We had a few issues with her also but it was on the front end.  I've booked another cruise since then but just chose not to use a travel agent and do it on my own. 

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