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Travel agent or not?


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Hi everyone, 

Does anyone use a travel agent?

Do you think it's better and how would it benefit me? There is a WOW sale on right now and I'm wondering if booking by myself vs. using a TA has any advantage!

Don't  you end up paying more since the agent needs to get something out of it too?

How does one find a good travel agent for RCCL cruises - does RC have approved agents they recommend or should I be shopping locally?

Thanks :)

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always use a travel agent advocate others to do so too. 

 

The reason to use a TA is because they will make your life easier.  Perhaps they can save you money too, but it's about the service. 

 

I wrote a blog post about why you should use a TA: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2016/06/15/why-first-time-cruisers-should-use-royal-caribbean-travel-agent

 

On Royal Caribbean Blog, we have a sponsor travel agency that we work with that you can get a no-obligation quote from.  Regardless of which TA you use, contact them before booking and ask some questions so that you can get the right fit for you.

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So my follow up question is - does it need to be someone local to me or is a long distance relationship just the same too. I'm wondering how to find the best one. 

The location does not matter. They can be in Arkansas or Seattle, but the important factor is how much of a match are they for you.  You want someone that will work with you, and for you, to make your life easier/simpler/better.  Some people like face-to-face, but in my opinion, being able to text/email my TA is far more convenient.

 

So what I'm saying is location shouldn't be a factor unless you really want to drop in to say hello.  Most TA's dont actually work in an office anyway, so if you're going to be largely calling/emailing, it shouldn't matter where they are.

 

BTW, this is an excellent question!

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Thank you for the responses. So my follow up question is - does it need to be someone local to me or is a long distance relationship just the same too. I'm wondering how to find the best one. 

Cheers.

 

+1 for using an agent.  No reason not to!

My agent isn't local, but that's certainly an option.  The way this works also varies by market.  Where are you located?

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The statement that using a TA will cost you more money is absolutely NOT true.  The TA is paid a commission by the cruiseline and you will NOT pay more when using a TA.

 

Having said that, you should be aware that you lose some flexibility when you use a TA.  If having absolute control over your reservation is something that you want, then you might not want to use a TA.  If you find a situation where you want to make a very quick change to your reservation (either a price drop or a room becomes available that you want to change to) then you will have to wait until the TA is available to make that change for you.  If you have a very good and responsive TA then this will not be a problem but SOMEtimes you can be in a situation where the TA is not immediately available and you need to make a change immediately....and you can miss getting the room you want or take advantage of a glitch price drop.

 

I have never had this happen to me, BTW.  I have an excellent TA.  But for all of the advantages of using a TA there are a few drawbacks and giving up some control is one of them.  You will not be able to look online and find out what your cruise balance is.  All things dealing with money are removed from the website when you use a TA (the Payment tab mysteriously disappears !).

 

Some people expect miracles from their TA but even the best, most attentive TA in the world is never going to care as much about your reservation as you do.  So it's going to be up to YOU to look for price drops and up to YOU to be on the lookout for a room in a better location, etc.

 

It's a teamwork approach as are all good things !

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My TA lives nowhere near me, but is always very easily available (answers in a short time period) and I enjoy chatting with him... you'll find that others here have similar experiences. 

 

As someone who is a control freak and was really opposed to using a TA initially, I don't think I'd ever not use one now.

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Thanks everyone,

I'm located in the Houston area. I did apply for a quote using the sponser agency travel service that Matt mentioned. The rates she quoted me were identical to what I could book myself. I'm still not sure if this is the way to go though <_< My concern is that a sale will come up over the weekend and the TA won't see it and I won't be able to take advantage. Last Spring this happened. I had a cruise booked and there was a 48 hour deal that ended Sunday night and it saved me $200 per person. I'm assuming that a TA would only be working M-F. We'll see. I'll ask her some more questions. ^_^

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It depends on what you like to be involved in. I like doing it myself, and personally if you are unsure it's okay to ask the TA how they get paid. I don't think the question is rude at all. A good fit is important, give them your absolute clearest most detailed description to allow them to do their job, and then prioritize what is most important? is it schedule or is it budget? then let them go to work for you. See what they come up with. Some people are better than others. You do pay them and then they pay the cruise company, hotels, airlines, etc. So if there are any billing issues or mix ups on day of departure, you will need to contact your travel agent and not the airline, hotel, or cruise company so having 24hr service and on weekends is essential. 

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I'm still not sure if this is the way to go though <_< My concern is that a sale will come up over the weekend and the TA won't see it and I won't be able to take advantage. Last Spring this happened. I had a cruise booked and there was a 48 hour deal that ended Sunday night and it saved me $200 per person. I'm assuming that a TA would only be working M-F. We'll see. I'll ask her some more questions. ^_^

 

TAs may have a little more "pull" in situations like that; you're just booking one cruise, whereas they may have hundreds in the pipeline at any given time.  I've had TAs work miracles when RC themselves said "no no no" to me personally.  They are worth every penny they earn - which, as you know, RC pays them, not you.

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The rates a TA quotes should be the same as the cruise line's own rates. Most cruise lines have policies in there place that do not allow TAs to discount the price. Some, however, do give up some of their commission to include onboard credit and/or trip insurance. To me, however, the quality of service is more important than asking the TA to cough up some of his/her money.

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I know when I asked about 4-5 years ago it was made clear that Royal in particular does not allow anyone to post a lower rate for the cruise than Royal lists on their website.

 

However, the devil is in the details. TA's are allowed to offer kickbacks like On Board Credit, drinks packages, free gratuities,etc. which in essence are discounts on the price of the cruise but they cant just knock the $ off the price.

 

The only exception I know of is to do with group rates but generally speaking you are going to see the same rates everywhere you look, what you need to be looking at is what the "perks" are that are being offered.

 

My upcoming trip for example was booked at standard RCI rate at the time with a $100 OBC from RCI plus $175 OBC from my TA so in essence $175 cheaper than booking direct through RCI.

 

My TA and I know each other well after booking about 15 cruises together so she no longer tries to give me the "free specialty dinner" plus "prepaid gratuities" she just gives me an OBC amount and I can book it or not.

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Also, have had the situation with seeing a great deal over the weekend and TA not bring open. I just book it and then call my TA on Monday to straighten it all out. (Cancel the old deal and move my new deal to the old room, apply the perks to the old reservation, etc.)

 

Costs me a second deposit for a day or two ... no big deal.

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The only agencies that seem to be able to offer slightly better deals are the big membership club stores. However, when I've used them first non cruise travel, I was never able to speak to the same agent twice, so the level of customer service is compromised in my opinion. In addition, changes incurred a $75 fee per changed. When I specifically asked about booking a cruise with them and possible price reductions, their told me they could rebook at a lower price, but there's be a change fee to do so. Thus, I don't book with any agency that charges change or cancellation fees, which is something you should ask about when selecting a TA.

 

I like you book years out sands sometimes don't know which exact itinerary I will want, but I want to lock in a lower price. Thus, I tend to have more cruises booked than I will take, necessitating the cancelling of some.

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The only agencies that seem to be able to offer slightly better deals are the big membership club stores. However, when I've used them first non cruise travel, I was never able to speak to the same agent twice, so the level of customer service is compromised in my opinion. In addition, changes incurred a $75 fee per changed. When I specifically asked about booking a cruise with them and possible price reductions, their told me they could rebook at a lower price, but there's be a change fee to do so

This is why I do not recommend using the big box membership stores, or any TA that charges for their services.  It's absolutely not necessary and asking for problems.

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I use a TA for all of my travel plans, she is my TA and a very good friend. She knows my likes and dislikes through long conversations we have had over the phone. There have been several situations where she went above and beyond for a travel problem. When I had to have emergency surgery and had to cancel my cruise 2 weeks before sailing, she was not involved in the reservation because I made it myself. She explained she couldn't step in but called the cruise line, explained my situation and got so much done for me. All the paperwork was sent to her and she even made most of it out for me, since I was in the hospital. I can't say enough about her and recommend to all who travel to use a TA and will give her name if they ask for it.

 

As Matt said, I don't like the mass market, big box store TAs, you never speak to the same agent twice, you don't get the personal service that I want with my TA. Yes I might lose $50 OBC by not using one of these places, but to know my reservation is in the hands of a truly competent person is what I want.

 

I agree with WAAAY TOOO, there are good and bad with TAs. You can't call the cruise line and ask a lot of questions, the line will tell you to have your TA call instead, so you give up some control.

 

Candie

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My first cruise (last year) I booked direct with RCCL but I'm about to book my second one and I stumbled upon Besr Price Cruises (www.bestpricecruises.com) - their prices are so much lower (about 1/2). I wonder if any of you have booked with them and if you can provide feedback? I'm afraid it's some kind of a scam. TIA!!

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My first cruise (last year) I booked direct with RCCL but I'm about to book my second one and I stumbled upon Besr Price Cruises (www.bestpricecruises.com) - their prices are so much lower (about 1/2). I wonder if any of you have booked with them and if you can provide feedback? I'm afraid it's some kind of a scam. TIA!!

My reason for using an agent isn't a lower initial price (cruise lines restrict this, so with certain exceptions having to do with groups - the price should always be the same), but for the service, the convinience of explaining what I want and having all the arrangements made.

 

While I'm not familiar with that site, I did take a look and it appears some prices are a bit lower.  One technique some use (though most cruise lines don't allow this anymore) is to roll the agent's commission back into the price.  This obviously doesn't promote great service.  Again, I'm not sure what the deal is with this site, it's certainly interesting.

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My reason for using an agent isn't a lower initial price (cruise lines restrict this, so with certain exceptions having to do with groups - the price should always be the same), but for the service, the convinience of explaining what I want and having all the arrangements made.

 

While I'm not familiar with that site, I did take a look and it appears some prices are a bit lower.  One technique some use (though most cruise lines don't allow this anymore) is to roll the agent's commission back into the price.  This obviously doesn't promote great service.  Again, I'm not sure what the deal is with this site, it's certainly interesting.

Good point, Billy.  I've also seen some sites advertise lower prices only to discover that they don't initially include the port taxes and fees in the initial quote.

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I have a couple group cruises booked over the next 14 months. One is with a travel agent who seems to do the least he can. He's generally responsive to inquiries, but I don't feel that he's fully engaged; he's missed a lot of details (such as ensuring that everyone in the group had the same dining time, or even that I was the group coordinator).

 

The other, however, is booked with a travel agent who is completely engaged with our group and extremely responsive, even without being prompted. When this WOW sale started, she took it upon herself to work with Royal Caribbean to update the fares for some of the people in our group and get them additional onboard credit, too. That's even considering the WOW sale is technically for new bookings only.

 

I've also booked in the past with a couple different web cruise travel agent companies (nobody particularly notable), solely for getting the additional perks (onboard credit, wine, whatever). I gave that up a long time ago when I realized that those agents weren't in the business of helping me, but instead to get as many cruise bookings as they could, and I much preferred having more control over my booking instead of getting these token perks.

 

Bottom line, if you can get a good TA, they're really worth it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

When I lived in CA, I loved my TA. Used her for everything. Since relocating to NC, I haven't found a TA I really click with yet. Of course, I do a lot less travel now. For my upcoming cruise this Feb, I did all the leg work myself...but that's something I really enjoy. I love the planning. It's a stress releaser for me. Now, this cruise isn't the least bit compicated...my next one will include several different families from several different states. I'm hoping to find a good TA for that one.

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When I lived in CA, I loved my TA. Used her for everything. Since relocating to NC, I haven't found a TA I really click with yet. Of course, I do a lot less travel now. For my upcoming cruise this Feb, I did all the leg work myself...but that's something I really enjoy. I love the planning. It's a stress releaser for me. Now, this cruise isn't the least bit compicated...my next one will include several different families from several different states. I'm hoping to find a good TA for that one.

Many of us have had good luck with the sponsor of this site, MEI, so you might want to give them a try.  Also, if you love your TA in California, why not use her for the extended family trip?  Is there any reason why you can't plan via phone or internet?

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When I lived in CA, I loved my TA. Used her for everything. Since relocating to NC, I haven't found a TA I really click with yet. Of course, I do a lot less travel now. For my upcoming cruise this Feb, I did all the leg work myself...but that's something I really enjoy. I love the planning. It's a stress releaser for me. Now, this cruise isn't the least bit compicated...my next one will include several different families from several different states. I'm hoping to find a good TA for that one.

My TA told me you can use any TA in the world. If you really loved your TA in California, I would contact her and let her know you want her to continue doing your bookings. As long as they know the cruise lines, air lines, locations you are going, etc., they can book anything. Everything can be done by phone or internet. My TA lives about 2 miles from me but all business is conducted on the phone or internet.

 

Candie

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After years of never having a T A we finally got one and wished we had done this several years ago.  She is with a major well known travel company and we have dealt with her for 9 years but only to get brochures.  We would have been eligible for many additional items as well as on board credit additions that the company has with R C   The previous posts sold us on using one for all future travel plans.  We just transferred a cruise from last weeks WOW sale. and one of the perks was an additional $50 on board credit among others.items.  They are  invaluable as you all have said.   

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My TA told me you can use any TA in the world. If you really loved your TA in California, I would contact her and let her know you want her to continue doing your bookings. As long as they know the cruise lines, air lines, locations you are going, etc., they can book anything. Everything can be done by phone or internet. My TA lives about 2 miles from me but all business is conducted on the phone or internet.

 

Candie

hey Candie...  i wish I could. She retired, and sold it to someone that ran it to the ground. Looking for someone knew, but like your first love, everyone else just pales in comparison. Linda (my ta) really went the extra mile for me. Bless her.

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such a great topic - thanks for all of you that chimed in about your agents in

general - We love that we do not charge fees in our office - and are glad many

of you all use agents !

If it wasn't for a local travel agent (no longer in business) I would have never discovered cruising. I'll be forever grateful for her contacting me; otherwise, my honeymoon would have been a trip to Tahiti, which I would still be paying for these 17 years later...  I keep eyeing one of those Paul Gauguin Cruises to Tahiti for our 20th, though. Michelle, I'm sure we'll be in touch. :)

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