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Why I use a Travel Agent


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4 minutes ago, henrysea13 said:

I have just contacted MEI for the first time and was trying to reach the Michelle you all speak about there are 2 listed can anyone give me the last of the michelle so I know who to talk to she really seems to be what I am looking for thank you 

Her last name is Cunningham.

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1 hour ago, princevaliantus said:

Hey!  Not all Scorpios are stubborn!  ???

 

1 hour ago, Todd W said:

I'm a stubborn Scorpio so sometimes it takes me multiple perspectives before i see the obvious

 

26 minutes ago, tiny260 said:

Hey, I'm not a stubborn Scorpio, I'm just anal/OCD and want to do things my way...

Scorpio here too!  I'm as stubborn as they come lol  and Type A/anal/OCD  the list goes on....

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8 minutes ago, henrysea13 said:

I have just contacted MEI for the first time and was trying to reach the Michelle you all speak about there are 2 listed can anyone give me the last of the michelle so I know who to talk to she really seems to be what I am looking for thank you 

Here's @michelle --- she's the one you're looking for

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Just now, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Could probably add shopaholic to that too...?

To try and put this thread back on track, that is one reason why I use MEI and Michelle, because I know that everything will be like I like it and if not she will get it fixed for me.

The shopaholic part, after reading a blog the other day about Harmony, I would have booked a Harmony cruise if the summer 2020 cruises were out, lol.

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2 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I could see holding onto that money but the interest on my accounts is not enough

I am the same way!  By doing so, I had a very small balance for upcoming September cruise, I knew where the money was and that's that. I'm in the finance so I get what others were asking, but I don't like CC balances so I charge what I need to, pay it, charge again, pay it! LOL My RC Credit card also gave us extra $250 OBC that we so proudly used in the Casino! LOL 

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All this talk about booking cruises has caused me to book two more!

37181707_YOLORCLLogo3.jpg.242a1fd0aa587312b7832b610ebdad14.jpg

Who started this thread anyways?  It's his fault!

RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com Group Cruise aboard Freedom of the Seas   - Here I come! 

My 2019 cruise ship dance card is starting to fill in nicely.

Both booked through MEI Travel in appreciation of their support towards this site.

Somebody stop me.  Seriously, somebody needs to stop me. 

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5 minutes ago, twangster said:

All this talk about booking cruises has caused me to book two more!

Who started this thread anyways?  It's his fault!

RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com Group Cruise aboard Freedom of the Seas   - Here I come! 

My 2019 cruise ship dance card is starting to fill in nicely.

Both booked through MEI Travel in appreciation of their support towards this site.

Somebody stop me.  Seriously, somebody needs to stop me. 

Doesn't this throw off getting your next crystal block on... Symphony, was it? Or is this group cruise and the other one you booked after you'll have gotten that block?

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7 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

Doesn't this throw off getting your next crystal block on... Symphony, was it? Or is this group cruise and the other one you booked after you'll have gotten that block?

Symphony block is in the fall 2018.

This augments my 2019 block strategy nicely including getting one on Vision.   

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6 hours ago, coneyraven said:

I can't give Michelle at MEI enough credit here ..... granted, we are new to her, but the ability to remove the stress from my shoulders has been priceless.  Full disclosure, my next cruise was too far along for her to takeover, the two after that, on Brilliance & Freedom, I was more than happy to transfer over to her.

She has been incredibly fast and even more importantly, patient with Tyna and I, with all the questions we have. 

I know when it comes to clients, I'm sure there are many more that do a lot more business with her than we could ever do, but you would never know it by the Royal treatment she gives us.

Thank You Michelle for restoring our faith in travel agents (our local one was a total bomb),

Mark

 

Mark - you are too kind!  but so happy we connected and I can help you with your cruises! 

It's My Pleasure - and MEI TEAM rocks!

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4 hours ago, twangster said:

Direct bookings can be switched to a TA but there are rules that have to be followed.  These are there to safeguard and respect each agency as well as the guest.  You wouldn't want an illicit travel agency slamming your booking over to them when you have never heard of said travel agency.  It generally has to be switched before final payment due date.  There are likely other rules that I don't know.  There is an exception process that I've had to use after final payment due date to effect a switch. 

Do perks change with volume?  Sure.  Like most companies, repeat customers tend to be rewarded.  As far as MEI - they sponsor this site.  There are costs to running this site, posting cruise compasses, storing photos that some people like myself post a lot of, etc.  It is not insignificant to operate this site.  MEI through their sponsorship helps towards that.   While one TA might give you OBC or a dinner or a bottle of wine in your cabin, MEI helps to keep the lights on at RoyalCaribbeanblog.com. 

All things be equal, since there are no downsides to using a TA that I've found, if nothing else using MEI allows this wonderful site to exist.  Eventually once you build a relationship with them as a repeat customer,  what ever you work out is between you and them. 

Twangster - great points - and Lights On !

 

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3 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Because I have no discipline !!!  LOL  It's just that simple !

If this were 1987 and the interest rates on my checking and savings were 15% I could see holding onto that money but the interest on my accounts is not enough to influence my spending behavior and I would rather pay off the CC in smaller monthly increments rather than see a bill for a brazilian dollars.  It's just a habit that I have developed over a number of years and it works well for me.  I'm certain that it drives Michelle crazy but she never says a single word.

I am no issues with doing this for you !!!  Love my Raye !  - some people just  like to have that control

which I totally understand that as well.   

 

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Just now, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Well while you're at it, you might as well book Mariner for August! ?

If I lived in FL I would have by now. 

Flying all that way for a 4 night cruise?  Airfare is expensive right now.  I think not.

You'll just have to come on a group cruise!

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One other thing for me is my relationship with people that entrust me with their trips

 - we take our clients and our friendships/bookings with them very serious - Certainly MEI Travel
supports this blog and we are thrilled to be doing that. And WE CAN"T TELL YOU THANK YOU
enough for entrusting us to handle your cruises - thank you - thank you - but its the relationship
with Matt and the Blog that is also of great value as well to me.

AND - I have many clients that after 10-12 years of booking with me are friends too
They don't just book cruises- they book all trips with me - and now I'm moving down to their
Kids Trips as well - its awesome!    And once I learn your likes/ etc.  I don't have to come ask
you "what type of cabin?  what dining"  I try hard to get to know your likes/dislikes so we work
as a Team - and other MEI Agents do this as well.

TO me - besides all things listed here in the post about perks and supports -its about
that relationship too!

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Just now, twangster said:

If I lived in FL I would have by now. 

Flying all that way for a 4 night cruise?  Airfare is expensive right now.  I think not.

You'll just have to come on a group cruise!

I would love to but most of them are when I can't go.  The exception is Anthem GC but I'm sailing Symphony two weeks after that.  @Matt I need a GC for July/August 2020 lol

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40 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I would love to but most of them are when I can't go.  The exception is Anthem GC but I'm sailing Symphony two weeks after that.  @Matt I need a GC for July/August 2020 lol

The solution is simple...book Anthem GC and then go on Symphony 2 weeks later.  YOLO!

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So I never used a travel agent before. That being said I went to MEI site last week for a quote on a 2019 cruise my boyfriend and me wanna take. With in a day Cathy from MEI contacted me. Going back and forth by emails Cathy answered all my questions! Instead of booking a cruise directly from RC I decided a TA is the way to go this time. And so far not disappointed, in fact never using a TA, I'm very impressed with MEI. Going to put a deposit down for the cruise Thursday June 7 2018. (Payday)

I did a mock booking on RC website to see a price range on the cruise we wanted and when Cathy from MEI came back to me with a price, it was the exact same price as the mock booking! No fees! I'm amazed. 

Also can use the casino certificates my bf and I got on the cruise we just took in May. SCORE. Wanted to book a 2020 cruise as well but decided to wait and see if we get casino certificates from our future cruise in May 2019. 

Happy cruising.

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I booked the OASIS for next January through the RCCL website.  I started out with a JS and then the sales started happening along with price drops and within 1 week we had upgraded to an Aquatheater deck 9.  THEN I started reading this fantastic blog and learned of MEI.  I went to their website and just clicked on a random box to get a quote of the same cruise with the same room.  Long story short....after receiving an email and phone call from Melissa at MEI, we were able to transfer our booking to them and upgrade once again to the Spacious Aquatheater suite on deck 8 (which did not show available on the RCCL booking site) for just the 4 of us!!  AND it wasn't much of an increase due to buying the travel insurance through MEI instead of RCCL.   Thanks to this blog, we are in a room we could've never imagined!!

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On 6/2/2018 at 10:29 AM, KasinoCrazy said:

I booked the OASIS for next January through the RCCL website.  I started out with a JS and then the sales started happening along with price drops and within 1 week we had upgraded to an Aquatheater deck 9.  THEN I started reading this fantastic blog and learned of MEI.  I went to their website and just clicked on a random box to get a quote of the same cruise with the same room.  Long story short....after receiving an email and phone call from Melissa at MEI, we were able to transfer our booking to them and upgrade once again to the Spacious Aquatheater suite on deck 8 (which did not show available on the RCCL booking site) for just the 4 of us!!  AND it wasn't much of an increase due to buying the travel insurance through MEI instead of RCCL.   Thanks to this blog, we are in a room we could've never imagined!!

WOW !! That is amazing.  You are going to be so happy with the 2 BR ATS on 8.  It is UUUUGGGGE !  PLEASE do a live blog so that we can see your reaction.

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On 6/1/2018 at 10:42 AM, WAAAYTOOO said:

I ALWAYS make monthly payments on all of my cruises booked through MEI.  Granted, it is never less than $100 each but Michelle does this for me each and every month and there are generally 4-5 of them to do.  I have always paid off my cruises in this manner.  I divide the balance due by the number of months that I have left and that is my monthly payment.  Kind of like installments !   While it all comes out the same in the end, I avoid the heart attach of owing thousands at final payment.  I know it's just a way I'm fooling myself into thinking "I'm not really spending THAT much" but it works for me !

Thank you for an excellent idea.  That certainly works for us.  Monday I will call our T.A.  

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