Pooch Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 Is it possible? I’m afraid I am not happy with the responses from the one I have. How might I try someone else? Or maybe working with a TA is just not for me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 Annette ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyC Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 27 minutes ago, Pooch said: Is it possible? I’m afraid I am not happy with the responses from the one I have. How might I try someone else? Or maybe working with a TA is just not for me? I'd suggest e-mailing @AnnetteJackson directly. [email protected] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted November 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 I dont want to cause trouble for the TA with whom I have been corresponding but I feel like I am doing all the leg work. Larry Muster and cruiselife 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Muster Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 I’m sure it’s no big deal - some people just don’t jive. Hopefully you find someone who fits you better and your previous TA does not take it personally. Baked Alaska 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKSglitz Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 If you've never used a TA before and first connect to MEI, is it possible to request a specific TA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyC Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 3 minutes ago, MKSglitz said: If you've never used a TA before and first connect to MEI, is it possible to request a specific TA? Yes, you can. On the MEI website it lists all the agents and their direct e-mails. Just e-mail the person you want without going through the general booking link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boston Babe Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 11 hours ago, Pooch said: I have been corresponding but I feel like I am doing all the leg work. Having the same issues. No reaching out and I'm finding price decreases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 To be fair, let me say that my agent will always check my fares when a new sale comes along to see if I will save any money BUT she does not (nor do I expect her to) check daily to see if there has been a random price fluctuation. It would be virtually impossible for any agent to do that. There have been many times when I have found a random fair reduction and contacted Michelle. She has always responded very promptly to let me know how the change would affect my fare. Sometimes it works out to be a real savings but more often it does not. So, if you are looking for someone to check every day to see if your fare could possibly be reduced, I think you will be sorely disappointed. No agent has the time to do that for every client and every cruise. If, on the other hand, you have an agent who is not responsive, then I say find a new one. Even travel agents have personal lives !! ...so it is possible that something in the "real world" can affect an agent's responsiveness but if it is a behavior that is repeated then it's time to find someone new. Just remember that YOU are your best advocate and NOBODY is going to care more about finding price reductions than YOU. For some people, saving a little money isn't worth the requirement to track prices every single day (sometimes more than once ?) and then there are those of us who make an obsession out of checking prices and we are a TA's worst nightmare !! Baked Alaska, yaya luvs to cruz, ellcee and 4 others 5 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted November 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 I totally agree, the TA is not my personal slave. But he indicated he was putting me on a list to be contacted when the 2020 Alaska sailings opened. I found out here that they were open and had to contact him. I asked for advise and he sent a link to RCCL's cruise information. I asked for quotes for Aug & May, he gave me Aug without telling me May would save over $1000 and when I asked for a May quote, he gave me June. I asked him to check when the discounts would be available for a late February WDW trip. Again, I found out through a Disney forum that some came out and again had to contact him. Got 3-4 incorrect quotes before he got it right. Now I only know this because I do my research too but what if I hadn't? I don't think I can trust him to check for anything at this point. I wanted to use a TA because I know NOTHING about Alaska cruising and was looking for information beyond what RCCL provides. If all he can do is reiterate what's on RCCLs website, not sure what I need him for? cruiselife 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 Yep. Time for a new Agent Baked Alaska 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
averbeck Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 I also have the same feeling. Was wondering if it's me and my expectations or my particular TA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted November 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 Guess we might all need to email Annette!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 My guess is that Annette is on the special sailing of Symphony with Matt. It may take her a day or 2 to get back to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VACruiser Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 57 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said: My guess is that Annette is on the special sailing of Symphony with Matt. It may take her a day or 2 to get back to you. I believe Michelle @michelleis too based upon her voicemail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted November 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 Hoping they see this and contact me. If not, I will send an email in a few days. When does the cruise dock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted November 13, 2018 Report Share Posted November 13, 2018 58 minutes ago, Tim B. said: I believe Michelle @michelleis too based upon her voicemail. Yes, she told me she was going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted November 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2018 Based on the private messages I am getting in reply to this post, I am not the only one with issues. You long-time members seem to have much better service from MEI than me and the people who've sent PMs to me are getting. Hutcherl 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ1231 Posted November 14, 2018 Report Share Posted November 14, 2018 +1 for Michelle! I don't know if it's because I booked 3 cruises within the coming year or not. Long-time members might get better service because they are repeat customers. However, Michelle has been great since day one and I put her through the wringer with the first cruise she did with me as she had to repeatedly go back to the Casino Royale folks. Hope she's enjoying her time on Symphony this week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted November 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2018 Agreed about repeat customers but good service is what gets repeat customers & looks like a few of us aren’t getting that. Boston Babe, WAAAYTOOO, Dude from Ghana and 2 others 2 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexk Posted November 14, 2018 Report Share Posted November 14, 2018 @Pooch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonL Posted November 15, 2018 Report Share Posted November 15, 2018 I suggest getting a recommendation for a specific TA, not a general TA company. Large TA agencies have many agents that vary from outstanding to really bad. I talked to friends of mine that cruise very frequently for a recommendation and that TA turned out to be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveWithHat Posted November 18, 2018 Report Share Posted November 18, 2018 We have had similar experiences with our TA where we are more aware of price changes than our TA even though we do not check every day. Also I think we have been on more sailings and listened to more of Matt's podcasts than our TA so from a general knowledge perspective there are times when I feel we know more about RCCL than our TA. Matt is always promoting TAs but I feel he gets exceptional service in part due to the number of cruises he goes on and because he promotes them so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincipalTinker Posted November 18, 2018 Report Share Posted November 18, 2018 5 hours ago, davidlap said: We have had similar experiences with our TA where we are more aware of price changes than our TA even though we do not check every day. Also I think we have been on more sailings and listened to more of Matt's podcasts than our TA so from a general knowledge perspective there are times when I feel we know more about RCCL than our TA. Matt is always promoting TAs but I feel he gets exceptional service in part due to the number of cruises he goes on and because he promotes them so much. I don’t know if that is true. I contacted an MEI agent for my first cruise. I did not get the referral here but found her on a Disney TA list that noted she also could help with RCL. I never had to contact her about price decreases, they were always done automatically. As far as she was concerned I was just a new client, but I have booked with her again based on my first experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted November 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2018 Clearly up and down experiences here. I still want to book an Alaskan cruise but know I need help. I haven’t heard from the MEI TA since I told him I didn’t think we were a good fit, no attempt to find out how he could be more helpful or offer to hand me over to someone else. No contact from MEI at all. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vjfjohnson Posted November 25, 2018 Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 We were paired with Sharla from MEI when we transferred a booking to them that we booked onboard and she has been amazing! We ended up cancelling that cruise and another one we booked onboard, but found a great deal for Allure and reached out to her to book. She always gets back within a day and reaches out everytime RC has a sale letting us know if its a better deal for us or not. Honestly, she is the best TA I have ever worked with and will continue to use her. Maybe she would be a good fit for you? I cannot recommend her enough. jlwrinkle, Matt and mom2mybugs 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted November 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 25, 2018 I have already booked my Disney trip with another agency. Not sure what I will do about booking Alaska, looking around for a different agency for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie Posted November 26, 2018 Report Share Posted November 26, 2018 Do you get any perk with MEI like free gratuity or OBC? I just YOLO onboard Anthem 2 days ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KJ1231 Posted November 26, 2018 Report Share Posted November 26, 2018 Checkout meitravel.com for current "perks". I have gotten gratuities covered on the 3 cruises I booked through MEI. Right now it looks like you get specialty dining when booking particular ships. Susie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie Posted November 26, 2018 Report Share Posted November 26, 2018 Just now, KJ1231 said: Checkout meitravel.com for current "perks". I have gotten gratuities covered on the 3 cruises I booked through MEI. Right now it looks like you get specialty dining when booking particular ships. I would prefer gratuities better since I already booked Ultimate Dining packages from the Cyber Monday deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 27, 2018 Report Share Posted November 27, 2018 I'm sorry I did not respond earlier @Pooch. I've alerted @AnnetteJackson to this thread, but I am certain they can rectify things for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnetteJackson Posted November 27, 2018 Report Share Posted November 27, 2018 On 11/12/2018 at 7:06 PM, Pooch said: Is it possible? I’m afraid I am not happy with the responses from the one I have. How might I try someone else? Or maybe working with a TA is just not for me? So sorry! Was so busy with the final prep on the group cruise I didn't check the boards. Please email me [email protected] or call me 919 605 6282 - We have over 100 agents and sometimes the chemistry is not correct with the first agent you get. I will get your preferences of how you like to plan and communicate and match you with a similar agent. Bob_KY and Matt 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted November 27, 2018 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2018 Thank you Annette, I will think about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michelle Posted December 13, 2018 Report Share Posted December 13, 2018 On 11/14/2018 at 11:15 AM, KJ1231 said: +1 for Michelle! I don't know if it's because I booked 3 cruises within the coming year or not. Long-time members might get better service because they are repeat customers. However, Michelle has been great since day one and I put her through the wringer with the first cruise she did with me as she had to repeatedly go back to the Casino Royale folks. Hope she's enjoying her time on Symphony this week! just catching up on reading these but thank you for the kind words!! WAAAYTOOO and Bob_KY 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dude from Ghana Posted December 13, 2018 Report Share Posted December 13, 2018 Wow, I really thought I was the only one having this problem! As a first time cruiser I really thought I'd be getting updates on when and what to look out for for better deals and advice in general concerning my trip. My TA hasn't called once to offer any advice or to let me know about any price decreases. Like you I've been doing my own leg work researching and regular checking of the cruise planner for deals after already buying internet and drink packages, and I found them! I saved almost $250 canceling and re buying on Black Friday! I'm not asking to have my TA hold my hand through this but at least show interest towards your customers especially your first time cruisers! My TA has practically been a mute since I've been with her and I'm sure i wont hear from her ever again. Until now I was willing to just bite the bad service bullet and just never use this company again but I think I'm going to have to have a conversation with their management. BTW I've had my TA for over 2 months and leave in another 2 months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2mybugs Posted December 14, 2018 Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 On 11/25/2018 at 12:20 PM, vjfjohnson said: We were paired with Sharla from MEI when we transferred a booking to them that we booked onboard and she has been amazing! We ended up cancelling that cruise and another one we booked onboard, but found a great deal for Allure and reached out to her to book. She always gets back within a day and reaches out everytime RC has a sale letting us know if its a better deal for us or not. Honestly, she is the best TA I have ever worked with and will continue to use her. Maybe she would be a good fit for you? I cannot recommend her enough. I'm seconding this post. Sharla has been amazing. She consistently checks on sales, alerts me to important deadlines and when we had a family emergency and had to race home from Paris, she handled all the airline changes. She gets back to me promptly by email when I have questions. I'm nothing but thrilled! Jane jlwrinkle 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob_KY Posted December 14, 2018 Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 Michelle fan here! She has made cruising so easy. I don't have to worry about anything and I know she is tracking all discounts to get me the best bargains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 OP here, i was assigned a new TA, Danette. She has been in constant contact with me. I have still had to do some of my own legwork but at least she is responsive! Much better than I had. mom2mybugs, Matt and Bob_KY 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted December 14, 2018 Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 1 hour ago, Pooch said: OP here, i was assigned a new TA, Danette. She has been in constant contact with me. I have still had to do some of my own legwork but at least she is responsive! Much better than I had. Glad to hear that. Danette is wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 Yeah, you liked my last TA too so not sure I trust your judgement!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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