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Author

Topic: Travel Agents

Francesca
First Class Passenger
Member # 1056

posted 01-27-2000 02:36 PM

If I would like to book a cruise, do I go to a specific travel agent to book a specified cruise line? I wanted to go Celebrity, but I was wondering if travel agents were usually loyal to one Cruise line. Does anyone have any information about how the Celebrity Millenium cruises ran?

Posts: 11 | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 01-27-2000 03:20 PM

I am a Travel Agent. You will not be able to go direct to Royal Caribbean which owns Celebrity they do not book direct with the general public. Go to a good Travel Agent, not necessarily a cruise only Agency but one with Accredited or Master Cruise Councillors. They will book any cruise you want them to book, we do not pick a line and just sell that, we all have clients with different tastes and different incomes therefore we book what our client wants. Our Agency in fact has three Accredited Cruise Councillors so we know a lot about cruising and between us have sailed on a lot of ships. Having a full service Agency (an agency that sells everything from cruises to land packages and airline tickets) can be useful because we can often save you money on the airfare etc. Make sure whether you are in USA or Canada your Travel Agent is a CLIA affiliated agency. If you havn't been on a cruise before your Travel Agent can answer all the questions you have and make sure you have the vacation you really want.
Good luck.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

joe at travelpage
Administrator
Member # 622

posted 01-27-2000 04:20 PM

DianaD,

Actually, you CAN book directly with Royal Caribbean via their web site today (...Holland America and Carnival too).

While Royal Caribbean does have a travel agent locator on their site, and they encourage you to work with a travel agent, they will accept bookings directly from the public. They understand that the vast majority of their bookings come from travel agents today, but they (...and the other cruise lines) are certainly planning on increased direct sales in the future.

To see how Royal Caribbean is doing this just click on Vacation Planner at their site and follow the prompts to book online. Once you submit your request, a Royal Caribbean reservation specialist will contact you within 24 hours.

Here's the text from the Royal Caribbean site...
__________________________________________

By completing this form you are requesting a reservation based on availability for your Royal Caribbean cruise vacation. Once the form is received by Royal Caribbean, a reservation specialist will contact you via email within 24 hours of your request.
__________________________________________

I agree that experienced travel agents can really make a difference when booking a cruise, that's why we provide that support on this site.

But the Internet is changing many businesses including the cruise business and in the future an increasing number of cruises will be booked online. Here's a little projection to consider....

"Forrester Research estimates that online cruise sales will almost triple by 2000 to US$405 million, and by 2003 it estimates that online cruise sales will total US$2.5 billion"

There will always be people that want to interact with a human but as the online capabilities improve, an increasing number of people will choose to book online - some with travel angencies that have implemented online booking technology, and some directly with suppliers.

We could start an entire thread on this subject....

Joe at TravelPage.com

Posts: 29976 | From: Great Falls, Virginia | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

usha
First Class Passenger
Member # 818

posted 01-27-2000 05:33 PM

Francesca, I booked our upcoming cruise with an agent who is one of the top sellers of Celebrity cruises. I called many agents for quotes on this particular ship, date and cabin category, and his quote was much lower. The service after the sale matters, too. When my cruise documents arrived, I had a question, and left a message on his voice mail. He called me back from home, where he was nursing a terrible case of the flu.

Posts: 94 | From: Hobart, IN USA | Registered: Jan 99 | IP: Logged

Francesca
First Class Passenger
Member # 1056

posted 01-27-2000 05:34 PM

Thank you both of you for all your insights. But for some reasons, the questions keep coming... Am I really saving any money using online travel agents as opposed to human? Because for some reason, trusting my vacation to a computer feels a bit odd. On the other hand, how do travel agents(human) pick one cruise line over the other? (with the exception of the cruisers personality) Do you have contact with the cruise lines themselves? HELP!

Posts: 11 | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 01-27-2000 05:50 PM

If you book with the Cruise Line they will definitely not give you the deals that the Agents do and they will not deduct the commission they would normally pay the Agent so they make more money selling direct.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Grant
First Class Passenger
Member # 1000

posted 01-28-2000 12:00 AM

There is another significant factor to consider. Once you have read this and other web sites, you realize that things can and do go wrong; problems large and small do occur with vacations. A travel agent is often your first line of help; they use their continued business with a cruise line as clout is dealing with your problem. They have access to District Sales Managers, the cruise line head office and professional organizations or consortia. If you booked direct with the cruise line, who would be of FREE help to you? Perhaps you would have to hire a lawyer!! No, I'm not a travel agent, but I always use one.

Posts: 834 | From: Victoria, BC, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 01-28-2000 06:56 PM

Francesca – We've never booked a cruise on line and I doubt that their 'deals' would be any better than a GOOD Agent. .By 'good' I mean an Agent who has been in the business for a long time - Branches all over the country do not necessarily mean 'good' A family/privately owned Agency in business for many years and a CLIA affiliate is a good bet.
The Agency we use (family owned – in business for 50+ years) has no Accredited or Master Cruise Councillors - recommendations and advice stem from concern and first hand experience. They can and do book all Lines.
A GOOD Agent does not PICK a Cruise or Line for you – you are POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. On your initial visit questions are asked - name, phone number, likes/dislikes, where you’ve been, your interests, favourite pastimes, etc. etc. You may also be asked about your vacation budget – give a reasonable figure – not $1,000 when you’re thinking about $5,000 and not $5,000 when you know you can only afford $2.000. An experienced agent will, by then, have a good idea of the Lines best suited to you and you’ll leave the store with 2 or 3 brochures. It’s important to really STUDY each brochure.. You’re bound to have questions – particularly if you’ve never cruised before. Write them all down – even those you consider ‘silly’. Chances are you’ll receive a follow-up call in a few days – armed with your questions, it’s time for another visit to the Agency. With questions answered, the Line, the Ship and the Itinerary are YOUR WELL RESEARCHED CHOICE.
A GOOD AGENT wants you to be happy and satisfied.
Happy satisfied clients are his income……and you may even refer friends……more income!
Arrangements usually go like clockwork - but - nothing is or can be guaranteed 100% - a GOOD agent is invaluable if something should go wrong. Grant's post is right on.
Hope this helps – keep us posted.
Happy Cruisin’

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 01-29-2000 06:31 AM

Green...excellent. All the fancy titles don't mean a thing without the experience to back them up. Get lots of brochures - and don't just look at the pictures - read them,and you'll start to narrow down which ships and places look good to you. Then start talking to TAs - if you don't feel comfortable with one - try another. But please don't expect everything to be 100% marvelous, things do go wrong (ie. we went on one cruise without any tickets or paperwork at all) and the better prepared you are, the fewer surprises.
rgds

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

Phyllis
Just Boarded
Member # 989

posted 02-08-2000 07:53 PM

You may feel Accredited Cruise Councillors and Master Cruise Councillors are fancy titles. Perhaps you might be interested to know that to get those designations the Agent has to have cruised a minimum of 4 different cruises, have visited and inspected a large number of ships, taken exams, done courses with CLIA at the University of Miami. This is not a qualification that is given to anyone it has to be earned. Green is right when he says the Agent must listen to qualify the client, ask the client questions, listen to what the client has to say and to steer the client in the right direction. The Agent that has worked for an ACC or a MCC wants to be the best, they do the courses because they love the job, love cruising and want to offer the client the very best.

Posts: 8 | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 02-08-2000 11:46 PM

Phyllis/a.k.a. DianaD/a.k.a Phyllis (again) seem(s) to have an identity problem!!!!

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

nononsense42
First Class Passenger
Member # 1013

posted 02-09-2000 08:42 AM

I noticed the "Identity Problem" too. They both have the same email address. What is up?

[This message has been edited by nononsense42 (edited 02-09-2000).]

Posts: 19 | From: canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Phyllis
Just Boarded
Member # 989

posted 02-09-2000 11:16 AM

I wish I knew what the problem was. I was away for a week and when I logged on it came up as Phyllis and not DianaD. I asked a few weeks ago when that happened why it was but no one answered my query. Can anyone help, please?

Posts: 8 | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 02-09-2000 11:29 AM

OK explain that. I closed my machine down and re booted it and what happens up comes DianaD. I really am confused. I can assure you on my behalf there is nothing I am doing to cause this confusion.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

joe at travelpage
Administrator
Member # 622

posted 02-09-2000 12:26 PM

DianaD/Phyllis and anyone else having this experience.

The CruiseTalk software uses "cookies" to remember who you are and pre-fills your user name each time you return to the site. Like many other sites this is done for convenience. If you have multiple ID's - as some of our participants do - it will remember the last one you visited as.

You can always type over the pre-filled name with your alternative name if you want to log in as that user. Alternatively, you can click on "preferences" at the top of each page - here's the link http://www.travelpage.com/cgi-bin/ultbb/ubbmisc.cgi?action=setprefs
and delete the "cookies" so that you will prompted for your user name each time you visit the site.

Hope that helps. As a general rule though, please try to limit yourself to a single user name. Feel free to contact me if you have additional questions.

Posts: 29976 | From: Great Falls, Virginia | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 02-09-2000 12:37 PM

Thanks for your help. I really didn't want two names I had wanted to register as Diana but that was already taken so I registered with my middle name. Later I realized that if I put a D after my first name that might work, it did so I re registered thinking that Phylllis would go and everything would be OK. I did this due to some comments from certain people over the Insurance comment who said I was Diana on other sites and that I was pretending to be someone else on this one. I must admit that was small minded on some people part but I wanted it to be seen that I was who I said I was. Hope this has now sorted things out. Thanks Joe.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 02-09-2000 07:34 PM

Hi Green, nononsense, guess we're "small minded" but I'm getting a bit tired of hearing about Master Cruise Councillors et al. Did you see on another board where one of the regulars just got ripped off by a local TA who took the money and shut up shop. Unfortunately they had paid cash. Cruisaholic says that one of his local TAs has done the same thing and it includes a group of 200 supposed to leave next week which hadn't even had the reservations made.
Personally I always used plastic and have made sure that the charge is made by the Cruise line which obviates those possibilities....peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 02-09-2000 07:59 PM

When a client uses a credit card for a cruise or any other destination we call the credit card number straight into the wholesaler. The only time we deal with the clients money is if they pay cash or direct debit. There are one or two oddities where we might put the visa card through our own machine but not that many. By the way in Ontario we have to pay into a Government Insurance Fund which covers clients against an Agency going out of business or a wholesaler going out of business. We all know this has happened in the past. We are very carefully watched regarding our ability to pay our bills by the Ontario Government and IATA. We have to have a minimum amount of money in our Trust Account at all times (subject to audit) and that amount is far from trivial. British Columbia and Quebec have similar insurance schemes as do some of the States.
As far as your comments on qualifications, perhaps there would be less problems out there if more Agents were willing to study in their own time to make sure they could do the best for their clients. Just remember a Master Cruise Councillor is qualified by CLIA an organization all the cruise lines (except Renaissance and a few small ones not operating out of the States) belong to. On the other hand some people don't believe in keeping their skills up to date and I can assure you today doing that is more important than it has ever been if one wants to stay in business.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 02-09-2000 11:22 PM

Hi gohaze – I don’t think we’re small minded– we just exercise caution and deal with reliable Agencies – you noted my January post to Francesca.
Accredited/Master Cruise Counsellors, I have nothing against them but it does seem to me that lots of vacation time and money are necessary to acquire those designations. Travel Counsellers, unless subsidized by the Agency owner or Cruise Lines, are not, to my knowledge, in that league. On another board I read of one fellow (an owner) who did 10 cruises in 4 years - 5 in one year – that takes time and money! We’ll stick with our reliable, long established Agency – its Counsellors have to be good or they wouldn’t be there.
Does not mean that we will not shop for a better price!
Happy cruisin'

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

K&K
First Class Passenger
Member # 1040

posted 02-09-2000 11:34 PM

DianaD; So tell me what you mean "We call the credit card number into the wholesaler" You do not deal or purchase the tickets direct from the cruise line?
Kevin

Posts: 446 | From: Sandpoint,Idaho,USA | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Grant
First Class Passenger
Member # 1000

posted 02-10-2000 04:16 AM

In British Columbia our Government administered "travel assurance" fund has proven its worth several times. When a travel agency, tour operator or any where else that a persons money goes to shuts down, the consumer's $ is protected. A friend booked a cruise, and after final payment was made, the agency went out of business by just locking the door-no notice to anyone. The money was quaranteed to the cruise line by the fund. His ticket was issued and he travelled as if nothing had happened. Had he purchased his tickets from an out of province business, or on the internet he would have lost his $. When you live in a province, (perhaps in other jurisdictions this is also true) that has such as insurance scheme in place, any traveller would be wise to buy from a travel agency or wholesaler who is a member of that plan. Most large operators and almost all travel agencies are members.

Posts: 834 | From: Victoria, BC, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 02-10-2000 12:44 PM

Hi...only became involved with a wholesaler once- a big one back east- when booking through a local TA. Found out that we were part of a big group which hadn't been mentioned in their ads. Then found out that we could get the same thing from the company a lot cheaper, so tried to get our down payment back but they refused. Took it up with the company and they allowed us the payment off and gave us an upgrade as well. One reason we've stayed away from them ever since....peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 02-10-2000 07:21 PM

Most Agencies in Canada buy through the wholesalers as they are quoting in Canadian dollars, our wholesalers as I said before are Air Canada Vacations and Encore Cruises for RCI, Celebrity, Costa and a variety of others. These are no difference from buying direct from the cruise line, the prices are the same and this has absolutely nothing but nothing to do with groups. Our clients can choose whichever stateroom they want,subject to availability. The other reason of course is that our wholesalers do the air for us with Canadian carriers.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 02-10-2000 11:30 PM

Princess' brochures it sends to Canadians now have the prices in Can$ but you can always get it in US$ if the rate is better. Personally I don't see what difference it makes as it's always better to see if one can get a guaranteed lower exchange rate - which is what we have on our next two trips. And as far as using Air Canada, we avoid doing that when we can, and before you say anything Phyllis, I was riding with TCA when they had Gooney birds and North Stars, and the service was better back then....peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

DianaD
First Class Passenger
Member # 1010

posted 02-10-2000 11:56 PM

You are talking about Princess, we go direct to Princess as they have no wholesalers in Canada. Most of our clients who book RCI, Celebrity etc which are wholesaled through Air Canada Vacations and Encore prefer to use Air Canada because they get a better seat pitch and better baggage allowance on a scheduled airline than on a charter. Also there is less chance of the flight time being altered on a sched than on a charter. Charter airlines have very few if any spare planes and if anything goes wrong with one, guess what no flight.

It is very obvious even though what I have said is true you really do like to argue, well you are welcome, you like to call me Phyllis, just read and you will see the problem I had.

Its a great shame to me that instead of each of us answering questions and sometimes being able to help each other people have to be argumentative and just plain nasty.

Well all I can say is you can't have much to keep your minds busy otherwise you wouldn't be like it.

Posts: 308 | From: Whitby, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

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