| If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
|
29-11-2003, 02:09 AM
|
#1
|
|
|
Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
Hello All,
Just wanted to get an opinion from those who have booked cruises
directly with cruise lines instead of going through a travel agent. My
wife and I are thinking about booking a cruise on the Royal Caribbean
Explorer for the last week of February. I've made a few calls to local
TA's and they have been as helpful as a rubber crutch for the most part.
Some don't return calls and those that do can't seem to come up with a
travel plan that I want. We live in Canada and I want to travel a day
before the cruise and land in Florida a little early. One TA suggested I
stay overnight in Toronto. Great plan that is. Who the hell wants to
stay in Toronto in late February when you could be staying in warm
Florida! Sheeesh.
Having been frustrated with the lack of help from the TA's I decided to
call Royal Caribbean directly. They seemed helpful and had no problem
making arrangements that I wanted.
I haven't yet committed to them but wanted to ask your opinion.
- How safe is booking directly with the cruise line?
- Anyone have any troubles booking directly with the cruise line?
- Any gotchas that I should be aware of?
I know the guy from Royal Caribbean said that if they make all
arrangements for me then they are responsible for getting me to the
ship. He even said the ship won't leave without me if my flight was
delayed for a few hours. Now if the flight was delayed for a day or
something like that then it wouldn't wait of course, but they would put
me on another cruise of my choosing.
- Truthfully, is this something I can bank on?
- Has anyone booked with RC and gone through something like this? I'd
be interested to know how you were treated.
Thanks
Michael
|
|
|
|
|
29-11-2003, 02:51 AM
|
#2
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
Michael,
Your experience with Travel Agents is typical. All they really want to do
is book a cruise and take your money. They
could care less about doing any meaningful work or serving your needs.
We often book directly through the cruise lines. The best place to start is
with the frequent cruiser club (Captain's Club, Mariner's Club, etc.). All
have toll free numbers and are staffed by cruise professionals. They
provide
immediate information pricing, availability and responses to your questions.
Unlike Travel Agents, they do not work on commission so they aren't going to
pressure you into buying a cruise just so they can make a buck. They can
also inform you of any unadvertised specials that Travel Agents don't know
about. We always establish a personal relationship with one or two agents
at the cruise lines we prefer. We tell them what we want and are flexible
and work with them -- you'd be surprised at the deals!
There are not many gotchas. Unlike Travel Agents, the cruise lines aren't
going out of business so you won't get stuck. Also, they are on duty 7 days
a week (ever try to call a Travel Agent at night or weekends -- yeah right)
to serve you. Plus they stand behind their services so you won't encounter
the Travel Agent horror stories frequently posted here.
Before you call, start at the cruise line website. There you will find
information on the lines, ships, itineraries, ports and schedules. Also
sign up for their Email specials that are periodically sent. These specials
provide discounts not available to the general public. This way when you
call, you don't waste your time or that of the agent because you've already
done some research yourself.
Finally, if you have to use an agent, avoid the "virtual" Travel Agents that
regularly post here. Most are mom-and-pop outfits working out of their
bedrooms. They post here so often because they have no clients or business
base. They continually troll this newsgroup hoping to catch a fish or two.
I hope this helps,
Paul
"Jim Becker" <jbecker31nospam@cox.net> wrote in message
news:4muga.12871$ns6.658602@news2.east.cox.net...
> My wife and I are going on our first cruise in May to Alaska. Is it
better
> to book your cruise on-line or go through one of the 1-800 numbers on the
> various websites?
>
> Do you recommend a particular book that offers the novice cruiser some
tips
> to a successful cruise.
>
> TIA
>
"Mike" <nospam@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:1GIxb.79893$X2W1.58977@news04.bloor.is.net.ca ble.rogers.com...
> Hello All,
> Just wanted to get an opinion from those who have booked cruises
> directly with cruise lines instead of going through a travel agent. My
> wife and I are thinking about booking a cruise on the Royal Caribbean
> Explorer for the last week of February. I've made a few calls to local
> TA's and they have been as helpful as a rubber crutch for the most part.
> Some don't return calls and those that do can't seem to come up with a
> travel plan that I want. We live in Canada and I want to travel a day
> before the cruise and land in Florida a little early. One TA suggested I
> stay overnight in Toronto. Great plan that is. Who the hell wants to
> stay in Toronto in late February when you could be staying in warm
> Florida! Sheeesh.
>
> Having been frustrated with the lack of help from the TA's I decided to
> call Royal Caribbean directly. They seemed helpful and had no problem
> making arrangements that I wanted.
>
> I haven't yet committed to them but wanted to ask your opinion.
> - How safe is booking directly with the cruise line?
> - Anyone have any troubles booking directly with the cruise line?
> - Any gotchas that I should be aware of?
>
> I know the guy from Royal Caribbean said that if they make all
> arrangements for me then they are responsible for getting me to the
> ship. He even said the ship won't leave without me if my flight was
> delayed for a few hours. Now if the flight was delayed for a day or
> something like that then it wouldn't wait of course, but they would put
> me on another cruise of my choosing.
> - Truthfully, is this something I can bank on?
> - Has anyone booked with RC and gone through something like this? I'd
> be interested to know how you were treated.
>
> Thanks
> Michael
>
|
|
|
|
|
29-11-2003, 03:16 AM
|
#3
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
Mike wrote:
> making arrangements that I wanted.
>
> I haven't yet committed to them but wanted to ask your opinion.
> - How safe is booking directly with the cruise line?
> - Anyone have any troubles booking directly with the cruise line?
> - Any gotchas that I should be aware of?
>
> I know the guy from Royal Caribbean said that if they make all
> arrangements for me then they are responsible for getting me to the
> ship. He even said the ship won't leave without me if my flight was
> delayed for a few hours. Now if the flight was delayed for a day or
> something like that then it wouldn't wait of course, but they would put
> me on another cruise of my choosing.
> - Truthfully, is this something I can bank on?
> - Has anyone booked with RC and gone through something like this? I'd
> be interested to know how you were treated.
>
> Thanks
> Michael
Hey Mike,
Booking directly with a cruise line (cruise, air, transfers, etc.), is
about as safe as it gets but I don't recommend this. Booking the cruise
with and TA, and booking your own air and hotel on line, can save you
real money. Let me explain:
Most TA's (live and on line) will rebate a portion of their commission
from the cruise line to you. These rebates are anywhere from 5 to 10% of
the cruise line price (excluding port taxes and fees). So if a cruise
is priced at $1,000 pp by the cruise line, you can expect to pay between
$925 - 950, using a TA. That's a saving of $100 to $150. Nine out of
ten times, I have found that the cruise line air add-on costs
considerably more than the price you would pay by booking directly with
the airline. Here the savings can be $100 pp or more.
If you a flying from Canada to Florida (especially in the winter), I
would recommend that you plan to fly a day or two before your cruise.
This plan would take care of bad weather problems in the winter. It
would also leave you much more relaxed when you board the ship and begin
your cruise. Unless you are a platinum member of RCCL's crown and
anchor society, they will add an additional charge to your airfare for
if you do this, under the heading of an "air deviation". You can do it
on your own for no charge.
With respect to a hotel and transportation to the port, I will assume
you are flying into Miami, because that is where most RCCL ships sail
from. All last year and much of this year, people have booked the Hyatt
Regency in Miami (a bona fide 4* hotel) through priceline.com for prices
of $27 to $47/night. If you try to book this hotel through the cruise
line, it would be (depending on what you paid thru priceline) 4 to 8
times more expensive. It would also be much more expensive to book
through a TA. Finally, I have found that the cheapest (if there is more
than one person cruising) and best way to get from your hotel to the
port is by private taxi.
Hope this helps. Happy cruisin!
Howie
|
|
|
|
|
29-11-2003, 05:58 AM
|
#4
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
Mike,
I am a fellow Canadian living in Northern Ontario and I have a cruise
booked with RCI for May 2004. This was the first time I have booked
directly with the cruise line. In the past I have gone with a local TA
and frankly although I did get good service from her I felt confident
enough to do it on my own this time.
The price from a small local TA was the same as Royal Caribbean has on
their website and I was diligent in monitoring RCI's prices on line. In
fact in the past when I saw a reduction I phoned the TA and she took
care of it.
This booking is sort of an experiment for me to see how everything goes.
...so far so good.
I always fly out the day before..you arrive more rested, less potential
weather problems and you usually will do better with the price of air
booking it on your own.
The biggest way I have saved money is to fly out of a US airport and if
you live anywhere near a border city or within a reasonable driving time
you will do better price wise for flights.
I am flying out of Buffalo NY and compared to the flights out of Toronto
I saved about $300.00 CDN per person.
So far I have been treated well by the RCI reps and I have the control
to call and ask my questions and so far I have received the answers.
This is my 7th cruise and I try and stay informed by reading cruise boards.
This has been my experience...
Emmy
Mike wrote:
> Hello All,
> Just wanted to get an opinion from those who have booked cruises
> directly with cruise lines instead of going through a travel agent. My
> wife and I are thinking about booking a cruise on the Royal Caribbean
> Explorer for the last week of February. I've made a few calls to local
> TA's and they have been as helpful as a rubber crutch for the most part.
> Some don't return calls and those that do can't seem to come up with a
> travel plan that I want. We live in Canada and I want to travel a day
> before the cruise and land in Florida a little early. One TA suggested I
> stay overnight in Toronto. Great plan that is. Who the hell wants to
> stay in Toronto in late February when you could be staying in warm
> Florida! Sheeesh.
>
> Having been frustrated with the lack of help from the TA's I decided to
> call Royal Caribbean directly. They seemed helpful and had no problem
> making arrangements that I wanted.
>
> I haven't yet committed to them but wanted to ask your opinion.
> - How safe is booking directly with the cruise line?
> - Anyone have any troubles booking directly with the cruise line?
> - Any gotchas that I should be aware of?
>
> I know the guy from Royal Caribbean said that if they make all
> arrangements for me then they are responsible for getting me to the
> ship. He even said the ship won't leave without me if my flight was
> delayed for a few hours. Now if the flight was delayed for a day or
> something like that then it wouldn't wait of course, but they would put
> me on another cruise of my choosing.
> - Truthfully, is this something I can bank on?
> - Has anyone booked with RC and gone through something like this? I'd
> be interested to know how you were treated.
>
> Thanks
> Michael
>
|
|
|
|
|
29-11-2003, 07:41 AM
|
#5
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
Hi,
I booked a Royal Caribbean cruise through Cruise Connection. There a
large online/call center cruise company out of Vancouver. They have adds
in the Globe and Mail every Saturday. They were awesome, answered all my
question, and were extremely helpful.
I received a great email from the BC Better Business Bureau about the
company. The part that I appreciated the most was that they have staff
dedicated to setting up the flights, and were very familiar with the
issues involved in flying to the US.
I live on the East coast, and they helped me get good flights the day
before.
Hope this helps,
Jmm
Mike wrote:
> Hello All,
> Just wanted to get an opinion from those who have booked cruises
> directly with cruise lines instead of going through a travel agent. My
> wife and I are thinking about booking a cruise on the Royal Caribbean
> Explorer for the last week of February. I've made a few calls to local
> TA's and they have been as helpful as a rubber crutch for the most part.
> Some don't return calls and those that do can't seem to come up with a
> travel plan that I want. We live in Canada and I want to travel a day
> before the cruise and land in Florida a little early. One TA suggested I
> stay overnight in Toronto. Great plan that is. Who the hell wants to
> stay in Toronto in late February when you could be staying in warm
> Florida! Sheeesh.
>
> Having been frustrated with the lack of help from the TA's I decided to
> call Royal Caribbean directly. They seemed helpful and had no problem
> making arrangements that I wanted.
>
> I haven't yet committed to them but wanted to ask your opinion.
> - How safe is booking directly with the cruise line?
> - Anyone have any troubles booking directly with the cruise line?
> - Any gotchas that I should be aware of?
>
> I know the guy from Royal Caribbean said that if they make all
> arrangements for me then they are responsible for getting me to the
> ship. He even said the ship won't leave without me if my flight was
> delayed for a few hours. Now if the flight was delayed for a day or
> something like that then it wouldn't wait of course, but they would put
> me on another cruise of my choosing.
> - Truthfully, is this something I can bank on?
> - Has anyone booked with RC and gone through something like this? I'd
> be interested to know how you were treated.
>
> Thanks
> Michael
>
|
|
|
|
|
29-11-2003, 08:13 AM
|
#6
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
Hi Mike:
Don't worry about booking directly with Royal Caribbean (or with any other
cruise line for that matter).
In most cases you will get better service and far more answers to any
questions you may have than going through a local travel agent. I've booked
directly through RCI, Celebrity, and HAL without a hitch. Each has provided
excellent customer service via phone or email and I'd use them all again in
an instant.
The air connections used by the cruise lines from Canada on the Air/Cruise
are not usually very great however, so either be prepared to pay more to
upgrade your air to "custom"; or go "cruise only" with them and book your
own air & hotel [arriving at port city a day before for extra measure of
caution and to rest up from flight(s) ]
What many of the readers here do not know is that Canadian travel agents
will NOT reduce their commissions from the cruise lines to give you a better
deal pricewise as seems to be a habit in the U.S., and you will pay the
same going through them as you do going directly through the cruise lines.
The cruise lines can quote you and charge you in $CDN if you so wish, or
OTOH you can be invoiced in $US. (Their conversion rates are usually
favourable and you do well to have them bill in $CDN).
Have a great cruise........Dave in Vancouver
"Mike" <nospam@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:1GIxb.79893$X2W1.58977@news04.bloor.is.net.ca ble.rogers.com...
> Hello All,
> Just wanted to get an opinion from those who have booked cruises
> directly with cruise lines instead of going through a travel agent. My
> wife and I are thinking about booking a cruise on the Royal Caribbean
> Explorer for the last week of February. I've made a few calls to local
> TA's and they have been as helpful as a rubber crutch for the most part.
|
|
|
|
|
29-11-2003, 10:10 AM
|
#7
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
Mike,
I live in the Philadelphia area and we generally cruise in the spring and
the fall.
I agree that traveling from Canada in February can be worrisome. If it
accentuates the idea of going a day early, let me tell you about our last
cruise, Hawaii in October.
We were booked out of Philadelphia a day early. The morning was foggy. The
plane was there, but the crew was not. This is the way it is.
The crew got there and we were off to San Diego about two hours late, but
PHL doesn't care whether you are late, you get in line like everyone else.
We came home to San Diego at the time of the fires. We had an early flight
and HAL got us off of the ship and to the airport in plenty of time, except
our plane was down in Phoenix and unable to fly to San Diego.
We got home, not at 8PM, but after midnight.
We got home, but coming home is not your problem. Please make sure that you
have built a buffer into your travel plans just in case of the worse case
scenario.
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
videomaven1@comcast.net
"Mike" <nospam@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:1GIxb.79893$X2W1.58977@news04.bloor.is.net.ca ble.rogers.com...
> Hello All,
> Just wanted to get an opinion from those who have booked cruises
> directly with cruise lines instead of going through a travel agent. My
> wife and I are thinking about booking a cruise on the Royal Caribbean
> Explorer for the last week of February. I've made a few calls to local
> TA's and they have been as helpful as a rubber crutch for the most part.
> Some don't return calls and those that do can't seem to come up with a
> travel plan that I want. We live in Canada and I want to travel a day
> before the cruise and land in Florida a little early. One TA suggested I
> stay overnight in Toronto. Great plan that is. Who the hell wants to
> stay in Toronto in late February when you could be staying in warm
> Florida! Sheeesh.
>
> Having been frustrated with the lack of help from the TA's I decided to
> call Royal Caribbean directly. They seemed helpful and had no problem
> making arrangements that I wanted.
>
> I haven't yet committed to them but wanted to ask your opinion.
> - How safe is booking directly with the cruise line?
> - Anyone have any troubles booking directly with the cruise line?
> - Any gotchas that I should be aware of?
>
> I know the guy from Royal Caribbean said that if they make all
> arrangements for me then they are responsible for getting me to the
> ship. He even said the ship won't leave without me if my flight was
> delayed for a few hours. Now if the flight was delayed for a day or
> something like that then it wouldn't wait of course, but they would put
> me on another cruise of my choosing.
> - Truthfully, is this something I can bank on?
> - Has anyone booked with RC and gone through something like this? I'd
> be interested to know how you were treated.
>
> Thanks
> Michael
>
|
|
|
|
|
29-11-2003, 11:49 AM
|
#8
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
DG,
This was the problem for my cousin last August, by mistake he set the alarm
late by an hour. He went to PHL and tried to explain to PHL's security,
nobody cared. Fortunately, the passengers let him move to the front. He was
behind an Eagle football player and the security keep talking with the
player, the line did not moved\ for a while. He almost late, he was the last
one before they close the gate.
Hai
"Dick Goldhaber" <videomaven1@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:HP6dnRMdBIiLVlqi4p2dnA@comcast.com...
> Mike,
>
> I live in the Philadelphia area and we generally cruise in the spring and
> the fall.
>
> I agree that traveling from Canada in February can be worrisome. If it
> accentuates the idea of going a day early, let me tell you about our last
> cruise, Hawaii in October.
>
> We were booked out of Philadelphia a day early. The morning was foggy.
The
> plane was there, but the crew was not. This is the way it is.
>
> The crew got there and we were off to San Diego about two hours late, but
> PHL doesn't care whether you are late, you get in line like everyone else.
>
> We came home to San Diego at the time of the fires. We had an early
flight
> and HAL got us off of the ship and to the airport in plenty of time,
except
> our plane was down in Phoenix and unable to fly to San Diego.
>
> We got home, not at 8PM, but after midnight.
>
> We got home, but coming home is not your problem. Please make sure that
you
> have built a buffer into your travel plans just in case of the worse case
> scenario.
> --
> DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
> videomaven1@comcast.net
> "Mike" <nospam@rogers.com> wrote in message
> news:1GIxb.79893$X2W1.58977@news04.bloor.is.net.ca ble.rogers.com...
> > Hello All,
> > Just wanted to get an opinion from those who have booked cruises
> > directly with cruise lines instead of going through a travel agent. My
> > wife and I are thinking about booking a cruise on the Royal Caribbean
> > Explorer for the last week of February. I've made a few calls to local
> > TA's and they have been as helpful as a rubber crutch for the most part.
> > Some don't return calls and those that do can't seem to come up with a
> > travel plan that I want. We live in Canada and I want to travel a day
> > before the cruise and land in Florida a little early. One TA suggested I
> > stay overnight in Toronto. Great plan that is. Who the hell wants to
> > stay in Toronto in late February when you could be staying in warm
> > Florida! Sheeesh.
> >
> > Having been frustrated with the lack of help from the TA's I decided to
> > call Royal Caribbean directly. They seemed helpful and had no problem
> > making arrangements that I wanted.
> >
> > I haven't yet committed to them but wanted to ask your opinion.
> > - How safe is booking directly with the cruise line?
> > - Anyone have any troubles booking directly with the cruise line?
> > - Any gotchas that I should be aware of?
> >
> > I know the guy from Royal Caribbean said that if they make all
> > arrangements for me then they are responsible for getting me to the
> > ship. He even said the ship won't leave without me if my flight was
> > delayed for a few hours. Now if the flight was delayed for a day or
> > something like that then it wouldn't wait of course, but they would put
> > me on another cruise of my choosing.
> > - Truthfully, is this something I can bank on?
> > - Has anyone booked with RC and gone through something like this? I'd
> > be interested to know how you were treated.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Michael
> >
>
>
|
|
|
|
|
29-11-2003, 01:20 PM
|
#9
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
Hai, you have brought up one of my pet peeves.
We choose to use a New Jersey company called Rapid Rover to take us to the
airport. If we have an 8AM flight, they will pick us up at 5:30. That gets
us to the airport around 6AM. When curbside check-in is available, we are
at security at 6:15 and at the boarding gate desperately seeking coffee no
later than 6:30.
We travel with a Guide Dog, and we use frequent flyer miles to fly First
Class, which means that we board first.
But as we sit at the gate waiting for our call we are always aware of people
arriving right up until the time that we board the plane, and we are always
aware of people coming on to the plane long after we have been belted in.
Maybe the airlines should make a rule that unless you are available for your
flight 30 minutes before flight time your ticket will be canceled and not
refundable. Maybe that will allow more flights to leave on time.
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
videomaven1@comcast.net
"Hai Pham" <haipham@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:edCdnZRL8K-WQlqi4p2dnA@comcast.com...
> DG,
>
> This was the problem for my cousin last August, by mistake he set the
alarm
> late by an hour. He went to PHL and tried to explain to PHL's security,
> nobody cared. Fortunately, the passengers let him move to the front. He
was
> behind an Eagle football player and the security keep talking with the
> player, the line did not moved\ for a while. He almost late, he was the
last
> one before they close the gate.
>
> Hai
> "Dick Goldhaber" <videomaven1@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:HP6dnRMdBIiLVlqi4p2dnA@comcast.com...
> > Mike,
> >
> > I live in the Philadelphia area and we generally cruise in the spring
and
> > the fall.
> >
> > I agree that traveling from Canada in February can be worrisome. If it
> > accentuates the idea of going a day early, let me tell you about our
last
> > cruise, Hawaii in October.
> >
> > We were booked out of Philadelphia a day early. The morning was foggy.
> The
> > plane was there, but the crew was not. This is the way it is.
> >
> > The crew got there and we were off to San Diego about two hours late,
but
> > PHL doesn't care whether you are late, you get in line like everyone
else.
> >
> > We came home to San Diego at the time of the fires. We had an early
> flight
> > and HAL got us off of the ship and to the airport in plenty of time,
> except
> > our plane was down in Phoenix and unable to fly to San Diego.
> >
> > We got home, not at 8PM, but after midnight.
> >
> > We got home, but coming home is not your problem. Please make sure that
> you
> > have built a buffer into your travel plans just in case of the worse
case
> > scenario.
> > --
> > DG in Cherry Hill, NJ
> > videomaven1@comcast.net
> > "Mike" <nospam@rogers.com> wrote in message
> > news:1GIxb.79893$X2W1.58977@news04.bloor.is.net.ca ble.rogers.com...
> > > Hello All,
> > > Just wanted to get an opinion from those who have booked cruises
> > > directly with cruise lines instead of going through a travel agent. My
> > > wife and I are thinking about booking a cruise on the Royal Caribbean
> > > Explorer for the last week of February. I've made a few calls to local
> > > TA's and they have been as helpful as a rubber crutch for the most
part.
> > > Some don't return calls and those that do can't seem to come up with a
> > > travel plan that I want. We live in Canada and I want to travel a day
> > > before the cruise and land in Florida a little early. One TA suggested
I
> > > stay overnight in Toronto. Great plan that is. Who the hell wants to
> > > stay in Toronto in late February when you could be staying in warm
> > > Florida! Sheeesh.
> > >
> > > Having been frustrated with the lack of help from the TA's I decided
to
> > > call Royal Caribbean directly. They seemed helpful and had no problem
> > > making arrangements that I wanted.
> > >
> > > I haven't yet committed to them but wanted to ask your opinion.
> > > - How safe is booking directly with the cruise line?
> > > - Anyone have any troubles booking directly with the cruise line?
> > > - Any gotchas that I should be aware of?
> > >
> > > I know the guy from Royal Caribbean said that if they make all
> > > arrangements for me then they are responsible for getting me to the
> > > ship. He even said the ship won't leave without me if my flight was
> > > delayed for a few hours. Now if the flight was delayed for a day or
> > > something like that then it wouldn't wait of course, but they would
put
> > > me on another cruise of my choosing.
> > > - Truthfully, is this something I can bank on?
> > > - Has anyone booked with RC and gone through something like this? I'd
> > > be interested to know how you were treated.
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > > Michael
> > >
> >
> >
>
>
|
|
|
|
|
29-11-2003, 04:42 PM
|
#10
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
Hi Mike,
I have a number of friends in the travel industry, and as much as I hate to
say it, you are usually better off booking the cruise yourself through the
cruise line. As long as you know what you want in a cruise and you know all
the details of your trip.
The key is research, research, research. Royal Caribbean in particular,
often offers some excellent deals over the internet but they sometimes only
last a day or two. That is why you have to know exactly what you want and
when you want it, then you just have to keep watching the website for the
best deal. We have booked a number of RCI cruises and got some great deals,
even on the airfare, which I would normally book on my own. They recently
had a airfare special flying from the East coast to San Diego, cruise to
Hawaii and returning from Honolulu for $99 pp round trip. You cant book it
that cheap yourself. But the special was only available for a couple days,
so we had to jump on it quickly.
The sad part in all of this is for the TAs involved. I have done my
research on a number of cruises and had a price quote over the internet but
when I went to the TA that I usually deal with they would not quote him the
same price for EXACTLY the same itinerary. My attitude was always that if
it was only a few bucks more I would much rather give the business to a
local TA but when it comes down to hundreds of dollars more.........well,
I, like many others, just can't afford to do that.
The cruise lines don't want to say it but I believe they are trying to phase
out the TAs. Just compare customer service in the cruise industry today
compared to a few years ago. When I went on my first cruise you could not
get one bit of information from the cruise line directly, you were always
told "contact your travel agent" but today customer service is actually
there to help make and change reservations along with giving out all kinds
of information.
I apologize for going off on a tangent here by giving my opinion but I am
kind of torn about my feelings. I LOVE cruising but I don't think that it
is right the way the cruise lines are secretly screwing the TAs out there.
"Mike" <nospam@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:1GIxb.79893$X2W1.58977@news04.bloor.is.net.ca ble.rogers.com...
> Hello All,
> Just wanted to get an opinion from those who have booked cruises
> directly with cruise lines instead of going through a travel agent. My
> wife and I are thinking about booking a cruise on the Royal Caribbean
> Explorer for the last week of February. I've made a few calls to local
> TA's and they have been as helpful as a rubber crutch for the most part.
> Some don't return calls and those that do can't seem to come up with a
> travel plan that I want. We live in Canada and I want to travel a day
> before the cruise and land in Florida a little early. One TA suggested I
> stay overnight in Toronto. Great plan that is. Who the hell wants to
> stay in Toronto in late February when you could be staying in warm
> Florida! Sheeesh.
>
> Having been frustrated with the lack of help from the TA's I decided to
> call Royal Caribbean directly. They seemed helpful and had no problem
> making arrangements that I wanted.
>
> I haven't yet committed to them but wanted to ask your opinion.
> - How safe is booking directly with the cruise line?
> - Anyone have any troubles booking directly with the cruise line?
> - Any gotchas that I should be aware of?
>
> I know the guy from Royal Caribbean said that if they make all
> arrangements for me then they are responsible for getting me to the
> ship. He even said the ship won't leave without me if my flight was
> delayed for a few hours. Now if the flight was delayed for a day or
> something like that then it wouldn't wait of course, but they would put
> me on another cruise of my choosing.
> - Truthfully, is this something I can bank on?
> - Has anyone booked with RC and gone through something like this? I'd
> be interested to know how you were treated.
>
> Thanks
> Michael
>
|
|
|
|
|
30-11-2003, 01:37 AM
|
#11
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
Michael, I can understand your frustration with some TA's. It may take a
few attempts to develop a good relationship with one. You said that your
contact was mostly by phone. I suggest you go into a few agencies in
person. It is much easier to deal directly with someone face to face. I
had such a LAME agent for my first cruise... whenever I called he was
either out of the office or with another client and never returned my
calls. I had to keep on top of his job for him... well lets just say
that was my first and last booking with him. I have booked directly with
the cruise lines and never had a problem so don't worry if you decide to
take that route. But now fortunately I found a TRUE agent that loves her
job and takes out the time to call and inform me of deals, price
reductions, etc. she is a 'gem' and I have used her to book my last 3
cruises! Good Luck with what you decide.
|
|
|
|
|
30-11-2003, 04:38 AM
|
#12
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
"MMB" <vze4mz3q@verizon.net> wrote in message news:<EsVxb.15926$785.856@nwrddc01.gnilink.net>...
> Hi Mike,
>
> I have a number of friends in the travel industry, and as much as I hate to
> say it, you are usually better off booking the cruise yourself through the
> cruise line. As long as you know what you want in a cruise and you know all
> the details of your trip.
>
> The key is research, research, research. Royal Caribbean in particular,
> often offers some excellent deals over the internet but they sometimes only
> last a day or two. That is why you have to know exactly what you want and
> when you want it, then you just have to keep watching the website for the
> best deal. We have booked a number of RCI cruises and got some great deals,
> even on the airfare, which I would normally book on my own. They recently
> had a airfare special flying from the East coast to San Diego, cruise to
> Hawaii and returning from Honolulu for $99 pp round trip. You cant book it
> that cheap yourself. But the special was only available for a couple days,
> so we had to jump on it quickly.
>
> The sad part in all of this is for the TAs involved. I have done my
> research on a number of cruises and had a price quote over the internet but
> when I went to the TA that I usually deal with they would not quote him the
> same price for EXACTLY the same itinerary. My attitude was always that if
> it was only a few bucks more I would much rather give the business to a
> local TA but when it comes down to hundreds of dollars more.........well,
> I, like many others, just can't afford to do that.
>
> The cruise lines don't want to say it but I believe they are trying to phase
> out the TAs. Just compare customer service in the cruise industry today
> compared to a few years ago. When I went on my first cruise you could not
> get one bit of information from the cruise line directly, you were always
> told "contact your travel agent" but today customer service is actually
> there to help make and change reservations along with giving out all kinds
> of information.
>
> I apologize for going off on a tangent here by giving my opinion but I am
> kind of torn about my feelings. I LOVE cruising but I don't think that it
> is right the way the cruise lines are secretly screwing the TAs out there.
>
>
> "Mike" <nospam@rogers.com> wrote in message
> news:1GIxb.79893$X2W1.58977@news04.bloor.is.net.ca ble.rogers.com...
> > Hello All,
> > Just wanted to get an opinion from those who have booked cruises
> > directly with cruise lines instead of going through a travel agent. My
> > wife and I are thinking about booking a cruise on the Royal Caribbean
> > Explorer for the last week of February. I've made a few calls to local
> > TA's and they have been as helpful as a rubber crutch for the most part.
> > Some don't return calls and those that do can't seem to come up with a
> > travel plan that I want. We live in Canada and I want to travel a day
> > before the cruise and land in Florida a little early. One TA suggested I
> > stay overnight in Toronto. Great plan that is. Who the hell wants to
> > stay in Toronto in late February when you could be staying in warm
> > Florida! Sheeesh.
> >
> > Having been frustrated with the lack of help from the TA's I decided to
> > call Royal Caribbean directly. They seemed helpful and had no problem
> > making arrangements that I wanted.
> >
> > I haven't yet committed to them but wanted to ask your opinion.
> > - How safe is booking directly with the cruise line?
> > - Anyone have any troubles booking directly with the cruise line?
> > - Any gotchas that I should be aware of?
> >
> > I know the guy from Royal Caribbean said that if they make all
> > arrangements for me then they are responsible for getting me to the
> > ship. He even said the ship won't leave without me if my flight was
> > delayed for a few hours. Now if the flight was delayed for a day or
> > something like that then it wouldn't wait of course, but they would put
> > me on another cruise of my choosing.
> > - Truthfully, is this something I can bank on?
> > - Has anyone booked with RC and gone through something like this? I'd
> > be interested to know how you were treated.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Michael
> >
No need for hours of research ! Just go to www.tripquote.com and you
will be surprised how easy and fast you get the lowest rates. Regards
Harry
|
|
|
|
|
30-11-2003, 04:38 AM
|
#13
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 04:42:12 GMT, "MMB" <vze4mz3q@verizon.net> wrote:
>The sad part in all of this is for the TAs involved. I have done my
>research on a number of cruises and had a price quote over the internet but
>when I went to the TA that I usually deal with they would not quote him the
>same price for EXACTLY the same itinerary. My attitude was always that if
>it was only a few bucks more I would much rather give the business to a
>local TA but when it comes down to hundreds of dollars more.........well,
>I, like many others, just can't afford to do that.
Hi,
The vast majority of the cruise lines have a policy of never offering
a lower fare directly to the public. If a cruise line gives you what
you think is a superior price, ask for the promo code and then give
your travel agent a call.
Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
|
|
|
|
|
30-11-2003, 06:33 AM
|
#14
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
You've gotten a lot of good advice here, but I think the following statement
is troublesome...
> I know the guy from Royal Caribbean said that if they make all
> arrangements for me then they are responsible for getting me to the
> ship. He even said the ship won't leave without me if my flight was
> delayed for a few hours.
That is NOT something you can "bank on." A few hours late? If your flight is
a charter or has a great many of your ship's passengers onboard, the ship
might wait. I've seen that happen. However, many people have "missed the
boat" by relying on that type of info. Yes, the cruise line will take
responsibility for getting you to the ship if they handle your
arrangements... but, if you are delayed a few hours, count on boarding the
ship in its first port of call, not the embarkation port. Realistically,
that is a more likely scenario.
Your idea of flying in a day early is the best plan. However, if you make
your own air and hotel arrangements, you can save a substantial amount--more
than likely you'll be able to purchase travel insurance with the difference
and most experienced cruisers will recommend insurance from a third-party
supplier, not the cruise line. Check out http://www.insuremytrip.com for
rate comparisons.
I wonder if the Royal Caribbean guy you spoke to on the phone has ever been
on a cruise or flown into an embarkation port on sailing day. More than
likely, the answer is no. You will get better, more accurate information
here on RTC or from a really knowledgeable travel professional. Ray
Goldenberg, Lori Cunningham, and George Leppla are but a few of the cruise
specialists who post here and, from personal experience, you CAN "bank on"
them.
Linda
CruiseDiva.com
http://cruisediva.com
|
|
|
|
|
30-11-2003, 06:50 AM
|
#15
|
|
|
Re: Booking directly with the Cruise line (Royal Caribbean)
On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 14:09:01 GMT, Mike <nospam@rogers.com> wrote:
>I know the guy from Royal Caribbean said that if they make all
>arrangements for me then they are responsible for getting me to the
>ship. He even said the ship won't leave without me if my flight was
>delayed for a few hours. Now if the flight was delayed for a day or
>something like that then it wouldn't wait of course, but they would put
>me on another cruise of my choosing.
>- Truthfully, is this something I can bank on?
Hi Michael,
The above inaccurate information is why you need a travel agent.
Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
|
|
|
|
| Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
|
| Display Modes |
 Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT +11. The time now is 06:02 AM.
Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.0.3
Copyright ©2000 - 2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
The Travel Forum
|
|
|
|
