Booking dilemma! Booked with small agency.. but left shipboard credits, store credits on the table.

[twinsouvenirs]

Major dilemma. Help! First time cruisers. Booked with a TA who is a friend and I love her. She's answered a lot of our questions, and is a huge help. So far all we've actually done is booked the cruise because it's a bit in the future. All is well...

However, one day, my husband checked Costco's site. Their pricing is a little lower than our current booking for the same deck and stateroom type and would also give us a $900 costco card. We do shop a LOT at Costco. Then, I looked on the Dreams Unlimited site and saw they'd provide a $500 shipboard credit, at least on a new reservation. I mentioned these to our agent and asked about any shipboard credits she/her agency might provide--unfortunately, none. She said she would completely understand if we felt we needed to book elsewhere to save the $$, noting that she was unable to compete with those prices--she does not provide them because she already makes just 50% of the commission (her tiny agency takes the other 50%). They simply cannot compete with the bigger agencies, which also get higher commission rates.

So here is the thing--I would feel terrible moving the reservation out of her wheelhouse but $900/$500 is a lot of money to leave on the table. I am also not sure how we'd get those incentives if we already have a reservation--it looks like if we simply transferred the registration, we'd lose half of at least the onboard credit for DU. Not sure how Costco would work. It does look like there are 3 other rooms in the category on our deck free but they are not as ideally situated--so I am not sure if we could cancel and rebook--not sure how fast that could be done or when our room would reappear as available.

Has anyone had this issue and how have you resolved it if so? Any advice as to what to do, how to do it? I was thinking if we change to another TA I would like to provide our initial agent a gift or something.

 

[bumbershoot]

As far as I know with Costco specifically you don't lose money by transferring.

But she's a friend and you love her. This is her livelihood. I might have to pretend I never heard of obc for this cruise.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

As far as I know with Costco specifically you don't lose money by transferring.

But she's a friend and you love her. This is her livelihood. I might have to pretend I never heard of obc for this cruise.

This is my feeling too. You've already booked with her and she's a friend. I'd leave it be.

If you were to decide that the additional money is too much to pass up, you need to be aware that transferring your reservation will result in a lower OBC from DU. My understanding is that Costco does not lower the amount of its cash card for transferred reservations, but I have never booked with them.

 

[lanejudy]

Depending on when you booked, you might have to cancel (get the deposit back) and re-book -- at today's prices if there has been any increase. Since the TA friend "owns" the reservation, she would have to release it (sounds like she would) and then you have to transfer to the new TA -- all within 30 days of original booking date. So probably do-able if you booked last week, not so much if you booked nearly a month ago.

I think I'd stick with the friend. Let her prove herself. You've already said she has "answered a lot of questions and been a huge help." She will get nothing for that effort if you cancel or take back the reservation. Ride it out and keep other options in mind for a next cruise. But I agree, $500 or $900 is nothing to sneeze at so it's a tough decision for you.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Disney Obsession]

She's a friend and will likely be a major help if some things don't go right before, after, or during the cruise. She also appears knowledgeable from what you are saying. Stick with her. The Costco card is quite nice, but if I need help immediately if there is an issue, or need someone to bend over backward which a lot of agents will do, Costco likely won't be there to help. That is worth the cost to me

 

[kdogfister]

From a purely economic standpoint, is it possible that the monetary benefit derived from moving the reservation to Costco is greater than what she may receive in commission on this sale?

If so, consider explaining the move to her and offering to split the difference by taking her out to a meal or two. The downside is that you are taking money from the agency as well, but they will likely benefit from your continued patronage on future potential travel (and maybe even other portions of this travel). The upside is that, potentially, you both are better off. You because you get the gift card and her because what you may spend in meals for her could be more than her commission.

My one hesitation is that you may not want to offer her cash outright as her agency may not like the idea of you paying her not to take your business.

Of course I have no idea what a TA makes on this type of sale, but would suspect it is less than $450 on a single booked cruise (1/2 the Costco card).

 

[PrincessTrisha]

If she's already answered questions and been a big help - how much is that worth to you?

I've not used Costco but I can't see their agents being that knowledgeable or committed to individual clients being a "big box store". Using an online TA will get you the OBC but you need to remember that your communication is usually via email - and not necessarily same day (at least in my experience).

If you feel that you need the "service" provided by a friendly, local TA - you need to expect to "pay" for that service somehow. For you it means giving up the goodies you get with other agencies.

I also feel that it's not really fair for you to have used the services of this person in finding / pricing / booking the original cruise and then turn around and take away her payment for those services.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Only you can say whether that cash back/OBB will make or break you, but when I found myself in a similar situation (TA's not a friend, though), I decided to stay where I was. Next time I will know about other agency options.

You were happy with her service and the booking when you made it. She is your friend and I'm sure you know how hard she works for clients and how hard it is to get business these days. After the fact, you found out you could have had a 'better deal', but it means leaving your friend after all she's done for you. Is it worth the hassle and possible hurt feelings (even though she said she understands)? So you didn't get the best 'sale price' (no credits or cash back), but you got a deal you were happy with until you heard about the other deals out there. Next time, go with someone else, but this time, keep your present booking where it is for the sake of your friendship.

Also, I'm surprised that you said the Costco price was lower than you are being charged. What about if you check the price on the DCL website? I'd have to say that if your TA/friend is charging you more than DCL would charge, then I'd reconsider, because that sounds like they are getting you to pay a commission on top of the commission they are getting from DCL.

Conversely, the Costco site is notorious for misquoting prices. You have to select everything and go almost to the point of booking to find out the 'real' price, not the price they are advertising (I've actually seen higher prices, so it's got to be glitch, not a marketing ploy). Make sure you are comparing the real prices.

 

[wanderlust7]

The Costco issue seems to be from not being fully logged in, or the site not realizing you're logged in until the payment page. The result is that it gives a higher non-member price. I've never seen it mistakenly give a lower price. You should see if the DCL price has dropped (rare but can happen...). Even if you stay with your TA, I think they can get it repriced.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We booked a DCL Panama Canal cruise with a relative who is a PT TA. We did it because we were stopping by her home in San Diego after we disembarked.

I had asked her about onboard credit, she reluctantly did get us some, but talked about "kickback" and made it sound like I was being unethical. We're doing another DCL PC cruise this year, but did not give her the booking. We will see her, we just disagree about on board credit!

 

[o&smom]

I would leave this one be, but...once onboard, I would make sure to book a placeholder to use in the next two years and then transfer it to Costco as soon as you get home for your next crusise.

 

[dwonderz]

I would leave it be this time - it sounds like she's helped you out a lot! For your next cruise - if you book onboard you'll definitely get some sort of OBC - so in the end it will probably all even out. Plus - you're working with a friend and it sounds like she's great!

 

[SeaWatcher]

Make sure the quotes are equal. It is possible one includes prepaid tips and the other does not.

 

[JW9DVC]

Cancel and rebook. Buy the agent something nice as a gift for the help. Use your Costco cash card to do so, it's a win win for you and her as her commission was not so much to begin with.

If you like the other room from Costco website I would book that. The cash card is an amazing value!

JW

 

[MunFam]

As a travel agent myself (who works for an agency that does not do cruises, only corporate stuff)...I would tell my friend to cancel and rebook. The DCL commissions to agents are on a tiered payment schedule...if her agency does a low volume, her commission will be terrible (which is also why there are no perks like OBC) and then she only gets 50% of that!! Typically, when I do trips for friends or family, I find them the best deal, be it through AAA, Costco, DU, etc and ask for a small "booking fee" instead.

I would make sure that transferring the booking does not tarnish her position at the agency and as long as it did not, I would move on to another agency and pay her $250 or so for her work.

 

[Shanti]

Major dilemma. Help! First time cruisers. Booked with a TA who is a friend and I love her. She's answered a lot of our questions, and is a huge help. So far all we've actually done is booked the cruise because it's a bit in the future. All is well...

However, one day, my husband checked Costco's site. Their pricing is a little lower than our current booking for the same deck and stateroom type and would also give us a $900 costco card. We do shop a LOT at Costco. Then, I looked on the Dreams Unlimited site and saw they'd provide a $500 shipboard credit, at least on a new reservation. I mentioned these to our agent and asked about any shipboard credits she/her agency might provide--unfortunately, none. She said she would completely understand if we felt we needed to book elsewhere to save the $$, noting that she was unable to compete with those prices--she does not provide them because she already makes just 50% of the commission (her tiny agency takes the other 50%). They simply cannot compete with the bigger agencies, which also get higher commission rates.

So here is the thing--I would feel terrible moving the reservation out of her wheelhouse but $900/$500 is a lot of money to leave on the table. I am also not sure how we'd get those incentives if we already have a reservation--it looks like if we simply transferred the registration, we'd lose half of at least the onboard credit for DU. Not sure how Costco would work. It does look like there are 3 other rooms in the category on our deck free but they are not as ideally situated--so I am not sure if we could cancel and rebook--not sure how fast that could be done or when our room would reappear as available.

Has anyone had this issue and how have you resolved it if so? Any advice as to what to do, how to do it? I was thinking if we change to another TA I would like to provide our initial agent a gift or something.

I would cancel or transfer the reservation (which one depending on whether prices have risen- check DCL's website for that) and rebook to get the maximum savings, then pay my friend about $250 for the work she did. Yes, $250 in actual money, not in gifts or gift cards or meals. She did real work for you and deserves to be paid with money.

This is a prime example of why you should avoid business transactions with friends, btw.

 

[bumbershoot]

This is a prime example of why you should avoid business transactions with friends, btw.

Agreed.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

Thank you all for your input!!! I'm leaning towards talking to her and seeing whether giving her some kind of monetary (or Disney GC?) gift would not have an impact on her agency reputation or anything. If so, and I gave her $250-300, we'd both be ok I think.

I am generally pretty independent on trip planning and although this is our first cruise, I do have countless disney vacations under my belt. And I do want direct control of the cruise/reservations myself as well.

I think the difference in pricing is because of the location of our room versus the other available rooms on the same deck (ours may be a more desirable 'zone').

My biggest concern with keeping the reservation is that my husband is freaking out about cost (we are DVC/AP and our normal trips cost under $2k twice a year out of pocket) and he's already talking about whether we should cancel the cruise--so it may be win-win to save 70% and give her about 30% and keep the vacation. It would be a little less than her full commission (she'd probably get $500 total, but then that would be taxed at the independent contractor rate).

I think perhaps I'll wait a little to see how severe my husband's panic is before I make any move. Since we haven't talked about anything other than the actual dates and times of the reservation, I think I'll hold off on bugging her about excursions. I am planning on doing them independent of DCL anyway so I think she may not be able to help with those.

I really appreciate all of you taking the time to share your thoughts. This is a big dilemma to me and you've all brought up very valid points. I definitely don't want to rob her of income earned, and I also don't want my husband to resent what we pay for the vacation or perceive that I'm not trustworthy booking these! (trust me, I'll hear it!)

 

[cruisehopeful]

And I do want direct control of the cruise/reservations myself as well.

If you use Costco or any other travel agent, you won't have control of the reservation.

You do have a lot to think about. I think it is reasonable to give her some type of payment if you change the cruise. You likely would need to cancel the cruise and rebook through the other agency unless the booking was made in the last 30 days. I'd be inclined to just cancel and start a new booking if I was going to try to get the onboard credit or the Costo cash card. Personally, if I had booked with a friend, I would just finish with them and then book my future cruises another way if the onboard credit was that important to me.

 

[bumbershoot]

I think I'll hold off on bugging her about excursions. I am planning on doing them independent of DCL anyway so I think she may not be able to help with those.

She wouldn't book excursions through Disney for you anyway. You have full access to that.

And with any TA-booked reservation (your friend, DU, costcotravel.com, etc) you give up some control. But that just means if you need to change rooms, change people, and other things that change your fate, you go through the TA rather than dcl.

No matter what though you do excursions yourself through the dcl account.