I'm gonna throw this out there
 

What are the advantages or disadvantages of booking a cruise on Princess
direct and not using a travel agent?

I'm gonna throw this out there
 

On 10/26/11 12:06 PM, Jr. wrote:
What are the advantages or disadvantages of booking a cruise on Princess
direct and not using a travel agent?

Remember... they both charge you the same price. Princess just keeps
the commission if you book with them.

So... (just a few)...

If there is a price drop later, Princess already has your money. A TA
can fight to get you a price reduction. Princess won't.

Some TA's even have software that tracks price drops.

And sometimes TA's can even get you things if there is a price drop
after final payment, such as upgrades based on the price drop.

If there is a problem, a TA can fight for you.

TA's have cheaper insurance than the cruise lines do.

TA's may have groups going (they belong to consortiums) and can then get
you a group rate.

I'm gonna throw this out there
 

Thanks for the quick reply. Most of your advice is really good.
Some things did not apply but still good advice.

We get our insurance from Princess because we get Platinum insurance for a
basic price.

We did receive a great $928 reduction through our TA on our upcoming cruise
but I had to inform her of the three day sale.

Why wouldn't Princess just drop the price automatically?

BTW, we give Princess (through our TA) our $200 for advance cruises and then
no more money until 90 days before sailing.



"Tom K" wrote in message ...

On 10/26/11 12:06 PM, Jr. wrote:
What are the advantages or disadvantages of booking a cruise on Princess
direct and not using a travel agent?

Remember... they both charge you the same price. Princess just keeps
the commission if you book with them.

So... (just a few)...

If there is a price drop later, Princess already has your money. A TA
can fight to get you a price reduction. Princess won't.

Some TA's even have software that tracks price drops.

And sometimes TA's can even get you things if there is a price drop
after final payment, such as upgrades based on the price drop.

If there is a problem, a TA can fight for you.

TA's have cheaper insurance than the cruise lines do.

TA's may have groups going (they belong to consortiums) and can then get
you a group rate.

I'm gonna throw this out there
 

On Oct 26, 5:05*pm, Tom K wrote:
On 10/26/11 12:06 PM, Jr. wrote:

What are the advantages or disadvantages of booking a cruise on Princess
direct and not using a travel agent?

Remember... they both charge you the same price. *Princess just keeps
the commission if you book with them.

So... (just a few)...

If there is a price drop later, Princess already has your money. *A TA
can fight to get you a price reduction. *Princess won't.

Some TA's even have software that tracks price drops.

And sometimes TA's can even get you things if there is a price drop
after final payment, such as upgrades based on the price drop.

If there is a problem, a TA can fight for you.

TA's have cheaper insurance than the cruise lines do.

TA's may have groups going (they belong to consortiums) and can then get
you a group rate.

No experience with Princess, only with Carnival and Norwegian. We
have had the opposite experience than you describe. We do not use
TA's, as any price decrease in place, we have called our cruise
representative and have been credited and or upgraded in 13 cruises.
It is a bit more work for my wife tracking the cruise price on a daily
basis and calling our contact at the cruise line, but what is a few
minutes on the computer and a few more minutes calling the cruise
line, all part of the fun leading up to the cruise.

We insure through our AAA agent, whom we have a 30 year relationship
with. Would not trust any third party insurance company for cruise
insurance, especially considering the cost of the cruise, spending
money, why scrimp on your insurance.

Frank

I'm gonna throw this out there
 

Frank from Deeeetroit wrote:

No experience with Princess, only with Carnival and Norwegian. We
have had the opposite experience than you describe. We do not use
TA's, as any price decrease in place, we have called our cruise
representative and have been credited and or upgraded in 13 cruises.
It is a bit more work for my wife tracking the cruise price on a daily
basis and calling our contact at the cruise line, but what is a few
minutes on the computer and a few more minutes calling the cruise
line, all part of the fun leading up to the cruise.

We insure through our AAA agent, whom we have a 30 year relationship
with. Would not trust any third party insurance company for cruise
insurance, especially considering the cost of the cruise, spending
money, why scrimp on your insurance.



If you want to be you own travel agent cause it is fun and your wife has
the time, fine. I don't have the time or inclination to check the cruise
price every day. I have found travel agents who take care of it. Of course
I had to find the right agents. There are great agents and there are bum
agents. Same as my auto mechanic. Good ones and bad ones.

Third party means not buying the cruise lines insurance. So you are using a
third party insurance company.


--
Charles

I'm gonna throw this out there
 

On Dec 4, 12:02*am, Charles wrote:
Frank from Deeeetroit wrote:

No experience with Princess, only with Carnival and Norwegian. *We
have had the opposite experience than you describe. *We do not use
TA's, as any price decrease in place, we have called our cruise
representative and have been credited and or upgraded in 13 cruises.
It is a bit more work for my wife tracking the cruise price on a daily
basis and calling our contact at the cruise line, but what is a few
minutes on the computer and a few more minutes calling the cruise
line, all part of the fun leading up to the cruise.

We insure through our AAA agent, whom we have a 30 year relationship
with. *Would not trust any third party insurance company for cruise
insurance, especially considering the cost of the cruise, spending
money, why scrimp on your insurance.

If you want to be you own travel agent cause it is fun and your wife has
the time, fine. I don't have the time or inclination to check the cruise
price every day. I have found *travel agents who take care of it. Of course
I had to find the right agents. There are great agents and there are bum
agents. Same as my auto mechanic. Good ones and bad ones.

Third party means not buying the cruise lines insurance. So you are using a
third party insurance company.

--
Charles

Simpler explanation, to halt the hair splitting. Why go to a foreign
insurance company when one has a relationship with the insurance
company that insures your home and vehicle needs. One has a daily
relationship with their home/auto insurance company. If one purchases
cruise insurance through a travel agency or by a company one found
elsewhere, the relationship is 1 week, 10 days, or whatever length of
ones cruise, and that relationship exists once a year.

I would feel more comfortable if I had a health issue while cruising
and I called AAA to make arrangements to get me home, than if I called
the ACME cruise insurance company that I found on-line and saved
$25.00 a person. This situation is not where I want to discover there
are good insurance companies and there are bum insurance companies.
To me, I will not take the risk finding out if the insurance company
is the right one for me.

Frank

I'm gonna throw this out there
 

On 12/4/2011 8:00 AM, Frank from Deeeetroit wrote:

Simpler explanation, to halt the hair splitting. Why go to a foreign
insurance company when one has a relationship with the insurance
company that insures your home and vehicle needs. One has a daily
relationship with their home/auto insurance company. If one purchases
cruise insurance through a travel agency or by a company one found
elsewhere, the relationship is 1 week, 10 days, or whatever length of
ones cruise, and that relationship exists once a year.

I would feel more comfortable if I had a health issue while cruising
and I called AAA to make arrangements to get me home, than if I called
the ACME cruise insurance company that I found on-line and saved
$25.00 a person. This situation is not where I want to discover there
are good insurance companies and there are bum insurance companies.
To me, I will not take the risk finding out if the insurance company
is the right one for me.

Frank

When you need to use the travel insurance, will your AAA agent actually
act as your intermediary to file a claim, or do you have to call the
insurance company directly? Because if you have to call the travel
insurance company yourself, then everything you just said is BS.

And also, what you're claiming would make a lot more sense if you were
also using AAA as your travel agent (you know they do that, right?). But
you've said you don't use one.

And once again, since the odds are very slim that AAA is underwriting
this travel insurance themselves, you're most likely buying ACME travel
insurance anyway, even if you don't want to believe it.

Bill

I'm gonna throw this out there
 

Frank from Deeeetroit wrote:

Simpler explanation, to halt the hair splitting. Why go to a foreign
insurance company when one has a relationship with the insurance
company that insures your home and vehicle needs. One has a daily
relationship with their home/auto insurance company. If one purchases
cruise insurance through a travel agency or by a company one found
elsewhere, the relationship is 1 week, 10 days, or whatever length of
ones cruise, and that relationship exists once a year.

I would feel more comfortable if I had a health issue while cruising
and I called AAA to make arrangements to get me home, than if I called
the ACME cruise insurance company that I found on-line and saved
$25.00 a person. This situation is not where I want to discover there
are good insurance companies and there are bum insurance companies.
To me, I will not take the risk finding out if the insurance company
is the right one for me.

My auto insurance, home insurance and umbrella policy are with State Farm
not AAA. State Farm does not sell travel insurance. AAA is the auto club.
They sell auto insurance, travel, credit cards and other stuff. I am not an
AAA member and don't use any of their products.



--
Charles

I'm gonna throw this out there
 

On 12/3/2011 11:02 PM, Charles wrote:
Frank from wrote:

No experience with Princess, only with Carnival and Norwegian. We
have had the opposite experience than you describe. We do not use
TA's, as any price decrease in place, we have called our cruise
representative and have been credited and or upgraded in 13 cruises.
It is a bit more work for my wife tracking the cruise price on a daily
basis and calling our contact at the cruise line, but what is a few
minutes on the computer and a few more minutes calling the cruise
line, all part of the fun leading up to the cruise.

We insure through our AAA agent, whom we have a 30 year relationship
with. Would not trust any third party insurance company for cruise
insurance, especially considering the cost of the cruise, spending
money, why scrimp on your insurance.



If you want to be you own travel agent cause it is fun and your wife has
the time, fine. I don't have the time or inclination to check the cruise
price every day. I have found travel agents who take care of it. Of course

Few travel agents monitor it themselves. If you find the drop and call
them they *should* honor it but there are some travel agents who won't
because it diminishes their commission. Before signing with any travel
agent, ask if they will honor price drops.

If you want to monitor it yourself:

http://www.cruisefish.net.

for a couple of dollars they will track several cruises for you. They
use a "spider" software program. They'll send you an email when there
is a price drop.

Vacations To Go also uses a similar program. They will contact you if
there is a drop and ask you for permission to get it.


Third party means not buying the cruise lines insurance. So you are using a
third party insurance company.


The cruise lines don't own their own insurance companies.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.

I'm gonna throw this out there
 

On 12/4/2011 7:00 AM, Frank from Deeeetroit wrote:
On Dec 4, 12:02 am, wrote:
Frank from wrote:

No experience with Princess, only with Carnival and Norwegian. We
have had the opposite experience than you describe. We do not use
TA's, as any price decrease in place, we have called our cruise
representative and have been credited and or upgraded in 13 cruises.
It is a bit more work for my wife tracking the cruise price on a daily
basis and calling our contact at the cruise line, but what is a few
minutes on the computer and a few more minutes calling the cruise
line, all part of the fun leading up to the cruise.

We insure through our AAA agent, whom we have a 30 year relationship
with. Would not trust any third party insurance company for cruise
insurance, especially considering the cost of the cruise, spending
money, why scrimp on your insurance.

If you want to be you own travel agent cause it is fun and your wife has
the time, fine. I don't have the time or inclination to check the cruise
price every day. I have found travel agents who take care of it. Of course
I had to find the right agents. There are great agents and there are bum
agents. Same as my auto mechanic. Good ones and bad ones.

Third party means not buying the cruise lines insurance. So you are using a
third party insurance company.

--
Charles

Simpler explanation, to halt the hair splitting. Why go to a foreign
insurance company when one has a relationship with the insurance
company that insures your home and vehicle needs. One has a daily
relationship with their home/auto insurance company. If one purchases
cruise insurance through a travel agency or by a company one found
elsewhere, the relationship is 1 week, 10 days, or whatever length of
ones cruise, and that relationship exists once a year.

I would feel more comfortable if I had a health issue while cruising
and I called AAA to make arrangements to get me home, than if I called
the ACME cruise insurance company that I found on-line and saved
$25.00 a person. This situation is not where I want to discover there
are good insurance companies and there are bum insurance companies.
To me, I will not take the risk finding out if the insurance company
is the right one for me.

Frank


Check those policies folks. Even if you think you have purchased
medical evacuation insurance, it's up to the insurance company, not you
or even *your* doctor, if they will evacuate you. Most of the policies
will only evacuate you to the nearest medical facility that will be
able to treat you if *they* determine that the one you are at is not
adequate. I have been there. Trust me.

I pay for good insurance. The cost is just a part of our travel budget.
I cover us with MedJet Assist which, IMO, is the only company that
*will* bring you home if your home physician and the treating physician
agree you need to be in a hospital.

This email is good. I will be glad to answere questions about my
personal experience.

Everyone's favorite insurance carrier is the best until yo have to
invoke the provisions of the policy and it's gonna cost them a bundle.

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.