Thread: Have a TA/Rep but Wish to Pay Cruiseline Directly

I've booked a VERY Important cruise for 2008 (10th Wedding Anniversary) through a travel club that a friend is a member of. I read so many news articles about cruisers being left high and dry because either the travel company boarded up or did something else with the reservation (Do I own it or do they?), or because they never send the money to the cruiseline.

I am extremely worried about this.

I can see my booking online. I there a way I can see the remaining balance for my cruise on the RCCL Website?

Can I make payments directly to RCCL either by phone or on-line without transferring the reservation?

Chuck,

If you booked a cruise with a travel agent, you can't contact the cruiseline directly to pay.

You should make sure to see the charges, directly from the cruiseline on your credit card statement.

When I book someone, I don't charge the credit card at all...all charges are done by the cruise line, so it shows on their statement.

Some travel agents charge service fees, cancellation fees, etc. that will go on your card under their name. I personally don't have these.

Your travel agent, "owns" the booking. If you wanted to transfer the booking back to the cruise line, the travel agent will have to actually release it...which they may or may not do!

Good luck...if you need any help, don't hesitate to pm me.

Originally Posted by djgifford

Chuck,

If you booked a cruise with a travel agent, you can't contact the cruiseline directly to pay.

You should make sure to see the charges, directly from the cruiseline on your credit card statement.

When I book someone, I don't charge the credit card at all...all charges are done by the cruise line, so it shows on their statement.

Some travel agents charge service fees, cancellation fees, etc. that will go on your card under their name. I personally don't have these.

Your travel agent, "owns" the booking. If you wanted to transfer the booking back to the cruise line, the travel agent will have to actually release it...which they may or may not do!

Good luck...if you need any help, don't hesitate to pm me.

But, if I transferred the booking to the cruise line, then "I" would own the reservation?

Dolores is 100% correct. As long as Royal Caribbean appears on your credit card, you're okay. All reputable travel agencies do no charge your credit card - they give the information to the cruise line and the cruise line charges your credit card. If you see charges by the travel agency, then find yourself another travel agent.

If RCCL appears on your credit card, then you are good to go. You need to let your agent take care of everything for you.

It's unfortunate that a few bad apples have to spoil it for everyone. Most agents are reputable and will work hard for their clients. It's too bad that a few have ruined the trust and respect the rest have earned the hard way.

But it's always best to use an agent over booking directly with the cruise line because the cruise line will never call you and let you know they found a special and they're reducing your rate. A good agent will do this for you. Not to mention the fact that they will help you should you have any questions or problems. Most reservation agents you talked with from the cruise line have never been on a cruise and know nothing of the ports of call. They're just there to take your reservation and get on to the next person. You're a number to them, not someone with whom they want or need to develop a working relationship with.

If you seriously doubt your travel agent, then ask them to send or fax a copy of the Client's Confirmation sheet the cruise lines send to the agent.

But if you can see your reservation on the cruise line's website and you can see your deposit has been applied in full, then chances are you can rely on the agent.

Hope this helps.

Pete

My main worry is because it is a Travel Vacation Club, which a frind is a member (they are going too). These clubs generally don't have good reputations for a variety of reasons. You never know.

I had planned on paying in installments, but since I saw my reservation today with restrictions on certain fields only for the travel agency they use, I started to wonder. Googling them only made me feel worse, though I realize the complaints I see on the internet represent a very minute fraction of the business they do and the Attorney General action they got against them was only for violating the no-call list thing, not for reservation issues. They are a member of CLIA and stuff and claim to have been around since 1991. I just fear that some state attorney general could shut them down for any number of reasons or they go belly-up from honoring their member discounts that they have to pay out of pocket since they really can't discount the major cruiselines anymore.

I just don't want them blackmailing me at the last minute to join their club or something because of some super small fine print I failed to catch. I am sure I could still get on the ship at that point but only by paying twice as much and it be a different cabin.

I'm just parnoid when I don't have full control of something like this.........

Thanks for the replies!

Chuck,

If you transfer it to the cruiseline, then yes, I guess you "own" it.

Your travel agent may not allow that, as they will lose commission. In this case, you would have to cancel and rebook.

Chuck I was wondering that also ( I googled them before I made payment) but on my CC bill it was Royal Caribbean and not agency we went through. If there turns out to be any trouble I'm keeping the bill and if needs be I'll contact the cc company to dispute the charge and rebook with RC directly and quickly.

Heather - We can talk with B&J when they get back from Disney. If they really trust them, then I guess we are OK. It just seems like a lot of risk for the 10% we are supposed to get back after the cruise.

C

I hear what you're saying about travel clubs. I've heard some bad things about them, too. I did miss the part about you saying it was a travel club. They're sort of like those timeshare places - make it sound so wonderful.

If, after reading everything, you still feel uncomfortable, you have the right to cancel anytime up until final payment date and get a 100% refund. Then you can rebook it with the cruise line or another agent.

If you want to transfer it to the cruise line or another agent, you have to notify the travel club who has to agree to the transfer. It would surprise me if they agreed to that, so cancellation may be your only option.

As for the 10% refund, if they are advertising that, then they are going against RCCL's policy and in danger of loosing their credentials to sell RCCL cruises.

Just some food for thought.

Pete

Originally Posted by Cruise Planner

I hear what you're saying about travel clubs. I've heard some bad things about them, too. I did miss the part about you saying it was a travel club. They're sort of like those timeshare places - make it sound so wonderful.

If, after reading everything, you still feel uncomfortable, you have the right to cancel anytime up until final payment date and get a 100% refund. Then you can rebook it with the cruise line or another agent.

If you want to transfer it to the cruise line or another agent, you have to notify the travel club who has to agree to the transfer. It would surprise me if they agreed to that, so cancellation may be your only option.

As for the 10% refund, if they are advertising that, then they are going against RCCL's policy and in danger of loosing their credentials to sell RCCL cruises.

Just some food for thought.

Pete

A lot of good points Pete. One thing also to consider is the fact that some agencies charge a cancelation fee. That is something that a prospective client should determine before booking through any TA. As Dolores has stated and
I believe you have also, no fees are charged and I also have no fees of any kind.

Reggie