Are Cruise deals over?

Juliana L Holm wrote:

I always use my local agent who gets me good deals, but does not rebate me.

She works hard, and deserves her pay.

Good for you, and good for her. That is how I think it should be.
Good deals up front for all, but no rebating.

Juliana L Holm wrote:

I always use my local agent who gets me good deals, but does not rebate me.

She works hard, and deserves her pay.

Good for you, and good for her. That is how I think it should be.
Good deals up front for all, but no rebating.

Tom & Linda" wrote:

So why not just use the local TA? Keep a local guy in business, who's
paying taxes to your community.

Yes!

Of course, if you live in Seattle, WA, you could also book direct with HAL, or
if you live in Santa Clarita, CA, you could book with Princess. ;-)

Tom & Linda" wrote:

So why not just use the local TA? Keep a local guy in business, who's
paying taxes to your community.

Yes!

Of course, if you live in Seattle, WA, you could also book direct with HAL, or
if you live in Santa Clarita, CA, you could book with Princess. ;-)

"Georgeny" wrote:

I have to disagree, there is every reason not to use a TA if the pricing,
due to no commission rebate, is the same. The primary reason is simply
eliminating one layer of possible fraud or payment problems.

This would be the biggest incentive to book direct.

"Georgeny" wrote:

I have to disagree, there is every reason not to use a TA if the pricing,
due to no commission rebate, is the same. The primary reason is simply
eliminating one layer of possible fraud or payment problems.

This would be the biggest incentive to book direct.

I do not like this new policy one whit.

SUNNY.........Bah humbug

I do not like this new policy one whit.

SUNNY.........Bah humbug

I don't think the TA can rebate anything back to you later for
RCI/Celebrity. That's the problem.

So here's what I see happening (using your numbers).

Previous ... like you said, you make payment of 2250. Cruise line gets
2100. TA gets 150.

Under new scenario, you make payment of 2400. Cruise line gets 2100 (just
like before). TA gets 300, but cannot give you any back, or he's guilty of
rebating. So you pay 2400, instead of 2250.

--Tom


"Georgeny" wrote in message
news:y4qTc.1098$_w.393@trndny04...
Tom,

If I am correct it will matter not how you pay, it's the handling on the
TA's side that has changed.

Using simple numbers not necessarily correct

Previous policy - cruise line price for cruise in example 1200 pp x 2 =
2400

Of that say 300 is TA commission

TA rebates you 150

You make payment to TA of 2250

TA sends cruiseline 2100 deal complete.

NEW policy:

TA must send in to cruiseline 2400

Cruiseline ( after completion of cruise date I believe ) sends TA 300
commission check.

So TA to rebate you the 150 must either FRONT that 150 from their own
monies
and then recover it from cruiseline later within the commission and accept
only 2250 from you OR they would have to have you pay total 2400 and then
rebate to you after they get their commission check therefore you are out
the 150 until TA rebates ot to you later.

So the main policy difference is that the cruise line is requiring total
cruise cost monies including commissions be paid directly to them instead
of
just merely their amount. This does several things, create a cash flow
situation on TA, and provide end of year tax accounting on commissions
directly to IRS for TA. So the 300 commission will be reported by
cruiseline
to IRS even though TA only actually received 150. They would therefore
have
the 150 they never saw taxed or have to expense against the commissions
reported. Additional paperwork in both tax and accounting areas and so
forth. So it matters not how much or what way you pay, TA must pay entire
amount then get it back later.

Any TA's out there care to correct me? This is my understanding of the
impact both to TA's and customers.

Now what does it do for cruise line. First even if TA's continue to rebate
they have a nice cashflow increase and have added a nice lag time for
themselves holding either your money or the TA's money. Made a greater
incentive for online booking directly with them and giving them better
control over pricing. Started the path to eliminating TA distribution as a
main distribution system again giving them far more direct control of
pricing and cost.

George in NY




"Tom & Linda" wrote in message
. net...

Perhaps in the future, TA's will be asking for more final payments to be
done by personal check. Or even cash.

And perhaps when you choose to use a credit card, agencies will make the
charge against your credit card to themselves and later do electronic
transfer of the final payment funds to the cruise line. Plus... this
has
the added protection of NOT providing your credit card info to the
cruise
lines.

By keeping payments internally within the agencies, they'll most likely
be
able to track payments MUCH MORE CAREFULLY, to ensure that no rebating
occurs behind the scenes. Which will, of course, be their first
priority
when dealing with RCI/Celebrity.

--Tom

I don't think the TA can rebate anything back to you later for
RCI/Celebrity. That's the problem.

So here's what I see happening (using your numbers).

Previous ... like you said, you make payment of 2250. Cruise line gets
2100. TA gets 150.

Under new scenario, you make payment of 2400. Cruise line gets 2100 (just
like before). TA gets 300, but cannot give you any back, or he's guilty of
rebating. So you pay 2400, instead of 2250.

--Tom


"Georgeny" wrote in message
news:y4qTc.1098$_w.393@trndny04...
Tom,

If I am correct it will matter not how you pay, it's the handling on the
TA's side that has changed.

Using simple numbers not necessarily correct

Previous policy - cruise line price for cruise in example 1200 pp x 2 =
2400

Of that say 300 is TA commission

TA rebates you 150

You make payment to TA of 2250

TA sends cruiseline 2100 deal complete.

NEW policy:

TA must send in to cruiseline 2400

Cruiseline ( after completion of cruise date I believe ) sends TA 300
commission check.

So TA to rebate you the 150 must either FRONT that 150 from their own
monies
and then recover it from cruiseline later within the commission and accept
only 2250 from you OR they would have to have you pay total 2400 and then
rebate to you after they get their commission check therefore you are out
the 150 until TA rebates ot to you later.

So the main policy difference is that the cruise line is requiring total
cruise cost monies including commissions be paid directly to them instead
of
just merely their amount. This does several things, create a cash flow
situation on TA, and provide end of year tax accounting on commissions
directly to IRS for TA. So the 300 commission will be reported by
cruiseline
to IRS even though TA only actually received 150. They would therefore
have
the 150 they never saw taxed or have to expense against the commissions
reported. Additional paperwork in both tax and accounting areas and so
forth. So it matters not how much or what way you pay, TA must pay entire
amount then get it back later.

Any TA's out there care to correct me? This is my understanding of the
impact both to TA's and customers.

Now what does it do for cruise line. First even if TA's continue to rebate
they have a nice cashflow increase and have added a nice lag time for
themselves holding either your money or the TA's money. Made a greater
incentive for online booking directly with them and giving them better
control over pricing. Started the path to eliminating TA distribution as a
main distribution system again giving them far more direct control of
pricing and cost.

George in NY




"Tom & Linda" wrote in message
. net...

Perhaps in the future, TA's will be asking for more final payments to be
done by personal check. Or even cash.

And perhaps when you choose to use a credit card, agencies will make the
charge against your credit card to themselves and later do electronic
transfer of the final payment funds to the cruise line. Plus... this
has
the added protection of NOT providing your credit card info to the
cruise
lines.

By keeping payments internally within the agencies, they'll most likely
be
able to track payments MUCH MORE CAREFULLY, to ensure that no rebating
occurs behind the scenes. Which will, of course, be their first
priority
when dealing with RCI/Celebrity.

--Tom