The following are some of the questions and conversations which have come up in our office and by new clients who might not have dealt with us in the past.
Why should I use your services when I can book directly?
The Cruise Lines and travel provider we are working with are going to charge for our services whether you use them or not. Our fee or commission is built into the cost of the cruise by the respective cruise line. If you book direct, the Cruise Line simply pockets the commission, and you get nothing in return. When you engage our services, you have an advocate. Your booking with a Cruise Line represents one booking to them; we represent dozens or even hundreds. We have volume clout. You as an individual have none.
We care and stay with you every step of the way, beginning and before the cruise with advice and guidance on numerous items, to guidance when you get on the cruise, to after the cruise when you get home and we call you to see how it was. By doing that, we find out what changes or corrections or improvements the Cruise Line has made and on occasion we hear about a situation that might have occurred and should not have and we then pursue the Line to justify the item, or provide something because of the situation which should have. (Yes, we can document with real clients what has happens and how we took care of them). Book with Henry Headset and you're just computer data.
It sounds like I get no price benefits with you vs. booking direct.
Cruise Lines set the value on the products they sell. They don't appreciate it when a seller demeans their product by selling it for less. Yes, on occasion we will both have the same prices. But, our agency has negotiated exclusive benefits for our clients, so our package will make you feel good about your purchase. It has more value because of the extra perks we are able to include. It's always going to be in your financial interest to use our services.
Why should I book now? What happens if the price goes down later?
First, booking early guarantees you a cruise cabin category you want, which many times would mean the best location on the ship (mid-ship for access to the entire ship, not under the kitchen or promenade or jogging track, ) Our staff knows the ship, they have sailed on it and will do what needs to be done to get you the best possible placement. There are preferred cabin locations in virtually every cruise category, and it is in your interest to deposit early to get it. We will sell it to others who want the best.
Second, has to do with marketing. The cruise lines are reluctant to give those who book last better pricing than those who were willing to commit early. They hate having to go back to those already committed to paying one price to tell them they can now pay less. So the odds are that the earlier you book, the better the pricing.
We look for price integrity before we will agree to represent a travel product. Thus, the cruise lines allow us to automatically qualify you for any new marketing discounts. We guarantee price protection, so you have no worries.
After I called you, I called a discount travel agency and found that their price for exactly the same cruise was $450 per person less than your quote. $900 is a big difference. Will you match it?
Our relationship with the cruise lines is extremely close, and we can match the offer. However, we'll need a copy of the cruise line guest invoice. No price is legitimate if it doesn't have the imprint of the cruise line on the fare quote or a confirmation number. Once we receive your invoice with the lower price, we'll get back to you within 24 hours with a price match plus a gift for your time and trouble. If it's not a legitimate price, you at least will know that you were dealing with an unethical travel seller.
You will typically pay more for your vacation in a year than you'll pay your physician, attorney or accountant. In those cases, would you choose the best professional or the one who offered you a rebate?
Cruise Lines hate rebaters, and you take some real risks by booking with one. Imagine being on a the cruise the first day. As the guests mingle at the introductory cocktail party, one obnoxious couple lets everyone know that their travel agent was willing to work for practically nothing and rebated a good portion of her commission. Now the Cruise Line people have an unhappy group, some of whom might have been booked by one of the Cruise Lines top-producing agencies. Cruise Lines have gone to court to prevent online rebating of their products.
Online rebaters clearly don't feel the Cruise is worth the current price, and thus they are unsupportive of the company. So, should there be problems while you're traveling, they will not be able to wield any influence on your behalf. You'd be working with an industry pariah, which is a real risk.
Of course, our company offers price protection. So just send us the quote and we'll bring it to the attention of the Cruise Lines. If it is a legitimate price, we will match it and give you a gift for the trouble.
Will I get a better price on my cruise from one of the large online discount sites?
They'd like you to believe you will, but most often you won't. Cruise lines simply do not want you to book their products online, because every online booking is thought to generate between 12 and 15 phone calls to the cruise line's reservations center; online bookers get little or no counseling about things like insurance options, safety issues, shore excursions, onboard dining options and reservations, pre and post arrangements and myriad other reservation issues.
What really gets the cruise lines upset is that they're paying the online travel agencies commissions, even though they're not doing their job. They would much prefer that you book with a professional travel consultant who can answer all your questions, not with some outsourced contractor in Mumbai.
We're price-checking at least four or five agencies and online brokers. We'll book with whichever offers the best quote. Will you send us your best price?
Of course not! We save our best rates for our most loyal clients, which is why we have such a high repeat factor and are successful. If price is your sole criteria, you'll want to work with a part-timer doing agent work as a second job, with no industry standing. They'll rebate much of the price which is their commission. I'd recommend that you first check them out and see if they are Certified and Accredited by the Cruise Line you want to book, that they are accredited by the Cruise Line International Associations, these along with other requirements by the industry will tell you if you are dealing with a professional who will look out for you, knows what is happening and is not doing this part time or from their home.
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