Q – We will need to make a payment to Celebrity Cruises for our final payment for a two-week cruise to the Mediterranean. We booked it directly with Celebrity and there seems to be some confusion about the credits we were given when we booked with their agent, Joseph. I think we should be allowed to take the credit off the price but Celebrity is trying to get us to pay the full rate. Who can I turn to for help with this? Can I still get another travel agent involved with final payment only three weeks away?
A – You have made a direct booking with a commissioned salesman in a cubicle whose job is to maximize revenue for his employer. Celebrity will charge you the commission meant to compensate your travel agent. That’s the bad news. You’ve been suckered. The good news is that you may still be able to turn this reservation over to a professional cruise consultant since you have not yet made final payment. Since the travel consultant commission is built into all cruise pricing, it is unlikely you will have to pay anything for professional services.
There are two kinds of credits. If a cruise line mails you a credit because something happened on your last sailing, you can take the amount of the credit off your final price. But if you have received an “On-Board Credit” you may not deduct the value from your cruise price. The on-board credit, which we suspect you have, is simply applied to your final expense account aboard the ship. It is deducted from the amount to be charged to your credit card for on-board activities, drinks, medical treatment, spa services, gift shops etc. Hope this is helpful. Probably best to never book directly again. You should always have an advocate when purchasing travel services – things can and do go wrong.
