can I switch from my TA to Costco?

Elizakapeka

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jun 11, 2016
Does anyone have any experience or knowledge? I booked my second cruise with the agent that I booked my first with. I have OBB with her and a cruise for april 2019 booked on opening day. I am trying to get her to book my room only reservation for WDW for Easter week 2019 and she keeps telling me she will get back to me. She obviously doesn't value my business. I only book with her because she is local and I support local, (she is barely knowledgeable and wants to bring me on as her cruise specialist because I have been forced to do my own research). I heard there are benefits of Costco travel but I don't know the specifics. Can I transfer my reservation from my TA to Costco? How hard is it? what would be the benefits?
 
Does anyone have any experience or knowledge? I booked my second cruise with the agent that I booked my first with. I have OBB with her and a cruise for april 2019 booked on opening day. I am trying to get her to book my room only reservation for WDW for Easter week 2019 and she keeps telling me she will get back to me. She obviously doesn't value my business. I only book with her because she is local and I support local, (she is barely knowledgeable and wants to bring me on as her cruise specialist because I have been forced to do my own research). I heard there are benefits of Costco travel but I don't know the specifics. Can I transfer my reservation from my TA to Costco? How hard is it? what would be the benefits?
Transferring a reservation to a TA (from DCL) usually has to be done within 30 days of making a reservation. Don't know if it's the same with transferring from TA to TA.

One thing, though, typically, if you want to drop a TA (to change to another TA or take over the reservation yourself) you have to get the original TA to release the booking. There are TAs who charge a cancellation fee for doing this.
 
The benefits of costco travel:

8.5% of your cruise back on a costco gift card. (I have read this percentage, I did not personally do the math)

2% of the cruise cost back at the end of the year if you are a Costco executive member

3% of the cruise cost back at the end of the year if you pay with the costco citi card

You can also book your cruise onboard to receive the 10% discount and $200 on board credit and then transfer the booking to costco for all of the above rewards.
 
I don't think you can transfer your reservation to Costco now, as it sounds as if more than 30 days have passed. However, when you take your cruise and book a cruise or placeholder onboard, you can name Costco is your travel agent rather than your current TA.
 


I don't think you can transfer your reservation to Costco now, as it sounds as if more than 30 days have passed. However, when you take your cruise and book a cruise or placeholder onboard, you can name Costco is your travel agent rather than your current TA.
I believe, if you have a TA named on the cruise you are currently on, you can only name them or say "no TA" for an onboard booking. Then transfer it once back home.
 
I believe, if you have a TA named on the cruise you are currently on, you can only name them or say "no TA" for an onboard booking. Then transfer it once back home.

I thought we had just transferred it directly, but this was several years ago so perhaps I have forgotten. If you do have to transfer to Costco, that's not an issue though we did do that one time because I neglected to indicate a travel agent with our onboard booking.
 


You can't transfer a cruise from a TA to another TA (or, in this case, Costco). Only from TA back to DCL-- and in most cases, it requires the permission of the TA or their agency to do it. I've heard of isolated cases of cruisers getting a cruise released back to DCA without the TAs permission, but it's fairly rare.
 
Thanks guys, out of the blue she called me and explained why she has been MIA and I am an empathetic person so I totally understand plus I really like her as a person and TA. I guess it is for the better that Its not that easy to switch. I think I will just leave things they way they are.
 
I am trying to get her to book my room only reservation for WDW for Easter week 2019 and she keeps telling me she will get back to me.

It’s too early to book a package for WDW for 2019. Easter is just less than 499 days away, so she can book room-only by phone with an estimated rate that will be adjusted once room rates are released (most likely sometime in summer 2018). If she isn’t particularly knowledgeable about Disney, she may not have realized how to make a 2019 reservation. But she should have been honest about it.

Unless you just made you DCL reservation within the past month, it is too late to transfer to a TA. And you would need to get the current TA to release the reservation to you, first.

Enjoy your vacations!
 
I have OBB with her and a cruise for april 2019 booked on opening day. I am trying to get her to book my room only reservation for WDW for Easter week 2019 and she keeps telling me she will get back to me. She obviously doesn't value my business

She values your business enough to get you the cruise and give you obb.

I see zero reason why a room-only reservation needs to go through a TA. Just make it yourself once it’s open for Booking.

I only book with her because she is local and I support local, (she is barely knowledgeable and wants to bring me on as her cruise specialist because I have been forced to do my own research)

Since she doesn’t know much, in the future don’t use her. But fwiw Costco Travel won’t necessarily know much more. Keep her for this cruise, book your own resort room once it’s possible, and book with another TA for future cruises.
 
It’s too early to book a package for WDW for 2019. Easter is just less than 499 days away, so she can book room-only by phone with an estimated rate that will be adjusted once room rates are released (most likely sometime in summer 2018). If she isn’t particularly knowledgeable about Disney, she may not have realized how to make a 2019 reservation. But she should have been honest about it.

Unless you just made you DCL reservation within the past month, it is too late to transfer to a TA. And you would need to get the current TA to release the reservation to you, first.

Enjoy your vacations!
she is very knowledgeable about Disney just not the cruises. And Yes all I wanted to do was make a room only reservation, she know how to do it, even told me I needed to get her room suggestions. Room only reservations are not estimates, they are actual reservations in my experience.
 
She values your business enough to get you the cruise and give you obb.

I see zero reason why a room-only reservation needs to go through a TA. Just make it yourself once it’s open for Booking.



Since she doesn’t know much, in the future don’t use her. But fwiw Costco Travel won’t necessarily know much more. Keep her for this cruise, book your own resort room once it’s possible, and book with another TA for future cruises.
I have a friend in common with her so I give her my business because she is local, you are right no reason to need a TA. I CAN make a room only on my own, I just chose to giver her my business. She didn't give me an OBB discount, Disney did. I booked a placeholder on my last cruise in my TA name is all.
 
As usual, thanks guys, so glad I don't have to make this decision, would have been tough. Love the boards and the wealth of information.
 
Room only reservations are not estimates, they are actual reservations in my experience.

It’s an actual reservation, yes. But WDW hasn’t set (or published) 2019 room rates yet. The deposit is based on current rack rate and the actual per-night amount (the unpaid balance) will be adjusted once those rates are set.

Enjoy your vacations!
 

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