By the way this is really a "cruise talk" issue anything to do with cruises can go under that main thread, "cruise talk" Just cars, family, pets, jokes etc should go under off topic. No biggie but ANYTHING related to cruising can go either place.

Actually Richard, I fall somewhere between a full service TA and the dot.com variety. I discount like the dot.coms I do have a strong internet presence with rebates and I advertise those rebates. However, I do provide service to the clients, answer questions, give advice, make sure people have gold points, know about AMX etc have expertise in the product, do all the little extra services for the cruise booking.

A full service agency normally is a firm that does air, hotel etc and does not discount. I dont do all those extra services. The time it takes to handle hotels, air etc is amazing and they get very little for those efforts so with all they offer I can understand that they feel they cannot discount and match the .com agencies that simply make a booking and good luck getting any service after that.

I do have people who call take hours of my time, use all the knowledge for cruise and cabin selection, get brochures and videos my reports etc I send out and then find it for $50 less on a .com site somewhere and want me to match the price. I wont do it. If I did it for them then I would feel I had to go back and give the same additional discount to all my clients. That would be the ethical thing to do. This is a problem for the big full service agency also. In fact with my prices on the website I am sure that I am a thorn in their side. The day may come I have to take those prices off my web.

This is very interesting and I have heard rumors about this for a long time. There are many factors to the situation although there is no word about change from the luxury independent lines such as RSSC, Silversea and Crystal I imagine there will be a similiar trend.

I do not believe the lines are doing this to in any way hurt the primary Travel Agent community but to stop the increase in rebating that has taken over the industry with the advent of the .com age. The Virtuoso and big agencies do not like the .com pricing, with no service. So I am sure that the report you read that this was at the urging of full service TA was correct.

We will see what the future holds. There could be law suits from the .com agencies. If they have to price at the same rate as the full service agency the .com's will not stay in business. If you can get a cruise for a certain price with someone who is there to assist etc why would you book where you cannot get any service.

Since I am in the middle of the line I feel whatever will be will be.