Iceland 2018!

[tink1970]

WDW Groupie- I feel your pain! I was on the phone hitting redial for almost 2 hours before I was connected to a Vacationista. I considered going through my TA but since we're leaving Port C in 2 hours, didn't want ro take the chance I'd miss my dates. Between DCL booking silver today and ABD opening I'm sure the TAs are swamped. Hope you hear soon

I'll be there for my birthday so excited about that!

 

[DCPhotoGal]

We're booked for 7/21

Me too! But I booked before checking with my husband, so that may change

 

[west&east]

WDW Groupie- I feel your pain! I was on the phone hitting redial for almost 2 hours before I was connected to a Vacationista. I considered going through my TA but since we're leaving Port C in 2 hours, didn't want ro take the chance I'd miss my dates. Between DCL booking silver today and ABD opening I'm sure the TAs are swamped. Hope you hear soon

I'll be there for my birthday so excited about that!

You can always transfer your booking to your TA after the fact so they can assist and hopefully some perks. It is quite the day and ABD just said they have a 70 minute hold!

 

[tink1970]

Thanks! Wasn't sure
I'll email when we return

Castaway Cay here we come!

 

[CrazyZeus1]

Booked it!!! 7/7 itenerary!! woohoooooo! (we booked 4 others too....we LOVE release day!!!...and so does our TA..haha)

 

[tgeorge]

Signed up for the Sep 1 Adults Only!! I spent a day and a half in Iceland on my way home from London in 2015, and it definitely left me wanting to see more!

Sayhello

I'm thinking about this one. Maybe we'll be on the trip together

 

[BluesTraveler]

We are on 7/21 as well! Exciting. Booked it without talking to family first, but everyone is on board.

 

[Rake 08]

We're booked for 7/21

Kevin - We'll be studying your trip report, we're going on 1 Sep!

 

[aggiedog]

We went prior to our Baltic DCL cruise 2 years ago, and I went 9 months later with a friend. I'm currently trying to swing a trip this November.

I LOVE Iceland. Dh jokes I'll have my retirement home there.

So beware. Once you go, you might need to arrange the rest of your long term travel plans!

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I am not happy at all. I e-mailed what I thought was going to be my new TA to book the Iceland trip. In my haste I forgot to mention the dates (I know, I know, but it was 6:00am and I am not the sharpest at that hour). It took 6.5 hours for him to e-mail back and request the dates, then say I had to fill out a booking form.

Now all the early booking discounts are gone for Iceland. For every. single. trip. I don't know why he didn't get back to me sooner or why I had to fill out a form and give my cc number. My other agent was always able to do holds for 2 days without a cc number. So now this trip (if we go with ABD -- I am NOT happy about this situation -- will cost us an additional $1,500.00 for 3 people).

Of course the ABD dates work perfectly for my dd's camp schedule so we will probably end up with them. But why can't a TA call or respond to an e-mail from a client spending thousands of dollars on a vacation? Is that asking a lot? Especially a new client that LOVES to travel (i.e. repeat business would be almost guaranteed if good service was provided). I always respond to my clients right away.

At this point I haven't even heard back from (I sent him an e-mail asking if I could do a hold for 2 days without giving my cc number). So not happy about the service level.

I do understand the the TAs are busy due to the release. But at least send an e-mail and say "I can't get back to you today, perhaps book with ABD yourself if you really want the early booking discount" or something to that effect. Not just leave a potential new client hanging in the wind.

@CousinOrville I did e-mail your agent. However she wouldn't do the booking -- she sent me a link to their form that had to be filled out and she also insisted on me giving my deposit right away (she said that the EBD wouldn't apply if I didn't do the deposit right away; I'm not certain if this is true or not, but I've never heard that before). I am waiting for dd's camp to get back to me with the last day of camp for 2018 before I can commit 100% so I don't want to put a deposit on the date now. A 2 day hold is ideal.

 

[Lulu27]

I am not happy at all. I e-mailed what I thought was going to be my new TA to book the Iceland trip. In my haste I forgot to mention the dates (I know, I know, but it was 6:00am and I am not the sharpest at that hour). It took 6.5 hours for him to e-mail back and request the dates, then say I had to fill out a booking form.

Now all the early booking discounts are gone for Iceland. For every. single. trip. I don't know why he didn't get back to me sooner or why I had to fill out a form and give my cc number. My other agent was always able to do holds for 2 days without a cc number. So now this trip (if we go with ABD -- I am NOT happy about this situation -- will cost us an additional $1,500.00 for 3 people).

Of course the ABD dates work perfectly for my dd's camp schedule so we will probably end up with them. But why can't a TA call or respond to an e-mail from a client spending thousands of dollars on a vacation? Is that asking a lot? Especially a new client that LOVES to travel (i.e. repeat business would be almost guaranteed if good service was provided). I always respond to my clients right away.

At this point I haven't even heard back from (I sent him an e-mail asking if I could do a hold for 2 days without giving my cc number). So not happy about the service level.

I do understand the the TAs are busy due to the release. But at least send an e-mail and say "I can't get back to you today, perhaps book with ABD yourself if you really want the early booking discount" or something to that effect. Not just leave a potential new client hanging in the wind.

@CousinOrville I did e-mail your agent. However she wouldn't do the booking -- she sent me a link to their form that had to be filled out and she also insisted on me giving my deposit right away (she said that the EBD wouldn't apply if I didn't do the deposit right away; I'm not certain if this is true or not, but I've never heard that before). I am waiting for dd's camp to get back to me with the last day of camp for 2018 before I can commit 100% so I don't want to put a deposit on the date now. A 2 day hold is ideal.

I have such an issue with this and frankly, it pushes me AWAY for booking with ABD. Why should my family of 5 pay an additional $2,500 for a trip booked on the FIRST day available, simply because we (or our TA) were not lucky enough to get through before others?! It is ridiculous. ALL Insiders booking on the first day should be eligible for the discount. I will be looking at another company for this trip (AND they have a limit on 21 guests for the trip!)

 

[BluesTraveler]

@ WDE Groupie - when I booked last night, we did get the early booking discount but were told we had to put down a deposit right away. But, the deposit is fully refundable for 14 days. I went ahead and did it to hold it since I had not even discussed the trip with my family.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

I have such an issue with this and frankly, it pushes me AWAY for booking with ABD. Why should my family of 5 pay an additional $2,500 for a trip booked on the FIRST day available, simply because we (or our TA) were not lucky enough to get through before others?! It is ridiculous. ALL Insiders booking on the first day should be eligible for the discount. I will be looking at another company for this trip (AND they have a limit on 21 guests for the trip!)

I should have called myself, but I had back-to-back meetings booked most of the day so I relied on a new TA that I had been messaging with prior to the release dates. I really had no choice.

I do have to wonder whose brilliant idea it was to release the DCL and ABD itineraries on the same day? Doesn't seem like the brightest idea to me. Perhaps they could've been staggered by a few days so the TAs could provide good service to both their cruise and ABD customers. My old TA said she was on hold with DCL for 4.5 hours at one point yesterday.

Last year we booked the Rhine River cruise on opening day. Then when it wasn't selling well, they discounted it. Now, if we had booked with A&K they would honor the lower price, but ABD won't do that. So another point that rankles me a bit.

I like to take several trips a year, so $1,500.00 is a lot of money when taken in that context. And I agree that $2,500.00 is excessive.

However if they are only allowing 21 on the Iceland trips then I suppose I should be happy that we at least are now on the August 11 trip.

 

[BluesTraveler]

@Lulu27, I agree with you. It's very frustrating. I HATE the dynamic pricing ABD puts in place, it is one of my biggest dissatisfiers. Even when I got to take advantage of it! It's like lining up at Walmart on Black Friday - I just don't want to deal with it. Price it fairly, and give everyone the same price. And then if some people get to book early because they are Insiders or whatever, fine, they get their first pick of dates.

 

[Lulu27]

@*WDW*Groupie* The *other* option that I am looking at is the one that limits the trip to 21 guests, not ABD.

 

[sayhello]

I am not happy at all. I e-mailed what I thought was going to be my new TA to book the Iceland trip. In my haste I forgot to mention the dates (I know, I know, but it was 6:00am and I am not the sharpest at that hour). It took 6.5 hours for him to e-mail back and request the dates, then say I had to fill out a booking form.

Now all the early booking discounts are gone for Iceland. For every. single. trip. I don't know why he didn't get back to me sooner or why I had to fill out a form and give my cc number. My other agent was always able to do holds for 2 days without a cc number. So now this trip (if we go with ABD -- I am NOT happy about this situation -- will cost us an additional $1,500.00 for 3 people).

Of course the ABD dates work perfectly for my dd's camp schedule so we will probably end up with them. But why can't a TA call or respond to an e-mail from a client spending thousands of dollars on a vacation? Is that asking a lot? Especially a new client that LOVES to travel (i.e. repeat business would be almost guaranteed if good service was provided). I always respond to my clients right away.

At this point I haven't even heard back from (I sent him an e-mail asking if I could do a hold for 2 days without giving my cc number). So not happy about the service level.

I do understand the the TAs are busy due to the release. But at least send an e-mail and say "I can't get back to you today, perhaps book with ABD yourself if you really want the early booking discount" or something to that effect. Not just leave a potential new client hanging in the wind.

@CousinOrville I did e-mail your agent. However she wouldn't do the booking -- she sent me a link to their form that had to be filled out and she also insisted on me giving my deposit right away (she said that the EBD wouldn't apply if I didn't do the deposit right away; I'm not certain if this is true or not, but I've never heard that before). I am waiting for dd's camp to get back to me with the last day of camp for 2018 before I can commit 100% so I don't want to put a deposit on the date now. A 2 day hold is ideal.

My TA told me she could put a hold on the itinerary for me, but it was at the non-discounted price, and ABD would not apply the early booking discount until I actually booked the trip and put down a deposit. And that the discounts were limited. So that much seems to be consistent.

I like to be sure I can call my TA for something like this. I've never been a fan of email only.

I left my TA a voicemail, and she got back to me within the hour. I booked then & there & got the discount.

@Lulu27, I agree with you. It's very frustrating. I HATE the dynamic pricing ABD puts in place, it is one of my biggest dissatisfiers. Even when I got to take advantage of it! It's like lining up at Walmart on Black Friday - I just don't want to deal with it. Price it fairly, and give everyone the same price. And then if some people get to book early because they are Insiders or whatever, fine, they get their first pick of dates.

Last year, I booked the China trip in October on opening day, and got a discount. The next day, I called back to switch to the June trip, and all the discounts for the June trip were gone, and I couldn't carry over the one from the October trips. How stupid is that??

Sayhello

 

[DisneyKevin]

I am not happy at all. I e-mailed what I thought was going to be my new TA to book the Iceland trip. In my haste I forgot to mention the dates (I know, I know, but it was 6:00am and I am not the sharpest at that hour). It took 6.5 hours for him to e-mail back and request the dates, then say I had to fill out a booking form.

Now all the early booking discounts are gone for Iceland. For every. single. trip. I don't know why he didn't get back to me sooner or why I had to fill out a form and give my cc number. My other agent was always able to do holds for 2 days without a cc number. So now this trip (if we go with ABD -- I am NOT happy about this situation -- will cost us an additional $1,500.00 for 3 people).

Of course the ABD dates work perfectly for my dd's camp schedule so we will probably end up with them. But why can't a TA call or respond to an e-mail from a client spending thousands of dollars on a vacation? Is that asking a lot? Especially a new client that LOVES to travel (i.e. repeat business would be almost guaranteed if good service was provided). I always respond to my clients right away.

At this point I haven't even heard back from (I sent him an e-mail asking if I could do a hold for 2 days without giving my cc number). So not happy about the service level.

I do understand the the TAs are busy due to the release. But at least send an e-mail and say "I can't get back to you today, perhaps book with ABD yourself if you really want the early booking discount" or something to that effect. Not just leave a potential new client hanging in the wind.

@CousinOrville I did e-mail your agent. However she wouldn't do the booking -- she sent me a link to their form that had to be filled out and she also insisted on me giving my deposit right away (she said that the EBD wouldn't apply if I didn't do the deposit right away; I'm not certain if this is true or not, but I've never heard that before). I am waiting for dd's camp to get back to me with the last day of camp for 2018 before I can commit 100% so I don't want to put a deposit on the date now. A 2 day hold is ideal.

I am truly sorry that you are upset. That is never my goal.

I am currently at Aulani, which is six hours behind eastern time. Your pm arrived at 9:51am EST. which is 3:51an Hawaii time. I returned you message at 1:29pm, which is 7:29am Hawaii time.

I have an away message on my email and a contact email for the person covering for me and she has booked many return guests for me while I'm on vacation.

As Dis Board policy states that I should not "work" via the Boards, I don't check them all that often while away.

When you sent your original private message, you did not include a departure date. I responded and asked which date you wanted.

Again, I am six hours behind EST and when you supplied the date, you stated that you wouldn't be able to make a decision until you knew certain dates.

I explained that I would only be able to hold the date for 48 hours and that I wouldn't be able to hold the EBD. All of this true.

I also requested that you email me, as I am not supposed to work via the Boards.

Again, I am very sorry that you are upset.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Most busy travel agents had multiple phones going.

DCL had a 4-6 hour hold and ABD had a 45 - 80 minute wait.

 

[acndis]

Most busy travel agents had multiple phones going.

DCL had a 4-6 hour hold and ABD had a 45 - 80 minute wait.

It was truly a crazy day for the TAs! I am very thankful for this board because I found out that some of the dates/prices were up the night before and I was able to adjust and contact my TA that night so she was ready to contact DCL instead of ABD that morning. I think she was on the phone for at least 4 hours like Kevin says.

That will remind me to check early and often next year!

 

[carpenta]

Maybe ABD should "out source" their call centers like Disney has in the I.T. dept.?