chloes nana

New bookings only I see. Since the Cdn price is already up big time, I figure it's another slap in the face for us Canadians. sheesh! What happened to rewarding people that book early?

 

 

Thanks though KK, it's appreciated.

I totally agree!

There are two factions that think theirs is the best way to go. Both are 100% right in their thinking. Let me explain

 

HAL PCC, not the 1-800.... sales rep, but a specified person assigned to you who works for you, keeps all your likes, dislikes, etc., they are specialists in their field.

 

You get a one on one person who is like a Travel Agent but know all the ins and outs, specials and other goodies to help you and to keep you coming back to him or her.

 

Travel Agent may be the same, but they work with other cruise lines, Land Vacations, etc., and do not typically know the ins and outs as a HAL PCC does. There are many many many great TA's out there, but........

 

I prefer a HAL PCC, specifically our HAL PCC. She was assigned to us in January 2008 when I booked our 1st cruise with HAL (On line I might add) and we are so extremely happy with her. She has become a dear friend and visit with her often.

 

I guess what I am trying to say is that there are times when having a PCC can be more beneficial to some of us than a TA. And vice versus.

 

My latest example was this past Saturday when I received an email at 8:30 am MST from our PCC stating she had followed our preauthorized permission and booked us in our Stateroom for the 5 day Pacific Coastal from San Diego to Vancouver on Nieuw Amsterdam in April 2016. Others her on CC say that all Stateroom categories on the Pacific Coastal are listed as guarantees only. They have tried to book specific staterooms, with not much luck. So, again, it is an example of what a HAL PCC can do over a regular HAL phone sales rep and/or Most TA's.

 

You have to go with what you feel you will be the most comfortable with. In the end, it is not any of us who can make the decision for you. It has to be what you wish and ...........

 

Joanie

I agree Joanie! she is worth her weight in gold and one of the sweetest people I have met in the travel industry! 10 stars!

Actually, pretty much all our stores here will honour a price reduction if you go back with the receipt. I've done it many times.:) You don't need to take back the chicken breasts as long as you have the receipt. Don't they do that in Australia? Sorry for the thread drift, back to whatever.

Exactly!!! thank you!:D

I book early because I want a specific cabin and prefer to have what I want, rather than take my chances. I also book early so I can build the cost into my budget and pay for the cruise over time rather than all at once or putting it all on my credit card.

 

But, the real question to ask is, were you happy with the price for your cruise before you saw the deals? Before you saw the new deals, did you think it was a fair price for the cruise/excursions?

 

I stop looking at pricing for my cruises after I have booked and paid the deposit. I pay what I consider a reasonable price for what I want and I'm happy with that.

 

In your other shopping, do you go back to the stores every day to check to see if the items you just bought are on sale, and then complain about it if they are? Would you take back your chicken breasts because the store put them on sale the day after you bought them?

 

If you were happy when you agreed to the price, what the price is now hardly matters. Don't add to life's stress by worrying about price drops after you pay what you considered a fair price.

no I wasn't happy with the price actually. It is a very expensive trip to sail around SA. So yes I was set up to watch for better deals along the way.

And don't be ridiculous about food refunds, really??? But big ticket items? YES! if they go on sale after I purchase them, within a reasonable time frame you bet I will go back for the price adjustment. And you know what? most companies will honor it to keep you coming back.

It is the reason that we never book early. Most often we book inside the final payment window. On average about 45 days out, sometimes much less if we are travelling in proximity to the embarkation port.

 

Over the past three or four years we have always been able to find reasonable international air. This sometimes requires flexibility as well but it also presents additional travel/sightseeing options.

 

Some cruise lines seem to 'feed' on their loyal customer base. To me it seems the result will eventually be an unappreciative shrinking customer base. It is why we like competition in the market.

that is why I remarked it may be time to shop the competition that offers those price guarantees.

What hassle? Your travel agent will do all the work and you gain $850. Sounds like a winner to me.

I booked through HAL with my PCC, I don't have a travel agent. So I would have to do it all myself.

Curious how you know the cruise is 38% booked. I don't think that info on one website it proof positive of that.

I have my ways, that is all.

Funny about a week ago I was hearing the virtues of booking early. How things change. I complain about this regularly only to be shot down. I'm just talking fact here. I don't need to be taken to task by the usual suspects.

well honey I will get you some body armor and we can hang together, I just feel this is poor business practices. If I went to Walmart and found a better price even they would refund me the difference!

Understand why you're upset. It does seem a bit strange to tell you to rebook all these things. Did you ask if they would give you an equivalent amount of OBC?

nothing, just "you will have to rebook it all"

Well, I'm on YOUR side. I'm tired of this stuff.

 

Otherwise, yes, you are right. Why book early??? and I have 33 days booked with them.

 

It seems we that help fill their ships are not good enough despite our long term commitment to get the benefits. Tiresome.

here! here! my girl!! glad you are seeing my side of this issue! All I want is a simple promo they are offering, not the penthouse or a neptune suite....:D

If it wasn't for the international flights, that would be an option, but the flights are part of the bigger picture.

You never want to ask your fellow airline passenger how much they paid either. Sometimes you just have to accept at the time you booked, you thought it was a good deal for your vacation budget ..... at that time. And then that is the end of the story.

 

Sure savings later are nice, very nice, but sometimes you just have to duck your head in the sand and concentrate on what you thought was good enough when you started your planning.

 

And be glad that few to zero people ever talk about how much they paid up front once you get on board. I always felt a little guilty enjoying the Neptune Lounge cabins on an upgrade so I never brag about what a good deal we got then either. Pay, go and don't look back.

I shall enjoy it, but it is also nice to save some money when possible. I am not independently wealthy, I still work from home and take care of an elderly alzheimers mother in law. So my vacations are priceless! Just saying.......

BTW this is the offer for every single listed cruise:

 

Quote More Savings

 

For one week only, receive prepaid gratuities on Ocean-view and above staterooms! Plus, book a suite and receive 100 free internet minutes! (learn more)

 

One week is only 7 days!

the sale is 7 days, not the promo for 7 day cruises. :confused:

I'm curious. How do the current fares compare to your original booking? Would the rebooking be at a higher fare than the original fare? Or, is the issue all the hassles in rebooking everything?

the fares are the same, not higher or lower, the same. It is the hassle of having to spend all the time I have already invested in rebooking all our excursions, 22 to exact, and rebuying all my OBC and extras.

Where are you getting the $850 from.. The promo of Prepaid Gratuities is only for 7 seven days. not longer..For two people in a verandah it's $161.00 & for a suite it's $168.00...It's also only for a few departures...Our cruise is on the list too, but it's still worth it to me to get the cabin I want.. All good businesses try to get their stock sold & this is one way to do it.. I was thinking of asking our Agent & try to get the promo too, but when I realized it was only $161 figured it was not worth it to us to try to get the same cabins back..The cabins they are selling are the leftovers & might be awful too..

 

Our grocery store is selling off items today which I paid full price for yesterday & cars are being priced today better than yesterday.. Last week I paid much more for gas than I'm going to pay when I fill my tank at the end of the week..;)

you should read a little closer: " Prepaid gratuities are based on the pre-payment by Holland America Line on behalf of the guest the suggested Hotel Service Charge including gratuities in the amounts of $12 per day for Suites and $11.50 per day for Interior, Ocean-view and Verandah staterooms and are based on promo VH". So you see it i$12 pp per day, and I am on a 34 day cruise, so you see that adds up to $850, not $161. And my cruise of 34 days is included, so it is not just 7 day cruises, it is a 7 day sale. and as I stated at only 38% full for next March, these are not the leftovers.

Thanks for the anology of food and cars to cruising. Necessities to an extravagance is not the samel

While I certainly sympathize with you (and I've been caught this way on other cruise lines), these offers almost always say "For new bookings only." It's a way for the cruise line to fill up cabins that are not selling well.

 

Yes, it's frustrating. Yes, I wish they'd give the perks to people who have already booked. But I don't think it's going to change.

I could understand if it was closer to sailing, to try to fill the ship, but as of right now this cruise is only 38% full, why not honor the customers you have now??

I still prefer to book as soon as I can to get the cabin I want.

but I didn't book early for a certain cabin, it really didn't matter. I just like to have things in place since I am dealing with a parent in law that has special needs and I don't have the luxury of spending alot of time online, but when something comes along that can save some money, it would be refreshing if a company would honor it, that is all I am saying.

I would use other more colorful words in private to describe the silly practice that HAL uses or lack there of for not rewarding their customers for booking early at the higher rates, and for also purchasing all the shore excursions early and putting that money in their pockets, long before it is needed. So this is also a benefit and money maker for them. But offering their customers a measley $850 on pre paid gratuities on a 34 day cruise, but saying that it would need to be rebooked, and all monies paid refunded, "but this can take up to 3 days", is nothing short of being cheap, in my book anyway.:(

Sorry to hear about this situation.

It is very annoying, at the least.

yes it is, at the very least Sails, you are right.

You see alot of questions regarding booking early to get the specific cabin you want or booking excursions early to be sure you get the ones you want.

Well, this new 7 day sale, it is a prime example of why you shouldn't book everything too early with HAL. I sent off a phone call and email to my PCC first thing this morning to see if I could get this promo attached to my booking.

Well, lo and behold, I would have to cancel my entire booking as well as all my prepaid excursions, beverage cards and OBC I have purchased, and rebuy/rebook it all, if I wanted the free prepaid gratuities promo.

So to anyone who may ask, sometimes it does not pay to book or buy excursions too early. And even if you have purchased a suite, you will not get the benefits offered down the line necessarily, if and when they are offered. Never put the cart before the horse, as he may run to try and catch the carrot to no avail. Disappointed......:(

The site says for the 14 nt to Valparaiso 40%, and for either the 34 nt to San Diego or the 38 nt to Vancouver 38%.

 

BTW, OP zlato: for your 50 nt leaving 9-27-15 the site says 89%. Since you are now down to the period of upsells and guarantee assignments I expect that number will increase soon.

.

thank you!!!:)

There is a site (which we can't mention) that posts percentages of how full a cruise is, but I don't believe it is accurate because no one outside HAL knows how many guarantees have been sold against the non-allocated cabins. Tell me your cruise and I'll tell you what % full they say.

how about the Zaandam South America cruise for March 20, 2016?

HI all, I just upgraded to a veranda suite "A6185" on the Zaandam. It says as one of the amenities is One-touch telephone concierge service, sooooo.. what does that entail. To me this is a veranda stateroom. I have never had a suite, per se, so can anyone enlighten me? Also is the A class larger than the B and BB or BC suites? Thanks for any enlightenment you can provide.

Have a great time and enjoy Zaandam! Be sure to listen, at least once, to the big organ play on sea days in the Atrium!

what time does the organ play?? First time on the Zaandam next march, this has been added to my to do list..

buh bye!!