Help!!! Frustrations with price reduction

[travelmatron]

Our reservations are through a TA. I can't reach her. We have an aft wrap, and I can find the same cabin available on the other side of the ship. HAL representatives can't quote when the reservations have been made through an agency. We always buy the travel insurance when booking because of a pre-existing condition, so that's been paid for. I'd REALLY prefer the new rate.

So the question is: Should I just book a cabin directly with HAL and cancel one of the reservations whenever I finally hear from the TA or is there a better plan?

[Pokeynose]

I hope someone can help you Cheryl. I keep checking my future cruises for a price change also. I wish we could have an aft cabin but too far to walk for us. I owe you an email. Barb:)

[NoWhiners]

Not sure who your TA is but ours (a major big box warehouse that offers travel services) charges $25 to rebook. Not sure if you really need to change cabins--would you be happy to get the cabin you have now at the lower rate? If so, and TA charges a small amount to rebook, maybe this would work?

 

It sounds like you are still well within the 'no penalty to cancel' phase, so if you can't get in touch with TA, this could also work.

 

Good luck

ML

[travelmatron]

Not sure who your TA is but ours (a major big box warehouse that offers travel services) charges $25 to rebook. Not sure if you really need to change cabins--would you be happy to get the cabin you have now at the lower rate? If so, and TA charges a small amount to rebook, maybe this would work?

 

It sounds like you are still well within the 'no penalty to cancel' phase, so if you can't get in touch with TA, this could also work.

 

Good luck

ML

 

We found our TA on line about 15 years ago, and she's done a fine job for us. Today, trying to get in touch with her I went to her web site, which I haven't done in years. It looks as if she now has a one woman franchise shop. My concern is that the new fare won't be available by the time I reach her.

I don't really want a different cabin, but for a couple hundred dollars, I sure don't care.

[ocngypz]

Call the agency's customer service department. That's why they are there.

[Sprocket]

I would print off the page that shows the lower rate for the other cabin and either fax or email it to her. That way you have proof of the lower price, if it goes back up. Good luck, I hope you can reach her in time.

[sevenseasnomad]

Sorry to hear of your dilemma. We have used a brick & mortar TA for over 15 years. Our particular agent is a good friend and has always served us well. Knowing our TA is in the neighborhood (we can pop into her office anytime) gives us such peace of mind. The agency she works for has been in business for 50 years and has an excellent reputation. Yes, we sometimes see better bargains elsewhere, like online, but this agency has told us that if we see a price better than the one they've quoted, we are to make a copy of the ad, get it to them, and they'll get the lower price for us.

 

Recently when HAL dropped prices by $200 pp, our TA immediately phoned HAL & got reduced fare for us (4 of us are traveling together). HAL dropped price again, this time I alerted TA & she informed us HAL had already given us that discount before she called them. We were happy.

 

Last weekend HAL dropped price again (another $100), but when our TA called, HAL wanted us to rebook to get the new price. In other words, HAL has probably gone as low as they're going to go for us. We chose not to rebook, since we would lose our cabins, multiple reservations at PG, not to mention shore excursions already paid for and our late seating dining. Just not worth it.

 

We can't sweat it. $300 off pp is better than no discount at all.

 

Since you've been dealing with this TA for so long, I hope you can get it resolved to your satisfaction. If not, I'd look for another TA, probably one you can meet in person when it's convenient for you.

[travelmatron]

Thanks for your replies...My DH and I just chatted about this and he brought another perspective to the table. He said we were satisfied with the price when we booked, so if that's what we have to pay we can live with it. He also said that compared to what we lost in the market yesterday a couple hundred dollars isn't worth the frustration.

So I've officially quit worrying about it. Today's the first dry day we've had in Portland in 3 weeks, so I'm backing away from the computer.

(I still hope she's able to get us the lower price though...)

[travelmatron]

I should listen to DH more often...our TA just called and she has the new price for us.

BTW have you ever noticed that women shop and men buy?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Congratulations on getting the new price.

Just to let you know -- I book the cruises and I pay for them -- and I am a woman.

[travelmatron]

Just to let you know -- I book the cruises and I pay for them -- and I am a woman.

 

I should have been more clear. I book and pay for the cruises too...While it IS a sexist comment, I wasn't being critical. I've just found that women are more inclined to do comparison shopping before they purchase. Men just seem to make a decision they want something and then buy it, never to think of it again. For example, my DH only goes to one store to buy a pair of shoes...:D

[hrhdhd]

I should have been more clear. I book and pay for the cruises too...While it IS a sexist comment, I wasn't being critical. I've just found that women are more inclined to do comparison shopping before they purchase. Men just seem to make a decision they want something and then buy it, never to think of it again. For example, my DH only goes to one store to buy a pair of shoes...:D

 

I understood you the first time--I like to think of it as men are hunters and women are gatherers. :)

[Jade13]

Our reservations are through a TA. I can't reach her. We have an aft wrap, and I can find the same cabin available on the other side of the ship. HAL representatives can't quote when the reservations have been made through an agency. We always buy the travel insurance when booking because of a pre-existing condition, so that's been paid for. I'd REALLY prefer the new rate.

 

So the question is: Should I just book a cabin directly with HAL and cancel one of the reservations whenever I finally hear from the TA or is there a better plan?

 

Is this HAL's Platinum Plan? If you cancel you will have to re-purchase the insurance. If in the penalty phase you will only get back 95% or 90% depending on how close you are to sailing.

 

I see you have this resolved but for the future be very careful of canceling and re-booking cruises. Many, if not most, insurance policies only waive the pre-existing condition clause if it is the first and only booking on a cruise. They are trying to avoid people who specifically do this to pick up insurance.

[Jemima]

This isn't true of all travel insurance. We have twice cancelled a cruise, booked another cruise and transferred our insurance without losing the preexisting conditions. We did this once in 2002 and again a couple weeks ago. I called to make sure I could do this and later for a question with the company's online change form. Our new confirmation states the preexisting are covered. (No, this wasn't HAL's insurance.)

[travelmatron]

We were lucky on this, the travel insurance was not HAL's, and since it was purchased early instead of late it transfered, so we're still covered. It think if it had been HAL's we could have had a problem.

[luvcruisn']

We were lucky on this, the travel insurance was not HAL's, and since it was purchased early instead of late it transfered, so we're still covered. I think if it had been HAL's we could have had a problem.

 

Maybe, or maybe not. You can now buy the HAL insurance that covers all pre-existing conditions until just before final payment is due, so it is possible that it too would transfer if you re-booked.