Bumped Off Cruise

[mlkitt3]

Just heard someone was bumped off a cruise I have not heard of this before yes certainly on airlines not on ships. Has any one else had this happen? :confused:

We are on gty would hate to think this could happen to us.

Edited November 26, 2012 by mlkitt3

[Randyk47]

Usually means that they booked a cruise out in the future some distance and the cruise line has subsequently changed that particular cruise to a full charter.

[jtl513]

I just posted this on that thread:

 

I have never heard of anyone being bumped off totally without their consent. When a cruise is oversold, HAL will keep making better and better offers to change to another cruise until somebody's "price" is reached. Without any other details, I will presume that is what happened in this case ... unless she was waitlisted to begin with. It won't happen to you, PH, as long as you keep saying "NO" ... or until they make an offer too good to refuse.

 

Randy: this "bump" is for a cruise leaving in 3 days.

Edited November 26, 2012 by jtl513

[pdroth]

Just heard someone was bumped off a cruise I have not heard of this before has any one else had this happen? :confused:

 

Perhaps finding out more details from the person you heard this from? I'd be curious in hearing the answer as well.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I read that -- it seems to be for a cruise coming up in a couple of days.

I have heard where a few cruises were over sold -- but HAL calls people offering them a deal some other cruise.

This has happened a few times on Maasdam's Canada/New England cruises. And in 2008 when we were on the Veendam, a person at our Meet & Greet was supposed to have been on the 7 day cruise out of Tampa but it was oversold. She got the call and accepted the 14 day cruise as well as an upgrade.

[vicocala]

I read that -- it seems to be for a cruise coming up in a couple of days.

 

I have heard where a few cruises were over sold -- but HAL calls people offering them a deal some other cruise.

 

This has happened a few times on Maasdam's Canada/New England cruises. And in 2008 when we were on the Veendam, a person at our Meet & Greet was supposed to have been on the 7 day cruise out of Tampa but it was oversold. She got the call and accepted the 14 day cruise as well as an upgrade.

 

That sounds like a very generous sweetner. It might not do for a working stiff, but still very generous.

[mlkitt3]

We are still months away from cruise good to know that you can have a say in being bumped.

[JJPacer]

Twice on HAL cruises, we were offered an opportunity to switch to another cruise on another date, plus 50% refund of the price of our cruise. These offers came pretty close to the sail date. Maybe 2 weeks or less prior to sailing.

 

We are still working, and had airplane tickets to fly to Ft. Lauderdale. It was more trouble to us than it was worth on such short notice to accept their offer. There were people on our roll call that were more flexible, and accepted the offer.

 

In our experience, HAL continues to sweeten the offer until they get the number of cabins they need by people voluntarily acceptng to change their cruise.

[Randyk47]

Randy: this "bump" is for a cruise leaving in 3 days.

 

In that case I'd say "wow"! I've heard of oversold situations and probably would have gone there if I'd known it was with 3 days notice. That's rough. As for compensation offers for us in that situation....well, it would have to be good, really good, as we don't drive to ports so we have plane tickets, hotel reservations, and have cleard the decks work wise. To have the plug pulled three days out would be almost a disaster. :(

[RuthC]

General passengers paying published fares don't get bumped from HAL cruises.

Cruises have been canceled entirely for such reasons as charter, or necessary drydock. That's not "bumping".

Passengers have been offered deals, which they accepted, to take a different cruise. That's not "bumping".

Interline rate passengers have been bumped, but they are not paying published fares. That's not "general passengers".

[billfromtulsa]

General passengers paying published fares don't get bumped from HAL cruises.

 

Cruises have been canceled entirely for such reasons as charter, or necessary drydock. That's not "bumping".

Passengers have been offered deals, which they accepted, to take a different cruise. That's not "bumping".

Interline rate passengers have been bumped, but they are not paying published fares. That's not "general passengers".

 

Interestingly, I was an interliner on a recent Alaska cruise, and full fare passengers were "bought off" at the hotel the day of and the day before departure. We were never approached about bumping. I really wonder what the rules are.

 

Bill

 

PS - Ruth, see you on January 10.

[RuthC]

Interestingly, I was an interliner on a recent Alaska cruise, and full fare passengers were "bought off" at the hotel the day of and the day before departure. We were never approached about bumping. I really wonder what the rules are.

Apparently, there was no need to bump anyone, as published fare passengers chose to accept a deal.

 

PS. Hope to meet you somewhere on the Veendam. I'll be the one sitting out on Lower Promenade when it's cold enough that the others have gone inside. ;)

[vicocala]

Apparently, there was no need to bump anyone, as published fare passengers chose to accept a deal.

 

PS. Hope to meet you somewhere on the Veendam. I'll be the one sitting out on Lower Promenade when it's cold enough that the others have gone inside. ;)

 

You, Miss Ruth, will do anything for a cup of hot chocolate!;)

[Taxguy77]

In that case I'd say "wow"! I've heard of oversold situations and probably would have gone there if I'd known it was with 3 days notice. That's rough. As for compensation offers for us in that situation....well, it would have to be good, really good, as we don't drive to ports so we have plane tickets, hotel reservations, and have cleard the decks work wise. To have the plug pulled three days out would be almost a disaster. :(

 

For a working person it would be a complete disaster!

[petrakae]

We can relax as it won't be happening to us. Air fares are paid waaaay in advance and non-refundable, along with visas etc.... Has to be some perks to living so far from the embarkation ports:)

[Randyk47]

In that case I'd say "wow"! I've heard of oversold situations and probably would have gone there if I'd known it was with 3 days notice. That's rough. As for compensation offers for us in that situation....well, it would have to be good, really good, as we don't drive to ports so we have plane tickets, hotel reservations, and have cleared the decks work wise. To have the plug pulled three days out would be almost a disaster. :(

 

For a working person it would be a complete disaster!

 

I can't say I don't envy some of the cruisers here who can just kind of pack and go. The "ugly" truth for us is that Mrs. K still works fulltime and unless we win the lotto she'll be working for several more years. The upside is that her still working permits us to do some pretty nice vacations, the downside is that we don't have the flexibility to take off on a short notice. With the exception of Galveston, and there aren't a lot of cruises out of there that interest us, it's not like we live close to a port so that pretty much means flying for every cruise. Add pre and sometimes post cruise hotels, pet sitting service, and so on and that means there are a lot of pieces and parts that get arranged, scheduled, and sometimes pre-paid for. Not complaining, it is what it is. Thank goodness we have the resources, health, and opportunity to even consider cruising or a vacation for that matter as we know many who can't for whatever reason. Luckily the occurrence of last minute cancellation or bumping or whatever by cruise lines is extremely rare. Life is full of enough sometimes not so pleasant surprises.

[RuthC]

Just heard someone was bumped off a cruise ....

The OP on that thread has since posted that passengers accepted an offer, which could be termed "voluntary" bumping. That is not the same as having their cruise taken away by HAL.

[djhsolara]

What are Interline rates?

 

 

Douglas...Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[billfromtulsa]

What are Interline rates?

 

 

Douglas...Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

They are rates for employees of passenger air carriers, and select cargo carriers. They are not available to the public, and are usually "last minute" type of fares where the cruise line has a surplus of cabins they need to move. The theory is that the airline employee can fly last minute and fill those cabins that would otherwise go unsold. Generally you don't get to pick your cabin, you get a guarantee for a category and they put you where they want you. We have been doing interline for 10 years and have always been pleased. Some like it, some don't.

 

Bill

[vicocala]

A couple of reasons perhaps for the "bumping".

 

1) The Prinsendam is just coming off refurbishment and perhap some cabins have not been finished and are not habitable as was anticipated.

 

2)Just talked to Holland America about something else, so I asked about bumping. This guy said that they don't overbook this particular type of cruise but that anyone without a Brazilian Visa would be bumped - Coast Guard regulations.

 

#2 was a quote from someone else on that roll call. It appears that besides getting a longer cruise, the original poster of the story was also offered an upgrade from inside to outside.

 

Just thought I might throw those out there as potential reasons.

[aachasman]

They are rates for employees of passenger air carriers, and select cargo carriers. They are not available to the public, and are usually "last minute" type of fares where the cruise line has a surplus of cabins they need to move. The theory is that the airline employee can fly last minute and fill those cabins that would otherwise go unsold. Generally you don't get to pick your cabin, you get a guarantee for a category and they put you where they want you. We have been doing interline for 10 years and have always been pleased. Some like it, some don't.

 

Bill

Hey Bill, can you tell me where you buy your interline cruise deals(perx, vaca to go,etc) and how long before departure do you buy it. Also what kind of a discount are we talking about? For instance HAL 7 nt Alaska suite is $1999 from ZZZ right now. What could I expect to get that cabin for as an interliner? Thanks

Edited February 6, 2014 by Host Walt
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[sail7seas]

We are still months away from cruise good to know that you can have a say in being bumped.

 

 

You will not be involuntarily bumped from your cruise unless you are on an interline rate. They know when making their bookings that is a risk they take. They always have the choice to pay the same as everyone else and not risk losing their cruise. Their choice.

 

 

 

For a working person it would be a complete disaster!

 

 

Many years ago, we were booked for one segment of Voyage of the Vikings in a Neptune Suite (deluxe verandah suite at the time) . HAL wanted our Suite for whatever reason. We have our 'suspicions' the reason but in those days we still received paper documents and ours were in hand. It was only a few weeks before the cruise and I was beginning our packing when our TA called to say HAL made an offer for us to not cruise and we immediately said, No thanks. We had booked about a year out and DH was very much still working. (He still is. :))

 

They made a second offer and by now we knew they really wanted this Suite. We said No.

 

At the next offer, I said OKAY, here are our terms. If they agree to this, we'll let them have the suite back. They agreed. :eek: We were happy in the end as part of the terms was a substitute cruise which we really, really enjoyed and we had no regrets !!

 

My point is..... HAL did not involuntarily bump us. They made us an offer we couldn't/wouldn't refuse.

 

[serendipity1499]

Hey Bill, can you tell me where you buy your interline cruise deals(perx, vaca to go,etc) and how long before departure do you buy it. Also what kind of a discount are we talking about? For instance HAL 7 nt Alaska suite is $1999 from ZZZ right now. What could I expect to get that cabin for as an interliner? Thanks

Since you are fairly new to this board thought I would give you a heads up about your questions..

 

In order for one to purchase an Interline Ticket you must work in the Travel Field or another field which has a reciprocal agreement with HAL.. In other words, your Company must have an Interline agreement with HAL.. Now if your company has such an agreement, you should contact your Interline Dept. for the information.. Your Interline Mgr should be able to tell you what discounts are offered to you..

 

I'm retired from the Airline Travel Industry & can get Interline rates as the company I worked for has an Interline agreement with HAL.. In addition we also give discounts to HAL employees..

 

That being said, I would never purchase an Interline ticket for a cruise, as there is always a chance that DH & I could be bumped right up to departure, if they needed our cabin for full paying passengers..

 

In addition we are not permitted to discuss Travel Agents or rates on this forum..

 

BTW Welcome to Cruise Critic..

 

Cheers...Betty

Edited February 6, 2014 by Host Walt
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[Gypsy025]

Very well said Betty........Mums the word!

[Typhoon1]

Welcome to the world of charters.

 

Cruise lines love it as it is quite lucrative.