Unsolicited notifications from HAL Cruise Consultant

[localady]

Since Christmas, I have been receiving unsolicited emails from my HAL "Personal Cruise Consultant". I have never encouraged this, nor made an inquiry to this person.

 

I have a Travel Agent who handles my cruises. Many times she is able to beat the price that HAL offers or add "enhancements" to my cruise. I think HAL is out of line to allow their cruise consultants to contact us, unsolicited, when it is clear I have a TA to represent me.

 

So what do you think, is this a "fair practice" or is not....I personally am not thrilled by the unwanted solicitations. :rolleyes:

[Tampa Girl]

How is this any different from any other sales solicitation effort? Have you called HAL to advise that you do not wish these solicitations? Is it possible to block them? If all else fails, delete the message with a click.

 

Just because you have been using one particular TA in the past, doesn't mean that you are not in the market, or could be in the market, for a new TA. I don't see what is unfair about this solicitation.

[Krazy Kruizers]

There is no way that an employee from HAL should be sending you unsilicited e-mails.

Does this person not get enough bookings on their own from people calling HAL?

My big concern is -- how did this person get your e-mail address?

[cruz chic]

There is no way that an employee from HAL should be sending you unsilicited e-mails.

 

Does this person not get enough bookings on their own from people calling HAL?

 

My big concern is -- how did this person get your e-mail address?

I'm sure they got it from them system some how.

 

Is there an unsubcribed link on the email. They only thing they ever seem to send me is notes to book shore ex.

[lvz2cruz]

I was on Royalcaribbean.com this week and logged in to check their savings certificates. Within an hour I had an email from someone saying they were my personal cruise consultant or whatever they call it and their extension is this or email is xxx. if I have any questions they are there to help. Within an hour or so she called. She was very friendly--not pushy.

 

I called my pcc with HAL because I had one of those thank you for sailing with us get obc if you book another cruise by xxx. It said to call pcc and extension. I tried to get her for about 2 weeks and finally did Monday. She was not real friendly and said she could not help me because I had booked online and if I wanted her help I needed to book through her.

 

I guess these people work on commission and are eager to drum up business. For me the RCI one was friendly and I would use. I have never been happy with the attitude of mine from HAL so I don't use her.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I'm sure they got it from them system some how.

 

Is there an unsubcribed link on the email. They only thing they ever seem to send me is notes to book shore ex.

 

Our e-mail addresses should not be passed among the HAL employees. They could pass the e-mail addresses onto someone else whom we do not want to have it.

[Boytjie]

I was on Royalcaribbean.com this week and logged in to check their savings certificates. Within an hour I had an email from someone saying they were my personal cruise consultant or whatever they call it and their extension is this or email is xxx. if I have any questions they are there to help. Within an hour or so she called. She was very friendly--not pushy.

 

I called my pcc with HAL because I had one of those thank you for sailing with us get obc if you book another cruise by xxx. It said to call pcc and extension. I tried to get her for about 2 weeks and finally did Monday. She was not real friendly and said she could not help me because I had booked online and if I wanted her help I needed to book through her.

 

I guess these people work on commission and are eager to drum up business. For me the RCI one was friendly and I would use. I have never been happy with the attitude of mine from HAL so I don't use her.

 

My understanding is that if you booked a cruise through a TA that HAL will only deal with the TA, not directly with you.

 

Was the RCI situation the same, i.e. do you have a cruise booked with RCI through a TA and you were able to talk to RCI directly?

[tangerinebunny]

What do you usually do with unsolicited emails?

 

I send mine to spam and after a bit, my email program learns to send them directly to spam and not to my in-box.

 

To be honest, I think you're over reacting.

 

I'd rather easily deleted email than a waste of paper letter or - horrors - a dinner time phone call.

[localady]

There is no "opt out" ability on the e-mail. I just found these solicitations odd because up until communications from this specific PCC, I have never had any contact with a PCC at all nor did I indicate I was interested in being contacted.

 

I do feel this person has overstepped their boundaries, they seem to be trying to take the business from my TA. I suspect that in doing that, HAL would earn more as they wouldn't have to pay a commission to an outside travel agency.

 

I receive information on all flash sales that HAL deems me worthy of already. I don't receive the really well discounted offers my 2 star son does, but somehow they have to pay for 4 Star "perks"! :rolleyes: (That is a whole other issue, though!)

[momatibm]

Every 'unsolicited' email I've received from a PCC always includes the phrase(paraphrased here). If you are already working with a TA thank you for your cruising and partnering with one of our Travel agency partners.

 

I don't find it unreasonable at all.

[lvz2cruz]

My understanding is that if you booked a cruise through a TA that HAL will only deal with the TA, not directly with you.

 

Was the RCI situation the same, i.e. do you have a cruise booked with RCI through a TA and you were able to talk to RCI directly?

 

I have not used a TA for a few years. My HAL cruises have all been booked online at hollandamerica.com.

 

I have not booked a royal cruise but was browsing their website. If we decide to sail them, we will book online or use the pcc who contacted us.

[localady]

Every 'unsolicited' email I've received from a PCC always includes the phrase(paraphrased here). If you are already working with a TA thank you for your cruising and partnering with one of our Travel agency partners.

 

I don't find it unreasonable at all.

 

Well none of these communications do discuss anything like that, in fact she indicated she was "assigned" to me by HAL.

 

I recognize many will see this as a non-issue. I myself find it disturbing as I feel this PCC is overstepping her boundaries.

[Northshorecruisers]

A couple months ago, I started a new email address. I have never given it to HAL and if we were to book a cruise we have a "general" email that we would use...the one our TA uses.

 

Yesterday, I was playing around on HAL's site and my mariner number wouldn't come up (never gave my new email address) - so I called HAL to find out what it was (never gave my new email address to the person I spoke to).

 

Today, I received an email at my new email address from my PCC at HAL!!!

I am going to guess that they got my new address from me visiting their site. Technology & marketing for those cruise dollars.

 

I'm not going to let it bother me. Maybe sometime the PCC will send me a deal that I can call and book through my TA. My TA has always treated me great and I'm not going to cut out my middle-man and book direct with the cruise line.

[kazu]

this has obviously bothered you,

 

so how about copying and pasting the enail so we can judge?

 

I called once to HAL and immediately a pcc was interested.

 

PCC\s are like TA's IMO - some good some bad

 

Once I told the Pcc that we were not going to book with then - they basically left me alone.

 

My TA takes such good care of me that I find it hard to go to a PCC.

 

Each to their own.:D:D:D

[barbarapga]

I too received contact..but mine was by phone. "Hi Barbara, I understand you and [husband's name] are interested in a transatlantic cruise w/ HAL". Me, "That's not going to happen as he died 8 years ago." I will admit that I had been looking, online agencies and at HAL site at transatlantic cruises. Big brother is always watching us!

[richwmn]

Over Christmas I got a Holiday Email from a PCC other than the one I use captioned "Happy Holidays from your PCC". This went to an email that I don't use for HAL. I forwarded it to the PCC I use and she took care of it.

 

Sales people get leads from all kinds of places. I would not think badly about a PCC sending an email inquiring about business. In addition my PCC has told me that as long as she gets the initial booking it does not matter if it is transferred to a TA. I remember seeing someone else post the same thing here.

 

Some people like PCCs, some TAs -- to each his own. But you can give credit to both, and get help at the appropriate times from each.

[localady]

this has obviously bothered you,

 

so how about copying and pasting the enail so we can judge?

 

I called once to HAL and immediately a pcc was interested.

 

PCC\s are like TA's IMO - some good some bad

 

Once I told the Pcc that we were not going to book with then - they basically left me alone.

 

My TA takes such good care of me that I find it hard to go to a PCC.

 

Each to their own.:D:D:D

 

Jacqui-

I worked in a law firm way too long to post someone's name and title on a web page like this. I am not looking to get this PCC in trouble or fired. If in fact, she is contacting me beyond the boundaries that HAL finds acceptable, that could happen. Jobs are hard enough to get these days, and I would not be comfortable with that. :rolleyes:

 

The inquiry doesn't "bother" me per se, just thought it was a deviation from the type of communications I have received from HAL previously. I will just try to put her emails into the "spam" without "spamming" everything I get from HAL. I do appreciate receiving notices of sales and want to continue receiving them.

 

[Tampa Girl]

Our e-mail addresses should not be passed among the HAL employees. They could pass the e-mail addresses onto someone else whom we do not want to have it.

 

It is not illegal to send unsolicited e-mails to individuals, and HAL had every right to do so. If you don't want unsolicited e-mails, you will have to stop using e-mail. We have no right to expect that, somehow, our e-mail is secret and to be used only bey those to whom we have given permission. This is the downside of the internet. As someone else has mentioned, if your address has been obtained by someone "whom we do not want to have it", change your address and use it for very limited purposes, i.e. non-commercial. That has worked very well for me.

[dobiemom]

Since Christmas, I have been receiving unsolicited emails from my HAL "Personal Cruise Consultant". I have never encouraged this, nor made an inquiry to this person.

 

I have a Travel Agent who handles my cruises. Many times she is able to beat the price that HAL offers or add "enhancements" to my cruise. I think HAL is out of line to allow their cruise consultants to contact us, unsolicited, when it is clear I have a TA to represent me.

 

So what do you think, is this a "fair practice" or is not....I personally am not thrilled by the unwanted solicitations. :rolleyes:

Sher, check your HAL account, My Preferences. There's a question: "Do you work with a travel professional?" Maybe it's not marked yes?

[kazu]

Jacqui-

I worked in a law firm way too long to post someone's name and title on a web page like this. I am not looking to get this PCC in trouble or fired. If in fact, she is contacting me beyond the boundaries that HAL finds acceptable, that could happen. Jobs are hard enough to get these days, and I would not be comfortable with that. :rolleyes:

 

The inquiry doesn't "bother" me per se, just thought it was a deviation from the type of communications I have received from HAL previously. I will just try to put her emails into the "spam" without "spamming" everything I get from HAL. I do appreciate receiving notices of sales and want to continue receiving them.

 

 

Oh Sher - it wasn't suggesting you show the name - so sorry if I wasn't clear -it is a deviation IMO - when I said cut I meant just that (eliminate names)

 

In any case - you are fine - great- and it is a deviation IMO - I had one email and told "him" I preferred no more and he took me off the list.

 

smooth seas:D

[sail7seas]

Don't complain..... :D

 

I was on a cemetary's solicitation list and got calls about 3 times a week for several months asking when I intended to purchase my cemetary plot from them. :eek: It creeped me out. It took legal threats (violation of Do Not Call List) until I finally got rid of them.

 

We have used PCC at HAL and only have received communication (and not other PCC's) from him though never seem to get many e-mail offers of any kind depsite my requests for same. :rolleyes:

 

[xjust4fun]

It certainly would not bother me to get offers from the HAL PCC, I still have freedom of choice of either dealing with that person or a TA. Why sweat the small stuff............ not all TA's are great.

[Cruising-along]

Don't complain..... :D

 

I was on a cemetary's solicitation list and got calls about 3 times a week for several months asking when I intended to purchase my cemetary plot from them. :eek: It creeped me out. It took legal threats (violation of Do Not Call List) until I finally got rid of them.

 

We have used PCC at HAL and only have received communication (and not other PCC's) from him though never seem to get many e-mail offers of any kind depsite my requests for same. :rolleyes:

 

 

That would creep me out too. We have gotten mail from cemetaries and hearing aid companies (neither of us has a hearing aid) and I just chuckle and throw them in the recycling.

Unsolicited phone calls would bother me a lot more than unwanted emails or snail mail.

[Typhoon1]

Politely ask them to unsubscribe you from their mailing or calling lists if you do not wish to receive these.

[Jemima]

I've just assumed these were sent out by HAL with the PCC's name added.