HAL won't honor it's own sale prices!!!!!

[Lulley766]

Holland America sent me an email this am telling me about the great new rates on late summer cruises. Well, I'm on one of the cruises that they mentioned. My TA called and asked about an adjustment or an upgrade because of the huge price difference for our 3 cabins. She got nowhere, because it's "new bookings only". I called and don't seem to be getting anywhere, either. It makes me angry to think that I am a long-time CCL cruiser and a first time HAL cruiser and no one seems to be valuing my business. Whatever happened to "goodwill"?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions or past experience with this? I know Carnival has immediately refunded the difference on bookings I made when the price went down, even when it said new bookings only. I can't imagine why HAL won't make a goodwill gesture.

 

Comments?????

[ekerr19]

I am very surprised by this - our TA has always been able to get HAL to lower prices to any legitimately advertised price...

 

Perhaps your TA should try again - does she have a "contact" person that she deals with at HAL? Ours deals with one specific person on a regular basis in HAL's inventory (I think this is the name of it) department.

 

I do know that some people have recieved inconsistent and/or incorrect information from HAL's reservation department...

[HeatherInFlorida]

Have you made your final payment yet? If not, why not cancel and re-book? I've never tried this, but I do it with my airline and rental cars all the time.

 

If you've already made final payment, I've heard that most people do have trouble getting an adjusted price after final payment has been made.

But I would definitely keep pushing ... the old squeaky wheel theory does work sometimes. Let us know, okay? And good luck!

[jasl]

Same thing happened to us last year. Have been a Mariner since 1987 and that was our sixteenth cruise with HAL. The voyage had been booked more than a year in advance and just after final payment the S catagory was being offered at less than the C catagory I had chosen. Naturally, I wanted to take advantage of such an upgrade and contacted the travel agent (first booking with her) who played "dumb", in short I could not get anywhere. 't Was really annoying to run into passengers bragging about their Suites and upon return I wrote HAL, again to no avail. Never a shipboard credit or upgrade was offered. I don't believe it is fair to those who book well in advance that passengers can book two months prior to sailing and receive such great fares and/or stateroom catagories. While I am not abandoning HAL, I have booked three upcoming cruises on different lines.

[Lulley766]

My TA has been my TA for over 10 years. She is superb at her job and has booked me on over 20 cruises, so I have complete faith in her efforts. She is appalled at this also. I am hugely dissapointed in HAL and offer this as consideration to others prior to booking their next cruise. Goodwill goes a long way for repeat and new business. HAL could easily offer an onboard credit or an upgrade. Since the prices onboard all all extremely inflated on liquor and sodas, giving me the credit would still put them far ahead of this little game. I have worked my way right up to the Executive Offices of HAL and am PROFOUNDLY disappointed that no one is willing to do the right thing. I can assure you all however, that if they do not make good on this, it will be my first AND LAST Holland cruise. Service counts for a lot in this world. Signature of Excellence my foot!

[doone]

I have heard of this happening before, not only on HAL, but other lines as well. So if you think by not sailing HAL your going to escape these things, I can assure you, you won't.

 

When I have seen special pricing on brochures, its usually for new bookings only and it specifically says that. But if the price goes down on their web site, I have always been able to get that new pricing, its just on special brochure prices when it states, new bookings only have I heard people having problems.

[Lulley766]

Sorry, I forgot to answer all the questions. Yes, I have made final payment (groan....). HAL's suggestion was to cancel and re-book which would cost me even more! DUH!!!! I did advise HAL that I would ask American Express to do a hold-back of the difference to HAL on their next payment. AMEX will always stand behind their customers and has even compensated me when the merchant would not. HAL could learn from AMEX.

[mhshapiro]

Many cruise lines offer "last-minute" sales that are good for new bookings only.

 

Sometimes the line will make adjustments for pax whose travel agents inquire, but often they won't. There is both an upside and a downside to this. Folks who book early get the cabins they want, while folks who wait for the sales have to take what's left. Often those aren't the most desirable cabins.

[Lulley766]

Doone,

 

I understand what you are saying, but the insult to injury comes when HAL sent me the email. I didn't go looking for this rate. Does it make sense to do that and then not honor the request. Doesn't seem like good business to me. Like I said though, Carnival has honored the lower rate before. Just scratchin my head here.....

[sail7seas]

I understand your disappointment and frustration but you do not meet the terms of the offer.

 

 

While I know you think it unfair (and I suppose I would as well), there are terms to every offer and this offer is valid only for new bookings. Your's is not a new booking.

 

I do think it would make you feel better if HAL offered some consideration, if not the full amount of the difference in price, but I do not think they have to.

 

If the local department store runs a special from 8 A.M. to 12 noon and you must be wearing a blue shirt and white sneakers in order to take advantage of the special.......those are the terms. You either meet them or you do not. If you do not, the department store would say "Sorry".

 

Yes, it really hurts; wrankles, angers.....that's life.

 

Look forward to your cruise and hopefully you'll have a great time.

[sail7seas]

Doone,

 

I understand what you are saying, but the insult to injury comes when HAL sent me the email. I didn't go looking for this rate. Does it make sense to do that and then not honor the request. Doesn't seem like good business to me. Like I said though, Carnival has honored the lower rate before. Just scratchin my head here.....

 

 

 

That 'letter' probably dropped into tens of thousands of e-mail boxes. I seriously doubt anyone researches each offer that is e-mailed to see if any recipient is already booked on one of the advertised cruises.

[kryos]

Perhaps your TA should try again - does she have a "contact" person that she deals with at HAL? Ours deals with one specific person on a regular basis in HAL's inventory (I think this is the name of it) department.

If she places any appreciable number of her clients on HAL, she should have a HAL District Sales Manager she can take the problem to. One of my TA's does a ton of business with HAL, and he was able to get me a good many "concessions" on my upcoming 30-dayer. Your agent should surely be able to do something for you.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I understand your disappointment and frustration but you do not meet the terms of the offer.

I would imagine HAL is making this offer because sales on these particular sailings are "sluggish." If they are "end of summer cruises" customers may be hesitant to book them because of the possibility of hurricanes and HAL is facing a bunch of empty cabins on some sailings. Rather than have that, they offer a "fire sale" to fill them up. Better to sail with a bunch of cabins at a cheaper rate, hoping that the passengers will make up for it by spending more onboard, than sail with half the ship empty.

 

As someone else on this board said, even if HAL won't match the price for you, at least maybe they'll give you some concessions ... i.e., an onboard credit of a few hundred bucks per cabin, or perhaps a nice upgrade. By either way, by booking early at least you got your choice of cabins. The people booking at this "fire sale rates" will have to take whatever is left ... and that may not be anything particularly good (i.e., a cabin directly below the show lounge, etc.)

 

Stay on top of your TA ... make her do her job in trying to work something out with HAL ... and then go on your vacation and enjoy.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[joelmarj]

I think something else to keep in mind is that these sales are done to liquidate inventory. They are offered after final payment for a reason, they now have a lock on committed customers, and know what their loss rates will be for unsold cabins. They then calculate the discount. It's pure economics. If you ever go to a store that has a sale, frequently their sign says "exludes prevously purchased merchandise". It has nothing to do with loyalty or trying to recruit new customers, it's strictly about sailing at capacity. Every empty cabin is a loss. If they issue the discount to every existing booking, there goes their margins.

[dakrewser]

You can have the sale price - as long as you make a new booking. That choice is up to you.

 

Of course, you most likely won't get the cabins you now have, but you will have a better price. Depends on which is more important to you.

 

It would be extremely unfair to all the other passengers for HAL to give you both the fire sale price as well as the choice of the best cabins...

[spcl4cs_gal]

HAL sent me an email listing Mariner fares for sailings in 2005 and 2006. I checked with my TA about next summer's Canada/NE cruises and HAL told her fare X would apply. When I went back in two days later to book, the fare had mysteriously gone up from what had been originally quoted to her and they wouldn't do anything about it. :(

[jhannah]

How is this different from buying a car? If I negotiate a price with the dealer and settle, then six weeks later that car is $1,000 cheaper, will that dealer refund me the difference? I've never heard of this happening. I believe joelmarj has hit the nail on the head. If you want to shoot for the bargain-basement fares, then don't book until late in the game. You then may or may not have this offer on your sailing.

[sfocruiser]

My TA has been my TA for over 10 years. She is superb at her job and has booked me on over 20 cruises, so I have complete faith in her efforts. She is appalled at this also. I am hugely dissapointed in HAL and offer this as consideration to others prior to booking their next cruise. Goodwill goes a long way for repeat and new business. HAL could easily offer an onboard credit or an upgrade. Since the prices onboard all all extremely inflated on liquor and sodas, giving me the credit would still put them far ahead of this little game. I have worked my way right up to the Executive Offices of HAL and am PROFOUNDLY disappointed that no one is willing to do the right thing. I can assure you all however, that if they do not make good on this, it will be my first AND LAST Holland cruise. Service counts for a lot in this world. Signature of Excellence my foot!

 

I've been a lurker for a while but this thread made me register and post.

First by booking your cruise early you have gotten the cruise and the cabin you wanted. HAL needs to fill the ships so when it gets close to sailing it is reasonable for them to drop prices. For people looking for a deal, waiting to the last moment may find bargain basement prices but are running the very real risk of not getting the cruise or cabin they want or worse not getting to cruise at all. Further, if you wait until the last moment to book a Alaska/Europe cruise then your airfare will undoubtedly be significantly higher than if you had booked well in advance, and lets be realistic if they had to drop prices for the last 100 cabins to fill a ship, do you really expect them to contact the other 700 cabins which booked at a higher price and offer them all refunds? I guarantee the person who did that would be looking at a pink slip, and rightly so as its bad business. When you booked a cruise you contracted to pay a certain amount and the cruise line agrees to provide services. The contract does not say I agree to pay this amount unless you drop your prices.

 

In days past some cruise lines did try to compensate passengers when faced with a fare differential. But I think you will find today with fares changing daily, competition increasing and margins decreasing that any of the major lines will more times than not refuse any request for compensation.

 

As far as y ou getting the promotion, I Think it would be nearly impossible for HAL to weed out all current reservations from new promotions

[MortgageChick]

We book early for exotic or unusual itineraries that we feel will sell out early and/or increase in price ( Hawaii, Amazon River ,Antarctica etc.) However, run of the mill Caribbean or 7 days to anywhere that all the lines are going, is a sure bet to book last minute and save a lot of $. For us it means the difference between cruising twice or three times a year.!!

[dakrewser]

HAL sent me an email listing Mariner fares for sailings in 2005 and 2006. I checked with my TA about next summer's Canada/NE cruises and HAL told her fare X would apply. When I went back in two days later to book, the fare had mysteriously gone up from what had been originally quoted to her and they wouldn't do anything about it. :(

 

If you check the fine print, I'll bet it says the offer is "capacity controlled" and could be "withdrawn at any time," as opposed to a sale with a set end date ("Must book by July 31," for example). That means, once a set number of cabins are booked, the offer is withdrawn. You need to act fast on offers like that...

[Lisa63]

How is this different from buying a car? If I negotiate a price with the dealer and settle, then six weeks later that car is $1,000 cheaper, will that dealer refund me the difference? I've never heard of this happening.

The difference between the two scenarios is that the car buyer had the use of the car for six weeks whereas the cruise customer has not yet received the cruise. Then again, I suppose one can argue -- and successfully -- that the person who booked the cruise earlier has a hold on the cabin of his or her choice.

 

We are not wealthy by any means, yet when we book a cruise, we are agreeing to the price that was quoted to us. I find that it is not worth the aggravation to look at prices after the fact. I also never believe those who gloat about the great price they got on the cruise. IMO, it's rude for pax to even mention it.

 

The advice on having your TA contact her DSM was a good one. Hope it works out for you, but in case it doesn't, enjoy your cruise and know that the majority of pax did not get these last-minute deals.

[RonnieS]

DaKrewser mentioned "capacity control" and he is entirely correct. However that doesn't always mean last minute deals. Airlines have been using that model for years in "controlling" their inventory of seats and adjusting prices almost dailey. Usually the longer you wait the higher the price.

 

I think gone are the days of last minute bargain hunting. Sure there may be a few sailings that are not selling well and may see last minute deals, but overall the early booking gets best value both price and selection.

[ekerr19]

If she places any appreciable number of her clients on HAL, she should have a HAL District Sales Manager she can take the problem to. One of my TA's does a ton of business with HAL, and he was able to get me a good many "concessions" on my upcoming 30-dayer. Your agent should surely be able to do something for you.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

rita - If you re-read my post, I pointed out that my TA has a special person at HAL she deals with on a regular basis - I have never had a problem getting HAL to drop the fare, even after final payment - something said for a good bricks and mortar TA, no doubt. :)

[ekerr19]

HAL sent me an email listing Mariner fares for sailings in 2005 and 2006. I checked with my TA about next summer's Canada/NE cruises and HAL told her fare X would apply. When I went back in two days later to book, the fare had mysteriously gone up from what had been originally quoted to her and they wouldn't do anything about it. :(

 

This is simply not acceptable - we often "hold" two or three cabins on various cruises before deciding - our TA calls her contact at HAL and tells them the cabin numbers we prefer - we then have about 10 days to decide before depositing... I think you need a different TA. :)

[shipcafe]

Holland America sent me an email this am telling me about the great new rates on late summer cruises. Well, I'm on one of the cruises that they mentioned. My TA called and asked about an adjustment or an upgrade because of the huge price difference for our 3 cabins. She got nowhere, because it's "new bookings only". I called and don't seem to be getting anywhere, either. It makes me angry to think that I am a long-time CCL cruiser and a first time HAL cruiser and no one seems to be valuing my business. Whatever happened to "goodwill"?

 

Does anyone have any suggestions or past experience with this? I know Carnival has immediately refunded the difference on bookings I made when the price went down, even when it said new bookings only. I can't imagine why HAL won't make a goodwill gesture.

 

Comments?????

 

There are so many factors that go into "price differences" and "upgrades", etc. as well.

The promotion that was issued probably stated "from" and based on a guarantee category for either inside, outside, or verandah. If you've booked into an assigned stateroom then the promotion probably does not apply. Many don't want to leave that assigned stateroom and, therefore, the promotion does them no good.

I've checked these "last minute" promotions many times and it seems that 9 out of 10 times they do not apply to exactly what one wants for their sailing. If you're booked into a category "E" stateroom assignment, for example, and this promotion is based on a "run of ship" then it probably will not do any good.