rjrpar Posted February 6, 2014 #1 Share Posted February 6, 2014 We are experienced cruisers but have never cruised HAL. Are seriously considering doing a 2 week Alaskan cruise in 2015. My questions are 1) when will the 2015 schedules be released and 2) do Alaskan prices usually increase so do most HAL cruisers book early. Our approach on RCCL and Celebrity is to book ASAP and then keep an eye open for price decreases. Is that a good approach on HAL thanks in advance for any help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Typhoon1 Posted February 6, 2014 #2 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Welcome to the HAL forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0bnxshs Posted February 7, 2014 #3 Share Posted February 7, 2014 We are experienced cruisers but have never cruised HAL. Are seriously considering doing a 2 week Alaskan cruise in 2015. My questions are 1) when will the 2015 schedules be released and 2) do Alaskan prices usually increase so do most HAL cruisers book early. Our approach on RCCL and Celebrity is to book ASAP and then keep an eye open for price decreases. Is that a good approach on HAL thanks in advance for any help Can't really answer #1, but I would think soon. As for #2, we often will book and then watch for price fluctuations for cruises we intend to do. We have had no problem calling HAL or our TAs (whichever we've booked with) and getting price drops without losing OBC or other enticements that came with the original booking, so long as it's prior to final payment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda&Vern Posted February 7, 2014 #4 Share Posted February 7, 2014 We are experienced cruisers but have never cruised HAL. Are seriously considering doing a 2 week Alaskan cruise in 2015. My questions are 1) when will the 2015 schedules be released and 2) do Alaskan prices usually increase so do most HAL cruisers book early. Our approach on RCCL and Celebrity is to book ASAP and then keep an eye open for price decreases. Is that a good approach on HAL thanks in advance for any help I hope you are looking at the 14-day Amsterdam cruise. HAL brought it back this year for 3 or 4 times. Hopefully it will be available in 2015. It is a true 14-day cruise - not two 7 days cruises combined. We really enjoyed it in 2011. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kazu Posted February 7, 2014 #5 Share Posted February 7, 2014 (edited) there are two opinions on these boards - one is to book early and take any price decrease that happens - the other is to wait and grab the price decreases in the few months before the cruise. That only works if you don't care about the itinerary and the ship. that strategy works well on Caribbean cruises perchance but for unique itineraries we book well in advance - I have got a couple of price reductions but not many - but our cruises were sold out long before there were any sales, so for the itineraries that are important to us, we book early. If you want to get a view of some cabins or other HAL info, visit http://halfacts.com Lots of pics already (we're new) and lots of info. and welcome to HAL - I am sure you will be happy camper - especially on that ship:D Edited February 7, 2014 by kazu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjrpar Posted February 7, 2014 Author #6 Share Posted February 7, 2014 We were looking at a 13 or 14 day cruise, land and sea combo that visits the Yukon (Dawson City and WHite Pass). Also would like to see Glacier Bay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatsyAnne Posted February 7, 2014 #7 Share Posted February 7, 2014 HAL has put on some kinda fun marketing shows called On Stage Alaska, or something close to that. Pictures, music, marketing. We went to one last year and enjoyed it. If there is one in your neighborhood it could help you get an idea of what you want to see in Alaska and what is available. Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stateroom_Sailor Posted February 7, 2014 #8 Share Posted February 7, 2014 (edited) We were looking at a 13 or 14 day cruise, land and sea combo that visits the Yukon (Dawson City and WHite Pass). Also would like to see Glacier Bay We're planning on doing this cruise too, but 2016 or later (and probably the 11 day version). You will likely have to do the land portion first to see Glacier Bay. I'm a new cruiser, but have looked into this and will try to answer your 2nd question: Early booking was not the best strategy last year, Alaska was highly competitive between the cruise lines. The cheapest May tour, currently priced at $1,499, was $999 closer to sailing. My HAL rep has advised waiting 2-3 months beforehand, and he's been with the company for 2 decades. Edited February 7, 2014 by Stateroom_Sailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted February 7, 2014 #9 Share Posted February 7, 2014 We're planning on doing this cruise too, but 2016 or later (and probably the 11 day version). You will likely have to do the land portion first to see Glacier Bay. I'm a new cruiser, but have looked into this and will try to answer your 2nd question: Early booking was not the best strategy last year, Alaska was highly competitive between the cruise lines. The cheapest May tour, currently priced at $1,499, was $999 closer to sailing. My HAL rep has advised waiting 2-3 months beforehand, and he's been with the company for 2 decades. Problem with waiting 2 to 3 months before booking a cruise -- some of us live in areas where there are very few flights to anywhere. Planes fill up early and quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gail & Marty sailing away Posted February 7, 2014 #10 Share Posted February 7, 2014 If you wait to book a cruise you might not get the cabin type you prefer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Roz Posted February 7, 2014 #11 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Yes, flights to Seattle or Vancouver are a real issue for late bookers. What you save on the cruise you may end spending on airfare. Roz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjrpar Posted February 7, 2014 Author #12 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Doesn't HAL honor price decreases until final payment is due. I know other cruise lines do and it reduces the chance of overpaying. Of course, after final payment, the game changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stateroom_Sailor Posted February 7, 2014 #13 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Doesn't HAL honor price decreases until final payment is due. I know other cruise lines do and it reduces the chance of overpaying. Of course, after final payment, the game changes. Of course, but the discounts might come through after final payment. For our next two cruises, that's 2.5 months away. It's essentially a gamble though, what if the price goes up? Like others have said, you might pay more with airlines, be limited on when and how you cruise, and have less time to plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agabbymama Posted February 7, 2014 #14 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Doesn't HAL honor price decreases until final payment is due. I know other cruise lines do and it reduces the chance of overpaying. Of course, after final payment, the game changes. NOT ALWAYS. I had a cruise booked, then called to make a change. The rep told me she had to cancel my booked cruise and rebook the new cabin. NOT JUST CHANGE my present reservation. I told her not to make the change then. So you just have to be careful to ask what they are doing when you call. Others have said they got the discounts, maybe depends on who you speak to. If you are wanting a cruisetour, I'd book it early to be sure you get what you want. I wouldn't want to take a chance of having to take whatever was left over. You also have to pay with a credit card at the time of booking any excursions, but again we always booked those early too, to make sure we got what we wanted. If the price was too high, then we wouldn't do it. You have to be willing to pay what the asking price is. Have a great cruise, HAL does a wonderful job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stateroom_Sailor Posted February 7, 2014 #15 Share Posted February 7, 2014 NOT ALWAYS. I had a cruise booked, then called to make a change. The rep told me she had to cancel my booked cruise and rebook the new cabin. NOT JUST CHANGE my present reservation. I told her not to make the change then. So you just have to be careful to ask what they are doing when you call. Others have said they got the discounts, maybe depends on who you speak to. If you are wanting a cruisetour, I'd book it early to be sure you get what you want. I wouldn't want to take a chance of having to take whatever was left over. You also have to pay with a credit card at the time of booking any excursions, but again we always booked those early too, to make sure we got what we wanted. If the price was too high, then we wouldn't do it. You have to be willing to pay what the asking price is. Have a great cruise, HAL does a wonderful job! Forgive me if I'm misreading you, but I think you are talking about switching cabins after a price increase? We did this ourselves for our next cruise, paying $150 each more for a promenade stateroom even though they were cheaper when we first booked, as was the whole cruise. During a sale a few months later, cabin:cabin, we saved a ton! Before your final payment date, because you could simply cancel and rebook the next day, it makes no sense to not honor the current rates. Unless HAL charges a penalty before this date? We're going to book our cruise tour early if we've traveling with others, and late if it's just us. We're early enough in our cruise life to have quite a few Plan B's, and learn our lesson the 2nd time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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