HAL overcharging Australian passengers

[CI66774]

Companies charge whatever the market will bear. There also may be costs unique to Australia (consumer protections, etc.) that the U.S. consumers don't enjoy. If you like the price - shop around. No one is forcing you to "consume."

[Bellair]

we have noticed that when we look at pricing on US cruise sites they don't include the taxes until you go through to the final pricing. On Australian sites the taxes are included.

I have found most of the cruises we have checked very compeditive especially after you convert the AU to US difference.

We once contacted a major US cruise TA re booking with them. They said it can be completed if they/we added 10% to the cost as they do not get the commission with outside country bookings.

Quite often the Au HAL price is better than the US price on cruises we have been interested in so mostly happy with the prices.

Edited April 22, 2014 by Bellair
added

[Verystormy]

You will find it is not just HAL, but all cruise lines and also airlines. I fly around the world every month or so. Booking my ticket in Australia is almost twice what i would pay booking it in London. My wife is just about to visit family in the UK, so flying Perth to London via Dubai and back. It is costing just over $2000, i could get the same flights booked in the UK for just over 800 pounds.

[Globaliser]

We regard the current policy as disgraceful and are considering cancelling our HAL cruise

As a point of principle we wont book with a company who discriminates against any particular sector and who also stipulate where passengers are permitted to book.

This is probably the only thing that will have any sort of effect on HAL. Complaints about how unfair it is will just be ignored. So long as HAL continues to be able to sell to Australians at inflated prices and on less favourable conditions, it will continue to charge inflated prices and impose less favourable conditions.

 

We have exactly the same problem in the UK.

You will find it is not just HAL, but all cruise lines and also airlines. I fly around the world every month or so. Booking my ticket in Australia is almost twice what i would pay booking it in London. My wife is just about to visit family in the UK, so flying Perth to London via Dubai and back. It is costing just over $2000, i could get the same flights booked in the UK for just over 800 pounds.

The difference between airlines and cruise lines is that if you can book a Perth-Dubai-London-Dubai-Perth ticket in the UK for GBP 800 instead of AUD 2000, you are free to do so.

[baytraller]

As some people have commented, HAL will not change their policy

 

Unless Australian passengers start telling HAL that they are aware of being overcharged

 

Whether they will sail on those cruises is up to each person, we will not

 

We will only book cruises that are not overpriced compared to U.S prices

 

Australians should spread the word to others about overcharging

 

Fellow passengers , friends/family and maybe even post on Facebook

 

When you next talk to HAL or your TA let them know what you think of this policy

 

Pickup the phone now and call or send an email to HAL

 

If you are unsure of how to check if your cruise is being overcharged

 

there are a number of online sites such as Vactionstarter or Crucon

 

If you are asked where you live answer U.S

 

Remember the first price you see will not include port costs, this will be added at the end of the booking process

 

To convert $5000 from U.S dollars to Australian dollars enter the following on the Google search page

 

5000 USA dollars to Australian

[cowes 20]

We Aussies pay a premium on cruises because of regional pricing. All the big brands do it. Think of Bose, Apple, Ikea etc. We pay about 30 to 40 per cent more than our U.S friends. I purchased my Bose headphones at Seattle airport and saved $130. We hated doing river cruises with U.S. based companies where other passengers from the U.S boasted about the great deals they got, but were not available to us Aussies. We have tried to get around this by trying to book through U.S. based travel agents but they decline our bookings because they don't want to upset the cruise lines.

I just accept this is the price we pay for living in the greatest country on earth

[woodyren]

We Aussies pay a premium on cruises because of regional pricing. All the big brands do it. Think of Bose, Apple, Ikea etc. We pay about 30 to 40 per cent more than our U.S friends. I purchased my Bose headphones at Seattle airport and saved $130. We hated doing river cruises with U.S. based companies where other passengers from the U.S boasted about the great deals they got, but were not available to us Aussies. We have tried to get around this by trying to book through U.S. based travel agents but they decline our bookings because they don't want to upset the cruise lines.

I just accept this is the price we pay for living in the greatest country on earth

 

Not all US agents refuse Aussie bookings. They are of course dictated to by the cruise lines and HAL, Princess will not allow them to book (although Princess does if you have previously used that agent to book them).

 

I have booked Celebrity, NCL, RCCL, Carnival cruises through the US. They were a lot cheaper than the price here because they were from US or European ports. Aussie, Pacific & NZ ones are not as big a price difference though. I just book another Celebrity cruise to NZ this week with a US agent. Once converted fro US to Aussie $$ it was not really any cheaper but I received an extra $250 OBC and have the flexibility of no penalty cancellation up to final payment along with any price drops before final or upgrades after being free and easily done. As I build up my cruises with them I believe I will get more perks each time.

 

I live not far from you. If you want to share info on bookings you can email me woody3155@gmail.com

[chrispb]

I've mentioned this before but have a look at Tripadvisor, where you'll find an ongoing thread about overpricing on their cruise forum. They also name the US companies who will take your bookings which I can't do here:cool:

[MMDown Under]

Much as I'd love to cruise with HAL, since seeing their beautiful ships in Alaska.

 

I just don't look at their overseas cruises, as a matter of principle! I can't be bothered by a company which discriminates against someone because of where they live.

 

I wonder how much business from Australia, HAL looses because of its policy.

[Aussiepair]

Much as I'd love to cruise with HAL, since seeing their beautiful ships in Alaska.

 

I just don't look at their overseas cruises, as a matter of principle! I can't be bothered by a company which discriminates against someone because of where they live.

 

I wonder how much business from Australia, HAL looses because of its policy.

 

I know of many Aussies that feel the same as you. Luckily there are still cruise lines that don't discriminate.

[Tara Jane]

I've mentioned this before but have a look at Tripadvisor, where you'll find an ongoing thread about overpricing on their cruise forum. They also name the US companies who will take your bookings which I can't do here:cool:

Hi Chrispb - hoping you are still around these boards or someone else might be able to help me. I did a search on trip advisor without success for the info re USA companies that will take a booking from aussies. Is there any more info you could give me. I tried putting in overpricing cruises but no luck.

thanks in advance

[chrispb]

Hi Chrispb - hoping you are still around these boards or someone else might be able to help me. I did a search on trip advisor without success for the info re USA companies that will take a booking from aussies. Is there any more info you could give me. I tried putting in overpricing cruises but no luck.

thanks in advance

 

It's actually a sticky (the first one) on the Cruises forum called Regional Pricing - at what cost? Be warned it's now a very long thread.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g1-i10703-k3350647-Regional_pricing_at_what_cost-Cruises.html

 

Hope the link works :)

[happycamper1333]

Just confirming HAL are still ripping Aussies by as much as 50% by not allowing us access to US booking sites.

This is a reply I got from a US travel agent.

 

“Please be advised that Holland America Line do not allow guests without a North American contact address and residency to book with a North American based agency, as we are. If you do not have a North American address and book your Holland America voyage with a North American agency, you are at risk of having your cruise reservation be deemed invalid and/or be subject to paying the difference of what you would’ve paid in your local currency upon arrival at embarkation. Some other cruise lines are now dictating the same.

 

Please note that it is not ourselves who wish to potentially turn away your business – far from it – it is just that some of the major cruise lines realize that they can obtain more profit by forcing passengers to book locally in their own/local/’foreign’ currency for a higher relative price, and thus restrict our otherwise exclusively discounted rates from your access”

 

Happycamper1333:(

[freanesi]

Just to add another comment - when the Explore 4 Deal was on offer Australians could not get the drinks package.

[kiwicruiser55]

Just to add another comment - when the Explore 4 Deal was on offer Australians could not get the drinks package.

 

I booked an Alaskan cruise for July '15 and I got the Explore 4 deal including beverage card. After reading a few posts it appears that the prices are hiked up to cover the package anyway. Will be discussing this with my TA on her return from holidays.

 

This booking is the first I have done by using a HAL recommended agent in Auckland, who then put me in touch with a local travel agent near us. Will keep you posted on what happens.

 

Happy New year all, and safe cruising!

[kunnocat]

I thought gratuities were included, if not it will cost us another $US672 a day which will probably be around $AU1000. That is a huge add on.

Any Aussie who have cruised before? Did you have to pay on top of the fare?

 

Princess Now include gratuities in the price for Australian based cruises. Last time I sailed with them they didn't. RCI add them daily, Hal, added them daily last year cruising from Singapore. P&O Oz add them daily. Or I suppose you can pre pay them. all E@OE :) K

[JanDom]

We are not from Australia, but from Germany and have to book over Germany or the Netherlands.

We also were a little bit unhappy because we were told on our cruise with the Noordam in November, if we book a new cruise until 60 days with a Future Cruise Deposit we bought, we will get double OBC.

We now booked, but the OBC wasn't doubled .... after asking our TA we got the answer, that this is only for guests from the US and booking in the US :(

 

After that we read somehting about the first night hotel will be payed by HAL if you booked a suite on a Alaska cruise. We did and also asked for that - we did not get it either :mad:

 

and you often get huge OBC - we not

(we get some from our TA, but not as high as we heard from others)

 

Greets from Germany

Janine

[iancal]

We are big believers in voting with our feet.

 

If we feel that were are being cheated or otherwise taken advantage of by a supplier we simply change suppliers. We are not willing to reward any firm with our custom if we believe that we are being ripped off.

 

If enough consumers do this it will force change on the supplier...or put them out of business. Either option is fine with us.

[crusty cruisers]

I thought gratuities were included, if not it will cost us another $US672 a day which will probably be around $AU1000. That is a huge add on.

Any Aussie who have cruised before? Did you have to pay on top of the fare?

 

We have just clarified the issue with HALs Australian rep.

Hal will not accept pre payment of gratuities. However it is possible to add cabin credit to a booking.

I assume a TA could use this to pay an amount equal to the gratuities.

[DeeBee76]

We have just clarified the issue with HALs Australian rep.

Hal will not accept pre payment of gratuities. However it is possible to add cabin credit to a booking.

I assume a TA could use this to pay an amount equal to the gratuities.

 

yes, we discovered when we did our cruise in Dec that our TA was either an idiot or a liar. The whole experience with then was a nightmare so I can not decide which one he was maybe a combo of both. The concierge made commend on the charging of aussies for their cruises, the staff are all aware we get majorly ripped off :(

[chrispb]

yes, we discovered when we did our cruise in Dec that our TA was either an idiot or a liar. The whole experience with then was a nightmare so I can not decide which one he was maybe a combo of both. The concierge made commend on the charging of aussies for their cruises, the staff are all aware we get majorly ripped off :(

 

The answer is to boycott the lines you feel are ripping you off. If you continue booking with them, they will assume they can get away with charging you silly money.

[woodyren]

The answer is to boycott the lines you feel are ripping you off. If you continue booking with them, they will assume they can get away with charging you silly money.

 

Yes. The perfect response.

 

We are relatively new to cruising but we enjoy it a lot and as you can see we give the lines quite a bit of business.

 

I did a fair bit of research before committing to our first cruises. But when I found out very early that HAL & Princess restricted Aussies from the choice of booking locally or with a US agent they were off my list. I rarely even take a look at what they offer now (and I look a lot elsewhere).

 

It's a mater of principle to me. If many did the same the practice would end.