Price drop after final payment and OBC

[scm1848]

We have booked a cruise in the Med for August and are 2 weeks out from final payment. The prices haven't dropped for over 2 months. Since we are already in an SB aft wrap, we don't want an SA and the PH is sold out, if the prices don't drop before final payment, what sort of OBC could we expect? The actual difference in price? Less? More?

 

Thanks for any and all responses.

[CruiserBruce]

A price drop after finalmight get you an OBC, but there is no guarantee. There is no requirement to give you any OBC. I would accept anything offered.

[oceansandseas]

o

 

 

Why would they offer an OBC? I can not understand why they would offer an OBC. Actually just give you money. If the price has not dropped then there might be a full ship.

 

Please let us know what type of OBC you got. Thanks.

 

 

o

[Krazy Kruizers]

Good luck if you get shipboard credit.

HAL doesn't have to give you anything if the price drops after final payment.

[Loreto]

The price dropped twice after final payment on our Zaandam Antarctic Holiday Cruise, and we were given OBC. We were offered an upgrade or OBC. If we took the upgrade, we lost OBC we already had, so we declined the upgrade and took the credit.

 

A week before the ship sailed we were offered an upsell...I asked if we could keep the OBC we already had, and HAL said "yes," so we got the Vista cabin we really wanted and got a lot of OBC in the deal.

 

It doesn't hurt to ask, all they can do is say "no."

 

Karen

[cruz chic]

o

 

 

Why would they offer an OBC? I can not understand why they would offer an OBC. Actually just give you money. If the price has not dropped then there might be a full ship.

 

Please let us know what type of OBC you got. Thanks.

 

 

o

 

There is pretty much no chance of getting money back. Why would you think otherwise?

[julzcl]

leaving next week for canada seven day cruise. huge price drop. called the 800 number and a nice lady gave us 200.00 per state room on board credit. easy as one phone call. so it does happen

[sapete]

We have booked a cruise in the Med for August and are 2 weeks out from final payment. The prices haven't dropped for over 2 months. Since we are already in an SB aft wrap, we don't want an SA and the PH is sold out, if the prices don't drop before final payment, what sort of OBC could we expect? The actual difference in price? Less? More?

 

Thanks for any and all responses.

 

 

In 2012 I was in the exact same position--had an aft-wrap and had nio upgrade selcted. Price dropped after final and TA was able to get a $600 OBC ($300 per person). YMMV.

Edited May 29, 2014 by sapete

[Quilcruisers]

Hello all,

 

I am so ecstatic that I saw a promotion for my state on an email from carnival. I called and the lady spent about an hour with me. Turns out I had to downgrade from a category 6C to a 6B and from main deck to riviera. I don't care, I lost my adjoining rooms but all 3 of my rooms are 1 cabin apart. I got 332.00, 267.00 and 260.00 credit. Over $800 in credit for my family. It was so worth it to change and now we won't have to worry about noise above us too much, we are almost midship and sandwiched away from the activity in floors above.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

leaving next week for canada seven day cruise. huge price drop. called the 800 number and a nice lady gave us 200.00 per state room on board credit. easy as one phone call. so it does happen

This could only happen if you deal with Holland direct and not with a TA.

[Lizzie68]

This could only happen if you deal with Holland direct and not with a TA.

 

deleted - wrong thread!

Edited June 19, 2014 by Marco's Tia

[CaveDiving]

Hello all,

 

I am so ecstatic that I saw a promotion for my state on an email from carnival. I called and the lady spent about an hour with me. Turns out I had to downgrade from a category 6C to a 6B and from main deck to riviera. I don't care, I lost my adjoining rooms but all 3 of my rooms are 1 cabin apart. I got 332.00, 267.00 and 260.00 credit. Over $800 in credit for my family. It was so worth it to change and now we won't have to worry about noise above us too much, we are almost midship and sandwiched away from the activity in floors above.

 

... and this had what to do with Holland America Line?

 

Scott & Karen

[sapete]

This could only happen if you deal with Holland direct and not with a TA.

 

 

Not always correct the trip where we received our after final payment OBC was a trip booked through a TA.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SilvertoGold]

The more I read on this board and the more I experience myself, I am thinking a lot of this has to do with what you book.

 

An inexpensive inside usually gets you zip, whereas a balcony or better could get you some decent OBC.

 

Makes sense because the profit margin with the higher category pricing gives you something to bargain with; the less expensive cabins aren't profiting HAL as much so they don't want to wipe out the small profit they do make.

[Jay Sam]

From my experience the lines are very conservative in what they offer after payment deadline, especially Holland. There are exceptions of course, but from the 2 experiences I have had, don't expect much. I am fortunate in that I am able to plan a cruise closer to the sailing date. I find with some flexibility, if possible, the best deals are to be gotten closer in. This may not be possible when coordinating air and hotels in conjunction with the more distant ports of embarkation like in Asia, Australia and Europe etc. During the past 4 years from what I have tracked, if at all possible, cruise during the 1st 2 weeks directly following Thanksgiving, and book 4 to 8 weeks out, closer to 4 weeks if possible. Amazing deals then, and at other times of the year as well. Got Solstice on an Eastern Caribbean 7 night cruise in 2010 from Pt Everglades for 489.00 per person for a balcony, booked 6 weeks out. Still cannot believe that price.

[DaveOKC]

Not always correct the trip where we received our after final payment OBC was a trip booked through a TA.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I think the poster's point was that you could not call HAL's 800 number directly to make this happen - you have to go through your booking TA.

[USN59-79]

I am not sure I understand this thread. The title is "Price drop after final payment and OBC" Yet what the OP asks is this: "If the prices don't drop before final payment, what sort of OBC could we expect". Why would the OP expect an OBC credit in this situation?