Holland America pricing

[S&B]

We are looking at cruises that will take place in the next ninety days. My TA tells me that there is a price increase even though the HAL internet site gives me the same price as last week. Is the HAL internet price the same as my TA price?

 

Does HAL ever raise the cruise prices and then have a big sale and reduce them to the previous price?

 

Thanks.

[tangerinebunny]

Does HAL ever raise the cruise prices and then have a big sale and reduce them to the previous price?

 

I was tracking a December cruise last year, and that's exactly what happened.

Prices seemed to go up in some categories and therefore others looked more appealing, and sold. Then for the big Labor Day Sale, my category went back down.

 

But if it's a cruise that's selling, it's not a sales tactic.

[lazey1]

The internet price should be the same as the TA price. Try a sample booking yourself to get the exact price. The TA may be adding on taxes or port charges that don't show on the HAL website until you are in the booking process.

 

HAL raises prices sometimes and has sales sometimes and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason about it. If we see a sale on a cruise we are interested it we have our TA grab it. Most of our cruise go up in price and never come back down.

[KirkNC]

I have seen prices fluctuate all over. We watch ours closely and when they move down we redo our reservation, at least up until final payment.

[SilvertoGold]

HAL pricing goes up and down, with sales, promos adding to what the bottom line will be.

 

Highly recommend that you look closely at the HAL web site pricing and see exactly what is available at what price, including taxes, transfer, whatever.

 

HAL prices on a supply and demand basis. Pricing can rise or fall depending on how the ship is booking at any given time. After final payment, and sometimes before, pricing tends to fall and then sometimes rise once the ship fills.

 

Always be careful to verify what a TA says by checking HAL's pricing on their website. Some TAs charge fees per person for booking your cruise ($75.00 pp is common), so that can up the pricing.

Edited July 7, 2014 by SilvertoGold

[Typhoon1]

Pricing is unpredictable.

 

One thing is certain. HAL pricing is 25-30% higher than the competition. It's well worth it. Just like anything else, you get what you pay for.

[SilvertoGold]

Pricing is unpredictable.

 

One thing is certain. HAL pricing is 25-30% higher than the competition. It's well worth it. Just like anything else, you get what you pay for.

 

Pretty hard to make blanket statements like that.

 

Right now I find a lot of HAL Alaska cruises are priced lower than RCL, Princess, Celebrity.

Aren't they the "competition"?

[iancal]

All things being equal, I certainly would not pay an extra 25-30 percent for HAL. I really do not see that big a difference between HAL and several other cruise lines.

 

Actually, there are a few HAL ships that I would not select even if there were a discounted price below other similar ships/cruise lines, itineraries. And in some markets, like Alaska this year,the market is telling HAL exactly that. Their pricing is the absolute lowest-on a par with NCL's and at certain sailing dates, below either Princess or Celebrity.

 

I guess we all have a different perception of value based on our individual preferences.

Edited July 8, 2014 by iancal

[Sam.Seattle]

The internet price should be the same as the TA price. Try a sample booking yourself to get the exact price. The TA may be adding on taxes or port charges that don't show on the HAL website until you are in the booking process.

 

HAL raises prices sometimes and has sales sometimes and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason about it. If we see a sale on a cruise we are interested it we have our TA grab it. Most of our cruise go up in price and never come back down.

Not True! Hal's pricing and a TA can be different.

[navybankerteacher]

Not True! Hal's pricing and a TA can be different.

 

This certainly seems to be confirmed by the many reports from cruisers that their agents got them lower prices than HAL offered. Perhaps there is some "wholesaling" by HAL to agents - who can then sell their inventory at whatever prices they find appropriate. In any event, prices will fluctuate as time passes reflecting HAL's reaction to perceived demand.

[Joy R]

Count yourselves lucky that you can track prices, and then cancel and re-book without losing your deposit if the price goes down.

 

Here in the UK we can only book a HAL cruise either through HAL in the UK or through a UK travel agent (who seems to get the cruise at the same price as given on the website). Once you've paid your deposit, that's it. It's not refundable, even before final payment date. The price you paid is the price you'll have to pay, even if the price goes down afterwards. If you cancel and re-book at the lower price, you lose your deposit.

 

For our upcoming cruise, I did haggle a bit with my UK travel agent, who suddenly said that HAL were offering the cruise to them at a lower price, just for that day! We grabbed it, but I have no way of knowing whether we were told the truth. Don't say: look for another TA. They are all the same, in that they all can only get access to a HAL cruise through HAL UK.

[cjb0717]

Not True! Hal's pricing and a TA can be different.

 

This is so true. I just booked the Amazon cruise through an online travel agency and am paying over $2,000.00 less than Holland America's price.

[Linda&Vern]

I've posted this to a couple of other threads over the last few weeks. I can say that the HAL pricing for our October Veendam and December Amsterdam cruise could not be beat by any travel agent, big box travel dept, or internet site. In fact, they weren't even close. I think we just got lucky the day we decided to book. I had everyone's price, checked the HAL site with my Mariner # entered and said "today is the day to do this." When I called our PCC I half expected him to tell him he didn't see that pricing - luckily he confirmed I was correct.

 

HAL pricing on both cruises has now gone up considerably. ;) All of which only proves there is no rhyme or reason to cruise pricing.

[SilvertoGold]

I've posted this to a couple of other threads over the last few weeks. I can say that the HAL pricing for our October Veendam and December Amsterdam cruise could not be beat by any travel agent, big box travel dept, or internet site. In fact, they weren't even close. I think we just got lucky the day we decided to book. I had everyone's price, checked the HAL site with my Mariner # entered and said "today is the day to do this." When I called our PCC I half expected him to tell him he didn't see that pricing - luckily he confirmed I was correct.

 

HAL pricing on both cruises has now gone up considerably. ;) All of which only proves there is no rhyme or reason to cruise pricing.

 

Good for You!!

You likely snagged this when it was on some promo. Pays to watch the pricing!

[navybankerteacher]

I've posted this to a couple of other threads over the last few weeks. I can say that the HAL pricing for our October Veendam and December Amsterdam cruise could not be beat by any travel agent, big box travel dept, or internet site. In fact, they weren't even close. I think we just got lucky the day we decided to book. I had everyone's price, checked the HAL site with my Mariner # entered and said "today is the day to do this." When I called our PCC I half expected him to tell him he didn't see that pricing - luckily he confirmed I was correct.

 

HAL pricing on both cruises has now gone up considerably. ;) All of which only proves there is no rhyme or reason to cruise pricing.

 

While it is hard for a layman to determine the rationale, there has to be reason for HAL's sales, price increases , last minute deals, etc. They are the experts at marketing their product - which had zero value after "sell by" date, but obviously has increasing value if an unanticipated number of customers decide on the itinerary early on. Airlines, Broadway shows and other "perishables" show similar pricing patterns difficult for the outsider to predict.

[michmike2]

We consistently get better pricing from online TAs than thru HAL directly. Just booked a 7 day for Dec and called HAL and mentioned that we were 3 star mariners and essentially got a "so nice for you" but our price is still $125 a person more than the price you're telling me the TA gave you. So, needless to say, we booked thru the online folks.

[Surreyman]

Count yourselves lucky that you can track prices, and then cancel and re-book without losing your deposit if the price goes down.

 

Here in the UK we can only book a HAL cruise either through HAL in the UK or through a UK travel agent (who seems to get the cruise at the same price as given on the website). Once you've paid your deposit, that's it. It's not refundable, even before final payment date. The price you paid is the price you'll have to pay, even if the price goes down afterwards. If you cancel and re-book at the lower price, you lose your deposit.

 

For our upcoming cruise, I did haggle a bit with my UK travel agent, who suddenly said that HAL were offering the cruise to them at a lower price, just for that day! We grabbed it, but I have no way of knowing whether we were told the truth. Don't say: look for another TA. They are all the same, in that they all can only get access to a HAL cruise through HAL UK.

 

Whilst I agree with most of what you have written, we got a different, and to our mind better, deal through an agent for this summer's cruise than HAL offered.