Finding current rates

[RoupMom]

I'm sure someone here can help me. I've booked a cruise for the Western Caribbean for March. I'd like to watch the prices for the C category we have and/or check how full the verandah level is so I could contact HAL to see what they'll do for me if there's a price drop, since the final payment time hasn't yet arrived. Is there any way to find that online without going through an imaginary booking, which I find quite painstaking? Thanks so much for your help in advance.

[serendipity1499]

I'm sure someone here can help me. I've booked a cruise for the Western Caribbean for March. I'd like to watch the prices for the C category we have and/or check how full the verandah level is so I could contact HAL to see what they'll do for me if there's a price drop, since the final payment time hasn't yet arrived. Is there any way to find that online without going through an imaginary booking, which I find quite painstaking? Thanks so much for your help in advance.

 

As far as I know, the only way to do it is by making another booking & stop when it calls for you to pay..Agree it is time consuming...However I never do this until just before final payment is due..

Edited September 11, 2014 by serendipity1499

[Vict0riann]

I have never managed to do a dummy booking! I make a note on a bit of paper when we book a cruise and list the prices of all the levels on the HAL site, and then I just watch for changes. If everything seems to be going down, I figure ours will, too. Then we contact our travel agent...:)

[PathfinderEss]

I hate to say this, but you really can't. I don't know if that was Hal plan or they just have a bunch of idiot IT guys.:(

Edited September 12, 2014 by PathfinderEss

[Scrapnana]

There is a website that tracks prices on a selected cruise and sends you an e-mail if the price drops. Unfortunately, they charge for this (but it is not much).

[3rdGenCunarder]

If you aren't getting special Mariner pricing on your cruise, don't sign in before you do the dummy booking and when it asks if you're a Mariner, say no. Then it doesn't take long. You have to do the search for the cruise, then it's just a couple of clicks to see the prices.

 

If you don't clear your cookies, the HAL website will show you cruises you've recently viewed. I just did that to look at my cruise, and I was able to click on the cruise I'm doing and that took me to the itinerary page for the cruise. A couple more "continue" clicks and I can see the main cabin categories. Apparently, if a category is sold out, it does not appear on the screen that shows the array of photos. I just checked my cruise and the penthouses must have been booked since the last time I looked, because I don't see them. Highest category showing is Neptune Suite.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sadly you have no choice but to do a dummy booking with HAL's new system.

As said -- just don't say that you are a Mariner and it will be a little quicker.

[thetexasaggiecruiser]

I have never managed to do a dummy booking! I make a note on a bit of paper when we book a cruise and list the prices of all the levels on the HAL site, and then I just watch for changes. If everything seems to be going down, I figure ours will, too. Then we contact our travel agent...:)

 

That's what we did for our upcoming cruise, and it worked every time. I would just check the listed price for our category by searching for the cruise, and if it showed a reduction, I called our TA to follow up. Our cruise went down $400 pp from the time we booked til we made final payment.

[Host Walt]

Here's a link to a Cruise Critic service that will provide you with current price drops announced by the cruise lines:

Recent Price Drops

[Hlitner]

It is actually pretty easy to keep track of prices on some Cruise Agency web sites. Of course, many of these agencies offer significant amenities (such as On Board Credits) that are not available when you book direct with HAL which might mess up your calculations.

 

Hank

[Augie's mom]

There is a website that tracks prices on a selected cruise and sends you an e-mail if the price drops. Unfortunately, they charge for this (but it is not much).

 

You can put a fare watch on cruise critic for free, it will usually come out once a week, and I have watched my upcoming cruise on the Noordam drop.

 

Terri

[Jimbo59]

There is a website that tracks prices on a selected cruise and sends you an e-mail if the price drops. Unfortunately, they charge for this (but it is not much).

 

There is another one that tracks prices for free. But Cruise Critic doesn't let us mention other travel agents.