Drastic Price Drop

[edward01ca]

Hi All,

 

We are booked for the 33 day Mediterranean cruise on the Zuiderdam on May 17. We paid about $5000 CA for an inside cabin in late February through our travel agent. Now the price for an inside cabin on the HAL site is about $4000 CA. Will we get a price reduction or an upgrade? Our TA doesn't seem to respond to our emails.

 

Dale

[CruiserBruce]

If you are inside final payment, you may get an upgrade, an OBC, or nothing. HAL isn't required to give you anything. Your TA needs to be battling for you.

[DeeniEncinitas]

Hi All,

 

We are booked for the 33 day Mediterranean cruise on the Zuiderdam on May 17. We paid about $5000 CA for an inside cabin in late February through our travel agent. Now the price for an inside cabin on the HAL site is about $4000 CA. Will we get a price reduction or an upgrade? Our TA doesn't seem to respond to our emails.

 

Dale

 

You bet!! She or he are not responding IMO because they do not want to loose commission. If it has dropped in your category absolutely! We have a PCC through HAL I check daily and if it has dropped I call or call HAL myself and they change the price for us! I love my PCC!

[DeeniEncinitas]

If you are inside final payment, you may get an upgrade, an OBC, or nothing. HAL isn't required to give you anything. Your TA needs to be battling for you.

 

Sorry, I thought it was for some reason 2016. Too close to get the lower rate if you have already done final payment which I think you have. We received a generous OBC when we did our 24 day Mediteranian Cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam in 2013.

[Rosethorn40]

Would you be interested in upgrading your cabin for a small fee? Back in 2009 I had booked an interior, and after final payment date the price naturally dropped. I was able to get a hold of someone that worked with my TA and she called HAL, and for $360 more (For the cabin) we were upsold to a Veranda Suite. This was about 2-months before the sail date, so before upselling by HAL would normally begin.

 

For our upcoming Baltic cruise I had booked an interior once again, but this time booked with HAL directly. When I noticed the price for an interior had dropped I called hoping to upgrade to an OV for no increase in price (Because they were now less than what I paid). I walked away with upgrading to a Signature Suite for an additional cost, but I still paid far less that the current published fare.

[sail7seas]

Good luck. Please let us know if you succeed in getting a price adjustment.

[Debz62]

If you are inside final payment, you may get an upgrade, an OBC, or nothing. HAL isn't required to give you anything. Your TA needs to be battling for you.

 

For future reference...is it best to book directly with HAL instead of a TA in order to watch for price drops and be able to take advantage of those savings? If so, what advantage is there to using a TA? Sorry I'm new at cruising am not familiar with how one takes advantage of finding a lower advertised price.

[CruiserBruce]

I am not aware of any advantage to either arrangement. There may be a few TAs who will monitor this sort of thing, but it is a small number. The cruise line has NO motivation to watch this for you.

 

In the end, it is your responsibility alone, to discover price drops.

[Sir PMP]

Hi All,

 

We are booked for the 33 day Mediterranean cruise on the Zuiderdam on May 17. We paid about $5000 CA for an inside cabin in late February through our travel agent. Now the price for an inside cabin on the HAL site is about $4000 CA. Will we get a price reduction or an upgrade? Our TA doesn't seem to respond to our emails.

 

Dale

 

Ta wants the commission, you booked too early...

[SilvertoGold]

Hi All,

 

We are booked for the 33 day Mediterranean cruise on the Zuiderdam on May 17. We paid about $5000 CA for an inside cabin in late February through our travel agent. Now the price for an inside cabin on the HAL site is about $4000 CA. Will we get a price reduction or an upgrade? Our TA doesn't seem to respond to our emails.

 

Dale

 

I am finding this a bit confusing.

 

$5000.00 for 2 pax for an inside?

 

HAL website is quoting $3103 + 447 tax =3550.00 per person for the basic inside.

[CruiserBruce]

I am finding this a bit confusing.

 

$5000.00 for 2 pax for an inside?

 

HAL website is quoting $3103 + 447 tax =3550.00 per person for the basic inside.

 

No way to know if they have a "basic" inside.

 

Note the OP's use of "CA". I assume that to mean "Canadian". Both these issues could explain your differing interpretation.

[take us away]

We have had much better service thru a TA than thru HAL. He fights for us when I notice a price drop, gets us better pricing a few times before several recent cruises, provides extra OBC, and has worked some magic for us on a few things like dinner arrangements, cabin categories. Maybe he knows we travel a lot so he keeps us happy plus we have used him for years.

[Debz62]

I am not aware of any advantage to either arrangement. There may be a few TAs who will monitor this sort of thing, but it is a small number. The cruise line has NO motivation to watch this for you.

 

In the end, it is your responsibility alone, to discover price drops.

 

If I book through HAL and watch prices for myself when I call them and bring the price drop to their attention do I get the savings? Once I make final payment am I locked into the price I paid even though the price drops?

[Danni3ll3]

If I book through HAL and watch prices for myself when I call them and bring the price drop to their attention do I get the savings? Once I make final payment am I locked into the price I paid even though the price drops?

 

 

Yes you can call anytime there is a price drop in the category you booked or if you are willing to change category and they will be happy to give you the lower price up until final payment. After final payment, they may offer you OBC but that is at their discretion.

 

I called tonight and they were willing to give me OBC if I changed cabin categories (I am past final payment) but since I am happy where we are, I left things as they were. The lady did tell me to keep checking though as there might eventually be a price drop in the category where I am booked.

 

I hope this helps.

[ETinCA]

Yikes, 33 nights in an inside room? [emoji15]

[Debz62]

Yes you can call anytime there is a price drop in the category you booked or if you are willing to change category and they will be happy to give you the lower price up until final payment. After final payment, they may offer you OBC but that is at their discretion.

 

I called tonight and they were willing to give me OBC if I changed cabin categories (I am past final payment) but since I am happy where we are, I left things as they were. The lady did tell me to keep checking though as there might eventually be a price drop in the category where I am booked.

 

I hope this helps.

 

It does. Thank you!

[TiogaCruiser]

Yikes, 33 nights in an inside room? [emoji15]

 

Why not?

I'd take it- just don't put me by an engine.

[wyobean]

Planning on doing 39 days in a large inside cabin. Several reasons...I tend to get sick. I take meds, but the middle inside has less movement. We don't spend that much time in our cabin and I can go on 2 cruises for what it would have cost for a balcony. I don't even bother with ocean view as those cabins are smaller than our inside. Had a NS (cheap upsell)once on our Alaska cruise/tour, but we were only on the ship 3 days. While it was really nice we just don't want to spend that kind of money. There are many places to check out the scenery if we want...this cruise will have a lot of sea days anyway, so what's to see?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[casamariposa]

Yikes, 33 nights in an inside room? [emoji15]

 

I've done 49 days in an inside, and I'll be 67 days in an inside this coming January. I spend very little time in my cabin. On the longer cruises, there is always something going on during the day, especially on sea days. If I want to stay indoors, I can do that at home!

[JanDom]

We are on the Statendam on May 18th. Price dropped two weeks ago and after I mailed our TA they checked for us with HAL.

We had a guarantee Vista Suite and now could choose a category B Vista Suite Without paying anything because it has the same price now then our guarantee cabin had.

Good luck 😄

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

[DaveOKC]

We are on the Statendam on May 18th. Price dropped two weeks ago and after I mailed our TA they checked for us with HAL.

We had a guarantee Vista Suite and now could choose a category B Vista Suite Without paying anything because it has the same price now then our guarantee cabin had.

Good luck

 

If you can, go with the B on the Navigation deck. They are below the carpeted area of the Lido dining and above other cabins, so noise should not be a problem. Plus, very close to the Sea View pool (same deck). I think these were considered to be A cabins in the original cabin configurations/plan.

 

Also - I like being on the same deck as the Neptune suites - less foot traffic due to fewer cabins.

Edited April 11, 2015 by DaveOKC

[JanDom]

If you can, go with the B on the Navigation deck. They are below the carpeted area of the Lido dining and above other cabins, so noise should not be a problem. Plus, very close to the Sea View pool (same deck). I think these were considered to be A cabins in the original cabin configurations/plan.

 

Also - I like being on the same deck as the Neptune suites - less foot traffic due to fewer cabins.

 

Thank you. Navigation Deck was fully booked so we choosed 193 one deck below. The other cabins were all near the elevators and because the Statendam only have then in the Front and the back we were afraid of too much Traffic. It seems like a good Location cause we can go out in the back really quick 😄

Janine 🌻

[DaveOKC]

Thank you. Navigation Deck was fully booked so we choosed 193 one deck below. The other cabins were all near the elevators and because the Statendam only have then in the Front and the back we were afraid of too much Traffic. It seems like a good Location cause we can go out in the back really quick 😄

Janine 🌻

 

I hope you do not mind another suggestion - if you can, move to 179-185 (starboard) or 194-200 (port). These B cabins have other cabins above them and thus likely will be quieter.

[JanDom]

I hope you do not mind another suggestion - if you can, move to 179-185 (starboard) or 194-200 (port). These B cabins have other cabins above them and thus likely will be quieter.

 

No I don't mind, for me it is interesting how other People choose there cabin. We do not like to be near to the elevators and have a cabin where ecerybody has to pass by. This is why we did not choose 109 and 179 (and we want to be on the starboard side:)

So 185 is left but we don't think 193 will be noisier because it will be too cold for Pool Partys:) and we stand up very Early... I will tell you if we had Problems 💐

Greets Janine 🍀

[Love the beach]

Yikes, 33 nights in an inside room? [emoji15]

 

On a port intensive Med cruise.....not a problem at all! I spend very little time in the cabin anyway so would rather spend less and cruise more!

I just don't get people spending a lot of time in the cabin.....to me I might as well just stay home in my living room.....

Have a great cruise!