Why I WON'T book with HAL for a short itinerary

[Cruise Raider]

I should clarify as to I won't ever book a shorter itinerary with Holland....ALL their rooms are guarantees.... every single one of them! (n) I just got off the phone with one of their travel professionals after watching this one cruise and waiting to see if they would give me an option to actually choose a room. The HAL rep was very friendly, knowledgeable and actually quite helpful. But she did explain that there are never room options for these shorter cruises ... you simply ALWAYS, without exception, have to choose a category only and they choose, after final payment date, of course, your statement within the category you booked.

I was finding it very hard to believe that a cruiseline would operate in this way ... after 50+ cruises, mostly on Princess and Celebrity ... I am stunned. I will stick with these other cruise lines even though I love one of the HAL itineraries which would have been perfect if they could be more flexible and actually think about their customer's needs.

[Cruising-along]

What cruise and how short?

[catl331]

If you are talking about a short segment at the end of a longer itinerary (say San Diego to Vancouver of a FLL to VCR repo) of course they are not going to let you tie up a room that will have to be vacant for the rest of the itinerary. They are going to give you a room that becomes vacant at San Diego (or wasn't booked for the long cruise), and they won't know what those rooms are until after final payment day at the earliest.

 

We could not choose our room for a 15 day T-A from Barcelona to FL because it was the final segment of a Grand Med.

Edited March 15, 2017 by catl331

[DaveOKC]

If you are talking about a short segment at the end of a longer itinerary (say San Diego to Vancouver of a FLL to VCR repo) of course they are not going to let you tie up a room that will have to be vacant for the rest of the itinerary. They are going to give you a room that becomes vacant at San Diego, and they won't know what those rooms are until after final payment day at the earliest.

 

 

We could not choose our room for a 15 day T-A from Barcelona to FL because it was the final segment of a Grand Med.

 

Very good explanation. My solution to this has been to book a higher level cabin, since 1) there are fewer poor cabins and 2) the fares are generally much lower than on other cruises (per day). As stated, this is one of the reasons why you are getting such a good fare.

[Cruise Raider]

It is a 4 night cruise ... Vancouver to San Francisco. No flexibility as this is indeed part of a longer itinerary. I have other options and will go with one of those instead. But I have seen other cruise lines allow you to choose a cabin on these shorter itineraries but not HAL. I've been burned in a guarantee cabin before and am pretty adamant is not the way I want to spend my vacation. So much for giving HAL a try.

 

 

PS -- even with booking the longer itinerary, which goes to Honolulu, only guarantees available there as well ... and non-refundable! Two thumbs down for their ease in booking a cabin.

[Linaeve]

PS -- even with booking the longer itinerary, which goes to Honolulu, only guarantees available there as well ... and non-refundable! Two thumbs down for their ease in booking a cabin.

 

That seems odd. I'm not familiar with the shorter cruise like 4 days but I have an 8 day Alaskan cruise coming up and was able to select my room.

[jtl513]

That seems odd. I'm not familiar with the shorter cruise like 4 days but I have an 8 day Alaskan cruise coming up and was able to select my room.

If you are going to be on for the entire length of any itinerary you can usually choose your cabin. The problem discussed here only arises when you are on one segment of a longer cruise, especially if that segment is short compared to the full cruise.

 

Another time when you can not choose your cabin is usually just after final payment day when some low-step categories of cabins such as VH and SZ open as guarantee-only in order to give HAL flexibility in assigning cabins to fill the ship.

Edited March 15, 2017 by jtl513

[sail7seas]

I should clarify as to I won't ever book a shorter itinerary with Holland....ALL their rooms are guarantees.... every single one of them! (n) I just got off the phone with one of their travel professionals after watching this one cruise and waiting to see if they would give me an option to actually choose a room. The HAL rep was very friendly, knowledgeable and actually quite helpful. But she did explain that there are never room options for these shorter cruises ... you simply ALWAYS, without exception, have to choose a category only and they choose, after final payment date, of course, your statement within the category you booked.

I was finding it very hard to believe that a cruiseline would operate in this way ... after 50+ cruises, mostly on Princess and Celebrity ... I am stunned. I will stick with these other cruise lines even though I love one of the HAL itineraries which would have been perfect if they could be more flexible and actually think about their customer's needs.

 

 

This is SO NOT NOT my experience. We havE SAIL HAL 100+ cruises, many times weere 7 day cruises WE Walwaysw booked specid=fic abin number. a i ave nevrr booked a guarantee. I h to question whome3ccer told you only guqarantentee cabvins were sold for short cruises. ridiculous. Truy bookin wshat you want with another TA or PCC

[sail7seas]

I should clarify as to I won't ever book a shorter itinerary with Holland....ALL their rooms are guarantees.... every single one of them! (n) I just got off the phone with one of their travel professionals after watching this one cruise and waiting to see if they would give me an option to actually choose a room. The HAL rep was very friendly, knowledgeable and actually quite helpful. But she did explain that there are never room options for these shorter cruises ... you simply ALWAYS, without exception, have to choose a category only and they choose, after final payment date, of course, your statement within the category you booked.

I was finding it very hard to believe that a cruiseline would operate in this way ... after 50+ cruises, mostly on Princess and Celebrity ... I am stunned. I will stick with these other cruise lines even though I love one of the HAL itineraries which would have been perfect if they could be more flexible and actually think about their customer's needs.

 

 

YOU ned a beter TA, Pcc, they do not know q abouhy ehaast they are wspseaking..

 

This is SO NOT NOT my experience. We have sailed 100+ cruises, many times were 7 sday CRUISES ADD WE ALWAYWS BVOOKED SPECIIC C AB IN NUMBE.R alWays I ave never booked a guarantee. I I question shomever told you his. Try booking the cabin you want through another TA or pcc. It is ridiuculous for a TA to te rell clients they can only book gurantantee cabins on all HAL short cruises. isNOT true.

 

 

There could be a specific short5 cruise caqllin for guarantee bookings vbvut that is a huge exception and definitely NOt the rule with h HAL FOR shorter CRUISES.

[kazu]

Sail, this is not a 7 day cruise or a regular cruise.

 

It is a coastal attached to a much longer cruise.

 

To the best of my knowledge these are always guarantees. The price is dirt cheap. You can barely stay in a hotel room for the price let alone meals.

 

As cat133 so well pointed out, they are not going to tie up cabins for the remainder of the cruise for the 3 or 4 nights. ;).

[Linaeve]

If you are going to be on for the entire length of any itinerary you can usually choose your cabin. The problem discussed here only arises when you are on one segment of a longer cruise, especially if that segment is short compared to the full cruise.

 

Another time when you can not choose your cabin is usually just after final payment day when some low-step categories of cabins such as VH and SZ open as guarantee-only in order to give HAL flexibility in assigning cabins to fill the ship.

 

I see, that makes sense.

[Cruise_More_Often]

We probably won't do another short cruise on HAL either, because we want to choose our cabins as well. We have done Pacific Coast cruises on Princess, NCL and RCL, all of which allow you to choose exact cabins. Only HAL seems to tie these short cruises onto longer, continuing ones. The other lines treat the short coastal cruises as individual cruises; i.e., the Panama Canal cruise ends in LA, and a brand new cruise to Vancouver begins.

[DaveOKC]

We probably won't do another short cruise on HAL either, because we want to choose our cabins as well. We have done Pacific Coast cruises on Princess, NCL and RCL, all of which allow you to choose exact cabins. Only HAL seems to tie these short cruises onto longer, continuing ones. The other lines treat the short coastal cruises as individual cruises; i.e., the Panama Canal cruise ends in LA, and a brand new cruise to Vancouver begins.

 

I was wondering - how do the prices compare?

[catl331]

I was wondering - how do the prices compare?

Go to the HAL site and "book a cruise" for 0-5 days. Right now there are 25 choices, most ranging from $50 to $60 per day per person for an Inside.

[DaveOKC]

Go to the HAL site and "book a cruise" for 0-5 days. Right now there are 25 choices, most ranging from $50 to $60 per day per person for an Inside.

 

How about the other lines - that let you book a specific cabin?

[Cruise_More_Often]

I was wondering - how do the prices compare?

We book itinerary rather than price, so I'm not really sure. Also, they can range between a short three days to some that are 5-7 days. We just booked a 2018 southbound coastal with NCL for its newest ship (Bliss), which won't even be completed until next spring. Because it's new, the pricing will probably be a little more than the others. I think it's the only one open for booking right now, so we can't yet compare.

[ScottishMaid]

The Noordam is going from Vancouver 4 days to San Francisco, or 11 days to Honolulu, or 27 days to Sydney, and some people will even stay on to NZ etc. The first 4 days are from $249 with a great chance of an upgrade to a cabin to be occupied by cruisers boarding at San Francisco for Sydney.

[DaveOKC]

We book itinerary rather than price, so I'm not really sure. Also, they can range between a short three days to some that are 5-7 days. We just booked a 2018 southbound coastal with NCL for its newest ship (Bliss), which won't even be completed until next spring. Because it's new, the pricing will probably be a little more than the others. I think it's the only one open for booking right now, so we can't yet compare.

 

My point is that HAL's short cruises may be guarantees only, but the prices are very low. You have to compare apples to apples.

[kazu]

My point is that HAL's short cruises may be guarantees only, but the prices are very low. You have to compare apples to apples.

.

 

Low is an understatement LOL Dave.

 

From the ones I have seen, you can barely get three squares a day (meals) on land for the price of a cabin on these sailings. They are a great deal.

 

I was amazed at the pricing for the shorter portions. It's a steal of a deal IMO ;)

[Cruise_More_Often]

NCL Jewel northbound, April 2017 (this is the only Pacific Coastal for 2017), 5-days, oceanview $599 -- all interiors are sold out.

 

NCL Pearl, October 2018, 5-days Vancouver to LA, interiors $299.

 

NCL Bliss, the brand new ship, September 2018, 5-days Vancouver to LA, interiors $399.

 

The good thing about HAL's coastal cruises is that they are readily available each spring and fall. The other lines sometimes do not offer these depending upon where their ships have been located. Also, HAL often has coastal cruises which end in San Francisco, which is convenient for us.

[sail7seas]

Sail, this is not a 7 day cruise or a regular cruise.

 

It is a coastal attached to a much longer cruise.

 

To the best of my knowledge these are always guarantees. The price is dirt cheap. You can barely stay in a hotel room for the price let alone meals.

 

As cat133 so well pointed out, they are not going to tie up ca

 

 

IKazie,s,I saw the post re: 4 nights nights. ;) .[/quote after I I wrote my post..

 

My opinion about neededing a better TA or PCC remains the same. It would seem TA did not explain to OP the reason for thew guaranteee requireementr adn that rmade him come here to get informqtion the TA or PCC shgould hace provided. Poor TA but then again, many are not well informed or eo they bother to provide 'good service. Too bad when a 'professsional, one is supposed to know Moree than we know here. when one iw SO POORLY INFORMED OR DIDSINTERESTed in werfing the ddcustomer well tha they ned tro find their way here to gert r the inforemqtiaon theseek. SWire theerw may acdtuqally e some good onesw, som esceptions.

Edited March 16, 2017 by sail7seas

[kazu]

NCL Jewel northbound, April 2017 (this is the only Pacific Coastal for 2017), 5-days, oceanview $599 -- all interiors are sold out.

 

NCL Pearl, October 2018, 5-days Vancouver to LA, interiors $299.

 

NCL Bliss, the brand new ship, September 2018, 5-days Vancouver to LA, interiors $399.

 

The good thing about HAL's coastal cruises is that they are readily available each spring and fall. The other lines sometimes do not offer these depending upon where their ships have been located. Also, HAL often has coastal cruises which end in San Francisco, which is convenient for us.

So, in comparison (had to look for a bit for a coastal that is not sold out).

 

Oosterdam saiing on April 25/17, inside is $259, OV is $324, Verandah is $454, SS for $649 and NS is $909.

 

$909 for an NS equates to nearly $225 per night. And that includes food. I can't think of a land hotel that offers a room with that square footage at that rate.

 

those rates are sweet deals. I guess you take the good with the bad (the guarantee).

[rafinmd]

My experience is kind of the opposite. I have booked a number of segments of World and Grand cruises, and for the reasons explained I have always gotten guarantees. Suddenly, when I added the 5-day coastal to the first segment of Amsterdam Grand Pacific I went from a guarantee to an assigned cabin for the entire Vancouver-SD-Hong Kong journey.

 

Can't really explain it but I'll take it.

 

Roy

[Storylady]

The reason that the OP had only guarantees is that all the cabin have already been sold out for the sailing. all that is left is a guarantee. He needs to book farther in advance to be able to select a stateroom.

 

As Kazu found out, there are staterooms to selection in April (I check a cruise agencies offerings). September is too close, though he might want to check closer to the time that payment must be made, he might find a cabin then!

 

I do agree some longer sailings will have only guarantees. For example, we did an 85 day cruise from Rotter and were able to select our stateroom. Our friends booked from Southampton, on day shorter and they had to do a guarantee.

 

Also on the Prinsendam SA Grand Voyage, we had to do a guarantee from BA to Ft Lauderdale. So we selected a stateroom category that we thought gave us the best chance of being happy.

 

And we did book FAR in advance!

 

Good luck to OP on whatever he decides to do. But I do believe, if he wants that sailing, he needs to book further out.

[igraf]

7-day cruises are usually considered to be a complete trip, which is why you were able to select a cabin. I think that the issue under discussion would apply to shorter cruises.

 

 

igraf

 

 

 

This is SO NOT NOT my experience. We havE SAIL HAL 100+ cruises, many times weere 7 day cruises WE Walwaysw booked specid=fic abin number. a i ave nevrr booked a guarantee. I h to question whome3ccer told you only guqarantentee cabvins were sold for short cruises. ridiculous. Truy bookin wshat you want with another TA or PCC