Pricing Confusion

[kira5]

I have never followed cruise prices in the past, just booked, probably to my disadvantage. I've learned a lot from Cruise Critic. Now that I am following a particular cruise (to Hawaii) it has been amazing to me how the prices vary and how they are disguised by various ways and means. When a promotion is introduced, with pre-paid gratuities, for example, inevitably the cruise price goes up by an almost equivalent amount.

 

In the past week the fare has dropped 10% to $1799 USD or $2285 CAD at present rates.

 

Now there's something called SNAP fares. This is to encourage early booking however the same Hawaiian cruise in 2018 is $2339 CAD compared to $2285 CAD for this fall. (This is the Eurodam to Hawaii, Vancouver to Vancouver, Oct. 1). It is a little confusing to compare because many sites, including this one, use U.S. dollars where the HAL site, presumably tracking my location gives me fares in CAD. The reduced deposits are non-refundable. Doesn't look like a deal, snap or otherwise, to me.

 

I've assured my husband we are going and I hope I don't live to regret that promise but booking a cruise feels a little like a game of chicken.

[rachelfran]

It reminds me of mattress shopping -- absolutely no rhyme or reason to pricing and hard to compare ...

 

 

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[bUU]

Aren't SNAP fares the ones with the big non-refundable deposit?

 

This message may have been entered using voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[Lady Arwen]

We actually have been looking at this same cruise. However, we will not do it with non-refundable deposit ($780.00 ca). This promo is over on July 27th and the Explore 4 is likely to start. We'll revisit this cruise when we can get a refundable deposit and a decent price.

[SilvertoGold]

I have never followed cruise prices in the past, just booked, probably to my disadvantage. I've learned a lot from Cruise Critic. Now that I am following a particular cruise (to Hawaii) it has been amazing to me how the prices vary and how they are disguised by various ways and means. When a promotion is introduced, with pre-paid gratuities, for example, inevitably the cruise price goes up by an almost equivalent amount.

 

In the past week the fare has dropped 10% to $1799 USD or $2285 CAD at present rates.

 

Now there's something called SNAP fares. This is to encourage early booking however the same Hawaiian cruise in 2018 is $2339 CAD compared to $2285 CAD for this fall. (This is the Eurodam to Hawaii, Vancouver to Vancouver, Oct. 1). It is a little confusing to compare because many sites, including this one, use U.S. dollars where the HAL site, presumably tracking my location gives me fares in CAD. The reduced deposits are non-refundable. Doesn't look like a deal, snap or otherwise, to me.

 

I've assured my husband we are going and I hope I don't live to regret that promise but booking a cruise feels a little like a game of chicken.

 

What I have seen is:

 

In January CND 2469+183= 2652 pp IN

June with the View and Veranda 2599+244= 2843 pp Inside

After that to 2949+244=3192 with 100pp OBC

Now, down to 2339+244=2583

 

Seems to be very popular out of Vancouver but not out of Seattle.

 

With the Snap fare being just about the same for 2018, you can see what HAL wants as their bottom line, before they will slash the pricing if needed.

[Krazy Kruizers]

HAL started this crazy pricing about a year ago with their Explore4 program. They raised their prices quite high to cover the Signature Beverage Package and Prepaid Gratuities.

Many people asked the price of the cruise without the Explore4 and found that they were saving more without the perk.

But some people went ahead and booked the cruises -- there are people out there that do drink a lot. And so HAL continued this crazy pricing.

Hope you got a good price.

[CJcruzer]

so far I am not seeing that the Snap fare with refundable deposit is a "deal" on cruise fare - at least cruises I am looking at and have been keeping an eye on. Maybe I am looking at the wrong cruise destinations! :rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

I am going to wait for this snap fare promo to end and check possibilities after July 27. I hope non refundable deposits do not become the "norm". Especially when you cannot get a feel for the entire year, as HAL staggers their release dates. Sometimes something interesting/unusual comes up as an itinerary which might interest someone more than what they have already put a deposit on.

[kira5]

We actually have been looking at this same cruise. However, we will not do it with non-refundable deposit ($780.00 ca). This promo is over on July 27th and the Explore 4 is likely to start. We'll revisit this cruise when we can get a refundable deposit and a decent price.

 

 

Thanks for the information; I keep watch for it.

[DaveOKC]

To OP: You cannot compare one Hawaii cruise to another price wise, if that is what you mean. Prices vary alot by time of year and by how well it is (or is expected to be) selling.

[geoherb]

Sure, you can compare prices for one cruise doing the same itinerary to another one doing the same itinerary during the same time of the year. For instance, I can compare the prices for next February's Panama Canal itineraries on the Zuiderdam to what we paid for our cruise this year. (They're a little bit higher.)

[iancal]

Keep a close eye out for Canadian pricing specials.

 

We have really cut back on our cruising in favour of land travels over the past two years because of out poor CAD exchange.

 

We had no intention of booking anything. But, Princess ran a very short promo on a South American cruise that was of interest to us. We booked immediately and well in advance of final payment (unusual for us). The offer only lasted for a day or two however the TA told us that the allotted balcony cabins sold out in a day. We usually book through a US on line TA. This time we just called a big box store in Canada to get it done. We were familiar with the then current pricing so we knew a good offer when it was presented.

 

Since that time (nine months or so ago) I have noticed two other offers from two different cruise lines offering a similar deal on different itineraries. But, they never appear to last very long.

 

We would only consider a no refund situation unless booking inside the final payment window or the offer was incredible...and it would take much more that a $100 or so discount. Even the cruise above was completely refundable prior to final payment date.