Price drop after final payment date & what I received

[SempreMare]

FYI -  my Alaska cruise fare for a Neptune Suite dropped significantly ($820) since final payment deadline.

 

Request made to my TA:

"Can you see what you can negotiate with HAL?  

I would value on board credit,  a beverage package, shore excursion credit, or future cruise credit (in that order)"

 

Result: 

"Holland America is giving you $100 beverage card and 1 dinner at the Pinnacle Grill."

 

Edited June 12, 2019 by SempreMare

[msmayor]

That's great!  I'm a big believer in "If you don't ask, you won't get"...and it certainly doesn't hurt to ask.

 

I know back when we booked on the Westerdam I noticed that the fares for insides had dropped below what we'd paid, and I called my PCC to see if there was anything that could be done.  While I couldn't get a price adjustment, we DID get upgraded to a verandah guarantee category.  We'd never sailed in a verandah before, so I was pretty excited...even more so when we ended up assigned to an aft on Deck 5 with a HUGE verandah.  

 

We haven't sailed an inside sinde…  🙂

 

[terrydtx]

Unfortunately our Noordam SS has gone up in price since our final payment by $400pp so I didn't get the chance to ask for any extras, but I am glad to see you got something, enjoy your cruise. Just before the final payment our fare did drop by $767pp so we did get to rebook and save over $1500 so I can't complain.

[Krazy Kruizers]

That sounds great!!

 

Enjoy your Alaskan cruise.

[fatcat04]

Great!! Always a good idea to ask. Have a lovely cruise. 

[jm485]

That's great!!  If the worst that can happen is they say "sorry, can't do anything" -- it's definitely worth asking! 

[kentuckycruiser]

We just got back from an Alaskan Oosterdam trip. We booked in late March and owed the full sum right away. It was a good deal for a veranda for 4 of us (casino rate for some strange reason) A few weeks later I noticed that the price went down even more. Anyway, the girl at HAL said that since it was past final payment they could only give us room credit for 1/2 of the fare drop. So we got $318 in room credit as the room rate drop was $636. We were a family of four so there was no bumping us up to a SS. At that time she said that a NS upgrade would be 500 pp or $1,000 for the first two people, nothing for 3 and 4. 

About two or three weeks later we got an upsell email for $329 pp upgrade to a Neptune for 1 and 2, with 3 and 4 being no charge. We took it.

For the rate, I never could get the rate online using my mariner number and/or my husband's to match the rate that HAL told me over the phone. I'm not complaining about the fare being lower when I called then what it was showing online for me (even logged in and using different numbers) but it would be nice to see that lower rate in the first place vs. having to call to get it. I've never had that issue before.

Edited June 12, 2019 by kentuckycruiser

[TAD2005]

12 hours ago, SempreMare said:

FYI -  my Alaska cruise fare for a Neptune Suite dropped significantly ($820) since final payment deadline.

 

Request made to my TA:

"Can you see what you can negotiate with HAL?  

I would value on board credit,  a beverage package, shore excursion credit, or future cruise credit (in that order)"

 

Result: 

"Holland America is giving you $100 beverage card and 1 dinner at the Pinnacle Grill."

 

You didn't say if the $820 drop was for each person or 2 people.   If it was just for one person, I don't feel that getting a $135 credit ($100 beverage card and $35 PG) is a fair amount of compensation.   I have seen much higher levels of OBC issued here on CC.

Edited June 12, 2019 by TAD2005

[wyobean]

I find it interesting that there is no rhyme or reason in what HAL does for compensation after final payment. Some get nothing, some get refunds, some get upgraded, etc. It is obviously the luck of the draw on who answers the phone. Maybe you should call back if you don’t get satisfaction the first time?

[SempreMare]

1 hour ago, TAD2005 said:

You didn't say if the $820 drop was for each person or 2 people.   If it was just for one person, I don't feel that getting a $135 credit ($100 beverage card and $35 PG) is a fair amount of compensation.   I have seen much higher levels of OBC issued here on CC.

 

1 person.

[VennDiagram]

I find it interesting that people who agree to a price feel it is okay to renegotiate their previous agreement IF the price drops after final payment.   Would these same people insist on paying more, if the price went UP? 

 

There are advantages and disadvantages to booking early.  For us, one cruise went up over  $2,000 per person after final payment.  HAL didn't ask us to pay the higher price.  Why would  I expect HAL to do anything for me if the price dropped?

 

 

 

 

[cowmilker]

3 minutes ago, VennDiagram said:

I find it interesting that people who agree to a price feel it is okay to renegotiate their previous agreement IF the price drops after final payment.   Would these same people insist on paying more, if the price went UP? 

 

There are advantages and disadvantages to booking early.  For us, one cruise went up over  $2,000 per person after final payment.  HAL didn't ask us to pay the higher price.  Why would  I expect HAL to do anything for me if the price dropped?

 

 

This.  I'm with you. I don't understand it.

You book early and you mitigate risk -- risk of the cruise selling out.  You have longer to plan stuff. Your airfare possibly costs less because you can buy it earlier.

They reduce the price of the cruise after final payment deadline because there are fewer people likely to take them up on the deal, airfare will be more costly, and there's little time to plan.

Asking for an adjustment is asking to have your cake and eat it too.

[SilvertoGold]

1 hour ago, wyobean said:

I find it interesting that there is no rhyme or reason in what HAL does for compensation after final payment. Some get nothing, some get refunds, some get upgraded, etc. It is obviously the luck of the draw on who answers the phone. Maybe you should call back if you don’t get satisfaction the first time?

 

 

It seems to depend on how much you pay originally and what level of cabin you book.  HAL seems much more willing to give compensation to pax booking suites than insides and to those who have booked way out and consequently paid quite a bit more than the pricing after HAL starts discounting.

 

I do agree that trying a couple of times never hurts, though!

[SilvertoGold]

53 minutes ago, cowmilker said:

 

They reduce the price of the cruise after final payment deadline because there are fewer people likely to take them up on the deal, airfare will be more costly, and there's little time to plan.

 

 

I think HAL reduces pricing after final to sell remaining cabins.  It's like a store putting on a clearance sale to move inventory. We book 3 - 8 weeks out and love the savings!

Edited June 13, 2019 by SilvertoGold

[fatcat04]

16 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

 

I think HAL reduces pricing after final to sell remaining cabins.  It's like a store putting on a clearance sale to move inventory. We book 3 - 8 weeks out and love the savings!

Exactly, empty berths don't gamble, get massages, take excursions, or buy Wang Wangs.  We have booked many cruises within the last three months and gotten good deals.

[westcoastcruiser]

Our cruise dropped a huge amount after final payment.  I called twice and was told “too bad”..but not in those exact words.  I called a third time and was offered an upgraded cabin category that, to us, was in an undesirable location, so declined.

 

This final time I called we were given a substantial FCC which we can  apply to a future cruise we already have booked.  My calls were all about 1 week to 10 days apart.  We booked through a big box store so all of my inquiries  went through them to HAL.  While I would have preferred a price adjustment or additional OBC or something similar for this upcoming cruise, I am appreciative of receiving something.  And, yes, I realize that we booked early at a price we were ok with.  But the price drop was huge so I am happy HAL recognized this and, as a result, will keep us as cruisers.

[msmayor]

10 hours ago, cowmilker said:

 

This.  I'm with you. I don't understand it.

You book early and you mitigate risk -- risk of the cruise selling out.  You have longer to plan stuff. Your airfare possibly costs less because you can buy it earlier.

They reduce the price of the cruise after final payment deadline because there are fewer people likely to take them up on the deal, airfare will be more costly, and there's little time to plan.

Asking for an adjustment is asking to have your cake and eat it too.

 

You make a very valid point - we certainly would be vocal if HAL (or any cruise line) told us we had to pay more.

 

That being said - cruise lines are well within their rights to deny any price adjustment.  Airlines have that model, and they take a 'too bad' attitude about price drops that you see just 24 hours after the refundability of a purchased plane ticket passes.   The cruise lines haven't adopted that pricing model yet, and as long as they are willing to give the price drop then there's nothing wrong at all with a passenger asking for it.

 

 

[cowmilker]

1 hour ago, msmayor said:

 

You make a very valid point - we certainly would be vocal if HAL (or any cruise line) told us we had to pay more.

 

That being said - cruise lines are well within their rights to deny any price adjustment.  Airlines have that model, and they take a 'too bad' attitude about price drops that you see just 24 hours after the refundability of a purchased plane ticket passes.   The cruise lines haven't adopted that pricing model yet, and as long as they are willing to give the price drop then there's nothing wrong at all with a passenger asking for it.

 

 

 

Oh, I don't think there is anything wrong with asking.  Not at all. I just don't understand it when somebody asks, and either they or somebody else gets all peeved when the request is denied, or when the resultant credit isn't as much as they somehow think is warranted.

[dchip]

When your cabin price drops from $8300 to $2600, I see no harm in asking for an adjustment. We booked almost two years ago. This is the most impressive price drop we have ever seen. We were given credit toward a future cruise. It didn’t come close to making up the difference but that’s the chance you pay by booking early. 

 

Cheers, Denise

Edited June 13, 2019 by dchip

[DaveOKC]

11 hours ago, westcoastcruiser said:

Our cruise dropped a huge amount after final payment.  I called twice and was told “too bad”..but not in those exact words.  I called a third time and was offered an upgraded cabin category that, to us, was in an undesirable location, so declined.

 

This final time I called we were given a substantial FCC which we can  apply to a future cruise we already have booked.  My calls were all about 1 week to 10 days apart.  We booked through a big box store so all of my inquiries  went through them to HAL.  While I would have preferred a price adjustment or additional OBC or something similar for this upcoming cruise, I am appreciative of receiving something.  And, yes, I realize that we booked early at a price we were ok with.  But the price drop was huge so I am happy HAL recognized this and, as a result, will keep us as cruisers.

Interesting!  I wonder if booking through a big box store made a difference in the responses you got, as the bb may or may not have actually "worked" the request for you.

[SilvertoGold]

12 hours ago, fatcat04 said:

Exactly, empty berths don't gamble, get massages, take excursions, or buy Wang Wangs.  We have booked many cruises within the last three months and gotten good deals.

 

Absolutely and YAY for you!  

[westcoastcruiser]

43 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

Interesting!  I wonder if booking through a big box store made a difference in the responses you got, as the bb may or may not have actually "worked" the request for you.

 

Yes, Dave, I wondered the same thing...not sure how much the BB rep advocated for us.  This last time I could tell  the rep “got it”...she was amazing!  I guess that is the consequence of booking BB as it is a call center and you get whoever answers.  But that is why I called back several times.

 

And while I understand the point about booking at an acceptable price, making the analogy to airline tickets is not quite the same.  For us, we do not pay $6-10,000 or more to fly.  And if I see a price drop, I will continue to take the time (and it can be time consuming) to call and politely ask.  

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, dchip said:

When your cabin price drops from $8300 to $2600, I see no harm in asking for an adjustment. We booked almost two years ago. This is the most impressive price drop we have ever seen. We were given credit toward a future cruise. It didn’t come close to making up the difference but that’s the chance you pay by booking early. 

 

Cheers, Denise

You can rebook anytime up to the final payment date at any lower price posted or offered, the most you lose are any promos from when you originally booked. That is one huge price drop if it was after the final payment date, and I would be very upset if that happened to me.

 

We booked our upcoming Signature Suite Alaska cruise last summer and the price dropped three times, the last the week before final payment and we rebooked every time. We saved about $2000 total from what we originally booked last July. After the final payment or SS actually went up in price by about $500pp, so I am not complaining.

[dchip]

5 hours ago, terrydtx said:

That is one huge price drop if it was after the final payment date, and I would be very upset if that happened to me.

 

It was right after final payment. 😩 I totally understand flash sales to fill the ship. But this was just too much of a difference to let it go without at least requesting some type of adjustment. If the answer had been “no”, we would have accepted that we came out on the losing end. It happens. 

 

Cheers,  Denise 

[cruises42]

I can't figure out HAL's website. How do you find out what cabins are still available and if there is a price drop on the category you booked? Please help.