Hawaii 2020 - should I book early or late?

[BirdandBaby]

Hi everyone. Contemplating the Hawaii cruise RT Seattle on Eurodam. We have cruised other lines, but never HAL. I'm trying to decide whether to book now or wait until 90-60 days out. My instinct says book now since it is is not a cruise that is offered a bunch of times. Looking for advice from experienced HAL folks - pros and cons/experience with early and late bookings. Thanks! I've been reading and learning a lot from the forum and have the feeling HAL may really suit us.

[DaveOKC]

I would book as early as possible, as long as you can live with the fare.  That way you get the better choice of cabins.  Plus, if the fare drops. you can always do a rebooking/refaring to take advantage of it and still keep your cabin.  Be certain however, that you DO NOT BOOK WITH A NON-REFUNDABLE FARE, as then you lose the advantage of refaring.

 

Once you approach final payment date, then you have a decision to make.  Keep the deal you have or take your chance on a fare decline after final payment.  Keep in mind however, that in this case, if you cancel and rebook later on, of course you would lose your cabin and any perks you may have gotten.  Plus, very often after final payment the category you want may only be available as a guarantee - which I personally would not want on a long cruise.

[BirdandBaby]

38 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

I would book as early as possible, as long as you can live with the fare.  That way you get the better choice of cabins.  Plus, if the fare drops. you can always do a rebooking/refaring to take advantage of it and still keep your cabin.  Be certain however, that you DO NOT BOOK WITH A NON-REFUNDABLE FARE, as then you lose the advantage of refaring.

 

Once you approach final payment date, then you have a decision to make.  Keep the deal you have or take your chance on a fare decline after final payment.  Keep in mind however, that in this case, if you cancel and rebook later on, of course you would lose your cabin and any perks you may have gotten.  Plus, very often after final payment the category you want may only be available as a guarantee - which I personally would not want on a long cruise.

Good advice - thanks! I didn't know you could 'refare' as long as you were careful how you booked. And I would never do a 'guaranteed' cabin on any cruise - I'm old, cranky, and picky about cabins. 🙂

 

[DaveOKC]

3 minutes ago, BirdandBaby said:

Good advice - thanks! I didn't know you could 'refare' as long as you were careful how you booked. And I would never do a 'guaranteed' cabin on any cruise - I'm old, cranky, and picky about cabins. 🙂

 

I book through HAL, so refaring is not an issue.  I would check with your TA to be certain what THEIR rules are on it - some charge a fee or even might not allow it.

[CptBoatface]

We're on this one and since we are local, love the idea of not flying. Looks restful 

[Hawaiidan]

Check the cancellation rules too.....   I think they have different ones for Hawaii and Alaska..   Your  travel agent should  be a good source of info as to when to book as He will or should have a lot of experience with the fares over the past few years.   Too  he can offer you discounts , credits and rebates that can further enhance you experience.     Do not assume that booking direct with HAL  will be an advantage..  Hal will offer to an agent things they would never offer you...

A good quality travel agent will not charge you...only save you   Ask serious  questions of your Agent to be like how many HAL cruises a week/month does he book and for how many years...    You want a top agent who produces for HAL...  Keep looking till you find one if you do not have one already

Edited June 17, 2019 by Hawaiidan

[BirdandBaby]

34 minutes ago, CptBoatface said:

We're on this one and since we are local, love the idea of not flying. Looks restful 

Yes, it does look restful, and cruising seems to us a less-stressful way to see some of Hawaii. I envy you the 'not flying' part. One thing that appealed to us about this particular cruise is that we only have to fly from Atlanta to Seattle instead of all the way to Honolulu.

[BirdandBaby]

34 minutes ago, Hawaiidan said:

Check the cancellation rules too.....   I think they have different ones for Hawaii and Alaska..   Your  travel agent should  be a good source of info as to when to book as He will or should have a lot of experience with the fares over the past few years.   Too  he can offer you discounts , credits and rebates that can further enhance you experience.     Do not assume that booking direct with HAL  will be an advantage..  Hal will offer to an agent things they would never offer you...

A good quality travel agent will not charge you...only save you   Ask serious  questions of your Agent to be like how many HAL cruises a week/month does he book and for how many years...    You want a top agent who produces for HAL...  Keep looking till you find one if you do not have one already

Although we don't have a "general" travel agent, we just had a good experience using as Disney-specific cruise agent for a large family cruise - so I think finding a TA for this cruise is a good idea. Do you have an opinion about whether a HAL-specific or general cruise TA is the way to go?

[Krazy Kruizers]

I would book early -- that way you have a choice of cabins.

 

Also make certain that you book with a refundable deposit and fare.  That way if you see the price go down, you can bargain for the new fare and keep the cabin you choose and any other perks you may get.

[canadarocks]

Princess has their Sip & Sail on now for 2020 Hawaii sailings. 🙂 

[Hawaiidan]

9 minutes ago, BirdandBaby said:

Although we don't have a "general" travel agent, we just had a good experience using as Disney-specific cruise agent for a large family cruise - so I think finding a TA for this cruise is a good idea. Do you have an opinion about whether a HAL-specific or general cruise TA is the way to go?

Yes.... do some searching for a general agency that books all cruises.     Look for a list of top producing HAL agents.  Come cruise lines have  golden circle or  concierge club  names for their top selling agencies.    This is why I suggest asking  how many cruises on HAl  do toy sell a week and month and for how many years.   Ask  how do you base your obc credits, Do you offer rebates and or unpublished discounts.   Many offer 6-10%

Many dont.       Interview agents... and when you find one keep him and be loyal to them  form a relation.  As your loyality and frequency of travel grows  so will  your discounts as you prove yourself to be a valued loyal client.

Dont be a bargin basement jump from agent to agent.    Go back to you Disney guy ask what he can do  for you!

Why not start there

 

Don't confine your search localy...   look nation wide   My agent that I have had for 10+ years is 2300 miles from me

Ask friends who cruise or have.   Beat the weeds   .    it will prove worthwhile

[BirdandBaby]

1 hour ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

I would book early -- that way you have a choice of cabins.

 

Also make certain that you book with a refundable deposit and fare.  That way if you see the price go down, you can bargain for the new fare and keep the cabin you choose and any other perks you may get.

Thanks! I've never tried to bargain before, but definitely will in the future.

[BirdandBaby]

58 minutes ago, canadarocks said:

Princess has their Sip & Sail on now for 2020 Hawaii sailings. 🙂 

So glad you brought this up. I hadn't looked at Princess, since I mistakenly thought they only did traditional dining. DH is an anytime-dining guy who hates wearing jacket and/or tie on vacation since he has to do that for work. You inspired me to take another look at Princess and they would certainly be an alternative for us for Hawaii. Live and learn.

[BirdandBaby]

1 hour ago, Hawaiidan said:

Yes.... do some searching for a general agency that books all cruises.     Look for a list of top producing HAL agents.  Come cruise lines have  golden circle or  concierge club  names for their top selling agencies.    This is why I suggest asking  how many cruises on HAl  do toy sell a week and month and for how many years.   Ask  how do you base your obc credits, Do you offer rebates and or unpublished discounts.   Many offer 6-10%

Many dont.       Interview agents... and when you find one keep him and be loyal to them  form a relation.  As your loyality and frequency of travel grows  so will  your discounts as you prove yourself to be a valued loyal client.

Dont be a bargin basement jump from agent to agent.    Go back to you Disney guy ask what he can do  for you!

Why not start there

 

Don't confine your search localy...   look nation wide   My agent that I have had for 10+ years is 2300 miles from me

Ask friends who cruise or have.   Beat the weeds   .    it will prove worthwhile

I really appreciate that you took the time to give me such excellent advice. I will definitely follow it! Since we plan to start taking longer and more frequent cruises, finding a reliable TA to stick with will be worth it (for us and for him).

[canadarocks]

1 minute ago, BirdandBaby said:

So glad you brought this up. I hadn't looked at Princess, since I mistakenly thought they only did traditional dining. DH is an anytime-dining guy who hates wearing jacket and/or tie on vacation since he has to do that for work. You inspired me to take another look at Princess and they would certainly be an alternative for us for Hawaii. Live and learn.

Princess is actually more "casual" than HAL when it comes to dining. For example on MDR "formal" nights, their specialty dining rooms are just smart casual. But to be honest, both Princess & HAL have dramatically reduced their formal dress requirements. We're actually booked on a 2020 Hawaii cruise with Princess following our HAL Panama Canal cruise! 🙂