Ready to book - now how?

[glorialagos]

My friend and I have chosen our cruise and are ready to take advantage of the Black Friday sale.

 

What is best - book directly with HAL?  Or should we go through one of the online discount sites?

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[DaveOKC]

Tough question to answer as it varies based on your experience level and how much effort you want to put into the process, plus how interested you are in savings vs service.

 

In my opinion, if you are willing to do some homework upfront, the best options are either booking through a large on-line company that offers lower prices (or extra perks) OR booking directly with HAL but using a PCC (Personal Cruise Consultant).  The PCC is basically assigned to you and you work solely with them when you call HAL.

 

Do a bit of SEARCHing on this board and you will find many discussions on each of these options and their Pros and Cons.

[Djptcp]

I do both. I use my HAL PCC when I have to book my special casino promotions, but book on HAL directly when I don't have any promotions. Both work well for me. I'm reluctant to book through an online company after I used a large one several times with sucess and then it went bankrupt and I had a terrible time dealing with a cruise I had booked through them.

[OVgirl]

Make sure that whoever you book with doesn't charge fees for changes or cancellations. And that they allow changes.

[RetesGirl3]

3 hours ago, Djptcp said:

I do both. I use my HAL PCC when I have to book my special casino promotions, but book on HAL directly when I don't have any promotions. Both work well for me. I'm reluctant to book through an online company after I used a large one several times with sucess and then it went bankrupt and I had a terrible time dealing with a cruise I had booked through them.

I see you have casino promotions. I booked one and upgraded to balcony. Would you know if we could get the Black Friday deal added to our cruise in a few weeks? Thanks! 

[Heartgrove]

Our first three HAL cruises I booked online as they were simple transactions. Then I unfortunately was assigned to multiple PCCs but there was a large turnover. One was assigned to us and two weeks later gone!

 

Finally we were assigned a PCC that had been a Cruise Director earlier in his career with HAL. He was able to add a wealth of insight to our choices for future cruises. Unfortunately two years later the pandemic hit and he decided to leave HAL. But we now have a well-seasoned PCC with 15 years service that is wonderful! Today we compared with him our four booked cruises against the Black Friday Sale.

 

He is always on top of what is going on with our bookings. An example is our upcoming cruise had a 180 degree change in the itinerary. That meant our shore excursions didn't match. It took a few days for HAL to be have them straightened out, but he made a point to call us to make certain that they had been corrected.

 

There are good and bad PCCs but what I like with our latest is the direct company insight that he brings.

[SargassoPirate]

10 hours ago, glorialagos said:

My friend and I have chosen our cruise and are ready to take advantage of the Black Friday sale.

 

What is best - book directly with HAL?  Or should we go through one of the online discount sites?

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I put the pencil on it. I check the bottom line prices between HAL and my big box warehouse club's travel website.  If HAL is cheaper, I book with HAL and then transfer the booking to the big box and then get their gift card as a bonus.

 

 

[DaveOKC]

6 hours ago, RetesGirl3 said:

I see you have casino promotions. I booked one and upgraded to balcony. Would you know if we could get the Black Friday deal added to our cruise in a few weeks? Thanks! 

If you are on a free cabin offer, I doubt you could get it added (I could not in the past).  But I would try anyway, as sometimes it works.

[RetesGirl3]

Thank you! I sent my PCC an email! Fingers crossed 🤞 

[zgscl]

13 hours ago, Djptcp said:

I do both. I use my HAL PCC when I have to book my special casino promotions, but book on HAL directly when I don't have any promotions. Both work well for me. I'm reluctant to book through an online company after I used a large one several times with sucess and then it went bankrupt and I had a terrible time dealing with a cruise I had booked through them.

If you book with a PCC can the main reservations number make changes to the booking also (and vice versa?)

[Heartgrove]

8 hours ago, zgscl said:

If you book with a PCC can the main reservations number make changes to the booking also (and vice versa?)

 

It depends on what you are asking to have done. I believe that anyone on the HAL information number can take a payment for a cruise. But there is a separate phone number to reach a PCC and their extension. I know from a previous conversation with our PCC that they follow a rotation schedule every few weeks to cover the PCC phone line on weekends. Any PCC can make changes to your reservation and do what your PCC does for you.

[DaveOKC]

9 hours ago, zgscl said:

If you book with a PCC can the main reservations number make changes to the booking also (and vice versa?)

Not certain but I would think so.  In reality, when I call my PCC and she is not there I am redirected to another PCC who can handle my call.  They cover for each other.

[zgscl]

3 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

 

It depends on what you are asking to have done. I believe that anyone on the HAL information number can take a payment for a cruise. But there is a separate phone number to reach a PCC and their extension. I know from a previous conversation with our PCC that they follow a rotation schedule every few weeks to cover the PCC phone line on weekends. Any PCC can make changes to your reservation and do what your PCC does for you.

That is good to know, thanks! 

[glorialagos]

17 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

I put the pencil on it. I check the bottom line prices between HAL and my big box warehouse club's travel website.  If HAL is cheaper, I book with HAL and then transfer the booking to the big box and then get their gift card as a bonus.

 

 

I don't understand how you could transfer a reservation?  Please explain how this is done and why the travel website would want to do this?  Thank you.

[SargassoPirate]

On 11/25/2021 at 11:24 AM, glorialagos said:

I don't understand how you could transfer a reservation?  Please explain how this is done and why the travel website would want to do this?  Thank you.

 

The big box warehouse "C"lub has a travel website.  It operates mostly for the convenience of the members and they return any commissions they get from the cruise line to the member in the form of a gift card.  You have to transfer the booking from the cruise line to the "C"lub within 60 days of the booking and the forms to do so for each cruise line are on the "C"lub's travel website under the "help" section.

 

Once you transfer the booking, the "C"lub is your agent and you have to call them for most everything regarding your booking.

 

If you have the big box warehouse "C"lub's affiliated credit card, you also get 3% back on travel charged to the card.

 

(did you get my hints about which big box warehouse "C"lub?)

 

[DaveOKC]

About the big box warehouse booking - I have heard that they do not pass along upsell offers to their clients (we have used this alot and saved thousands in the past with this option).  

 

Edited November 27, 2021 by DaveOKC

[SargassoPirate]

3 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

About the big box warehouse booking - I have heard that they do not pass along upsell offers to their clients (we have used this alot and saved thousands in the past with this option).  Second, I am not sure if you can use them with the deeply discounted (normally "free") cabin offers from the casino.  Perhaps others can respond to this.

 

 

Once I turn the booking over to the "C"lub, I still monitor the prices on the cruise line's website for price drops or offers, and then call the "C"lub to see if they can help me take advantage of it.  The power of the "C"lub has helped me garner some good price drops and perks over the years.

 

I've never had them pass along an upsell offer.  

[DaveOKC]

4 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

Once I turn the booking over to the "C"lub, I still monitor the prices on the cruise line's website for price drops or offers, and then call the "C"lub to see if they can help me take advantage of it.  The power of the "C"lub has helped me garner some good price drops and perks over the years.

 

I've never had them pass along an upsell offer.  

I think the reason for that is its costly for them to do so - too much time involved in the process IMO.  That concerns me when you wonder how they will handle other client service issues/concerns.

 

No doubt they are a good way to get a lower cost cruise, IF you know exactly what you want and do not need much hand holding in the process.  While I know they do provide some client advice, I am pretty sure its not as much as a TA or PCC does.  Also, everytime you call them I have heard that you speak to a different person (makes sense of course).  Personally I like using the same person who knows my quirks and what to recomend for me.  Also, I can make quick changes or ask short questions of my PCC through email, thus saving time.

 

Again, each person has different needs. wants, and experiences, so there is no one answer to the question of which form to use (TA, PCC or Big Box).

[SargassoPirate]

True, Dave, I do get a different person each time I call in, but they always seem to have the information from my previous call and my booking right in front of them.  They pull it up from my phone number when I call in.  I've been happy with their service over the years.

 

I also use the "C"lub to book car rentals.  They also have vacation packages, but I can usually do better with my Hilton Honors points.

 

To each his own, I guess.  

 

 

[AncientWanderer]

I'm a PCC convert.  Ours is excellent.  Without even asking, she reaches out to let us know of new itineraries or sales and what have you.  And on her own she went through all of our bookings (many) to see how we could benefit from the most recent sale with the included gratuities.  For years I resisted booking with PCC.  Really glad I gave her a chance.

[MTAK]

On 11/24/2021 at 3:58 PM, SargassoPirate said:

I put the pencil on it. I check the bottom line prices between HAL and my big box warehouse club's travel website.  If HAL is cheaper, I book with HAL and then transfer the booking to the big box and then get their gift card as a bonus.

 

 

Next time ask your PCC to match the gift card offer with OBC. I was able to do that on my last booking through HAL.

[kazu]

On 11/27/2021 at 9:10 AM, DaveOKC said:

I think the reason for that is its costly for them to do so - too much time involved in the process IMO.  That concerns me when you wonder how they will handle other client service issues/concerns.

 

No doubt they are a good way to get a lower cost cruise, IF you know exactly what you want and do not need much hand holding in the process.  While I know they do provide some client advice, I am pretty sure its not as much as a TA or PCC does.  Also, everytime you call them I have heard that you speak to a different person (makes sense of course).  Personally I like using the same person who knows my quirks and what to recomend for me.  Also, I can make quick changes or ask short questions of my PCC through email, thus saving time.

 

Again, each person has different needs. wants, and experiences, so there is no one answer to the question of which form to use (TA, PCC or Big Box).

 

Good post, Dave.  I use a TA and yes, she’s with a large company but when I call I speak to her.  She gives me decent OBC and has fought tooth and nail for me when HAL refused to transfer my cancelled cruise to one that truly matched it.  She won, by the way and got all my perks and pricing transferred.  

 

If you find someone good, they are worth their weight in gold.  Her OBC may not be as high as the big box stores but it’s still good and her service is worth a lot to me.  

 

And, oh yes, she monitors upsells.  I have had an offer because she knew what I wanted before the upsells came out 👍 

 

Service counts for a lot with me 🙂 

[canadarocks]

Totally agree kazu. My TA almost matches the Gift Card the big box store offers with an actual price discount, which IMHO is far better. She's available through email pretty much 24-7 and has managed to get me perks and/or price reductions many times when they were supposedly not available. Wouldn't trade her for anything. 

[iancal]

4 hours ago, kazu said:

 

Good post, Dave.  I use a TA and yes, she’s with a large company but when I call I speak to her.  She gives me decent OBC and has fought tooth and nail for me when HAL refused to transfer my cancelled cruise to one that truly matched it.  She won, by the way and got all my perks and pricing transferred.  

 

If you find someone good, they are worth their weight in gold.  Her OBC may not be as high as the big box stores but it’s still good and her service is worth a lot to me.  

 

And, oh yes, she monitors upsells.  I have had an offer because she knew what I wanted before the upsells came out 👍 

 

Service counts for a lot with me 🙂 

Our experience with our on line TA has been the same.  First rate personal service PLUS unbiased feedback from her customers on cruises that we were considering

 

i dealt with a local TA for business travel.  Lots of it.  We have also experience poor TA’s on occasion.  Have to say that our (now retired) on line  cruise TA gave us the same great service as our one block away business TA. Along with good OBC’s.  Hopefully we will find another one at the same agency next time buy a cruise.