HAL announces Black Friday sale details

[CruiseMark]

Holland America announced what their Black Friday sale will be. Starting Nov 17th, 30% off select cruises plus free gratuities.

More info here:  https://www.cruisehive.com/holland-america-line-offers-major-black-friday-savings/115084 
 

I don’t know any details beyond what’s in the article.

[puppycanducruise]

Thanks for the link.

[Thetideishigh2021]

Sounds juicy,  fingers crossed 

thanks!

[FlaMariner]

Sharpening my pencil......hoping for the best.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for sharing//

[ski ww]

We'll be looking to see if we can find a good deal for our 2025 cruise.

[crewsgirl]

Does anybody think that HAL will be posting cheaper prices than popular online big cruise agencies? Do they typically include any OBC or other perks? 

[crystalspin]

I was considering waiting for Black Friday (who knew it was going to start a week early?) to see if I could get gratuities on my bare-bones Voyage of Vikings '24, but the email on the HIA pppd rate going up 10% on Friday -- with the published press release on the other BF thread -- won me over to paying for HIA today.

[FlaMariner]

12 hours ago, crewsgirl said:

Does anybody think that HAL will be posting cheaper prices than popular online big cruise agencies? Do they typically include any OBC or other perks? 

 

I always compare the HAL (online) prices to the big internet TA and the big internet TA always has had the lowest fare and does offer OBC and the "free gratuities" if available (Sometimes, the big internet TA will have an even lower price than what is listed online once I ask for a quote....for instance, their online balcony price is for a VH guarantee but if I ask for a quote for a VF specific cabin, the price is sometimes the same....not sure if this is the case with HAL as I only use their online price). 

 

Also, prices that include HIA are available on the big internet TA (but never buy that so clueless on the price comparison w/HIA).

 

When comparing prices, I credit back OBC or other perks to equally compare the different prices.  Then, the lowest "cruise fare" wins and for me, it has always been the big internet TA.

 

YMMV.....enjoy shopping for cruises.

 

 

[Ka Honu]

When taking advantage of any "big box" agency lower rates/higher perks (which are offered relatively often), make sure you research their cancelation rules. If you book with HAL (or many travel agents), you get a 100% refund (or some form of FCC) if you cancel before the final payment date. Many of the "big box" agencies keep your entire deposit no matter when you cancel (or rebook for a different cruise). For us that's usually unacceptable, especially if the deposit is substantial and the cruise is a long way off.

 

Jus' sayin'...

[Naismith]

Another plus of using a TA is that sometimes they offer a much better deal on insurance.

 

We still have an elderly parent at home, and of course medical evacuation is always a concern.

 

On our last cruise, we found out that our TA could add the coverage to a week before the actual cruise for a pittance, so that was a huge advantage. 

[FlaMariner]

On 11/9/2023 at 10:40 AM, Ka Honu said:

Many of the "big box" agencies keep your entire deposit no matter when you cancel

 

Good point but if I cancel because of a covered reason (health, family health, hurricane hits house, jury duty, etc) I've got insurance for that. 

 

So far, we have never cancelled just because we wanted to do something else. 

 

As long as I book a cruise I plan to take, I should be good....And if I did "change my mind" (which would be hard to imagine), my walk away from using a FCD is only $100 per person....(not outrageous).

 

What am I missing?

 

I actually always thought deposits were non-refundable anyway.  

 

 

[Ka Honu]

4 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

 

Good point but if I cancel because of a covered reason (health, family health, hurricane hits house, jury duty, etc) I've got insurance for that. I know very little about cruise insurance but I would think that should work if you buy the insurance at the same time you book the cruise. I know some folks book the cruise pretty far ahead but don't decide on insurance until closer to the final payment deadline. As I understand the insurance thing, you pay for it when you buy it. It seems to me that if you have to use it before the cruise final payment date, the premium you pay simply replaces the deposit in the "trash heap" of expenses you would otherwise have not incurred.

 

So far, we have never cancelled just because we wanted to do something else. I wish I were that organized and prescient. I could book a cruise two years down the road and know that no one in the circle of my family or friends would have an "emergency" or "occasion" that would force me to cancel and there wouldn't be a war or natural disaster (like maybe a volcano in Iceland or a war in the Middle East) that changes the itinerary to something I didn't want.

 

As long as I book a cruise I plan to take, I should be good....And if I did "change my mind" (which would be hard to imagine), my walk away from using a FCD is only $100 per person....(not outrageous). I'm not sure what you meant here but you're correct - if all you lose is $100 it might be worth the perks you wouldn't have gotten from another source.

 

What am I missing? Probably nothing. My only goal was to make sure people were aware of the possibilities - I wasn't trying to talk them into or out of using any particular ticket source. Everyone's mileage varies to some extent or another.

 

I actually always thought deposits were non-refundable anyway.  

 

 

 

[FlaMariner]

23 minutes ago, Ka Honu said:

As I understand the insurance thing, you pay for it when you buy it.

 

I'm counting on my Bank of America Premium Rewards card travel insurance that is included with my card and includes cancel insurance.......so not lost expense there.

 

I appreciate you bringing this topic up...good points....I use it to check my plans to make sure I'm still "keeping it between the buoys" as Alan Jackson and the late great Mr Buffett sang. 

[Torquer]

On 11/14/2023 at 10:12 AM, FlaMariner said:

What am I missing?

 

I actually always thought deposits were non-refundable anyway.  

We also thought we would never cancel a cruise, except for health reasons.  However, we had a cruise booked for summer of 2024 to Egypt and Israel, along with other Mediterranean ports.  Well it is extremely unlikely this cruise will go to Egypt or Israel next summer, which is the main reason we booked the cruise, so we cancelled.  Now HAL will never totally cancel the cruise, but will go somewhere else like the Greek islands, but we have been there.  When we booked it, we never could have imagined what is going on in Israel now. 

 

If it were summer right now, I'm not sure if cruises would be going to Iceland.  You just never know what events are going to happen in the world.

 

BTW, a deposit for cruise-only fare is supposedly non-refundable, although years ago they did allow us to transfer to a different cruise.  If you get HIA, then those deposits are fully refundable, which is what we had for our cruise next summer.

[RuthC]

2 minutes ago, Torquer said:

BTW, a deposit for cruise-only fare is supposedly non-refundable,

This is incorrect and misleading as phrased, as it leaves out the Advantage Fare, which does not have HIA, but is fully refundable. 

[sunviking90]

The sale is live now.

[hkymre]

I had a quote last week for the 14 day Jewel of the Baltic in Sept.24

We decided to wait for the Black Friday sale...

 

And now it's £560 dearer & the OBC isn't added!

Having spoken to HAL it appears that the Black Friday sale isn't live in the UK yet & they have no details as to when it might be

 

 

[Mary229]

1 hour ago, hkymre said:

I had a quote last week for the 14 day Jewel of the Baltic in Sept.24

We decided to wait for the Black Friday sale...

 

And now it's £560 dearer & the OBC isn't added!

Having spoken to HAL it appears that the Black Friday sale isn't live in the UK yet & they have no details as to when it might be

 

 

A word of advice.   I always book a refundable fare once I have decided on a cruise. HAL allows me to re-fare any booking until final payment date.  I find this the best course of action 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

On 11/8/2023 at 8:54 PM, crewsgirl said:

Does anybody think that HAL will be posting cheaper prices than popular online big cruise agencies? Do they typically include any OBC or other perks? 

Yes and Yes

[kdakda]

Have checked several times this morning and when I book an Alaskan cruise for next summer that is labeled "Black Friday", nothing shows up about pre-paid gratuities.  Have tried both the Cruise Only and HIA fares.  By the way, the price is slightly lower than in the past weeks, but that lower price was visible a few days ago, so no further price change.

[FlaMariner]

Not seeing anything worthy of a "Black Friday" deal w/our big online TA site on the HAL cruises we are tracking for 2025.  

 

Also, our booked HAL cruises (before final payment) in 2024 are all priced higher.

 

I will keep checking next week.

[Crazy For Cats]

I reviewed our upcoming cruises and there's no need to reach out to the PCC to apply the sale.  Most were booked during the early booking bonus, prices went up since then.

[leerathje]

I had an Alaskan cruise w/Have it All that I tentatively booked on Wednesday before the $99. deposit ended.  If Black Friday sale was better, My plan was that I would cancel that and re-book for Black Friday.

 

So, With Black Friday I would get crew appreciation, but my deposit went up $200.  No matter, it is refundable, and with crew appreciation, I'll save $200 over all.  Black Friday it is!

[Thetideishigh2021]

1 hour ago, kdakda said:

Have checked several times this morning and when I book an Alaskan cruise for next summer that is labeled "Black Friday", nothing shows up about pre-paid gratuities.  Have tried both the Cruise Only and HIA fares.  By the way, the price is slightly lower than in the past weeks, but that lower price was visible a few days ago, so no further price change.

 

1 hour ago, kdakda said:

Have checked several times this morning and when I book an Alaskan cruise for next summer that is labeled "Black Friday", nothing shows up about pre-paid gratuities.  Have tried both the Cruise Only and HIA fares.  By the way, the price is slightly lower than in the past weeks, but that lower price was visible a few days ago, so no further price change.

Also,  the port tax has inceased,  we booked the Noordam May 5/24 back in June we thought maybe we could get a price adjustment with the BF sale,  the pt was Cad $325pp.  Yesterday when I checked it was cad $375pp.  Yes the cruise fare went down a little bit so the overall cruise is now Cad $29 less but no pre paid crew grats .   Now I can’t get onto the HAL website.  Will try later