HAL booked for 4 (2 couples in two adjacent rooms). Need to cxl the ladies. Your advice?

[DDOlson]

Hello. We (DH, my in-laws, and me) have two adjacent veranda rooms for our first ever cruise. Alaska in May. We are paid in full, purchased the HAL platinum travel insurance while booking online through HAL direct, and we are checked-in. Sadly, us two ladies can no longer go on the cruise, but we very much want the guys to go and have a great father/son vacation. Based on what I've read I can't simply move my dad-in-law to take my place and cancel the second room. So, I've considered canceling everyone, taking the 10% loss (we get 90% refunded with Platinum Insurance), and just rebook the guys, but I can't do that until the cancelation is refunded. What would you do?

[Sea42]

I would contact your TA or HAL and ask them the best way to accomplish this. Especially if there is one of the cabins that you would really prefer to keep due to location.

Good luck and I hope you and your MIL are able to cruise another time!

[TiogaCruiser]

I too would recommend asking your TA or HAL for the best way to do this. Perhaps move one of the guys first  ( trade) then cancel you ladies. 
 

Whose name are the reservations under?

 

HAL platinum doesn’t cover the increase in fare for a single. So it will be interesting to see what the best way is/ what they are willing to offer 

[crystalspin]

3 hours ago, DDOlson said:

Based on what I've read I can't simply move my dad-in-law to take my place and cancel the second room.

You can surely cancel one room, and move the Dad to your husband's room. As long as one name remains the same. But I wouldn't try to do it today, headquarters is pretty busy with the $1pp deposit birthday promo!

 

Go to however you made the booking: TA or HAL. If you did it on the HAL main line (or online), you will have been assigned a Personal Cruise Consultant, whose name and extension will be in or just below the Blue Banner of your confirmation or any emailed 'ads' from HAL you have rec'd since booking. That person will be your easiest bet to do the changes. But again, not today!

[crystalspin]

9 hours ago, crystalspin said:

You can surely cancel one room, and move the Dad to your husband's room. As long as one name remains the same.

I may have been too emphatic. I re-read and you are after final payment. But you can surely ask, and I hope you only have to cancel one cabin and keep the other. If you do have to cancel both, your PCC can do it without risking the one you want to keep. 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I would call up the  Holland American World Cruise department ( mostly Senior staff) and ask with a Please.

[DDOlson]

These are wonderful suggestions. Thank you all so, so much. Great community by the way. I've been reading the posts for months and have learned so much. Thanks again! 🙂 D.

[richwmn]

Just a note, it would help if the ship is full and there is a wait list. Years ago I was traveling as a solo with two couples. One of the other cabins had someone that couldn't go, so I called and we were able to get me moved into the other cabin, thus freeing up a cabin for the wait list.

 

[crystalspin]

3 hours ago, DDOlson said:

Great community by the way. I've been reading the posts for months and have learned so much.

Forgot to say, welcome to Cruise Critic! Glad you stopped lurking!

[Haljo1935]

Welcome to CC! Unfortunate you have to cancel anyone from the cruise - hope all goes well.

Will you come back to update us on the final outcome? Curious as to what HAL allowed you to do.

[DDOlson]

Hello again, 

Quick update: I called HAL today and a very nice lady helped me. She canceled both of my in-laws, then changed my name to my father-in-law's name (so he and my husband could share the same room). There was a $50 change fee. When my father-in-law was canceled from his first room, his excursions and waitlists were also canceled. Thankfully, she was able to re-book and re-waitlist him for those excursions. I had to pay for the re-booked excursion and will be reimbursed for the canceled excursion. 
While we were on the phone she emailed me proof of the canceled room, and the name change for the room we kept. I really appreciated this, as it allowed me to verify everything before we got off the phone. In total, the call took 1hr & 15min. Most of that time was spent on hold while she was waiting for managerial approval.
Because we purchased platinum travel insurance through HAL, we will get a credit for 90% of the cruise price for the two canceled passengers, not including the cost of travel insurance. 
All-in-all it was way too time consuming, but she was very pleasant to work with and we got it done. I learned that once you are paid in full, you can't cancel or change names yourself, it has to be done on the phone with HAL. So, you were all correct, you have to call. 
I'm sad to not be going, but I'm thrilled the guys are going. They do an annual Father/Son trip every year and an alaskan cruise is the bucket list of trips for them. Very exciting. 🙂 
Anyhoo, thanks again for everyones help. I really appreciate your time.

[Torquer]

Glad it all worked out with what sounds to be a pretty satisfactory conclusion.  Actually to me, a 1.25 hour call sounds very reasonable for what is a pretty complex transaction.  Hope you can go on another cruise soon.

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, DDOlson said:

Hello again, 

Quick update: I called HAL today and a very nice lady helped me. She canceled both of my in-laws, then changed my name to my father-in-law's name (so he and my husband could share the same room). There was a $50 change fee. When my father-in-law was canceled from his first room, his excursions and waitlists were also canceled. Thankfully, she was able to re-book and re-waitlist him for those excursions. I had to pay for the re-booked excursion and will be reimbursed for the canceled excursion. 
While we were on the phone she emailed me proof of the canceled room, and the name change for the room we kept. I really appreciated this, as it allowed me to verify everything before we got off the phone. In total, the call took 1hr & 15min. Most of that time was spent on hold while she was waiting for managerial approval.
Because we purchased platinum travel insurance through HAL, we will get a credit for 90% of the cruise price for the two canceled passengers, not including the cost of travel insurance. 
All-in-all it was way too time consuming, but she was very pleasant to work with and we got it done. I learned that once you are paid in full, you can't cancel or change names yourself, it has to be done on the phone with HAL. So, you were all correct, you have to call. 
I'm sad to not be going, but I'm thrilled the guys are going. They do an annual Father/Son trip every year and an alaskan cruise is the bucket list of trips for them. Very exciting. 🙂 
Anyhoo, thanks again for everyones help. I really appreciate your time.

 

Thanks for coming back to give an update. It sounds like you got someone good to help you. I like that you were sent the confirmations while you were on the phone. An hour and a quarter is a good trade for getting things sorted out and not being out too much money. And another example of why travel insurance is so important.