Reductions in Cruise Prices

[grayjoh]

What is the policy of Holland America with regards to reductions in the price

of your cruise after you have booked and paid a deposit. We booked a cruise via a travel agent in Feb 2006 to travel Nov 2006 and notice that is is now

substantially reduced.

[rkacruiser]

Have your travel agent contact HAL and you will receive the reduced price. Same thing has happened to me. I booked in March, 2006 for a November, 2006 cruise and the price dropped. I received the lower fare--with a $50 onboard credit thrown in as well!

[elmorejj]

Have your TA call HAL and ask for the reduction. As long as the new prices aren`t "for new bookings only" you should be able to get it. We have done that on several occasions...no problem...........jean:cool:

[debjo]

What would happen if you have paid your "final payment" and you see a huge price reduction for your cabin category? Are there any hopes of getting some of your money back...perhaps in the form of an "on-board credit"?

 

Debjo

[torpeedo]

You should ask for an onboard credit or an upgrade. I have heard that this is usually the way things go after final payment..

[grannynurse]

If the price has been reduce by 10% or more, I've heard that you get the refund. However our 9/17 fares went down according to a HAL Mariner promo that we received and HAL told our TA that the ship was full and that the promo had ended early.

GN

[debjo]

Thanks for those tips...

...I'll tuck them away in my memory banks...just in case the fares get lower...but perhaps I'm just being too wishful as we've already gotten a couple big decreases in our rates between our deposit and final payment time.

 

Debjo

[Namvet4]

Thanks for those tips...

...I'll tuck them away in my memory banks...just in case the fares get lower...but perhaps I'm just being too wishful as we've already gotten a couple big decreases in our rates between our deposit and final payment time.

 

Debjo

 

Debjo, or anyone else who can help.... How do you know about decreases? As background, my DW and I visited a brick and mortar TA, did price comparison on the 'Net and went with an online TA. Do I urge the online TA to "inquire" about reductions and/or price changes or should I go direct...Guidance greatly appreciated...

[Sunshine91]

Namvet - Are you already a Mariner? John & I weren't getting any mailings or e-mail from HAL until I contacted ship services (via HAL's website) to request them. Now my inbox is bombarded several times a week. We get something in the mailbox about every other week or so. I don't mind - love to look at cruise lit.

Anyhow, that's how I know.

[mr. godfredo]

I just got a price reduction on my Novewmbder 19th Westerdam cruise! I saw it for a cheaper price on the internet and called my TA and he adjusted my rate. I had not made the final payment however! If you are going to ask for a lower price, please don't forget to add taxes, fees, and port charges. Sometimes these things are not added in or listed!:D

[cruznon]

Just curious, what happens if you're booked thru HAL and you see the price drop? Do they honor the new, lower price?

[luckybirman]

My internet agent charges nothing for any changes I make, and told me if I found any better prices, to call. I've reduced the price 3 times already and added an on board credit of $100, all through Holland America newer promos or lower prices found elsewhere. My agent even rebooked us with the same room as a "New Booking" (after 4 months) so we would qualify for the latest new booking only offer. The agents can't be expected to keep track of ALL their bookings and clients for EVERY reduction. You need to bookmark the best discount website, and keep checking it for reductions, then call your agent. My agent also helped me with the best side of the ship for viewing based on the docking, etc. For any other info, email me at luckycatnj@yahoo.com.

[drdaddy]

In all the cruises I have done, I have yet to get any reductions. Do I just get the best deal from the get go? I doubt it.

 

What sites do y'all monitor? I know if my own TA gets lower rates she will take care of it but where to look?

 

Thanks.

[grayjoh]

Do Holland America offer the refund on reduced cruises to US clients only or have any UK clients obtained such a refund after their cruise had been reduced by Holland America.

 

Travel Agents in the UK do not appear to monitor prices like the US travel agents and it is really left to the client to check.

[debjo]

For Namvet4 & drdaddy...

We always have used the same "brick & mortar) cruise planner (who over the last 5 years has become a very good friend), and have never gone through an "on-line" agency. I think the personalized service and working "face to face" one gets from a local cruise planner is invaluable...they get to know your likes & dislikes and can steer you into something that "best" suits your needs...or out of something that they think isn't going to be too good for you.

 

For our first two cruises, I think I had our cruise planner on the phone nearly every day with my "incessant questions"! After learning "the ropes" from her during those first two trips, I began to search for the lowest priced sailing in our brochures...then I searched the popular internet travel sites (Exed--, Trav---city, Orb--z, and even a site called *****) for an even better price. Once I found a price that was too good to believe, I contacted our cruise planner with that price and she has ALWAYS been able to do better. Periodically she would check the pricing during the time between our deposit & final payment, and when she found a reduction, she'd surprise us with even more savings! Since I know how busy she is, I took it upon myself to check the pricing this year on a VERY regular basis. It seems that the HAL site price changes (if there are any) are done and posted by Monday of each week. So, my Monday routine was to check that, along with monitering when the Shore Excursions were posted for on-line bookings. When I found a PRICE DECREASE, I contacted our cruise planner and she went to work for us. By using the prices on the HAL website, I didn't fall prey to the "new bookings only" clause as is most often seen in the "special" mailings from HAL. The work that our cruise planner did back in 2002 for us...we ended up paying half of what we originally deposited for! This year, with the price reductions that I've caught, we're saving over $800 per person from what we originally signed on for! (Since this is to be a "special occasion cruise...we have booked our first "suites" on the ship and this "savings" has brought the cruise fare down to a level that we're much more comfortable with.)

 

In short, the "secret forumula" for us is in having a super cruise planner and being very diligent in my research. And, even though we hadn't previously sailed with HAL, we had sailed twice with two other cruiselines in the Carnival Corporation "family", so we were initially able to take advantage of a "past-passenger" discount too! Also, we booked this cruise well over a year in advance, so we've had a lot of time to "moniter" things!

 

To wrap things up...I should share that we always make sure we show our appreciation for everything our cruise planner accomplishes for us...with souvenirs from our trip, and little "surprises" throughout the year, of things she "collects". Her services have been invaluable to us along with all of the knowledge that she has shared. I still can't believe that she does all this for us (and each one of her clients) with no fees charged to us whatsoever...she gets paid a commission from the cruiselines, and sometimes I feel guilty when we end up with a phenomenal savings, which I'm sure cuts into her commission. I asked her about it one day and her response was that she is just as overjoyed in getting her clients a savings as the clients are in getting it! I guess that is why she gets so much repeat business & "word of mouth" advertising in our area. I can't express how much I value her expertise and friendship!

 

Debjo

[Shaco]

The problem with cancelling an existing booking to take advantage of new booking prices is losing the cost of travel insurance purchased within days of the initial booking so that preexisting medical conditions are covered.

[ODECCIT]

In all the cruises I have done, I have yet to get any reductions. Do I just get the best deal from the get go? I doubt it.

 

What sites do y'all monitor? I know if my own TA gets lower rates she will take care of it but where to look?

 

Thanks.

 

 

I always check two of them cruise.com and cruisedeals.com

[Namvet4]

:) Thank You everybody who contributed a response!

Greatly appreciated!

I will be keeping on eye out on the HAL site every monday to at least keep current........

[jodster]

My husband and I are on the 11/12/2006 Westerdam sailing and the price we booked at back in May had been lowered so our TA called and HAL honored the price reduction even though it wasn't a new booking.

[Navy_Chief]

Just curious, what happens if you're booked thru HAL and you see the price drop? Do they honor the new, lower price?

We are booked through HAL and HAL just posted a 3 day sale on our Noordam trip. My wife and I booked ourselves and my parents in a VF with an upgrade to a VD (part of a promo). HAL came in with a price reduction which we got, that along with our Down Payment got us to the point that HAL refunded us money. Then my brother booked the cabin (VF) directly above us during the first sale. HAL then had two more promos that applied. One was $100 shipboard credit, the other was free bus transfers from our home town to NYC (your choice the transfer or the SBC). We took the transfers because it saved us a bunch more than the SBC. Now this current sale is based on VF cabins. My brother just saved an extra $400. They had to cancel his booking and rebook it but he got the same room assigned to him because he was in a VF already, HAL wasn't going to make him take the guarantee. He also kept his free transfers as well and HAL ensured to link everything back up so we're at a table for 6 during dinner just as before. Now if we wanted to we could change our booking as well but we would have to take a guarantee VF. We desided to stay put as our cabins are all right next to each other. I did some price checks with the BIG 3 online agents and 2 of the online agents listed on CC and the prices are the same. I'm satisfied with the service from HAL as well.