Pricing Experiment

[Navy_Chief]

With all the posts lately dealing with pricing on line, I decided to do a little research test using a popular price competition website using the criteria listed with the results shown. Of course, this is just a pricing test and does not deal any "fine print" things such as cancelation fees from the various agents.

 

Sailing: Noordam 2/28 / Category VF GTY

Prices shown are per person, taxes and fees included in the price.

 

HAL Website: $1,278.26

 

Agent 1: $1,262.50 / lunch at the Pinnacle Grill and $50 onboard credit

 

Agent 2: $1,179.36

 

Agent 3: $1,167.50

 

Agent 4: $1,278.26 / 200 per cabin ship board credit

 

Agent 5: $1,140.43

 

Agent 6: $1,278.26 / $50 CASH REBATE AFTER SAILING

 

Agent 7: $1,278.26

[cruisinjudy]

Agent 4 looks like a great deal!

[jtl513]

Interesting! And odd that 4, 6, and 7 are exact to the penny, yet 7 gives no bennie! :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Actually over all the best price is #5, all the prices are per person so actually you are paying just a bit more in #4

But over all what I think Navy Chief is saying is that they are all so very close. I actually do not mind paying a few dollars more to my TA tht give me good service.

[Navy_Chief]

Just a note about agent 4, the SBC is for the cabin so realisticly, take $100 off the price shown which is about equil to agents 2,3, and 5. Also, you still have to pay that price to the agent (the SBC comes later). I just wanted to make the clarification. Your right jt, and notice it is to the penny what HALs price is.

[jtl513]

Your right jt, and notice it is to the penny what HALs price is.

 

Oh yeah! I missed THAT! :D

[Navy_Chief]

Agents 4, 6, and 7 are the same as HALs site. Of course, there are the SBCs; agent 1 is also close to HALs price as well with the SBC. What does it cost to eat lunch in the Pinnacle? I'm curious what the value of that is. The one that cracks me up is agent 6 who is charging the same as HAL but will give you back $50 AFTER you cruise :D. I'll try stopping by some local TAs to try and see what I hear from them.

[Fatfish]

Ok...whose behind door 5?

[kryos]

We also don't know whether taxes and port charges are included on some of the quotes and not others. Also, are these cash OBC's ... to be used in any manner the passenger sees fit, or are they compiled of various types of vouchers; i.e., cruise DVD credit, photo shop credit, Pinnacle Grill "Experience," etc.?

 

I still say ... basically you pay just about the same no matter which travel agent you may use. Where you make out is if the cruise does not sell well, and HAL is forced to discount it. Then, you can pick up some killer deals by cancelling and rebooking at the lower rate, assuming you are not in the penalty period.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Navy_Chief]

At this point, I tend to agree Rita, they all are about the same. As far as these particular quotes go, the prices your looking at include the taxes and fees (which I have found to be absolutely consisant across the board at $79 pp). The bits about the "extras" offered are what were related in the quotes; again you make a good point, $50 in SBC could mean a bottle of champeign and some flowers (though one clearly states lunch at the Pinnacle for two, $30 dollar value, $15 each). All of these TAs had telephone numbers to call if you wanted to book that way so you could ask all these questions if you wanted. Today, I'm going to pick up the yellow pages and call 3 local area agents for quotes.

[Len3]

I've now booked 4 cruises online. Everything was perfect with all 4, however, in checking with 3 local TA's, they couldn't come close to the online agents. Just my experience.

[kryos]

Today, I'm going to pick up the yellow pages and call 3 local area agents for quotes.

Just for giggles, if you have the time, you should call HAL too. See what they are selling the cabin for.

 

Of course, I realize you could get that info off the website, but calling them might yield more information, such as if they have a promo running on that particular cruise which would lower the price from that listed on the website.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Navy_Chief]

I'll do that. thier price on the website is $1,278.26; I wonder if that's with the View&Veranda promo?

[molly361]

I'll do that. thier price on the website is $1,278.26; I wonder if that's with the View&Veranda promo?

 

I'm not sure if the View and Veranda is really any sort of sale- We booked the Westerdam months ago for November 2007 and got a rate of $1068 per person for a VF including tax and port- I called yesterday figuring that we could get a better rate or an upgrade like stated on the HAL website, price is exactly the same $1068- go figure!!:confused: They said you don't get upgrades they just lower the category price

[GeriatricNurse]

With all the posts lately dealing with pricing on line, I decided to do a little research test using a popular price competition website using the criteria listed with the results shown. Of course, this is just a pricing test and does not deal any "fine print" things such as cancelation fees from the various agents.

 

Sailing: Noordam 2/28 / Category VF GTY

Prices shown are per person, taxes and fees included in the price.

 

HAL Website: $1,278.26

 

Agent 1: $1,262.50 / lunch at the Pinnacle Grill and $50 onboard credit

 

Agent 2: $1,179.36

 

Agent 3: $1,167.50

 

Agent 4: $1,278.26 / 200 per cabin ship board credit

 

Agent 5: $1,140.43

 

Agent 6: $1,278.26 / $50 CASH REBATE AFTER SAILING

 

Agent 7: $1,278.26

 

 

:) I would be interested to know the price of the "discounted" Mariner Society in this pricing experiment!

[sparkly]

Thank you so much for verifying what I knew to be true! I book with a great gentleman at HAL and he works hard to get us what I always feel is the right price. He will either add us to a group or set us up as a group. I used to watch prices like a hawk and call him all of the time to check this sale or check that sale, which he graciously does, and laughs.

I was always afraid of being flamed for booking with HAL directly.

On the other hand, I am an educator andcan only vacation when thedistrict tells me I can. Read that as high seasons!

[Navy_Chief]

:) I would be interested to know the price of the "discounted" Mariner Society in this pricing experiment!

Ward, I did input my Mariners number when doing the price check on line. I also did the same check without the Mariner's number and the price was identical. We'll see what HAL says when I talk to them.

[Schplinky]

We used what I imagine is the same search engine to find a price for our site. We wound up paying $150 less than what HAL was offering. We made a point of checking the agent out with Better Business Bureau Online (as you would check out a local agent with BBB locally) and have been thrilled by the service and, obviously, the price. I think that if we needed more guidance in selecting a cruise, a hands-on local agent might make sense but in this case, we chose the agent because we know what we want and he got us a better price than anyone else. We also made sure there was no cancellation fee and that he would honor any price drops. While we didn't have any need to cancel (we go in two weeks), I can report that he willingfully honored a price drop.

[GeriatricNurse]

Ward, I did input my Mariners number when doing the price check on line. I also did the same check without the Mariner's number and the price was identical. We'll see what HAL says when I talk to them.

 

 

:) Hi Navy Chief:

Isn't that interesting/peculiar! The price with/without your Mariner's Society number was IDENTICAL!!!

I would be very interested how HAL would account for the identical price! Being a Mariner Society member myself, I thought that one of the benefits was "preferential pricing"?

[gizmo]

:) Hi Navy Chief:

 

Isn't that interesting/peculiar! The price with/without your Mariner's Society number was IDENTICAL!!!

 

I would be very interested how HAL would account for the identical price! Being a Mariner Society member myself, I thought that one of the benefits was "preferential pricing"?

 

 

This is nothing new. Many times you will find the same price for both on Hal's site. They will tell you it is some kind of sale.

 

In most cases Mariner discounts no longer mean anything. You can go to many internet sites and get a price lower than the Mariner price.

[Grumpy1]

. Today, I'm going to pick up the yellow pages and call 3 local area agents for quotes.

Someone has Way to much time on his hands:D ... but thanks for the research. It's quite interesting.

[Navy_Chief]

Lol its Friday and I'm board Grumpy. The Chief's Club doesn't open until 3PM on the Subase, what can I say:D By the way, fair winds and following seas on your cruise shipmate! wish I was going again. I know HAL gives certificates out for crossing the equator, do theygive out "Blue Nose" certificates for the artic/antatric circle?

[jimmy2x]

Very interesting thread. I use HAL's on-line pricing strictly as a guideline and always get better rates through my TA, and even more important the benefit of his experience.

 

I suspect that the price difference may be greater for those who book further out. Last February while on the Ryndam booked with the onboard consultant for this year's 14 day Veendam cruise. She quoted us app. $3100/pp for a "B" cabin (which was identical to HAL's website price). Transferred the booking while still on the ship to my TA and actually bought the cruise for $2550/pp while retaining the onboard credit. To me, this was a significant savings.:)

[molly361]

:)

 

Isn't that interesting/peculiar! The price with/without your Mariner's Society number was IDENTICAL!!!

 

I would be very interested how HAL would account for the identical price! Being a Mariner Society member myself, I thought that one of the benefits was "preferential pricing"?

I was also told the same thing when we booked our Westerdam cruise several months ago- the pricing was the same whether a Mariner member or not and is still the same today even with the View and Veranda sale:eek:

[Fatfish]

Ok..your all hired!!

If you have all this time on your hands, how about checking the Veendam for April 1 ,2007 Transatlantic...cat nn guarentee but wait till after final payment is due on 1/16 or 1/17...LOL