Will HAL match a fare?

[PoseidonGodoftheSea]

Will HAL match a cruisefare found through one of the big online websites? I ask because I currently have booked with them on a cruise but I want to move my deposit to another ship/itinerary. It would be easier to transfer it through HAL but if they won't match it, I'd be better of cancelling and rebooking.

 

Advice?

[cruz chic]

Will HAL match a cruisefare found through one of the big online websites? I ask because I currently have booked with them on a cruise but I want to move my deposit to another ship/itinerary. It would be easier to transfer it through HAL but if they won't match it, I'd be better of cancelling and rebooking.

 

Advice?

I'm pretty much thinking you've got zero chance of HAL doing that. I would love to hear if they would. Maybe others have some good ideas.

[sail7seas]

No....most likely not.

 

Though things could change as we watch how the U.S. economy struggles along.

What was true a year ago may not be true a year from now???

[cruz chic]

No....most likely not.

 

Though things could change as we watch how the U.S. economy struggles along.

What was true a year ago may not be true a year from now???

We can only hope they would match....that would work for me. I'll be shocked to see it however.

[PoseidonGodoftheSea]

Thanks, I might not have to now. I finally got through on HAL's website, its been down a lot or busy, and it appears that their quoted prices are not too different from what I'm seeing elsewhere.

 

By the way, this is for the Zaandam Hawaii cruises next April. I'm also looking at the Sea of Cortez sailings on Ryndam.

 

I think I'm going to do it.

[chrismch]

The TA website might be quoting a special group rate which HAL doesn't have to honor for an individual. However, sometimes when I've received a "special rate" from an email when I check it on the TA site it is sold out or no longer available even when it shows it on their home page.

 

Would like to note however that I have recently been able to be "re-fared" for a cruise next yr with my TA resulting in a big discount which I first heard about on my roll call.

[richwmn]

Please remember that HAL has three different ways to book a cruise directly. Website, general call in, and Personal Cruise Consultant. Each has a slightly different price and different amounts of flexibility in pricing. The price I have received from my PCC has remained at or below what I have seen on websites for my last 2 cruises.

 

Rich

[cruz chic]

Please remember that HAL has three different ways to book a cruise directly. Website, general call in, and Personal Cruise Consultant. Each has a slightly different price and different amounts of flexibility in pricing. The price I have received from my PCC has remained at or below what I have seen on websites for my last 2 cruises.

 

Rich

So how do you get a PCC that can get you that better price?

[richwmn]

So how do you get a PCC that can get you that better price?

We are not allowed to discuss specifics. I guess I got lucky in that I got one who I can talk to and watches out for me. Like choosing anything, call and ask to be assigned a PCC, then see how you like them.

 

Rich

[Philip217]

Cruise Lines NEVER compete directly with travel agents.

In the travel industry that would be suicide.

[jhannah]

Cruise Lines NEVER compete directly with travel agents.

In the travel industry that would be suicide.

You're absolutely right. No cruise line can afford to undercut their bread-and-butter travel agencies/agents.

[sail7seas]

Yes... But the question is how much are cruise lines going to try to move away from TA's and make as many 'in house' bookings as possible.

 

In a perfect world, wouldn't they love to have a huge percentage of the bokings go through their website? Most cost effective way there is, isn't it?

 

There are fewer brick and mortar. More people are doing on line bookings than ever. Wouldn't HAL be delighted if they all skipped the 'on line cruise bookers' in favor of booking direct with HAL?

 

 

[jhannah]

Yes, that would be the ideal for them. But even with some travel agencies closing their doors, agencies sell the bulk of cruises. I personally don't see this changing. When people first start cruising, they generally want/need to sit down and talk with someone face-to-face to help lead them through the process. Later on, they may migrate to online booking as they become comfortable with the process. But with cruise lines going all out to recruit new customers, these new customers will most likely go to a brick-and-mortar TA. JMO.

[cruz chic]

Yes... But the question is how much are cruise lines going to try to move away from TA's and make as many 'in house' bookings as possible.

 

In a perfect world, wouldn't they love to have a huge percentage of the bokings go through their website? Most cost effective way there is, isn't it?

 

There are fewer brick and mortar. More people are doing on line bookings than ever. Wouldn't HAL be delighted if they all skipped the 'on line cruise bookers' in favor of booking direct with HAL?

 

 

I totally agree.

[cruz chic]

We are not allowed to discuss specifics. I guess I got lucky in that I got one who I can talk to and watches out for me. Like choosing anything, call and ask to be assigned a PCC, then see how you like them.

 

Rich

Sorry about the question. I didn't realize that was an issue. I thought you could not discuss names of agencies or websites. Learn something new everyday. I wonder how easy it would be to get assigned a PCC. I would think they wouldn't be too quick to pass you on. That said I'll give it a try next time I book a cruise with HAL. I've got nothing to lose. Thanks for the answer:) .

[richwmn]

Yes... But the question is how much are cruise lines going to try to move away from TA's and make as many 'in house' bookings as possible.

 

In a perfect world, wouldn't they love to have a huge percentage of the bookings go through their website? Most cost effective way there is, isn't it?

 

There are fewer brick and mortar. More people are doing on line bookings than ever. Wouldn't HAL be delighted if they all skipped the 'on line cruise bookers' in favor of booking direct with HAL?

 

Yes, that would be the ideal for them. But even with some travel agencies closing their doors, agencies sell the bulk of cruises. I personally don't see this changing. When people first start cruising, they generally want/need to sit down and talk with someone face-to-face to help lead them through the process. Later on, they may migrate to online booking as they become comfortable with the process. But with cruise lines going all out to recruit new customers, these new customers will most likely go to a brick-and-mortar TA. JMO.

 

I agree that first time cruisers, and some others, need the hand holding of a local B&M agency. Some prefer that relationship throughout their life. But with more and more online TA's being just "booking machines", why should the cruise lines pay them a commission. The commission is supposed to pay for the support the TA gives the customer, support that is now given by this forum and others like it. I know three people that have online Travel Agencies. Two of them I wouldn't trust to book air fare. The other one knows at least a little about travel. The first two have both told me at different time to book with them so they get the commission, but neither expect to answer any questions at all.

 

Rich

[sail7seas]

DH and I are the example of HAL's goal.

 

We used brick and mortar always, for years, and are fairly good customers. There are almost no brick and mortars (worthy of considering using) in my area. They have all gone out of business.

 

We chose to find a PCC at HAL and do all bookings that way now. I don't do any bookings directly on line because I don't like the design of the site. Some of the changes they made on the site were NOT for the better in terms of user friendly IMO. If it was better designed, more people might use it. IMO

 

[wander]

A couple of questions come to mind from the above comments.

 

1. I wonder how the salary (plus benefits) HAL pays a PCC compares with the commission they pay a travel agency that books the same amount of HAL cruise business?

 

2. Travel agencies do alot of second level advertising for the cruise lines, well actually themselves, but the cruise line benefits if it brings in business. This only costs cruise lines IF the advertising brings in business through the TA. So, it cuts down on the up-front costs for the cruise line when someone else does much of the advertising for them. Is this beneficial to the cruise line's bottom line? In business school we learned that the answer is Yes, but maybe they are wrong.

[Philip217]

Cruise Lines definitely do not want to handle the day to day bookings of cruises. Neither do the airlines for that matter.

 

It is far more cost effective to have the TAs do it.

 

TAs have hundreds of thousands of employees spread all over the planet, working (unpaid directly by the cruise lines) to sell cruises and answer endless questions from the public.

 

The cruise lines could never afford to assemble the resources that are already provided by Travel Agents. 10% commissions are a very small price to pay to have someone else do it better.

 

HAL for example has a tiny headquarters in Seattle. They would have to invest hundreds of millions in construction and hiring just to get it all started if they wanted to take it "in house" in Seattle. Labor costs with American employees would be enormous. How about covering the rest of the world?

 

Those highly paid Cruise Line (and airline) executives are pretty smart guys. If it really was more desirable for the cruise lines and airlines to process all or most of their own bookings, don't you think that at least one of these brilliant fellows might have tried it already?

 

A bit of trivia for you: When Renaissance Cruises first started up in the late 1980s, their first CEO announced that they were the cruise line of the future. He told the world that Renaissance Cruises didn't need Travel Agents. The company was nearly bankrupted within 6 months. The CEO was fired and replaced by Mark Conroy - who had an especially great reputation with Travel Agents, Despite Mark's efforts, the company never completely recovered from this blunder. Most industry insiders saw this as the beginning of the end for Renaissance.

[brucory]

I am sure there are lots of opinions about the need for TA's etc... Some people may need them, but others dont. We havent used them except to book/process our cruise/payments. We have used the online agencie based on lowest price and done the research ourselves. I would much prefer dealing with the cruiseline's website direct. There are a few ways that the burden of processing cost can be reduced by the cruiselines and non refundable bookings are one possible way.

 

Like airlines, eventually, cruiselines will offer more competitive prices with all processing by a computer system rather than by people. It seems as though this is already well and truly happening with online checkin etc.

 

A cruiseline that we are contemplating booking (NOT HAL) is offering superior value to any agent through their website. Personally I think there will be a lot more of this. And it will be a good thing for my wallet.... (but not for TA's) :o

[JORAY]

Along this line of using a local TA -- This is a comment in a E-mail from my TA when she advised the new increase in the fuel surcharge would not affect my current bookings.

 

Ray

 

Just an FYI – it doesn’t affect anything that is already booked. It’s getting really ridiculous the surcharges, taxes, fees and “non-coms”, are now more than the cost of a cheap cabin. There is no commission on any of these so TAs are working harder for less money.

[jhannah]

Travel agencies do alot of second level advertising for the cruise lines, well actually themselves, but the cruise line benefits if it brings in business. This only costs cruise lines IF the advertising brings in business through the TA.

Not necessarily. Much of that branded advertising you see is co-op, meaning the cruise line participates in the cost of the ad along with the agency.

 

There is no commission on any of these so TAs are working harder for less money.

This is true ... but IIRC the cruise lines DID pay TAs a flat fee per customer to provide some compensation for their efforts when the fuel surcharge initially was announced and they had to notify their clients.

[pms4104]

My experience is that HAL would not match the price being offered by a local brick and mortar T/A.

 

Couple of years ago, I booked with a HAL PCC. Several weeks later, I received a promo piece from a local T/A who is associated with a large auto membership group. The offer was several hundred per person less for the identical sailing and cabin that we booked directly with HAL. Asked my PCC if she could/would match. Altho she told me HAL could not match the price, she was kind enough to tell me how to transfer our booking to the T/A so we could take advantage of the T/A promotional pricing. Transferring the booking allowed us to keep our cabin assignment, OBC, confirmed dining. Cancel and rebook would have cost us some or all of that.

[Jade13]

Please remember that HAL has three different ways to book a cruise directly. Website, general call in, and Personal Cruise Consultant. Each has a slightly different price and different amounts of flexibility in pricing. The price I have received from my PCC has remained at or below what I have seen on websites for my last 2 cruises.

 

Rich

 

Rich, I have never heard of HAL offering different prices through their PPC or online.

[Grumpy1]

My experience is that HAL would not match the price being offered by a local brick and mortar T/A.

 

Couple of years ago, I booked with a HAL PCC. Several weeks later, I received a promo piece from a local T/A who is associated with a large auto membership group. The offer was several hundred per person less for the identical sailing and cabin that we booked directly with HAL. Asked my PCC if she could/would match. Altho she told me HAL could not match the price, she was kind enough to tell me how to transfer our booking to the T/A so we could take advantage of the T/A promotional pricing. Transferring the booking allowed us to keep our cabin assignment, OBC, confirmed dining. Cancel and rebook would have cost us some or all of that.

My experience was the same as yours. IIRC, the HAL rep gave me a release number, I gave that to the TA that was taking the booking, she faxed the release number to HAL, got an acknowledgement and the deed was done.