Payment and booking irritations

[Gerd]

...

 

Dear all,

 

if I follow the recent story by Karen and all other mentioned problems about booking "irritations" - then, this brings me to one question:

 

Is it, or should it be like my TA always proceeds;

 

That even while I pay via his Secured-WebBased-Payment, or while I mention to him my Credit Card credentials => I always see on my bank statement HAL as debit and destination office.:)

This is valid for new cruise bookings, OnBoard Gifts and also Excursions.

 

 

 

Dear CCCommunity, if the answer is Yes, I guess, while HAL is directly involved, there is no risk for "lost" or a "wrong destination" of my money.

 

 

Supplementary, ones the deposit is settled, I always receive a HAL booking number. => Which one I check immediately out on HAL‘s Web-Page "for booked guest"

 

 

Is this so far correct???

 

 

Happy cruising

 

G E R D

 

 

 

Our marvelous cruises : :)

 

MS Ryndam – Wayfarer – March 1997

MS Noordam - Transatlantic Island Hook - April 2001

MS Volendam - Southern Caribbean - April 2002

MS Volendam - Westfarer Caribbean - April 2004

MS Prinsendam - Windmills & Waterford – September 2004

MS Westerdam - Western Caribbean - April 2005

MS Statendam - Hawaii Circle - September 2005

MS Rotterdam - Vikings and Czars – July 2006

MS Veendam - Southern Caribbean – March 2007

MS Volendam – Panama Canal – April 2008

 

116 days - 33'054 Nm :

 

 

 

Future Cruise : :p

 

 

10-day Mediterranean Enchantment :

 

 

 

10-day Mediterranean Inaugural Cruise :

 

 

 

12-day Mediterranean Empires :

 

[lvtotrvl1]

To be on the safe side, all charges should be made directly by the cruiseline, not the agency. Very few agencies will charge the card, and even though some do, they are not all crooks. Some agencies will charge the payment and send the net amount due to the cruiseline with an agency check. Doing this allows them to collect the commission earlier. When the cruiseline charges the card, they will send the commission to the agency after final payment has been made (except with group bookings which are paid after travel.)

[Mary Ellen]

You are correct. All charges against your credit card and/or debit should show HAL - not your TA.

[dchip]

After any action on our cruise booking takes place....deposit paid, removal of fuel surcharge, price reduction, final payment.....our TA sends us a Guest Confirmation that HAL faxes to her. We get this almost immediately after any action is taken on our booking.

 

Cheers, Denise

[DaveOKC]

It seems to me that if you are getting a 5% (or whatever) discount for paying early (a year or so) it should be no surprise that the travel agency is going to be holding you money for that time. If it went right to HAL, why would they offer a discount (unless HAL does). I guess my point is, it is just common sense that this is what is going to happen, so if you want it to go directly to HAL, you likely will not be getting a discount.

There is no free lunch. You take the discount and you take the chance that something bad will happen to your funds.

[sylteach]

Am I correct in assuming since I have all my documents in my blue folders and we have been checked in online that everything is ok? I will take along my credit card statements that show I have paid for our excursions directly to HAL. I also printed off their confirmation pages from online. Is that enough to prove that we have paid for the excursions?

[RuthC]

Am I correct in assuming since I have all my documents in my blue folders and we have been checked in online that everything is ok? I will take along my credit card statements that show I have paid for our excursions directly to HAL. I also printed off their confirmation pages from online. Is that enough to prove that we have paid for the excursions?

You're all set. I've never had a problem with my pre-booked shore excursions, but I continue to bring the confirmations, just in case.

[pompey86]

Hi, Does anyone know if the same rules apply to UK travel agents, Ive been told its different here, the agents send the payment to the cruise line?

[jhannah]

... I continue to bring the confirmations, just in case.

Always a good idea. I have met Mr. Murphy too many times. ;)

[Raihi]

You're all set. I've never had a problem with my pre-booked shore excursions, but I continue to bring the confirmations, just in case.

Are you all saying I need to copy my cc bills to show I paid for the trip, along with the excursions?

[skankycat]

Are you all saying I need to copy my cc bills to show I paid for the trip, along with the excursions?

 

Can you get to them on line? If so, that should be enough if you're having problems.

[Raihi]

Can you get to them on line? If so, that should be enough if you're having problems.

Yes, I could, but I just copied everything. Thanks for the suggestion

[RuthC]

Are you all saying I need to copy my cc bills to show I paid for the trip, along with the excursions?

No. If you have your documents/have been able to check in on-line that should be sufficient proof to you that HAL has all it needs to let you board.

I would bring the confirmations of the shore excursions I had booked. HAL already knows they are paid for, as that happens when you book them. I've never had a problem with my shore excursions, but there's no harm in having the list with me, is how I look at it.

[woody73]

I bring copies of my shore excursion bookings, and toss them when the excursion tickets arrive in the stateroom.

 

Woody

[faymuiheng]

Don't forget the confirmations of the on board credit. We had ours, and it made things easier at the front desk when there was a problem.

[cruisecrasy]

I have a confirmation from our TA who is with a large travel agency, for our final payment & listing an OBC provided by them..

 

Anyone ever had a problem getting the cruiseline to honor it?

 

...Thanks for the warning re: taking copies with u - good advice...I tend to be so wrapped up in packing & excitement I tend to ignore common sense sometimes...

 

Happy cruises & lots of 'em! :)