What's your experience with HAL Price Drops after booking Cruises?

I like to book my cruises as soon as the itineraries are available...most times 18 months out. I have always managed to receive any price drops that occur on my bookings with both Princess and Celebrity. :)

What is HAL policy on Price Drops

Does HAL offer regular Sale Options?

Thank You for any info you can share with me.

Pat

If it is before final payment you should have no trouble getting any lower prices that might become available. Earlier this year HAL had a "veranda for the price of an oceanview" sale. I was able to take advantage of that and the price had gone down so I ended up saving $112 and getting the veranda.

We like to book our cruises at least 18 months ahead. On a number of occasions there's been a price drop before final payment and we've usually been able to get the lower price. On one occasion they offered us extra on board credit instead and we were happy to take it, as I was a longer cruise and the amount was reasonable.

Twice we were able to get an upgrade for no change in $. Both times were before final pay date.

You can always re-fare with HAL prior to final payment. However, you need to look at both fares and promo perks, as your new "lower" fare may not include the perks that came with your prior deal.

On one of our cruises we were offered a balcony from an inside cabin for the same price. And on our last cruise which was booked a year in advance we had two price drops for a total of about $600. So keep checking the HAL site. Also on the roll call people will post if there has been a drop.

Allan

Definitely check to see if the price drop is worth the loss of the perks. But make sure of your value of the perks, too. For example, on an upcoming cruise, we had the Explore4 promo which includes the Signature Beverage Package which is valued by HAL at ~$50/day (which happens to be the cost of the package if one was to purchase it). The value to us is only about $25-30/day. The price drop was $600/person so we took the fare reduction and lost the Explore4.

After final payment, if there is a further fare reduction, you can try asking for something like a complimentary upgrade, or OBC. We did this on our last cruise and got a small upgrade. They have no obligation to do anything after final payment but sometimes will. No harm in asking; the worst they can do is say no.

I just had this happen for our cruise to Alaska this summer. We took advantage of a couple of promotions/price drops prior to final payment. Then it dropped again right after final payment. I called the TA, who called HAL. We asked for some OBC, but they said no. I think they're trying to get away from that. First they offered a paid upgrade to a SS. Then FCC. The final offer, which we took, was a complimentary upgrade from VE to a VB aft cabin. It definately paid to ask and negotiate. When you do, make sure that you know in advance what would be acceptable to you and what any perks you may be losing are worth to you.

Definitely check to see if the price drop is worth the loss of the perks. But make sure of your value of the perks, too. For example, on an upcoming cruise, we had the Explore4 promo which includes the Signature Beverage Package which is valued by HAL at ~$50/day (which happens to be the cost of the package if one was to purchase it). The value to us is only about $25-30/day. The price drop was $600/person so we took the fare reduction and lost the Explore4.

 

After final payment, if there is a further fare reduction, you can try asking for something like a complimentary upgrade, or OBC. We did this on our last cruise and got a small upgrade. They have no obligation to do anything after final payment but sometimes will. No harm in asking; the worst they can do is say no.

I agree 100%.

The main thing to remember is that you have to compare your fare, including perks with the new fare and perks. Case in point - when the current Anniversary sale came out I had two cruises booked (6 months and 12 months out). On the first cruise the fare went up so much that the perks were not worth it. On the second, the fare was the same, so I was able to easily add the perks. Same holds true for price drops.

On our upcoming 39 day cruise I saved $4,200 but had to give up a $200 OBC...that was a no brainer! One of the selling points of booking early from our HAL Personal Cruise Consultant is HAL will honor price drops before final payment and she's also said we could possibly get OBC if it's after final payment.

Utahtea

These days all the lines use computer programs to adjust pricing. It has an algorithm that adjusts for supply and demand.

We normally book 6-9 months out. It's been our experience that from that time frame on the prices have gone up and stayed up. Even if they have a "sale" the sale price is still higher than we paid at the 6-9 month mark.

I'd assume that's not the case with every cruise but in our experience it has been for our last 4 bookings. With the way many of the sailings are going out full I see the old method of waiting for "the last minute deals" to be a dying breed.:rolleyes:

We have requested re-fares if prices drop before final payment and had no problem getting them from HAL PCC.

After final payment, when prices dropped we requested our PCC find out what our options were. For last year's cruise we "passed" on the first wave of options about 6 weeks out, but at about 4 weeks out we got a nice upsell (large inside to balcony for $85pp on a 12 night Med cruise). We could have gotten a straight across Inside to OV but poorer location and smaller room.

Our PCC told us that HAL is getting very reluctant to give OBC (it's money out of HAL's pocket) but would likely give 50% of the price drop in future cruise credit.

We just transferred a booking for a 40 night cruise in September from our PCC to a big box Travel Agency in order to gain substantial OBC - we are before final payment and prior to non-refundable deposit. PCC re-fared it prior to transfer and (surprisingly) maintained the original small OBC we were getting from HAL through the PCC on original Mariner pricing.

It's worth it to me to keep watching the fare changes, not only on the HAL site but especially on other TA sites. That's where we found the Limited Inventory Capacity pricing that we snagged and saved about $1500 (on the 40 night, OV), more than covering the Platinum Insurance which we added to the re-fared booking before we transferred.

It takes some work and effort but sometimes you can gain, maybe not always. But you'll get nothing if you don't ask. m--

MY motto is always keep checking. We generally book 12-24 months out for our cruises.

For example, we booked our August 2016 cruse while on our February 2015 one.

Since then I've got 2 sets of price drops for a total of over $1600pp. Anytime see any indications of a sale, I ask my TA to call and check when we have active cruises booked.

Sure we lost $200 OBC on one re-pricing, but hey we saved over $3000 on the cruise so far.

I also check online about once a month and if I see the price is lower, will have my TA call and check. Hey, they can not charge me the higher price, but do have to get me a lower one.

I think I had her check about 5 times and twice we hit it big on price reductions.

 

Our PCC told us that HAL is getting very reluctant to give OBC (it's money out of HAL's pocket) but would likely give 50% of the price drop in future cruise credit.

m--

I don't understand this.

OBC for the current cruise is not OK, but 50% of the price drop in future cruise credit is?

Money out of HAL's pocket either way, is it not?

I don't understand this.

 

OBC for the current cruise is not OK, but 50% of the price drop in future cruise credit is?

 

Money out of HAL's pocket either way, is it not?

Yes I agree with you, money out of their pocket either way. But if they give you a hook of OBC for a future cruise they get your return business.... they already have you for the current booking. Sorry I didn't say it well. m--

Yes I agree with you, money out of their pocket either way. But if they give you a hook of OBC for a future cruise they get your return business.... they already have you for the current booking. Sorry I didn't say it well. m--

Thanks for posting.

You explained it perfectly. Just HAL's round-about way of thinking that confuses the issue.

I expect that is the angle HAL wants to play; pretty smart of course.