Pricing in Euros on HAL's website??

[Laurino]

I just used the cruise finder on HAL's website and got the pricing in EUR all of the sudden. It was still in USD just a couple of days ago!? I suppose they've started to recognize that I'm accessing the site from a European country, even though we don't use EUR in Sweden. Also couldn't attempt a booking, got an unexpected error, but that may be a temporary glitch...

 

Does anyone know if the currency change is permanent? I'm horrified because this means an instant price increase of approximately 10-15% on all itineraries, because of our exchange rates!!

 

We booked our previous (and first) HAL cruise straight through the website with USD pricing and were perfectly happy about everything. HAL is not exactly marketed in Sweden and our cruise TA:s are not that impressive... maybe now we'll have to check with them anyway if they've got access to the "old pricing"...

[IRL_Joanie]

I just used the cruise finder on HAL's website and got the pricing in EUR all of the sudden. It was still in USD just a couple of days ago!? I suppose they've started to recognize that I'm accessing the site from a European country, even though we don't use EUR in Sweden. Also couldn't attempt a booking, got an unexpected error, but that may be a temporary glitch...

 

Does anyone know if the currency change is permanent? I'm horrified because this means an instant price increase of approximately 10-15% on all itineraries, because of our exchange rates!!

 

We booked our previous (and first) HAL cruise straight through the website with USD pricing and were perfectly happy about everything. HAL is not exactly marketed in Sweden and our cruise TA:s are not that impressive... maybe now we'll have to check with them anyway if they've got access to the "old pricing"...

I just did a Cruise Finder search for 14-DAY NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA December 2012, in an SC Category Stateroom and it shows me the pricing in USD from $6,799.00

It may be coming up Euros for you because you are in Sweden???

 

Joanie

[jtl513]

I doubt that they would do an IP trace to determine that you're in Europe. If you used your Mariner number, try without, so it doesn't know who you are. That may make a difference.

[richwmn]

I doubt that they would do an IP trace to determine that you're in Europe. If you used your Mariner number, try without, so it doesn't know who you are. That may make a difference.

John -- geolocation by ip address is relatively easy. Here is an article explaining it. (http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/7856) I know of several sites that use it. When I was recently in KC, several sites gave me information for there, rather than my home.

[jtl513]

John -- geolocation by ip address is relatively easy.

Interesting! But at least I got the part right about not taking the time to do a route trace, didn't I? :)

[Laurino]

I agree with richwmn, geolocation by IP is common, and must be what is happening here. It doesn't help to withhold my mariner number or to switch language or anything else on the website... Also the booking error still occurs...

 

I hope this is not permanent, because it's most unfair. There are many European countries (Sweden included) that don't use EUR. At this time, the SEK>USD exchange rates are much more favorable than the SEK>EUR due to the current economy.

[jayteeaitch]

I just did a Cruise Finder search for 14-DAY NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA December 2012, in an SC Category Stateroom and it shows me the pricing in USD from $6,799.00

It may be coming up Euros for you because you are in Sweden???

 

Joanie

May I assume you mean - Deluxe suite - with either ship - Volen or Zaamdan - the price is $A 5729 - although logon from here - all suites are sold on both ships.:D

 

If the actual cruise is is the same - it probably means that HAL are taking into account the difference of approx 10% stronger $A:rolleyes:

 

MMM:confused:

[jtl513]

I just did a Cruise Finder search for 14-DAY NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA December 2012, in an SC Category Stateroom ...

 

May I assume you mean - Deluxe suite - with either ship - Volen or Zaamdan -

Something doesn't fit here ... neither the Volendam nor Zaandam have SC suites.

[happyglobetrotter]

Yes, for us Canadians, each time we log it is in CAD $. :confused: Since the rate of exchange is not good, we invariably pay and book in US $. The TA arranges that for us.

 

I am currently on QM2 and the website is showing all prices in GPB.

 

I have visited the website many times before from Europe and everything was priced in Euros.

 

There is a way around it. Next time you are in the USA use a different email address and register on the site as a US resident. Then log in from Sweden, and it will be in US $.

 

Another way, try to register from your place of residence and constantly default the country of residence on the form to USA. It will default back to Sweden a few times but I know of persons who have finally been able to register from Canada with a US postal address and a Canadian IP. Just keep trying and choose USA....

 

Good Luck.

[Mairnealach]

I live in Euroland and booked my first cruise, through the HAL website, in early July. The pricing was in euros.

 

I paid the deposit, and will pay the balance, by Visa. The Irish banks charge what they call a 'cross-border handling fee' of 1.72% for all credit card payments made in a non-euro currency. At least I will avoid that surcharge by the price being in euros.

 

Dermot

[jtl513]

There is a way around it. Next time you are in the USA use a different email address and register on the site as a US resident. Then log in from Sweden, and it will be in US $.

Not if the pricing is being selected by the geolocation of the IP address being used in Sweden.

[hawkeye3d]

Yes they do it to Canadians too. The price in CAN$ is a little over 10% more than the price in US$., even though the CAN$ is worth more than the US$. IF you call HAL they will quote you in your currency of choice. The only on line way I have found around this is to “spoof” your IP using something like Hide My IP so I “look” like I am accessing their site from the US

[IRL_Joanie]

... when you first visit HAL's web site are you not directed to choose a Country or language or something like that before you can proceed??

 

If the above is true (it has been 3 years since I've done it), then this is possibly why the OP and other Europeans are seeing their pricing in Euros instead of Dollars.

 

I seem to remember a coupe of years ago, some of our Canadian CC'rs mentioning that they had this same type of situation and had to modify something to see the pricing in USD instead of Canadian $....

 

hawkeye3d, my apologies, I was typing as you were posting:)

 

Joanie

[richwmn]

... when you first visit HAL's web site are you not directed to choose a Country or language or something like that before you can proceed??

 

If the above is true (it has been 3 years since I've done it), then this is possibly why the OP and other Europeans are seeing their pricing in Euros instead of Dollars.

 

I seem to remember a coupe of years ago, some of our Canadian CC'rs mentioning that they had this same type of situation and had to modify something to see the pricing in USD instead of Canadian $....

 

hawkeye3d, my apologies, I was typing as you were posting:)

 

Joanie

Joanie -- you are correct -- HAL for a while asked you to register your country when you first accessed their website, and that selection would stay with you no matter where you took your computer. In order to change it, you needed to delete the "cookie" associated with the HAL website.

 

Now it appears they ARE using geolocation by ip, which means that your pricing will reflect the location your computer is currently connected to, and no previous selection will change that.

 

There exist means of "spoofing" or "anonomizing" your ip address, but then your pricing would reflect the location of the exit node for the particular service you are using, which may or may not be in the US.

 

Rich

[happyglobetrotter]

I can get all prices in US $$$$ from Europe, Canada, Asia and even the QM2 after I enter the site using the *my account login on* under the email address I used to register <from the USA>.

[happyglobetrotter]

Not if the pricing is being selected by the geolocation of the IP address being used in Sweden.

 

if you are a travelling <American> with a HAL account registered under a US address, when you log in, you will see all prices in US $$$ regardeless of the location or country you are in!

[IRL_Joanie]

Joanie -- you are correct -- HAL for a while asked you to register your country when you first accessed their website, and that selection would stay with you no matter where you took your computer. In order to change it, you needed to delete the "cookie" associated with the HAL website.

 

Now it appears they ARE using geolocation by ip, which means that your pricing will reflect the location your computer is currently connected to, and no previous selection will change that.

 

There exist means of "spoofing" or "anonomizing" your ip address, but then your pricing would reflect the location of the exit node for the particular service you are using, which may or may not be in the US.

 

Rich

 

See, I learn something everyday:) I was not aware of the change. Now I am:)

 

Joanie

[richwmn]

I can get all prices in US $$$$ from Europe, Canada, Asia and even the QM2 after I enter the site using the *my account login on* under the email address I used to register <from the USA>.

 

if you are a travelling <American> with a HAL account registered under a US address, when you log in, you will see all prices in US $$$ regardeless of the location or country you are in!

 

This appears to be a recent change -- have you been able to get US $$$$ prices from all the locations you mention within the last week, month or quarter??

 

Rich

[Laurino]

It seems I didn't read the fine print properly, I suppose I was too surprised to notice. It now says "fares include government fees and taxes". I'm pretty sure fees and taxes weren't included previously, when the fares were in USD. However I still get the booking error, hence I can't continue the booking process and confirm this... previously the taxes were always added during the booking process...

 

If this gets confirmed, I'll feel really stupid for starting this thread :o I'm sorry! I will however be glad that our budget is back on track again...

[IRL_Joanie]

........

If this gets confirmed, I'll feel really stupid for starting this thread :o I'm sorry! I will however be glad that our budget is back on track again...

Please do not feel stupid!!!!!!!!! I, and others learned a couple of really important things that we'd never have known about regarding pricing and locations, cookies etc!!

 

If you'd not asked, we'd never have known:)

 

Thank you for asking the question!!

 

Joanie

[Laurino]

After I posted the thread here, I e-mailed to HAL tech support about the booking problems I was experiencing. I've tried to book on different days and from several different computers, browsers and locations (home vs work) without success.

 

Today I got the final reply from application support, that the issue has been resolved in an update to the website yesterday! Indeed I now seem to be able to continue the booking process, though I haven't tried a complete booking yet. I'm happy to report that the prices are now quoted in EUR and inclusive of fees and taxes, and the prices seem to be equivalent to the former USD prices :)

 

So no worries left, but it sure took HAL a while to fix the problem (almost a month)!

Thanks for your support!