So Disappointed with HAL's Pricing Games

[pris993]

Personally, I would much rather HAL and other cruise lines would just stick to their prices and stop all of these sales gimmicks. The only way that could happen would be if they all did it. Pick the trip that you want to take and if you can afford it, book it. Having to keep checking prices and perks every few days is a royal pain, but I do it, because I like most others, want the best dead. It would be so much nicer if I could just spend my time looking forward to the trip and not having to worry that I'm getting screwed by pay way more than I have to. Give me the best deal NOW and stick to it.

 

I know how you feel. I feel the same way regarding airlines these days. With computers airlines are sometimes changing seat assignments on a random basis. We use to book flights early after booking a cruise to get seats toward the front of a cabin, now days that doesn't work very well.

[caladezi]

You have mail

 

Why don't you just post the address here to avoid people having to ask you to send it to them? Is it some kind of a secret?

[kazu]

Why don't you just post the address here to avoid people having to ask you to send it to them? Is it some kind of a secret?

 

no - it's considered a travel site and for that reason you are not allowed to post the website on cc.

[hhnew]

I just saw your post now. You have mail.

 

Lorene,

 

Thank you so much!

 

Heather

[caladezi]

no - it's considered a travel site and for that reason you are not allowed to post the website on cc.

 

Well then that rule kind of sucks. Sorry if that breaks some of you upper crust.

[Kazzygirl]

Hi,

 

Can T have the site address too. I have enquired re price drops as everyone here says they are common and as a solo traveller I am eager to get some reprieve from hefty single supplements but now my TA has my booking sealed she just now avoided my emails...funny that. :cool:

[cruz chic]

Hi,

 

Can T have the site address too. I have enquired re price drops as everyone here says they are common and as a solo traveller I am eager to get some reprieve from hefty single supplements but now my TA has my booking sealed she just now avoided my emails...funny that. :cool:

 

It can't be posted to this site.

[cruz chic]

Lorene,

 

Thank you so much!

 

Heather

 

Anytime

[MermaidWatcher]

Cruise cabins are like airplane seats. The price on any given day is driven by the number of available cabins of a given category, the historical data on what the sold number of cabins has averaged , and the real time booking/search activity on them.

I have seen cabin prices fluctuate daily, seen hundreds of dollars difference in sailings just one week apart, and balconies and/or suites that were several hundred dollars cheaper than insides. Doesn't make much sense sometimes, but it is all about max $ yield vs available cabins.

This is just my opinion, but I feel that a new customer to a line is more likely to get extra perks, in the effort to make them a regular, than the dedicated regular customer who automatically returns.

[iancal]

We accept multiple pricing levels on airline flights.

 

Why is so difficult to understand it on cruises?

 

The inventory has many of the same attributes.

[MermaidWatcher]

May I respectfully suggest, it's not just HAL. Without sounding like too much of a conspiracy theorist, I believe here are algorithms being used when it comes to pricing throughout the travel sector.

 

For the past week, my sister and I had both been visiting an airfare site to find the best fare for an upcoming trip. We had long lists of different prices for different itineraries. Last night, on the phone, we both entered the exact same criteria, on the same site, at the same time. And my prices were well above hers (I had searched more often). Again, without meaning to sound paranoid, it seems (from my own personal anecdata) that the more often you pull up the fare, the higher the fare gets.

 

No idea if this is true but I've seen enough to make me believe something's going on here...

 

Without a doubt. Just like airplane tickets, and hotel rooms, the demand and price points are determined by a complicated algorithm that monitors computer information in real time.

[All aboard??]

lorekauf, sorry to be a bother but if you could also email me that webiste I would really appreciate.

 

Currently looking at December 2014 28 nights South Pacific Islands and New Zealand ex Sydney and at AU$6600 for a single inside :eek: I am sure that the prices are going to drop, but given that the cruise also covers Christmas and New Years I am also concerned that the cruise sells out.

 

duanelightfoot@webmail.co.za

[kazu]

lorekauf, sorry to be a bother but if you could also email me that webiste I would really appreciate.

 

Currently looking at December 2014 28 nights South Pacific Islands and New Zealand ex Sydney and at AU$6600 for a single inside :eek: I am sure that the prices are going to drop, but given that the cruise also covers Christmas and New Years I am also concerned that the cruise sells out.

 

duanelightfoot@webmail.co.za

 

Not Lorekauf who is busy getting ready to cruise:) You have mail:D

[cruz chic]

Not Lorekauf who is busy getting ready to cruise:) You have mail:D

 

Oh I wish I was getting ready to cruise. Dealing with work and recovery are more than I can deal with. Thx for handling this. I appreciate it :).

[kazu]

Oh I wish I was getting ready to cruise. Dealing with work and recovery are more than I can deal with. Thx for handling this. I appreciate it :).

 

oops I was thinking your cruise was sooner :o especially with the upsell that you got:D

[barriedavis]

This is marketing, pure and simple. I am 3 star. almost 4, and I live in England. I have just completed a 14 night Baltic on the Ryndam. I could have paid £100 ($150) a day (guarantee inside) for it in March. A week later, it was 17% less, 2 weeks after that it was 18% lower than that. I was happy with that so booked. I got an upgrade to an outside cabin. If you are happy with what you pay, what does it matter. No matter how many times you sail, some on board will have paid more, others will have paid less. That's life.

[C&Sun]

Anytime

 

Could you please email me the web site? Schuettinger at cox dot net. Thanks so much.

[cruz chic]

Could you please email me the web site? Schuettinger at cox dot net. Thanks so much.

You have mail

[SilvertoGold]

This is marketing, pure and simple. I am 3 star. almost 4, and I live in England. I have just completed a 14 night Baltic on the Ryndam. I could have paid £100 ($150) a day (guarantee inside) for it in March. A week later, it was 17% less, 2 weeks after that it was 18% lower than that. I was happy with that so booked. I got an upgrade to an outside cabin. If you are happy with what you pay, what does it matter. No matter how many times you sail, some on board will have paid more, others will have paid less. That's life.

 

What great pricing!!

I agree: marketing is all.

[iancal]

Absolutely...no different than booking a hotel or a flight. I would not even want to guess how many different like for like room rates or air fares exist on a given night(s) in a hotel or on a given flight.

[taba]

Why don't you just post the address here to avoid people having to ask you to send it to them? Is it some kind of a secret?

 

Try an Internet search with something like "cruise price drops". You should,find something that works.

[All aboard??]

This is marketing, pure and simple. I am 3 star. almost 4, and I live in England. I have just completed a 14 night Baltic on the Ryndam. I could have paid £100 ($150) a day (guarantee inside) for it in March. A week later, it was 17% less, 2 weeks after that it was 18% lower than that. I was happy with that so booked. I got an upgrade to an outside cabin. If you are happy with what you pay, what does it matter. No matter how many times you sail, some on board will have paid more, others will have paid less. That's life.

 

I have a quotation for a 28 night collectors in November 2014 ex Sydney from HAL Australia for the USD equivalent of $5,100. Same category, same cruise from an agent in the US is $6,700, a $1600 difference.

 

Needless to say the agent tried to beat it but they merely said the prices are clearly lower in Oz than in the US.

[BruceMuzz]

It's very annoying. Hal really needs to think about who is buttering their bread.

 

You hit the nail on the head. Congratulations.

It appears that HAL has finally figured it out where all that butter is coming from.

 

Today's mass market cruise lines only make profit from selling things to you once you get onboard.

 

Who are the biggest onboard spenders? First time cruisers and infrequent cruisers.

 

Who are the worst onboard spenders? The old timers and frequent cruisers.

 

If you owned a cruise line today, which group would you want sailing on your ships?

[cruz chic]

You hit the nail on the head. Congratulations.

It appears that HAL has finally figured it out where all that butter is coming from.

 

Today's mass market cruise lines only make profit from selling things to you once you get onboard.

 

Who are the biggest onboard spenders? First time cruisers and infrequent cruisers.

 

Who are the worst onboard spenders? The old timers and frequent cruisers.

 

If you owned a cruise line today, which group would you want sailing on your ships?

 

Your generalizations are beyond tiresome. I spend plenty and I've heard of some very cheap new cruises from people that want to smuggle booze on to people that don't want to pay $25 to upgrade from an inside to a balcony. Yeah, those are the people Hal should be chasing:rolleyes:. I'd rather have me then cheapskates.

[wander]

lorekauf,

I am with Bruce on this one. THANK YOU BRUCE FOR YOUR INSIGHT. Bruce certainly knows how the cruise lines think - be it the way we would like or not. They have the numbers, they know exactly how much folks spend and can relate it to number of cruises/days on their line(s). They know the facts, not opinions or personal experiences.

 

Just look at this board on Cruise Critic. Note all the regulars who are NOT new to cruising. Just looking at shore excursions and the discussions of finding private tours to "save money". Few first time cruisers know enough to do so. Since shore excursions are big time money makers for the cruise lines - who do you think they prefer just for this reason alone? I also know that many folks drink less as they age. Give up booze - no, but drink less. More profits gone.

 

I do not know, nor care, what you consider "plenty", Personally I know that when we first began cruising ships got a lot more onboard money from us be it tours, photographs, special meals, the casino, drinks, bingo. Now, they get very little from me for any of these. Am I typical - perhaps yes, perhaps no, but I know I share some of these habits with many folks on cruise critic.