HAL charges Europeans and Americans different prices for the same cruise

[KirkNC]

The way that it works is that the American booking company won't accept your booking for HAL.

 

This is how it was explained to me by a HAL rep: "Holland America Line and its agencies have invested significant effort and resources to work with agencies to develop effective sales programs focused on customers in the geographic areas. This will assure that Holland America Line competes as effectively as possible with other cruise lines and vacation alternatives. Holland America Line is concerned to ensure that the marketing and promotional activities of agencies located in particular geographic areas are not subject to 'free riding' on those investments by consumers located outside that geographic area."

I find the last line difficult to understand. If anyone cares to explain it, feel free.

 

Just so you know, the same policy applies to Australians.

[harryt8]

To overcome this price differential between what we Australians are charged for a typical cruise and what you get offered the US and Canada, I thought I'd use a "proxy server" to bypass HAL's IP address reader that re-directs me to their Sydney office.

(If that "IT speak" confuses you, my apologies).

I can obtain the US pricing (which is cheaper), but then I'm confounded by the requirement to have a domicile address in the US, etc etc.

I'm still investigating, but ChrisPB's post #21 at the top of this page referring to a "sticky" on TripAdvisor.com may be of interest.

Differential pricing by HAL (and others) stinks.

[whogo]

The TripAdvisor cruise forum is well hidden. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g1-i10703-Cruises.html

[iancal]

There is a huge difference between the pricing for publicly funding venues like museums and private commercial enterprise like airlines, hotels, and cruise lines.

 

I can well understand a public museum charging non citizens a higher entry fee. I may not like it, but I understand it.

 

The bottom line for some cruise lines, including HAL, seems to be price what the market will bear AND put up artificial roadblocks so that the increased pricing can be enforced. Then write up a few weasel words for the locals to make them feel good about paying more.

 

That, IMHO, is the long and the short of it. And I think that most cruisers in countries where this applies will agree.

 

It is very easy for someone in North America to make excuses, brush it off, or agree with the company bumpf when they are not the person who is being subjected on a regular basis to significantly higher fares and being artificially blocked from booking in another country.

[Ship's Wake]

The way that it works is that the American booking company won't accept your booking for HAL.

 

This is how it was explained to me by a HAL rep: "Holland America Line and its agencies have invested significant effort and resources to work with agencies to develop effective sales programs focused on customers in the geographic areas. This will assure that Holland America Line competes as effectively as possible with other cruise lines and vacation alternatives. Holland America Line is concerned to ensure that the marketing and promotional activities of agencies located in particular geographic areas are not subject to 'free riding' on those investments by consumers located outside that geographic area."

 

I find the last line difficult to understand. If anyone cares to explain it, feel free.

 

Most cruise lines that cater primarily to the North American market use what is referred to as GSAs (general sales agents) in countries outside of North America (such as the U.K., the Netherlands, Australia, many countries in Europe, Central America, and South America). GSAs are not travel agents - they are essentially the representative for the cruise line in a given country and work under contract with the cruise lines.

 

The role of the general sales agent is to promote to the public the cruise line's itineraries in their market, handle the bookings, deal with customer service issues, issue brochures, provide ticket fullfillment, etc - in essence represent the cruise line in a given country. As you can imagine, the cost to the GSA for advertising, marketing, booking agents, customer service representatives, and fullfillment can be significant.

 

Because the GSAs have this overhead, they are sometimes not able to offer the same deals as U.S. and Canadian based agencies. Needless to say, they are none too happy when customers in their sales territory (who may or may not seen their advertising and received marketing information about a cruise from them) attempt to book the cruise with a North American travel agency. The GSAs put pressure on the cruise lines to enforce their GSA contract, hence the website restrictions some non-North American customers are experiencing.

 

You might be asking why some cruise lines use GSAs. Many cruise lines do not want to bear the expense of running large multi-department offices in other countries, so they use GSAs instead to keep their costs lower. GSAs worked well in the age before the internet. Today, you could make the argument they they have outlived their usefulness.

[chrispb]

I want to make clear that this policy is apparently just for HAL and a couple of other cruise lines. Not the whole industry.

 

Also, this higher price had nothing to do with exchange rates, taxes, fees, tips, flights, extra services, etc. I factored that all in. It was simply a higher price for the same product. I checked several sources and situations to see if it was a fluke. Nope, it was across the board. (Of course, the actual amount would vary.)

 

As some posters put it, it's simply the case that cruise lines and their agents in Europe are charging what they can get away with. Unlike flights and so on, there is still money to be made in booking cruises.

 

And they can get away with it. Europeans aren't shocked by high ticket prices because of the almost obscene level of luxury and service offered on these cruise ships. You just don't see that in Europe at all. On my last cruise they put on a magnificent all-you-can-eat luxury brunch that I believe is simply not available in Continental Europe, anywhere. Even if it were available in the Netherlands, they would have to charge at least 75 euros for it. So they can get away with charging more.

 

Some great posts here. Nice to see that I'm not the only one to have noticed this.

 

I really like HAL, but as a European I cannot really afford them anymore.

 

And, to be fair, there are occasionally some relative bargains to be found with European agents, even on HAL and Princess. The Med is filled with cheap cruises.

 

There has been quite a few bargains with HAL cruises during the last 6 weeks or so. Some of the prices have dropped to almost a 3rd of the original price. I think they have realised that they're not going to sell anything at the silly prices they originally asked.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by the obscene level of luxury and service?

[harryt8]

For those interested.....

 

Looking at my documentation from HAL, the GSA in Australia is:

INFINITY CRUISE PANAMA

L7 316 Adelaide Street

BRISBANE, QLD 4000

(073) 181 9835

[harryt8]

With your indulgence, may I carry out a small pricing experiment please which may enlighten us all?

 

Can a member in the US give me their advertised price for two (2) cruises from HAL?

 

The two cruises are:

 

1. 19 day Baltic & Norwegian Fjords. Aug 8 2014. Round-trip Copenhagen.

Verandah VF stateroom (as per website pic.). Ms Eurodam.

(The Australian price via HAL website is A$5298.48 pp).

 

2. 33 day Best of the Mediterranean. Aug 14 2014. Barcelona to

Civitavecchia (Rome). Verandah VF stateroom. Ms Noordam.

(The Australian price via HAL website is A$5998.33 pp)

 

As an aside, today's exchange rate is US$1.00 is A$0.95.

 

Like many of you, I would like to highlight the seemingly unreasonable differences in pricing by HAL. This experiment may shed some light on the discrepancies.

 

Thank you.

 

Harry :confused:

[LAFFNVEGAS]

For your number 1 the price with tax per person is $5042.12

For number 2 the price is $7823.45 with tax for a VF for the 33 days.

Both include Explore4

This little experiment kind of back fired for you. The US pricing for your Noordam 33 day is drastically higher in US and the pricing for the Eurodam while less you have to consider yours includes a Travel Insurance. I think in this case US and Canadian need to complain :rolleyes:

In all honesty while yes I have seen some higher pricing for for Europe and Australia the biggest difference is when they have Flash pricing which is prices after final payment and the cruise lines are just trying to fill the ship.

[boulders]

With your indulgence, may I carry out a small pricing experiment please which may enlighten us all?

 

Can a member in the US give me their advertised price for two (2) cruises from HAL?

 

The two cruises are:

 

1. 19 day Baltic & Norwegian Fjords. Aug 8 2014. Round-trip Copenhagen.

Verandah VF stateroom (as per website pic.). Ms Eurodam.

(The Australian price via HAL website is A$5298.48 pp).

 

2. 33 day Best of the Mediterranean. Aug 14 2014. Barcelona to

Civitavecchia (Rome). Verandah VF stateroom. Ms Noordam.

(The Australian price via HAL website is A$5998.33 pp)

 

As an aside, today's exchange rate is US$1.00 is A$0.95.

 

Like many of you, I would like to highlight the seemingly unreasonable differences in pricing by HAL. This experiment may shed some light on the discrepancies.

 

Thank you.

 

Harry :confused:

 

I'll play too.

 

In Canadian, the Eurodam sailing is $5051 pp (including tax). The Noordam sailing is $7838 pp including tax.

[celle]

I feel very sorry for you. I understand those from Australia also have to deal with this.

 

It's easy for us in North America to try and explain it away, but if it was happening to me, it would stink.

 

I think if there are valid reasons for the price differences,then there should be some transparency. They should be up front why the prices vary so much. List the higher fees and taxes if that is the case.

 

I think you have to have a North American address if you want to book with an agency here. Maybe you have a friend or relative's address that you can use.

 

Again, this really pushes the wrong buttons if it's happening to you.:(

 

New Zealand too!

 

Having been on these boards for several years, it appears to me that all the mass market cruise lines charge more to cruisers who are not from the USA.

When booking first starts, they set a price (in Euros, GB Pounds, Australian dollars etc) for the cruise and that price never changes, regardless of currency fluctuations. In addition, except in rare circumstances, we cannot claim the price reductions that US citizens can.

[harryt8]

Laffnvegas and Boulders,

 

Thank you for researching this and posting US/Canadian prices for these two random cruises. As you correctly state YOUR pricing is higher than Australian on this occasion , which possibly runs against the whole core of this thread. I'm really puzzled.

Maybe someone else has a particular cruise they want to compare?

I'll give them my pricing.

Again, thanks.

Harry

[simon stingray]

We are looking to book our first Transatlantic sailing for next April and have been considering 2 cruises-Nieuw Amsterdam sailing April 6 vs Celebrity Equinox sailing April 14.

 

After 4 Celebrity cruises (which we loved) we were thinking we would love to try HAL once again as our one and only experience of HAL was just a 2 night repositioning cruise on Eurodam back in 2009 (from what I can remember we were quite impressed).

 

But then comes the issue of pricing.

 

With Celebrity the pricing is very similar regardless if we book with a UK or a US based TA. We usually book with a US based agent as they offer us OBC and our experience is they have far better knowledge of the various cruise lines, ships etc. It is rare to get any OBC or incentives from a UK based agent.

 

Celebrity Equinox best price

 

Inside stateroom cat 12

Best US price $886.83

Best UK price £544.00 ($871.38 approx)

 

Veranda Stateroom cat 2D

Best US price $1336.83

Best UK price £816.00 ($1307.07 approx)

 

Nieuw Amsterdam best price

 

Inside Stateroom cat MM

Best US Price $895.29

Best UK price £951.48 ($1524.08 approx)

 

Veranda Stateroom cat VF

Best US price $1395.29

Best UK Price £1201.49 ($1924.55 approx)

 

I cannot understand why HAL does not want my money or business.

 

I would book this cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam right now if HAL line would allow me to use my US based TA.

 

I would have to be a fool to pay the inflated prices we are being quoted knowing that 75% of the other passengers onboard have paid far less.

 

I know all about different markets but purchasing cruises cannot be compared to purchasing other products such at motor cars, televisions or other goods. The cruise lines are not shipping the product which they are selling to me here in the UK. I am planning to travel (at MY expense) to Fort Lauderdale to enjoy my cruise just like all of the other passengers regardless of wether they live in New York, Los Angeles Toronto or London.

 

I am afraid that until HAL change this discriminatory policy I simply will not be able to feel like a valued guest onboard their ships.

 

On the bright side we need just one more cruise to reach Elite level with Celebrity:)

[BruceMuzz]

China, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina charge Americans very high prices for Visas that some Europeans get for free, and others pay just a small fee for.

 

All the major airlines charge much higher fares for Japanese flying from Tokyo to New York than they do for Americans flying from New York to Tokyo.

They also charge more for Asians flying to Australia than they do for Australians flying to Asia.

 

All the major airlines charge a higher number of frequent flyer miles for Asians trying to get a ticket or upgrade on a flight from Asia to North America, than they do for Americans doing the same thing on a flight from North America to Asia.

 

Japanese passengers buying a cruise in Japan for anywhere in the world pay double or triple the prices that Americans and Australians pay for the same cruise.

 

Isn't it wonderful that we have choices? Nobody is holding guns to our heads to do business with companies that clearly favor other nationalities.

Walking away and doing business elsewhere is the honorable thing to do.

Whining about it - not so honorable.

[iancal]

Could not agree more.

 

We are very much into voting with our wallets and with our feet. When you do otherwise it simply encourages suppliers to either underperform or overprice.

 

Better to send a message where it truly hurts....at the top and bottom lines. If we can't get around the pricing then we simply make an alternate plan. If the service/product is sub par for money spent we change suppliers.

[serendipity1499]

China, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina charge Americans very high prices for Visas that some Europeans get for free, and others pay just a small fee for.

 

All the major airlines charge much higher fares for Japanese flying from Tokyo to New York than they do for Americans flying from New York to Tokyo.

They also charge more for Asians flying to Australia than they do for Australians flying to Asia.

 

All the major airlines charge a higher number of frequent flyer miles for Asians trying to get a ticket or upgrade on a flight from Asia to North America, than they do for Americans doing the same thing on a flight from North America to Asia.

 

Japanese passengers buying a cruise in Japan for anywhere in the world pay double or triple the prices that Americans and Australians pay for the same cruise.

 

Isn't it wonderful that we have choices? Nobody is holding guns to our heads to do business with companies that clearly favor other nationalities.

Walking away and doing business elsewhere is the honorable thing to do.

Whining about it - not so honorable.

 

Ummm Bruce.. Suggest you not use the Visa's as an analogy..I bolded your statement only because the reason that these countries charge American's more for their visa's is because they state that they are charging American's exactly what we charge them for a U.S. Visa...This has been going on for more than 30 years when I first began working for an International carrier & many of our U.S. Psgrs were a bit put out..

Betty

[harryt8]

For SimonStringray,

 

The "best" Australian price (that is really no use to you) other than reference is:

 

14 day Passage to Spain. 6 Apr. Nieuw Amsterdam

MM A$1584 and VF A$2048

 

Hope this of help.

 

Harry

[startwin]

China, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina charge Americans very high prices for Visas that some Europeans get for free, and others pay just a small fee for.

 

All the major airlines charge much higher fares for Japanese flying from Tokyo to New York than they do for Americans flying from New York to Tokyo.

They also charge more for Asians flying to Australia than they do for Australians flying to Asia.

 

All the major airlines charge a higher number of frequent flyer miles for Asians trying to get a ticket or upgrade on a flight from Asia to North America, than they do for Americans doing the same thing on a flight from North America to Asia.

 

Japanese passengers buying a cruise in Japan for anywhere in the world pay double or triple the prices that Americans and Australians pay for the same cruise.

 

Isn't it wonderful that we have choices? Nobody is holding guns to our heads to do business with companies that clearly favor other nationalities.

Walking away and doing business elsewhere is the honorable thing to do.

Whining about it - not so honorable.

 

The bolding is mine. On this forum, you profess to have superior and inside knowledge. Your explanations are enough without having to resort to unnecessary comments like that.

[IslandExplorer]

Let's not lose sight of the fact that HAL stands for Holland-America Line. I live in Holland. The prices being charged to people in Holland are much higher than the prices being charged to Americans.

 

Can you imagine what would happen if a cruise line with Australian origins had a deliberate corporate policy of charging Australians more?

 

That's what is happening to consumers to the Netherlands. It's a slap in the face, really.

[IslandExplorer]

With your indulgence, may I carry out a small pricing experiment please which may enlighten us all?

 

Can a member in the US give me their advertised price for two (2) cruises from HAL?

 

The two cruises are:

 

1. 19 day Baltic & Norwegian Fjords. Aug 8 2014. Round-trip Copenhagen.

Verandah VF stateroom (as per website pic.). Ms Eurodam.

(The Australian price via HAL website is A$5298.48 pp).

 

2. 33 day Best of the Mediterranean. Aug 14 2014. Barcelona to

Civitavecchia (Rome). Verandah VF stateroom. Ms Noordam.

(The Australian price via HAL website is A$5998.33 pp)

 

As an aside, today's exchange rate is US$1.00 is A$0.95.

 

Like many of you, I would like to highlight the seemingly unreasonable differences in pricing by HAL. This experiment may shed some light on the discrepancies.

 

Thank you.

 

Harry :confused:

 

I looked up the cost of the first cruise on the HAL site for residents of the Netherlands. Looking at exactly the same VF cabin (for two people), the cost listed today was EUR 3,948.51 pp.

 

This is 5,645.51 AUD pp, so almost AUD 350 more expensive than the price being offered by the HAL site to Australians about a week ago.

 

The price charged on a popular American discounter is US$ 4649, but that is the lowest price for any verandah. Not specifically VF. That's AU$ 4,929.

 

By the way, I also went to a Dutch cruise agent to see what they are charging. It's EUR 3,995. About 50 euros more than the HAL site.

 

I haven't gone through these prices in detail to see what fees, taxes, tips, etc. were included.

 

Comparison:

 

US discounted price (in OZ dollars): 4929 (but maybe more for VF)

OZ HAL price (in OZ dollars): 5298

NL HAL price (in OZ dollars): 5645

NL agent price (in OZ dollars): 5711