The "HAL Won't Honor it's own Pricing" got me thinking........

[sail7seas]

Lulley posted a thread below about how he/she had booked several cabins, made final payment and then received an e-mail from HAL with special offers for "new bookings only" for the cruise on which they are booked.

 

Does HAL no longer honor the 'if the price drops more than 10% after you have made final payment policy'? I know that we benefitted from that several times.

We had made a booking and then found the price dropped and they reduced our price because it was more than a 10% difference in price.

 

I do not recall if there was "new bookings only verbage". If there was, do you think it would apply. IMO it cannot as it would automatically negate the offer out of the gate. In effect, it is a 'non-offer' if that is the case. How could the price be more than 10% lower than what we paid if we had not already made the booking?

 

So.....if the price in the e-mail offer he/she received is more than 10% lower, shouldn't they be getting the reduction under that policy?

[ekerr19]

Sail - Good question. We have never had a problem with a fare reduction - in the past.

 

My parents last cruise was circle Hawaii and Mom booked pretty late - she really wanted a verandah but they were all sold out. She waitlisted one, then I got a brochure that indicated they had some available and called her right away - she in turn called her TA (I wished she would have used mine!) and was told that HAL was offering the verandahs for "new bookings only" - well, I had my TA intervene (a no-no, I know) because it made no sense to me - Mom's outside deluxe cost more than the "new" verandah price... in the end my TA was able to secure the verandah for my parents, but that was the first time I have encountered the "new bookings only" policy and it seemed ridiculous to me.

 

My parents have many days on HAL and were paying more for a lesser cabin - yet HAL wanted to deny them the switch - my Mom was still willing to pay more for the cabin she wanted, and wasn't asking for the "new booking" fare, just to be able to switch. I just couldn't make the connection with HAL's "logic" LOL.

[dakrewser]

But that situation wasn't a "fare reduction" (which, I prewsume, HAL still honors). It was a limited, can be withdrawn at any time, capacit-controlled sale. It's the same thing all airlines do to insure that as many seats as possible are sold. HAL makes no money from empty cabins. So selling a guarantee for $100 per person increases revenue. But having to give that same price to everyone else who's booked would quickly bankrupt them.

 

All speacial pricings carry restrictions. Meet the restrictions and you can get the price.

[sail7seas]

I understood his/her description to be that he/she had booked certain cabins for a specific cruise. By e-mail from HAL, she received offers that were priced below what he/she paid.

 

 

IF he/she paid a price which is more than 10% higher than the amount in the e-mail offering, then I believe the 'more than 10% policy' should apply.

 

It doesn't say anything about limited capacity or withdrawn at any time in the terms of "if you paid more than 10% and then find a lower price offered by us......."

[spcl4cs_gal]

Speaking of a fare reduction...my August 20 cruise has gone down by $175 according to the HAL web site...and there is nothing that can be done about it apparently. The ship isn't sold out so in order to make sure it is, HAL gives reduced fares to those who haven't yet booked. Those of us who have paid full fare have to shut up and suffer it seems.

[Classynfun1]

On my May Europe cruises, the price did indeed drop more than 10% on each cruise after I made my final payment. HAL refused to make any adjustments on my behalf in any way.

 

Oh well...

[spcl4cs_gal]

I guess that only goes to show that if you don't care what cabin you book, it's best to wait as long as possible before putting any money down on a cruise. That way you could probably be lucky enough to take advantage of any sales that happen to come up.

[sail7seas]

On my May Europe cruises, the price did indeed drop more than 10% on each cruise after I made my final payment. HAL refused to make any adjustments on my behalf in any way.

 

Oh well...

 

 

Did HAL's price drop on their own site or did the price drop on some other internet site? Did HAL send you an e-mail or snail mail advertisement showing a difference in price that was more than 10% of what you paid?

[spcl4cs_gal]

In my case the drop in price was shown on HAL's own web site.

[sail7seas]

I guess that only goes to show that if you don't care what cabin you book, it's best to wait as long as possible before putting any money down on a cruise. That way you could probably be lucky enough to take advantage of any sales that happen to come up.

 

 

Unfortunately, if you hold off booking under that theory, you could well be shut out of the cruise entirely. So many cruises sell out completely.

If you don't care what cabin; if you are flexible as to dates; if you are flexible as to itineraries; if you don't have to purchase air far in advance.....if you can live with all those contingencies, you are very fortunate and if I were you, I defintely would wait to book last minute and would book the cruise that gave the best price.

Very few of us can plan our travel that way.

[spcl4cs_gal]

There are only certain times of the year that I can take a cruise so, in the case of next summer and the Maasdam, I felt that I had to book/deposit early due to that cruise filling up so quickly. With HAL removing their Caribbean routes during the summer, I have to look at other options. A lot to consider so I guess it all depends on how badly I want to cruise and with which company. :(

[kryos]

On my May Europe cruises, the price did indeed drop more than 10% on each cruise after I made my final payment. HAL refused to make any adjustments on my behalf in any way.

Did they at least grant you other "concessions" ... like a free upgrade, shipboard credit, etc.?

 

I'll be honest. I fully understand the cruise line not honoring the lower fare on previous bookings. Those lower fares are only being offered to fill the ship. Nothing perishes faster than an unsold cabin on a cruise ... or an unsold airline seat, etc. But, the people who take advantage of these special last minute promos have to take whatever cabins are left ... in other words, the same ones that others said "no way are you putting me in there!" True, they are getting a lower price, but the people who paid more are usually getting their choice of cabin/cabin location, etc.

 

But, I would think that in all fairness, HAL should try to see to it that the pre-existing passengers got any possible upgrades that were available, moving those cheaper fare passengers into the less desirable cabins. Hell, they're getting a nice price reduction. They can't expect the better cabins in each class too.

 

I would also hope HAL would "slide" a few bennies to the passengers that paid higher prices and made sure their TA's complained about it ... like maybe a shipboard credit, or a complimentary bottle of wine with dinner each night ... something. That way, at least the passengers who paid the higher fares wouldn't feel totally slighted.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[spcl4cs_gal]

Did they at least grant you other "concessions" ... like a free upgrade, shipboard credit, etc.?

 

I'll be honest. I fully understand the cruise line not honoring the lower fare on previous bookings. Those lower fares are only being offered to fill the ship. Nothing perishes faster than an unsold cabin on a cruise ... or an unsold airline seat, etc. But, the people who take advantage of these special last minute promos have to take whatever cabins are left ... in other words, the same ones that others said "no way are you putting me in there!" True, they are getting a lower price, but the people who paid more are usually getting their choice of cabin/cabin location, etc.

 

But, I would think that in all fairness, HAL should try to see to it that the pre-existing passengers got any possible upgrades that were available, moving those cheaper fare passengers into the less desirable cabins. Hell, they're getting a nice price reduction. They can't expect the better cabins in each class too.

 

I would also hope HAL would "slide" a few bennies to the passengers that paid higher prices and made sure their TA's complained about it ... like maybe a shipboard credit, or a complimentary bottle of wine with dinner each night ... something. That way, at least the passengers who paid the higher fares wouldn't feel totally slighted.

 

I have to agree with you Rita. This would be especially true of repeat customers. HAL seems to be out to nickle and dime as many people as they can at times and their goal is to fill ships and the h*ll with anyone they walk over to do it. (I don't need to be flamed by anyone on this either, thank you.) I guess more pax have to speak up if their TAs aren't prepared to do so for some reason.

[Charliesmom]

There was an article this week that was talking about land excursions (very expensive ones). One of the points that this article made was that cruise ship companies do not make money on the cruise itself. It is everything else that is a profit center. (and the land excursions are a big profit center).

 

Roberta

[Lulley766]

I spoke with HAL this am who AGAIN refused to offer any compensation in any form, (on board credit, upgrade, etc.) whatsoever. The rep I spoke with said that once you pass the 75 day mark no changes or reductions can be made. 75 days out is a long time to bar any changes to an account. It was HAL who sent the email to my inbox, I did not go searching for a lower fare. Needless to say, I am sure they inflamed a lot of people with that email. I have sailed over 20 times and encountered this problem on other lines. Carnival was quick to refund the difference as was Royal Carribbean. If HAL was so unwilling to credit back the cash, there are other alternatives. They seem unwilling to work with me at all. Last time I checked they were in a service business, dependant upon customers.... This will be my first and last time on HAL. That is a guarantee. If a cruise line won't stand behind it's reputation and it's good will, it has nothing to offer that I would be interested in.

[jhannah]

I have received many of these "for new bookings only" promotions ... both in print and electronic form. I have never expected my TA to get me that deal. I like to save money however I can, just like most everyone else. But if a car dealer offers a $1,000 incentive for current owners, and I don't own that brand, I don't expect them to give it to me.

 

I still see a difference in a general price reduction and a specific offer for new bookings. I have gotten credit for a general price reduction before ... but have never gotten the cheaper price for new bookings only since I already had the booking in place.

[ldog]

I understand most everyone's point of view on this issue. I work in marketing and we are just starting to understand the power of the internet and the use of mass emails. I guess it was just pretty dumb of HAL to send out a blast email to everyone with those prices on it. Their database wasn't very well set up.

 

Corporations have to manage mail lists better than this. Even if they are within "the rules" they should be more sympathetic to their current customers.

 

I can't see where it would be so awful to give a shipboard credit to placate their current customers

 

jan

[Odd Ball]

Lulley, your situtation is entirely different from what Sail7Seas asked. I am not going to comment on it since there is already another thread.

I believe Sails is talking about price drops on Hal's site not the new bookings sales. I would hate to see Hal drop the 10% rule.

Spcl4cs_gal,

Did your price go down 10% ?

[sail7seas]

Oddball.....

 

Thank you for getting the focus back to the question I posed.

There is another thread dealing with the other situation.

I wish to know if HAL is still honoring their policy of adjusting fares when the price they are quoting for a given cruise is reduced by more than 10% or what a person has paid? That was their policy not that long ago and I do not know if that is still their policy?

[gizmo]

I would also like to know the answer to this.

[dakrewser]

Maybe someone should call Seattle and ask....

[sail7seas]

Somehow I wonder if the hypothetical asking may receive a different response from the factual case where it 'has happened' and a genuine request for refund has been submitted.

Then again, we all have noted from time to time that if we ask a number of reps the same question, we often get a different response.

By my asking the question, I was hoping someone could respond that they had actually asked for the refund and had been granted it.

[dakrewser]

Well, I suggested it in the hope that someone with a better contact in Seattle (as opposed, say, to calling a CSR in North Dakota :rolleyes: ) might be able to get a definitive answer. Or, as "Mr. Cruise" would say, - "that's an excellent question to ask your travel agent." !

 

 

:) -dave

[dakrewser]

Well, I suggested it in the hope that someone with a better contact in Seattle (as opposed, say, to calling a CSR in North Dakota :rolleyes: ) might be able to get a definitive answer. Or, as "Mr. Cruise" would say, - "that's an excellent question to ask your travel agent." !

 

 

:) -dave

[sail7seas]

:D I hear 'ya :)