spring sale 2015

[cardboardcharlie]

hello I was wondering when does Holland America start having their spring sale for the Caribbean for spring 2015 thanks looking for the future

[cruz chic]

I find that Hal's "sale" price seems to be the same as their regular price. I'm still waiting for them to give a decent price on their 2014 cruises. If they stick with their present price structure don't expect to see any decent sale prices until after final payment.

[cardboardcharlie]

if they wait until after final payment aren`t those usually flash sale with the cabin that are not popular like the front of the ship I reserve and than waited would Holland America honor the lower prices after final payment

[cruz chic]

if they wait until after final payment aren`t those usually flash sale with the cabin that are not popular like the front of the ship I reserve and than waited would Holland America honor the lower prices after final payment

 

Not necessarily. If you are picky about your cabin it will likely be better to book early. I just get annoyed when Hal says they have a sale but the price is the same as the week before. Hal will not honour the price after final. They may give you an OBC but they aren't required to do anything.

[ICUQT]

I find that Hal's "sale" price seems to be the same as their regular price. I'm still waiting for them to give a decent price on their 2014 cruises. If they stick with their present price structure don't expect to see any decent sale prices until after final payment.

 

I agree with you. I do not get many "sale" notifications from HAL anymore but when I logon to their site even with whatever sale they are having the price for the cruise I am interested in seems never to change. I am interested in a Canada/New England cruise for this year but the price is just to high (IMHO). Leaves out of Boston and I live 45 minutes away from the port.So I am going to do what my Florida friends do and see if I can grab something after final deposits are in at a reduced price. I am also monitoring cruise price on a site that was given to me by a CC member. I also use a TA and she too does monitor price/sales on the cruises that I am interested in.

 

bob

[BumperII]

Every scheduled cruise is on sale until sold out. The price may or may not fluctuate depending upon the demand.

 

When we first started cruising, we didn't care where or when. We got some fabulous deals booking the least expensive inside guarentee on as little as three weeks notice. Nine of the first ten resulted in very nice upgrades. One year we actually took five cruises, all in cabins that nobody else wanted, and had fabulous experiences every time. What we saved in cruise fare, we spent on excursions and on board expenses, so we still came home broke after every cruise.:o

 

HAL has been doing this for over a hundred years; they know how to fill every stateroom at the highest fare the market will allow. For us, 2014 is a split decision, one cruise went down by $3000.00 and were able to take advantage of the reduction before final payment. The other went up by $4000.00, and we are safely locked in at the lower price for a BB guarentee.

 

Any way you go at it, it has been our experience that you and your money are not both going home.:D

[cruz chic]

Every scheduled cruise is on sale until sold out. The price may or may not fluctuate depending upon the demand.

 

When we first started cruising, we didn't care where or when. We got some fabulous deals booking the least expensive inside guarentee on as little as three weeks notice. Nine of the first ten resulted in very nice upgrades. One year we actually took five cruises, all in cabins that nobody else wanted, and had fabulous experiences every time. What we saved in cruise fare, we spent on excursions and on board expenses, so we still came home broke after every cruise.:o

 

HAL has been doing this for over a hundred years; they know how to fill every stateroom at the highest fare the market will allow. For us, 2014 is a split decision, one cruise went down by $3000.00 and were able to take advantage of the reduction before final payment. The other went up by $4000.00, and we are safely locked in at the lower price for a BB guarentee.

 

Any way you go at it, it has been our experience that you and your money are not both going home.:D

I'm sorry, I can't agree with you. They have bargain prices at the end. If they started out with more reasonable prices they would likely get more people to commit. HAL was in bad shape when Carnival took them under their wing many years ago. I don't think that is a great indication they know what they are doing. It's been brought up here before that this present price structure is not working for them but they are slow to change.

 

All HAL cruises come out with sky high prices. That would mean all cruises have the same demand. This simply can't be true.

Edited March 31, 2014 by cruz chic

[BumperII]

A. They have bargain prices at the end. .....

B.That would mean all cruises have the same demand. ....

 

A. Not always. Take a look at the Voyage of the Vikings for example. B. Not exactly, but that means HAL starts out hoping that all cruises have the same demand, then adjusts the price depending upon what the market will bear. The cruise bargains are not offered until the higher prices offers fail to meet goals for bookings.

[kjw869]

I find that Hal's "sale" price seems to be the same as their regular price. I'm still waiting for them to give a decent price on their 2014 cruises. If they stick with their present price structure don't expect to see any decent sale prices until after final payment.

 

Ditto. Same here. When I have a cruise in mind (or booked), it is always the same price. There must be very few cruises, or dates, that there is a price reduction.

 

I'm still waiting!

[POA1]

Ditto. Same here. When I have a cruise in mind (or booked), it is always the same price. There must be very few cruises, or dates, that there is a price reduction.

 

I'm still waiting!

 

It could be that you choose cruises or cabins that are very popular. Our preferred room practically never drops in price, but we book early and pay the premium because we want what we want... so to speak.

[BumperII]

It could be that you choose cruises or cabins that are very popular. Our preferred room practically never drops in price, but we book early and pay the premium because we want what we want... so to speak.

 

Exactly!

[ICUQT]

A. Not always. Take a look at the Voyage of the Vikings for example. B. Not exactly, but that means HAL starts out hoping that all cruises have the same demand, then adjusts the price depending upon what the market will bear. The cruise bargains are not offered until the higher prices offers fail to meet goals for bookings.

 

I agree to some extent on what your stating. I believe HAL starts with a certain price point for a cruise and based on how the ship is filling up with passengers adjusts price up and down or offers incentives. I often book a year out (because of my wife's schedule) and then I monitor price drops. I use a TA and as long as the price drop is before final payment I get it. But to figure out HAL pricing strategy is beyond my capability. I find often that the price drop occurs after final payment due date and therefore I don't recieve it. Another thing that I have to keep in mind is that HAL markets and offers incentives to different segments of the world ie. Europe, Asia, Australia in effort to fill the ship. So I may not see it in the US online site monitoring "availability" but yet the ship is filling because of price/incentives that I am not privy to.

 

bob

[kjw869]

It could be that you choose cruises or cabins that are very popular. Our preferred room practically never drops in price, but we book early and pay the premium because we want what we want... so to speak.

 

Nope, not always. Even looking at verandah cabins on HALs Flash Specials website shows the same price a month or two before sailing. We also pay the premium for the cabins we want and book early. These prices never drop either.

Edited March 31, 2014 by kjw869

[BumperII]

Actually, I'm on the outside looking in, but it seems to me that the Pinnacle and Neptune Suites are often the first to sell out, and the ones with the least price fluctuation. The "deals" occur more frequently in the less expensive staterooms, but even that has it's limits. When they have all the bookings they want in a given "guarentee", they will jack that price up too. The result is the perfect pricing structure because nobody knows what it is.:D

[cruz chic]

A. Not always. Take a look at the Voyage of the Vikings for example. B. Not exactly, but that means HAL starts out hoping that all cruises have the same demand, then adjusts the price depending upon what the market will bear. The cruise bargains are not offered until the higher prices offers fail to meet goals for bookings.

Huh??? That's exactly what I said:confused:.

[cruz chic]

Actually, I'm on the outside looking in, but it seems to me that the Pinnacle and Neptune Suites are often the first to sell out, and the ones with the least price fluctuation. The "deals" occur more frequently in the less expensive staterooms, but even that has it's limits. When they have all the bookings they want in a given "guarentee", they will jack that price up too. The result is the perfect pricing structure because nobody knows what it is.:D

I see balcony prices reduced all the time. Maybe that's what you mean by less expensive. If Neptune's fill up so often why do we hear of so many upsells? Why not be fair to those that commit early to a Neptune rather then give them away to people for a fraction?

[BumperII]

I see balcony prices reduced all the time. Maybe that's what you mean by less expensive. If Neptune's fill up so often why do we hear of so many upsells?

 

Just about every stateroom is initially priced to be less expensive than the Neptune Suites.

 

Think about something. On these boards, we read about a few dozen upsells to Neptune Suites, one at a time. In the mean time HAL sells north of 30,000 bookings for Neptune Suites at or near the asking price without mention. In 36 cruises we have received one upsell offer for a Neptune Suite. Needless to say we accepted that offer within minutes of finding out about it.:D

[BumperII]

Why not be fair to those that commit early to a Neptune rather then give them away to people for a fraction?

The fair price for anything is that number where you have a willling seller and a willing buyer. I would bet my house that HAL marketing thinks every price they offer in every category is fair. :D

[cruz chic]

 

Just about every stateroom is initially priced to be less expensive than the Neptune Suites.

 

Think about something. On these boards, we read about a few dozen upsells to Neptune Suites, one at a time. In the mean time HAL sells north of 30,000 bookings for Neptune Suites at or near the asking price without mention. In 36 cruises we have received one upsell offer for a Neptune Suite. Needless to say we accepted that offer within minutes of finding out about it.:D

You do realize that posters on here represent a tiny percentage of cruisers right? Just because you personally haven't rec'd the offer doesn't mean it's not going out to others. Upsells are not offered to every single person.

[BumperII]

You do realize that posters on here represent a tiny percentage of cruisers right? Just because you personally haven't rec'd the offer doesn't mean it's not going out to others. Upsells are not offered to every single person.

Yep.