Pricing question

[tooleman56]

Did a cursory check this morning on the HAL website to see current prices for our Oct. 8 Mediterranean cruise on the Noordam. Balcony price (VH) is listed at $4,199, SY is $3,499 and SC is $4,499. What do these prices suggest in terms of the ship filling up, etc? Are there few balcony cabins remaining? We booked a VE guarantee, should we expect an upsell offer at some point. I know it's too early for that since it's still about a week or so from final payment deadline.

[DaveOKC]

Did a cursory check this morning on the HAL website to see current prices for our Oct. 8 Mediterranean cruise on the Noordam. Balcony price (VH) is listed at $4,199, SY is $3,499 and SC is $4,499. What do these prices suggest in terms of the ship filling up, etc? Are there few balcony cabins remaining? We booked a VE guarantee, should we expect an upsell offer at some point. I know it's too early for that since it's still about a week or so from final payment deadline.

 

How long is your cruise? Hard for us to judge pricing without this information.

 

As to the VH being so high (I assume the $4199 is not a typo), this would mean that HAL does not want to sell any more cabins in this category at this time (I think VH is often used as a "promotional" category).

 

DaveOKC

[tooleman56]

Dave, it's the 11-day Mediterranean Explorer, from Rome to Barcelona. The VH price isn't a typo and you are correct, VH price listing has been the highest balcony price all along.

[DaveOKC]

Dave, it's the 11-day Mediterranean Explorer, from Rome to Barcelona. The VH price isn't a typo and you are correct, VH price listing has been the highest balcony price all along.

 

My next cruise is an 11 day Panama Canal in an SY and the current price is $2099 for that and $2999 for SC. Hope this helps. Of course the Med. cruises are normally more expensive.

 

If you want to see how many cabins are still open, do a "pretend" booking on the HAL website. It will show you the cabin numbers you have to select from for each sub-category (like SY, SS, SC, SB, SA, VH, VG, etc. Keep in mind that it only shows a maximum of 6 cabins per category (you can see if there are more by using the bottom button to check if a particular cabin is still available).

 

Also, since HAL sells "guarantees", some of the cabins shown my sort of already be sold, but not yet assigned. For example, you see 6 SC cabins to select from, but if HAL has already sold 5 quarantees, there is really only 1 cabin left.

 

DaveOKC

[tooleman56]

I'll be curious to see where the prices go this time next week, after this weekend's final payment deadline.

[DaveOKC]

I'll be curious to see where the prices go this time next week, after this weekend's final payment deadline.

 

Very often you will see a drop within a week or two (it generally does not happen right after the final payment date).

 

The whole "best time to buy" game is a tough one. What I like to do is wait for a sale/promotional offer with a reasonably good price and I book in a category I would be comfortable in, but lower than what I would like to get. That way, if prices fall after final payment and I like the price, I can call HAL ask to upgrade my booking to a higher level cabin, often for little (or no) more money.

 

DaveOKC

[canadianbear]

Very often you will see a drop within a week or two (it generally does not happen right after the final payment date).

 

The whole "best time to buy" game is a tough one. What I like to do is wait for a sale/promotional offer with a reasonably good price and I book in a category I would be comfortable in, but lower than what I would like to get. That way, if prices fall after final payment and I like the price, I can call HAL ask to upgrade my booking to a higher level cabin, often for little (or no) more money.

 

DaveOKC

 

Dave, do you book with a PCC at HAL? Just wondering if the price does fall after final payment you ask them for OBC or an upgrade if possible and they decide? Also, if they say no to either of those is that when you ask if there is a reasonable upsell?

 

Thanks.

[DaveOKC]

Dave, do you book with a PCC at HAL? Just wondering if the price does fall after final payment you ask them for OBC or an upgrade if possible and they decide? Also, if they say no to either of those is that when you ask if there is a reasonable upsell?

 

Thanks.

 

I use a PCC at HAL. I try to ask for one or the other, depending on what I really want and how far out it is before sailing.

 

Usually I do not worry about an upsell until we get within 4 weeks, as the likely response is to pay the full difference in fare (which I may do on occasion).

[PathfinderEss]

You shouldn't see any up sell/upgrades being offered until about two weeks out from your actual cruise.

[catl331]

You shouldn't see any up sell/upgrades being offered until about two weeks out from your actual cruise.

I'd say around four to three weeks for upsells, two weeks for free upgrades ... Edited July 21, 2014 by catl331

[cruz chic]

I'd say around four to three weeks for upsells, two weeks for free upgrades ...[/color][/size]

 

I agree. The last few upsells I've seen started at least a month before.

[canadianbear]

I use a PCC at HAL. I try to ask for one or the other, depending on what I really want and how far out it is before sailing.

 

Usually I do not worry about an upsell until we get within 4 weeks, as the likely response is to pay the full difference in fare (which I may do on occasion).

 

 

Thank you!

[DaveOKC]

Your welcome and good luck!

 

DaveOKC

[SilvertoGold]

I don't understand this.

 

I looked up this cruise and the CND pricing is:

VH 2098 + tax

SY 3205 + tax

SC 3998 + tax

 

Quite different! So what is this about?

 

Our upsells were 12 and 11 days out.

Edited July 22, 2014 by SilvertoGold

[Tbay]

Sailing on the Noordam tomorrow. Booked VH guarantee and got VD. Cabin assigned 9 days before cruise. Starting July 7 we have had 3 upsell offers. The last was Friday July 18.

[tooleman56]

Tbay, would you mind sharing what the upsell offers were?

[Tbay]

Sorry for not getting back to you. I am on the Noordam and didn't have internet access.

First offer. $1251 for Neptune. $399 for SS

Second offer. $999 for Neptune. $299 for SS

Third, after we were already traveling. $699 for Neptune (I think)

$249 for SS

All offers are per person.

We ended up in a VD in a good location (VH guarantee) and are happy.

Also happy to report this cabin has working A/C, unlike the cruise on the Noordam in the spring.