Hal discriminates European cruisers

[cybermonk]

HAL doesn’t want people from Europe to book their cruises.

Europeans pay about 20 to 25% more compared to people that live in the USA and Canada, for the same cruise.

They are now offering a package deal (Explorer4) of free drinks (worth 100 us dollars per person per day) on a lot of cruises, but only for people with an Us or Canadian residence.

Hal seems to forget that Europeans are the ones they can make money on. They do the drinking on board. People from the US and or Canada only drink the free coffee or water.

So I call upon all European cruises do not book any more cruises with HAL.

In the unlikely event you still want to cruise with them, just refuse to pay the hotel service charge. According to European law this has to be part of the total price you pay for your cruise and cannot be charged afterwards.

[jtl513]

... just refuse to pay the hotel service charge. According to European law this has to be part of the total price you pay for your cruise and cannot be charged afterwards.

Maybe they're charging you more in anticipation of your doing that. ;)

[jaguarstyper]

Hal seems to forget that Europeans are the ones they can make money on. They do the drinking on board. People from the US and or Canada only drink the free coffee or water.

 

Huh? Wow! Who knew. :rolleyes:

[cant51]

I can see where you come from, but all the other cruise lines do the same thing, we from Europe pay more than people from the USA and I don't no why.

 

Maby there is someone out there who can explain why European pay more for the cruise out of the USA.

 

I have the luck that we Always cruise whit friends from the USA so them book for us.

[cbr663]

Most likely HAL charges Europeans more because it can. That's why Canadians pay more for products than our neighbours.

[Aquahound]

I don't know how true it is, but I was told once that Europeans are charged more as a result of the level of travel protection they have...that is mandated by the EU.

 

Ref the drinking comment, sorry, but that's an idiotic statement. :rolleyes:

[sail7seas]

I'm American.

I've sailed HAL over 80 cruises and I can't get Explore 4 on any cruises I have priced. :rolleyes:

 

Oh, I also have wine most evenings. I don't drink only 'free water and coffee'. :D

Who told you Americans and Canadians only drink free beverages? That's a huge generalization.

 

[ncovert]

Hal seems to forget that Europeans are the ones they can make money on. They do the drinking on board. People from the US and or Canada only drink the free coffee or water.

 

:D

 

Happy sailing!

[navybankerteacher]

HAL doesn’t want people from Europe to book their cruises.

Europeans pay about 20 to 25% more compared to people that live in the USA and Canada, for the same cruise.

They are now offering a package deal (Explorer4) of free drinks (worth 100 us dollars per person per day) on a lot of cruises, but only for people with an Us or Canadian residence.

Hal seems to forget that Europeans are the ones they can make money on. They do the drinking on board. People from the US and or Canada only drink the free coffee or water.

So I call upon all European cruises do not book any more cruises with HAL.

In the unlikely event you still want to cruise with them, just refuse to pay the hotel service charge. According to European law this has to be part of the total price you pay for your cruise and cannot be charged afterwards.

 

This is truly inane - I would like to introduce you to the OP who started the Disasterdam thread - he knew (presumably as a matter of proven fact) that Europeans pay LESS for their cruises than North Americans.

[obriendan]

Is the popcorn ready? This is going to a fun thread!:D

 

Dan

[CI66774]

Boo Hoo and a bag of chips. No one's forcing your to cruise HAL or any other line. Yeah - and great advice - just stiff the hardworking cruise staff. That'll teach 'em!

[sail7seas]

Boo Hoo and a bag of chips. No one's forcing your to cruise HAL or any other line. Yeah - and great advice - just stiff the hardworking cruise staff. That'll teach 'em!

 

 

 

I can never connect the dots between a cruiser feeling headquarters for the cruise line did not treat them well and removing hotel service charge and not tipping crew. What did the crew do to deserve that? :confused:

 

[cruising cockroach]

This is truly inane - I would like to introduce you to the OP who started the Disasterdam thread - he knew (presumably as a matter of proven fact) that Europeans pay LESS for their cruises than North Americans.

 

I don't think the European PoV is inane. If you compare the same cruise and same cabin at the same time, but in different markets, European fares are probably higher. As far as the Disasterdam thread goes, HAL was selling last-minute cruises cheap, of which Europeans would be better positioned to take advantage of since the cruise starts and ends in Europe.

 

There's also a very-recently active thread about Alaska cruises being dumped cheap on the B.C./Vancouver market.

[cruising cockroach]

Boo Hoo and a bag of chips. No one's forcing your to cruise HAL or any other line. Yeah - and great advice - just stiff the hardworking cruise staff. That'll teach 'em!

 

Demoralise them. They proide worse service, more tips get removed, vicious downward spiral.... Hey, isn't that what's happening already?

[Lovely other]

As a British resident I accept that prices are different in the US than in the UK for lots of things. It's just a fact of life ..get over it or move to America. Simples ......:p

 

Sorry I was being facetious but this sort of thing is ridiculous. I cruise HAL because I like the itinerary and ships (they look like real ships as apposed to floating tower blocks). I pay what I consider a good price and if someone gets it cheaper so what, I'm not the bitter jealous type.

 

If you your not happy try P&O or Thompson and see the difference you get for the price ...

 

And as for drinking. You should have witnessed the majority American and Canadian bar crawl last year ... they drank me under the table and I'm a big drinking Eastern European originally .

[OVgirl]

I don't understand why the Explore4 promo is different for non-North Americans. Seems to me that everyone who purchases a cruise under that promo should get the same benefits.

It would be nice to get a straight answer from HAL regarding the reason behind this decision.

 

As far as Canadians only drinking free beverages..... I wish... our bill at the end of the cruise would be a lot lower!:D

 

Also not a good idea to generalize when making this kind of statement (re:pricing, drinking, behaviour etc) as your whole credibility flies out the window.

[eandj]

Perhaps HAL offers promos like Exp. 4 to Americans because we are the ones that need a little "incentive" to spend the thousands of dollars in air fare to get to Europe. Seems to make good business sense. And from what I have seen across several other lines, pretty typcial. Some lines offer low cost air as the incentive. Some "free air".

Edited July 31, 2014 by eandj

[PathfinderEss]

HAL doesn’t want people from Europe to book their cruises.

Europeans pay about 20 to 25% more compared to people that live in the USA and Canada, for the same cruise.

They are now offering a package deal (Explorer4) of free drinks (worth 100 us dollars per person per day) on a lot of cruises, but only for people with an Us or Canadian residence.

Hal seems to forget that Europeans are the ones they can make money on. They do the drinking on board. People from the US and or Canada only drink the free coffee or water.

So I call upon all European cruises do not book any more cruises with HAL.

In the unlikely event you still want to cruise with them, just refuse to pay the hotel service charge. According to European law this has to be part of the total price you pay for your cruise and cannot be charged afterwards.

You know I almost felt sorry for you until I read this about drinking free coffee and water. Is that why my bar bills run around $100. a day for a 7 day cruise, because I drink water. Are you kidding me, what a ludicrous statement.

[Copper10-8]

That leaves the South Americans, Asians, Aussies, Kiwis, Africans and folks from Bedrock

[serendipity1499]

HAL doesn’t want people from Europe to book their cruises.

Europeans pay about 20 to 25% more compared to people that live in the USA and Canada, for the same cruise.

They are now offering a package deal (Explorer4) of free drinks (worth 100 us dollars per person per day) on a lot of cruises, but only for people with an Us or Canadian residence.

Hal seems to forget that Europeans are the ones they can make money on. They do the drinking on board. People from the US and or Canada only drink the free coffee or water.

So I call upon all European cruises do not book any more cruises with HAL.

In the unlikely event you still want to cruise with them, just refuse to pay the hotel service charge. According to European law this has to be part of the total price you pay for your cruise and cannot be charged afterwards.

 

Agree Everything is much more expensive in Europe!

 

I used to work for an European Airline & when I flew to Europe & bought a round of Alcoholic drinks (yes Alcoholic) in our hotel, I paid almost double what I would pay for the same drinks in the U.S. & that was many years ago.. In addition, my counterpart in Europe was paid much more than I was paid in the U.S. & he/she had completely free airline tickets, while I had paid a service charge for mine..

 

Why don't you visit our Country, stay in our Hotels & drink & eat over here..

You might be amazed at what it would cost you in comparison to what it might cost in another country in Europe..

 

Also don't understand why anyone would not pay the service charge.. How would you like it if your Child worked on a ship & someone refused to pay the service charge which goes completely to those who serve you! :mad:

[AlohaPride]

You know. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Had you approached this subject without offending a large percentage of this board you might have had a different reaction than the one you're getting. . . Food for thought.

[babyher]

You know. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Had you approached this subject without offending a large percentage of this board you might have had a different reaction than the one you're getting. . . Food for thought.

 

 

 

I have a feeling that the OP worded it exactly that way in hopes of getting the responses that he got

[serendipity1499]

OP..Take a look at this thread.. The OP of that thread is stating that Explore 4 is now $400 more on her cruise, than on previous cruises...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2079766

[free from work]

Having just come back from the pub and sitting here drinking my bottle of Prosecco I find it hard to believe that anyone thinks we Europeans/English drink more than our American friends. As for being fleeced/ripped off by HAL if you don't want to pay the price nobody is forcing you to take a cruise. I would say that the gratuities are more than we would pay at home because in the main workers receive a decent salary and tips are a bonus but when in Rome........... Just be thankful that you have the opportunity to be a passenger and not a member of staff, away from home for goodness knows how long and missing your family grow up.

[Stratheden]

Perhaps HAL offers promos like Exp. 4 to Americans because we are the ones that need a little "incentive" to spend the thousands of dollars in air fare to get to Europe. Seems to make good business sense. And from what I have seen across several other lines, pretty typcial. Some lines offer low cost air as the incentive. Some "free air".

 

Australians get the Explore 4 without the drinks card and we have to fly further than US residents. Perhaps they could give us some incentive too :D