Continued price drops after final payment date

[Vineyard View]

I am curious. Our first HAL cruise is next month. We booked our trip in February during their President's Day Sale. Since the final full payment date, our cabin class has dropped over 25%. I realize that cruises need to sell their cabins - I totally get that - but I am shocked over such a significant price reduction. I also recognize that one has to be comfortable with the pricing that they commit to, but I am not feeling very warm and fuzzy right now.

 

So I am curious how the regular repeating HAL customers come to terms in these situations? And if these situations are common, how HAL has such loyal customers? Maybe once I actually experience the cruise it will become clear.

[iancal]

We are not loyal to any one cruise line. For the past three years we have generally been booking inside the final payment window...after fares have been reduced but not necessarily at their lowest level. We book when our price hits and only when we can get a verandah or verandah gty.

 

Some cruise lines offer very attractive suite upgrade prices in the final payment window so you may yet be offered an opportunity to get a great upgrade at fairly low cost.

 

You might want to request an upgrade or an OBC in lieu of the price decrease. What is the worst thing that they might say? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Edited September 9, 2014 by iancal

[Vineyard View]

That is a useful tip - thank you. I will keep that one in mind!

Regardless - we are going to have a wonderful time - and I will not let it impact our trip. Not worth that. Was just feeling a bit blue tonight after seeing yet another drop after that date - maybe the real lesson is to quit looking! ha!

[kamfan]

Give them a call, see if they are able to help you at all. You might be surprised.

[Vineyard View]

Thanks much - I sent a note to our TA asking her to check - I believe it is the way it needs to go since we booked through her. It doesn't hurt - the answer is always 'no' unless you ask the question!

[Pettifogger]

Many of us remember the biblical story about the workers in the vineyard who were all paid the same, even though some had worked all day and others only part of the day. Those who had worked all day were "not feeling very warm and fuzzy."

 

By and large, we are free to contract as we wish, but are bound to fulfill our contracts. Some of us are better at choosing our contracts than others. Those of us who aren't, can, if we wish, resent either those were better at contracting or those with whom they and we contracted, or both, but that is unproductive at best and it is far better to learn something about cruise pricing from the experience.

 

If you do and you continue to cruise, you may come out ahead before too long.

[PathfinderEss]

Most the time the cruises we do, do not go down in price. I can count on one hand how many times that has happened. You should have your TA contact Hal and see if they might give you some OBC for those price drops. Doesn't hurt to try.

[ICUQT]

Most the time the cruises we do, do not go down in price. I can count on one hand how many times that has happened. You should have your TA contact Hal and see if they might give you some OBC for those price drops. Doesn't hurt to try.

 

I agree with Melodie in contacting HA through your TA. This has happen to me in the past and although HA was not required they offered me OBC and was lucky enough once to be offered an upsell. Melodie is also correct about the ups and downs of HA pricing. I will use for examples the two cruises in my signature below both are up significantly. I monitored the price (on a site not to be named) for this years Viking Passage cruise to get a feel for the pricing for next years cruise. During the course of a year price went up over $1000 pp until sailing. As soon as the offering came out earlier this year for 2015 sailing I booked. Already, my cabin category is up over $500 pp and I expect it to continue to rise and we are still about a year away from sailing. The Maasdam cruise is up $620 pp from my booking but I took the Explore4 offering as an upgrade which is not reflected in the shown rise in price.

 

bob

[0bnxshs]

I simply stop shopping after I'm made my purchase. Ignorance is bliss.... ;)

[ICUQT]

I simply stop shopping after I'm made my purchase. Ignorance is bliss.... ;)

 

I understand what you are saying and respect that. However, as a service to me my TA monitors the price of my booked cruise from the time I book to the time the final payment is due. If the price goes down she has always called HA and I have always received the lower price. I look at it in a different way than you. A hundred dollars is better off in my pocket than HA's pocket.

 

bob

[Vineyard View]

Well, I am not sure why our cruise has dropped so much - the itinerary is what made our decision (Mediterranean 21 days), and the smaller Ryndam was a great match to the route - we didn't watch it or track it for pricing -

I just have not run up against such large downward pricing on other cruise lines we have travelled - that said, we are by no means the seasoned cruisers many of you are so all this advice - maybe with the exception of Pettifogger :confused: is helpful and I thank you.

[LindaM]

I simply stop shopping after I'm made my purchase. Ignorance is bliss.... ;)

 

I'm the same way. The price is always going to go down....I don't want to know what last minute cruises are going for. Well, maybe it doesn't always go down, depending on the cruise.

 

In the scheme of things, $100 OBC doesn't mean that much to me. It's worth that much to not know what other people ended up paying.

[Viesczy]

I understand what you are saying and respect that. However, as a service to me my TA monitors the price of my booked cruise from the time I book to the time the final payment is due. If the price goes down she has always called HA and I have always received the lower price. I look at it in a different way than you. A hundred dollars is better off in my pocket than HA's pocket.

 

bob

 

I kinda took it that Rich books directly with HAL and when happy with the price he doesn't look again.

 

Your TA best monitor that price, it is their fiduciary responsibility to work for you. If they didn't, they'd not be worth their weight in dirty diapers.

 

As far as the OP, you can always ask to see what you can get. What's the worst that would happen... they'd say 'too bad'.

 

Derek

[mllewis48]

Maybe it's just me but with the recent changes to the HAL WebSite it is almost impossible to view any probable price reductions, if I am wrong please educate me. About a month ago my Holiday Cruise this year went down $300pp prior to final payment so I got that reduction. In the past any post final patment reductions for us has been an offer of an "upsell offer" or SBC.

 

Thanks in advance

[iancal]

Price drops like this are not as unusual as you would think. Especially in the Med over the past three years. The economy has been lagging, air fares are up, and the market has been oversupplied. Oddly enough, over the past few years we have found that air fares to Europe are no longer at their lowest rates six months out. We have had some very good fares 45-60 days out. We booked an October cruise 10 days ago. Prices were down 25 percent from a month or so prior to our booking.

 

If you have you sights on one ship, one cruise line then your chances of snagging a great offer are greatly reduced. We usually select two or three ships from different cruise lines all on a same itinerary. Each cruise line appears to have a distinct identifiable pricing model if you follow them for any length of time.

[navybankerteacher]

Do you feel as much happier if prices go up after you book? If so, you break even overall. Of course, you should look at the whole picture: getting to the cruise and getting home are part of your cost; and in many cases the additional cost of last minute air fare (or, worse still, unavailability of frequent flier free flights) will offset the savings (if any) of last minute booking.

 

Unless you are truly exceptional, if you spend enough time comparing what you pay for something with what someone else paid, you are virtually certain to find that someone got a better deal than you did -- or at least will tell you that he did.

[cruz chic]

Unfortunately, HAL is famous for doing this. They charge top dollar to the early bookers and give away the farm at the end. I've rarely book a cruise that doesn't go down in price but I tend to do run of the mill cruises (Alaska, Caribbean, Mexico etc.). I'm going on a cruise in November and a balcony VF guarantee cost me around $3100. I'm checking cruises for Mar - Apr 2015 and for that same cruise in Mar 2015 they want over $4K. There is no reason for it to be that high. I'm willing to wait because I may go with Princess. My job situation is a little iffy as well some I'm not committing to anything right now.

[iancal]

Once we have bought, we never check again...unless of course we are outside the final payment window which is unusual. It no longer matters to us. Same if the price goes up-which on occasion it sometimes does at certain points inside the cancellation window. We typically have a target price. When it hits we buy. Our October cruise was tacked on to an existing land trip and it enabled us to get very good one way air fare back to our home.

 

Our experience for Europe, at least from our departure airports is that airfare to Europe over the past three years have actually been as low, or slightly lower 45-60 days out than they were 180 days out. Reward travel is more tricky. Our November one way fare from Barcelona-Calgary in early November was only $480. USD. Last Jan we booked 11 days out from departure date for a return flight to Bangkok and had the lowest return fare that we had seen in quite some time. Don't know why the change. Alas, we have not found this to be true on NA flights to MIA or FLL.

[SightCRR]

Make sure that you are getting the same perks (drink package, dinners etc) as the ones with the price drops and price that in when you compare. If you bought the canceling insurance and the price drops more than the insurance plus cost of new insurance let TA know your are ready to rebook. On our recent AK cruise before final payment as non drinkers we dropped drink package and got both upgraded cabins and lower fares. After final payment lower costs were converted to shipboard credit which we used to pay tips and beverage card we used for water/sodas. Credit was about 50% of drop ie $600 drop equaled $300 credit. We never did use the insurance and used cruise fish to track the price changes. I called every time the price dropped. Sometimes it helped and sometimes it didn't. You may even get enough credit to buy free laundry plus the tips.

Sightcrr

[cruz chic]

<snip>. Alas, we have not found this to be true on NA flights to MIA or FLL.

 

Is that ever true. The flight for economy for my November cruise was stupid expensive. For about $400 I booked business class. I could have found something a bit cheaper but I refuse to fly on United.

[Langley BC]

I am curious. Our first HAL cruise is next month. We booked our trip in February during their President's Day Sale. Since the final full payment date, our cabin class has dropped over 25%. I realize that cruises need to sell their cabins - I totally get that - but I am shocked over such a significant price reduction. I also recognize that one has to be comfortable with the pricing that they commit to, but I am not feeling very warm and fuzzy right now.

 

So I am curious how the regular repeating HAL customers come to terms in these situations? And if these situations are common, how HAL has such loyal customers? Maybe once I actually experience the cruise it will become clear.

 

Cruised with HAL to Alaska in May 2013. Price dropped not long before our cruise, so I gave HAL a call. They gave us an onboard credit for the difference :) I was happy with that.

[sassy~one]

call

[mystik]

with our cruise this winter we had 3 price drops south america.

700.00 price drop

next upgrade

than a cruise credit on my bill 800.00

[Linda&Vern]

OP, if it makes you feel better ... I booked two cruises in early Spring. One cruise has gone up $500pp and one has stayed exactly the same. I think one can drive oneself crazy trying to predict when to book and when to wait. I suggest you do as others have suggested and have your TA call HAL and see what they can offer. Never hurts to ask.

[mllewis48]

Once I book I keep checking up to final payment if the price goes up good for me when I booked, if it goes down I contact my PCC with HAL. My point was HAL has made it more difficult to check rates with their new WebSite but still possible. Post final payment I may check once or twice and if there are reductions I'll contact our PCC. We are fortunate to gave the time and $ to cruise but many years ago was a different story, thus I am always looking for savings anywhere since we usually drop a few bucks on the cruise. It's called being smart!

 

 

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