Sales and price increases

[Hokiegalcruiser]

In your experience, when HAL has a sale or includes some perks like drink packages, do they raise the prices? I am asking because we are about ready to book for July 2017 but I read on these boards that HAL might start a new sale in February.

[ohiogal48]

Good question

 

 

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[cruz chic]

In some cases yes, in some no. I've noticed price increases with drink packages etc. Others say that their cruise has not gone up.

[freestyling]

If you like the intinerary and the ship... Book it. If the price goes down before final payment just rebook it :). I have never been lucky enough to get a drink package or some special "incentive" without the cruise price going up. But it does happen according to some of the threads :)

[LynnObie]

In your experience, when HAL has a sale or includes some perks like drink packages, do they raise the prices? I am asking because we are about ready to book for July 2017 but I read on these boards that HAL might start a new sale in February.

 

My motto... Nothing is "really" free! I have always seen a higher price when a "free" drink package, etc., was offered. Meanwhile... I use a website that can't be named here to monitor every cruise I book. Their monitoring saved me $1,000 per person on one past cruise that stands out in my mind. They send their subscribers an email the moment there is a price drop below the amount you set. If you do a Google search for sites that include "cruise" and "fish" and "price" you might find it.:)

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

If you cruise goes down in price you loose the drink package. .

[DaveOKC]

If you like the intinerary and the ship... Book it. If the price goes down before final payment just rebook it :). I have never been lucky enough to get a drink package or some special "incentive" without the cruise price going up. But it does happen according to some of the threads :)

 

Agree - once you find a price you can live with, book it. If a better deal comes along, and it is before final payment, you can normally get HAL to give it to you. Just remember, often times those perks result in higher cruise fares. You cannot normally get both.

[crystalspin]

In your experience, when HAL has a sale or includes some perks like drink packages, do they raise the prices? I am asking because we are about ready to book for July 2017 but I read on these boards that HAL might start a new sale in February.

 

I have seen the higher-prices=perks on other lines. Note that any new sale will be in MARCH as the current sale runs to the END of February. Meanwhile the cabin you want is more likely to taken by someone else.

 

As far as actual PRICES, what DaveOKC said: HAL will lower your tab if the price on the same category goes down. This happened within days of our booking for March 2017. The phone operator was as cheerful as could be to credit my account for $100 x four berths!

 

It has always been in my best interests to nab the location I want, when I saw it, then watch for tariff decreases that would apply.

Edited January 18, 2016 by crystalspin

[crystalspin]

In your experience, when HAL has a sale or includes some perks like drink packages, do they raise the prices? I am asking because we are about ready to book for July 2017 but I read on these boards that HAL might start a new sale in February.

 

I have seen the higher-prices=perks on other lines. Note that any new sale with be in MARCH as the current sale runs to the END of February. Meanwhile the cabin you want is more likely to taken by someone else.

 

As far as actual PRICES, HAL will lower your tab if the price on the same category goes down. This happened within days of our booking for March 2017. The phone operator was as cheerful as could be to credit my account for $100 x four berths!

 

It has always been in my best interests to nab the location I want, when I saw it, then watch for tariff decreases that would apply.

[CGYCruisingFamily]

We had booked last year for our family of 4 on the Oosterdam. It was not cheap but we wanted specific rooms.

 

We watched the prices. Explore 4 came along and we changed. Now I should explain that while our overall price dropped just over $1000 and we now had the special package in reality my husband and my fares actually increased due to the promo. Were our fares went down to make up that $1000 difference was in third and fourth person pricing was substantially reduced.

 

We know this because my parents, who were travelling as well, tried reprising theirs to explore 4 and the fare was higher , same room category.

 

So I would say for some special packages it does actually increase.

Edited January 18, 2016 by CGYCruisingFamily

[grayjay]

I also found that quite often the price increases especially if a beverage package is offered for "free". When we booked a cruise on "Zaandam" we took the only date without the Explore4 package, but as we saved almost 30 % of the cruise price it was worth it for us because we don't drink much.

After having booked "Koningsdam" we noticed that prices rose about 20-30 % (depending on the category) after Explore4 was offered in the US. When the sale finished prices slowly dropped again to approximately the rate we paid. When ViewandVeranda sale appeared the prices for the same cruise rose again by 10-15 %. I'm interested to see if they will go down again in March but in general my experiences have made me wary of any "Special Sales".

As we are not able to cancel and re-book as our American and Canadian cruisefriends can, we either book very early to get the cabin we want if we are content with the price offered ( we'll be able to get price drops before final payment, though) or look at last-minute pricing. But in that case we sometimes are lucky and sometimes we aren't: the cruise may be fully sold out, no decent cabins available or we won't get a flight cheap enough to reach our destination. Last week, for example, I noticed a very nice offer of a Med cruise out of Venice ( on RCL) but flights to and from Venice in the morning were outregeously expensive and we didn't want to add hotel costs. So sometimes you win - sometimes you lose!

[CJcruzer]

I asked my TA to price my last cruise without the Explore4 -

 

Carol

[ozblue_7]

My experience albeit from Australia is that `free' promotions are accompanied by a price rise to more than cover the promotion. When the promotion ends the price goes back down again. The recent free balcony upgrade was achieved by raising the price of the Ocean View to match the balcony price. It seems to me most cruise line operate like this, and I personally think it dishonest. Doesn't bother me as I now understand the system, but definitely a trap for the unaware.

[cruz chic]

My experience albeit from Australia is that `free' promotions are accompanied by a price rise to more than cover the promotion. When the promotion ends the price goes back down again. The recent free balcony upgrade was achieved by raising the price of the Ocean View to match the balcony price. It seems to me most cruise line operate like this, and I personally think it dishonest. Doesn't bother me as I now understand the system, but definitely a trap for the unaware.

 

Exactly. I said the very same thing in another thread. I was eyeballing a cruise on princess. Last week it was around $2300. This week it's around $2700 but it has "free" gratuities :D.

[Hlitner]

So here is our example of HAL drink packages. About 1 1/2 years ago we booked a 35 day Oosterdam Transpacific and Aus/NZ cruise during a promotion and paid over $23,000 for a deal that included the drink package and some other amenities. When that same cruise/cabin dropped below $14,000 I e-mailed by cruise agency and suggested we "re price" our cruise. About an hour later my agent telephoned me and said, "you realize that you will lose the drink package" if we rebook the cruise. My response was, do you think we can drink $11,000 of booze in 35 days!

 

So we reiterate our advice for any cruise or cruise line. If you do book early, make sure you continue to monitor the prices and deals for your cruise. Do not hesitate to change if the prices change.

 

Hank

[Hokiegalcruiser]

Thanks for all of your help and advice.