Hurtigruten Pricing

[Globehoppers]

I recently called Hurtigruten US to obtain a confirmed itinerary for a next winter Antartica cruise. When we booked last August I wanted to fly direct to Ushuaia and bypass Buenos Aires, as shown on their website. Travel agent contacted H and was informed that joining the cruise in Ushuaia was not possible and we had to join in Buenos Aires and take their flights between BA and Ushuaia, overnighting in BA. The price quoted to the travel agent was about $1,500 more than shown on the H website. I called H and was firmly informed that the cruise must be joined in BA and that the information on their website was in error. NO option to join in Ushuaia. Okay - so we paid the extra $1,500 for a one night hotel in BA and the R/T air, if purchased directly from the airline, of $400.

 

To my surprise last week H informed me that we are scheduled "cruise only" Ushuaia to Ushuaia, and the added $1,500 each still applied. In the mean time have checked deck plans and discovered that our cabin, which was originally an "outside" cabin, is now called a "mini-suite."

 

It appears that Hurtigruten is demanding more money for already booked cabins through both cabin name changes and removing already paid for itinerary stops they previously required.

 

Anyone else experiencing similar with H? My travel agent is working with H on this. However, this type of "switching" is not what I would have expected from a well respected company like Hurtigruten.

[SarniaLo]

I don't quite get the cabin issue. Did you choose your cabin number? Did the price increase with that change?

Or do you mean that you still need to pay $1500 more on top of the $1500 that was added to the website price?

 

I have travelled twice with Hurtigruten in Antarctica, and I'm booked for another one this December, booking through the French Hurtigruten agent. We never had the option of not taking their shuttle flight from BA. On the French website and brochure, the price always included this. So I'm not quite sure I can help you there. I tried last time to ask if it was possible to join the ship in Ushuaia directly, and was told that it was, but there would be no discount on the price.

 

It's the same with UK, but I noticed that on the US brochure the voyage are quoted from Ushuaia to Ushuaia and wondered why. It would be weird if it was a mistake both on the website and on the brochure. Do I understand from your message that you have been directly in touch with Hurtigruten? Or only through your travel agent?

 

Also, I always choose my cabin number upon booking, and each time I received an order confirmation including this cabin number. The only thing I can see happened is that you did not actually secured the booking and the category of cabin you chose filled up. Did you have a confirmed, secure booking for a specific cabin?

Edited April 9, 2016 by SarniaLo

[digitl]

We are travelling on our third trip to Antarctica on Fram 'next winter', ie November/December 2016. We booked in the UK in December 2014 and the hotel and return Buenos Aires - Ushuaia flights were included in the price. We also stated which cabin we wanted and this is listed on the paper booking confirmation we received through our travel agent. Very different from what you are experiencing but, perhaps, the details of what is on offer for US clients may be different from what is on offer to European clients, something we have found (to our disadvantage) with other cruise companies.

 

You say that you 'have checked deck plans and discovered that our cabin, which was originally an "outside" cabin, is now called a "mini-suite"'. Is the cabin the same cabin: it's in the same location, but the name has been changed from 'outside' to 'mini-suite'?

 

If the hotel and flights cost was $1500 then I can't see how, if the hotel and flights had not, somehow, been booked (which would mean that the $1500 was still due) are Hurtigruten asking for more 'for already booked cabins through ... cabin name changes'?

 

Hurtigruten's website is poor (on the other hand, the crew and Expedition Team on Fram are superb!) but are you sure that your travel agent hasn't made a mistake somewhere? There was an incidence some time ago where an Antarctic inexperienced travel agent made all manner of mistakes and then tried to cover up by blaming the cruise company...

[Globehoppers]

Just a little frustrated... And, yes, we selected and confirmed a cabin # when booking.

 

When I talked with the H rep she informed that H uses "dynamic pricing" despite the claim on their US website of anything booked prior to 30 November 2015 for a 2017 cruise will be honored as an "early discount." So the price jumped up. Okay... The I was informed that the website was incorrect - there is NO option to join in Ushuaia and everyone must go through Buenos Aires, adding more to the price. I bit the bullet and booked through my T/A. last week, 8 months after booking, when attempting to find exact times and dates for the cruise so we could book air, I was informed that I was booked to join the cruise in Ushuaia, not BA, at the higher price. Three strikes. Interestingly, it appears that my contract states that the cruise starts on the date we are to meet in BA, not Ushuaia. My T/A is attempting to unravel this. H did change the name of the cabin we looked from "outside" to "mini-suite" even though its exactly the same. Maybe there are new amenities...

 

Our preference is to fly direct to Ushuaia. Long-haul we try to fly business if costs permit. Airlines Argentinas can connect us direct to Ushuaia via EZE all "Condor class" which is not available if H books the 3 and-a-half hour flight from the domestic airport in BA in a smaller aircraft (not a charter), and the added cost is less than $200 R/T.

 

Again, just a bit frustrated that H has informed their "guaranteed" early booking prices were subject to "dynamic pricing," that they "required" me to book through BA at the higher price for the overnight and R/T air to Ushuaia, and now telling me that I am NOT booked through BA but booked to join the cruise in Ushuaia. Disconcerting. If cynical, this would appear to be a way to increase prices for already booked guests.

[digitl]

I can't make sense of what is happening. It all sounds very odd, though I do remember that in the past the hotel and flights have not been included in some years and then have in others. They always have always been included for us.

 

However, I can confirm that early booking discounts are subject to fluid pricing. In the UK we are always warned that any price quoted is valid only until the end of that telephone call. End the call and then call back, and the price may well have changed. Even on the early booking discounts.

[SarniaLo]

This is all very weird to me either and not at all my experience. I have the same experience as Digitl about dynamic pricing. Even early discount is subject to dynamic pricing, so unless you are very lucky, the price quoted as the base price ("from $xxx") is never the price you pay. The price keep increasing even during the early booking phase, then I think it jumps up significantly once the early booking period is over.

 

Did you receive a booking confirmation at the time? By booking confirmation I mean a 2 or 3 page document that contains step by step all the things you have booked, and should have included the flight to and from BA. This booking confirmation should also contain the exact time and date of the cruise, and the overall price including all you have booked. If you only could read your booking confirmation 8 months later, then there has been a problem somewhere, either from Hurtigruten or from your travel agent. I received this document from Hurtigruten immediately after booking (even before my first payment was processed).

 

What is your cabin number, out of curiosity? I think there have been some changes to the way the cabins are categorized last year and they may have more amenities.

[Globehoppers]

Appreciate the comments. Yes, we have a booking confirmation with prices and cabin number. And, I understand "dynamic pricing" since its integral to airline pricing even if unusual for cruise pricing once you have a quote or different from that posted on the company's website.

 

The issue centers round Hurtigruten providing me and my T/A two different stories. First being that I HAD to join the cruise in and route through Buenos Aires and take their R/T air and stay in their designated hotel, despite the website also offering to originate the cruise in Ushuaia which the Hurtigruten rep (Annika) "explained" was incorrect and never should have been listed. Their website displayed separate pricing for each option - less expensive starting Ushuaia. They were adamant to me over the phone as well as to my T/A that the only option was to join the cruise in Buenos Aires and there was no alternative. Okay...

 

Then last week, attempting to obtain the exact date we had to be in Buenos Aires to schedule R/T air from the US, I was informed that we were actually booked to join the ship/cruise in Ushuaia instead of BA. That's a big difference in both date/time of travel and expense. My booking shows the date for starting in Buenos Aires and number of days for the cruise but apparently that is now also incorrect.

 

Having been around the block a few times its just a bit disconcerting that Hurtigruten is doing this; first requiring one routing then eight months later "confirming" a different schedule which they had originally claimed was not available.

 

I expect we will end up paying the higher via Buenos Aires price (hotel and air) and flying direct to Ushuaia to board Fram. Hotels rooms are going quickly in Ushuaia since its their high season and several large cruise ships will be in port, so have had to reserve several dates until my T/A hears back from Hurtigruten.

 

Appreciate everyone's comments and perspectives.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Globehoppers

[SarniaLo]

This is very weird. For me if you have a booking contract that explicitly lists the transfer from BA to Ushuaia and back then this contract is binding. I assumed you had paid a deposit? Maybe US tourism laws are different but in France paying a deposit on the basis of the booking contract would be binding for both parties, so if Hurtigruten changed the contract later on, there would be penalties.

[sashaa0@hotmail.co.uk]

I can relate to the pricing and the customer services experience. My cruise last month got cancelled at couple of days notice with no compensation and a late refund so we had to literally get money from my credit card to get to the final destination...

Still fighting for any sort of compensation but was basically told to get lost.