Price Diff from Holland and online TA

[cheeto]

while checking my alaska eurodam cruise price on a "big common"online TA; I noticed that they had a much lower price for my SB booking for 1st & 2nd. I then went to Holland to check but they still have the price I am booked for 1st & 2nd. We booked for $3,049 and the online TA has it for $2,739 and it includes Explore 4. This is lower than what I had originally booked for before Explore 4.

 

I thought no online TA could advertise lower prices than Holland?

 

I had originally planned on transferring to a warehouse TA (the seattle store / membership store) to get the extra OBC, but after I did the math I would still save $300 with this online TA. I am now seriously considering moving over.

I was also hoping to get the additional $200 OBC that Holland offered last year in October for National Plan a Cruise Month (I know it may not be offered, fingers crossed though). If I switch my reservation over I think I may not be able to re-fare in October is HA does have this Promo again because I think they may have a cancellation / refare fee.

 

Any suggestions from HA "professionals" (this is our 1st with HA).

 

Thanks,

Nancy

[kazu]

while checking my alaska eurodam cruise price on a "big common"online TA; I noticed that they had a much lower price for my SB booking for 1st & 2nd. I then went to Holland to check but they still have the price I am booked for 1st & 2nd. We booked for $3,049 and the online TA has it for $2,739 and it includes Explore 4. This is lower than what I had originally booked for before Explore 4.

 

I thought no online TA could advertise lower prices than Holland?

 

I had originally planned on transferring to a warehouse TA (the seattle store / membership store) to get the extra OBC, but after I did the math I would still save $300 with this online TA. I am now seriously considering moving over.

I was also hoping to get the additional $200 OBC that Holland offered last year in October for National Plan a Cruise Month (I know it may not be offered, fingers crossed though). If I switch my reservation over I think I may not be able to re-fare in October is HA does have this Promo again because I think they may have a cancellation / refare fee.

 

Any suggestions from HA "professionals" (this is our 1st with HA).

 

Thanks,

Nancy

 

TA's can offer OBC or choose to discount. The TA's that do this have a better price overall.

 

the thing is you still want to make sure that the TA is reputable and there are not a lot of fees involved (cancellation, decrease in price, etc.) and, of course that the payments go directly to HAL.

 

We use a TA and save either with a discount or with additional obc.

 

Some people prefer to book with HAL directly or a PCC (their TA).

 

As long as you are happy, that's the main thing :)

[cheeto]

I decided to call to confirm the pricing and the agent I spoke with quoted me a lot higher than what the online price showed. I asked her to give me the price without Explore4 to see if that was the online price I saw but that was still higher. I guess in the end it is just a run around.

 

Online total price $6,481.94

Phone w/o EX4 $6,581.94

Phone w/ EX4 $6,861.94

 

The online total price lists Explore 4 and the same rebate she offered me as available bonus offers, but I am not 100% sure if they truly are in the price or not plus I would lose my cabin assignment by booking a new reservation online.

[chengkp75]

I think you have just found out about "non-commissionable" fares. The cruise line takes their fare, and determines how much of that fare they will pay a TA a commission on (commissionable fare), and how much they won't pay a commission on. This is a completely arbitrary decision of the cruise lines, and the TA's don't really like it. However, it does allow some TA's to advertise the cruise fare as the "commissionable" portion, and then they call the "non-commissionable" portion as a "port charge" (differentiated from the legal port fee). You find that when you add the TA's fare and "port charge", you get a very close fare to the line's advertised fare.

[cheeto]

I think you have just found out about "non-commissionable" fares. The cruise line takes their fare, and determines how much of that fare they will pay a TA a commission on (commissionable fare), and how much they won't pay a commission on. This is a completely arbitrary decision of the cruise lines, and the TA's don't really like it. However, it does allow some TA's to advertise the cruise fare as the "commissionable" portion, and then they call the "non-commissionable" portion as a "port charge" (differentiated from the legal port fee). You find that when you add the TA's fare and "port charge", you get a very close fare to the line's advertised fare.

 

You are so right!! I actually asked her the price break down and she mentioned the tax amount and the PORT amount. I then inquired about the PORT amount and told her that my HAL reservation does not list any PORT charges. Her answer was that it was being "hidden" in the cruise fare / already included.

The strange thing is that I went back and went through the motions on booking online and there are no PORT charges being added.

[DaveOKC]

You are so right!! I actually asked her the price break down and she mentioned the tax amount and the PORT amount. I then inquired about the PORT amount and told her that my HAL reservation does not list any PORT charges. Her answer was that it was being "hidden" in the cruise fare / already included.

The strange thing is that I went back and went through the motions on booking online and there are no PORT charges being added.

 

The only accurate way to compare fares is to look at the TOTAL cost (fare, taxes, all fees). Then you compare that to the deal with and without the various "perks" offered.

 

Only then you will know the best deal.

[Hlitner]

We have been posting, from the first year of CC, that it always pays to shop around for the best deal, and HAL is no exception. In fact, we have saved thousands of dollars on a single HAL cruise by simply comparing prices (and OBCs) from a few of our favorite agencies. And now, with nearly 500 days of HAL under our belt, we have never...ever...seen HAL match the prices (and amenities) we get from one (or more) or our favorite agencies. Bottom line is that you can usually expect to save 7-10% (or even more). But if you do want to move a booking....it sometimes pays off to call the agency (before you do the transfer) to see if they can further enhance their online offering.

 

Hank

[Randyk47]

We have been posting, from the first year of CC, that it always pays to shop around for the best deal, and HAL is no exception. In fact, we have saved thousands of dollars on a single HAL cruise by simply comparing prices (and OBCs) from a few of our favorite agencies. And now, with nearly 500 days of HAL under our belt, we have never...ever...seen HAL match the prices (and amenities) we get from one (or more) or our favorite agencies. Bottom line is that you can usually expect to save 7-10% (or even more). But if you do want to move a booking....it sometimes pays off to call the agency (before you do the transfer) to see if they can further enhance their online offering.

 

Hank

 

Agree completely and would add that because of HAL's policy, and most other cruise lines for that matter, Internet based TAs cannot openly advertise or show their offers. Almost without exception you have to contact them by phone or email to get their offers. Right now I'm typically getting a 10-12% cash discount from the HAL's or other cruise line's published cruise, taxes, and fees fare with my TA.

[geoherb]

The price we booked our cruise for was 20 percent less than HAL's price for the base cruise price. The port fees and taxes were the same price. As others have said, make sure there's no fee from the agency with which you book for changes/cancellation.

[easyboy]

We have been posting, from the first year of CC, that it always pays to shop around for the best deal, and HAL is no exception. In fact, we have saved thousands of dollars on a single HAL cruise by simply comparing prices (and OBCs) from a few of our favorite agencies. And now, with nearly 500 days of HAL under our belt, we have never...ever...seen HAL match the prices (and amenities) we get from one (or more) or our favorite agencies. Bottom line is that you can usually expect to save 7-10% (or even more). But if you do want to move a booking....it sometimes pays off to call the agency (before you do the transfer) to see if they can further enhance their online offering.

 

Hank

So true.

[Jade13]

Agree completely and would add that because of HAL's policy, and most other cruise lines for that matter, Internet based TAs cannot openly advertise or show their offers. Almost without exception you have to contact them by phone or email to get their offers. Right now I'm typically getting a 10-12% cash discount from the HAL's or other cruise line's published cruise, taxes, and fees fare with my TA.

 

 

Agree. We typically get 8% off, but more if there is a group booking. We could have gotten an even lower price on our upcoming cruise by booking a group rate, but decided to take the Expore4 with the lower 8% discount.

[Randyk47]

Agree. We typically get 8% off, but more if there is a group booking. We could have gotten an even lower price on our upcoming cruise by booking a group rate, but decided to take the Expore4 with the lower 8% discount.

 

The very best we've ever gotten was a 26% discount but that was several years ago and on a Celebrity cruise not HAL and was a group rate. Kind of brings up a notion that was expressed on a similar thread a year or more ago about Internet TAs being "consolidators". The poster's concern and understanding was that Internet TAs only get the "leftovers" like some airline consolidators that wind up with last minute random seats and heavily discount those. I'm not saying there isn't such a Internet TA for cruises but the ones I deal with are not consolidators and booking with them is no different in terms of selecting cabin, dates, and itinerary selection than any brick and mortar or cruise line PCC.

[iancal]

Cruises are now commodity items.

 

As mentioned above ensure that your TA has good T's & C's with regard to re-faring etc.

 

Why pay full cruise line price when you can, with very little effort, save 8-12 percent, sometimes even more, by doing a little shopping? The cruise line so called consultant may be a very nice person but are you willing to pay a few hundred dollars more per person, sometimes more, for the privilege of dealing with him/her? We are not. For us the savings in dealing with our TA translate into one free cruise for every ten or so that we buy.