Booking onboard for your next HAL cruise vs. 60 days out

[Epicureangirl]

If you are looking for the best deal, is it going to be 30-60-90 days from sailing? Or am I missing out on some even better deals available on board? I am looking for non-US, non-Caribbean itineraries but am fairly flexible with my dates and don’t care about my cabin assignment unless it is an amazing deal to upgrade.

 

FYI: For HAL, I have never booked onboard, or with a TA — only directly through the HAL website. I have never had a deal that includes OBC, but have taken advantage of discounted 3rd and 4th passengers or veranda upgrades.

 

Love to hear from you seasoned HAL cruisers.

Cheers.

 

 

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[Scrapnana]

I usually have a specific itinerary in mind so I book early with a TA. I always get some kind of a perk by using them.

 

I have been on two cruises (with different cruise lines - one being HAL) where the price actually increased before sail date because the cruise was selling so well.

 

If you don't have a specific date or itinerary (and are not real fussy about location of cabins) waiting might get you a deal. However, because there are a fairly small number of cabins that hold three or four (and that is what you want), waiting might not be beneficial.

[Underwatr]

Off the top of my head (without actual data) I'd guess that any rate reduction close to sailing would be greater than the perks available for most onboard bookings, so there's some value in looking for close-in opportunities. But not all sailings get cheap just before departure and what's left may tend to be the cabins that are less attractive to those who have a preference.

 

So I think booking close to sailing can have opportunities but if there's a trip you want to take it's better to book early and get the cabin grade and location you prefer.

[gophercruiser]

:)Booking as soon as Hal lists a date and agenda insures you will receive your preferences in regards to room, dining,etc and will be the best price you will get on that cruise. If you require airfare, this then allows you plenty of time to procure the best price on same. Discounts shown closer to the cruise date will not offset increases that have taken place .I personally always book through my PCC who keeps me in the loop on deals as once in ten times a deal could benefit your booking.Happy sailing.

[RuthC]

If you're looking for non-US, non-Caribbean cruises close to sailing, you are also looking at the cost & availability of flights. Any decrease in the cost of the cruise will at least be offset somewhat by flight price increases.

[Epicureangirl]

I usually have a specific itinerary in mind so I book early with a TA. I always get some kind of a perk by using them.

 

I have been on two cruises (with different cruise lines - one being HAL) where the price actually increased before sail date because the cruise was selling so well.

 

If you don't have a specific date or itinerary (and are not real fussy about location of cabins) waiting might get you a deal. However, because there are a fairly small number of cabins that hold three or four (and that is what you want), waiting might not be beneficial.

 

Wow, a price increase AFTER buying would be a nice change! I agree, the three and four person staterooms are few and far between, but as my kids get older it is less likely that they will be coming with us. I will have to really pay attention to the upcoming itineraries to see how many I'd be interested in or if there is something special I should jump on. Thanks for your reply!

[Epicureangirl]

So I think booking close to sailing can have opportunities but if there's a trip you want to take it's better to book early and get the cabin grade and location you prefer.

 

There was one itinerary that passed me by that included a stop in Japan and in China I wanted -- it sold out before I could make up my mind. Once again, a victim of analysis-paralysis. ;p

[Epicureangirl]

:)Booking as soon as Hal lists a date and agenda insures you will receive your preferences in regards to room, dining,etc and will be the best price you will get on that cruise. If you require airfare, this then allows you plenty of time to procure the best price on same. Discounts shown closer to the cruise date will not offset increases that have taken place .I personally always book through my PCC who keeps me in the loop on deals as once in ten times a deal could benefit your booking.Happy sailing.

 

I think I have been very fortunate for finding suitable airfare within 60 days of my cruises. Air is generally expensive from Canada to pretty much anywhere, so maybe the savings aren't potentially as great as when getting air-deals from the US? :confused: It had not really occurred to me that someone could get me a better deal than I could (researching on the web and getting on some great mailing lists). Looks like I need my own PCC...

 

As for dining, I am going to try open-dining on my cruise next month and see how it goes. I try to book 1/2 my meals at the Pinnacle, which is really where any of my cruise-savings will end up going. :wine-glass: Thanks for your reply.

[Epicureangirl]

If you're looking for non-US, non-Caribbean cruises close to sailing, you are also looking at the cost & availability of flights. Any decrease in the cost of the cruise will at least be offset somewhat by flight price increases.

 

I am getting de-sensitized to the high flight prices in Canada, but I do have to be very careful about the timing of my trips. The prices really sky-rocket here for spring-break, summer and Christmas and the connections can be terrible (it's probably like that in the US too). It seems wrong that I can choose to fly to the East-coast of Canada or Europe for the same price. When I fly somewhere in the US, I usually just drive to Seattle or another WA airport, and can often get flights to Florida for less than $300! I <3 Alaska Airlines.

[Tapi]

Our only experience with HAL was sailing to Alaska in June. We booked an Oceanview stateroom almost a year in advance through a TA which offered a substantial discount over booking directly with the cruise line.

 

Prices held steady until literally the day after final payment and then they plunged, including a 3rd and 4th guest free promotion. I was pretty angry because of the obvious timing of the price drop, but a quick call to the TA allowed us to have our price readjusted and a refund issued. After that prices kept plunging further. Our TA was able to secure OBC even though we were under the impression that we weren’t entitled to it. After that, our TA told us that HAL wouldn’t honor any more price adjustments. However prices were still dropping a few days before sailing so we requested an upgrade to a balcony stateroom instead. Not only did HAL honor the upgrade, but they threw in even more OBC. We were beyond surprised about this because we knew that we weren’t supposed to get it.

 

So for this particular cruise, we truly lucked out. But that hasn’t always been the case. Sometimes prices go up, sometimes they go down. Sometimes you’re a winner and sometimes you’re not.

 

 

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[Epicureangirl]

So for this particular cruise, we truly lucked out. But that hasn’t always been the case. Sometimes prices go up, sometimes they go down. Sometimes you’re a winner and sometimes you’re not.

Well said. Great story, and so glad it worked out for you -- your travel agent really sounds great (as well as HAL for the further reductions and perks)! (y) The cruise I do next month was booked pretty much on a whim (felt like it was time for another :ship: and saw a deal too good to pass up). If I bought the same itinerary but for 2019, it would be another 3k. I am great with those savings, but you certainly can't count on dates, itineraries and discounts aligning at the same time.

[Bentleg]

If you are looking for the best deal, is it going to be 30-60-90 days from sailing? Or am I missing out on some even better deals available on board? I am looking for non-US, non-Caribbean itineraries but am fairly flexible with my dates and don’t care about my cabin assignment unless it is an amazing deal to upgrade.

 

FYI: For HAL, I have never booked onboard, or with a TA — only directly through the HAL website. I have never had a deal that includes OBC, but have taken advantage of discounted 3rd and 4th passengers or veranda upgrades.

 

Love to hear from you seasoned HAL cruisers.

Cheers.

 

 

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There is no simple answer to your question. Depending on how a cruise sells, the price can go up or down. There can be some excellent deals at short notice on some cruises, but these won't happen on cruises that sell well. If you want a particular itinerary best to book it as far ahead as you can, then watch the prices. If they fall before final payment date you can get the new price but you have to ask for it.

 

Booking on board can be done on a nominal deposit and attracts on board credits you might not get otherwise. When back home I then do all the price comparisons and if my agent can do a better price (which happens) I then move the booking to him, retaining the reduced deposit and on board credits for booking on board.

 

A while ago we could not get a balcony on six months notice on a once a year itinerary, so we booked (on board) for twelve months later. By the time we sailed the selling price for balconies had doubled. We also did a cruise in the Medit on two weeks notice at a fraction of the full price, although we were in a balcony right next to the outside lift on Zuiderdam (no privacy) but for what we paid it was fine.

 

 

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Edited December 20, 2017 by Bentleg

[kazu]

Bentleg makes some very good points.

 

Non U.S. Itineraries are often what we choose and our experience has been that on the "unique" itineraries, the price often goes up.

 

We book early (not on board) and I do watch my pricing. This year we saw a drop that worked for us so took advantage of it.

 

the other cruises for the past number of years, we have only seen prices go up and, cruises completely sell out before final payment was upon us.

 

Since we choose our cruises for itinerary there is not usually an alternative option on another ship so don't want to risk the cruise selling out on us ;)

[Epicureangirl]

When back home I then do all the price comparisons and if my agent can do a better price (which happens) I then move the booking to him, retaining the reduced deposit and on board credits for booking on board.

 

I need a little clarification on this please... in past when you have booked on board, you then move your reservation to a TA if you know they can get a better price than you booked originally? Or do you first call HAL and see if they are willing to price-match -- or is there nowhere to really call with those requests if you booked on board? I had read that if you booked a cruise with a TA and then book a future reservation while on board, that same TA gets your new reservation too, unless you expressly ask to have it moved. Does that sound right? Sorry for all the run-together questions. ;p Thanks!

[Epicureangirl]

We book early (not on board) and I do watch my pricing. This year we saw a drop that worked for us so took advantage of it.

 

Hi Kazu, out of curiosity are you always using a specific TA for your initial booking, or are you just booking with a TA at whatever company seems to have the best deal at the time? Thanks for your post!

[kazu]

Hi Kazu, out of curiosity are you always using a specific TA for your initial booking, or are you just booking with a TA at whatever company seems to have the best deal at the time? Thanks for your post!

 

I used to book with a TA directly, but lately have started booking with the PCC at HAL (I lucked into a good one).

 

Even when I booked right away with a TA I didn't snatch whatever company had the best deal at the time. I did do some price checking but service has value for me, so I only check with a very few. Plus, I have been doing Canadian pricing as of late which limits options IMO.

 

Then, once I have things "tidied up" (tidied up may be price drops, changes/whatever) I check pricing and offers and transfer to a TA. The one thing I like about this system is that I am able to see my OBC, etc. On the HAL site and also to make partial payments if I want without bothering a TA. (I know I don't need to pay until final payment but this helps me with budgeting as well as keeping my status with my FF account ;) ).

 

If you do use a PCC or book directly with HAL you need to transfer your booking before final payment if you want it switched to a TA.

 

Also, in regards to your previous post, HAL doesn't price match. Their price is their price. Some TA's offer OBC and/or discounted pricing (they are basically giving up some of their commission to do this, I believe) or they have a group booking - that is why some have a better deal than HAL.

[iancal]

We live in Western Canada. Over the past two years we have enjoyed what, to us, are some incredible transatlantic and transpacific air fares booked as early as 10 days to 45 days out. Return, and open jaws others further out. .

 

We no longer see much advantage to flying out of Seatac. Last time we looked at a BA flight that originated in Seatac, stopped in YVR, and then on to LHR. The fare from YVR was about $150. less, adjusted for currency, than the fare on the same flight from SEA.

 

You might want to sign up for a Canadian website that often advertises special fares. Some short notice, others not so short. As an example next month we will be flying to Singapore. Open jaw ticket has us coming home from Manila. The cost was $701 CAD on United/ANA from Calgary. The site is airport based. You can sign up for notifications. It is xxxdeals.com. Two weeks ago we signed up for a May escorted China trip. We checked back 15 minutes after buying it and it was sold out. There is sometimes no time to doddle or sleep on it overnight. In this instance my spouse and I looked at each other, we both shrugged and said why not. We booked immediately.

 

For xxx substitute the three letter airport code such as yvr for for Vancouver, yyc for Calgary, etc. We keep an eye on Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto departures depending on whether we are flying Atlantic or Pacific. Also take note of some of the companion web sites that are on down the left hand side of this web page.

 

We shop for final payment cruises and air at the same time. We also compare the market air fares that we see with what the cruise lines are offering. Plus, we typically have a backup plan of some sort so that we do not end up vacationing in our own back yard.

 

The final thing we do is check the cruise pricing on various international sites. More than once we have found it cost advantageous, adjusted for currency, to book a cruise with an agency on another continent or indeed directly with the cruise line sales office in that country. In one instance that saving was 30 percent. Most often booking overseas is the same or more expensive but it certainly pays to shop....and to be very aware of the booking practices in those countries.

Edited December 20, 2017 by iancal

[Epicureangirl]

Plus, I have been doing Canadian pricing as of late which limits options IMO.

 

Then, once I have things "tidied up" (tidied up may be price drops, changes/whatever) I check pricing and offers and transfer to a TA. The one thing I like about this system is that I am able to see my OBC, etc. On the HAL site and also to make partial payments if I want without bothering a TA. (I know I don't need to pay until final payment but this helps me with budgeting as well as keeping my status with my FF account ;) ).

 

Great, thank you! When you say you've been doing Canadian pricing, do you mean you are only checking Canadian based TA's? Or do you also look at Expedia.ca or other .ca sites that I believe are doing the US conversion and presenting the adjusted price? I did find it really hard to compare the US sites to Canadian ones, especially when often the prices quoted are not all-in. And sorry for my ignorance, I am still trying to get all the acronyms -- what is your FF account? :confused:

[drowelf]

For use, booking last minute cruises is not our style. We generally shop for itinerary, versus timing. Since we do not book guarantees, we book early, generally on-board, about 12-18 months out at a time in order to get an acceptable cabin assignment. We then transfer the booking to our TA, collect some more perks and then aggressively watch for fare sales and other changes that might improve total cost.

[Epicureangirl]

We live in Western Canada. Over the past two years we have enjoyed what, to us, are some incredible transatlantic and transpacific air fares booked as early as 10 days to 45 days out. Return, and open jaws others further out.

 

We no longer see much advantage to flying out of Seatac. Last time we looked at a BA flight that originated in Seatac, stopped in YVR, and then on to LHR. The fare from YVR was about $150. less, adjusted for currency, than the fare on the same flight from SEA.

 

I am in Western Canada too -- flying out of YVR. I have found good airfare for Europe and Asia here, and am only flying out of SeaTac now when it is an East-Coast US trip for the whole family (or to use my Alaska Air companion fare flights). It is hardly worth the hassle and extra travel if just my husband and I are going. We also try to fly in one city and out of another so we get an extra destination with our trips -- I will definitely sign up for some websites like you suggested.

 

As an example next month we will be flying to Singapore. Open jaw ticket has us coming home from Manila. The cost was $701 CAD on United/ANA from Calgary.

 

That was a great deal, we did see the ANA flight too from YVR. We'll also be flying to Singapore next month (are we on the same cruise?), but I think it was almost $1000 on Cathay via Hong Kong. Nice deal. It didn't occur to me to watch the other Cdn departure cities for deals. Thanks for the tip.

 

We shop for final payment cruises and air at the same time. We also compare the market air fares that we see with what the cruise lines are offering.

 

Do you mean when a cruise line is offering a flight credit as an incentive? Or are you going through a booking process of some sort online to see what fare deal they can offer? I'm not familiar with getting air through the cruise line.

 

The final thing we do is check the cruise pricing on various international sites. More than once we have found it cost advantageous, adjusted for currency, to book a cruise with an agency on another continent or indeed directly with the cruise line sales office in that country. In one instance that saving was 30 percent. Most often booking overseas is the same or more expensive but it certainly pays to shop....and to be very aware of the booking practices in those countries.

 

Mind blown. You have some AMAZING tips here, especially helpful as I am also dealing with west-coast flights and Canadian currency. I thought I was a good online-shopper, but you put me to shame! (y)

 

Thank you SO much.

[kazu]

Great, thank you! When you say you've been doing Canadian pricing, do you mean you are only checking Canadian based TA's? Or do you also look at Expedia.ca or other .ca sites that I believe are doing the US conversion and presenting the adjusted price? I did find it really hard to compare the US sites to Canadian ones, especially when often the prices quoted are not all-in. And sorry for my ignorance, I am still trying to get all the acronyms -- what is your FF account? :confused:

 

I actually haven't used a Canadian TA in at least a decade. My bookings have been in the U.S., but there are TA's that will do Canadian dollar pricing.

 

After using a certain site, I prefer to deal with the same person. I'm not usually high maintenance ;). But, just the same - if something happens I want to talk to the same person ;).

 

Apologies on the acronym. FF = Frequent Flyer miles - in my case Aeroplan. I try to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear by flying biz class with them. Keeping my status means I'm not on hold if I have to call them ;)

 

The HAL site gives you the Canadian dollar pricing automatically and any other U.S. Site gives you the US $ pricing so easy to do the math. It has worked out in the past that I was better off to do US $ (and have) but for the last few cruises that has not been in the case.

 

If you are not booking on board, be sure to buy a Future Cruise Deposit for each of you. That lowers your deposit when you do book and gives you a bit of OBC.

 

Also, the Mariner Society is very good at switching the currencies if need be. I had US$ ones that I couldn't use and they switched them to Canadian for me. I was credited with the exchange.

 

Hope this helps. :)

[Epicureangirl]

Apologies on the acronym. FF = Frequent Flyer miles - in my case Aeroplan. I try to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear by flying biz class with them. Keeping my status means I'm not on hold if I have to call them ;)

 

The HAL site gives you the Canadian dollar pricing automatically and any other U.S. Site gives you the US $ pricing so easy to do the math. It has worked out in the past that I was better off to do US $ (and have) but for the last few cruises that has not been in the case.

 

If you are not booking on board, be sure to buy a Future Cruise Deposit for each of you. That lowers your deposit when you do book and gives you a bit of OBC.

 

Oh good, FF is not a HAL promotion I was missing out on! :p I have found it hard to compare prices, partly because of the HAL site -- until I really start putting my booking in, I never really know the final cost. Often the cabin price they advertise seems to go up by the time I have gone farther through the booking process. And of course if I do want a specific cabin (like one that sleeps 3), I would probably have to go through that process with an agency too to see what the final price comparison and incentive offers would be. Is the Future Cruise Deposit time-sensitive? I heard of an offer where you have to book your cruise in the next 60 days -- is that the one? That might just work for me.

 

Thanks for your help.

[kazu]

Oh good, FF is not a HAL promotion I was missing out on! :p I have found it hard to compare prices, partly because of the HAL site -- until I really start putting my booking in, I never really know the final cost. Often the cabin price they advertise seems to go up by the time I have gone farther through the booking process. And of course if I do want a specific cabin (like one that sleeps 3), I would probably have to go through that process with an agency too to see what the final price comparison and incentive offers would be. Is the Future Cruise Deposit time-sensitive? I heard of an offer where you have to book your cruise in the next 60 days -- is that the one? That might just work for me.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

The offer where you book your cruise within 60 days is a different one. It basically doubles the FCD (Future Cruise Deposit) OBC.

 

The FCD has a time limit of 4 years. It must be used in 4 years or it expires and is refunded to you. I usually just buy the $100 ones and then if the cruise is longer the deposit just increases to match the FCD that would have been bought for that length of a cruise. A very fair deal, IMO.

 

Oh, and no need to make an appointment for the Future Cruise consultant on board. There is a form, just grab one or they drop them off at the cabin and you can complete it and get confirmation. Charges for FCD's are NOT to your onboard account but to the credit card that they have on file for your bill.

[Epicureangirl]

Do you think I would be able to use the FCD against a cruise where the full payment is due? If I found a cruise 60 days out where I loved the itinerary, that could be the ultimate in combining the best price and still retaining OBC.

 

 

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[kazu]

Do you think I would be able to use the FCD against a cruise where the full payment is due? If I found a cruise 60 days out where I loved the itinerary, that could be the ultimate in combining the best price and still retaining OBC.

 

 

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Booking at that time line means that the 100% of the cruise payment is due (inside of final payment dead line).

 

I don't know for sure, but since the FCD is supposed to be used as a deposit (and that is one of the benefits), it might negate it being used?