Best Travel Agencies for HAL Good Pricing/Perks

[kantonburg]

31 minutes ago, richwmn said:

A couple of quick notes:

Kantonburg appears to be sailing on either Koningsdam or Nieuw Statendam which each have new family oceanview staterooms designed for 5 people.

 

 

Second:

Hawaiidan is adamant about not booking with the cruise line. To each his / her own, however I have checked with 4 large Travel Agencies today (1 big box, 2 independent, and a membership I have) and all said the same thing. It makes no difference to them if the cruise is booked with HAL first. They can give the same benefits either way. So if you want to book with the PCC of your choice, go ahead - you are not hurting yourself. Then find the entity you wish to transfer to, at whatever time they can give you the maximum benefit.

 

Yes we will be on the Nieuw Statendam.  When you say give the same benefits you mean rates and perks from the site? @richwmn I'm not looking for any TA advice or recommendations, but I'd like to ask you a few questions if your up to it  w e s c a t 2 @ g m a i l no spaces of course.  

 

 

 

 

26 minutes ago, keeponcruising said:

Just off the NA Sunday and I was in a FB OV.  We had 4 in the cabin and one was a 7 year old.  I wouldn't want to be in it with more than 4.  It would be too tight.  The second bathroom with sink and shower is tiny.  If the sofa is opened up to sleep 2, there is no room to move by it.

 

That is good information to know.  How much time did you spend in the room?  We are going on an eastern Caribbean cruise with 2 days at sea so I'm hoping to limit our time in the room.  How late do most stay up on the ship.  We camp a lot and have a travel trailer so we're used to confined spaces.  At least if it's raining I can leave the cabin and sit at the bar 🙂

 

I'm also looking into what I can swing going to a Triple and Double if the price is right

Edited April 2, 2019 by kantonburg

[richwmn]

31 minutes ago, kantonburg said:

Yes we will be on the Nieuw Statendam.  When you say give the same benefits you mean rates and perks from the site? @richwmn I'm not looking for any TA advice or recommendations, but I'd like to ask you a few questions if your up to it  w e s c a t 2 @ g m a i l no spaces of course.  

I sent you an email a few minutes ago. My email is my user name here at gmail

[keeponcruising]

3 hours ago, kantonburg said:

Yes we will be on the Nieuw Statendam.  When you say give the same benefits you mean rates and perks from the site? @richwmn I'm not looking for any TA advice or recommendations, but I'd like to ask you a few questions if your up to it  w e s c a t 2 @ g m a i l no spaces of course.  

 

 

 

 

 

That is good information to know.  How much time did you spend in the room?  We are going on an eastern Caribbean cruise with 2 days at sea so I'm hoping to limit our time in the room.  How late do most stay up on the ship.  We camp a lot and have a travel trailer so we're used to confined spaces.  At least if it's raining I can leave the cabin and sit at the bar 🙂

 

I'm also looking into what I can swing going to a Triple and Double if the price is right

We usually eat breakfast in the room, but on this sailing we decided the room is too small.  It is tight.  The beds were by the door and the sofa bed by the window.  When we first got to the room, the amount of space at the foot of the bed to round the corner was so small that we took the nightstand out by the sofa, pushed the beds together and closer to the sofa bed.  That gave us more room there.  We were not in our room as much as on other cruises where we had a balcony cabin.  We had a retreat cabana and that helped out a lot.

[kantonburg]

55 minutes ago, keeponcruising said:

We usually eat breakfast in the room, but on this sailing we decided the room is too small.  It is tight.  The beds were by the door and the sofa bed by the window.  When we first got to the room, the amount of space at the foot of the bed to round the corner was so small that we took the nightstand out by the sofa, pushed the beds together and closer to the sofa bed.  That gave us more room there.  We were not in our room as much as on other cruises where we had a balcony cabin.  We had a retreat cabana and that helped out a lot.

That is good info.  If you have any other advice for the ship please let me know.  Not just the stateroom. 

 

 

[SempreMare]

On 3/22/2019 at 3:14 PM, iancal said:

And we only deal with TA's who have the payment billed through the cruise line not the travel agency. 

 

How do you know for sure how the payment is billed? 

 

@kantonburg Your post above was one of the single most helpful posts I've read! 

 

I am cruising for the first time in eons, and made my summer Alaska cruise reservation on impulse, booking direct,  a couple weeks ago in a Neptune Suite.

 

So I won't lose the specific room I've booked if I re-book via a travel agency? 

I really like the specific room location....

[*Miss G*]

11 hours ago, kantonburg said:

 

Does it list as private sale if you're logged in? Or is it listed as something else?

 

Thanks

 

Here are some snips of what you see.  The first snip shows what you see when you link from a private fare email.  The second snip shows what you see when you choose a sailing and drill down to the room choices. 

Edited April 3, 2019 by *Miss G*

[caribill]

5 hours ago, SempreMare said:

 

How do you know for sure how the payment is billed? 

You ask the TA if the credit card will be billed to HAL or to the agency.

 

 

I am cruising for the first time in eons, and made my summer Alaska cruise reservation on impulse, booking direct,  a couple weeks ago in a Neptune Suite.

 

So I won't lose the specific room I've booked if I re-book via a travel agency? 

I really like the specific room location....

 

You would not be re-booking, you would be transferring an existing booking.

see red above

[DaveOKC]

6 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Here are some snips of what you see.  The first snip shows what you see when you link from a private fare email.  The second snip shows what you see when you choose a sailing and drill down to the room choices. 

Very interesting - I have not seen this before.  Thanks for the information.  I only get snail mail Private Sales, so is there a way to find this online?

Edited April 3, 2019 by DaveOKC

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, DaveOKC said:

Very interesting - I have not seen this before.  Thanks for the information.  I only get snail mail Private Sales, so is there a way to find this online?

Me too.

[kantonburg]

2 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

Very interesting - I have not seen this before.  Thanks for the information.  I only get snail mail Private Sales, so is there a way to find this online?

 

Yes I have not seen that one before either.

 

Thanks

[Wayfairers]

Interesting thread here with lots of good information.   I’ve booked both with TAs  and directly with HAL for past cruises.   Just booked my first cruises while on board with the intention of transferring to a TA.   We were on an 80 day cruise and got a quote early in the cruise (no perks offered) and a second one later with the same FCC.  The 2nd quote had a lower price and included perks...beverage package and OBC that she said will transfer with the reservation to a TA.   Has anyone transferred a reservation that already had perks attached and gotten additional perks?

[Cruise Junky]

23 minutes ago, Wayfairers said:

Interesting thread here with lots of good information.   I’ve booked both with TAs  and directly with HAL for past cruises.   Just booked my first cruises while on board with the intention of transferring to a TA.   We were on an 80 day cruise and got a quote early in the cruise (no perks offered) and a second one later with the same FCC.  The 2nd quote had a lower price and included perks...beverage package and OBC that she said will transfer with the reservation to a TA.   Has anyone transferred a reservation that already had perks attached and gotten additional perks?

 

Yes, just did it this week. Booked our 33 day B2B with HAL. Both legs came with drink package and a pinnacle dinner. One leg had a casino discount as well.  Moved it to my TA and then got a $1,300 price savings.

[Wayfairers]

5 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

 

Yes, just did it this week. Booked our 33 day B2B with HAL. Both legs came with drink package and a pinnacle dinner. One leg had a casino discount as well.  Moved it to my TA and then got a $1,300 price savings.

Nice!

 

i forgot we also got a pinnacle dinner.  All the perks were on each leg.  

Edited April 3, 2019 by Wayfairers

[Cruising-along]

1 hour ago, Wayfairers said:

Has anyone transferred a reservation that already had perks attached and gotten additional perks?

Yes, every time. 

[Hawaiidan]

12 hours ago, SempreMare said:

 

How do you know for sure how the payment is billed? 

 

@kantonburg Your post above was one of the single most helpful posts I've read! 

 

I am cruising for the first time in eons, and made my summer Alaska cruise reservation on impulse, booking direct,  a couple weeks ago in a Neptune Suite.

 

So I won't lose the specific room I've booked if I re-book via a travel agency? 

I really like the specific room location....

Your credit card statement on line will show all charges within 12 hours of a charge  ( Visa/Chase is mine_)

If you transfer to a travel Agent you do not loose the room.       Of note when your comparing what the line charges and what the agent charges,  remember that the agent  can not advertise discounts greater than, as I remember, 5%       What you and the agent  agree on can be far more...  Just as long as its not public      Cruise lines too  dont want  agents to advertise rebates either.       Remember  HAL  will give agents a better deal than they will give you.       

Did you already pay?    

[SempreMare]

3 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

 Did you already pay?    

 

Just the deposit.

[doublebzz]

Regarding the issue of transferring a booking from a HAL PCC to to TA, some folks have stated unequivocally that the PCC still is compensated for the booking.  How would anyone know this to be factually correct unless they hear it directly from a PCC.  I have an acquaintance who is a PCC with Carnival. He is compensated by booking and whether its an inside cabin or a suite, the amount is the same.  Any booking that is cancelled or transferred results in a lost compensation for that booking.  Maybe its different at HAL but I would like to know on what this assertion is based.

[Wayfairers]

The FCC (have they changed the name to PCC??) encouraged me to transfer my booking to a travel agent.   I doubt she would have told me to transfer the booking if that meant she would lose compensation.  I didn’t ask her about that though. 

[richwmn]

35 minutes ago, doublebzz said:

Regarding the issue of transferring a booking from a HAL PCC to to TA, some folks have stated unequivocally that the PCC still is compensated for the booking.  How would anyone know this to be factually correct unless they hear it directly from a PCC.  I have an acquaintance who is a PCC with Carnival. He is compensated by booking and whether its an inside cabin or a suite, the amount is the same.  Any booking that is cancelled or transferred results in a lost compensation for that booking.  Maybe its different at HAL but I would like to know on what this assertion is based.

I have asked my PCC on several occasions and been assured that she gets the credit she needs as long as she makes the initial booking. Crusing-Along has a different PCC and has been told the same thing. I believe at least one other CC member has reported the same thing from a third PCC. I believe that getting the same answer from 3 different PCCs is enough to feel we are getting the correct information.

 

[RocketMan275]

26 minutes ago, richwmn said:

I have asked my PCC on several occasions and been assured that she gets the credit she needs as long as she makes the initial booking. Crusing-Along has a different PCC and has been told the same thing. I believe at least one other CC member has reported the same thing from a third PCC. I believe that getting the same answer from 3 different PCCs is enough to feel we are getting the correct information.

 

Make that four.  My PCC told me the same.

[DaveOKC]

47 minutes ago, Wayfairers said:

The FCC (have they changed the name to PCC??) encouraged me to transfer my booking to a travel agent.   I doubt she would have told me to transfer the booking if that meant she would lose compensation.  I didn’t ask her about that though. 

I think the FCC is the onboard Future Cruise Consultant.  The PCC is a Personal Cruise Consultant employed by HAL and basically is assigned to you by HAL. sort of like a land based travel agent.

 

I can see where a FCC would tell you to transfer to a TA as the FCC does not handle the reservation once it is booked onboard.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2019 by DaveOKC

[kantonburg]

On 4/2/2019 at 3:33 PM, keeponcruising said:

Just off the NA Sunday and I was in a FB OV.  We had 4 in the cabin and one was a 7 year old.  I wouldn't want to be in it with more than 4.  It would be too tight.  The second bathroom with sink and shower is tiny.  If the sofa is opened up to sleep 2, there is no room to move by it.

 

I meant to ask you.  What state room were you in ?  We're in 1028 and my wife asked the PCC about obstructed views and she said there were none.  I was playing with their site just now and using an ocean view room I had the option to selecting Fully Obstructed, Partial, or Ocean view.

 

If we're on the main deck where does the window look out to?

 

Thanks

[*Miss G*]

11 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

Very interesting - I have not seen this before.  Thanks for the information.  I only get snail mail Private Sales, so is there a way to find this online?

 

10 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Me too.

 

Well that’s interesting.  I wonder why?  I know on the old site I wouldn’t get the emails but if I logged in I could see whether an itinerary was a private fare, or not, by the green lettering stating it was.  Then with the new site I also started getting emails.

 

Two things pop into my mind when I ponder this.  

1.  I don’t recall getting the private sale emails when I have a cruise booked.  (Which is silly because I am always looking for my next cruise.)

2.  Perhaps your private sale emails go straight to your junk mailbox and that’s why you don’t see them?

[*Miss G*]

12 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

Very interesting - I have not seen this before.  Thanks for the information.  I only get snail mail Private Sales, so is there a way to find this online?

 

Maybe try logging in and looking at the specific private sale itineraries from your snail mail and see if the private fare option shows up that way.

[RocketMan275]

37 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

2.  Perhaps your private sale emails go straight to your junk mailbox and that’s why you don’t see them?

Checked the spam folder and no emails.  Plenty of emails from my Nigerian Price friend but none from HAL.