Waiting on the HAL price drop game

[kangforpres]

Hi All-

 

They've lowered the prices on 2019 Caribbean cruises but the 2020's yet. To be specific (7 Day Western Caribbean on the Nieuw Stantendam) in Nov. it's 600 less for a Neptune than the March cruise we have booked. We have until 10-31-19 for final payment so I'm still hoping for a price drop discount. Being patient in our nano-second world is too hard!

 

Can't move to an earlier cruise because the one in March is a 50th birthday cruise for DW.

 

-Paul

[Krazy Kruizers]

Happy 50th Birthday to your wife.

 

Hope you do get a price discount for your cruise.

[tallnthensome]

Well, cruise demand is much higher in March during spring break then it is during the low season in November so don't hold your breath ..... Not going to happen. 

[Nugg]

I don’t have experience with last minute deal timing, but curious if it coincides with losing some of the other added deals.

Edited September 9, 2019 by Nugg

[wdw1972]

The November cruise that's so cheap has a couple of reasons for that.  First, November is still hot & it's not as desirable time to sail.  Second, that cruise is probably past final payment, which is when you'll see the fares drop the most if the ship isn't all booked.  On a March cruise, the most likely fare drop would come after final payment, which will be too late for anyone already booked (if the goal is to pay less).  

 

Check again after 9/30, when one of the current promos ends.  Also check around Thanksgiving, when there may be a HAL "black Friday" sale - but be prepared to also give up any perks you currently have in order to get the lower fare.

 

Sue/WDW1972

[fatcat04]

11 minutes ago, Nugg said:

I don’t have experience with last minute deal timing, but curious if it coincides with losing some of the other added deals.

Sure, you will sometimes see prices drop when all promos drop. Sometimes. On our present booked cruise this has not been the case so far however. It seems generally fare price drop is most often correlated with passing final payment date. After final payment the scramble is on to fill the ship. An empty berth is a berth that isn't drinking, gambling, taking excursions, or spending money in any way. Hence why I have already told dh that retiring near a winter cruise port would be nice. Gotta think ahead 🤔🤣

[sevenseasnomad]

Here's hoping you get your price drop, but don't be disappointed if it doesn't shake out the way you desire.  We all love deals; however, how close to a major holiday/vacation break from schools is your sailing?  If it's during Spring break for many school systems, don't count on any price reduction.  On our last cruise in April 2019, during spring break for most of the southeast divisions, the price never lowered, but it did increase.  Thankfully, we'd already made deposit and then final payment, so we were good.  Other friends tried to go, but the ship was sold out by the time they made their decision.  So, you can sometimes say you got a deal on the original price you agreed to pay, especially in our case.  

 

Since you're celebrating a special occasion, with your dear wife, consider that a wondrous gift in and of itself.  Have a marvelous time.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

HAL generally will wait until past final payment date to start lowering prices (if they need to).  For bookings made prior to the final payment date they will not refund if there is a lower price.  They may however be willing to move to a higher cabin category if prices fall - it's done on a case by case basis.  Typically their "Flash Fares" will crop up in the 60-74 day timeframe - well after final is due and early bookings are locked in.

[kangforpres]

The cruise dates are March 1 though March 8, which I don't really think as big Spring Break week. I've only spent $2 on this cruise so far. It was the annual "King of the Netherlands" sale or something that had $1 deposits!. They have also discounted the first 2 weeks of January in the Caribbean, which I know is a drop-off because it's right after the Holiday season.

Edited September 10, 2019 by kangforpres

[jb008]

Check the fine print for your specific fare.  In some cases the cancellation amount for the window after final payment is only the deposit amount (e.g., holiday sailing is often 90–64 days before commencing travel: an amount equal to deposit requirement and a non-holiday Caribbean cruise is often 75–57 days before commencing travel: an amount equal to deposit requirement).

 

If you book under the $1 deposit for example and YOUR specific cancelation is just forfeiture of your deposit you may find in your specific case that canceling and rebooking under the post-final payment fare is a better deal.  I had that happen on my Princess sailing to AK, where I ate my $100/pp deposit for canceling and rebooked under a fare that still saved me a couple hundred per person.

 

Also helps to start researching what a last minute rate would be for that general time of year and then that will give some insights into what a "good" deal might look like.  For example, I have a few times where I like to travel and I know what last minute fares were last year...  I was able to lock in a booking promo that was a little more than last year, but included free gratuities and another $100 or so in OBC and was on the newest ship in the fleet.  Even though we aren't up to final payment this time I figure that's a pretty good deal if it beats what I paid last year after final payment.
 

[wesport]

I have found lately, after final payment HAL won't budge. I recently booked a neptune suite for a ten day cruise. After final, price drop and free internet.  My TA called not for any price adjustment , but for the internet. Told New bookings only. It doesn't affect how much I will enjoy my cruise. Ten days in  Neptune suite will be heaven. 

[Homosassa]

Please play fair and call HAL to pay for any increases in cruise fare.

[FlaMariner]

1 hour ago, wesport said:

I have found lately, after final payment HAL won't budge. I recently booked a neptune suite for a ten day cruise. After final, price drop and free internet.  My TA called not for any price adjustment , but for the internet. Told New bookings only. It doesn't affect how much I will enjoy my cruise. Ten days in  Neptune suite will be heaven. 

 

My experience recently was the same.  Price drop on TA (post final payment) and asked to pay the difference in the new, lower suite price to upgrade (in verandah now) and the answer was no, for new bookings only.   I'm hoping for an upgrade offer as time draws near.  I'm not upset....and understand.  And we agree, 14 days in a veranda will be heaven!

[Hlitner]

We routinely play the "price game" with all of our cruise bookings...including those with HAL.  One important component to the game is to keep your deposit and fare "refundable" so you maintain maximum leverage.  With a nonrefundable fare you are going to usually have a lot of difficulty taking advantage of major price drops unless you are willing to lose your nonrefundable deposit.

 

The norm is that you should be able to take advantage of price drops prior to making your final payment.  If the line refuses to "reprice" your cruise you would often have the option of simply cancelling your reservation and rebooking!  We have had cases where just making this threat can result in getting the lower price or additional amenities.

 

For those of us who book longer (and more expensive) voyages this "price game" can yield some very large savings.  In the case of a single HAL booking (a 40 day Oosterdam cruise) we were able to reduce our price by about $11,000.  To get the lower price we did need to give up a drink package, but as I said to my trusty cruise agent, "there is no way we are going to drink $11,000 on any voyage."   

 

Finally you might want to consider that using a decent high volume cruise agency (volume equals clout) can be very advantageous over booking directly with a cruise line (or your PCC).  A good cruise agent is working for YOU....not the cruise line...so they have a different set of incentives.  Our favorite  cruise agent gets a lot of business from us (usually at least 70 days a year) and it is to her benefit to keep our business (not to mention our referrals).  She gets our business because she works at getting us the best overall deals on many different cruise lines.

 

Hank

[DoggyDaddy]

What kind of “Black Friday” sales has HA had in the past?  We have a 40+ day cruise next year and would like to save some money. 

 

DD

 

[madera1]

Last year we received free gratuities and a $50 drink card plus OBC for Black Friday. I booked a new cruise but also was able to apply the sale promo to a cruise I had previously booked in August. 

[kangforpres]

Black Friday, will be after the final payment window on 10-31-19. It might come down a little after 09-30-19. It's the Nieuw Standendam so lots of Neptune to sell. We are in a (SY)Signature which would have been fine to keep as a 4 star since it's only a 7 day cruise, but they tore-out all the bathtubs on anything that's not a SA or SB. Just checked their website they still say Signature's have full-size whirlpool bathtubs. HAL really needs to invest in a better web-team to update their product. That's false advertising. 

[terrydtx]

Our Alaska cruise in July the final price drop was the week before the final payment. This was the 4th price drop in the 10 months after we booked the cruise. We had a SS cabin. After final payment in May the Price went up considerably.

[whogo]

7 hours ago, kangforpres said:

Just checked their website they still say Signature's have full-size whirlpool bathtubs. HAL really needs to invest in a better web-team to update their product. That's false advertising. 

Take a screenshot of the inaccurate website page. Ask where your full-size whirlpool bathtub is. Maybe they will move you to a cabin that has one.

[terrydtx]

3 minutes ago, whogo said:

Take a screenshot of the inaccurate website page. Ask where your full-size whirlpool bathtub is. Maybe they will move you to a cabin that has one.

On the Noordam in July we had a bathtub in out Signature, don't remember if it was a whirlpool because we never used it. 

[fatcat04]

I could be wrong but from pictures on halfacts.com it seems that at least some Pinnacle class Signature Suites still have full size tubs. Also, it looks like there also may be whirlpool jets in some. I'd call for clarification, maybe ship services? They seem to be more knowledgeable than the phone reps or even the PCCs at times. 

http://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/5001-koningsdam/

http://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/7105-koningsdam/

 

 

 

[RedmondCruiser]

Since we are retired and we do no require a specific time frame,  we normally book after the final payment is due.  We are booked on a 35 day cruise this month.  After the final payment was due the price increased, substantially.  Therefore you cannot depend on lower prices.  If the bookings are good for HAL then they have no incentive to reduce fares.  We did finally booked on a day that they were probably changing algorithms and we made out with a great price.  So you can never tell.  We have cruised on HAL since 1986 and always enjoyed the produce.  In past years we received some great free upgrades but now it goes into upsells.   

[Hlitner]

3 hours ago, terrydtx said:

On the Noordam in July we had a bathtub in out Signature, don't remember if it was a whirlpool because we never used it. 

HAL might loan you a portable food mixer which you can use to turn that tub into a whirlpool.  

 

Hank

[RocketMan275]

11 hours ago, kangforpres said:

Black Friday, will be after the final payment window on 10-31-19. It might come down a little after 09-30-19. It's the Nieuw Standendam so lots of Neptune to sell. We are in a (SY)Signature which would have been fine to keep as a 4 star since it's only a 7 day cruise, but they tore-out all the bathtubs on anything that's not a SA or SB. Just checked their website they still say Signature's have full-size whirlpool bathtubs. HAL really needs to invest in a better web-team to update their product. That's false advertising. 

No bathtub would be an upgrade.

[kangforpres]

Actually our final payment is due 11/30/19, I had my calendar math wrong. So maybe a Black Friday sale after all. Bathtubs are important for those of us who don't have them in our homes and as we get older it seems arthritis is popping up in all of my joints not just my knees.  

 

Redmond Cruiser....with any luck retirement in 16 months and I just can't wait for my first RCI Casino Royal offer of a free 4 or 5 day cruise of my choosing.  I will call them almost immediately and say "Yes, as a matter of fact I do have the time to take you up on your offer"

 

From my understanding the K-damn still has bathtubs in her Signature Suites, it's just the Nieuw Stantendam that does not. But I'm sure after her first dry-dock the K-damn will loose all the bathtubs except for the SA and SB's like her sister ship.

 

-Paul