Confused about full payment on new booking

[cruzemaven]

We are interested in booking the TA on the new Rotterdam for 10/21. On the Holland America website it shows that after the initial deposit, the balance will be due in a few days. Is there a way to book this cruise where the final payment isn’t due until a few months before the cruise sets sail....or is this a new protocol? Thank you for any info on this topic.

[Gigi1977]

This must be new.  We are booked in Jewels of Baltic and then on the transatlantic. 28 days.  Our final payment is due 90 days before sailing.  Maybe the online booking is at special restricted fare and those are due quickly.   You pay less but sooner.  Call HAL to get a non-restricted fare.  

[cruzemaven]

57 minutes ago, Gigi1977 said:

This must be new.  We are booked in Jewels of Baltic and then on the transatlantic. 28 days.  Our final payment is due 90 days before sailing.  Maybe the online booking is at special restricted fare and those are due quickly.   You pay less but sooner.  Call HAL to get a non-restricted fare.  

Thank you, that’s most likely the case.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

HAL offers multiple fare options for each cabin type - examples can include - "restricted" fares (often times with either a non-refundable deposit or pay in full immediately), "Advantage" fares with standard payment terms and no perks, current national promo offer with perks (ie the current "Have it all" offer), Mariner Private Sale fares, etc.  The HAL website will usually only offer one or two fare options (most typically the lowest fare w/o perks and fare w/ perks), and when selecting lowest price/no perks it may default to a restricted fare.

 

Calling HAL, or better yet a good travel agent, may yield better, more flexible results for you even if fare is slightly higher than the restricted pay in full rates shown online.  The HAL website is about the worst place you can go to book a cruise.  Additionally if travel agencies have open/promotional group rates available on a particular sailing/category they may (in some cases) lower than the publicly available or Private Sale fares.  Not all agencies will have group space on the same sailings, so it can take some shopping around.  Agency groups usually not advertised on their website, so you often have to call, but they usually combine with the national promo perks on offer (for example the current "Have it all" promo combines with group rates).  A good travel agent will know this and compare and ensure you get the best combo of pricing/perks/value

 

As great as computers area the telephone conversation is still a great resource when planning travel and one I think we often overlook.

Edited August 8, 2020 by AtlantaCruiser72

[DeeDee Groff]

Thank you so much for a truly great post, AtlantaCruiser72!