Issue with HIA Shore Excursion Credit and Waitlists

[Hlitner]

We stumbled on an issue, today and not sure if has has been previously posted,  We have an upcoming HAL cruise where we booked the HIA package which included $300 per person shore excursion credits.  The only excursions we had booked were "waitlisted" and just yesterday, we cleared the waitlist on one of those excursions.  When I went to confirm the excursion booking, the form required the input of my credit card and I did provide the info and get a confirmation. The booking provided no way to use our shore excursion credit (which clearly shows on our account).  I called HAL to ask if we could have our HIA credit applied to the booking and was told that there is a well known "glitch" in the HAL system.  When completing a booking from the Waitlist, the HAL system has no way to apply the HIA shore excursion credit (which is automatically applied on a new shore excursion booking).  We were further informed that the HAL staff cannot fix the booking and that it can only be done at the Shore Excursion desk once aboard the cruise (a minor annoyance). 

 

Just one more HAL software problem.  The HAL staffer told me that there is an upcoming revamp of the system (sometime this year) which might solve the problem.  

 

Hank

 

 

[Vict0riann]

What a nuisance.  We are about to book our three excursions, I wonder if I should wait a bit.

[GeezerCouple]

40 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

We stumbled on an issue, today and not sure if has has been previously posted,  We have an upcoming HAL cruise where we booked the HIA package which included $300 per person shore excursion credits.  The only excursions we had booked were "waitlisted" and just yesterday, we cleared the waitlist on one of those excursions.  When I went to confirm the excursion booking, the form required the input of my credit card and I did provide the info and get a confirmation. The booking provided no way to use our shore excursion credit (which clearly shows on our account).  I called HAL to ask if we could have our HIA credit applied to the booking and was told that there is a well known "glitch" in the HAL system.  When completing a booking from the Waitlist, the HAL system has no way to apply the HIA shore excursion credit (which is automatically applied on a new shore excursion booking).  We were further informed that the HAL staff cannot fix the booking and that it can only be done at the Shore Excursion desk once aboard the cruise (a minor annoyance). 

 

Just one more HAL software problem.  The HAL staffer told me that there is an upcoming revamp of the system (sometime this year) which might solve the problem.  

 

Hank

 

See this current thread on this issue:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2910342-shore-excursion-question-cancelling-then-rebooking-onboard/#comment-64708674

 

It seems someone else was told "okay", but that's not actually happened yet.......

 

And see our suggestion, just in case it works at HAL (it might not, but worth asking).

 

GC

[cbr663]

Thanks for sharing this Hank.

 

We have to book excursions for our cruise soon also.  I have been procrastinating, but with this information I will get on it.  We are Canadian and paying and cancelling and refunding and dealing with exchange rates rarely works to our advantage.

[Hlitner]

The problem we faced was having waited, most of the decent excursions were full.  At that point you either do nothing or use the "wait list" option.  If you continue to wait, and some slots do open, they are going to be first allocated to those on the wait list.   The HAL staffer was very familiar with the issue (she immediately had the answers without a script) and like many other issues with HAL software, the standard solution is to deal with it once onboard.  

 

This is only a problem if you happen to have unused shore excursion credits.  I assume it is a common enough problem that the shore excursion staff (onboard) will understand the issue have some kind of fix.  If not, I guess we will take advantage of the drink package and "moan/groan" in a drink 🙂

 

Hank

[KroozNut]

2 hours ago, Hlitner said:

I assume it is a common enough problem that the shore excursion staff (onboard) will understand the issue have some kind of fix.  If not, I guess we will take advantage of the drink package and "moan/groan" in a drink 🙂

 

Hank

 

Or as an alternative if they have no fix, jump back on here while on your cruise and complain for the entire duration of your cruise about how HAL 'screwed you' and how it ruined your entire cruise, and that you are wanting 'appropriate compensation' from HAL for ruining your cruise. (j/k, couldn't help myself) 😉

[Ferry_Watcher]

I just booked a HAL excursion today.  Each of us had $200 in excursion credit, and the excursion we selected was priced at $199.95.  I booked 2 spots and it used the full $199.95 each and it showed a credit of .05 cents remaining.

 

This particular cruise is in Sept '23, and excursion space was available (no waitlist)

[REOVA]

Yes don't wait to book excursions as with passenger count up, tours will sell out (with a slight chance they may add more or so.eone drop out). It's been an issue (HAL knows) to use credits on wait listed excursions but I'm sure the "fix" will not get through Corp for years.

 

It should not be an issue once onboard to have EXC desk rebook the tour using credits but you have to let them do it otherwise you will lose the booking. I've had to visit EXC a few times to "rearrange" the account to use the credits. Another passenger on FB group tried canceling and rebooking themselves onboard which the system removed their booking and it was full again.