'06 10-Day Baltics pulled from HAL site?

[snapdogs]

Hi everybody. I had the idea of taking a Honeymoon cruise a few months ago, found this board, and have since been fully convinced I need to do it and that it will probably ruin my life when the cruise is over and I have to go back to my otherwise dull existence! I've been lurking long enough reading all of the excellent advice and stories and now have a question or two to ask.

 

I have been monitoring the price swings for the 2006 HAL 10-Day Baltic cruises in preparation for what will hopefully be a Honeymoon cruise in 2007. (Cruising the Baltic with a bunch of old geezers is far more appealing to us than baking on a beach in the Caribbean with a bunch of drunk fratboys :D ) Money and time are major obstacles, but I have done the overall calculations thanks to the info I've found here, and the large sales HAL usually has for an NN guarantee (as low as $900 in some cases) would make the trip affordable. I'm fully aware that getting an NN room won't necessarily be the most wonderful thing ever, but I doubt me and the eventual DW will care when we are all dressed up and eating in the dining room or touring a place like St. Petersburg or Berlin! I'm willing to take my chances and wait until the last moment to secure an affordable rate.

 

However, I checked HAL's site today and all of the remaining 10-day Baltic cruises for 2006 have been pulled from the site. I believe there are three sailings in July and two in August. From what I've been seeing, I highly doubt each one of these sold out at the same time...but I could be wrong. The earlier June cruises remained listed until just a few days before they set sail and always had numerous room categories shown as available and with fantastic NN guarantee rates. I'm concerned because the last cruise of the season on 8/11 is at the same time as the one I am looking at for 2007 and had just passed under the 50-day mark, which should be the prime time for cut fares, and now is gone. Again, I have my doubts that this sailing and the previous ones are sold out and a charter seems very unlikely. Does anyone have any insight into this situation?

 

Also, the cruise I am looking at booking (timing is truly an issue, my GF works for a TV station and can't take vacation during July, a sweeps month, and any cruise over 10 days will put her in danger of running out of vacation days) is the last Veendam sailing of the Baltic season for 2007 (August 12) and continues on as a Transatlantic to the US. That Transatlantic sailing is only being sold as a 27-day cruise including the 10 days in the Baltic. Do you think that will make this cruise a fast seller that may not be subject to late price cuts and would require an earlier booking?

 

All of the other stuff like flights, excursions, Copenhagen hotels and whatnot have been figured into the equation and can work out if the cruise price is right. The difference between the cut rate NN price, and say, a confirmed MM room may not seem like much, but it makes a big difference to us.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

[gizmo]

I am wondering if Hal is repricing them or juggling around all the guarantees ? This is purely a guess.

 

I looked at all my favorite internet ta sites and there are gone there also.

 

Since you are concerned about prices did you check any TA sites ? Many times they are cheaper than what the Hal site has.

 

Keep looking for them to show up.

[Joanandjoe]

Did you call HAL and ask what's happening? As most of us will attest, the people on the phone are often clueless, but maybe you'll get lucky and find a person who knows what he or she is talking about.

[RuthC]

In my experience, a 27-day trans-Atlantic on the Veendam should sell out. It probably will sell out early.

As a matter of fact, I didn't know about this cruise, and when I read your post my little heart started going thump-a thump at the thought of it. :)

[CJcruzer]

I was pricing the 12 day Baltic itineraries (on the Rotterdam) and already one has been filled or chartered out......looks like this is getting to be a popular itinerary!

 

I have since booked with Oceania for the 14 day itinerary (came in cheaper than doing the 14 day Prinsendam Baltic itinerary and I got a balcony to boot!!!

 

Good luck with your cruise...

 

CJcruzer

[Navy_Chief]

A couple of points here, you don't have to wait until the last minute to get good prices. In fact, waiting until the last minute on such popular itineraries as the Baltic cruises would really be rolling the dice. The cruise we are currently waiting on (very patiently) I booked last September with HAL and at the time, the TAs didn't list it. Now with that said, I put the down payment in place which could be cancelled right up to 45 days (roughly) before sailing without penalties. When I booked, I asked HAL if any promos come along that reduce the price or give me extras can they be applied and I was told yes. Now I tracked the prices very closely and I found that when the itinerary did show up with the TAs, there was only a 50 or 60 dollar difference from what HAL was selling it to me for. As time has progressed, I have gotten a deep discount on the price (aproximately $400), shipboard credit, and free transport to and from the ship from the town where we live (and still the price difference from the TAs is insignificant). Of course, if I booked through a TA (as long as it was a good TA), I would have gotten all those promos also, the only difference is that I'm not on "forever" hold as my TA calls HAL and waits on them to iron it all out. This is the first time I booked directly with HAL instead of my normal TA. I'm not advocating any particular way to book, just my experiances. Another bonus to booking early is cabin selection and dinner seating choice. We did sail on the Rotterdam on a 16 day Med in 2004 and just loved that ship. I booked that one 10 months out through my TA and got some price breaks. That particular cruise was a gauranteed upgrade so we didn't know what room we would get but we did get a great 6 people table in the lower dining room all the way aft by the window port side that was nice and we had some great table mates to talk to throughout the cruise. Best of luck to you and your bride to be and have a nice cruise.

[jcrandle]

We are on the Rottterdam VI Baltic 12 day on August 9, and it has apparently sold out. The follow on cruise August 21 shows only insides and suites available. The short story is that Northern Europe is very popular this year, and HAL is sharing in that. The Med is also very busy, according to reports.