How do you folks get price reductions???

[mommybunny21]

I've been miffed by the number of cruisers who seem to get price reductions after they've booked.In all my travels i've never heard of such a thing! I've booked my cruise at a price i think is fair thru an on line site-should I be monitoring the prices of similar cabins on that site??

[arzz]

I agree that I never book a cruise unless it is the cruise that I want at a price I am willing to pay, but....

 

It never hurts to monitor the price -- I have gotten price reductions on HAL if the price drops before final payment. On another cruise line I was able to get a price reduction after final payment as that line's policies are different than those of HAL. I do not go asking for price reductions unless they are substantial and I admit, each time I do I feel a little ashamed of myself -- but.....if the price reduction is substantial for the same product, I can cruise more often, or in one case I was able to travel in a verandah cabin for the price I originally paid for an oceanview.

 

The agency that I have used to do this posts their prices on line and when they drop enough I give my agent a call -- the ethics of this? I am not certain about that -- but it does pay to keep watching.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It has been a very long time since we have gotten a price reduction once we booked a cruise.

 

We always book suites and they always sell out quickly - thus no price reduction.

[sail7seas]

We have gotten TWO price reductions for our upcoming Noordam cruise. It had been a while since that has happened to us so it's a nice surprise.

A fellow cruiser informed me of the first price drop and my TA notified me about the other. When the 'fellow cruiser' told me they got a price reduction, I asked my TA about it and she got us one as well.

[jhannah]

I always keep tabs on pricing. I, too, book when I feel the price is good, but I don't mind getting a bit trimmed off the top every now and then.

[starysacz]

The price was reduced on the Noordam for the Feb. 17, 2007 sailing for the second time. Will contact the TA tomorrow to check it out. Hope it does not change overnight. The first reduction was quite substantial.:)

[SDHALFAN]

I agree that I never book a cruise unless it is the cruise that I want at a price I am willing to pay ......... I do not go asking for price reductions unless they are substantial and I admit, each time I do I feel a little ashamed of myself

 

Why on earth would you "feel a little a little ashamed" of yourself? If HAL is willing to sell the cabin category you chose, and made an early deposit on, to some "johnny come lately" for a lesser price then they should be willing to offer you the same price. I see no reason on God's green earth why you should pay more for your cabin than the person next door to you simply because you planned and booked ahead of them.

 

We actually did get several small price reductions on some past cruises but since my husband died I have become lazy and forget to check. (Note to self: get off your duff:D ).

 

Our biggest coup by far though was on a Holiday cruise from Sydney to Auckland on the ms Prinsendam in 2002. No price break on the cruise but I got a brochure in the mail from HAL touting upcoming cruises. In the middle of the brochure was an insert offering discounts on air fare for certain of those cruises. I knew that there was no way they would discount fares from L.A. to Sydney so just threw the brochure aside. Why I picked it up again and read the fine print is beyond me, however, we ended up flying round trip from L.A. to Sydney and then home from Auckland for $250.00 each - that's not a typo! Of course we were in coach and the flights were miserable, but then they would have been just as miserable if we had paid that extra $1,000.00 each to fly in coach.

 

HAL would not lower prices unless they could afford to do so, or needed to do so, to fill the ships so why not take advantage of that fact?

 

By the way, the sailing on the ms Prinsendam Holiday cruise was only half full and I imagine that there would have been even less passengers (certainly from the U.S.) if it were not for that tremendous break in airfare.

 

Have a wonderful cruise, and if you can get it at a "bargain" price then go for it, and enjoy the savings - you know that you are going to spend that "savings" in the Ocean Bar, Casino or on shore excursions anyway.:D

 

Valerie:)

[Tricia724]

Before we book, we always ask the TA (B/M or Internet) whether they will honor a price drop. Each and every one of them has said they will; therefore, I don't feel that asking for a price reduction should be considered either uncomfortable or unethical. Most of the time this isn't an issue for us....either we book popular sailings that don't drop much in price or the cabin category we book sells out or doesn't drop in price so we don't often get a break pricewise.

 

However, we did have a couple of occasions to go back to a TA we were using and ask for an adjustment. They weren't too happy to comply, but we were way outside of the final payment, so it was a case of giving us the adjustment or losing the booking. We have since changed TAs, and our current TA is more amenable to making adjustments when necessary.

 

We usually book 9-18 mos. out, and we don't pester a TA for a small reduction....but in both cases where we did ask for an adjustment, there was about a $300 difference....and we're not willing to let that go. I figure if a TA commits to giving you the lowest price possible, they should be willing to do it. It's to the TA's advantage, really, because if you're happy with the service, you'll go back.

[SDHALFAN]

Hi Tricia724,

 

I see that we were posting at the same time. Well said - I couldn't have put it better myself.

 

Our former TA was always more than willing to call HAL and get the lower price for us. I have a new TA now since the former agency changed management and the service has gone downhill but I'm pretty sure that my new TA would be more than willing to go to bat for me also.

 

Valerie:)

[Tinknock50]

I don't believe I have ever got a reduction. But then I usually book popular itineraries and have full ships. Not much incentive for HAL to reduce fares.

[kryos]

I've been miffed by the number of cruisers who seem to get price reductions after they've booked.In all my travels i've never heard of such a thing! I've booked my cruise at a price i think is fair thru an on line site-should I be monitoring the prices of similar cabins on that site??

You could monitor them yourself, but the best case scenario would be to have a TA who monitors them for you. If the cruise is not selling well, there will be price reductions and your TA can get them for you. We've gotten a couple already on a Veendam Transatlantic for next October. Probably because the cruise departs Tampa, and winds up in Venice ... cabins are not selling too briskly. Perhaps people don't like the idea of that long international flight home. We're hoping the price comes down at least once more before final payment is due ... and it probably will.

 

But if the cruise is selling briskly, forget it. The prices will only go up ... but you will be locked in at the price you agreed on at the time of your booking, so you'll be okay. Also, next April, we're taking the QE2 back from Southampton to the States. We don't like long international flights either. :) That QE2 Transatlantic, however, is apparently selling quite well ... so there won't be any price reductions for that, I'm afraid. In fact, I have to go back and check my records, but I believe we are actually paying slightly more for the QE2 crossing than we are paying for the 18-day Veendam one.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[WNYCRUISER]

I've been miffed by the number of cruisers who seem to get price reductions after they've booked.In all my travels i've never heard of such a thing! I've booked my cruise at a price i think is fair thru an on line site-should I be monitoring the prices of similar cabins on that site??

 

Yes, monitor the price. You mentioned that you booked with an on-line site. Firstly, you have done your homework and found your best price, in this case with the on-line TA. When you book, mark down the price from the on-line TA, but also go directly to the HAL website, and mark down that price for the category you booked. Make special note of your Final Payment Date. This is important as price reductions are typically not given on HAL cruises after final payment. How frequently you check is up to you, but when you do check, check both sites. It can happen that HAL has lowered their price, but the reduction may not be in the on-line TA system. If you see a drop at HAL, but not at the on-line agency, contact the agency and make the inquiry.

 

HAL writes in their brochure "book early to ensure the best possible rate"

So do I feel bad? absolutely not. A cruise we booked back in JUNE for March of 07 just dropped by 200pp on Saturday. (that is when I found it)

Zipped off an e-mail to my agent and on Monday, got new invoice showing a reduction of 300pp. Checked the web site, and sure enough, it had gone down another 100pp between Saturday and Monday.

 

So do I think I paid a fair price when I originally booked it? Yes, it was in line or I would not have booked it. BUT, if I continued to pay the original price when the bulk of the other passengers next door to me were paying 300pp less than I had, do I think that was a fair price???

[crawford]

Does HAL ever provide OBC's after final payment has been made and the prices drop?

[gizmo]

No, Hal does not provide on board credit after final payment, like Carnival does.,

[Tinknock50]

Yes, monitor the price. You mentioned that you booked with an on-line site. Firstly, you have done your homework and found your best price, in this case with the on-line TA. When you book, mark down the price from the on-line TA, but also go directly to the HAL website, and mark down that price for the category you booked. Make special note of your Final Payment Date. This is important as price reductions are typically not given on HAL cruises after final payment. How frequently you check is up to you, but when you do check, check both sites. It can happen that HAL has lowered their price, but the reduction may not be in the on-line TA system. If you see a drop at HAL, but not at the on-line agency, contact the agency and make the inquiry.

 

HAL writes in their brochure "book early to ensure the best possible rate"

So do I feel bad? absolutely not. A cruise we booked back in JUNE for March of 07 just dropped by 200pp on Saturday. (that is when I found it)

Zipped off an e-mail to my agent and on Monday, got new invoice showing a reduction of 300pp. Checked the web site, and sure enough, it had gone down another 100pp between Saturday and Monday.

 

So do I think I paid a fair price when I originally booked it? Yes, it was in line or I would not have booked it. BUT, if I continued to pay the original price when the bulk of the other passengers next door to me were paying 300pp less than I had, do I think that was a fair price???

 

Good advice on getting reductions.:) I also keep track of prices, but with my popular sailings, I only see them go up!

[ekerr19]

We have gotten them before, but lately, not so much....:confused:

 

I monitor, as does my TA - I have never had a problem getting my TA to match the lowest valid fare I find... a few times though the fare was misleading and therefore, not truly lower.

 

Our last cruise, we got a modest amount of shipboard credit, dinner for all six of us in the Pinnacle (valid for any night) a few (3, I think) bottles of wine and chocolate covered strawberries twice and flowers. I think they were pretty nice perks considering how difficult it has become for TA's to discount fares.

 

I think HAL's fares have pretty much stabilized and are fairly consistent (for the most part). Long gone are the days of really discounted sailings - it's been since about 2003 since we've seen super low fares.

[Tinknock50]

We have gotten them before, but lately, not so much....:confused:

 

I monitor, as does my TA - I have never had a problem getting my TA to match the lowest valid fare I find... a few times though the fare was misleading and therefore, not truly lower.

 

Our last cruise, we got a modest amount of shipboard credit, dinner for all six of us in the Pinnacle (valid for any night) a few (3, I think) bottles of wine and chocolate covered strawberries twice and flowers. I think they were pretty nice perks considering how difficult it has become for TA's to discount fares.

 

I think HAL's fares have pretty much stabilized and are fairly consistent (for the most part). Long gone are the days of really discounted sailings - it's been since about 2003 since we've seen super low fares.

 

I think thats about the date I was thinking that I stopped seeing low prices and reductions,too. At that time, there were ships with many open cabins that needed to be sold. Don't see those much anymore, particularly to Alaska.

[mommybunny21]

Thanks everyone. my cruise did have a reduction and i called and will be receiving the reduction-about $500. thanks for your advice-i never would have even thought to do this!!!

[Tinknock50]

Thanks everyone. my cruise did have a reduction and i called and will be receiving the reduction-about $500. thanks for your advice-i never would have even thought to do this!!!

 

Congrats on that!:)

[LHC]

I made the final payment on DD and my cruising in December recently, my TA Judy Williams with HAL, said to call her about the middle of September and if it had a drop she would "help us out". Not sure what that means but I will be emailing her to check. When I paid the final balance it was 40.00 cheaper, so that was discounted.

I will let you know if it goes down more mid September and what the compensation will be.

Linda

[KEKCruiser]

Mommybunny, I'm on the same cruise, so I'll call too, and see what happens! If you saved $500, maybe I'll get lucky too. I have a balcony, VF. What cat are you in?

 

Kathy

[mommybunny21]

Balcony VD. They confirmed today...Good Luck. are you cruising with children??

[Lurker1]

We have gotten them before, but lately, not so much....:confused:

 

I monitor, as does my TA - I have never had a problem getting my TA to match the lowest valid fare I find... a few times though the fare was misleading and therefore, not truly lower.

 

Our last cruise, we got a modest amount of shipboard credit, dinner for all six of us in the Pinnacle (valid for any night) a few (3, I think) bottles of wine and chocolate covered strawberries twice and flowers. I think they were pretty nice perks considering how difficult it has become for TA's to discount fares.

 

I think HAL's fares have pretty much stabilized and are fairly consistent (for the most part). Long gone are the days of really discounted sailings - it's been since about 2003 since we've seen super low fares.

 

And we took our first cruise in 2004, one year too late! (But it is was the Statendam to Alaska . . . and we got $250 PP on-board credit from our TA . . . :) )

Seriously, we are the consumers, and have every right to shop for the best price. My business vends to other businesses, and they don't hesitate to try for lower prices. The only caveat is when you price shop, be nice to the people you don't buy from.

[KEKCruiser]

I just called, and got $180 back for the 4 of us. We're in VF, they wanted to upgrade me, but I like where our cabin is. I don't want a guarantee, and then end up in the very front or back. ANd we're close to the elevators, which we really like too.

 

Yes, we are going with the kids, you and I have already chatted on the roll call...

[mommybunny21]

Actually i can't find the roll call for our cruise?!?