Screwed by HAL over a free cruise

[kryos]

And you were surprised that a cruise in an Owners' Suite would cost more than an Inside Cabin???? :confused:

No, but the cruise in the owners suite ... which was supposedly such a great deal ... would cost just about the same if I had just went online and booked it via a discount broker.

 

If it was supposedly such a "killer" deal, I expected it to be far cheaper via this auction than I would pay if I just booked it through a TA. But, surprisingly it wasn't that much cheaper, and with all the extras ... port charges, taxes, administrative fee, etc. ... it could very well have totaled out to more if I had gone ahead and bidded on it. Even at the base bid amount, it probably would come in pretty darned close to just booking it in the traditional manner ... and odds are that the suite would have cost far more than the "base" bid amount. If no one else bidded on it, I'm sure the TA had people who would bid the price up to the area she wanted it at before letting someone have it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[cruiseco]

If there's any CPA's out there, I wonder if there's a value threshold at which point the cruise ine is obligated to issue a 1099 or not for this type of freebie. For a 1099misc I think it's $600 but I could be wrong.

 

What I'm thinking is that if HAL valued the freebie at a point where a 1099 wasn't needed they might have a problem if they have to later explain to the IRS why the value changed and why they didn't report the gift at the time it was required. They could be just trying to be sure that the value of the cabin they're giving the winner does in fact match what they did (or did not) report to the IRS.

[xpcdoojk]

I know that several years ago it was $600, but I would think that might have increased because that was the figure at least a decade ago. Then again we are talking IRS regulations.

 

jc<----- not a CPA and does not play one on CC either

[Sunshine91]

I know that several years ago it was $600, but I would think that might have increased because that was the figure at least a decade ago. Then again we are talking IRS regulations.

 

jc<----- not a CPA and does not play one on CC either

 

And as we all know, some IRS regs stay the same, seems like forever (the $5K limit on child care for flex spending, the limits on IRA & 401K contributions, the $250K deferral when you sell your house). Others change hourly, depending on which agent you talk to on the phone. :rolleyes:

 

Love the CPA line. Ya made me giggle. :) :)

[S.S.Oceanlover]

And as we all know, some IRS regs stay the same, seems like forever (the $5K limit on child care for flex spending, the limits on IRA & 401K contributions, the $250K deferral when you sell your house). Others change hourly, depending on which agent you talk to on the phone. :rolleyes:

 

Love the CPA line. Ya made me giggle. :) :)

 

sounds like they'd be perfect for a cruise line reservation job! :D

 

Bill

[HERKIMER417]

Thank you one and all

 

In hindsight, I agree with many - I should have never finalized a booking without firm numbers. I could kick myself in the butt and I'm sure several out there would volunteer but my DW has secured that position.

 

The thing that really gets me is that personnel at HAL told me one thing and either those statements were false or incomplete.

 

On the free cruise certificate it stated:

1) The cruise had to taken prior to Sept 06

2) The free cruise was only good for a Caribbean cruise

3) To book it, I must call a "Special Desk" number they listed

 

 

- Why did I wait until the last minute to book the cruise?

When I won the free cruise I planned on taking a trip the following summer, figuring I had plenty of time.

 

But HAL removed all of their ships from the Caribbean between May and Sept. I'm an evening instructor-teacher and I am not able to take a vacation anytime I want.

 

It came down to a use it during Spring break or lose it.

 

- The phone number listed turned out to be the regular HAL reservations number that is manned in the Dakatos somewhere by some nice person that has never seen an ocean. When I got thru and said I wanted the " Special desk" to book a cruise - I was tranfered.

 

This is were things started to go nuts. The "Special Desk" I was transfered to didn't answer, and I was on hold for over 30 minutes. I phoned back to the original number and asked for the direct line so I may try later. That is when I learn that the "Special Desk" was located in Seattle.

 

This "Special Desk" must be manned only every other Tuesday between 1 and 3. I can't count the number of times I tried to get thru. It was a hold and listen to a music marathon.

 

Finally, after waiting over 45 minutes I got thru. The person I spoke to was very nice and wanted book the cruise.

 

At the same time I was speaking to the HAL rep. I was on the internet and it was indicating that the cabins were filling fast. She agreed with that and as a good customer service person wanted to make sure I got my selected cabin.

 

HAL was advertising a special - "buy one upgrade and get six for free". I asked this nice young lady if I could buy up from the inside cabin on the certificate and be eligible for this and she said

"of course".

 

She wanted to book the cruise quickly to secure the best available cabins - which made sense to me.

 

But and this is the the BIG BUT - she was new and didn't know how to book a certificate. She said she needed to put in a plug number and then her supervisor would back into it.

 

It didn't make sense but I had no reason not to believe the HAL representative. If I'd only had foresight......

 

- I met a person on the cruise that had won a trip some time before and they told me I could have used a T/A.

At a later date, while booking a business trip, I also learned that my usual TA had booked "free cruises" with HAL over the years and I should have used them. The ships purser ( based on a comment that I didn't understand then) must have felt that I had used a T/A.

 

Again if only I'd had foresight........

 

 

- I also learned that the TA had applied the free Caribbean cruise to a New England cruise. This would have allowed me to take the summer cruise I originally intended.

 

If only I'd had foresight........

 

- I had sent a quick letter in June and from that first reply the reference to a value of $250 was made. This was months after the trip and the first time that figure had been used. Another indication that HAL doesn't have it's stuff together. The letter I posted to start this posting was a second letter.

 

- As for the tax issue - HAL hasn't send anything.

 

 

Again, thank you for your kind thoughts and suggestions

 

If only I'd had foresight.......

 

Cruise Safely

 

Herkimer417

[hammybee]

Thank you for sharing the 20-20 hindsight lesson.

[AAAAmerican]

Ya did miss a big one!

 

Sen. Bill Roth ®De. (\:D/) Was a phenominal asset to all the us and savings ideas..which we all know as the Roth IRA..

 

Now this year finally we have the Roll Over ROTH IRA too...whew... it I wonder why things which are wonderful take so long to implement.. :D

 

The IRS has educational Grant(s) too not many US Citizens use..

 

Go to the IRS site and search them.. two have wonderful attributes we as American citizens are able to use..if we choose.. and not any discrimination towards age either...

 

:eek:

 

And as we all know, some IRS regs stay the same, seems like forever (the $5K limit on child care for flex spending, the limits on IRA & 401K contributions, the $250K deferral when you sell your house). Others change hourly, depending on which agent you talk to on the phone.

 

Love the CPA line. Ya made me giggle.

[kryos]

Again, thank you for your kind thoughts and suggestions

 

If only I'd had foresight.......

We all live and learn. Next time you'll know better. Tell DW not to be too hard on you. :)

 

Hope you at least had a very enjoyable cruise. That's the truly important thing.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita