H-A to offer $100 deposits? true or false?

[silvercruiser]

Princess often offers the chance to book future cruises at $100 pp. In fact, onboard bookings always offer this. I've heard rumors that H-A may soon do the same. Is this true? If so, when? Will there be incentives to book onboard?

[hammybee]

HAL does this too.

[waiting2retire]

It is true that HAL is offering $100 deposit for onboard bookings. I will be sailing on the Zaandam on January 5/07 and have already identified a November 2007 HAL cruise I would like to take. :D I have the pricing from the HAL website as well as several online TA quotes for the category I want, so I will check to see what, if any, advantages or incentives there are to booking onboard during my upcoming cruise.

 

I will let you know what I find out!

 

Bonnie

[Tricia724]

It is true that HAL is offering $100 deposit for onboard bookings. I will be sailing on the Zaandam on January 5/07 and have already identified a November 2007 HAL cruise I would like to take. :D I have the pricing from the HAL website as well as several online TA quotes for the category I want, so I will check to see what, if any, advantages or incentives there are to booking onboard during my upcoming cruise.

 

I will let you know what I find out!

 

Bonnie

 

Bonnie....please do follow up on this and let us know what you learn. We will be sailing in February and may also want to take advantage of this reduced deposit.....if it is worthwhile to do so.

 

We just got off the Veendam at the end of October, and I attended a presentation by the onboard cruise consultant, and she never mentioned anything about this option, so apparently it is a very new program for HAL. It could be a nice option....but until we get further information, we won't know.

[kryos]

Princess often offers the chance to book future cruises at $100 pp. In fact, onboard bookings always offer this. I've heard rumors that H-A may soon do the same. Is this true? If so, when? Will there be incentives to book onboard?

I don't know anything about that, but I only wish.

 

I just booked a cruise for 2008 ... and a deposit of $1,750 was just charged on my AmEx account.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I don't know anything about that, but I only wish.

 

I just booked a cruise for 2008 ... and a deposit of $1,750 was just charged on my AmEx account.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

Rita, look at it this way when you go to make final payment you will be paying $1,650 less money at that time:D

In answer to the OP, the answer is TRUE

[Guienevere_Arianette]

I don't know anything about that, but I only wish.

 

I just booked a cruise for 2008 ... and a deposit of $1,750 was just charged on my AmEx account.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

In June of 06, I booked a Prisendam 07 cruise and $1200 was put on my card, which, in the end, was better than what HAL wanted down ($1650).

 

Which may be a good idea for me; I'd go hog wild with booking at $100 pp; I'd be booked for years on end!! :D

[silvercruiser]

Yep, there's less to pay at the end, but right now I have about $5,000 tied up in future cruise deposits and would rather be able to wait til later. On our last Princess cruise one couple signed up for 4 future cruises to be taken anytime within the next four years. The reason is that they get great onboard credit $ by doing it that way.

[cruznon]

This is great--I'm sure HAl will have more onboard bookings with the $100 deposit.

[Charliesmom]

We just booked a future cruise while on the Veendam and paid $100 pp deposits. They give you onboard credits, too, but they are not as good as the credits on Princess.

 

For 7-11 days you get $25.00 pp for Inside and Outside, $35.00 pp for a Verandah and $50 pp for a suite.

 

For 12 days or more you get $50. pp inside and outside, $75.00 pp for a Verandah and $100 pp for a suite.

 

It says at the bottom "This offer is not combinable with World cruises." It also says "This offer applies to the first two passengers in stateroom only, and is not applicable to upper berth passengers."

 

Roberta

[LAFFNVEGAS]

While I admit that the credit is not as good as I have heard that other cruise lines offer like Princess you have to admit it is still better than a big fat Zero that you get when you book with your TA. Hey I know it is not big money but I for one think it is worth getting at least a little bit extra here and there. This is actually a big step in the right direct for HAL. I cannot see complaining about getting something you would not have if you booked with your TA at home, plus you get to keep more of your own money in savings till final payment.

 

Why must we always find a reason to complain when HAL gives us something:confused:

 

 

Reminds me of the story of the Prince and the Peasant girl, they had a secret romance. One day he decided to ask for her hand in marriage and gives her a rings, he puts it on her hand and she looks at it and says "Oh I would like to have had a much bigger diamond" So he takes the rings back and away he goes, Never to be seen again. And the moral to the story is........

[Tricia724]

We just booked a future cruise while on the Veendam and paid $100 pp deposits. They give you onboard credits, too, but they are not as good as the credits on Princess.....Roberta

 

Roberta.....do you have to book a specific cruise, or will they allow you to pay the $100 and choose your cruise later.....similar to the Princess Future Cruise Credit? We have a cruise we are seriously considering but not committed to as yet.

[Shawhayden]

Princess often offers the chance to book future cruises at $100 pp. In fact, onboard bookings always offer this. I've heard rumors that H-A may soon do the same. Is this true? If so, when? Will there be incentives to book onboard?

 

 

A friend currently aboard the Prinsendam mentioned in an Email she had booked an xmas cruise on the Amsterdam with only a $100 deposit.

[Tinknock50]

Now if only they would offer that here at home. I might actually book something further out if I didn't have to tie up so much money for so long.

[polebarn]

We just booked with a $100 deposit pp on the Veendam. This is a new program, so there were still things to iron out (for example, we wanted to book two cabins on one cruise, and that took some doing, but we got the same deposit and credit for both). We had to book a specific cruise, even chose cabins and dining times. Consultant and paperwork both say you can change pricing to best price available from your TA up to 72 hours before sailing.

[scopewest]

While passing by the cruise consultant desk on the O last week, I overhead the lady tell the passenger that yes, it's $100 deposit BUT that the $100 was nonrefundable and she had four years to use it after which time she would be out the money. Just FYI.

[CruiseBumm]

I recently booked a RCI cruise for a$100 per person deposit. I booked HAL cruise last October and the deposit was $200 per person.

If HAL starts doing this trough travel companies or TA it would be great.:D

[venicecruiser]

Anyone know if the 100.00 deposit can be used on longer cruises - 26 days or more? I'll be on Veendam in April and there's 2 or 3 long sailings I'd like to book while onboard.

 

Claudia

[TMJplus1]

I'm thinking of booking a surprise cruise for me and DH - taking advantage of the $100 deposit while I'm on the Zuiderdam in April. However, I will be on this cruise with a friend, not my DH - will they still let me book for $100 if he is not present? Hmmmm.

[hammybee]

I'm thinking of booking a surprise cruise for me and DH - taking advantage of the $100 deposit while I'm on the Zuiderdam in April. However, I will be on this cruise with a friend, not my DH - will they still let me book for $100 if he is not present? Hmmmm.

 

Sure they will.

[Jade13]

quarantee the space), but what about the trip insurance? Hal requires that at the time of booking, so now they won't? Please explain?

[Sale Away]

What would the fare basis be that your reservation is based on? Is it full brochure prices? Or is it just a hold on the CAT/cabin regardless of fare?

 

Aren't you booking directly through HAL if you're doing it on board? But I saw Polebarn say above that they'd let you adjust the fare through your TA?

[hammybee]

I understand the $100 initial deposit routine. I would be surprized if there were not some interim deposits required between the initial booking and final payment date.

 

And if one transferred the booking to a T/A to take advantage of better pricing I am willing to bet that normal deposits will apply.

 

And Jade 13 raised a good question about insurance.

 

So may questions.......

[waiting2retire]

While I was recently on the Zaandam, I took advantage of the low deposit and booked a VD guarantee on the Nov 10/07 sailing of the Noordam, with an OBC of either $25 or $35 (I forget which). The booking was then transferred to the TA of my choice, which resulted in a further OBC (again, either $25 or $35; one was HAL and one was TA) and a dinner for 2 at the Pinnacle.

 

My paperwork clearly states that a $100 deposit was made and the balance is due on August 27/07. I have seen my TA and there was no request there for any further deposit.

 

To be honest, I'm not sure what the price was based on. It was actually slightly less than the current price listed on HALs website, and competitive with current online TA rates.

 

As has been mentioned here already, the deposit is non-refundable, but can be transferred to any other HAL cruise within the next four years should I decide to cancel the sailing I chose. I figure worst case scenario is that I an unable to cruise on HAL at all over the next four years, and lose $100. If I can't cruise for the next four years, that $100 is likely to be the least of my worries!

 

Now here is what I consider to be the interesting part. Since I have no significant other, I am not sure who may be available to travel with me at that time. The cruise consultant suggested that I book single, and anytime up until final payment I can add another person to the booking and will the charged no more than the applicable double amount as of the original date of booking (Jan/07). I was given the computer printout of the double rate so that I know what it was.

 

As for insurance, I always book my own, so I declined HAL's offer. I don't know how the insurance would work should the booking be changed.

 

Hope this answers some questions. If you have any more, I'll be happy to help if I can.

 

Bonnie

[PathfinderEss]

Roberta.....do you have to book a specific cruise, or will they allow you to pay the $100 and choose your cruise later.....similar to the Princess Future Cruise Credit? We have a cruise we are seriously considering but not committed to as yet.

 

I'm not Roberta, but we just did what I call a phantom booking on the Veendam for $100 per person. We locked in the shipboard credit and the $100 deposit for a cruise, that we can select at a later date. I believe the paper work say's we have up to 4 years to chose a cruise. We plan to do another one when were on the Ryndam in April.

I'm with some of the other posters, I don't like having 1,500 deposits out for over a year. Cruise lines make lots of money off of these deposits, when it should be sitting in my bank earning income, especially when every shipboard cabins will sell 3 times before it is finally sold.

Yes, you are booking directly through Hal but they will let you adjust the fare through your TA.