Lowest Fare

[lgoldst801]

Can anyone suggest how to get the lowest fare for a Holland America cruise.

Would dealing with HAL direct, a well know online TA, or a B&M TA be the best idea

[dakrewser]

Yes.

 

In other words, there is no sure-fire guaranteed way to get the lowest price. Then again, the 'lowest price' isn't necessarily the best value...

[Navy_Chief]

I did a blind study on this very topic a while back which was posted here on the boards. Board rules prohibit naming any TA names; My study involved pricing between 5 on-line TAs, 2 local "Brick and Mortor" TAs, and HAL. The best turned out to be a local TA in that study with an on-line coming in second and HAL coming in 3rd. Bottom line is you must shop around; look for the TA that will be willing to check prices and get the lower price from HAL if applicable, not charge you a cancellation fee prior to the "Final Payment Due" date, and will make sure to take advantage of all HAL promos to get you the best deal. In the end, as long as your satisfied whith the price you pay for any vacation, cruise or otherwise, then you should go on that vacation and not worry about what the other guy paid; and as Dave said above: the lowest price is not allways the best deal. Good luck and good cruising!

[TV Dad]

I booked with a top named Motor Club Travel Agency for peace of mind, because I didn't expect an international company with AAA service to go out of business before my cruise. PLUS They guaranteed me the lowest rate. In fact, they said if I found a lower rate at any time beofre my cruise, they'd match it.

 

Sure enough, four months after I booked my cruise (just last week as a matter of fact), I saw an internet ad from HAL offering cabins for considerably less than I paid. The travel agent got HAL to reduce my cruise fare $260 for the cabin! That'll pay for a shore excursion!:D