future cruise deposit!!!!!!

[seabourndt]

hi i took a future cruise deposit whilst onboard the EURODAM. i was under then impression that it can be used as a deposit on any cruise and nothing more woiuld be payable until the bbalance!!! is this correct? after going thru a uk agent i get told if i want to book it i would still have to pay £300!! nfor a deposit iam sure they have got thisd wrong. i have email holland america to find out who is right. if it is i WILL NOT!! be going on HOLLAND AMERICA EVER AGAIN!!! so i hope they have got it wreong as no way can i afford that. i want tyobook dec 6th 2009 on VOLENDAM.

looking forward to any replies.

dave

[sapper1]

hi i took a future cruise deposit whilst onboard the EURODAM. i was under then impression that it can be used as a deposit on any cruise and nothing more woiuld be payable until the bbalance!!! is this correct? after going thru a uk agent i get told if i want to book it i would still have to pay £300!! nfor a deposit iam sure they have got thisd wrong. i have email holland america to find out who is right. if it is i WILL NOT!! be going on HOLLAND AMERICA EVER AGAIN!!! so i hope they have got it wreong as no way can i afford that. i want tyobook dec 6th 2009 on VOLENDAM.

looking forward to any replies.

dave

Having read on another thread a few days ago that UK cruisers cannot get their deposit fully refunded if they cancel before final payment, I would suspect that your further three hundred pound payment is a requirement of your agency and not of HAL.

Before you get all twisted out of shape toward HAL, why don't you phone their head office for clarification on that point?

[Cruzman]

If you booked a future cruise on board, the deposit is what you paid, $100 usd per person. If your TA told you something else, you need to find another TA.

[NevadaHiRoller]

The deposit of $100 is the deposit. I do not know if rules are different for the UK, but that is the way it is in the US.

[richwmn]

Another possibility -- if you selected (or the TA selected for you) HALs insurance, that would have to be paid along with the deposit. That could also account for the additional amount. You may be able to select other insurance later, but again UK rules may be different than US / Canada

 

Rich

[seabourndt]

i will wait to see what holland america says, yes maybe it is the agent. i tried 3 the others did not even bother to call back

dave

[Activated95b]

I paid the future cruise deposit for myself any my wife on The Oosterdam a couple of days ago. Here is what the confrimation letter we were given says:

 

"For purchassing your Future Cruise Deposit, you may enjoy the following benefits:

• Your Future Cruise Deposit will be the only deposit needed until final payment
  
• Should you choose to purchase CPP/P, this will be due at the time of booking
  
• At the time of confrimation the appropiate shipboard creditwill be applied to your booking"
  

Sounds like you need a new travel agent.

[ocngypz]

If you paid the onboard deposit in US dollars, you can't use a UK agency.

[NevadaHiRoller]

If you paid the onboard deposit in US dollars, you can't use a UK agency.

 

Interesting, didn't know that. Thanks for the insight.

[boards]

An interesting thing happened (at least now it is) when we booked our future cruise on board. We were told being Canadian it had to be in Canadian funds (we had booked the cruise we were in US funds). We did it even though at the time we did not want to because of the exchange rate. Well now two years later it has worked out great. Hal has improved the exchange rate on the website and we have booked a future cruise at about a 5% exchange rate. Finally it is in our favour. Our future cruise is scheduled for now 34 days in March 2010 and we have our OBC as well.

[Williebill]

An interesting thing happened (at least now it is) when we booked our future cruise on board. We were told being Canadian it had to be in Canadian funds (we had booked the cruise we were in US funds). We did it even though at the time we did not want to because of the exchange rate. Well now two years later it has worked out great. Hal has improved the exchange rate on the website and we have booked a future cruise at about a 5% exchange rate. Finally it is in our favour. Our future cruise is scheduled for now 34 days in March 2010 and we have our OBC as well.

 

Congratulations, sounds as if you did very well.

[NancyIL]

I made a future cruise deposit just for myself and paid $100. When I booked a cruise for my 2 daughters and me, I expected to have to pay the full deposit due for my daughters. Instead, my $100 deposit covered all 3 of us!

[ViolaSwamp]

I made a future cruise deposit just for myself and paid $100. When I booked a cruise for my 2 daughters and me, I expected to have to pay the full deposit due for my daughters. Instead, my $100 deposit covered all 3 of us!

 

Really! Wow. DH and I will have to do a FCC when we're on board, that is a fantastic deal!

[seabourndt]

got reply from holland america saying the deposit is all i need to pay and need to contact my agent to tell them that. i have forwarded that letter to them, will be interesting to receive their reply/apology tomorrow. (luckily they held my cabin)

dave

[RuthC]

Good news! Let's hope your TA is convinced and there will be no further arguments.

[sapper1]

An interesting thing happened (at least now it is) when we booked our future cruise on board. We were told being Canadian it had to be in Canadian funds (we had booked the cruise we were in US funds). We did it even though at the time we did not want to because of the exchange rate. Well now two years later it has worked out great. Hal has improved the exchange rate on the website and we have booked a future cruise at about a 5% exchange rate. Finally it is in our favour. Our future cruise is scheduled for now 34 days in March 2010 and we have our OBC as well.

Just curious as I plan to purchase a few cruise credits on our next cruise-------did you pay a straight $100.00 Canadian, or $100.00 Canadian converted to US---that is $120.00 C or whatever rate it may be at the time?

[hammybee]

The Passenger Shipping Association ( PSA) is a powerful U.K. based trade association for cruise lines and ferries. It has deep ties with the Association of British Travel Agents ( ABTA) and government. Agencies belonging to this consortium are bonded, meaning that if they go out of business, the consumer is protected. This bond is typically paid out of the proceeds of every cruise or holiday sold.

 

The U.K. PSA strongly urges U.K. travelors against booking directly with U.S. travel agencies. The association also strongly recommends the U.K. consumer buy a package/bundle and not shop each component.

 

There is a long standing accord amongst PSA, ABTA and P&O cruise line as well as other U.K. based cruise lines that seeks to protect the U.K. travel agent. Cruises sold by U.K. agents require a nonrefundable deposit and acknowledgement that the consumer has received, read and understants the terms of passage.

 

If a cruise line wants their product to be promoted by ABTA, the cruise line conform to ABTA policies , including non-refundable deposits. Bookings made by U.K. passengers are considered substantially more reliable than those made by N.A. passengers because the U.K. passenger has skin in the game. If it becomes necessary to cancel, the U.K. travel agancy gets a percentage of the non refundable deposit as a fee for service.

 

U.K. travel insurance policies are usually sold as a part of the bundle and cover pre final payment date cancellations for "covered" reasons.

 

The major online sellers of cruises in the U.S. do not sell their product to non N.A. consumers. The more dominate ones have opened offices in the U.K., and in various Euro states that allow them to do so. When they do, they follow local customs and accords.

[WCB]

Greetings all!

 

We deposited a segment on the 2010 while on the 2008 world cruise. We had a flyer that stated that a $100 deposit per person was all we needed until final payment.

Well, it did not happen. HAL refused to acknowledge the flyer, and wanted $2800. more. We did not want to lose the category we wanted, so we had to pay the deposit (not happily)! Even with our TA's help, HAL would not budge

Has anyone else had this experience with deposits???

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[pms4104]

Really! Wow. DH and I will have to do a FCC when we're on board, that is a fantastic deal!

I doubt the situation posted by NancyIL was typical ... more likely someone made on ooooops when she booked a cruise for three people using a future deposit paid on behalf of only one. If NancyIL's experience were standard practice, HAL would not have a policy that current onboard passengers can make $100/person deposits for friends/family not on that current trip.

[pms4104]

Greetings all!

 

We deposited a segment on the 2010 while on the 2008 world cruise. We had a flyer that stated that a $100 deposit per person was all we needed until final payment.

Well, it did not happen. HAL refused to acknowledge the flyer, and wanted $2800. more. We did not want to lose the category we wanted, so we had to pay the deposit (not happily)! Even with our TA's help, HAL would not budge

Has anyone else had this experience with deposits???

 

Mary Ann & Bill

The fine print at the bottom of the letter we received confirming our future cruise deposit indicates that the reduced $100 deposit could not be applied to World Cruises, Grand Voyages or segments thereof. That may explain your deposit snafu.

[NancyIL]

I doubt the situation posted by NancyIL was typical ... more likely someone made on ooooops when she booked a cruise for three people using a future deposit paid on behalf of only one. If NancyIL's experience were standard practice, HAL would not have a policy that current onboard passengers can make $100/person deposits for friends/family not on that current trip.

 

HAL did it twice. I cancelled the first FCC booking, and several weeks later booked another cruise using the FCC. Both times I expected to pay more, but wasn't going to remind them if they forgot to charge me!

[ocngypz]

Greetings all!

 

We deposited a segment on the 2010 while on the 2008 world cruise. We had a flyer that stated that a $100 deposit per person was all we needed until final payment.

Well, it did not happen. HAL refused to acknowledge the flyer, and wanted $2800. more. We did not want to lose the category we wanted, so we had to pay the deposit (not happily)! Even with our TA's help, HAL would not budge

Has anyone else had this experience with deposits???

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

Yes, on WC's you need to bring the deposit up.

[ocngypz]

got reply from holland america saying the deposit is all i need to pay and need to contact my agent to tell them that. i have forwarded that letter to them, will be interesting to receive their reply/apology tomorrow. (luckily they held my cabin)

dave

 

Well, if you sent it to a UK travel agent it is not going to help. They cannot take over a HAL booking - or any other cruiseline booking which is denominated in US dollars. You should have made your deposit in sterling so a UK travel agent could take over the booking.

 

What HAL MAY do, is cxl the USD booking, rebook you in sterling and offer you the onboard deposit in sterling. The operative word is MAY. There is no guarantee.

[pms4104]

HAL did it twice. I cancelled the first FCC booking, and several weeks later booked another cruise using the FCC. Both times I expected to pay more, but wasn't going to remind them if they forgot to charge me!

Wow ... they really want you all onboard!

 

But, I still feel it is a fluke and others on this board/thread should not expect that a $100 deposit will be valid for more than one person.

[seabourndt]

after hearing from HAL and sending the letter to my agent. the agent was not too pleasede how HAL worded the lettert "that your agent MISENFORMED YOU" which thewy said was untrue. the 2 people at HAL informed then that a £300 wouyld be required!!

iam not surprised when i booked a cruise online and i rung HAL they misenformed me that the cancellation charges were different and that if i casncelled it was cost me 100%! which was wrong i could have cancelled and only lost the deposit!!

never minds it is all booked now so iam relieved!!

dave