Do I Have a Reservation or Not????

[lvz2cruz]

About 2 weeks ago I booked a cruise online and chose the hold option. The next morning I got online to make the deposit. When I logged in, it came up under my reservations. I clicked to make a payment. It did not show what deposit amount I owed. There are four of us in one cabin and the 3rd and 4th are free, so I did not know if I owed 4 deposits or 2 and called HAL to see. The rep pulled my booking number and told me 2. I entered my credit card info and $700 as payment amount.
A few days later when I got online to print everything out, it was not there. I called HAL and first the rep said it must have been a glitch in the system. When it was determined that my cabin and category were gone, he basically called me a liar 6 times in the course of the conversation that I did not make the deposit. I wonder if the fact that a rep had my reservation pulled as I made the deposit online it was lost or something odd happened.
It was on the Veendam and only aft cabins were left--where the a/c problems seem to be prevalent, so we did not rebook. Had this been my first experience with HAL, his attitude would have made me not want to give them my money ever. I am so happy I did not book airfare trusting that my cabin was booked.
Now I see KirkNY's post about customer service and reservations not showing up. I wonder if I do have a reservation after all. Our credit card has not been charged, but could it possibly show up someday?
We are considering booking that week on another line, and though I would prefer my original booking on HAL, I do not want to book elsewhere, pass final payment, and find I have 2 bookings.
After my horrible chat with the HAL rep, I really do not want to call them again.
What should I do? Has anyone had a similar "glitch"?

[kazu]

About 2 weeks ago I booked a cruise online and chose the hold option. The next morning I got online to make the deposit. When I logged in, it came up under my reservations. I clicked to make a payment. It did not show what deposit amount I owed. There are four of us in one cabin and the 3rd and 4th are free, so I did not know if I owed 4 deposits or 2 and called HAL to see. The rep pulled my booking number and told me 2. I entered my credit card info and $700 as payment amount.
A few days later when I got online to print everything out, it was not there. I called HAL and first the rep said it must have been a glitch in the system. When it was determined that my cabin and category were gone, he basically called me a liar 6 times in the course of the conversation that I did not make the deposit. I wonder if the fact that a rep had my reservation pulled as I made the deposit online it was lost or something odd happened.
It was on the Veendam and only aft cabins were left--where the a/c problems seem to be prevalent, so we did not rebook. Had this been my first experience with HAL, his attitude would have made me not want to give them my money ever. I am so happy I did not book airfare trusting that my cabin was booked.
Now I see KirkNY's post about customer service and reservations not showing up. I wonder if I do have a reservation after all. Our credit card has not been charged, but could it possibly show up someday?
We are considering booking that week on another line, and though I would prefer my original booking on HAL, I do not want to book elsewhere, pass final payment, and find I have 2 bookings.
After my horrible chat with the HAL rep, I really do not want to call them again.
What should I do? Has anyone had a similar "glitch"?

Hi Becky,

this is colundrum. If you credit card hasn't been charged it sounds like you don't have a reservation. When you put it on hold - did they give you a booking number? if you have a booking number you can either experiment on the website or call HAL (if you don't like who you are talking to, say good bye and call back - I have had some good reps and won't waste my time with bad ones) .

Better to be safe than sorry, although it sounds like your reservation is not there, it could have been a glitch in the system (I did notice a couple of problems on the website the other day).

You don't want to take a chance and then find out that you have a booking (although you can cancel without penalty with enough time in advance)

I'd bite the bullet and determine. Alternately, if you have a booking number you can send off an email (just hit contact us on the website) - then at least you will have an answer in writing.

It's probably not there, but I wouldn't take the chance. hope I made sense ;)

[bepsf]

I really do not want to call them again.
What should I do?

Get a good travel agent to book your cruise for you and you won't have these issues.

[Krazy Kruizers]

did you call your credit card company personally to make certain as to whether you have been charged?

if you have been charged -- call hal and ask to speak to a supervisor

[Randyk47]

I'd agree with the others that suggest you check with your credit card company. If there's no charge pending then, for whatever reason, the transaction didn't go through. While I don't book directly with HAL I do get almost immediate confirmations out of my Internet TA's and a valid HAL booking number within minutes to a couple of hours maximum. My Internet TA's don't wash the deposits or final payments through their accounts....I wouldn't do business with one that did....so even if HAL hasn't processed the charge the booking number is good. The HAL rep giving you grief is another issue and there's no excusing that kind of behavior. :(

[robsmom]

I am not impressed with Hal's process at all. I put a reservation on hold, went to pay it and had the same issues that you did in that it does not tell you the deposit amount to make. I had to guess. Unlike you, it did take my payment but then i later got notified from HAL that I did not make a large enough deposit.

[qe2]

I agree that you should check with your credit card to see if the charge was posted. However, you could have saved alot of worrying and not paid more if you had used a travel agent. They would make sure that your reservation is secure.

[lvz2cruz]

Hi Becky,

this is colundrum. If you credit card hasn't been charged it sounds like you don't have a reservation. When you put it on hold - did they give you a booking number? if you have a booking number you can either experiment on the website or call HAL (if you don't like who you are talking to, say good bye and call back - I have had some good reps and won't waste my time with bad ones) .

Better to be safe than sorry, although it sounds like your reservation is not there, it could have been a glitch in the system (I did notice a couple of problems on the website the other day).

You don't want to take a chance and then find out that you have a booking (although you can cancel without penalty with enough time in advance)

I'd bite the bullet and determine. Alternately, if you have a booking number you can send off an email (just hit contact us on the website) - then at least you will have an answer in writing.

It's probably not there, but I wouldn't take the chance. hope I made sense ;)

I found the contact us and emailed them today. After this frustration, I will feel better having the question of my card being charged in wrinting.
Thank you so much for the suggestion!

[lvz2cruz]

did you call your credit card company personally to make certain as to whether you have been charged?

if you have been charged -- call hal and ask to speak to a supervisor

I have checked my cc account online several times hoping the charge has shown up, but after 2 weeks, I am giving up hope and looking at other cruiselines. I just don't want to have 2 cabins booked the same week--final payment is due soon, so I need to know for sure.

[lvz2cruz]

I agree that you should check with your credit card to see if the charge was posted. However, you could have saved alot of worrying and not paid more if you had used a travel agent. They would make sure that your reservation is secure.

Get a good travel agent to book your cruise for you and you won't have these issues.

I think using TAs can have pros and cons. I prefer to book on my own, but thanks for the advice.

[Krazy Kruizers]

i guess that we have been fortunate to have a personal ta that we have used for nearly 24 years and never had a problem

sorry that you are having so many problems

[Linda&Vern]

I can tell you that HAL did have a problem with its payment system the last week of February. I had a family emergency and had to leave town for 4 days. My final payment for an upcoming cruise was due while I was gone. My PCC did not return my phone calls the day before I left, so that evening I tried on-line to make the final payment. Every time I got all the way thru the process entering the payment - poof ... the page just froze. After several attempts I gave up and went to bed.

The next morning before leaving for the airport I called HAL's reservation phone. I explained my situation. The lady I spoke with could not have been more helpful. She had to put me on hold and get permission from her supervisor to take my payment (because I had a PCC). She came back to the phone and said she could help me. She determined that none of my payment attempts had gone thru. She took my credit card info and within minutes I had an e:mail from her with confirmation of my payment. I was able to take my trip knowing my upcoming cruise was in good standing. I guess my point is - there was a glitch in HAL on-line payment system around the time the OP had his problem.

[sail7seas]

I've been thinking about you, OP, and hope you have straightened this out. Must be very frustrating. Good luck.

[SeaDays]

Two words --- Travel Agent.

Doesn't cost anything. They do the interference.

[Randyk47]

I think using TAs can have pros and cons. I prefer to book on my own, but thanks for the advice.

The only thing I use a TA for is to book the cruise. For that reason I book through an Internet TA, get my discount and then manage my own booking from there. Quite frankly HAL makes it pretty darn simple with their on line system and I don't need to give my information to a TA so the TA can turn around and put it in for me. We book our own flights and pre/post cruise hotels too so don't need a TA for those. I understand some folks don't want to be bother with those details and their TA takes care of all of that for them which is great.

[sail7seas]

My objection at this point to using a TA after having had a good local one for years, is the inability to deal directly with HAL if there is a TA involved. When our TA went out of business, I switched to a PCC so we have direct contact.

We book our own air and pre/post hotels anyway.

[Randyk47]

My objection at this point to using a TA after having had a good local one for years, is the inability to deal directly with HAL if there is a TA involved. When our TA went out of business, I switched to a PCC so we have direct contact.

We book our own air and pre/post hotels anyway.



Might be none of my business and you can tell me that without offending but personally I haven't ever had to deal with HAL directly so the ability to do so means very little to me. Off the top of my head I can't think of any reason I'd need to talk to them. Of course I also consider a PCC nothing more or less than a TA who just happens to work directly for HAL. ????

[sail7seas]

Randy,
I don't mind in the least you ask.
It's only little odds and ends but some of them are important to us.
When I worked with our TA, there was often the back and forth and checking availability and prices and then they became part of a consortium which brought up other issues I didn't care for.

It works for me to work directly with HAL PCC. Fast, easy, immediate info and I'm gone.

I suspect we are not getting the best possible price but we all make choices.

[lvz2cruz]

I can very happily say that my problem has been resolved and I am booked.

Thank you all for your advice and good wishes.

[Krazy Kruizers]

i am happy to hear that your problem has benn taken care of and you have your cruise

enjoy

[kazu]

I can very happily say that my problem has been resolved and I am booked.

Thank you all for your advice and good wishes.

Becky - really good news - so glad everything is fixed and thanks, for letting us know. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

i am happy to hear that your problem has benn taken care of and you have your cruise

enjoy