Fly/Cruise Passengers: Complimentary Transfers?

[mybagsarepacked]

Hi All,
I am wondering about airport/ship transfers. I was told by reservations just now that we have to pay for the airport/ship transfers to and from - but in reading the current brochure on line, it states:

"A complimentary transfer service between the airport and the ship will be provided for Fly Cruise guests whose flights arrive or depart on (dis)embarkation days only."

We are flying in and out on the embarkation and disembarkation days, and we are doing the flights through HAL. I don't understand why they say it is complimentary, when reservations in turn says we must pay $160. pp for these transfers?

Can anyone shed light?
Many thanks,

[arzz]

I would ask my TA, quote HAL and tell the TA exactly where the quote is from -- in my experience if you catch HAL in this type of a slip up they do come through

[mybagsarepacked]

Thanks so much for the reply. I did get a call back from someone at the Mariners Society Desk, who said I should speak with customer service, as he agreed that the transfers are to be included, but that he had no authority and I would have to speak to a supervisor. I plan to do just that.

[SDHALFAN]

I posed this question back on January 28th (go to "search" and enter "upgrade fees?").

I will be leaving San Diego to fly to Fort Lauderdale to begin the first of two segments of the World Cruise in January of 2007. My cruise begins on January 15th and I haven't yet been informed as to whether or not I will have to leave home on the 14th, and spend the night (at my expense) in Fort Lauderdale, or whether or not HAL's cruise/fly program can actually get me from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale in one day. The "complimentary" transfer will cost me $13.00 - hey, that's not a huge deal even if I have to spend overnight in Fort Lauderdale in a mediocre hotel.

Now, here's the kicker - I leave the ship in Hong Kong, which isn't technically a port of embarkation/disembarkation (on this segment Singapore is the port) so my "upgrade" ("transfer") fee is $51.00:eek: I just hope that they are planning to send a Limo to transport me and my luggage to the airport!:D

I remember the "good old days" (not that long ago) when HAL still hadn't figured out how to get me and my husband to Florida in one day, as a result of which we had to overnight in Fort Lauderdale and the transportation for us, and our luggage, from the airport to the hotel and from the hotel to the ship was free.

If you check my prior post then you may be interested to read my TA's response to the "Carnivalisation" of HAL.

I'm sorry to say that it seems as though we are all just going to have to bite the bullet and prepare to be paying a lot more extra fees.

Since you are flying in, then out, on embarkation/disembarkation days I honestly don't understand why you would have to pay the fees but I'm sure that HAL will have what they think is a valid reason. $160.00 per person though seems waaaay excessive.

Have a wonderful cruise anyway.

Valerie:)

p.s. I just noticed that arzz posted and I agree - I think that you should ask your TA to question that charge since, as I said before, it seem truly excessive.

[SDHALFAN]

Thanks so much for the reply. I did get a call back from someone at the Mariners Society Desk, who said I should speak with customer service, as he agreed that the transfers are to be included, but that he had no authority and I would have to speak to a supervisor. I plan to do just that.

Sorry - apparently we were posting at the same time. The very best of luck and I, for one, don't see why you should have to pay that ridiculous amount of money for transfers - it has to be a mistake on HAL's part.

Valerie:)

[ANSalberg]

Actually Ft Lauderdale is an "easy" port. We invariably go at least one day prior to the cruise because we are 2000 miles away [ Colorado] We stay at Embassy Suites on 17th; Embassy Suites will pick you up at the airport and will shuttle you to the pier. The NEAT thing is -its a VAN not a bus so you arrive with only a few other cruising folks not 50! There is NO CHARGE by the hotel. And it is a nice hotel with interesting restaurants in the area plus a grocery supermarket across the street ........Not ALL ports are like that but most Florida ones are!

[mybagsarepacked]

Thanks for all the replies. We've decided that if they push the point, we'll do our own thing. We have been to Italy many times and speak Italian so we can hop a train to Civitavecchia if need be and we'll be fine. And of course, NY would be a breeze to get to the scareport (a term I coined years ago!).

I'll let you know the final verdict. :-)

[ocngypz]

Transfers are not included with HAL air.

The $160 per person package you are seeing is a forced overnight in Rome.

I just went through this with one of my bookings. When I asked the rez agent to drop the package, it kicked out the air.

That's always been the problem with HAL air, you just never know when they are going to force an overnight or not.

Ultimately, my client said forget it, we booked another cruiseline, deviated air for free, and she is doing her own hotel.

If you use HAL's hotel program in conjunction with HAL air, transfers are included.

[mybagsarepacked]

Transfers are not included with HAL air.

The $160 per person package you are seeing is a forced overnight in Rome.

I just went through this with one of my bookings. When I asked the rez agent to drop the package, it kicked out the air.

That's always been the problem with HAL air, you just never know when they are going to force an overnight or not.

Ultimately, my client said forget it, we booked another cruiseline, deviated air for free, and she is doing her own hotel.

If you use HAL's hotel program in conjunction with HAL air, transfers are included.

Nope, no forced overnight. We arrive in Rome at 8:00 in the morning and the transfers to Civitavecchia are $80/pp - and similar in NY. HOwever, I have since had a discussion with HAL and transfers are included when you book air with them. It is printed on page 48 of their EUROPE 2006 brochure if anyone wants to reference.

So all is handled.

[blue whale]

Thanks for the info. I will check page 48. HAL is charging us for transfers in Lisbon this October even though we are booking air with them. I will investigate. I think I remember the charge to be about 44 dollars per person.

[SabreSailor]

We were billed $80 pp for transfers from Civitivecchia to the Rome airport, so I pressed the issue with our TA, based on the same quote from the HAL Europe brochure. After some go around, the TA reduced our fare $80 pp but left the transfers in, since she said that if she took the $80 pp out, HAL would not issue the vouchers.

It seems to me it couldn't be much clearer in the brochure. If it doesn't mean that transfers are included when you book air through HAL, what else could it mean?

[Fredr500]

I called them on this same issue, was told that their "new computer system" now details everything spearately, so it appears that the transfers are not included, but in fact I could not take the air without the transfers. (TA said essentially the same thing). Evidently it is an accounting thing for them, and they end up giving us more information than we want to know.

Knowing many computer programmers I tend to accept explanations like this :) even though I wish to hear something different.

If anyone finds out differently please let me know.

Fred

[ocngypz]

Nope, no forced overnight. We arrive in Rome at 8:00 in the morning and the transfers to Civitavecchia are $80/pp - and similar in NY. HOwever, I have since had a discussion with HAL and transfers are included when you book air with them. It is printed on page 48 of their EUROPE 2006 brochure if anyone wants to reference.

So all is handled.

Transfers are NOT included in the price of the air. They are a separate line item. I am a ta.

Are you already ticketed? And I mean ticketed, not just flight selected.
HAL air is NOT guaranteed for arrival on the day of departure. We deal with this all the time. Ticketing is done 30 days prior regardless of whether or not you are doing custom air.

We have often had cases where once the air schedule is received.. surprise.. surprise.. a forced overnight... at the client's expense.

[mybagsarepacked]

I never said the transfers are "included in the price of the air". What I said was that transfers are "complimentary" when you book with HAL. Just re-read the wording again. I've talked to HAL and they have assured me that the transfers are indeed complimentary.