The end of transfers with air

[joanskid]

I just booked our first HAL cruise for November 2007. My TA could not believe it when HAL told her that after April 2007, everyone must purchase transfers to and from the pier, even if you purchase air through the cruisline!

The HAL first said that it was $50 per person, then corrected herself to $26.50 per person. This is in FLL. I belive the pier is about 5 miles from the airport!

Needless to say, we'll find a taxi!

I know that buses take fuel, and fuel is very expensive, but I think this is a bit greedy.

I wonder if other lines are considering this move also?

[hammybee]

[QUOTE=joanskid]I just booked our first HAL cruise for November 2007. My TA could not believe it when HAL told her that after April 2007, everyone must purchase transfers to and from the pier, even if you purchase air through the cruisline!

The HAL first said that it was $50 per person, then corrected herself to $26.50 per person. This is in FLL. I belive the pier is about 5 miles from the airport!
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____
I am not sure I follow you. If I take your words literally, they imply that a TA is telling you that HAL will mandate the purchase of transfers regardless of how the air was booked. I do not however, think that it what you meant, because that is silly.

Therefore I am assuming that you are saying that a TA is reporting that HAL is going to require those who book air through them, to also purchase pier to airport transfers? While I don't know if this is true or not, it might make some sense because most people who book air through a cruiseline are looking for the convenience of one stop shopping and certainty, not the least expensive. Those looking for less costly air and/ or to control their carrier/flight times, tend to book their own air.

Is it me, or do others notice a string of "my TA told" me stories lately?

[joanskid]

o.k. Maybe I didn't explain myself very well...

In the past, I have always found that if you booked your air though the cruiseline (at their premium rates), then at least they included the transfer to and from the ship.

And according to the brochures...through April 2007, HAL does this too.

But after April 2007, you will pay extra per person for the transfer (if you choose to include it) even if you buy their premium priced air.

And just for the record...this is not a "my TA told me" story. I was there when she was talking to the HAL agent. Also, the new brochure which goes through the end of 2007 has omitted the wording about "complimentary transfers" for pasengers with HAL booked air.

[u4ea]

They may have never existed. It is a minor annoyance to me that the brochure says or implies a transfer is included when, in fact, you do have to pay for it. When booking my Amsterdam transatlantic with air, HAL was going to charge me $70 for the transfer. It’s just sort of hidden in the taxes and fees. I wound up booking w/online agency. Same air price but no transfer (and no extra fee) This was my first booking air with HAL mainly out of necessity due to the high prices of independently booked air.
I don’t know how the premium air deal works.
I guess it’s sort of an advertising subterfuge. Bottom line is nothing is really free, just check what your paying for, if it’s too much or you don’t need it, don’t buy it. HAL is just trying to make a buck too. (maybe too many;))
Have a great cruise!
Mark….

[jhannah]

Maybe there was confusion among customers about the transfers so HAL decided to just split them out and charge for them separately. In a way that makes more sense. Maybe I can get a better airline ticket price through HAL (for some open-jaws, for instance) but feel I can do better arranging my own transfers to and from ship. By splitting it out, I'm not "forced" into paying for the transfer if I choose to avoid a crowded bus and just take a taxi or hire a private car.

[Stevesan]

[quote=joanskid]
Is it me, or do others notice a string of "my TA told" me stories lately?

It makes sense considering that the great majority of travelers book their cruises thru a TA.

[boards]

Your right again Stevesan. My TA (good friend of DW) says Hi. Hope your cruise goes well in Dec. Hoping to book Panama in April on the Amsterdam.
Have to check with TA first though.

[joanskid]

" it might make some sense because most people who book air through a cruiseline are looking for the convenience of one stop shopping "

I think that describes the point I was trying to make, but apparently not very well...

If you book "everything" through the cruise line, you expect everything to be included. In the past the transfers were too, but this is changing. It could be that they are just splitting the transfer out separately, but I bet the air prices are not being reduced by a similar amount.

I have done air through cruiselines before, and the buses were definitely fully utilized to and from the port. So I think that this is going to be a surprise for more people than just me.

[Roz]

Joanskid,

I understood what you meant from your original post. Too many people on this board, IMO, read too much into posts and overlook the main point or question that's trying to be conveyed.

That said, when I booked HAL air on my first cruise, I was looking for a "seamless" experience. I didn't know what I was doing :D and I was by myself, so I wanted the transfers as part of the package.

In fact, one of the selling points the TA gave me for purchasing HAL air was that transfers would be included, so it was one less thing for me to have an anxiety attack over. :eek:

I know a lot of people bad mouth cruise air, transfer, hotels, etc., but I had a good experience with HAL. Don't believe I could have done better on my own.

I'm sure HAL's decision has something to do with the high price of fuel.

Roz

[juliecat]

My bboking for September 2006 has a separate line item for the transfers. All spelled out in the billing. I did book air through HAL.

J

[agabbymama]

joanskid,

I think you are right. I booked HAL cruisetour in Aug '07. I purchased their air just for the convenience of not having to search for it myself. I certainly thought the transfer would be there too. Never discussed transfers. When I cruised with HAL in '99 in Alaska, their airfare included transfers. I'm sure the price of air has always included an amount for transfers, so not quite sure why they have to break it out. Now I'll have to call my TA to see if I have to add transfers. Thanks for the heads up on this thread.:eek:

Just checked the info on HAL website. Under "Smooth Air Travel" there is a bullet "Travel smoothly from the Airport to your ship" for a nominal charge. Seattle is $23, Vancouver is $17 and Anchorage is $65. WOW! In the past this only applied to non-HAL air. Guess they decided they were losing too much money by offering the transfers with the air. Just another cost to add the total of the cruise.

[Navy_Chief]

On the cruise we took in 2004, I booked my own air as we were going to be in Athens 10 days prior to the cruise and it was way too early to book air that far in advance (10 months out). I knew I could get a better price later on. However, my TA said we need to give HAL a flight number at booking to secure the transfer from Harwich to Heathrow. So I picked a flight that I thought we might take back. two months out I finally booked the proper air fares we needed. The TA sipmly told HAL the flight numbers changed and gave them the updated information. Simple enough, I book to far out generally to get good air prices. This cruise, we didn't need air (one of the reasons we chose this upcoming itinerary) but HAL kicked in free motorcoach transfers as a promo. Saved me a bunch in parking and gas :D

[elmorejj]

Joanskid,

I understood what you meant from your original post. Too many people on this board, IMO, read too much into posts and overlook the main point or question that's trying to be conveyed

Roz



Well said Roz, and so true............jean:cool:

[Roz]

Hi Jean! :D Hope to meet up with you again in the near future.

Roz

[joanskid]

Thank you to Roz and all of the other posts after hers!

You guys seem to "get" what my origial post was about.

HAL has made a change to what has been a common practice for many cruiselines. I thought others would like to know about it...:confused:

Anyway, I can't imagine a couple paying $53 each way in FLL for a short bus ride. Or for that matter, imagine what it would cost for a family! Deciding to catch a taxi was certainly a no-brainer for us.

I have to wonder how many people will utilize these transfers in the future?

I have chosen to pay the high cruise line rate for this particular cruise, because: 1. I'm booking it so far out...who knows what any airfare will be over a year from now? and... 2. I work for a company that has a union. Their current contract is up less than 2 weeks before my sail date. If they should decide to strike, as a salaried employee, I am required to work. All vacation time is suspended. So therefore, HAL's Platinum plan will cover all (at least at 90%) of what I have paid for.

I certainly don't expect that scenario, and hope that it doesn't happen, but I would arther be safe than sorry.

[shipcafe]

Maybe there was confusion among customers about the transfers so HAL decided to just split them out and charge for them separately. In a way that makes more sense. Maybe I can get a better airline ticket price through HAL (for some open-jaws, for instance) but feel I can do better arranging my own transfers to and from ship. By splitting it out, I'm not "forced" into paying for the transfer if I choose to avoid a crowded bus and just take a taxi or hire a private car.

Jim : You've pretty much hit the nail on the head. Instead of bundling transfers in with the home city air cost, they are now broken down to reduce confusion. This also allows guests to remove the transfers if they'd like to do so in between. Before, they could not be taken out with home city air and they would go to waste.

Image is everything, however, and having that extra line on the invoice for transfers creates the impression of an additional cost versus the flexibility it provides.

[hammybee]

Thank you to Roz and all of the other posts after hers!

You guys seem to "get" what my origial post was about.

HAL has made a change to what has been a common practice for many cruiselines. I thought others would like to know about it...:confused:

joanskid: I think your two posts following the original made your point crystal clear, as evidenced by those who could then follow and respond to it. I made the maistake of cautiously assuming, and we all know where that goes. Next time, I'll simply ask the OP to clarify. Thanks for the lesson.

[hammybee]

Thank you to Roz and all of the other posts after hers!

You guys seem to "get" what my origial post was about.

HAL has made a change to what has been a common practice for many cruiselines. I thought others would like to know about it...:confused:

joanskid: I think your two posts following the original made your point crystal clear, as evidenced by those who could then follow and respond to it. I made the maistake of cautiously assuming, and we all know where that goes. Next time, I'll simply ask the OP to clarify. Thanks for the lesson.

[elmorejj]

Hi Roz, would love to sail with you again. What have you got planned?...........jean:cool:

[Pete Jackson]

While taxi is normally cheaper for a transfer, especially when more than one person are in the same cab, some ports make it difficult to get from taxi to the ship, often in the name of security. We've found that the more isolated and out-of-the-way the place is, the more this is a problem. There is no problem at busy places like NYC, where they really know about security.
Hassles we've had include mile-long walks (my wife is handicapped), or long waits for a shuttle from taxi stop to the ship. Probably, large places have a large terminal building that acts as a buffer between taxi and ship, but there's no excuse for making the taxis pull up more than, say, 200 yards away in any event.

[kryos]

I know that buses take fuel, and fuel is very expensive, but I think this is a bit greedy.

Greedy is not the word ... especially when you consider what HAL charges for cruiseline air! To make matters worse, if you're boarding in Florida and you purchased your air through HAL, they will probably fly you into Miami since it is cheaper for them. Then you'll have a 45 minute ride to the pier ... making a HAL transfer ... even if you have to pay for it ... the cheapest alternative.

Greedy doesn't begin to describe this new policy.

Suggestion? Purchase your own air. You'll save a ton of money plus can fly into the Fort Lauderdale Airport.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[kryos]

My bboking for September 2006 has a separate line item for the transfers. All spelled out in the billing. I did book air through HAL.

Unless my TA didn't itemize it as a separate item on my invoice, my transfer was included with HAL air on the one cruise where I was stupid enough to let the cruise line arrange my air. In fact, I am almost sure I remember him telling me that round trip transfers to the pier were free anytime the air was booked through HAL. This was in summer 2004. Haven't used any cruise line's air program since, so I don't know if that is still true.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[joanskid]

"To make matters worse, if you're boarding in Florida and you purchased your air through HAL, they will probably fly you into Miami since it is cheaper for them. Then you'll have a 45 minute ride to the pier ... making a HAL transfer ... even if you have to pay for it ... the cheapest alternative"

hmmm...now there is something I hadn't thought of. You are right. If they route us through MIA, $26.50 per person would not be so bad.

Does anyone know if in fact, they do usually use MIA airport?

"some ports make it difficult to get from taxi to the ship, often in the name of security."

Another good point, the last time that I sailed out of FLL was prior to 9/11. Does anyone know if taxi access is a problem at that specific port now?

Thanks for your helpful comments!

[tomc]

I thought we always paid for transfers, but it was included in the price of the cruise. That is, not a separate line item. Much as I like HAL, I'm not stoopid; they aren't giving away the shop.

[hammybee]

When sailing with HAL, I use their web site to benchmark pricing. When doing so, there is an itemized invoice that breaks out pier to port transfers and this feature, to the best of my knowledge, has been available as long as HAL has been processing online reservations. There is no such thing as a free ride.

The current cost in FLL is $12 p/p, o/w or $24.00 p/p, r/t. The price for Novemeber, 2007 does indeed show an increase of $1.00 p/p o/w or $2.00 p/p. r/t.

In otherwords, it's a push for a solo traveler and more costly than a taxi when two or more people are involved.

[joanskid]

Being an Accountant, it's good to know that the numbers add up.:)

But I guess I am still a pessimist too. Something tells me that HAL didn't lower the air or cruise fare by the transfer amount, now that they are lisiting it seperately...:rolleyes:

As kyro has replied, the transfer fee is not unfairly high IF they fly us into MIA. That is why I have started a separate thread to see if historically HAL has used MIA more often than FLL.

I really wish that I could feel comfortable with saving money and doing the air on my own, but with my circumstances of the slight fear of having to cancel at the last minute, I really need for it all to be covered by the travel insurance. To me, budgeting a couple of hundred dollars more now is better than losing $600-700 later.:confused:

Maureen

[hammybee]

The transfer is going to be $13.00 each way, in 2007 for FLL, per the HAL website. This is in the ballpark for the cost of a taxi, with tip for one person. I do not think, in recent memory, transfers were ever free but it is possible that some T/A invoicing might make them appear to be. And perhaps this is where the confusion lies.

Is it possible that the cost of the round trip transfer is mistakenly being assumed, by some, to be the cost of a one way transfer?

[hammybee]

Maureen,

Another thought........under the circumstances......I have purchased independent trip insurance that covered both the cost of the cruise and airfare, even though the airfare was not booked by HAL. You might want to consider this as an option.

[joanskid]

hammybee...o.k. this is what I know...

I sat with my T/A. She had a cruise brochure that is good through April 2007. I had (but don't have this weekend) a brochure that HAL just sent me, that is good through the end of 2007 (I think). We compared the section in each book that advertised the air program. Hers specifically said that transfers were included with the air program, but the newer one that I had, said something to the affect that transfers "are available".

Before we compared the brochures, we looked at the invoice that HAL faxed to her, and it had a line for transfers amounting to 26.50 per person. She called them back, and they told her that as of April 2007, there is an additional charge, so at this point I have declined the transfer.

If anyone thought I meant that the 26.50 is for one way, that is not what I meant.

As for the independent trip insurance...do you know of any that cover work related cancellations? I'm under the impression that HAL's Platinum Plan covers "cancellations for any reason". I know that the insurance I have for my upcoming Hawaiian cruise specifically do not cover work related events.

I will definitely consider independent insurance IF: 1. It covers work related issues. 2. It has been used by others and is reputable. 3. It is no more expensive than what I am planning now (all things considered). and 4. I can get HAL's insurance premium refunded. Is that posible, since I paid for it with my deposit? This may be a case of live and learn:(

Maureen

[serendipity1499]

I really wish that I could feel comfortable with saving money and doing the air on my own, but with my circumstances of the slight fear of having to cancel at the last minute, I really need for it all to be covered by the travel insurance. To me, budgeting a couple of hundred dollars more now is better than losing $600-700 later.:confused:

Maureen[/quote]

You can do your own air & still have it covered by travel insurance..:confused:

We book our cruises through an agent, but book our own air, car rentals, hotels & include the entire amount when we purchase our travel insurance..We also do not purchase our travel insurance through the Cruise line or the Travel Agent...We purchase all our insurance through insuremytrip.com... Many companies are represented on their site & you can compare each company's policy before making a decision..Travelex lite & Access America are considered very good companies by many people on Cruise Critic...

There are several threads on CC that cover Insurance..You might want to do a search & look at them before deciding..Hereare 2 links to check out;
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=397122&highlight=insurance

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=397452&highlight=insurance

Enjoy your cruise.:) .Betty

[joanskid]

O.K. I've learned a Live & Learn lesson.

I have been reading various boards on Cruisecritic.com for probably the last 3 or 4 years. Either there haven't been many posts about independent insurance on the boards that I have been frequenting, or I just didn't pay attention to them. (I am a newbie to the HAL board as of a week or so ago.)

I've just done a quick glance at insuremytrip.com. It looks like there are several options that could cover my needs. All at VERY competitive rates!

But unfortunately, I think that since I've already paid for HAL's insurance with my initial deposit, I don't think that that portion is refundable. I will call my T/A tomorrow to check, though.

I can't believe that over the nearly 15 years that I have been cruising, that I am just now learning this trick. And I thought that I was fairly knowlegable about cruises!

Like I said...Live & Learn

Maureen

[joie1016]

This past April we went from the FLL airport to the dock and it cost $25.00 for 4 adults in a taxi. A bargain compared to transfers. Do it yourself, its always cheaper. And taxi's are plentiful!!!!!!!!!:)

[joanskid]

This past April we went from the FLL airport to the dock and it cost $25.00 for 4 adults in a taxi. A bargain compared to transfers. Do it yourself, its always cheaper. And taxi's are plentiful!!!!!!!!!:)

unless they fly us into MIA...

[joanskid]

I'm sure this is addressed in the discussions on trip insurance, but for some reason my search feature is acting weird right now...so one simple (I hope) question.

Assuming I hadn't already purchased HAL's insurance...would the fact that I can't purchase air on my own for several months (I'm not sailing until 11/07, but booked the cruise Friday) create a problem for buying independent trip insurance? I see that you need to buy the policy within 14 days of initial trip payment for most of the plans. Would you just estimate what you think the airfare and pre-night hotel will cost when purchasing the plan?

Thanks for all of your help!
Maureen

[hammybee]

Oh Maureen,

Ding ! Ding ! Ding! You have discovered another inconsistentcy between HAL's brochure documentation and HAL's own on line booking system and of course it's confusing for everyone. Too bad there is no prize.

When I did the online quote for November 2006 and then 2007, HAL quoted the transfer as a separate line item regardless of which airport they may eventually ticket. In otherwords, the transfer was going to get me to the airport they ticket, either FLL or MIA. Given I am ORD ( Chicago), they could easily do either FLL or MIA.

I do not think it possible to buy complete trip insurance without knowing the full cost of the trip, as the premium is a percentage of the trip's cost.

Given you just booked your cruise and insurance this past Friday, you probably can cancel and rebook, exclusive of insurance, without a T/A fee. Most states allow a minimum 24 ( business) hour "cooling off period" to recind all contracts, without penalty. You have a lot of time to obtain trip insurance that will cover work related issues, perhaps as late as final payment, in August 2007.

You will probably be in a better position to book air independent of HAL at that time also and can decide if you want or need to insure your airline ticket too, dependent upon the cost of the ticket versus cost to cancel air and rebook, should you not be able to cruise, as planned.

The advanatge of booking air independent of any cruiseline beyond cost, is that you can determine carrier, airport and time. If FLL has covenient flights to your home airport, then by all means use a taxi.

If however, you value the convenience of one stop shopping over cost and/or control, you can always buy air and insurance for it from HAL, at the time of final payment. I hope this helps explain some of the options you have available to you.

[SHayesShip]

The airport they use depends on available flights from your gateway city and how many ships are in port the day of embarkation/debarkation.
I have cruised out of FLL twice since 9/11 and it has been no problem with cabs. Upon entry they sometimes ask to review the boarding docs which takes only a minute or two and you are on your way. The cabs actually take you closer to most of the ship entries then the busses do in FLL.

"
hmmm...now there is something I hadn't thought of. You are right. If they route us through MIA, $26.50 per person would not be so bad.

Does anyone know if in fact, they do usually use MIA airport?

"some ports make it difficult to get from taxi to the ship, often in the name of security."

Another good point, the last time that I sailed out of FLL was prior to 9/11. Does anyone know if taxi access is a problem at that specific port now?

Thanks for your helpful comments!

[serendipity1499]

Assuming I hadn't already purchased HAL's insurance...would the fact that I can't purchase air on my own for several months (I'm not sailing until 11/07, but booked the cruise Friday) create a problem for buying independent trip insurance? I see that you need to buy the policy within 14 days of initial trip payment for most of the plans. Would you just estimate what you think the airfare and pre-night hotel will cost when purchasing the plan?

Thanks for all of your help!
Maureen

Yes you can purchase your insurance now & try to guesstimate what the balance of your trip will cost..You have to have the entire trip insured before the 7-21 day period in order to have it covered in the pre-existing clause...If I were you I would phone someone at either Insuremytrip.com or the insurance company you are interested in using to get answers..

The FAQ section of Insure my trip.com will answer lots of your questions..Here's one of the questions...

QUOTE:
Q.
I booked part of my vacation, but not the flight. I would like to purchase travel insurance within the pre-existing condition exclusion waiver period. Do I have to wait until the flight is booked?
A.
You can certainly purchase the travel insurance right away. You will probably want to include the cost of your airline tickets in the trip cost. If you can find out what the price of the tickets will be before purchasing them, you can include that amount in the total trip cost. If not, an estimate will have to do. Otherwise, buy the policy now with the costs expended to date and contact us at service@insuremytrip.com when you make your other arrangements and we will have the policy corrected to reflect the change. If there is any additional premium as a result of the change, it will be charged at that time. Be sure you do this within the 7 - 21 day purchase requirement (depends on company) in order to comply with the pre-existing condition waiver requirements. UNQUOTE


Good luck...Betty

[lb0103]

Thanks for the update. We have cruised multiple lines and like you "assumed" if you book air then the transfers were a bonus. But I KNEW at the prices for the air that it was hidden in there. Now with all the security issues and charges by the airline they need to do this. I understand it and just want to know BEFORE I decide which way to go.

Our "rule" is if we are cruising out of a US port we make our own air. We DO buy the transfer. We are going out of Fort Lauderdale in Oct and we got the transfers. It was $24 per person, just the two of us, that is round trip. We made our own air at about a third of HAL's. We find the ease of use of the buses that pull as close to the pier as possible a great advantage. Between the cost of cab, tips and then to have to get your bags to the ship and then more tips would be just as expensive and more of a hassle. You still have to tip the porters at the pier, but you do either way.

I appreciate you letting us know about this change and I will look into the other cruise lines we use in the future.

I just want to know what the charges are and let ME decide. Thanks for posting.

Linda

[hammybee]

Yes you can purchase your insurance now & try to guesstimate what the balance of your trip will cost..You have to have the entire trip insured before the 7-21 day period in order to have it covered in the pre-existing clause...If I were you I would phone someone at either Insuremytrip.com or the insurance company you are interested in using to get answers..

The FAQ section of Insure my trip.com will answer lots of your questions..Here's one of the questions...

QUOTE:
Q.
I booked part of my vacation, but not the flight. I would like to purchase travel insurance within the pre-existing condition exclusion waiver period. Do I have to wait until the flight is booked?
A.
You can certainly purchase the travel insurance right away. You will probably want to include the cost of your airline tickets in the trip cost. If you can find out what the price of the tickets will be before purchasing them, you can include that amount in the total trip cost. If not, an estimate will have to do. Otherwise, buy the policy now with the costs expended to date and contact us at service@insuremytrip.com when you make your other arrangements and we will have the policy corrected to reflect the change. If there is any additional premium as a result of the change, it will be charged at that time. Be sure you do this within the 7 - 21 day purchase requirement (depends on company) in order to comply with the pre-existing condition waiver requirements. UNQUOTE


Good luck...Betty
I too learned something new today. I was not aware that one could guess the cost of the air. Given Maureen's trip is so far out there, I think we are all in agreement that it makes no sense to insure a 11/07 trip now. Thanks for the tip.