Huge price differences between HAL n Online TA's, how can this be?

[CaledonHockley]

I want to book a HAL cruise to Alaska but have noticed a wide gap in prices between online agencies (some rather large and well-known) and HAL's website itself. Thousand dollar differences in some cases. An example is a EE stateroom on the Amsterdam for the 5/16 sailing to Alaska is 2600 for one person....but I've seen it for 1500 on other websites. And I did take the single supp into account.

I'm really nervous about booking because I don't want to find out later it was a mistake. I'm tempted to call HAL and quiz them. Would they be willing to match or can they only quote me the pre-set price?

[hammybee]

In most, but not all, cases, travel agencies offer substantially better prices than booking directly with a cruise line, especially in a hyper- competitive market such as Alaska.

Prices can and do vary from travel agency to travel agency, too.

When you book with a travel agency, they become your agent not that of the cruise line and all subsequent questions and/or the occasional problem are handled between you and the travel agency and then agency to the cruise line.

Chances are that the price for your cruise will change and perhaps drop between now and the final payment date of your cruise. A good travel agency will do their best to give you the then current price, unless it is a special promotion strictly for new bookings.

Those with a lot of flexibility in terms of time and/ cabin location often wait until after final payment date for the best prices. Of course when this is done, you may not get the sailing or cabin you really wanted. Only you can decide what's right for you.

[CaledonHockley]

Thank you Hammybee.

[jhannah]

It's possible with this great a difference that HAL has just raised prices and it hasn't yet filtered down to the booking engines used by the agencies. Or, it could really be that much different! (Although I think $1,500 to be quite unusual.)

I do not believe HAL will match the low-ball prices you've seen elsewhere. It is in their best interest to keep travel agents in their stable. They can't do this if they give us (consumers) much incentive to book directly with HAL.

[Pilot70D]

One thing is to be sure that you're doing and apples to apples comparison between the price from HAL and the one from your on-line TA. Be sure that the on-line price has taxes and port fess included. The price from HAL will always have those items figured in. I have seen and have gotten a quote or two from on-line agencies that deliberately didn't include port charges and taxes. This pricing strategy was done to attract potential buyers with rock bottom prices.

The thought also occurred to me that you might want to check and see if any fuel surcharges are included in either quote. If one does and the other doesn't that would account for another small part of the difference.

Let me also state that I do not work for any cruise line or for any travel related business. Mine are just some common sense suggestions. Hope they are helpful.

[HockeyWinger]

Ditto what PilotD70 said. Taxes add hundreds of dollars to your cruise price, and the initial price quote by a TA usually doesn't include taxes. Prices on the HAL website do. I recently compared HAL's rate to those of several online TAs, and never came up with more than a $20 price difference.

[cccole]

We have been on six cruises, and on various cruiselines. All of our cruises have been booked through an on-line agency. I always try the cruiseline first. I go through their on-line booking steps to see what their price is. Then I go to the on-line TA and do the same thing. I have always found a better price with a TA and received the same change in price if one occurs on the cruiseline website and received bonuses that are not available with the cruiseline directly. And...I am always able to book the room of my choice with the TA as I would do with the cruiseline.

I tried booking through HAL for our February cruise and they just didn't meet the online TA's price, bonuses, and customer service.

[jhannah]

Be sure that the on-line price has taxes and port fess included. Ah, yes. Quite true. I should have thought to mention that. MANY online sites do not include port fees and taxes in their up-front quotes. It doesn't appear until at the end of the booking process.

[RuthC]

Here's another thought---does the HAL price include CCP insurance, but the on-line site excludes it?

[richnorto]

We've always gotten better prices through the TA. 1 1/2 years ago we booked through Holland because prices were within $200 and I really was worried about cabin proximity to our kids. This time with HAL we booked w/TA online/phone and saved much more (learned my lesson on the cruise in between)! I think HAL does not want to be bothered with doing their own bookings - therefore giving better discounts to TAs. Cruise lines are not like airlines! Best discounts are not at their own sites unless they send you discount codes via USPS. Those might be marginally better than you can book on your own (never got one I felt fit our needs enough to check out).

[maxout]

I just ran a simple "apples for apples" comparison from the Hal site and a well-known national internet site.

This is for a 7-day Alaskan Cruise on the Amsterdam, sailing May 16, 2008.

Catagory C, outside.

No CPP, no airfare, no transfers, no pre/post Hotels.

It does include all applicable Taxes, Port charges.

Neither price includes the fuel supplement charge.

Hal = $3,254.66

Online TA = $2,647.46

A difference of $607.20

(All in USD)

[gizmo]

The majority of the internet prices do not include taxes when you first check the price. All you have to do is pretend you are booking for the full price. You will be shown what the taxes are and the total price. Just note the taxes and when you check out other sites just add them in to avoid going through the booking procedures.

In most cases the prices from TA's are much better than Hal's.

[barbon2]

I usually use a local cruise only TA and have been using them for years. Perhaps I do pay a little bit more, but I appreciate the service I get from the agency. For example, I booked the Queen Mary and then decided to change to the Eurodam. My TA refunded all of our monies, no problem, has done so in the past. Our friends recently booked thru a well known online TA for Europe this summer, cancelled and had to pay $75pp. cancellation fee, I also was able to transfer the insurance to the new cruise. I guess it is a matter of your comfort zone. I know that my agent has always gotten me the seating, cabin, etc. that we wanted, and has always guided us to the ship/line that would fit our needs.
Barbara

[zaandam_2]

i've noticed the same thing. HAL's site is always a few hundred more than my TA.

[Aussie Gal]

We use an internet agency, our taxes etc were included and we saved over $2000US on the published fare on one of our cruises.

As long as you don't require your hand being held and know where you want your cabin etc. you will be fine.

Jennie

[Philip217]

If you telephoned General Motors in Detroit and tried to buy a Chevrolet from them, I can guarantee that they would quote you a higher price than your local GM Dealer would give you - and for the same logical reasons that a Travel Agent can almost always give you a better price than the Cruise Line.

This is no coincidence folks. They want it that way.

[maxout]

If you telephoned General Motors in Detroit and tried to buy a Chevrolet from them, I can guarantee that they would quote you a higher price than your local GM Dealer would give you - and for the same logical reasons that a Travel Agent can almost always give you a better price than the Cruise Line.

This is no coincidence folks. They want it that way.

Then why for example does RCCL not discount to TA's (or anybody for that matter) the price on there online site typically is no different than online agencies (the only difference maybe that the TA may offer small incentives such as OBC) ??

[Jade13]

If you telephoned General Motors in Detroit and tried to buy a Chevrolet from them, I can guarantee that they would quote you a higher price than your local GM Dealer would give you - and for the same logical reasons that a Travel Agent can almost always give you a better price than the Cruise Line.

This is no coincidence folks. They want it that way.

RCCL, Celebrity etc. do not allow discounting (commission sharing). They may offer a small amenity such as OBC. I was going to transfer a Celebrity cruise to a TA I have used before but one of the cabins is cheap so they can't do anything but charge me a $12.00pp fee (I have done all the work since the cruise is booked). I then would owe them a $75.00pp cancelation fee if we canceled. So, it looks like this one is staying with the cruiseline. I wanted to point out that folks are lucky they can get a better deal on HAL (and Princess). It is not the same with all lines.

[Jade13]

Then why for example does RCCL not discount to TA's (or anybody for that matter) the price on there online site typically is no different than online agencies (the only difference maybe that the TA may offer small incentives such as OBC) ??

They do not allow discounting (sharing commission) while HAL, Carnival, Princess still do.

[Jade13]

I usually use a local cruise only TA and have been using them for years. Perhaps I do pay a little bit more, but I appreciate the service I get from the agency. For example, I booked the Queen Mary and then decided to change to the Eurodam. My TA refunded all of our monies, no problem, has done so in the past. Our friends recently booked thru a well known online TA for Europe this summer, cancelled and had to pay $75pp. cancellation fee, I also was able to transfer the insurance to the new cruise. I guess it is a matter of your comfort zone. I know that my agent has always gotten me the seating, cabin, etc. that we wanted, and has always guided us to the ship/line that would fit our needs.
Barbara

If it is the online TA I have used before they told me they will not charge the $75.00pp fee if you transfer to another cruise (I wasn't clear if they meant a real "transfer" with the same cruiseline or just gave them some other booking). The only reason that it came up was because I was going to transfer to give them the commission on a Celebrity Cruise (I have no Personal Vacation Planner since whomever I spoke to at Celebrity to book left the company and I was told they couldn't give me a new one because of the commission - much better service with HAL!). Anyway, this came up because I couldn't see the point of paying a $12.00pp ($24.00 two persons) Agent fee (cheap inside cabin) to get $25.00 OBC and risk the $75.00pp cancelation fee....

[happy cruzer]

Yep, beware the booking fee and the cancellation fee.

My online TA agreed to waive the cancellation fee. However, she did not provide the waiver in writing. so now I am really hesitant to rebook with them. I often think salesmen will say and mean at the time just about anything to get the booking.

So now, I think I will just use the cruiseline directly unless the online TA is going to save me at least $100 to compensate for the hassle of the extra fee negotiation/worry. I always book inside cabins so usually the savings are minimum.

I think almost all online TAs charge cancellation fees.

Anyone have luck getting those fees waived at cancellation time??