HAL's pricing policy

[Sue's Mom]

I am looking for a sensible explanation why HAL (and probably other cruise lines) charge non-US residents significantly more than they charge US residents for exactly the same cruise.

I do hope I have not opened a can of worms here and I am not looking for an argument. I just want an answer that stops me feeling that I am being discriminated against.

[kataiga]

It is not only Hal that charges us from Europe more, NCL also does.
We have also been wondering why.
We wanted to book our Hal transatlantic via a TA in the Us, that we have worked with for many years, but Hal wont let them handle bokkings from outside the Us.
This particular transatlantic cruise is so easy for us because it leaves us in our homeport a day before the last day,so we will leave ship one day early.
We can do some shopping in the Us and dont have extra air luggage costs to think of.
( spelling ? )

[1025cruise]

I believe it has something to do with the laws of the European companies regarding insurance, etc.

[doublebzz]

Originally Posted by Sue's Mom

I am looking for a sensible explanation why HAL (and probably other cruise lines) charge non-US residents significantly more than they charge US residents for exactly the same cruise.

I do hope I have not opened a can of worms here and I am not looking for an argument. I just want an answer that stops me feeling that I am being discriminated against.

Maybe it has something to do with taxes. That's the reason I can buy Australian wine 30% cheaper in the U.S. than Sydney.

[sail7seas]

Is your travel insurance included in the fare you are being quoted?
In U.S., if we want travel insurance (not mandatory here), we have to buy it separately. We can either buy cancellation coverage from HAL or from third party providers. If your insurance is included that would explain some difference. What about taxes? You may be paying taxes that we in U.S. are not....yet.

[Sue's Mom]

Originally Posted by sail7seas

Is your travel insurance included in the fare you are being quoted?
In U.S., if we want travel insurance (not mandatory here), we have to buy it separately. We can either buy cancellation coverage from HAL or from third party providers. If your insurance is included that would explain some difference. What about taxes? You may be paying taxes that we in U.S. are not....yet.

The cruise I was looking at was priced at $2789 or GB£2789, i.e. approximately one third more in GB£. To me that seems too much of a coincidence to be taxes etc.

[sail7seas]

I was just asking.......

Trying to be helpful. Sorry.

[Sue's Mom]

No need to apologise at all. It is me that is sorry. I did not mean any offence at all. You are a very helpful person and I have been glad of you comments and suggestions many times in the past.

[doublebzz]

Just for the heck of it, I priced Zuiderdam Panama Canal sailing 29 March and the lowest price I found was $2,213 for an inside cabin for 2. I then checked a U.K. cruise agent site and the total priced listed for the same cabin was 1,455.40 pounds or $2,293 in U.S. dollars. When you are checking the U.S. prices, maybe you are checking the base price without adding the port charges and taxes. For instance, this cruise in the U.S. is being advertised as $799 per person however the charges/taxes add another $307 per person for a total of $1,106+ per person.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Originally Posted by doublebzz

Just for the heck of it, I priced Zuiderdam Panama Canal sailing 29 March and the lowest price I found was $2,213 for an inside cabin for 2. I then checked a U.K. cruise agent site and the total priced listed for the same cabin was 1,455.40 pounds or $2,293 in U.S. dollars. When you are checking the U.S. prices, maybe you are checking the base price without adding the port charges and taxes. For instance, this cruise in the U.S. is being advertised as $799 per person however the charges/taxes add another $307 per person for a total of $1,106+ per person.

I have run across this on several occasions that people in the UK and Europe and Australia for that matter are receiving quotes that include all Port Fees and Taxes and in some cases Travel Insurance. When they look at US pricing it appears to them our pricing is considerably less where in fact the prices does not include the government taxes and travel insurance. While depending on the exchange rate it often is close to the same price.

[iancal]

I think they do it because they can. They charge what the market will bear.

Aussies have the same issue.

[Sue's Mom]

I can actually make a known comparison between prices in the US and in the UK, although I would like to stress that this is not with HAL. Our upcoming cruise leaves Florida on Feb 17. We used a US TA to book the cruise and used a credit card for payment. We elected to pay for gratuities at the outset and and on January 7 the credit card was debited with UK£457 (per person). The cruise line's website for the UK for the same cruise (same cabin type) was showing at UK£647 plus taxes and fees etc per person and this did not include gratuities. So that is nearly UK£200 per person more already, (approx US$300). But at least this cruise line has not (yet) shut it's doors to non-US residents booking through a US TA and we are more than happy with the bargain that we got! Happy, happy, happy.

I hope that all makes sense!

[doublebzz]

Originally Posted by Sue's Mom

I hope that all makes sense!

It really doesn't make sense that U.K. citizens should pay substantially more than U.S. citizens for the same cruise unless you are still paying reparations for our War of Independence.

[Globaliser]

Originally Posted by Sue's Mom

I just want an answer that stops me feeling that I am being discriminated against.

Basically, we are.

In some cases, as LAFFNVEGAS says, the difference is not as great as it appears.

In some cases, a cruise that's aimed specifically at the UK market will be cheaper when bought in the UK. I've taken Princess cruises where this has happened, on board their UK-market ships.

And there is justification for a slightly price for the UK market because there is a higher level of consumer protection here which has to be paid for, plus the costs of doing business are different. I think that's fair enough.

However, on many occasions the difference in price is just far too high to be capable of being explained by such factors. When you couple that with some cruise lines' prohibition on you booking in a different market (ie UK residents who are not US citizens not being allowed to book through a US travel agent), there is no other conclusion than that this is straight discrimination. I wouldn't complain if we always had the choice to book through a US agent if we wanted to accept the lower consumer protection etc in exchange for the lower price - some cruise lines will allow this (I thought NCL did, but that may have changed). But when we are prevented from doing so and made to pay the higher price, I will take my business elsewhere.

One of the other forms of discrimination you see is cruises not being made available to the UK market until long after they have gone on sale in the US. There's an entire season of NCL cruises that's like that at the moment. I can see all the details via an online travel agent in the US, but the NCL UK website pretends that these cruises don't exist. Again, this wouldn't matter if you can choose to book through a US agent to get access to these cruises. But the cruise lines that prevent you doing that are discriminating - there is no other way to describe it.

[Johanna7]

Canadians can either book with agencies in Canada and the US. Whiile the prices of the cruises are similar, the insurance is not. It is much more expensive in Canada and it has age restrictions. 55 and up, more, 60 & up more,65 & up even more, 70 a lot more and you have to fill in a form declaring all your previous conditions. You may or may not even get insurance then.

In the US it is very much cheaper and previous conditions are covered if you pay when you book the cruise. That is why a lot of more senior people in Canada book with US agencies and some are much more generous with shipboard credit and other perks. Pre-existing conditions.