Price Drop or Not!!

We are taking a Transatlantic on the NA in Oct. 2014

Price Drop here on Cruise Critic last Friday advised of a 17% drop in fare for our 13 day cruise.

Our TA called HAL for us.

Yes our fare went down $200 a person for this relaxing sojourn...but...if we took the price reduction we would forfeit the $50 a day each drink package...sigh...decisions, decisions

bobpell

I had a similar decision on an upcoming cruise. It was a 7 day b2b and the price dropped 100 pp. We did not take the lower price since we typically drink about 100 per 7 days. The explore 4 also has the PG dinner and you can get bottled water or coffees. That said when the 14 day version opened up I took the 800 savings and left explore 4 behind.

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I had a similar decision on an upcoming cruise. It was a 7 day b2b and the price dropped 100 pp. We did not take the lower price since we typically drink about 100 per 7 days. The explore 4 also has the PG dinner and you can get bottled water or coffees. That said when the 14 day version opened up I took the 800 savings and left explore 4 behind.

 

 

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I did the same on a 24 day Med cruise. I travel solo, and the EX4 simply was not worth it to me, given the dreaded SS.

Interesting how cruise lines are trying to hook passengers with these packages. We never buy them, don't feel they are worth it any way. Realizing they tie up price drops, we not regret not doing so. We are leaving on a TA in two weeks, have a VB cabin for 14 day cruise on NA for about $1700. We saved about $800 each off the original price, we always book early so we get the cabin we want and then look for a price drop.

When I took a price drop of $500/person it became an easy decision on a 7 day cruise. My suggestion is to calculate what you think you would spend on drinks and if you want the free dinner, if the price you come up with is less than the price drop them go for it. I counted in 1 latte, 4 sodas and two drinks per day and decided that 200 was about the break even point for me.

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When I took a price drop of $500/person it became an easy decision on a 7 day cruise. My suggestion is to calculate what you think you would spend on drinks and if you want the free dinner, if the price you come up with is less than the price drop them go for it. I counted in 1 latte, 4 sodas and two drinks per day and decided that 200 was about the break even point for me.

 

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That's the smart way to make the calculation.

Thanks everyone for breaking down our drink expectations and the free dinner

The cruise can't come fast enough

bobpell

We are leaving on a TA in two weeks, have a VB cabin for 14 day cruise on NA for about $1700. We saved about $800 each off the original price, we always book early so we get the cabin we want and then look for a price drop.

So how do you keep the cabin you want and still get a get a price drop ???

Thanks in advance

Joy

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Is it up to your Travel Agent to monitor these things and provide you with the opportunity for reduced pricing on booked tickets? I wouldn't think that HAL would make reduced pricing offers directly to passengers who are already booked at a higher price.

Is it up to your Travel Agent to monitor these things and provide you with the opportunity for reduced pricing on booked tickets? I wouldn't think that HAL would make reduced pricing offers directly to passengers who are already booked at a higher price.

Our TA looks for price drops and so do we. The TA watches notifications and trends, and we watch CC and check prices on the HAL site. It works.

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So how do you keep the cabin you want and still get a get a price drop ???

 

 

 

Thanks in advance

 

Joy

 

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In our case, our TA does it for us. I don't know how to do it if you book directly.

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I use a website that tracks all current cruise prices. They'll even send me an email alert if it drops below my current price. That's how I got $1000 and a $150 OBC at the beginning of the year. I immediately called HAL and they gave me the new pricing and package.

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I use a website that tracks all current cruise prices. They'll even send me an email alert if it drops below my current price. That's how I got $1000 and a $150 OBC at the beginning of the year. I immediately called HAL and they gave me the new pricing and package.

Are you at liberty to disclose that site? thanks, M

Is it up to your Travel Agent to monitor these things and provide you with the opportunity for reduced pricing on booked tickets? I wouldn't think that HAL would make reduced pricing offers directly to passengers who are already booked at a higher price.

You can take the chance and leave it up to your TA. If she/he has lots of spare time and few clients, this might work, but you will never know if you don't do it yourself.

The HAL website has all the current pricing, specials, Flash Sales. Pretty easy to look it up!

I use a website that tracks all current cruise prices. They'll even send me an email alert if it drops below my current price. That's how I got $1000 and a $150 OBC at the beginning of the year. I immediately called HAL and they gave me the new pricing and package.

 

Are you at liberty to disclose that site? thanks, M

No, she cannot. Please see our posting guidelines for details.

No, she cannot. Please see our posting guidelines for details.

Crazy Stuff Walt

Wont help your readers find better prices

Then of course there seems to be censorship on this site also.

Joy

You can take the chance and leave it up to your TA. If she/he has lots of spare time and few clients, this might work, but you will never know if you don't do it yourself.

 

The HAL website has all the current pricing, specials, Flash Sales. Pretty easy to look it up!

Basically what I was trying to determine is if HAL routinely offered booked passengers the opportunity to receive a lower price for their cabin selection if the price was to drop? Or, does a booked passenger have to monitor the pricing on a daily basis and then request that lower pricing directly from HAL?My TA, which happens to be a huge on-line outfit, stated that he would monitor things and advise me if they change in my favor. He's also monitoring upsells for me. Since I am booked through a TA will HAL make me go through that TA instead of going directly to HAL?

Basically what I was trying to determine is if HAL routinely offered booked passengers the opportunity to receive a lower price for their cabin selection if the price was to drop? Or, does a booked passenger have to monitor the pricing on a daily basis and then request that lower pricing directly from HAL?My TA, which happens to be a huge on-line outfit, stated that he would monitor things and advise me if they change in my favor. He's also monitoring upsells for me. Since I am booked through a TA will HAL make me go through that TA instead of going directly to HAL?

A booked passenger has to monitor the pricing and when he sees the exact category (M, G, VE, SY, etc) lower that what he paid, he has to have his TA call HAL and and "refare" the cruise. This is before Final payment.

After Final Payment HAL has to do nothing for you, but often they will give you an upgraded category (eg you book an H, they might upgrade you to an E if that is at a pricing similar to what you paid for the H).

It is so easy to look at the HAL site and see for yourself what the pricing is. I never, ever leave it to my TA to do this.

HAL will make you go through the TA for virtually anything to do with your cruise.

Crazy Stuff Walt

 

Wont help your readers find better prices

...

Joy

Au contrere mon ami.

Check this Cruise Critic link:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/bargains/?src=nav

Au contrere mon ami.

 

Check this Cruise Critic link:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/bargains/?src=nav

That isn't even close to what the other site does though. That's a page to find and purchase cruises and not to monitor the current price for all categories on a specific cruise all on one page.

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That isn't even close to what the other site does though. That's a page to find and purchase cruises and not to monitor the current price for all categories on a specific cruise all on one page.

 

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Suggest you go back and check the link again. You can find your cruise by cruise line, destination and date of travel and you'll get a complete list of all available fares by category.

It has been used by members to discuss fare adjustments with their travel agents and/or cruise lines. It does not provide the actual prices of sold out categories but I'm not sure how that is very useful.

Suggest you go back and check the link again. You can find your cruise by cruise line, destination and date of travel and you'll get a complete list of all available fares by category.

 

It has been used by members to discuss fare adjustments with their travel agents and/or cruise lines. It does not provide the actual prices of sold out categories but I'm not sure what that is very useful.

When I'm able to get to a PC I'll take another look. It wasn't obvious from my phone but maybe I missed something. I used the search on the page from the link you posted and it took me to travel sites.

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i did some digging and I found a different link than what was posted, http://www.cruisecritic.com/price-drop/ is this what you were referring to Walt?

The only problem is it won't tell me when the price drops below what I paid for the cruise (which is less than the current prices) and it looks like it will only notify you on Fridays. If a price only drops for 1or 2 days you can miss it. It won't show me any pricing currently for my cruise since it hasn't detected a price drop in a long while.

But it is better than nothing.

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i did some digging and I found a different link than what was posted, http://www.cruisecritic.com/price-drop/ is this what you were referring to Walt?

 

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Yes. Both links are useful but the one you posted is best for the objective. Thanks for posting the link.

Regarding your TA checking prices on an on-going basis: I asked ours at one point, and she said she was too busy to do that...and I believe she is. So for the last couple years (once I became aware that there were often price drops!), I monitor it and have realized some significant savings.