Question about fares....

I booked a cruise through my PCC and although I knew an online site was cheaper, the pre-paid grats made up the difference.

I booked with a FCD so only paid $100 deposit for the kids. Now, the online site has a suite available for only $500 more than I paid for an inside. I would like to get that suite but their deposit is non-refundable of $350. Not a big deal as I am definitely going on that cruise.

My question, will HA match that price? If not and I transfer the booking, will I loose the pre-paid grats, how will it work with the FCD I used?

I've ever been in a situation where there was this big of a disparity. My preference is the keep it with HA but for a suite, at that price, I'm open to enticement.....

FYI, I have emailed HAL but no response as yet,

Why don't you simply call your PCC and ask? Oherwise you may run the clock and no longer have that option.

The suite price may be time sensitive. If you really want this suite act quickly before the price goes away or the cat is sold.

In our experience it is not unusual for a TA to have better pricing than the cruise line, sometimes significantly better. Why pay more for exactly the same product?

Why don't you simply call your PCC and ask? Oherwise you may run the clock and no longer have that option.

 

The suite price may be time sensitive. If you really want this suite act quickly before the price goes away or the cat is sold.

I left a message and sent an email. No reply. I called the online site and put that cabin on hold this morning. He said he will be able to answer the question tomorrow after the HAL main office opens. I was hoping someone on the board knew the answer to the question.

You're covered.

My guess is that HAL will not match the price. That seems to be the way of most cruise lines. We do not even bother with booking cruise line direct any more. We get better pricing and better service from our on line TA. Plus more unbiased information.

If your PCC is not available you can just talk to the regular ressie staff. They have all your details and may have an answer for you or at least more info. Other than that, sounds like you have done what you can do for the moment and now must twiddle your thumbs. I hate waiting but at least you have the hold on that suite. And read all the fine print. Non-refundable is one of those words that makes me extra cautious. :eek::eek:

My PCC works Sunday-Thursday and works in conjunction with another PCC who responds on the days he's not there. Can you call the regular line and talk to a PCC who works on a Sunday?

My PCC works Sunday-Thursday and works in conjunction with another PCC who responds on the days he's not there. Can you call the regular line and talk to a PCC who works on a Sunday?

Thats a good idea and should work. My brother did the exact same thing yesterday (on a Sat.) to book a special deal on a cruise.

Be sure to learn what cabin number the other option is offering you. Have a deck plan ready so you can see right away whether this might not be a preferable "upgrade" or not? Look what is above and below you and scan any the online cabin reviews you can find for the ship you are looking at.

I personally would never take a "suite" (verandah" cabin) directly over the Ocean Bar on an S class ship, no matter how much cheaper it was. Different ships will have different good and poor choices. But a night-owl may find nothing wrong with that very same cabin, that I would reject out of hand. Not everything is equal when offered a bargain price.

We always want a cabin that has cabins above and below (ie not public areas and especially not dining areas) as well as one that is not accessed by a door from another cabin.

And not all "suite" balconies are created equal if that is a big deal to you. Deck 5 on Signature ships has much more shallow balconies for the midship SS cabins than deck 6 (a couple of SS cabin balconies on deck 5 also might have some privacy issues due to the midship glass elevator, not positive about that but definitely something to check into). The deck 5 SY's full forward on Signature and Vista ships might also be an issue as well.

It's a deck 7 corner aft. I'm actually ok with that location because I get up early and the moving of the deck chairs above, on the retreat deck, will wake my kids, hopefully.

Just as an update

I was able to move my booking to the online agency. I not only got to keep my free gratuities and the $50 FCD but I got an additional $300 obo for booking a suite plus the online agency gave me $50 obc and the suite was priced $1700 below the HAL quote.

So, I went from an inside cat. N to a B vista suite for $450 more and got $400 in OBC. It was a no brainer.

Hopefully, I can work some of that magic when the explore 4 comes out.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Just as an update

I was able to move my booking to the online agency. I not only got to keep my free gratuities and the $50 FCD but I got an additional $300 obo for booking a suite plus the online agency gave me $50 obc and the suite was priced $1700 below the HAL quote.

So, I went from an inside cat. N to a B vista suite for $450 more and got $400 in OBC. It was a no brainer.

Hopefully, I can work some of that magic when the explore 4 comes out.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Sounds like a great deal to me. Well done :)

If it was a non refundable booking (which I think you stated earlier), I doubt you will be able to do anymore with your booking without losing the deposit, but, you have scored a good deal :)

Just as an update

I was able to move my booking to the online agency. I not only got to keep my free gratuities and the $50 FCD but I got an additional $300 obo for booking a suite plus the online agency gave me $50 obc and the suite was priced $1700 below the HAL quote.

So, I went from an inside cat. N to a B vista suite for $450 more and got $400 in OBC. It was a no brainer.

Hopefully, I can work some of that magic when the explore 4 comes out.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Good for you!

Enjoy your cruise.

Just as an update

I was able to move my booking to the online agency. I not only got to keep my free gratuities and the $50 FCD but I got an additional $300 obo for booking a suite plus the online agency gave me $50 obc and the suite was priced $1700 below the HAL quote.

So, I went from an inside cat. N to a B vista suite for $450 more and got $400 in OBC. It was a no brainer.

Hopefully, I can work some of that magic when the explore 4 comes out.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Now you understand why so many of us prefer to use TA rather than book direct or through a PCC.

Good for you.

This is exactly why we never book with the cruise line and why we always shop around. From our perspective cruise fares are commodity products. Just like buying gasoline. Why pay more or get less?

Good for you.

 

This is exactly why we never book with the cruise line and why we always shop around. From our perspective cruise fares are commodity products. Just like buying gasoline. Why pay more or get less?

We often book on the ship and which has it end up with our TA. The FCD has some much good information available. Possibly little known fact is that they have access to the exact size of any room on a ship.

Cheers,

Sounds like a great deal to me. Well done :)

 

If it was a non refundable booking (which I think you stated earlier), I doubt you will be able to do anymore with your booking without losing the deposit, but, you have scored a good deal :)

Actually, I did not have to give an additional deposit beyond the FCD and the $100 I paid HAL for my kids, which is refundable So, I am still hoping for the explore four....

Honestly, I am amazed at the disparity between HAL and the online broker. IMO, HAL should always be cheaper. Like a hotel saying we will beat any online price. I really don't understand and I am a fairly savvy cruiser. 3 star on HAL and other lines.

Actually, I did not have to give an additional deposit beyond the FCD and the $100 I paid HAL for my kids, which is refundable So, I am still hoping for the explore four....

 

Honestly, I am amazed at the disparity between HAL and the online broker. IMO, HAL should always be cheaper. Like a hotel saying we will beat any online price. I really don't understand and I am a fairly savvy cruiser. 3 star on HAL and other lines.

What a great thread and fantastic results. How exciting. I understand explore4 begins this month, we had it on our Alaska cruise in May. We have already booked for a November cruise, sure hope we can get the exlore4

 

Honestly, I am amazed at the disparity between HAL and the online broker. IMO, HAL should always be cheaper. Like a hotel saying we will beat any online price. I really don't understand and I am a fairly savvy cruiser. 3 star on HAL and other lines.

Many of us have been reporting that TA are 8-10% cheaper than booking direct with the cruise line. Many posters have been denying these reports. But, aren't you glad you discovered this disparity? Now you can save on your cruises too.

BTW, there's no reason HAL should be cheaper. The TA is discounting/rebating a percentage of the booking commission. HAL pockets that booking commission. That is why a TA should be cheaper than direct booking.

What a great thread and fantastic results. How exciting. I understand explore4 begins this month, we had it on our Alaska cruise in May. We have already booked for a November cruise, sure hope we can get the exlore4

Little known fact. You can book HAL cruises with and without $xplore4. $xplore4 perks are not free but are included in the price. Be sure and ask about the price of the cruise with and without $xplore4. You may find $xplore4 isn't worth the additional cost. (sometimes there isn't a big difference in price, but it pays to ask)

Many of us have been reporting that TA are 8-10% cheaper than booking direct with the cruise line. Many posters have been denying these reports.

I wouldn’t say that posters are denying these reports. I absolutely believe that people are seeing these discounts. Where it gets muddy is when posters have to allude to how they go about getting them, rather than stating plain fact, with the rest of us left to fit the pieces of the puzzle together to interpret what they’re saying. I tend to ponder a few moments then quickly move on to shinier things. I have a short attention span. ;p

I wouldn’t say that posters are denying these reports. I absolutely believe that people are seeing these discounts. Where it gets muddy is when posters have to allude to how they go about getting them, rather than stating plain fact, with the rest of us left to fit the pieces of the puzzle together to interpret what they’re saying. I tend to ponder a few moments then quickly move on to shinier things. I have a short attention span. ;p

Well, actually there are some who flat deny that we are seeing these discounts. They say that there are no TA that give discounts. They say we're confusing different categories. We are not.

I wish we could come right out and share these TA but the forum guidelines are very explicit. But it shouldn't be hard to figure out who these TA are. Some of the hints are very explicit.

We could care less what other people think or what they believe about the discounts offered by some TA's.

We will simply keep on enjoying those discounts. Cruises are commodities for many of us. I have no doubt that a HAL PCC is a very pleasant and well meaning individual. But so is my on line TA.

When we save 8-10 percent on an identical cabin, identical class etc. it translates into one free cruise for every 10-12 that we take.

The are some people who believe that the more they spend, the better the product. Makes them feel good. We are not in that space. Nor do we believe the nonsense that we have more 'control' over our booking. It just is not so.

We could care less what other people think or what they believe about the discounts offered by some TA's.

 

We will simply keep on enjoying those discounts. Cruises are commodities for many of us. I have no doubt that a HAL PCC is a very pleasant and well meaning individual. But so is my on line TA.

 

When we save 8-10 percent on an identical cabin, identical class etc. it translates into one free cruise for every 10-12 that we take.

 

The are some people who believe that the more they spend, the better the product. Makes them feel good. We are not in that space. Nor do we believe the nonsense that we have more 'control' over our booking. It just is not so.

The difference for me:

HAL price $4700

TA price $2972

That's a big enough difference for me.