CAUTION: Do Not Book a Non-refundable fare with HAL!!!!!!!

Last year HAL started offering deals with non-refundable fares...which would get the booker a lower fare. NOT! What happens is that if and when HAL further reduces the fare (even well below what was booked with their non-refundable fare) they will not allow you to re-price the cruise. So what HAL has done is lock the customer into a higher fare. The only alternative is to cancel the booking, sacrifice the deposit, and then perhaps rebook (or maybe just forget it and look to a different cruise line).

So I will repeat my warning...do not make the mistake we made and get sucked into a non-refundable fare and think you are getting a good deal! You are likely getting screwed.....

Hank

Wow! Thanks for the warning.

Thanks for the warning. It is a bad deal. I hope they eliminate this way of booking. I would imagine there are many unhappy customers!

Not necessarily so! We booked a 22-day Koningsdam last year for this September using only 2 $300 Future Cruise Deposits on a non-refundable fare.

A few days after the sale, the cost of our Vista Suite rose by approx $7000.

When looking at the cost of that cruise today under this year's Seas the Day non-refundable fares, it is still approx $2000 more than we paid and we still have not paid final payment.

Moral of the story: Do your homework, consider the risks, and follow your instincts. What works for one cruiser may not work for the other.

What alternative definition of "Non-Refundable" would you hope to apply?

Of course there is a chance that prices might drop - but there must be SOME perceived advantage in booking the non-refundable fare in the first place or no one would consider it in the first place and the line would not offer it in the first place.

I’m not sure if you’re both describing the same offer. I was shopping for 2019 cruises yesterday, and when picking my room category saw an asterisk with the small print ‘special fare’, or something to that effect). When clicking on the link, it explained that this special price was non refundable and had to be paid in full at time of booking. I stayed away... I want that flexibility to reprice before a final payment date.

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Moral of the story: Do your homework, consider the risks, and follow your instincts. What works for one cruiser may not work for the other.

Wise words! Thanks Tax Man! :D

We booked a non refundable for substantially less than refundable. The price of our cruise just kept going up so we were glad we did. What works for one doesn’t always work for another.

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On another forum I belong to I remember reading this advice, which I’ve always stuck to:

Whenever you book a holiday, hotel, flight, cruise etc, if it’s a deal and price you’re happy with, and it’s non-refundable, don’t look back. Prices fluctuate and can just as easily go up as down, in fact both will probably happen. If you’re going to be unhappy because prices drop then maybe you’re better booking flexible rates.

Cruise lines, airlines, hotels all apply different algorithms when calculating pricing in order to shift with the market. Very often non-refundable rates require immediate full payment. On the rare occasions that a deposit is taken with deferred payment, the deadlines for final payment are shorter than normal.

If you’ve been offered a lower rate, there’s no obligation for the vendor to guarantee it’s the lowest rate. They know there are people with varying price thresholds, so they discount and mark up to attract all customers.

It’s good business. Don’t like it, don’t buy. Simple really.

Thank you for the warning.

We would never consider booking a cruise unless we had refundable deposits.

I’m not sure if you’re both describing the same offer. I was shopping for 2019 cruises yesterday, and when picking my room category saw an asterisk with the small print ‘special fare’, or something to that effect). When clicking on the link, it explained that this special price was non refundable and had to be paid in full at time of booking. I stayed away... I want that flexibility to reprice before a final payment date.

 

 

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Crazy to link non refundable along with FULL payment and for a more than 12 months in advance. The deposit and full payment are two different things.

I guess HAL doesn't want to handle non refundable DEPOSITS but it will handle FULL payment. Very odd. Me thinks it might be a partial charter. But no cruise line asks for full payment so far in advance. I like you walked away. Waiting for Disney to release their summer stuff next week.

Here’s the fine print on this Oct 2019 cruise:

Special Priced Promotion information ×

This is a special fare being offered for a limited time, with certain limitations that apply:

• Payment must be made in full at the time of booking.

• This specially priced promotion is 100% non-refundable from the point of payment unless you purchase one of our Cancellation Protection Plans at time of booking.

Holland America Line’s Cancellation Protection Plans can help protect your vacation investment from loss. The Standard and Platinum Cancellation Protection Plans are optional purchases. Payment is due at time of purchase. The plan cost is non-refundable.

So I guess it is refundable if I take the loss of money on the insurance policy, but I’m not hopeful they’d let me reprice as I’d already paid in full. If you picked the perfect room you might lose that too if you cancel and rebook. This fare has too many strings for being so far out.

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Crazy to link non refundable along with FULL payment and for a more than 12 months in advance. The deposit and full payment are two different things.

I guess HAL doesn't want to handle non refundable DEPOSITS but it will handle FULL payment. Very odd. Me thinks it might be a partial charter. But no cruise line asks for full payment so far in advance. I like you walked away. Waiting for Disney to release their summer stuff next week.

Interesting. I am looking at other river cruise lines as I really don't like the pay up front policy of Viking. Three months out like everything else works for me. Viking jumped the line in payment of our 2018 bookings and had me resolving not to be put in that position again. Any cruise line that starts requiring that will be on my Do Not Book list.

Here’s the fine print on this Oct 2019 cruise:

 

Special Priced Promotion information ×

This is a special fare being offered for a limited time, with certain limitations that apply:

• Payment must be made in full at the time of booking.

• This specially priced promotion is 100% non-refundable from the point of payment unless you purchase one of our Cancellation Protection Plans at time of booking.

 

Holland America Line’s Cancellation Protection Plans can help protect your vacation investment from loss. The Standard and Platinum Cancellation Protection Plans are optional purchases. Payment is due at time of purchase. The plan cost is non-refundable.

 

So I guess it is refundable if I take the loss of money on the insurance policy, but I’m not hopeful they’d let me reprice as I’d already paid in full. If you picked the perfect room you might lose that too if you cancel and rebook. This fare has too many strings for being so far out.

 

 

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I was told by my PCC that under these conditions it could not be re-fared or any promotions added. I declined and am staying where I am at with my October 2019 cruise(51 day Hawaii/SP).

Here’s the fine print on this Oct 2019 cruise:

 

Special Priced Promotion information ×

This is a special fare being offered for a limited time, with certain limitations that apply:

• Payment must be made in full at the time of booking.

• This specially priced promotion is 100% non-refundable from the point of payment unless you purchase one of our Cancellation Protection Plans at time of booking.

 

Holland America Line’s Cancellation Protection Plans can help protect your vacation investment from loss. The Standard and Platinum Cancellation Protection Plans are optional purchases. Payment is due at time of purchase. The plan cost is non-refundable.

 

So I guess it is refundable if I take the loss of money on the insurance policy, but I’m not hopeful they’d let me reprice as I’d already paid in full. If you picked the perfect room you might lose that too if you cancel and rebook. This fare has too many strings for being so far out.

 

 

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Yes, I saw the same thing on everything I checked yesterday and today. They aren't even talking about non-refundable deposit. This is non-refundable FULL PAYMENT, including anyone who are interested in something like a Panama Canal cruise in early 2020. Whomever responsible for IT at HAL should fix this soon, I hope. ...

This situation has been going on for a while with hal and it feels like there have been many threads about it. I'm surprised the op didn't hear of this before.

I’m not the OP, but also had not come across this before. I usually have booked a cruise already and then come to CC, checking on things about my destination or ship — the purchase is already behind me. I search for a lot of cruises and go through several steps to check final price after finding a room I could live with. This is the first time I’ve seen that type of “Special” for one I’ve looked at.

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We usually book within 90 days of cruising, so most of our cruises have been "nonrefundable". It has not been a problem.

igraf

I booked nonrefundable (formerly known as snap fare) back in October 2017 for a summer 2018 sailing. I had no more FCD's, snap fare required half the regular deposit. The price was approx $1500 less with snap fare. I grabbed it - figured I would only cancel due to illness/medical / family issue - and insurance on credit crd would cover that reimbursement.

Fast forward to Cyber Sale, price is still high, but with prepaid gratuities and beverage card. Still does not come close to my $1500 savings on nonrefundable deposit fare.

Now a month before final payment, the fare has come down : $44 less than I paid, but I believe it is under Seas the Day pricing, which also means non refundable deposit.

For this particular cruise non refundable deposit fare worked out OK for me, however I doubt I will be booking with this option again.

I have a cruise in 2019 which I booked during Cyber Sale, refundable deposit, prepaid grats and beverage card. The current Seas the Day offer for the cruise has quite a difference in savings in cruise fare , BUT when I figure in the perks, it only nets to $190 difference for the 2 of us. I can live with that, as I have possibility to reprice yet if better promos come up.

So, I will add some additional info. We are talking about non-refundable deposits (not full payments) generally done as a promo pretty far in advance. So, you are only out the deposit if you cancel. And that is all OK. If the price of the cruise were to increase (as some have mentioned) it would just be like any other booking in that you just keep the deal you booked. But the difference is when the price of the cruise you booked decreases (sometimes substantially). Not only does the non-refundable deposit mean you would lose your deposit if you cancel (that makes sense)....but it apparently means that if HAL later decides to offer a much better deal on your booked cruise...you cannot get your booking repriced at the new lower fare. If you had booked a regular refundable fare...getting the new lower price is not a problem. Bottom line is that we cannot think of a good reason to ever book a non-refundable deposit....because you are giving up future options (for lower prices or promos) for not much.

I should mention that those that talk about their cruise prices increasing....really have nothing to do with non-refundable fares. Anytime you book a cruise you are protected against price increases. But, you are also normally protected against price decreases because you can always have the cruise "repriced" or even cancel and rebook. But with a non-refundable you lose those options. Now that we understand that situation we cannot think of a single reason to book a non-refundable deposit.

Hank

I'm not a fan of the non-refundable deposit, but HAL is not alone in offering this choice as a booking option. I know that Carnival and RCL also have non-refundable deposits, and its up to each purchaser to determine which fare is the best for them. If one chooses the non-refundable deposit, then they should know that they are locked into the terms and conditions.

Now that we understand that situation we cannot think of a single reason to book a non-refundable deposit.

 

Hank

There may be a few isolated cases. I have long been looking to book something on Prinsendam. Since I cruise solo and don't particularly care about my cabin, I am usually after a good price with a low solo supplement. Prinsendam has a limited supply of cabins I would consider, and I've also noted that cabin costs (and solo supplements) tend to go up over time rather than down.

That said, it is still a risk for me -- I was booked on a Prinsendam cruise for this September but had to cancel it due to conflicts with work. Had it been a nonrefundable deposit, I would've lost it. However, I may still give it a try for the April 2019 P'dam cruise I've been looking at....

There are instances where booking a non-refundable fare is reasonably safe. In my case, I investigated the yearly cruise to Tahiti round trip from San Diego. This once a year cruise has sold out every year far in advance so I took the plunge and booked the non-refundable fare about 18 months out. Now that the cruise is still a year away the ship isjust about sold out as usual but the fare for my category has risen $2000. and the cabin locations remaining are very poor. I realize that this is a special case but always do your homework.

Great information.

Keith

I think this situation illustrates the advantage of a good PCC or TA.

When I booked my cruise, I was given full disclosure and was informed how much I could save with the non refundable deposit and, while there was a bit of a savings, it was made clear to me that there were no perks, no re-faring, etc.

I opted not to take it. And, in my case, it was the right decision as I saved $1500 on one segment when the promos changed.