$1 Deposit - Today Only! (Friday, April 27)

Thank you for posting about this. I have been in meetings all day and was not aware of the $1 deposit. I just booked a December 2019 cruise on the Zuiderdam. :)

I was able to book the $ deposit and ready set sail on the big box store site.

Is this available for short 3 day cruises?

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Is this available for short 3 day cruises?

 

 

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Not positive but it says under 16 days.

And I can even put it on courtesy hold so no need to pay the $1 CAD until May 2. Wow! :D:D

Ours were Canadian dollars too. What a deal.

Sandra

Is the total cruise balance due the same as usual? Or is that different with this $2.00 deposit?

It is on their web site so you can take advantage if you choose.

not any longer and it is only 8 PM pacific time.

NS sold out on cruise we wanted. We waitlisted for NS and deposit was $300 because we didn't book a cabin.

We have never really comprehended why a $1. deposit is such a big deal.

Why? Because we were able to cancel and rebook with the same rate, and we now have almost $1200.00 back in our pocket for the next year.

Yes, but you are able to do this with the standard deposit. We have had our cabin re-priced a few times on various cruise lines. Never an issue. So from our perspective the only slight value is the cost of money on the deposit from the time of booking to the final payment.

If we are taking the cruise we are going to pay. Makes no matter to us whether the deposit is $1. or $500. It has no impact on our ability to re-fare.

They only time we would buy an non refundable is a buy made inside the final payment window.

Is there something fundamental in this offering that we are overlooking?

. Makes no matter to us whether the deposit is $1. or $500. It has no impact on our ability to re-fare.

 

 

Is there something fundamental in this offering that we are overlooking?

Why would you want to put $500 down when you can get the same thing for only $1 especially when $1 is fully refundable? It's a no risk option on the cheap.

Is there something fundamental in this offering that we are overlooking?

No. It is a promotion, an incentive, something called marketing to try to attract people (like me) to consider making a booking. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it works to novices customers, sometimes it works to sophisticated customers.

We could care less about putting down $500. Typically, we are about 98 percent certain when we book a cruise. Plus, we are confident that there will never be an issue with obtaining a deposit refund should we cancel prior to the final payment window.

I suspect that a promotion like this could be used to book several cruises with the intention of only selecting the most attractive one from a pricing perspective prior to final payment. We do not do this. If anything, we just follow the pricing and book the best

value to us inside the final payment window.

Got the email and booked a 10 day southern caribbean on the Koningsdam

We could care less about putting down $500. Typically, we are about 98 percent certain when we book a cruise. Plus, we are confident that there will never be an issue with obtaining a deposit refund should we cancel prior to the final payment window.

 

I suspect that a promotion like this could be used to book several cruises with the intention of only selecting the most attractive one from a pricing perspective prior to final payment. We do not do this. If anything, we just follow the pricing and book the best

value to us inside the final payment window.

Understood. From many of the posts you shared here I think everyone understand you point already.

Understood. From many of the posts you shared here I think everyone understand you point already.

...and you have to increase the deposit if you re-fare?

...and you have to increase the deposit if you re-fare?

I do not know. Maybe the more sophisticated posters here can chime in.

...and you have to increase the deposit if you re-fare?

Most likely if you re-fare you will need to post deposit in place at that time just as you can lose promo stuff when you re-fare . The $1 deposit was a one day offer.

Spoke to HAL yesterday late afternoon- evidently was a crazy day with phones on fire.

No. It is a promotion, an incentive, something called marketing to try to attract people (like me) to consider making a booking. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it works to novices customers, sometimes it works to sophisticated customers.

Exactly! Case in point-my husband & I are already booked for a Caribbean cruise next year. I told my son & daughter in law about the $1 deposit and they booked.

If I may put my 2 pennies worth, we actually like to spread the cost of the cruise... so if we put down a good deposit, then the balance is to pay 90 days prior; so this way we spread the cost of the cruise... for us, this works better...

Really do not understand this promotion and why people are booking with a $1 deposit. How much planning as actually gone into booking this cruise? I think there are a lot of impulse buyers out there!

Granted, you are depositing only $1 instead of maybe $700 or $800. You still have to pay the full amount eventually. If you cannot spare $700 or $800 for a few months, I would suggest you would be better off spending that $1 elsewhere. I would be quite interested in finding out how many folks who booked with $1 will actually go through and pay the full amount versus the number of folks who will cancel before final payment.

I Got the Email from our TA we used to book our first ever HAL cruise back in 2009, I felt a little guilty that I haven't given her any business since so a booked a 7 day on the Niew Standendam in Jan 2020 and we got the Casino Rate for a Signature Suite all for just $2 up front cost.

Didn't really care about the itinerary since we both feel we are finished with the Caribbean. We've been there twice already on cruises we won playing Cruise Bingo since we live on the West Coast we would rather seek the sun in Mexico or Hawaii.

We really just wanted to experience a Pinnacle Class ship.

TA said prices likely to come down since it's so far out and that it would be free to re-book.

Happy $1 cruising everyone.

-Paul

Really do not understand this promotion and why people are booking with a $1 deposit. How much planning as actually gone into booking this cruise? I think there are a lot of impulse buyers out there!

 

Granted, you are depositing only $1 instead of maybe $700 or $800. You still have to pay the full amount eventually. If you cannot spare $700 or $800 for a few months, I would suggest you would be better off spending that $1 elsewhere. I would be quite interested in finding out how many folks who booked with $1 will actually go through and pay the full amount versus the number of folks who will cancel before final payment.

Because it's just $1 today, and the final bill is due in the future, it's how the American Consumer Economy was built!