Jump to content

HAL website wants payment in full 8 months early??


atexsix
 Share

Recommended Posts

Is this because the cruise is popular? I tried booking it twice and came up with this dreaded "full payment is due at this time" on both attempts. It's too bad because I really liked the itinerary.

 

I've never seen this before and wondering how common it is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a new "promotion" that HAL has. Seas the Day.

 

It will be on only a short time.

 

If you want to not wait, give HAL, your PCC or TA a call and see if there is other pricing without payment in full. There should be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is this because the cruise is popular? I tried booking it twice and came up with this dreaded "full payment is due at this time" on both attempts. It's too bad because I really liked the itinerary.

 

I've never seen this before and wondering how common it is.

Call them or contact your TA. I believe HAL website only defaults to show you the best possible price deal and doesn't show other pricing option online. And in most cases the best possible price is the non-refundable full fare.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is this because the cruise is popular? I tried booking it twice and came up with this dreaded "full payment is due at this time" on both attempts. It's too bad because I really liked the itinerary.

 

I've never seen this before and wondering how common it is.

 

I had a cruise booked with FCD as refundable deposit. looked at the sailing on website, saw better price, called TA about it. Was told it is nonrefundable pricing fare, but I only have $200 FCD invested, and really want this itinerary (credit card has travel insurance).

 

Went to look at it again, while TA was finaliIng - and I saw the disclaimer about payment in full at time of booking,

 

Panicked! emailed TA i mediately and said NO WAY, according to my correspondence only non refundable DEPOSIT was OK.

 

Upshot is that I rebooked at a significantly lower price at non refundable deposit fare, do not need to pay in full. Still scratching my head about that underlined portion stating limited time offer - when you click on it, says full payment at time of booking . I got same pricing for just NON refundable DEPOSIT.

 

Maybe the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing - but I see my booking on HAL website and apparently all is fine,

 

My advice : double check this with PCC, calling HAL or your TA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great, thanks.

 

I checked again this morning and it was still wanting full, but it seemed hugely discounted. I emailed our PCC as instructed because I don't mind a higher fare or a nonrefundable deposit. Will call customer service if she doesn't get back today, the spacious insides on the Eurodam are filling up so I want to get this done fast.

 

It's the 9/29 Hawaii sailing from Seattle to Vancouver, we're currently booked out of San Diego but this will be better.

 

Thanks for responses.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We do think this is an area where a good cruise agent/agency can give guidance. PCC's work for the cruise line and basically follow the script. But independent cruise agents work for you (the cruiser) and can often give you "words of wisdom." So, what is the main risk of making a full payment early? Consider what happens if HAL later substantially reduces the price of your cruise....or markets it with a promotion such as a drink package. In nearly all cases when you pay with a non-refundable full payment (or a non-refundable deposit)...HAL will tell you that you cannot "reprice" the cruise at the new lower fare. To put it bluntly, doing non-refundable bookings (either deposits or full payment) are a gamble where you are gambling that the price of the cruise will not later decrease.

 

Not all cruise lines do this the way its done at HAL. Some other lines will effectively guarantee that a non-refundable fare is the lowest fare....and if they later do lower the fare you will be able to get an adjustment. But HAL is not that nice :(.

 

Hank

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Call them or contact your TA. I believe HAL website only defaults to show you the best possible price deal and doesn't show other pricing option online. And in most cases the best possible price is the non-refundable full fare.

 

Just like airlines and hotel offer no-refund price breaks. You don't have to book them if you don't want to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't understand this either....

 

I don't know whether one would come out better trying to run down a regular, more refundable fare...

Or, just book their HAL basic insurance policy???? Tried 'chat' and it is not up and working right now?

 

I am a newbie to HAL.... Love Princess easy and cheap deposit and cancellations.

But, this itinerary is better than the new Princess Sky, as well as some features of the ship!!!

 

I can understand promotions and non-refundable deposits, but entire pre-payment, several thousand dollars, NON-refundable, for months or even over a year in advance???? This is just crazy.

 

We are looking at the Nieuw Statendam, over a year from now.

Part of cruising, getting the cabin you want, etc. is planning far in advance.

There are no guarantees that what you are interested in is what will happen over a year from now.

This, IMHO, is just not good business.

 

I don't know if our RA is as much of a HAL specialist as she is with Princess... But we might give her a call.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't understand this either....

 

I don't know whether one would come out better trying to run down a regular, more refundable fare...

Or, just book their HAL basic insurance policy???? Tried 'chat' and it is not up and working right now?

 

I am a newbie to HAL.... Love Princess easy and cheap deposit and cancellations.

But, this itinerary is better than the new Princess Sky, as well as some features of the ship!!!

 

I can understand promotions and non-refundable deposits, but entire pre-payment, several thousand dollars, NON-refundable, for months or even over a year in advance???? This is just crazy.

 

We are looking at the Nieuw Statendam, over a year from now.

Part of cruising, getting the cabin you want, etc. is planning far in advance.

There are no guarantees that what you are interested in is what will happen over a year from now.

This, IMHO, is just not good business.

 

I don't know if our RA is as much of a HAL specialist as she is with Princess... But we might give her a call.

 

This is an offer; not a mandate. You can take it or leave it. Just like hotels and airlines make similar no-refund price breaks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that I understand that....

 

But, no other options or offers seem to be shown... almost appears as a mandate.

Not good that one has to start chatting/calling/researching/enlisting a TA just to find out basic info and pricing.

 

If anyone knows how to pull up more non-refundable or NOT fully prepaid optoins, that would be helpful.

Edited by Wishing on a star
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just like airlines and hotel offer no-refund price breaks. You don't have to book them if you don't want to.

Agreed. I guess I wasn't making my point clearly. When booking airlines or hotels online, or even on CCL or RCI website, they usually show several price options for the same itinerary/cabin - sometime it can be a GTY fare, a non-refundable deposit fare and a refundable deposit fare. People can choose whichever option online to meet their respective preference. All I am saying is that on HAL website now it doesn't provide the different price fare options, which I believe can be inquired through calling a PCC or through a TA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

EXACTLY....

and, especially for newbies, that is an issue.

 

Also, I might take a short trip or book a flight days or weeks ahead.

MANY people book major cruises moths and over a year ahead.

Cancellation becomes a HUGE factor.

This should be taken into consideration, and not just throw a cheap quote out there.

 

Booking should be a well informed decision.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is an offer; not a mandate. You can take it or leave it. Just like hotels and airlines make similar no-refund price breaks.

 

 

Pretty soon they will be like airlines buy it pay in full and no refunds Only if you cancel and have cancel no reason insurance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agreed. I guess I wasn't making my point clearly. When booking airlines or hotels online, or even on CCL or RCI website, they usually show several price options for the same itinerary/cabin - sometime it can be a GTY fare, a non-refundable deposit fare and a refundable deposit fare. People can choose whichever option online to meet their respective preference. All I am saying is that on HAL website now it doesn't provide the different price fare options, which I believe can be inquired through calling a PCC or through a TA.

 

They could be testing the market - here is a cheap, "one keystroke and done" online fare. Otherwise, if you go through a paid or commissioned agent and extend your payments, it will cost you more.

 

They may harvest more ill-will than happy bargain hunters so it will be interesting to see how this plays out, or what the intent of this marketing ploy was intended to accomplish. We are getting a lot of "New Coke" from this new management.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty soon they will be like airlines buy it pay in full and no refunds Only if you cancel and have cancel no reason insurance.

 

Could be true!!!!

 

Right now it is going to take a very significant amount of effort to find out what the non-refundable rates are, and what the costs of cancel for any reason insurance would be... etc... etc....

 

Very difficult to see the different bottom lines, and to make an informed decision.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"cheap" fare? on a 51 day cruise using the non refundable fare I would save $250 pp 18 months out?!?! I don't call that a cheap fare! And also in my case there was no other opinion.... Just craziness. I called HAL and that is how I found out the "discount" for a cruise 18 mo. away was $250.00. I just wish HAL would stop all their "sale" BS and just list the price for the cabins on the website. I get sick of checking to see if the sale is over so I can book at the "real" price!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Could be true!!!!

 

Right now it is going to take a very significant amount of effort to find out what the non-refundable rates are, and what the costs of cancel for any reason insurance would be... etc... etc....

 

Very difficult to see the different bottom lines, and to make an informed decision.

I keep saying it and I am not a travel agent ... A good and reliable travel agent will do all of this for you and present you with all options in a clear manner for you to make that decision.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"cheap" fare? on a 51 day cruise using the non refundable fare I would save $250 pp 18 months out?!?! I don't call that a cheap fare! And also in my case there was no other opinion.... Just craziness. I called HAL and that is how I found out the "discount" for a cruise 18 mo. away was $250.00. I just wish HAL would stop all their "sale" BS and just list the price for the cabins on the website. I get sick of checking to see if the sale is over so I can book at the "real" price!

 

So HAL may learn this was an unproductive marketing ploy. Just like the "O" stuff. Like I say, we are getting a lot of "New Coke" stuff lately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They could be testing the market - here is a cheap, "one keystroke and done" online fare. Otherwise, if you go through a paid or commissioned agent and extend your payments, it will cost you more.

 

They may harvest more ill-will than happy bargain hunters so it will be interesting to see how this plays out, or what the intent of this marketing ploy was intended to accomplish. We are getting a lot of "New Coke" from this new management.

 

You could be right. I am always bad at speculating things. All I can see here is that HAL offers another fare option in additional to several other sale/fare going on right now. Meanwhile, the default setup of HAL's own online booking is to only display the lowest possible fare at the point of the cruise search, and it returns the non-refundable full fare 99% of the time, regardless of how far in advance the sail date is. IMO, for people inquiring about a cruise as far advance as Nov 2019 or even May 2020, and that the one and only fare option available online is a non-refundable full fare, just doesn't seem to be the cruiseline's intention to begin with. But hey, what am I supposed to know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just booked a cruise like many of you stated when I got to the payment stage it only gave me option of full payment but not a deposit payment amount. I picked the option below that can't remember exactly what they called it. It was an option to basically hold the cabin for you. I got a confirmation e-mail about the booking and went back to the site and signed in. I went to my Reservations and it showed the cruise I had booked. I went to the make a payment screen and it then offered me option for a small deposit with the rest due 75 days before cruise sets sail.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"cheap" fare? on a 51 day cruise using the non refundable fare I would save $250 pp 18 months out?!?! I don't call that a cheap fare! And also in my case there was no other opinion.... Just craziness. I called HAL and that is how I found out the "discount" for a cruise 18 mo. away was $250.00. I just wish HAL would stop all their "sale" BS and just list the price for the cabins on the website. I get sick of checking to see if the sale is over so I can book at the "real" price!

 

Agree with the above.

 

We booked a March 18, 2020 cruise on March 3, 2018 and after reading all the threads about the non-refundable this & that and payment in full, I still don't understand what's what. We were offered a $200 pp discount if we did the non-refundable fare/payment in full. We declined even though we purchased the platinum insurance.

 

We were really surprised to get $265 pp off the cruise fare because of some kind of casino play. Never heard of this and we're not high rollers, unless it's based on time spent vs. amount spent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

...

 

To put it bluntly, doing non-refundable bookings (either deposits or full payment) are a gamble where you are gambling that the price of the cruise will not later decrease.

 

 

...

 

Hank

 

It is not so much a "gamble" --- rather it is insurance against a fare increase --- on a cabin on an itinerary that struck you as a good deal at the time.

 

No one forces you to take it: in most cases it is a deal where they give you a reduction in the current fare: they are giving up REAL DOLLARS: some of the price, in exchange for you giving up the possibility of taking advantage of a fare decrease --- which might not happen.

 

On some itineraries, it might be part of any booking. The line does not want a lot of "maybes" - they are offering a particular itinerary, which they think a lot of people will want. If you want to be SURE of availability, you pay for that certainty: the cost to you is giving up the chance of saving some money if prices drop.

 

Anyone who pays for insurance against any risk - or who makes an investment decision and buys stock or fixed interest bonds accepts exactly that sort of deal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...