"Special" fares after final payment - why lower than a guarantee?

[fann1sh]

There's a "special non-refundable fare" deal for Statendam October 12: $850 (NN guarantee) and $900 (N guarantee) per person for Statendam 14 day full Panama canal transit. It costs much more to book a standard NN guarantee - almost $1200.

 

My reliable Lower Prom J (specific cabin - one left) would be $1400.

 

Prices are from official HAL website, as is the terminology for the fare.

 

I find this all puzzling, since ANY "post final payment" booking would be non-refundable, without insurance.

 

Any comments from the savvy on the reason for the price spread?

 

Anyone here have experience with booking any similar "special" non-refundable fares? What were your results?

 

Anyone with speculations on why $50 more for N guarantee vis-a-vis the NN? I find paying extra tempting, in the hope the "cabin-assigning fairy" will bear this in mind?

 

Note: I've stopped believing in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Upgrade Fairy, as they apply to me, personally. :)

[Aruba]

Sounds to me like HAL is offering deep discounts to fill up a cruise that has not sold out. You won't be able to get a refund for the difference in price, but perhaps your TA could contact HAL for an upgrade to whatever category now comes close to the price that you paid.

[fann1sh]

Thanks, Aruba, but I'm not booked.

 

I'm surprised that for a *new booking* there's such a price spread, depending on which option I choose.

 

Why would the same NN or N guarantee bought right now be so different in price (depending on whether it's "special" or not)?

[Aruba]

sorry, I misread...assumed you had already booked and made final payment.

[jtl513]

I find this all puzzling, since ANY "post final payment" booking would be non-refundable, without insurance.

That's not true. There's a sliding scale of "cancellation fees", and what the CPP and CPPP actually cover (when you buy them) are the payment of those fees. Even without insurance you could get back some money. For example, on a Caribbean cruise you could cancel at 16 days out and get back 25%. The scale depends on the itinerary. See http://www.hollandamerica.com/pageByName/Content.action?requestPage=Cancellation

 

Then their site says "If you have purchased a specially priced promotion that is 100% non-refundable from the point of payment, you are not entitled to any refund, payment, compensation or credit whatsoever of your gross fare if you cancel your booking."

 

So they're giving a price break if you're willing to chance losing all your money right from booking day onward.

[CtheW0rld]

Sounds to me like HAL is offering deep discounts to fill up a cruise that has not sold out....

 

there's your answer. it happens frequently.

[Cruising Ham]

Anyone here have experience with booking any similar "special" non-refundable fares? What were your results?

 

This happened to us on our recent cruise. We'd originally booked an H category cabin for $1,299. After final payment, I noticed a "special, non-refundable" deal for a VH guarantee at the same price. I figured we were on the hook anyway, so I called the TA and we got the VH guarantee. Ended up getting assigned to a very nice VF cabin about 7 days before the cruise.

 

So for the price of an obstructed view cabin we got a very nice verandah cabin.

 

It pays to stay vigilant on rates.

[fann1sh]

That's not true. There's a sliding scale of "cancellation fees", and what the CPP and CPPP actually cover (when you buy them) are the payment of those fees. Even without insurance you could get back some money. For example, on a Caribbean cruise you could cancel at 16 days out and get back 25%. The scale depends on the itinerary. See http://www.hollandamerica.com/pageByName/Content.action?requestPage=Cancellation

 

Then their site says "If you have purchased a specially priced promotion that is 100% non-refundable from the point of payment, you are not entitled to any refund, payment, compensation or credit whatsoever of your gross fare if you cancel your booking."

 

So they're giving a price break if you're willing to chance losing all your money right from booking day onward.

 

Thanks. As usual, your answer is well thought out and makes sense.

 

The HAL website booking page prompts to buy the HAL platinum plan if there's any chance you'll need a refund for the "special" fare - and, as you know, that's "cancel for any reason" and 90% back...but, I suspect if I actually spoke to a booking rep I'd find HAL platinum unavailable.

[Cruising Ham]

Sounds to me like HAL is offering deep discounts to fill up a cruise that has not sold out.

 

Agree completely. This is simply the cruise ship version of what happens with airline fares every day.

[jtl513]

- and, as you know, that's "cancel for any reason" and 90% back...

Here's another thing that a lot of people don't realize: that's 90% of the cancellation fee, not 90% of the fare. Let's say you cancel a Carib cruise at 29 days out and have the CPPP. You get back 90% of the 50% cancellation fee plus the other 50% that you would get back anyway (without insurance) for a total of 95% of the gross fare. ;)

 

.. but, I suspect if I actually spoke to a booking rep I'd find HAL platinum unavailable.

If it is possible to buy the CPPP for the non-refundable fare, it would eat up most of the $350 difference between the refundable and non-refundable anyway. :)

[cruising cockroach]

Agree completely. This is simply the cruise ship version of what happens with airline fares every day.

 

Not quite true. You'll rarely see airline fares get cheaper when it's less than weeks to flight as airline and cruise markets are very different. The last-minute traveller on an airline needs to get there (e.g., the business traveller) and the airlines know this and will charge accordingly for it. Cruise lines will sell cabins cheap right up to the last minute (or at least 72 hours) as all cruise travel is discretionary.

[jtl513]

... as all cruise travel is discretionary.

Unless I NEED a cruise! :D

[eandj]

Just like the other poster, we originally booked a gty F (large window outside).

After final payment I spotted a "special rate" for VH gty that was about $800 less than what we paid for our room. It was the only adjustment to pricing. I called our TA who called HAl and they moved us to the VH gty.

When we got our room assingment, we were in a very nice VA.;) Had we booked the VA on our original bboking it would have cost us about $1,800 more.

 

We are new to HAL and never saw this kind of pricing routine on X, our usual line. We found the verrandahs, at least on this New Eng cruise, originally to be way overpriced. Guess they expect folks to pay big time premiums. It doesn't suprise us that cruisers were offered all those empty rooms. I'd have to watch this booking method longer to decide if we'd even book a cruise on HAL earlier than final payment. This was really crazy to us.:)

[canadarocks]

As others have stated, I've learned to be very vigilant with watching HAL's pricing after final payment.

 

We had a specific inside J cabin bought and paid for, when HAL reduced their VH guarantee to less than what I paid. My TA called and we are now all the way up to a VQ cabin. And not an upsell in any way; it's a complimentary upgrade.

 

A difference of close to $3000. :eek: :D Had I not been checking HAL's website, I would never have even considered contacting them!