2014 20 precent price increase on HAL

[gigianne]

We met some people on board who always book last minute and get fabulous pricing - that is okay if you can do that. The difference in their price and that of someone who booked a year ago (same cabin category) was $4,000 each. I did hear talk that perhaps it was time to offer the very best pricing when the cruises are announced and then increase the pricing closer to the cruise date.

[Tampa Girl]

I would like to say that it is only the Alaskan cruise that have gone up in price but that is not totally true. We booked a South Pacific cruise a while back and while we were on that cruise the cruise consultant tried to talk us into another South Pacific cruise and the price had went up 30%. To say the least we were shocked, and glad we had taken that cruise when we considered it a great price.

 

 

Now if you want a really cheap Alaskan cruise, I saw an inside cabin on RC for 199. How can the all the cruise lines compete with that price?

 

 

Easy - apples and oranges.

[Tampa Girl]

I would pay more if HAL would go back ( as you call it " to the good old days ". I just want A fair deal for the money I pay. I guess pay your money and Waite for the UNKNOWN :rolleyes::rolleyes: Bill

 

 

IMHO, we are getting a fair deal for our money. Not everyone is willing to pay more to go back to what, apparently, some of us have never experienced. Admittedly, our last cruise was on the Noordam TA in November, 2011. I had no complaints about the service or the food. Subjective, of course. We will be boarding the Ryndam in November, 2013. Maybe I will agree with you then about the decline in service. Right now I am satisfied with what HAL is giving us.

[igraf]

I agree 100%! I would rather pay a little more to keep the standards up.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

 

Don't agree, I think some improvement should come first.The last few years HAL has gone down in quality. I have been on HAL ships for a very long time. Bill

[cruz chic]

We met some people on board who always book last minute and get fabulous pricing - that is okay if you can do that. The difference in their price and that of someone who booked a year ago (same cabin category) was $4,000 each. I did hear talk that perhaps it was time to offer the very best pricing when the cruises are announced and then increase the pricing closer to the cruise date.

I've never had HAL offer their best pricing on cruises when the first announce them. Maybe it's just the cruises that I go on but I sail HAL really often.

[B Russo]

IMHO, we are getting a fair deal for our money. Not everyone is willing to pay more to go back to what, apparently, some of us have never experienced. Admittedly, our last cruise was on the Noordam TA in November, 2011. I had no complaints about the service or the food. Subjective, of course. We will be boarding the Ryndam in November, 2013. Maybe I will agree with you then about the decline in service. Right now I am satisfied with what HAL is giving us.

Hi I have no bad complaints with what i get now, But I do have complaints about them going up 20% on the same cruise from this year to next year. Bill

[HokiePoq]

The person who said it's a crap shoot is probably right. Prices on the same cruise can vary (even straight from HAL) on almost a daily basis. We watched a cruise for this year to see if the price came down...one day to another would be $500 different. That one never came to our price range but we booked the Westerdam for a 7 day Caribbean cruise for a cheaper fare than we paid in 2007 for a Western Caribbean on the Veendam. This is before final payment.

[CowPrincess]

Just priced out the same cruise we did in the Carib in 2013 for 2014. The price is nearly the same for the category we purchased in 2013 (VF)

[bishop84]

I would think that the North America Emissions Control Area will have a significant part to play in the price rise. The expensive low sulphur fuel has to be paid for some how! HAL could have continued with a small increase and then hit everyone with a fuel supplement later on.

[Tampa Girl]

Hi I have no bad complaints with what i get now, But I do have complaints about them going up 20% on the same cruise from this year to next year. Bill

 

 

With any luck - "what does up must come down!" Or does that come under the heading of wishful thinking?

[Taxguy77]

IMHO, we are getting a fair deal for our money. Not everyone is willing to pay more to go back to what, apparently, some of us have never experienced. Admittedly, our last cruise was on the Noordam TA in November, 2011. I had no complaints about the service or the food. Subjective, of course. We will be boarding the Ryndam in November, 2013. Maybe I will agree with you then about the decline in service. Right now I am satisfied with what HAL is giving us.

 

So sorry for you.

But look up, you still have your youth!

[tip]

I too have been somewhat taken aback by the prices of HAL's Alaskan cruise tours for 2014. I am ready to book now for June of 2014, but not for what they are asking. I haven't looked yet at Princess and other lines, but intend to do so.

 

An earlier poster talked about what the market will bear. I am not about to contribute to these inflated prices.

[PirateShark]

Well, as expected HAL cannot win! Cruising passengers want the "goodies*" back, investors want more money back. Passengers (well, some on CC at least) say - I would pay more for the "good old days" but suddenly don't want to pay more. Of course, the real unknown is if things will be added back or not if they charge more.

 

And I think that's the whole point. If they increased prices 20% for 2014 AND said the fares now included say all non-alcoholic drinks and one night in a specialty restaurant, then you have something to quantify the increase. If you just increase it 20% and do not enhance the product (i.e. status quo), then no it may not be that great a deal. Especially if they keep cutting the service part (crew).

 

My opinion only of course.

[Sue from Canada]

Recently checked sailings from Vancouver. HAL is currently playing games with its 2014 Alaska cruise prices. I cruise solo so cannot afford the suite prices. What I can afford [ocean view] on 2 ships are currently wait listed. What kind of crap is that??? Wait Listed 12 months away??? They are making it IMPOSSIBLE for me to book a future cruise by July 29/13 per an email they sent after my last cruise on May 11/13 on Zuiderdam. What kind of incentive is that???:confused:

 

I also cruise solo and I'm getting fed up with HAL's price games. I've been following the price for a Panama cruise for a few months. This week the price is over $500 more (I'm a 3 star mariner)than if I don't put my alumni number is the on-line booking. What gives? Cruising on Princess may not be far off.....

[George C]

Hals prices seem to be a moving target, going up or down

[UPNYGuy]

I saw the 2014 Alaskan sailing prices and almost died. The wife and I booked a cabin on the Pacific Princess, a 680 pax ship, for less than what HAL is charging.

 

That vessel *should* be priced higher than HAL, not the other way around. :confused:

[dr.dawg]

folks get soooo worked up about the 'pricing game.' hal has it down pat; they dangle prices out there to see who 'bites and grabs.' no bites, lower prices. hal has no concern about any of us. if we 'grab' we get what we grabbed. those of you who are rich 'cheerleaders' and who 'love' hal' are just suckers for their game. unless like some of you who just look the other way and pay, pay, pay whatever hal wants. must be nice. and a dinner with the captain assuages it all. i guess we all need to feel important, no matter what the cost. while the ships fall apart and the product goes downhill, and fast. i envision two decks of suites, divorced from the lower decks, just floating in the ocean, waiting to sink. save us, captain, remember, we had champaign with you. lol

[fsdj1097]

folks get soooo worked up about the 'pricing game.' hal has it down pat; they dangle prices out there to see who 'bites and grabs.' no bites, lower prices. hal has no concern about any of us. if we 'grab' we get what we grabbed. those of you who are rich 'cheerleaders' and who 'love' hal' are just suckers for their game. unless like some of you who just look the other way and pay, pay, pay whatever hal wants. must be nice. and a dinner with the captain assuages it all. i guess we all need to feel important, no matter what the cost. while the ships fall apart and the product goes downhill, and fast. i envision two decks of suites, divorced from the lower decks, just floating in the ocean, waiting to sink. save us, captain, remember, we had champaign with you. lol

 

We bite early to get the cabin we want, and then we watch for the sales that HAL offers. I'm far from rich, but I guess I qualify as a cheerleader. What's not to like when you get a consistently good cruise experience? I don't recall any HAL ships having to be towed back into port recently.

[VMax1700]

Europe 2014 seems substantially higher than 2013. In fact crazy money.

[bunnyrab]

Europe 2014 seems substantially higher than 2013. In fact crazy money.

 

Agreed. We just booked 27 nites on Celebrity Equinox for $600.00 less AND with $875.00 OBC AND 2 nites longer than HA Nieuw Amsterdam. Same time. Almost same ports. :)

[boaterette]

I have been checking the prices for a Hawaiin cruise for this December and Hal is twice a much as the other lines for a balcony. I really want to cruise Hal but can't justify twice the price.

[HokiePoq]

I've never had HAL offer their best pricing on cruises when the first announce them. Maybe it's just the cruises that I go on but I sail HAL really often.

 

This has been my experience. I usually get a great brochure with lowered prices long after I've booked something else. Would have preferred the HAL cruise on several occasions but price could not compete at the time of booking. We started cruising HAL in 2007 and have not noticed many changes. I imagine those who do go back a lot further than that or are more perceptive than me.

I do miss the Dam Dollars, though, lol!

[smokinmike]

HAL is one part of our vacation "toolbox" - we sail on the Star Clippers, we have just begun river cruising, we scuba dive throughout the Caribbean and we wine tour in California, France and Italy.

 

If HAL becomes too "game like" then we'll find another big ship cruise line.

[BruceMuzz]

I would pay more if HAL would go back ( as you call it " to the good old days ". I just want A fair deal for the money I pay. I guess pay your money and Waite for the UNKNOWN :rolleyes::rolleyes: Bill

 

In the "good old days" those great cruises where nearly everything was included were far more expensive. In today's dollars, those great old cruises would cost you around US$30,000 per person per week today.

Are you willing to pay those prices to have the same product you enjoyed 30 years ago?

I don't think so.

You get what you pay for.