Need Clarification on Price Drops Please!

[Charlie'sPet]

I'm very new to cruising so just want to know a couple of things. I wish to take the Eurodam cruise in February and I'll be doing it solo. The price is higher than other lines but I like the mid-size ship and I had a great time on my first ever cruise with HAL earlier this month.

Question is...if I book the cabin now and the price goes down before final payment, can I get a refund of the difference?

Also if the price goes down after final payment would I be able to get the difference in OBC?

Any advice would be great. Thanks! ;)

[CruiserBruce]

As has been discussed here frequently, in the vast majority of cases, price drops prior to final payment will be honored. Very occasionally a special sale locks you out, but that is rare. After final payment you may get an OBC, an upgrade, or nothing at all.

 

For a February sailing, your final payment will be sometime in November, most likely. So you don't have much time for drops. Our February sailing on another ship is pretty seriously sold right now, and not seeing any signs of price drops.

[sail7seas]

Many of the price drops indicate the lower price is for 'new bookings only' which permits HAL (or any cruise line) to deny the lower price to existing bookings. We've had lots of conversation about that thinking the early bookers are penalized and some think it worth it to wait until shortly before the cruise to book.

 

The other side of that is that those who book early may be paying a higher price but they have wide choice of cabins, no penalty to HAL if they cancel prior to final payment, and HAL holds that cabin for sometimes a year or more and that has value that presumably is part of the reason for paying a higher price.

 

If you don't care about any specific cabin and don't need air (which likely would cost more if booked close to date of flight), you may wish to wait.

 

Also you need to consider it is not unheard of the price for some cruises actually goes up. If HAL sees a cruise is selling well, they have certainly been known to increase prices. ;)

 

[Loreto]

I'm very new to cruising so just want to know a couple of things. I wish to take the Eurodam cruise in February and I'll be doing it solo. The price is higher than other lines but I like the mid-size ship and I had a great time on my first ever cruise with HAL earlier this month.

Question is...if I book the cabin now and the price goes down before final payment' date=' can I get a refund of the difference?

Also if the price goes down after final payment would I be able to get the difference in OBC?

Any advice would be great. Thanks! ;)[/quote']

 

Hi Charlie's Pet! We have experienced this with our upcoming Antarctica Cruise. We booked early in February. I watch the HAL web site frequently. We have had 3 price drops, and each time my TA has contacted HAL, rebooked the same stateroom at the new lower fare...all this before final payment.

 

Final payment was 2 days ago, and of course the price dropped for our category.:( I called my TA to see what HAL might do. They made 3 offers, but of course I can't get the new lower price, since it is after final payment. In the end I took their ship board credit offer, because I am happy with my selected stateroom, and did not want to risk a guarantee in a higher category.

 

The same situation arose last year for our Amazon Explorer Cruise: TA rebooked same room at the new lower fare.

 

Enjoy the Eurodam!

Karen

[Thebes]

Hi Charlie's Pet! We have experienced this with our upcoming Antarctica Cruise. We booked early in February. I watch the HAL web site frequently. We have had 3 price drops, and each time my TA has contacted HAL, rebooked the same stateroom at the new lower fare...all this before final payment.

 

Final payment was 2 days ago, and of course the price dropped for our category.:( I called my TA to see what HAL might do. They made 3 offers, but of course I can't get the new lower price, since it is after final payment. In the end I took their ship board credit offer, because I am happy with my selected stateroom, and did not want to risk a guarantee in a higher category.

 

The same situation arose last year for our Amazon Explorer Cruise: TA rebooked same room at the new lower fare.

 

Enjoy the Eurodam!

Karen

 

So what happens to those bookings you make like cabana, excursions, specialty restaurant , etc. I bet you have to rebook them and what if they're wait listed, then you're screwed. I hope that they adjust prices for drops before final payment without rebooking just for the fact that some of us book things on them ahead of time. Things that you can't get sometimes if u wait.

[RuthC]

So what happens to those bookings you make like cabana, excursions, specialty restaurant , etc. I bet you have to rebook them and what if they're wait listed, then you're screwed. I hope that they adjust prices for drops before final payment without rebooking just for the fact that some of us book things on them ahead of time. Things that you can't get sometimes if u wait.

If you ask to be rebooked, you may very well lose your reservations for such things as cabanas or specialty restaurants, etc.

If you ask to be refared, you don't.

[Loreto]

So what happens to those bookings you make like cabana, excursions, specialty restaurant , etc. I bet you have to rebook them and what if they're wait listed, then you're screwed. I hope that they adjust prices for drops before final payment without rebooking just for the fact that some of us book things on them ahead of time. Things that you can't get sometimes if u wait.

 

Hi Thebes! Good Question. Our booking number has always stayed the same each time the TA has called for the new fare, so all the excursions we prebooked are still good (I guess HAL realized what a headache they would cause with a new booking number!) Once HAL has your extra money, they would like to keep it.:D

 

I would agree that price drops seem to penalize the early booker; but as long as HAL honors price drops, I am comfortable booking early. On our upcoming cruise there are still a lot of cabins available, so they offered "Special Fares" in some categories. There have been unexpected costs with Argentina now charging US, Canada and Australian sea guests a fee. For us it is another $320. This on top of the Brazil Visa (which we already have) Up until June, cruise passengers did not have to pay.

 

Karen

[Charlie'sPet]

Thank you everyone. I'm about 99% sure I'm taking this cruise so I think I will just go ahead and book it. I really enjoyed the Zuiderdam so if Eurodam is anything like it then I'm fine with paying a little extra. I'm anxious to try Tamarind as I love Asian cuisine. ;)

[sail7seas]

The vast majority of us here on CC think Tamarind very, very good. DH and I have had some very special dinners there. The menu and food are wonderful but it is so much more. The decorating and table settingsand every detail of that restaurant were so carefully chosen and it all shows. The service is outstanding and it's a lovely evening.

 

[Loreto]

Thank you everyone. I'm about 99% sure I'm taking this cruise so I think I will just go ahead and book it. I really enjoyed the Zuiderdam so if Eurodam is anything like it then I'm fine with paying a little extra. I'm anxious to try Tamarind as I love Asian cuisine. ;)

 

Glad to help! I agree with Sail...the Tamarind is wonderful!

 

Karen

[b_cruise]

What if u have a promo like the free drink package and the price drops before final? Do u still get to keep the promo?

[SeaBands]

by $100 pp after final payment. HAL offered me nothing. That's $1000. At least they could have increased the OBC. In fact ours decreased since we readjusted our fares several months ago and lost the group credits from our TA as we were taken out of their group pricing. It's making me think twice about booking a HAL cruise again.

[Loreto]

by $100 pp after final payment. HAL offered me nothing. That's $1000. At least they could have increased the OBC. In fact ours decreased since we readjusted our fares several months ago and lost the group credits from our TA as we were taken out of their group pricing. It's making me think twice about booking a HAL cruise again.

 

Sorry this happened to you. When we took the HAL on board credit we had to give up the the credit the TA was giving plus a Pinnacle Grill Dinner. We already have a Pinnacle dinner courtesy of HAL, and as 4 Star we get the charge at 1/2 price anyway. My DH does not care for the Pinnacle...we have had some disappointing meals there...so giving it up was no big deal. Even with losing the TA extras, taking HAL's offer came out ahead. You will have to choose.

 

Karen

[innlady1]

I'm very new to cruising so just want to know a couple of things. I wish to take the Eurodam cruise in February and I'll be doing it solo. The price is higher than other lines but I like the mid-size ship and I had a great time on my first ever cruise with HAL earlier this month.

Question is...if I book the cabin now and the price goes down before final payment' date=' can I get a refund of the difference?

Also if the price goes down after final payment would I be able to get the difference in OBC?

Any advice would be great. Thanks! ;)[/quote']

 

The chances of a price drop for February is unlikely. At least it has been on the S and Vista class ships in recent years. The Caribbean cruises sail full.

I'll give a story: Last January/February on our Ryndam cruise out of Tampa. we met a woman in the hotel who had flown from Canada to board the Ryndam. Only problem was she waited and waited to book the cruise...hoping for a drop in price...and when she took the plunge, it was sold out. She already had ticket and the hotel...so she ended up coming and spending her vacation in Florida instead!