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Bizzare HAL pricing

Gerko

By Gerko,
in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers

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Gerko

Gerko

Posted
Posted

Explain this one.

We're sailing on Oosterdam on 22 Dec 14nts Pacific Treasures in a balcony. Its expensive, but we cop it every year cos we like sailing on HAL over Xmas and New Year. Just noticed if we take the 08 Dec Explorer Collection, which is a 28nt B2B of their 14nts NZ cruise and our 14nts Pacific cruise then the cost for a balcony is CHEAPER than just our 14 nighter.

 

HAL always explains the high cost for our cruise as being the popularity of Xmas and New year so how can they sell that cruise and the previous one included for less than the Xmas cruise alone?

 

Also if you check availability the 14nt Xmas cruise is virtually sold out yet the cheaper and longer 28nts seems to have cabins available in most categories even though this must include cabins on the sold out voyage.

Got me stumped.icon6.gif

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Kiwi Kruzer

Kiwi Kruzer

Posted
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Just had a quick look and it is indeed crazy.

 

08 Dec 28 night cruise Verandah from $US3499 (145 US per night)

22 Dec 14 night cruise Verandah from $US 3799.(271US per night)

 

It either a mistake ,or there is very little demand for a cruise leaving on 08 Dec

 

 

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Gerko

Gerko

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I just wish I had the extra two weeks available to go back and add the first cruise as well. And save money! Last year we did the Xmas cruise and the one after as a B2B Collectors Edition cruise. It was certainly cheaper than doing the two cruises separately but definitely dearer than just taking the Xmas cruise on its own.

 

Its been advertised that way for some weeks so its not a mistake. As Kiwicruzer says it must be that they are despereate to fill the 08 Dec voyage. It's certainly a bargain.

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Australian family

Australian family

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Posted (edited)
I booked some time back and paid about $7500 for two adults and a 16yo which is expensive but cheaper than if I'd waited until last minute.

 

That is expensive for 3 people! You must enjoy the HAL xmas cruises. We were only talking last night about last years cruise, and how we thought that Xmas was not fully celebrated on Xmas day. We thought they may have had a deck BBQ for lunch, but there was nothing. They may as well have pulled into a port. I don't know what the other cruise lines do for Xmas day.

 

The other thing that we noticed was that there wasn't even any cherries on the Xmas cruise. When we cruised on the Volendam 3 years early on the cruise before Xmas they had cherries.

Edited by Australian family
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icat2000

icat2000

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I did a Princess Cruise last year over Christmas. They had great activities. I loved the Gingerbread house making teams. They had something like 60 teams. Also they put on Christmas dinner. Had it snowing in the plaza. There were about 200 kids on board and Santa turned up to give them each a pressie.

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Australian family

Australian family

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Posted
I did a Princess Cruise last year over Christmas. They had great activities. I loved the Gingerbread house making teams. They had something like 60 teams. Also they put on Christmas dinner. Had it snowing in the plaza. There were about 200 kids on board and Santa turned up to give them each a pressie.

 

Santa turned up in the morning, and the kids got a present from Santa, and that was a nice morning event. But after that they did nothing until the Christmas Dinner which was nice. But during the day it was just like a sea day.

 

The gingerbread house making team sounds great. And the snowing. Did they do anything else?

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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

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It sounds like the cruises are in their computer system as completely independent cruises (even though in reality they aren't), so their demand calculations and pricing are calculated independently.

 

If someone from Revenue looked into them, they could re-allocate some berths to each of the separate cruises instead of the combined one - though they may still believe it easier to sell a combined cruise than a standalone 8 dec one, hence why they have the pricing as it is. Though to undercut the Christmas one, it should be re-examined if so.

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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

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Santa turned up in the morning, and the kids got a present from Santa, and that was a nice morning event. But after that they did nothing until the Christmas Dinner which was nice. But during the day it was just like a sea day.

 

Some of the lines have moved away from celebrating Christmas, to make it 'non-denominational'. Santa okay, Christmas, not so much.

 

It's the ideology of wanting to cater for all, rather than being seen as supporting any.

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Australian family

Australian family

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Some of the lines have moved away from celebrating Christmas, to make it 'non-denominational'. Santa okay, Christmas, not so much.

 

It's the ideology of wanting to cater for all, rather than being seen as supporting any.

 

We thought that it was pretty clear that they didn't want to offend other religions, and the large amount of Jewish passengers on board.

 

But then on the other hand why do they promote the cruise as a Xmas cruise?

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sambasue63

sambasue63

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Can i ask how much you paid?

 

When we cruised last Dec on the Oosterdam for xmas, we paid just under $7000 for a balcony for 4.

 

We were to the do the cruise before it last year, we had a balcony booked, and it was $4400 for the 4 of us, sailing to the South Pacific, they then cancelled it.

 

I am booked on the December 8 trip. Hoping they don't cancel it. :eek:

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Kiwi Kruzer

Kiwi Kruzer

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I booked some time back and paid about $7500 for two adults and a 16yo which is expensive but cheaper than if I'd waited until last minute.

 

That is expensive for 3 people!

 

 

In 2005 on the Statendam , the price for a balcony cabin for the 12/14 day Au/NZ Christmas cruise

was $7,500 per person.:eek:

 

It was called the Holiday Cruise and they had a Catholic Priest and a Rabbi on board.

 

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

Posted
Posted
In 2005 on the Statendam , the price for a balcony cabin for the 12/14 day Au/NZ Christmas cruise

was $7,500 per person.:eek:

 

It was called the Holiday Cruise and they had a Catholic Priest and a Rabbi on board.

 

Wow, that is expensive.

It is very common to have religous leaders onboard to cater for the mainstream religions that cruise. The prayer room /chapel is available for other religions to use as well.:D

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sambasue63

sambasue63

Posted
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It would only be cancelled now, if there was mechanical failures. I wouldn't worry about it and would start packing.:D

 

Hi MicCanberra and Australian Family

Thanks for the reassurance... we've been so looking forward to it and I've already started packing. I will breathe a little easier now. :D

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Gerko

Gerko

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I like the HAL Xmas. They don't do too much razzamatazz. I don't think its to avoid offending anyone. Jewish folks know 25 Dec is Xmas and are not offended by Christians celebrating it, anymore than we are offended if they celebrate Hanukkah. I just think they realise that they have fewer kids on board than most lines, and a predominantly older age group who don't need the hooplah. A nice traditional Xmas dinner with bonbons is fine by us. Just wish it was cheaper. The difference in price between the Xmas cruise and identical itineraries over different dates is startling. We could be in a Deluxe Neptune Suite for what we've paid for our little balcony.

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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

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We thought that it was pretty clear that they didn't want to offend other religions, and the large amount of Jewish passengers on board.

 

But then on the other hand why do they promote the cruise as a Xmas cruise?

 

Was it them promoting it as a Christmas cruise, or a TA?

 

Generally, cruise lines call them 'holiday' sailings.

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sherri3802

sherri3802

Posted
Posted
Explain this one.

We're sailing on Oosterdam on 22 Dec 14nts Pacific Treasures in a balcony. Its expensive, but we cop it every year cos we like sailing on HAL over Xmas and New Year. Just noticed if we take the 08 Dec Explorer Collection, which is a 28nt B2B of their 14nts NZ cruise and our 14nts Pacific cruise then the cost for a balcony is CHEAPER than just our 14 nighter.

 

HAL always explains the high cost for our cruise as being the popularity of Xmas and New year so how can they sell that cruise and the previous one included for less than the Xmas cruise alone?

 

Also if you check availability the 14nt Xmas cruise is virtually sold out yet the cheaper and longer 28nts seems to have cabins available in most categories even though this must include cabins on the sold out voyage.

Got me stumped.icon6.gif

 

That would make me hopping mad too, especially if there was no way I could get onto the earlier cruise.

Never mind, it is majorly disappointing but it is probably too late to do a thing about it except enjoy the cruise you will be on!!:)

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

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Posted
That would make me hopping mad too, especially if there was no way I could get onto the earlier cruise.

Never mind, it is majorly disappointing but it is probably too late to do a thing about it except enjoy the cruise you will be on!!:)

 

Yes, buyers remorse is not worth dwelling on, i t will just get you upset and ruin the cruise.

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Gerko

Gerko

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If I was angry I would complain to HAL but I've been on enough cruises to know you get some great deals and some lousy deals. A week ago I booked us on a two night repositioning cruise on P & O for only $99 per person on a one day promo sale. I'm still really looking forward to HAL again. I just thought it was a bizzare way to get sales.

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icat2000

icat2000

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If I was angry I would complain to HAL but I've been on enough cruises to know you get some great deals and some lousy deals. A week ago I booked us on a two night repositioning cruise on P & O for only $99 per person on a one day promo sale. I'm still really looking forward to HAL again. I just thought it was a bizzare way to get sales.

 

Wow that was cheap. I didn't even see that one advertised. I saw some PO Melbourne to Sydney, Melbourne to Adelaide stuff but they were $339 pp.

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