Why does HAL discriminate against Australians?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We were told by a US TA that without a US passport there was no way we could book a last minute cruise with HAL.

 

This information is not quite right.... there are many that live in the US and Canada that do not have passports for those countries but carry a passport from outside the US and Canada. It is actually the residency that is what is important. Cruise lines can and will request proof of residence if they suspect that all passengers in the cabin do not reside in the US or Canada. They definitely do not have to have a Canada or US Passport. Also on a different note if you have someone that resides outside the US or Canada but are sharing a cabin with someone that reside in the US or Canada then the purchase can be made.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Will the reservation 'stick' if an Aussi uses a Canadian or US accommodation address?

 

 

We are Canadian but we sometimes book trips from UK travel agents that are not available to those outside the EU...or are much higher in cost if we book in NA. These include 7 or 14 day holidays and from time to time hotels booked through these holiday sites. We cannot book with our Canadian home address but when we use a UK address the reservation goes through without a problem. The address has to be valid because in some instance our hard copy travel vouchers-air/hotel, for those UK booked vacations are mailed out.

It could but depends on if the passengers have sailed that cruise line and or the cruise line's sister ships before (such as P & O), if they have and showed residence for outside the US or Canada then suddenly shows address for US or Canada all kinds of red flags will go up.

[CHOPPERTESTER]

Also on a different note if you have someone that resides outside the US or Canada but are sharing a cabin with someone that reside in the US or Canada then the purchase can be made.

 

Sounds like all the Aussie couple needs to do is find a US or Canada couple they know going on the cruise and they could do the Bob, Carol, Ted, and Alice trick. (At least on paper for booking).

 

"Not that there's anything wrong with that..." J Seinfeld

Edited December 2, 2013 by CHOPPERTESTER

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Sounds like all the Aussie couple needs to do is find a US or Canada couple they know going on the cruise and they could do the Bob, Carol, Ted, and Alice trick. (At least on paper for booking).

 

"Not that there's anything wrong with that..." J Seinfeld

 

:D I actually know of a couple cases this has been done.

[Gerko]

Aussies cannot access the deals because all the cruise lines, due to pressure from the Aussie retail travel industry, will not allow it. Just ask your Aussie travel agent.

 

As a TA I don't think its got anything to do with pressure from retail travel agents. Many other lines have last minute deals. P & O has their Pack 'n Go fares. Princess has their Friends & Family specials which go to most agents (but you have to ask your agent for them as its not permitted to advertise them.) Carnival has last minute specials as well. We'll sell whatever they give us.

 

Australians also get a lot of last minute specials on foreign cruises that the foreigners don't get, just as the foreigners gets last minute specials in Australia that Australians don't get.

 

These days all of the major lines frown on bookings made through US agents and if they find out there is the threat that you will be denied boarding or have your booking cancelled. I don't know if they have ever followed through with this threat.

 

But overall HAL does seem to be the toughest towards Aussies. We are denied most last minute specials, although they are currently having a five day sale of most of their current season cruises ex Australia. We are also denied most of the bonus offers, such as free bevvy packages, OBCs and such that regularly get offered elsewhere. At the end of the day I am sure they've weighed up the pros and cons and made a company decision and as long as people keep paying the higher prices I doubt anything will change.

[iancal]

Don't understand the US passport requirement.

 

There are many, many US residents who do not have a US passport, ie they are citizens of another country.

[Aussiepair]

Sounds like all the Aussie couple needs to do is find a US or Canada couple they know going on the cruise and they could do the Bob, Carol, Ted, and Alice trick. (At least on paper for booking).

 

"Not that there's anything wrong with that..." J Seinfeld

 

I will give Brad and Angelina a call and see if they can get away. :)

[Esri]

*snip*

 

At the end of the day I am sure they've weighed up the pros and cons and made a company decision and as long as people keep paying the higher prices I doubt anything will change.

 

You've hit the nail right on the head. HAL's pricing is HAL's business. It's been shown on this board that they offer lower prices to non-Mariners and they offer different prices based on state of residency (without letting the buyer know it). As long as they are not breaking any laws, they can do whatever they want with their prices. If they want to offer my brother-in-law better prices because he is cute, that's their business. The only thing you can do about it is vote with your wallet. Only the buyer can determine if they care enough about what someone else paid for the same cruise to forego the cruise. If enough buyers do care, prices will come down and maybe changes will be made in booking policies. If they don't, why should HAL care that they lost your business?

[runnerodb83]

Why does the gas station in the rougher part of town have lower prices than the one in the nice part of town...because the market will bear it, the gas is probably from the same truck.

 

You just dont have the choice to go to the "other part of town in this case."

 

Its been proven that the 1 thing americans value over all else, is price. There are other nations that value this, but this is true here. Walmart does well in the US because the prices are very low. The shopping experience in many cases is abyssmal, but so many americans shop there, it makes walmart one of the largest most profitable businesses in the US and world.

 

As others have said, you can vote with your wallet...thats the best you can do.

 

Not sure how the local cruise lines do (P&O etc) but since they are all under Carnival/RCL, I would imagine the US cruise lines would try to protect their smaller local lines by coming in with prices much higher.