$1 Deposit - Today Only! (Friday, April 27)

[Wishing on a star]

We often book our vacations/cruises way in advance.

We like to get the cabin we want, be able to re-book if offers come out that work better for us, etc...

Why would we want a company to have THAT much of our money for so long?

 

There is absolutely no way that a $1.00 deposit is an impulse buy.

It is what it is... A ONE DOLLAR refundable deposit.

 

it costs the same whether they have your money now or later.

Not sure it is better to hand over money that you don't have to.

 

Sometines, people might want to pay for a cruise with a future bonus, tax-refund, etc...

This would give them the opportunity to book and start planning instead of having to wait.

 

I am not seeing why anyone would question or have a problem with a lower deposit?

Paying a lower deposit and keeping your money in your pocket is not 'being hoodwinked by marketing'.

It is not an impulse buy.

It is not like if you 'fall for it' the cruise will cost you more in the end.

Quite the opposite!

It is a valid incentive policy.

Edited April 28, 2018 by Wishing on a star

[Friend100]

Really do not understand this promotion and why people are booking with a $1 deposit. How much planning as actually gone into booking this cruise? I think there are a lot of impulse buyers out there!

 

Similarly, there are also many vacationers who aren't cruisecritc members, and there are also many HAL cruisers who aren't 5-star Mariners.

[taxmantoo]

Because it's just $1 today, and the final bill is due in the future, it's how the American Consumer Economy was built!

Sort of like the subprime mortgage crisis and the following increase in mortgage delinquencies ???

 

My point is that a lot of people are booking cruises that they will likely later cancel. This gives a false impression that the cruises are really selling better than they actually are and maintains cruise prices at a higher level for everyone ...UNTIL final payment and then the cruise line has an overabundance of cabins from cancelled cruises. They then have to lower the prices to fill the ship and recoup the funds elsewhere by raising prices everywhere else.

[kangforpres]

Sort of like the subprime mortgage crisis and the following increase in mortgage delinquencies ???

 

My point is that a lot of people are booking cruises that they will likely later cancel. This gives a false impression that the cruises are really selling better than they actually are and maintains cruise prices at a higher level for everyone ...UNTIL final payment and then the cruise line has an overabundance of cabins from cancelled cruises. They then have to lower the prices to fill the ship and recoup the funds elsewhere by raising prices everywhere else.

 

Well Mr. TaxMantoo, I've never defaulted on a loan in my life weather it be school loans, mortgage loans, car loans/leases or credit card bills and I don't think I will default on this future cruise payment.

 

You like so many others misrepresent the Great Recession of 2007/08 it was a complete Real Estate, credit and financial market collapse. The straw that broke the camel's back was the Sub-prime crisis but it was not the leading cause of the crash, the entire overheated and over-valued real estate market that wall street bundled into crap investment bonds that the casino economy players jumped on and went sour because they where fraudulent crap.

 

Back to the point of this thread, HAL rarely if ever offers $1 deposits which is why me and other HAL loyalist took the bait.

 

-Paul

[richwmn]

Sort of like the subprime mortgage crisis and the following increase in mortgage delinquencies ???

 

My point is that a lot of people are booking cruises that they will likely later cancel. This gives a false impression that the cruises are really selling better than they actually are and maintains cruise prices at a higher level for everyone ...UNTIL final payment and then the cruise line has an overabundance of cabins from cancelled cruises. They then have to lower the prices to fill the ship and recoup the funds elsewhere by raising prices everywhere else.

 

Well Mr. TaxMantoo, I've never defaulted on a loan in my life weather it be school loans, mortgage loans, car loans/leases or credit card bills and I don't think I will default on this future cruise payment.

 

You like so many others misrepresent the Great Recession of 2007/08 it was a complete Real Estate, credit and financial market collapse. The straw that broke the camel's back was the Sub-prime crisis but it was not the leading cause of the crash, the entire overheated and over-valued real estate market that wall street bundled into crap investment bonds that the casino economy players jumped on and went sour because they where fraudulent crap.

 

Back to the point of this thread, HAL rarely if ever offers $1 deposits which is why me and other HAL loyalist took the bait.

 

-Paul

I suspect that the "bean counters" at HAL HQ in Seattle have a pretty good idea of how many of the cruises booked with the $1 deposit will go unclaimed. Just like they know how many FCD will be refunded after 4 years and how many cruises booked at a full deposit will be canceled.

[drsel]

Really do not understand this promotion and why people are booking with a $1 deposit. How much planning as actually gone into booking this cruise? I think there are a lot of impulse buyers out there!

 

Granted, you are depositing only $1 instead of maybe $700 or $800. You still have to pay the full amount eventually. If you cannot spare $700 or $800 for a few months, I would suggest you would be better off spending that $1 elsewhere. I would be quite interested in finding out how many folks who booked with $1 will actually go through and pay the full amount versus the number of folks who will cancel before final payment.

I agree. What's the big deal in a $1 deposit, even if it is FULLY-REFUNDABLE? Lol [emoji23]

You have to anyway make the full payment sooner or later. It doesn't give you any discount. Most of those who booked will forget about it and not even bother to claim the refund.

I prefer a discount or a last minute price drop anytime[emoji3]

[iancal]

I agree. We will take a real discount any time.

 

This so called special offer is may be special for HAL but as a cruiser it is completely meaningless to me. It is a yawner. It is about as exciting as a 50 percent off mattress sale.

Edited April 29, 2018 by iancal

[Wishing on a star]

It is still a moot point and a slander on anyone who does actually book early and who would benefit from this.

If there are discounts or perks offered later, then all the better... with a refundable rate, I can take advantage of these. I still know I have my cruise planned, by preferred cabin reserved, and my money is in MY pocket.

 

I suspect what I am seeing here are 'those' posters who just have to slam everything and everybody.

It is how some posters operate.

I think it must be their daily past-time.

[taxmantoo]

It is still a moot point and a slander on anyone who does actually book early and who would benefit from this.

If there are discounts or perks offered later, then all the better... with a refundable rate, I can take advantage of these. I still know I have my cruise planned, by preferred cabin reserved, and my money is in MY pocket.

 

I suspect what I am seeing here are 'those' posters who just have to slam everything and everybody.

It is how some posters operate.

I think it must be their daily past-time.

Slander ??? Really ??? For simply stating that I believe that many who booked (not specifically you by the way) did so impulsively and will probably cancel at some later time ??? Unbelievable!

[Wishing on a star]

Yes, I meant exactly what I posted.....

So, what if some do end up having to cancel, or cancel to rebook something that works out better for them.

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

 

I can't even begin to imagine giving one little teeny tiny iota of thought or care or concern about whether there is anyone else out there who might book with this promo, or not. Really.... Never would cross my mind of one tiny milli-second.

 

So, yes, absolutely, the assumption and judgement and negativity here, the association with 'wrongdoing', when absolutely nothing wrong has taken place, is pretty close to slander in my book. It just so happens that this is not the only current thread where there are those who are throwing out baseless negativity and stander against others with no real reason at all.

 

But, hey, I could really care less.

Just calling this out for what it, very obviously, is.

I had a few extra minutes of time this morning to kill.

 

Maybe I will sit back and pop some popcorn!!!!

[taxmantoo]

Yes, I meant exactly what I posted.....

So, what if some do end up having to cancel, or cancel to rebook something that works out better for them.

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

 

So, yes, absolutely, the assumption and judgement and negativity here, the association with 'wrongdoing', when absolutely nothing wrong has taken place, is pretty close to slander in my book.

 

But, hey, I could really care less.

Just calling this out for what it, very obviously, is.

I had a few extra minutes of time this morning to kill.

 

Maybe I will sit back and pop some popcorn!!!!

 

I think you should ! I, on the other hand, couldn't ;p

[VennDiagram]

Up thread someone (s) suggested that many of the $1 deposit bookings will be cancelled. I agree. I wonder (again, since I have mentioned similar in the past) if there's some bonus money for the HAL executives riding on hitting certain targets/% increases at various points in the year. Purely speculation on my part, of course, but a $1 sale seems strange, to me.

[iancal]

This makes sense. Could be that a some quarterly bonus program is in part dependent on bookings.

[VennDiagram]

This makes sense. Could be that a some quarterly bonus program is in part dependent on bookings.

 

Thank you :) I was wondering if I needed to get out my tinfoil hat :eek: :D

[sfaaa]

Up thread someone (s) suggested that many of the $1 deposit bookings will be cancelled. I agree. I wonder (again, since I have mentioned similar in the past) if there's some bonus money for the HAL executives riding on hitting certain targets/% increases at various points in the year..

 

In most industries, bonus is normally paid when a sale is complete or becomes a certainty, not when someone put down $1 to reserve a cancellable booking. And to those who claimed there is no value in $1 deposit because the cruise has to be paid sooner or later, my question to you is why did you put only $xxx down and not pay you entire cruise price up front in the thousands at the time of booking? Why hold back the balance until final payment date since you have to pay for the cruise anyway. What's your reason?

[drsel]

In most industries, bonus is normally paid when a sale is complete or becomes a certainty, not when someone put down $1 to reserve a cancellable booking. And to those who claimed there is no value in $1 deposit because the cruise has to be paid sooner or later, my question to you is why did you put only $xxx down and not pay you entire cruise price up front in the thousands at the time of booking? Why hold back the balance until final payment date since you have to pay for the cruise anyway. What's your reason?

We pay the FULL PRICE at the time of booking, when there's a late price drop. And of course it's 100% non refundable.

An amazing bargain price drop is a steal, while a $1 refundable deposit is no big deal! (It rhymes[emoji3] )

If there were 3 options for the SAME Cruise--

A) pay $1 now (fully refundable) and 999 later

B) pay FULL PRICE upfront (non refundable) and get a 10% discount (pay $900 non refundable)

C) wait till some of the $1 bookings get cancelled, then pay FULL PRICE $900 4--8 weeks prior to departure (non refundable). This may or may not happen.

Which would you choose, a fully refundable $1 deposit, a $100 discount (non refundable $900) or waiting for a possible late price drop ?[emoji3]

Edited April 30, 2018 by drsel

[Friend100]

We pay the FULL PRICE at the time of booking, when there's a late price drop. And of course it's 100% non refundable.

An amazing bargain price drop is a steal, while a $1 refundable deposit is no big deal! (It rhymes[emoji3] )

2 options for the SAME Cruise--

Offer A) pay $1 now and 999 later

Offer B) wait till some of the $1 bookings get cancelled, then pay FULL PRICE $900 4--8 weeks prior to departure (non refundable)

Which would you choose, a $1 deposit or a $100 discount?[emoji3]

At the time offer A is available, I wouldn't know the price tag of offer B. Kudos to you that you can predict prices in the future. Well done!

[drsel]

At the time offer A is available, I wouldn't know the price tag of offer B. Kudos to you that you can predict prices in the future. Well done!

I'm not an astrologer. I'm talking from experience. I've seen and experienced late price drops many times. These are the REAL BARGAINS, not a $1 deposit on a high cruise price!

[iancal]

I worked for a large computer manufacturer. Our bonus program (not commission) was based on order bookings. The bonus credit was reserved if the order cancelled/not shipped within 90 days. Another vendor paid commission based on 1/3 at time of order and 2/3 on shipment.

 

Now retired, the vast majority of our cruises are booked inside the final payment sindow. We typically follow three cruises nd book when one of them hits our target price. That price is always less than the pre final payment price or we simply don't buy.

[drsel]

I worked for a large computer manufacturer. Our bonus program (not commission) was based on order bookings. The bonus credit was reserved if the order cancelled/not shipped within 90 days. Another vendor paid commission based on 1/3 at time of order and 2/3 on shipment.

 

Now retired, the vast majority of our cruises are booked inside the final payment sindow. We typically follow three cruises nd book when one of them hits our target price. That price is always less than the pre final payment price or we simply don't buy.

See, even iancal has proof of REAL BARGAINS. A $1 deposit is nice, but not a big deal.

[drsel]

If the deposit was 1¢ instead of $1, how many cruises would you book?

[canadianbear]

If the deposit was 1¢ instead of $1, how many cruises would you book?

 

 

 

Maybe a dollar worth! [emoji16]

[drsel]

Maybe a dollar worth! [emoji16]

That's the spirit. Book a hundred cruises and later arrange the resources to pay for all of them!

I'll be waiting for the last minute cancellations and price drops[emoji6]

[canadianbear]

That's the spirit. Book a hundred cruises and later arrange the resources to pay for all of them!

I'll be waiting for the last minute cancellations and price drops[emoji6]

 

 

 

[emoji16]