Check your final payment dates for big box store

[swin26]

They had our final payment date 6 weeks prior to the date required by HAL.  I was able to get through to them today and they changed the date.  We haven’t decided yet whether we will go on our August cruise to Norway.  We want to see how the next month goes for both Covid and the war in Ukraine before making a decision.  I would hate to have to try to get our money back, if we had canceled after having paid in full (even if it wasn’t due yet). 

[Arizona Wildcat]

33 minutes ago, swin26 said:

They had our final payment date 6 weeks prior to the date required by HAL.  I was able to get through to them today and they changed the date.  We haven’t decided yet whether we will go on our August cruise to Norway.  We want to see how the next month goes for both Covid and the war in Ukraine before making a decision.  I would hate to have to try to get our money back, if we had canceled after having paid in full (even if it wasn’t due yet). 

Some TAs try this. I would get a new TA for future cruises.  7 days.  Yes.  6 weeks.  No

[Heartgrove]

HAL for some, not all, cruises will have a cancellation date that is earlier than the final payment date. Final payment date is normally 75 days prior to cruising but the cancellation date could be 120 days prior to the cruise.

[CruiserBruce]

Was this final payment date/schedule disclosed when you booked?

[Florida_gal_50]

2 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

HAL for some, not all, cruises will have a cancellation date that is earlier than the final payment date. Final payment date is normally 75 days prior to cruising but the cancellation date could be 120 days prior to the cruise.

It seems to me that mine have been 90 days before for the longest time.  These are generally 7 day cruise, nothing exotic.  Up until this point I have booked directly with hal.

[Heartgrove]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It seems to me that mine have been 90 days before for the longest time.  These are generally 7 day cruise, nothing exotic.  Up until this point I have booked directly with hal.

 

In our case it was a Hawaii, Tahiti, and Marquesas cruise for 2020 so 30+ days. HAL allowed us to move our reservation to the old Rotterdam(VI) for a British Isles in a Vista Suite. Like everything in 2020 though, it was cancelled by HAL.

 

There are a number of cruises that are 120 day cancellation.

[swin26]

Thanks. Interesting the cancellation date is before the final payment date.  We have only paid a deposit of a FCD of $100 each. I’m willing to put that at risk to have a later final payment date. 

[CruiseMGM]

Be sure to check when penalties start to accrue. Our next cruise final payment date was just extended by a month, but I couldn't make heads or tails out of the cancelation box info. The TA checked directly with HAL for the information and happy to report that all payments are returned prior to the new final payment date................ but I don't think it's always that way, penalties might start to accrue at the original final payment date.

 

Good luck and best wishes to all!

[petepie]

When I booked, Our big box payment date was set 2 weeks before HALs final payment date. That was before Holland America adjusted final payment dates by an additional month. So that may be why you’re seeing a big box date 6 weeks before HAL.

[swin26]

1 hour ago, petepie said:

When I booked, Our big box payment date was set 2 weeks before HALs final payment date. That was before Holland America adjusted final payment dates by an additional month. So that may be why you’re seeing a big box date 6 weeks before HAL.

That’s makes sense.  We booked over a year ago. Thank you

[CruiserBruce]

Still waiting to hear if this payment schedule was disclosed at time of booking.

[petepie]

I booked with big box travel and the payment and cancellation penalty schedule was fully disclosed when I booked and on my confirmation docs. In my case, HAL moved the payment date out after I booked, so a 2 week buffer between the travel agent date and HAL date became 6 weeks. 

Edited April 21, 2022 by petepie

[Torquer]

When is final payment for a cruise in August?

 

We are booked on a cruise that embarks on August 9.  I am trying to find out when final payment is.  Our TA (not the big box store TA being discussed here) never seems to get this right during covid.

 

On the HAL website under the cancellation policy change from Jan 19, 2022, it says:

Additionally, final payments for cruises through May 31, 2022, are due at 60 days instead of 75 or 90.

 

So this would seem to say it is the normal time, instead of 60 days.  But on our FlightEase confirmation directly from HAL it says:

Flight payment and final cruise payment are due by June 10, 2022.

 

So that is 60 days.  Which is it?

[bennybear]

 

13 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Still waiting to hear if this payment schedule was disclosed at time of booking.

 

13 minutes ago, Torquer said:

When is final payment for a cruise in August?

 

We are booked on a cruise that embarks on August 9.  I am trying to find out when final payment is.  Our TA (not the big box store TA being discussed here) never seems to get this right during covid.

 

On the HAL website under the cancellation policy change from Jan 19, 2022, it says:

Additionally, final payments for cruises through May 31, 2022, are due at 60 days instead of 75 or 90.

 

So this would seem to say it is the normal time, instead of 60 days.  But on our FlightEase confirmation directly from HAL it says:

Flight payment and final cruise payment are due by June 10, 2022.

 

So that is 60 days.  Which is it?

yes they tell you the date when you book, and penalties accrue at the same time as HAL lists.  They allow a two week buffer, but we have found in cases of uncertainty they will  extend the time to pay if you call them.  

[bennybear]

15 minutes ago, Torquer said:

When is final payment for a cruise in August?

 

We are booked on a cruise that embarks on August 9.  I am trying to find out when final payment is.  Our TA (not the big box store TA being discussed here) never seems to get this right during covid.

 

On the HAL website under the cancellation policy change from Jan 19, 2022, it says:

Additionally, final payments for cruises through May 31, 2022, are due at 60 days instead of 75 or 90.

 

So this would seem to say it is the normal time, instead of 60 days.  But on our FlightEase confirmation directly from HAL it says:

Flight payment and final cruise payment are due by June 10, 2022.

 

So that is 60 days.  Which is it?

Perhaps I am confused,  but is June 10 not 60 days?  
 

The thing to be aware of with HAL is that though at times they change final payment to a later date, the cancellation fees don’t always change. 

[Torquer]

5 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Perhaps I am confused,  but is June 10 not 60 days? 

Yes June 10 is 60 days before an August 9 cruise embarks.  But on the HAL website under the cancellation policy change from Jan 19, 2022, it says:

Additionally, final payments for cruises through May 31, 2022, are due at 60 days instead of 75 or 90.

 

Since the cruise embarks after May 31, it would seem the original, longer, schedule for final payment applies.  Did HAL officially extend the time for final payment to 60 days for cruises embarking after May 31?

[bennybear]

44 minutes ago, Torquer said:

Yes June 10 is 60 days before an August 9 cruise embarks.  But on the HAL website under the cancellation policy change from Jan 19, 2022, it says:

Additionally, final payments for cruises through May 31, 2022, are due at 60 days instead of 75 or 90.

 

Since the cruise embarks after May 31, it would seem the original, longer, schedule for final payment applies.  Did HAL officially extend the time for final payment to 60 days for cruises embarking after May 31?

See what you mean, as always there wording isn’t clear.  Get it in writing from HAL a and or your Ta specific to your cruise.  That way no surprises!

[jettaleea]

I will very happily make my final payment earlier to my big box store. An agent spent almost 5 hours today with HAL sorting our fcc's and cash from our HAL-canceled Volendam cruise. There were major discrepancies in the funds that she was able to sort through. 

[bennybear]

21 minutes ago, jettaleea said:

I will very happily make my final payment earlier to my big box store. An agent spent almost 5 hours today with HAL sorting our fcc's and cash from our HAL-canceled Volendam cruise. There were major discrepancies in the funds that she was able to sort through. 

They’ve been very helpful to us as well! 

[Caribbean Chris]

1 hour ago, jettaleea said:

I will very happily make my final payment earlier to my big box store. An agent spent almost 5 hours today with HAL sorting our fcc's and cash from our HAL-canceled Volendam cruise. There were major discrepancies in the funds that she was able to sort through. 

They’ve gone the extra mile for us too several times in the past year sorting things out with HAL in our favor.