HIA Promo

[OCJayGuy]

Just saw Have It All promoted with prepaid stateroom gratuities. It's a nice addition for the standard HIA , I know the early booking HIA already includes this benefit. Wasn't interested in HIA before, but feel like this tips the scales for us. 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

I agree. I may add HIA with this sale.

 

There is a whole article published about this brand new "unforgettable journey" sale.  Looks to me like the Fall 2023 and all of 2024 sailings weren't selling as well as they would have hoped. Pre-paid gratuities with HIA were reserved for early booking, but that's not the case with this sale. They are extending the offer to almost all future bookings, including the exotic sailings. The article said the only sailings that were excluded were the grand voyages.

 

https://www.cruisehive.com/holland-america-rolls-out-unforgettable-journeys-deal/104960

 

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[Florida_gal_50]

Well the price of my fall cruise went up about the same amount as the gratuities.  Not really a sale for me. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Well the price of my fall cruise went up about the same amount as the gratuities.  Not really a sale for me. 

 

Funny how that happens.

[Florida_gal_50]

3 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Funny how that happens.

Yeah, I thought so too 😛😉.

[BermudaBound2014]

9 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Well the price of my fall cruise went up about the same amount as the gratuities.  Not really a sale for me. 

 

Can't you just add HIA for $50 a day? That way the price of your cruise is irrelevant. 

 

If adding HIA was $50 a day without Gratuities. And now it's $50 a day and includes gratuities, it's a legitimate sale.

 

Maybe things are different if you are trying to book a new cruise and include HIA, but I have yet to see where that is more cost effective than booking a cruise and adding HIA later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[OCJayGuy]

25 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I agree. I may add HIA with this sale.

 

There is a whole article published about this brand new "unforgettable journey" sale.  Looks to me like the Fall 2023 and all of 2024 sailings weren't selling as well as they would have hoped. Pre-paid gratuities with HIA were reserved for early booking, but that's not the case with this sale. They are extending the offer to almost all future bookings, including the exotic sailings. The article said the only sailings that were excluded were the grand voyages.

 

https://www.cruisehive.com/holland-america-rolls-out-unforgettable-journeys-deal/104960

 

 

Thanks for the additional info! I was searching around for the terms and conditions, to see the multiple ways my cruise would be excluded lol. Glad it appears somewhat open. Hopefully calling in to add won't be it's own 'unforgettable journey'. 

[BermudaBound2014]

1 minute ago, OCJayGuy said:

Thanks for the additional info! I was searching around for the terms and conditions, to see the multiple ways my cruise would be excluded lol. Glad it appears somewhat open. Hopefully calling in to add won't be it's own 'unforgettable journey'. 

 

My pleasure. Best of luck to you!!

[KAKcruiser]

The trouble is that there are different HIA packages.  The one that you can purchase as an add-on for 50 percent off does not include gratuities.  You have to book the HIA fare to have the gratuities included and that is much more expensive.

[tartanmom]

Does the HIA promo including gratuities only apply to 1st and 2nd passengers? We have 3 in our cabin (all adults) and have a holiday cruised booked. 

[erdufylla]

5 minutes ago, tartanmom said:

Does the HIA promo including gratuities only apply to 1st and 2nd passengers? We have 3 in our cabin (all adults) and have a holiday cruised booked. 

According to their Terms & Conditions, it looks like that’s correct.

 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

7 hours ago, KAKcruiser said:

The trouble is that there are different HIA packages.  The one that you can purchase as an add-on for 50 percent off does not include gratuities.  You have to book the HIA fare to have the gratuities included and that is much more expensive.

It’s not worth it for me to add this.  I bought the hia with my cruise and actually paid around the $50 equivalent (being Canadian it’s more) plus I got quite a lot of obc with it.  If I would have taken the advantage fare it would have been much more to add the $50 on.  I don’t do non refundable fares. I can buy my own gratuities with my obc and keep my fare.

Edited June 30, 2023 by Florida_gal_50

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It’s not worth it for me to add this.  I bought the hia with my cruise and actually paid around the $50 equivalent (being Canadian it’s more) plus I got quite a lot of obc with it.  If I would have taken the advantage fare it would have been much more to add the $50 on.  I don’t do non refundable fares. I can buy my own gratuities with my obc and keep my fare.

 

The HIA fare for an early booking promo is the best deal I've seen. I got grats and obc when I booked a cruise for next summer. I don't do non-refundable fares, either, so I wish they would show the advantage fares when you search onthe website.

[rodndonna]

10 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

The HIA fare for an early booking promo is the best deal I've seen. I got grats and obc when I booked a cruise for next summer. I don't do non-refundable fares, either, so I wish they would show the advantage fares when you search on the website.

 

I agree (although we go non-refundable). We seem to get the best deals booking early for the early HIA benefits. Combine that with the Mariner early bonus, hard to beat. 

 

Waiting now for 2025 fall cruises to come out so I can book with those promos (and using FCD for deposits to boot!) 😀

[acruisingcouple]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

It’s not worth it for me to add this.  I bought the hia with my cruise and actually paid around the $50 equivalent (being Canadian it’s more) plus I got quite a lot of obc with it.  If I would have taken the advantage fare it would have been much more to add the $50 on.  I don’t do non refundable fares. I can buy my own gratuities with my obc and keep my fare.

It was the same for me. 

[cbr663]

12 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Well the price of my fall cruise went up about the same amount as the gratuities.  Not really a sale for me. 

 

I just checked the pricing for our cruise next summer.  It is included for the promo and the price went up nearly $900 total compared to our current booking without HIA.  A great "promo" for HAL, not so much for me.

[DaveOKC]

1 hour ago, rodndonna said:

 

I agree (although we go non-refundable). We seem to get the best deals booking early for the early HIA benefits. Combine that with the Mariner early bonus, hard to beat. 

 

Waiting now for 2025 fall cruises to come out so I can book with those promos (and using FCD for deposits to boot!) 😀

Agree - we booked the Early HIA and combined it with a Thank You for Sailing credit, plus the Shareholder credit.  And was able to use a 20% casino discount.  With all that it came close to booking a free cabin offer through the casino but this way I was able to pick my cabin and got a good location!

[BermudaBound2014]

3 minutes ago, cbr663 said:

 

I just checked the pricing for our cruise next summer.  It is included for the promo and the price went up nearly $900 total compared to our current booking without HIA.  A great "promo" for HAL, not so much for me.

 

I'm not understanding. Please help. I must be missing something super obvious.

 

Why it is beneficial for you to include HIA at the time of booking? 

 

Based on the prices I've looked at (and my booking), it's cheaper to book the cruise and then add HIA afterward for $50 pp/pd.

 

In that scenario, this really is a sale. If $50 pp/pd last week did not include gratuities, and this week adding HIA for $50 pp/pd does include gratuities, it seems like a legit sale.

 

I'm not doubting you, I'm just not following. 

 

 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

1 minute ago, DaveOKC said:

Agree - we booked the Early HIA and combined it with a Thank You for Sailing credit, plus the Shareholder credit.  And was able to use a 20% casino discount.  With all that it came close to booking a free cabin offer through the casino but this way I was able to pick my cabin and got a good location!

 

Agreed - any sale is going to be more expensive than that casino offer that came close to a free cabin :). 

[DaveOKC]

4 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I'm not understanding. Please help. I must be missing something super obvious.

 

Why it is beneficial for you to include HIA at the time of booking? 

 

Based on the prices I've looked at (and my booking), it's cheaper to book the cruise and then add HIA afterward for $50 pp/pd.

 

In that scenario, this really is a sale. If $50 pp/pd last week did not include gratuities, and this week adding HIA for $50 pp/pd does include gratuities, it seems like a legit sale.

 

I'm not doubting you, I'm just not following. 

 

 

 

I think that what other posters are saying is that HAL increased the base fare by about the same amount as the free gratuities, so all in all it was not a "deal".  Just taking it from one pocket and putting it in another so to speak.

What I have found is that you really have to do your homework on HAL's deals to find what works for you.  One size does not fit all!

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by DaveOKC

[BermudaBound2014]

1 minute ago, DaveOKC said:

I think that what other posters are saying is that HAL increased the base fare by about the same amount as the free gratuities, so all in all it was not a "deal".  Just taking it from one pocket and putting it in another so to speak.

 

 

I guess I'm  not understanding why people would include HIA in the base fare? Isn't it usually cheaper to book your cruise and then add HIA for $50 pp/pd after?? To me, the base fare has nothing to do with HIA pricing. What am I missing? 

[DaveOKC]

1 minute ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I guess I'm  not understanding why people would include HIA in the base fare? Isn't it usually cheaper to book your cruise and then add HIA for $50 pp/pd after?? To me, the base fare has nothing to do with HIA pricing. What am I missing? 

On my cruise the HIA pricing at booking was actually LESS than $50 per day.  It was an 11 day cruise.

[erdufylla]

6 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I guess I'm  not understanding why people would include HIA in the base fare? Isn't it usually cheaper to book your cruise and then add HIA for $50 pp/pd after?? To me, the base fare has nothing to do with HIA pricing. What am I missing? 

It might be if you’re comparing the lowest base fare to the HIA Early Booking package, but the lowest base fare is the non-refundable rate, and the HIA package includes the refundable deposit. They don’t list the refundable deposit cruise-only fare on the website, but on the few I’ve priced out, if having that refundable deposit is important to you, it can actually be more expensive to book that and add the $50/person/day standard HIA package after, even for a solo traveler. On some, it was more expensive even before you added in the gratuity expense.

 

If you want a refundable rate and definitely don’t care about anything included in the HIA package, then that rate is probably the best value. But if you want to book a refundable rate and plan on taking any excursions, or want to add a drink package or the internet package, it often quickly becomes more cost-effective to just book the HIA package rate.

[Cruise Suzy]

@erdufylla Well said. It is the same when I do the math for DH and me - even when using the value to us rather than HAL's price/value for the HIA items.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Where you have to be careful about the HIA included fare is if you're a solo. Solos pay double, and sometimes the HIA fare for a solo is double the HIA per person fare (two Advantage fares plus two HIA). Sometimes it's double the Advantage fare plus HIA for only one. 

 

You have to get out the calculator to know which fare is best for your needs.