Are private sales real?

[latebuyer]

Are there any good deals with these private sales? I got a flyer in the mail about a year ago and i thought it may have some good deals but since then i get emails with private sales and i don’t know if i should bother looking at them.

[FlorenceItaly]

8 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Are there any good deals with these private sales? I got a flyer in the mail about a year ago and i thought it may have some good deals but since then i get emails with private sales and i don’t know if i should bother looking at them.

Yes, they can be.  Some are capacity controlled so don't hesitate if you are interested.

[albingirl]

I suppose they are for real.  But, they are always last minute and for places I have no interest in visiting, at least right now.  Plus, add all the stuff that makes life bearable, like HIA, gratuities, port charges, taxes, and a cabin that's decent, well, that deal went right out the window.  I have a friend who travels and stays in hostels, and I can guarantee you that I will never do that.  Traveling bare bones is so not me, haha!

[Hlitner]

No!  Nothing "private" at all.  As to sale, one person's sale is another person's price increase/rip off.  Try to sell a sweater for $100 and it sits on the shelves for months.  But change the price tag to $200 and put up a big sign that says SALE....50% OFF, and it will fly off the shelves :).  Good marketing and it plays into human weaknesses.

 

One interesting thing about the cruise industry is that we have booked some amazing prices (including with HAL) and none of them were part of a "sale."  They were quietly marketed by some select cruise agencies that only disclosed the deal via their private e-mail lists or to folks who may have called-in.  This happens because they need to sell berths but do not want those, already booked, to be aware that a quiet fire sale is in progress.  Some might call these deals "unadvertised specials."

 

Hank

[Mary229]

I book cruises when they first drop with a small refundable deposit and watch the price for sales and drops then  I also look for last minute deals.  The best deals I get are upsells and add ons of perks through negotiation 

Edited July 20, 2023 by Mary229

[DaveOKC]

I have found some of the Private Sales to be good, but not great deals.  Of course, this really depends on the sailing.  If I see one I like, I book it making sure it is a refundable fare and if the price drops in the future I rebook it - that way I can keep my original cabin.  I have been known to refare a cruise 3 or 4 times!

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by DaveOKC

[Haljo1935]

I've booked from the private sales I've received. I'm referring only to ones that come directly from HAL, not 3rd party or agencies. Sometimes the offers are short dated, but some have dates quite far out.

I used to think they were just a marketing ploy designed to create a sense of urgency and ignored them. But last year I started actually clicking through them and found some really good deals.

I've tested the "private" component by looking at fares without logging in and then creating a dummy booking after logging in and the fares are different  - they changed once I got to the cabin type. It was confusing when a friend or family member would be looking at the same itinerary and we'd see different prices. They were not part of the private sale.

A recent one I have is TA from Rome->FLL sailing late Nov this year. I put screenshots in another thread recently that was discussing a great deal for a TA; if you're interested and can't find it, I'llook it up. And just to clarify for anyone who might ask, yes that was a private sale not a casino booking.

Are they all good deals? No. Are some of them last minute "fire sales?" Sure. Are some of far enough out to actually plan a trip? Yes.

So, I'd say if you're getting private sale offers, might be worth poking around in them rather than automatically deleting them. Just be sure you're actually logged in or you won't see the discount fare.

And sure add-ons like HIA can quickly escalate a price, but those are an individual choice. Port fees, taxes, etc also increase the final price, but that's true regardless of fare type - they apply regardless. 

[Ellesor826]

24 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

. I put screenshots in another thread recently that was discussing a great deal for a TA; if you're interested and can't find it, I'llook it up. 

I would be interested in seeing the price difference.  
I need to pay better attention as we are preferring the longer itineraries on HAL as opposed to Celebrity. 
We have a 42N cruise booked for 2024. 
Thnx

R

[latebuyer]

Thanks for the replies, yes i think my problem may have been i wasn't logged in so i wasn't seeing the private sale prices. I will try and take a look at them now!

Edited July 20, 2023 by latebuyer

[horseymike]

1 hour ago, latebuyer said:

Thanks for the replies, yes i think my problem may have been i wasn't logged in so i wasn't seeing the private sale prices. I will try and take a look at them now!

Happy hunting. Hope you find some good deals. 👍🍀

[horseymike]

I have seen a price drop immediately after logging in that was usually 25% higher without logging in. 

[Haljo1935]

2 hours ago, Ellesor826 said:

I would be interested in seeing the price difference.  
I need to pay better attention as we are preferring the longer itineraries on HAL as opposed to Celebrity. 
We have a 42N cruise booked for 2024. 
Thnx

R

See if this works; post # 38: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2950057-price-drop-7-night-alaska-299-or-14-night-598/?do=findComment&comment=65721000

[Ellesor826]

9 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

See if this works; post # 38: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2950057-price-drop-7-night-alaska-299-or-14-night-598/?do=findComment&comment=65721000

thank you!
Now that looks like quite a sail-sale!!!

 

[SilvertoGold]

I have found that the Private Sale mail-outs are usually out of date pricing. Signed in under my Mariner Number I find better pricing.  However, the pricing for emailed Private Sales from HAL are always what I find under my Mariner number.

Edited July 21, 2023 by SilvertoGold

[FlaMariner]

Every time I've compared a private sale price via logging into HAL to our big internet TA site, the TA is always lower. 

 

(The big internet TA site knows I am a Mariner when I view their site and provides the lower price when available)

 

 

[*Miss G*]

I have to say that I receive some pretty amazing private sale email offers, which I have taken advantage of.  All have been lower than any of the big online TA’s when I did price comparisons.

 

Edited July 21, 2023 by *Miss G*

[latebuyer]

Good to know! I don't think i've received any recently.

[0106]

I received a private sale offer in March for a SA & Antartica cruise in January 2024.  I booked  a verandah and added HIA.  I have been checking prices weekly  and recently had my PCC check to see if it would be worth it to rebook because currently crew appreciation is included.  My booking is $1500 less than the current price.