Paying HAL directly

[Cathy-CA]

I have been reading the posts for a few months getting ready for our Mexican Riviera cruise in the fall and appreciate all the great advice. We booked our cruise through a travel agent, but she has been terrible. Is there any problem with paying the final payment to HAL directly instead of our TA? Given that she has yet to give us a single document that is correct, I'll sleep better if I get a receipt from HAL showing everything is paid in full vs. counting on her. Any thoughts?

[WillieF]

I have been reading the posts for a few months getting ready for our Mexican Riviera cruise in the fall and appreciate all the great advice. We booked our cruise through a travel agent, but she has been terrible. Is there any problem with paying the final payment to HAL directly instead of our TA? Given that she has yet to give us a single document that is correct, I'll sleep better if I get a receipt from HAL showing everything is paid in full vs. counting on her. Any thoughts?

 

Seems TA's all do things a little differently. Our TA sends us the Agency's invoice and most often a HAL print out showing our booking number, cabin category (and number if you've chosen a specific one),cost of cruise (any discount from HAL -if there is one and there usually is, - 'brochure price' is seldom charged. Agency commission is paid by HAL on the discounted price - you don't get that information. Print out also shows taxes, air fare, transfers, hotel - whatever is applicable to your reservation. Also shown is exactly how much is on deposit and how much is payable on the balance due date.

 

Personally if the TA does not do that in timely fashion, I'd be in touch with HAL to ask for the information. You are entitled to it.

 

An important point, you'll need that original TA invoice and the balance paid invoice if you have to cancel and make an insurance claim. We've had that experience. It's best to pay by CC - your statement will show who got the money.

 

Hope it all comes together for you - and soon!:)

[peaches from georgia]

I have not had first hand experience with your problem, but from what posters here say who have, HAL does not talk with pax directly who have booked through a TA. Everything is supposed to go through your TA and all questions are asked and answered between TA and HAL. There may have been some exceptions to this and hopefully someone will come on and tell you what they did.

[DebDenC]

I actually called HAL yesterday with questions about our booking because I was not getting answers from my TA. I was told by the person I talked to that she couldn't make any changes to my booking, and in fact, she could not even pull it up to see it, and that anything I wanted to question/change would have to go through my TA. We were charged for transfers that we didn't need, and I just wanted the $68.00 credited back to me.

 

PS Finally did get in touch with TA and all questions were answered, and appropriate changes made.

[Jade13]

I have been reading the posts for a few months getting ready for our Mexican Riviera cruise in the fall and appreciate all the great advice. We booked our cruise through a travel agent, but she has been terrible. Is there any problem with paying the final payment to HAL directly instead of our TA? Given that she has yet to give us a single document that is correct, I'll sleep better if I get a receipt from HAL showing everything is paid in full vs. counting on her. Any thoughts?

 

I do not think you can , but was your deposit charged directly by HAL (via the TA)? Or did the TA charge your credit card and then send the money to HAL? I don't think you can change at this point. I had a so so TA last year and basically what I did was go through HAL to get my questions answered. The way I did this:

 

1. Go through Shore Excursions for those type of questions.

 

2. Go through the Ship Coordinator for those type - He/or She can confirm your seating request - 2 seat, 4 seat 6 seat table, 8 seat table, charge a cola card etc., and make a request for a feather bed if that is what you want.

 

3. Go on line to check your reservation info, print out your boarding pass.

 

The only place where it might be an issue and you need the TA, would be if you booked your flights through HAL and now have to go through the TA to find out which ones. This year we use FFmiles, last year we used HAL and paid the diviation fee and were on e-mail with the TA you make our specific request with flight numbers (the TA told us which airlines HAL was contracted with for that area.)

 

So, the bad TA is only needed at this point to make payment this time (and don't use them again). You can verify your cruise on-line as the TA has to give you HAL"s booking number even if they additionally have their own number. Did they give you an invoice? The only other problem I can think of is spelling errors.

 

Other questions about your cabin - check the deck plans and ask others on CC :)

[Cathy-CA]

I appreciate the responses. We do not have air fare involved as we are driving to the port. I do have my HAL booking number and have verified the cabin and other info on-line. The problem I'm having with the TA is things like sending confirmation documents saying that I have declined insurance but showing a charge for insurance (I want the insurance). I would like to get on the ship with a document that correctly indicates I have insurance and that I am paid in full. I suspected HAL probably wouldn't talk to me directly. Since this is a travel agency through a large national organization, I'll see if I can get someone higher up in the organization to take over my booking.

 

Thanks!

[Stevesan]

I appreciate the responses. We do not have air fare involved as we are driving to the port. I do have my HAL booking number and have verified the cabin and other info on-line. The problem I'm having with the TA is things like sending confirmation documents saying that I have declined insurance but showing a charge for insurance (I want the insurance). I would like to get on the ship with a document that correctly indicates I have insurance and that I am paid in full. I suspected HAL probably wouldn't talk to me directly. Since this is a travel agency through a large national organization, I'll see if I can get someone higher up in the organization to take over my booking.

 

Thanks!

 

That's the right approach. If you don't get satisfaction thru a supervisor, your booking can be transferred to another TA of your choice. The "new" TA will provide you with the necessary procedure for doing this. However, there likely will be a cancellation fee from you current travel agency. It is usually a relatively small amount and may be worth it in the case of a really rotten TA.

 

BTW - If the TA has provided you with a copy of the insurance policy and your policy number, you're ok. If not, that is another subject for the TA's supervisor to address.

[Jade13]

I appreciate the responses. We do not have air fare involved as we are driving to the port. I do have my HAL booking number and have verified the cabin and other info on-line. The problem I'm having with the TA is things like sending confirmation documents saying that I have declined insurance but showing a charge for insurance (I want the insurance). I would like to get on the ship with a document that correctly indicates I have insurance and that I am paid in full. I suspected HAL probably wouldn't talk to me directly. Since this is a travel agency through a large national organization, I'll see if I can get someone higher up in the organization to take over my booking.

 

Thanks!

 

Is this Hal's insurance? If so, it had to be paid at the time of booking and believe me, HAL won't give it back for you. I would put your issue in writing to the TA telling them you need updated docs showing you bought the insurance and did not decline the insurance. If you e-mail them they will at least have to respond in some manner.