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We do want to book with this line for a ten day Caribbean in January.
We have called Holland America and been quoted a rate on this supposed special.
To check this out, we called a local agent. Guess what. The agents price was less for the same package.
Can anybody figure this out, and yes we are comparing apples for apples.
So beware of booking dircectly with the Cruise Line and NEVER pay the full brouchure price!
[This message has been edited by Malcolm (edited 10-27-2000).]
I was just quoted 48% off the brochure price for a suite on the Maasdam by HAL reservations department (no travel agent). Other cabins were available for 60% off. What type of discount did they offer you and how much lower was the travel agent rate?
Joe at TravelPage.com
HAL offered 50%percent off brochure prices. The agent quoted about $30.00 less which is a non issue.
My point really was that being a member of the Mariners society conveys no special benefits as they infer.
While the cruise industry is very "travel agent friendly" today, other suppliers (...hotels and airlines) have started offering special rates that are only available to people who book directly with them. Will the cruise industry eventually do this? Right now they do not have the technical or human infrastructure in place to support a dramatic shift to direct bookings - i.e. it would cost them more than the 10-15% commission they pay to the travel agents to do so.
But as much as we all love getting on a ship and heading out into the sunset, the bottom line is this is still a business, and decisions are driven by the bottom line. So don't be surprised if someday the cruise lines figure out a way to do it cheaper themseleves and you begin to see better prices if you book directly with the cruise line.
This is for early Jan sailing of Volendam. Placed order, but Holland America reservations state both early and late sittings are wait listed. How can this be?We only cruise with late sitting guarantee.Our booking is now on hold.
How can both early and late both be wait listed? This doesn't make sense.
Their attitude: " you might have a good chance of getting second sitting guaranteed if you were to obtain and mail us a doctors letter"
My response: "you can't be for real and obviously don't need my business"
I really think it's a 'first come first served' thing - have your TA request it at time of booking - providing you're not a last minute traveller you'll probably get what you want. Too, you can, if the worst comes to the worst, request a change when you board. We've had people at our table the first night who never reappeared - they'd switched to early sitting.It is quite possible that both seatings are at the moment waitlisted (read 'we haven't worked things out yet) - early January is the time for great discounts - sounds as if your sailing is pretty heavily booked.HAL really is a great Line.
I have cruised extensively with Holland America since the early eighties and have always had the dining sitting assigned at the time of booking.
With us, this is a lifestyle thing and the timing of dining sets the pattern of what we do for the rest of the day.
I have declined bookings if second cannot be guarateed,its just so much part of my routine.
As a matter of interest refer to the Sept 2000-Dec 2001 Holland America Caribbean Brochure, Canadian edition; page 78 quote--------- "Dining requests for sitting and smoking preference in the main dining room will be confirmed at the time of booking on a first come first served basis"
Anyway, we are now trying Princess, Life can be tough can't it.
I pity the travel Agents whose income comes to zero after putting in hours of frustrating work as a result of these continued changes.
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