maryann

As I booked 2 HAL cruises,back to back, I check their website frequently to see if the price has dropped, since it's for Sept.2003, it might be early yet.<BR><BR>Yesterday,I requested a quote from my AAAuto club and they were $100 cheaper for 1 cat. upgrade +$100 credit on ship for the 1st leg and $50 cheaper for the 2nd leg,with a $150credit on ship.<BR><BR>I called the cruiseline, the rep. said she hears this everyday at least 20 times and write these objections to the front office.<BR><BR>I certainly will, how about anyone else, have you found this to be the case on HAL or any other lines?

Waverley

Very much so. That is why I book my cruises through some other method than the cruiseline directly.

Theresa

My travel agent always gives me a better price then the cruiseline (plus other perks such as shipboard credit many times). This is on all cruiselines that her price is better.<BR><BR>That is why I always book with my TA and not the cruiseline.

Lew

Your TA is rebating to you some of their commission.

Paul Therault

Also, travel agencies receive a few dozen faxes every day with promotions listed. These promotions may or may not appear on the cruise line's website. Most have a code that has to be mentioned when the TA calls in.<BR><BR>Paul

shirl

Why don't TA's let their clients know of the special promotions on a cruise, that they have recently purchased? Also, AARP is giving a $100 shipboard credit. Still looking for an answer; re: the time element prior to a cruise trip, that HAL send documents to their clients. My TA said 2 weeks. Does not work for me, because I will be traveling prior to that. Can any experience client, let me know when they received their documents, this would be in relation to an Alaska cruise from Vancouver.Thanks.<BR>

Lew

When I faced a similar situation, HAL shipped the docs earlier.<BR><BR>But then again, there was no TA involved, which gave me direct access to HAL. Tell your TA to go to work for you...that's what they are being paid for.

jenny

shirl<BR>

jenny

all you have to do is let your travel agent know that you will be away prior to your sailing and he or she will call holland america and get the documents sent out earlier for you. thats it.

maryann

The documents will be sent out earlier, if you make the final payment earlier.<BR><BR>We are leaving 3 weeks before our Sept. 18,2003 sailing and going to pay in June.<BR><BR>We might miss some last minute reductions but we have the docs in hand!

Starfish

maryann,<BR><BR>What made you think that Hal was cheaper than a TA? Most TA's especially the .com's will always give a better price.

Cruiser

I even had one cruise company leave my documents at the pier check-in. It was rather nice---no lines at the &quot;will call&quot; window!!<BR><BR>It was rather scary though putting your trust in picking up docs on the day of sailing. But it worked!!!<BR><BR>So ask what your options are.<BR>Happy cruising!!

natalie

I think this is true for most cruiseship websites. Www.cruisequick.com saved me $571 from my Nortwegian Dawn cruise this Feb. and my TA got me a room upgrade plus about $100 off a previous Royal Carib. cruise.

Peter

natalie - please post the name of your TA - I'd really like her to get me $100 off my last cruise. Thanks.

maryann

Starfish, I did't think that HAL's website would be cheaper, I thought it would be competitive with the TAs.<BR><BR>When a cruiseline has a website that takes reservations, they are acting as a TA, and should be competitive.<BR><BR>If they are afraid of angering their TAs, they should not act as a TA on their website.<BR><BR>As a Mariner and reserving 1 year in advance, I thought it should have better than the brochure &quot;ES&quot; price.

natalie

Peter, I meant that she saved me $100 off at the time of the cruise, the ship was pretty filled and I wans't expecting any savings on such short notice = )

hanna

TA's won't work with you, Peter.

Grumpy

Most TAs won't work for anyone but themselves. <BR>

Rocky

My TA is hard working and digs for discounts,on board credits.I dont take that many cruises but I doubt that from what I have read, thos eof us who sail together are missing much.We get what we want,and have a great time.Of course,my TA does all of our travelling not just the cruises.I guess thats why I get Royal Riviera Pears at Christmas and BDay.And Godiva at Valentines.

Paul Therault

Most people book cruises with travel agents. For many reasons. Some obvious and some not so obvious. The internet will not change this. It will simply get more people to cruise. This is a good thing.<BR><BR>Paul