Cruising has become a hot commodity. It’s also become an EXPENSIVE commodity. So what if you could cruise on a Holland America ship for $49 per day? Well, I’d certainly consider taking it; how about you?
Late last year, Holland America Line (HAL) started a new program. Essentially, it’s a standby list, and it’s apparently been very popular. Here’s what they say:
Standby List Program
Ready to embrace your sense of adventure for the chance at an unbeatable fare? Join our Standby List! For $49 per person per day, you can enjoy extraordinary value on an unforgettable cruise vacation this year.
7-2 days prior to embarkation our standby list will be reviewed. If we have space to confirm standby bookings, we will let you know to pack your bags! If we are unable to clear standby bookings, we will notify you no less than 2 days prior to departure. Eligible sailings are listed below. To join the standby list for your preferred cruise, contact your travel advisor or call 877-724-5425.
Plus, add the Have It All Package to your booking today to receive our best savings on Beverage Packages, Wi-Fi, Shore Excursions, and Specialty Dining.
If a cruise line (not just HAL; any cruise) has empty cabins on any given ship, that’s lost revenue. After all, you can’t make money on an empty cabin. It’s like having empty rooms in a hotel each night – lost revenue.
Instead of shrugging and sailing with all those empty cabins, HAL decided to offer them at deeply discounted prices. People add their names to a “standby list,” and if there are still empty cabins 7 to 2 days before the ship embarks, HAL contacts those on the list on a first-come-first-served basis.
The pros
- $49 per person for a cruise is a steal!
- Solo sailors are welcome for that same $49 per person
- The 3rd and 4th guests in the cabin travel for free (excluding taxes, fees and port expenses)
The cons
- Once you commit to a standby list, you’re committed. You must pay in full for your cruise when you put yourself on the Standby List. If you don’t get picked for a cabin, your money will be refunded. But if you’re picked and you’ve changed your mind because of reasons, you will not be refunded (however, you can add a cancellation protection plan to your booking).
- You won’t know if you “made the cut” until a week or less before the cruise. If you live near the port, then all’s good. But if the cruise in question is out of Seattle and you live in Miami, that’s a heck of a last-minute flight you have to get. To say nothing of getting time off from work, in you’re in that situation.
- You have no choice of what cabin you get. It’s literally the leftovers. So it could be an insider, it could be a suite (but don’t count on it LOL), or anything in between.
- You still have to pay applicable taxes, fees and port expenses. You didn’t think you’d be able to cruise for just $49 per day, right? Just like airlines, cruise lines are required to charge certain taxes and fees on top of their base price. A reply in a conversation on Reddit back in December suggested adding close to $25/day for these various fees.
The cruises they offer
HAL’s not picking and choosing a handful of crappy little cruises – you and choose from literally dozens of itineraries that, at the moment, run anywhere from 7 to 42 days. Current eligible sailings include cruises out of:
- Seattle & Vancouver (various cruises between May and September 2024)
- Whittier (several cruises between May and September, 2024)
- Ft. Lauderdale (14, 28 or 42-day cruises in May or November, 2024)
- Boston (a variety of cruises between May and October, 2024)
- Montreal & Quebec (several cruises between May and October, 2024)
Our take on it
Granted, such an opportunity is not for everyone. But for those for whom the Standby List would work, it can be a good way to get a cruise for a song. Click on this page of HAL’s website for more info.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
