Making waves over cruise fare

A frequent cruiser is given a double discount and then is charged $9,000 when the mistake is discovered. Airlines and many other businesses stand behind their goofs. Why wouldn’t the cruise line? Travel Q&A delves into this issue.

Question: In March, I received a promotional mailing from Holland America for three category upgrades. My wife and I had previously sailed in one of the line’s premium cabins and were excited about doing it again at an affordable price. A reservation agent quoted $8,693.38 for the two of us for 15 days on the Zaandam during Christmas. When we asked about blackouts, she told us the offer was valid over the holidays. We canceled a trip to Europe and booked the cruise directly with Holland America. Calling the cruise line to check on a detail, I discovered we had a balance of $17,913.38, more than twice the quoted cruise price. The cruise line claims that a technical glitch had caused an erroneous double discount, and it gave us two (unacceptable) options: to downgrade our cabin or keep the existing one for about $4,000 more than the original price. Shouldn’t they honor the quoted fare?

HOWARD MILLSTEIN

Woodland Hills

Answer: When rate goofs are strikingly obvious (a $400 airfare mistakenly entered into the booking system as $4), companies are not legally required to honor them. Many do so anyway as a gesture of goodwill.

Because cruise fares are more opaque than airfares, it’s harder to spot a mistake. Millstein, for one, thought he had a good deal – not a steal. And for that reason, Holland America should have honored the mistake.

“No one knows what a cruise should really cost because there are so many variables,” says Robert Jarvis, professor of maritime law at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

With 35 price categories for a single voyage, there’s a lot of room for errors. “Travel agents are always complaining about it,” says Mike Driscoll, editor of Cruise Week, an industry publication.

When a cruise line is switching to a new reservation system, as Holland America was at the time of Millstein’s reservation, glitches are bound to happen, and “that can continue for up to six months,” Driscoll says.

Travel agents typically field such problems for customers. But because Millstein reserved directly with Holland America, he had to wrangle with the cruise line on his own. After many unsuccessful calls and letters to Holland America, Millstein contacted Travel Q&A. We brought the matter to the company’s attention, and our reader subsequently sent the cruise line what he called a “velvet hammer” letter. Some excerpts:

* Sympathize with the company. “Being a business owner, I know how frustrating and complicated these errors can be,” Millstein wrote.

* Express gratitude, however unacceptable the offer might be. “I want to thank you [for going to] bat for us and [showing] you value our Mariner status and commitment to Holland America,” Millstein said. “Holland America’s ‘Signature of Excellence’ says something about the company.”

* Ask firmly but nicely. “All we ask is for you to honor this commitment, so if anyone asks, we can proudly say that Holland America is, without a doubt, the Signature of Excellence.”

Shortly after receiving Millstein’s letter, Holland America honored the original rate. Travel Q&A was pleased with the line’s response and our reader’s success in solving the problem – largely on his own.

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Surcharge? Speed dial your rights

Question: I stayed at the Four Points Sheraton [Pleasanton, Calif.] in December and was charged $1.25 for “local phone charges.” The hotel said it’s a standard fee charged to all guests whether or not they use the phone. Because I carry a cellphone, I asked them to reverse the charge. They refused. Have you heard of this?

LORY ZIMNOCH

Hermosa Beach

Answer: Zimnoch was right to question the charge, and Four Points Pleasanton should have removed it at her request.

“This is exactly the kind of complaint we want to know about,” says Michael Hughes, a California deputy attorney general. California law requires hotels to warn guests in advance of any fees not included in the room rate. If they don’t, guests can demand $100 or three times the amount of the surcharge, whichever is greater.

“There shouldn’t be a fee if the phone isn’t used,” said Nadeen Ayala, spokeswoman for Starwood. (Starwood Hotels & Resorts manages the Pleasanton property.) “This was unacceptable and shouldn’t have happened.”

Such fees are popping up in more places. “An increasing number of hotels are charging $1 to $3 a night for phones, whether you use them or not,” said Bjorn Hanson, analyst for New York City-based hospitality consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Guests should be on the lookout because hotels don’t always do a good job getting the word out about new charges. Four Points, for example, discloses the charge on its website, but not through central reservations. Part of the confusion: Hotels often package such fees as guest amenities. Four Points, for one, calls the $1.25 fee a flat daily rate for unlimited local and toll-free calls. “It’s not a surcharge,” Ayala said.

But truly optional services should not automatically be added to the bill.

How can you avoid getting snagged?

* Call the hotel directly. Individual hotels, not chains, set their fees, and central reservations workers are not always aware of them.

* Check your bill. Question every fee. Hotels must reverse charges for things that you did not knowingly buy. If the front desk won’t budge, talk to the general manager.

* Report undisclosed fees to your state attorney general. In California, that’s online at caag.state.ca.us.

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Laurie Berger welcomes your questions. Send e-mail to travel@laurieberger.com or write to Travel Q&A, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Include your name, city and phone number.