Considered optional tours overpriced

I consider myself a fairly canny and frugal traveler, arranging my own trips so that I spend time on the cultural and scenic attractions that interest me and don’t waste money on fancy accommodations I would only occupy while asleep. I thought I had stumbled on a great deal when I received a brochure in the mail in late December ’08 from Holland America Line (HAL) advertising a 34-day cruise, March 17-April 19, from Rio around the Horn and up the coast of South and Central America to San Diego. The “air included” price was a slim $2,499 per person.

Ever cautious of such a good deal, I checked the shore excursion menu on the HAL website. Here was my chance to see Iguassu Falls, Machu Picchu, Torres del Paine, Quito, Palenque, Xochicalco and more penguins than you could shake a stick at. Prices were estimated in four categories: $ ($1-$50), $$ ($50-$100), $$$ ($100-$150) and $$$$ (over $150). Having priced land tours of these places, I assumed that some of the $$$$ trips would run well over $150.

During my phone conversation with a booking agent on Jan. 9, I was put wise to additional charges for a Brazilian visa ($249), insurance ($159), transfers ($74) and yellow fever vaccination ($?). Even with these extras, this was sounding pretty reasonable, and even if I had to cancel I’d be out only the $159 insurance premium, so I took the plunge, paying with my credit card.

My e-mail showed a booking number, which enabled me to sign up for those great shore excursions. That’s where it all started to go wrong.

When I logged in on Jan. 11, the actual offerings for Palenque (Puerto Chiapas) and Xochicalco (Acapulco) were more on the order of sunbathing, snorkeling and scuba diving — things I would do in Hawaii if I wanted to do them at all. More to the point, the big trips, the sights for which I had booked the trip, were wildly overpriced, in my opinion.

The 10-hour Iguassu Falls jaunt cost $1,299 per person. Ouch! An 11-hour junket to Torres del Paine was $999. Yikes! Three days and two nights to Cuzco and Machu Picchu would cost a minimum of $3,399. Holy cow, I think you can get a whole week’s tour of Peru for that much! A 10-hour day trip to Quito was a relative bargain at $899.

Those four tours totaled $6,596, more than double the basic cruise fare. Less remote excursions at other ports would have added another $1,500. This was hardly the bargain implied in HAL’s brochure or on their website.

Canceling this ill-conceived venture provided the final insult. I learned by calling an HAL representative on Jan. 18 that, contrary to the assurances of HAL’s booking agent, the “platinum” insurance I had purchased did not cover the penalty for canceling my short-lived dream of seeing South America.

In addition to the $159-per-person premium, there would also be a penalty of 10% of all fares and transfers, less $20 for taxes (gee, thanks guys). The final cost, to me, was $786.02.

I never got the yellow fever vaccination, but I believe this dismal experience has inoculated me against HAL’s advertising and sales methods.

SUSAN BEVERLY

Newcastle, WA

ITN sent a copy of the above letter to Holland America Line (300 Elliott Ave. West, Seattle, WA 98119) and received no reply.