I have a category HH reservation on the Veendam next month (HH is a fully obstructed outside cabin). I have no specific cabin assignment, just a category.
I also have an "Oceanview Guarantee". I think the travel agent mentioned that there is a chance that I might get upgraded to an Oceanview room without the full obstruction.
From your experience, is there much of a chance that I will end up with better room than I currently expect to get?
From your experience, is there much of a chance that I will end up with better room than I currently expect to get?
Depends on how booked the ship is. If it's a popular sailing that has sold out months ago, then you probably have little chance of an upgrade. But if it's just an average selling, or slow selling, sailing ... you might have a good shot. I think sometimes upgrades are a totally random thing. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to how they are given out. I've heard of people on their first or second cruise getting an upgrade, while others with 100 days on HAL find themselves unpacking in just the cabin category they booked.
So, my advice has always been to book what you can live with and if you get upgraded, send a prayer of thanks Heavenward. But just don't go into it expecting that upgrade, because it may very well not happen.
I am also hoping for an upgrade. We have always been very fortunate with getting them before. Out of 19 cruises we have been upgraded from an inside to an outside 16 of them.
As we leave in 37 days for a 32 day cruise of Hawaii/Tahiti I can't wait to get an assigned cabin number and find out where I will be sleeping for over a month.
While there is always a chance for a free upgrade, I wouldn't count on it. I always go by the philosophy of book a cabin category you can live with, and assume you're gonna be assigned that cabin category. If you get an upgrade, great! If not, it's no biggie.
I have close to 100 days on Holland America and I have to say that I have never received any sort of substantial upgrade. Yes, I may have been upgraded a category or two, but I've still been in an inside ... never upgraded to outside ... even a fully obstructed outside.
Now others I know have received some great upgrades. Some others crappy ones ... like from an inside to an outside, but all the way in the front of the ship ... an upgrade they would have preferred not to get because of all the movement you get there.
Another thing too ... Holland America has been doing more and more of this "paid upgrade" stuff. In fact, I just got one such offer in my email queue tonight. They are offering to upgrade me from a category I to MM to a category C to HH for $299 per person (150% of that or $350 for a single). Since I'm at the bottom of the inside categories, I would imagine that I would probably get assigned to a fully obstructed outside, so what's the point? I can just as well stay in my inside cabin than pay an additional $350 to see a lifeboat hanging outside of my window. So, I turned them down.
But I assume if they are making these offers on inside cabins, they probably have similar ones for people to upgrade from an outside to a balcony, or from a "mini suite" to a full suite. If HAL gets a lot of takers on these deals, there won't be much left to upgrade others to since it will be all the lower category cabins that will be emptied.
As I said, upgrades are always possible, but don't pin your hopes on them. If you get a deal on a paid upgrade that works in your favor, then take it. Otherwise, assume you'll be unpacking on embarkation day in the exact same type of cabin that you booked and paid for. Then, if you do wind up with a free upgrade, you can rejoice and offer alms to the upgrade fairy.
We have cruised over 150 nights on HA and once we got an upgrade from fully obstructed to partically obstructed. Out side that we have always had to pay for upgrades. Guess we have not been at the right place at the right time. Good luck!!!----Bill
While there is always a chance for a free upgrade, I wouldn't count on it. I always go by the philosophy of book a cabin category you can live with, and assume you're gonna be assigned that cabin category. If you get an upgrade, great! If not, it's no biggie.
I have close to 100 days on Holland America and I have to say that I have never received any sort of substantial upgrade. Yes, I may have been upgraded a category or two, but I've still been in an inside ... never upgraded to outside ... even a fully obstructed outside.
Now others I know have received some great upgrades. Some others crappy ones ... like from an inside to an outside, but all the way in the front of the ship ... an upgrade they would have preferred not to get because of all the movement you get there.
Another thing too ... Holland America has been doing more and more of this "paid upgrade" stuff. In fact, I just got one such offer in my email queue tonight. They are offering to upgrade me from a category I to MM to a category C to HH for $299 per person (150% of that or $350 for a single). Since I'm at the bottom of the inside categories, I would imagine that I would probably get assigned to a fully obstructed outside, so what's the point? I can just as well stay in my inside cabin than pay an additional $350 to see a lifeboat hanging outside of my window. So, I turned them down.
But I assume if they are making these offers on inside cabins, they probably have similar ones for people to upgrade from an outside to a balcony, or from a "mini suite" to a full suite. If HAL gets a lot of takers on these deals, there won't be much left to upgrade others to since it will be all the lower category cabins that will be emptied.
As I said, upgrades are always possible, but don't pin your hopes on them. If you get a deal on a paid upgrade that works in your favor, then take it. Otherwise, assume you'll be unpacking on embarkation day in the exact same type of cabin that you booked and paid for. Then, if you do wind up with a free upgrade, you can rejoice and offer alms to the upgrade fairy.
Blue skies ...
--rita
Not sure if you guys know-but Rita passed away a couple of months ago. it was reported on CC. It was sudden, no one know why-or at least those who know are not saying. Very sad. She gave great advice. We will miss her.
How much advance notice do you receive if you have been upgraded? Also, would you know where the cabin is? In other words, if I like where my inside cabin is, would they tell me if the outside cabin they were moving me to were right above the engine?
How much advance notice do you receive if you have been upgraded? Also, would you know where the cabin is? In other words, if I like where my inside cabin is, would they tell me if the outside cabin they were moving me to were right above the engine?
You will not automatically get an upgrade if you have an assigned cabin-you have to book a guarantee to be upgraded to a cabin number you do not know about.
IF prices drop, and you have an assigned room, you can contact your agent- then, once they okay it with HAL they tell you the room number-you then decide if you want to change or to stay where you are.
With a guarantee-you take what you get- you are only guaranteed a certain class of cabin or above-and as you pointed out-a supposed "upgrade" is sometimes a "downgrade." If you do not want chancing that-you do better to book a specific cabin.
That makes sense, that if I already know my cabin number, that I probably won't be changed. I guess I'll keep an eye on some of the prices. On our sailing for this coming December, there are a few cabins left in the higher categories, it lookes like about 15 left. A little less then 3 months away.
How much advance notice do you receive if you have been upgraded? Also, would you know where the cabin is? In other words, if I like where my inside cabin is, would they tell me if the outside cabin they were moving me to were right above the engine?
You will not automatically get an upgrade if you have an assigned cabin-you have to book a guarantee to be upgraded to a cabin number you do not know about.
quote]
Not necessarily true. We always book a particular cabin but on one cruise when we checked in we were told we had an upgrade. I thought "oh, wow they are putting us in an S Suite". Well turns out we were moved from our booked B mini-suite to an A mini-suite, whose location was not to our liking.
How much advance notice do you receive if you have been upgraded? Also, would you know where the cabin is? In other words, if I like where my inside cabin is, would they tell me if the outside cabin they were moving me to were right above the engine?
You will not automatically get an upgrade if you have an assigned cabin-you have to book a guarantee to be upgraded to a cabin number you do not know about.
quote]
Not necessarily true. We always book a particular cabin but on one cruise when we checked in we were told we had an upgrade. I thought "oh, wow they are putting us in an S Suite". Well turns out we were moved from our booked B mini-suite to an A mini-suite, whose location was not to our liking.
I would complain then. That is only supposed to happen IF you book a guarantee. Now you could be called about an upsell or perhaps offered a choice of an upgrade-but if you reserve a cabin number, it should not be taken away, and you be given something else. Sounds like your TA pulled a "fast one" on you, my guess is they, or someone at HAL reservations goofed- and did not reserve a specific cabin as they should have, and then tried to save face and say you were upgraded when someone else booked that cabin number.
Out of ten HAL cruises we have been upgraded only once - totally unexpected but very nice, from oceanview to verandah.
It was on the Eurodam, so maybe there is a better chance of an upgrade on the bigger ships, especially for Mariners as most HAL-cruisers seem to prefer the smaller ships - us included :-)
Not necessarily true. We always book a particular cabin but on one cruise when we checked in we were told we had an upgrade. I thought "oh, wow they are putting us in an S Suite". Well turns out we were moved from our booked B mini-suite to an A mini-suite, whose location was not to our liking. [/quote]
What did they do when you told them you did not like the location of the cabin? If you book a specific cabin number, I would think they ned your agreement to move you to another cabin. Had you, in advance, agreed to accept an upgrade?
Not necessarily true. We always book a particular cabin but on one cruise when we checked in we were told we had an upgrade. I thought "oh, wow they are putting us in an S Suite". Well turns out we were moved from our booked B mini-suite to an A mini-suite, whose location was not to our liking.
What did they do when you told them you did not like the location of the cabin? The location was mid-ship, so we thought it was fine, until after the second & third nights when all we could hear was the noise coming up the mid-ship staircase from the Casino - music and ding, ding, ding of the machines. We spoke to the HM the next day, and I believe what they did was close the aft doors from the hall into the Casino, because after that we heard nothing.
If you book a specific cabin number, I would think they ned your agreement to move you to another cabin. You would think so but in this case they didn't ask us in advance. Had you, in advance, agreed to accept an upgrade?[/quote] NO.
Not necessarily true. We always book a particular cabin but on one cruise when we checked in we were told we had an upgrade. I thought "oh, wow they are putting us in an S Suite". Well turns out we were moved from our booked B mini-suite to an A mini-suite, whose location was not to our liking.
What did they do when you told them you did not like the location of the cabin? If you book a specific cabin number, I would think they ned your agreement to move you to another cabin. Had you, in advance, agreed to accept an upgrade?[/quote]
I don't believe them either.
Now me? If I get a bummy cabin-it is my fault-I booked a guarantee.
__________________
Equal opportunity cruiser since 1998-4 Carnival, 4 RCI, 3 HAL, 2 Princess, 2 Celebrity, 3 NCL, 1 Disney
I have now achieved-
ONE HUNDRED DAYS ON A CRUISESHIP!!!!!!!!!!
116 days total
Celebrity Solstice June 16,2012-Med cruise-roundtrip Barcelona
Now me? If I get a bummy cabin-it is my fault-I booked a guarantee.
I'm confused - who don't you believe?
I agree with you - if you book a guarantee and get a bummy cabin then that's your fault, but we booked a specific cabin. I guess whoever changed our cabin thought they were doing us a favour.
Not necessarily true. We always book a particular cabin but on one cruise when we checked in we were told we had an upgrade. I thought "oh, wow they are putting us in an S Suite". Well turns out we were moved from our booked B mini-suite to an A mini-suite, whose location was not to our liking.
Why does that show as a quote from a post of mine?
I didn't write that.
Thanks for your response, DeeDee.
We always book by specific cabin because that is the cabin we want. We don't agree to them moving us without our agreement.
Not necessarily true. We always book a particular cabin but on one cruise when we checked in we were told we had an upgrade. I thought "oh, wow they are putting us in an S Suite". Well turns out we were moved from our booked B mini-suite to an A mini-suite, whose location was not to our liking.
Why does that show as a quote from a post of mine?
I didn't write that.
Thanks for your response, DeeDee.
We always book by specific cabin because that is the cabin we want. We don't agree to them moving us without our agreement.
You had quoted one person and I quoted you. Yours is the bottom part I think.
I found out over on CC that you CAN book a cabin and be upgraded-IF you say you would be agreeable to an upgrade-but only if you SPECIFY you are agreeable-so-unless you say you are agreeable- your cabin would not be taken away.
It seems this is most confusing to people who book online and not directly with a travel agent- when booking online, there is a box you check if you are agreeable to an upgrade. Perhaps this person accidentally checked this box-or forgot they had checked it.
If they did not-then they should go to their travel agent (or whomever they booked with) and complain big time-because then my guess is the travel agent or the person making the reservation goofed.
Bottom line people are not upgraded when they had booked a specific room for no reason.
__________________
Equal opportunity cruiser since 1998-4 Carnival, 4 RCI, 3 HAL, 2 Princess, 2 Celebrity, 3 NCL, 1 Disney
I have now achieved-
ONE HUNDRED DAYS ON A CRUISESHIP!!!!!!!!!!
116 days total
Celebrity Solstice June 16,2012-Med cruise-roundtrip Barcelona
Now me? If I get a bummy cabin-it is my fault-I booked a guarantee.
I'm confused - who don't you believe?
I agree with you - if you book a guarantee and get a bummy cabin then that's your fault, but we booked a specific cabin. I guess whoever changed our cabin thought they were doing us a favour.
Read my response to 7 seas.
__________________
Equal opportunity cruiser since 1998-4 Carnival, 4 RCI, 3 HAL, 2 Princess, 2 Celebrity, 3 NCL, 1 Disney
I have now achieved-
ONE HUNDRED DAYS ON A CRUISESHIP!!!!!!!!!!
116 days total
Celebrity Solstice June 16,2012-Med cruise-roundtrip Barcelona
I have a category HH reservation on the Veendam next month (HH is a fully obstructed outside cabin). I have no specific cabin assignment, just a category.
I also have an "Oceanview Guarantee". I think the travel agent mentioned that there is a chance that I might get upgraded to an Oceanview room without the full obstruction.
From your experience, is there much of a chance that I will end up with better room than I currently expect to get?
We are leaving Monday and had a VH guar. that HAL bumped up to a VB for us. Yeah
Odds of getting an upgrade
Linear Mode
