HAL Holding all veranda staterooms for Alaska Cruise tours only

[Booyakasha]

I was informed today that HAL will not let you book a veranda/balcony stateroom on a 2010 South bound Alaska cruise as they are saving them all for the cruise tour guests first. If they don't sell them all they will then open them to cruise only. Does anybody have any more info on what I think is a stupid policy.

 

Thanks!

 

B.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

This is nothing new -- HAL has been doing this for years. HAL is under the impression that all people taking the land tours will book balconies and veraandahs -- which is not ture.

In 2003 we wanted to do back-to-back cruises from Vanouver in an S category. We had started the booking process in May of 2002. HAL kept saying -- no way. Our TA kept going from supervisor to supervisor -- pointing out that we were spending more on our S cabin than the majority of people on cruise and land tours. Finally they gave in -- July and we got our cabin.

The same exact thing happened in 2006. And once again the battle started. With fewer and fewer flights out TA even added that to the arguement noting that we can't wait until 2 or 3 months before sailing to book flights -- plus at that late date we wouldn't get the cabin of our choice -- and probably wouldn't get the same cabin for both segments. Once again they gave in.

Last year we did a repositioning cruise from Ft Lauderdale to Seattle and attached on an Alaskan cruise.

We had decided earlier this year that if we wanted to go to Alaska in 2010 we were going to have to go with Princess. The HAL presented a new itinerary -- 14 day Amsterdam round trip from Seattle.

[fann1sh]

I agree HAL Seattle's policy is wrong and stupid.

 

However, the dumbest part about this policy is how it backfires.

 

People discover how much they can enjoy an Alaska cruise without a balcony. (And I'm one of them....) --Patricia

[LADYLAYLA]

And the funny part -- we have specifically asked about this at the question /answer session while on the ship and at some land based HAL get togethers and the only HAL rep's or staff that acknowledge this is the case is the FCC on the ship. All others swear that they do not do this and anyone who told us that they did was lying!

 

 

 

 

I was informed today that HAL will not let you book a veranda/balcony stateroom on a 2010 South bound Alaska cruise as they are saving them all for the cruise tour guests first. If they don't sell them all they will then open them to cruise only. Does anybody have any more info on what I think is a stupid policy.

 

Thanks!

 

B.

[Krazy Kruizers]

And the funny part -- we have specifically asked about this at the question /answer session while on the ship and at some land based HAL get togethers and the only HAL rep's or staff that acknowledge this is the case is the FCC on the ship. All others swear that they do not do this and anyone who told us that they did was lying!

 

We have sailed quite a but on HAL -- have well over 500 days -- and have done quite a few Alaskan cruises -- but have never been invited to a Q & E on the Alaskan cruises.

I can assure that if we had been -- we would also have brought up this topic!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Oh yes -- and I forgot to mention that on our last back-to-back cruises I asked quite a few people who came on the ship after doing a land tour if they were in an S suite -- the majority of them were in inside cabins!!!

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

We are also glad to see HAL is offering the 14 day itinerary out of Seattle next year. Should be no problem with veranda staterooms on those cruises.

 

Barbara

[Krazy Kruizers]

We are also glad to see HAL is offering the 14 day itinerary out of Seattle next year. Should be no problem with veranda staterooms on those cruises.

 

Barbara

 

There isn't -- since there is no way anyone can do a land tour on this cruise.

We booked the 14 day Alaskan cruise while we were cruising last April.

[born 2 cruise]

We are also booked with Hal in Aug. 2010. I asked for an upgrade to a veranda. They said they were all sold out to cruisetour people but some would become availabel. I told them to take me off the upgrade list, was afraid I would get a bad one.

 

Vis:(

[Booyakasha]

I hope HAL gets a lot of cruise tours as it looks like they are going to lose my business to another cruise line.

 

Thanks for all the info.

 

B.

[catl331]

We didn't want a veranda on our land/tour cruise. It was September and we were very happy with oceanview!

[Jade13]

Wow. Maybe that was why we could not get a Verandah when we went to Alaska and booked at least 8 months in advance.

 

For Canada/New England next year the Verandahs are GTY only. They may be giving them to those on the btb cruises but I'm not sure about that. We won't pay an extra $2,000 for a 7 night cruise in a GTY, so it looks like we will be in an OV.

 

In some ways HAL is making it harder to choose them over other cruise lines. Right now we are booked on both Azamara and Celebrity for next year and with much better accomodations. I think someone said we will also need to rent a refrigerator for our OV on Maasdam. I thought the ship had gone to dry dock but apparently just for mechanical updates and nothing like the upgrades on Veendam.