cabin upgrade

[socal4me]

is it considered whining to ask for an upgrade?

we are sailing soon on the Oosterdam, and this year we are taking my senior dad w/us. I just recently requested a handicapped room for dad as he just bought a scooter (mainly for the excursions). The TA was able to get him a handicapped room in the cabin category we purchased.

I let her know that it would be just fine if my husband and I could get an upgrade, and her email reply was a bit 'condescending' or at least that was my perception.

Today I tried online checkin (then saw it was down) but it did show our cabin assignment, a few cabins down from dad. I called HAL but they referred me back to my TA - so I've sent an email to ask about the upgrade. I mentioned this would be our 3rd cruise w/HAL and both times prior we were upgraded.

so - back to original question: is this considered whining? any suggestions from the experienced cruise critics out there?

[ekerr19]

I'd ask myself why should you get something for free that others are already paying for?

 

If you want a certain cabin/category, book it. I wouldn't depend on HAL to arbitrarily choose you for an upgrade. There are quite a few of here with many, many days on HAL who rarely experience that. :)

[mountainmare]

Are you asking for a free upgrade or a for pay upsell?

If it is to be considered for an upsell you should ask your TA to tell HAL that should upsells become available you would like to be considered. As for free upgrade--if it was as easy as just asking everybody would get one.

Hey--I would like a free upgrade to the PS, who do I ask. I'll even bring wine instead of whining.

 

If your booking was linked to your dads HAL probably figured that they were doing you a big favor by having your cabins close to each other.

[canadianbear]

I think it was good of HAL to put you in a cabin close to your father. It certainly will be much more convenient for all of you to be close together and personally would leave it as is. But..that is just my opinion!:)

[shootr]

Are you asking for a free upgrade or a for pay upsell?

If it is to be considered for an upsell you should ask your TA to tell HAL that should upsells become available you would like to be considered. As for free upgrade--if it was as easy as just asking everybody would get one.

Hey--I would like a free upgrade to the PS, who do I ask. I'll even bring wine instead of whining.

 

If your booking was linked to your dads HAL probably figured that they were doing you a big favor by having your cabins close to each other.

 

 

I thought it was "Cheese with your whine (wine)"???:D:D:D:D:D:D

[knitlady037]

Yes I would consider you a whiner.

[Oceanwench]

Are you asking for a free upgrade or a for pay upsell?

If it is to be considered for an upsell you should ask your TA to tell HAL that should upsells become available you would like to be considered. As for free upgrade--if it was as easy as just asking everybody would get one.

Hey--I would like a free upgrade to the PS, who do I ask. I'll even bring wine instead of whining.

 

If your booking was linked to your dads HAL probably figured that they were doing you a big favor by having your cabins close to each other.

 

AMEN!!! :p

[Sailkeywest]

I don't think it is whining to ask for something if you aren't sure if you qualify for one. No harm ever came from asking. :)

 

I asked my HAL rep how the upgrade system works, even though I marked my cabin as "no upgrade." As for condescending responses from the TA, why would the TA care, I mean it is no sweat off their backs to answer a question?

[knitlady037]

Pointing out that you have been given 2 upgrades already and are asking for another would put you on the bottom of this list if it were up to me. I notice you only asked for an upgrade for yourself. What about your father? You asked for suggestions. Mine is- book the cabin you are happy with and if the upgrade fairy visits - you have a reason to be happier.

[socal4me]

what is a pay upsell?

[Cruzin Terri]

is it considered whining to ask for an upgrade?

we are sailing soon on the Oosterdam, and this year we are taking my senior dad w/us. I just recently requested a handicapped room for dad as he just bought a scooter (mainly for the excursions). The TA was able to get him a handicapped room in the cabin category we purchased.

I let her know that it would be just fine if my husband and I could get an upgrade, and her email reply was a bit 'condescending' or at least that was my perception.

Today I tried online checkin (then saw it was down) but it did show our cabin assignment, a few cabins down from dad. I called HAL but they referred me back to my TA - so I've sent an email to ask about the upgrade. I mentioned this would be our 3rd cruise w/HAL and both times prior we were upgraded.

so - back to original question: is this considered whining? any suggestions from the experienced cruise critics out there?

Did you get what you paid for? If so, be happy with that.

We have never gotten an upgrade and I book what I can live with. Therefore I am happy. I don't expect more than what I paid for. If I get something more I consider it a gift, not something I am entitled to.

Terri

[knitlady037]

what is a pay upsell?

An upsell is like an upgrade except there is a fee involved, usually lower than the advertised rate for the room being offered. These come directly from the cruiseline. If you book through a TA they will receive the offer and the TA must ask you if you accept. Once you have a TA the cruiseline cannot deal with you directly.

[Randyk47]

OK. I'll take a stab at this. Not all upgrades are created equally. This is my understanding and there may be variations but:

 

1) Up Buy: Up buys are initiated by the cruiser. Say for instance we've booked an inside category. After weeks, maybe months, we think "Wow, it would be great to be able to see outside, maybe even walk outside." So we call our TA, or HAL if you've booked on line or directly with HAL, and ask to buy our way up from our inside cabin to a veranda category cabin. Generally speaking you're going to pay the full fare price difference between your original cabin and the one you now want.

 

2) Up Sell: Up sells are initiated by HAL. The offers come through your TA, or HAL, and involve offering to move you to a higher category cabin for a fee or amount. That fee or amount can be anything from a discounted amount to the full fare difference between your booked category and the offered category. Not all up sells are created equally, some are bargains, some are not.

 

3) Up Grades: Well I guess anytime you move from one category cabin to a higher category it's an up grade. In my mind a true up grade is where HAL offers to move you for free from your purchased category, be it a specific cabin within a category or a guarantee, to a higher category. To me not all upgrades, even though they're free, are really upgrades. How's that? For instance, an SY is just an SS but in a different location. Getting "up graded" from an SY to an SS is really kind of a "rearranging the deck chairs" and you may, or may not depending on your point of view, have moved to a better location on the ship. Personally I don't consider that an up grade. On the other hand getting moved from an SS to an S category cabin is indeed an upgrade, actually a fairly significant upgrade, because of the difference in the perks that come with an S category cabin. The bottom line, at least in my opinion, is that a true upgrade is free and involves moving to a truly higher cabin category.

 

I've probably missed some variation but to me these are the basics.

[Nancyquilts]

It's been my experience that, with any cruise line, people are more likely to be upgraded on their first or second cruise. Once you have a number of cruises on a line, they figure you are hooked and don't give you an upgrade.:(

[sapper1]

is it considered whining to ask for an upgrade?

we are sailing soon on the Oosterdam, and this year we are taking my senior dad w/us. I just recently requested a handicapped room for dad as he just bought a scooter (mainly for the excursions). The TA was able to get him a handicapped room in the cabin category we purchased.

I let her know that it would be just fine if my husband and I could get an upgrade, and her email reply was a bit 'condescending' or at least that was my perception.

Today I tried online checkin (then saw it was down) but it did show our cabin assignment, a few cabins down from dad. I called HAL but they referred me back to my TA - so I've sent an email to ask about the upgrade. I mentioned this would be our 3rd cruise w/HAL and both times prior we were upgraded.

so - back to original question: is this considered whining? any suggestions from the experienced cruise critics out there?

When you book your cruise, if you would accept an upgrade, just have the TA indicate such on your booking. You will either be given one---or not---luck of the draw. Making a special request for an upgrade will not put you ahead of anyone else who has indicated they would accept one, if offered.

On our first four cruises we indicated we would not accept an upgrade as we wanted the location on the ship that we had booked. On the last cruise we had our TA tick the "will accept" box and we were given a very substantial upgrade. This was followed a few days later by a great upsell offer, to an SY, which we took. Two days before the cruise we were upgraded again to an SS. This was a sold out cruise and there was a lot of deck chair rearranging going on.

It would be nice to have an upgrade on our next two cruises but I take the view that upgrades are capricious and it is nice to get one but also not a problem if we don't. We will have what we are paying for and will have a wonderful time.

Your father is probably quite relieved that you are in a cabin a few doors down from him. The Oosterdam is a large ship and an upgrade could put you some distance from him.

[jtl513]

It's been my experience that, with any cruise line, people are more likely to be upgraded on their first or second cruise. Once you have a number of cruises on a line, they figure you are hooked and don't give you an upgrade.:(

We have gotten upgrades on all seven of our guarantees. The largest was from a VH to a VA.

[yogi2929]

We took an upsell. We were in two adjoining quad VHs and we were offered adjoining quad SAs. Best thing we ever did.

[Straitaway]

Would someone please point me to where I can find an expalanation for all of these cabin codes? When I look at the deckplans for our ship, all I see is A thru NN. What is all of this SS and SY stuff? What makes an upgrade? I can see the difference between inside, outside, verandah and suite, but beyond that, what is the difference?

[IRL_Joanie]

Would someone please point me to where I can find an expalanation for all of these cabin codes? When I look at the deckplans for our ship, all I see is A thru NN. What is all of this SS and SY stuff? What makes an upgrade? I can see the difference between inside, outside, verandah and suite, but beyond that, what is the difference?

 

Straitaway, I have photos, from HAL and CC members here: http://abqreunion2008.com/ that may make it easier to understand the various Stateroom categories.

 

If you click on any of the ships, you will see the different layouts and sizes, along with explanations of each of the staterooms.

 

Hope this helps at least a little bit.

 

Joanie

[baggal]

is it considered whining to ask for an upgrade?

we are sailing soon on the Oosterdam, and this year we are taking my senior dad w/us. I just recently requested a handicapped room for dad as he just bought a scooter (mainly for the excursions). The TA was able to get him a handicapped room in the cabin category we purchased.

I let her know that it would be just fine if my husband and I could get an upgrade, and her email reply was a bit 'condescending' or at least that was my perception.

Today I tried online checkin (then saw it was down) but it did show our cabin assignment, a few cabins down from dad. I called HAL but they referred me back to my TA - so I've sent an email to ask about the upgrade. I mentioned this would be our 3rd cruise w/HAL and both times prior we were upgraded.

so - back to original question: is this considered whining? any suggestions from the experienced cruise critics out there?

 

I have sailed on HAL five times. Booked either with an on-line TA or directly with HAL. I select my cabin based on my personal preference (a low, mid-ship balcony) and am always very happy with it. After all, its what I chose at a price that seemed reasonable. I have never been contacted by either HAL or the TA for an upgrade - paid or otherwise. What's going on that I seem to be missing?

[Straitaway]

Thanks, Joanie. I had looked at your site before asking the question and still did not understand some of the categories that people talk about. Does the location of the room give it a different designation within a category?

[jtl513]

Would someone please point me to where I can find an expalanation for all of these cabin codes? When I look at the deckplans for our ship, all I see is A thru NN. What is all of this SS and SY stuff? What makes an upgrade? I can see the difference between inside, outside, verandah and suite, but beyond that, what is the difference?

 

Thanks, Joanie. I had looked at your site before asking the question and still did not understand some of the categories that people talk about. Does the location of the room give it a different designation within a category?

 

Basically location. On Vistas,

SA, SB, SC are the same except for location

SS, SY, SZ are the same except for location

VA, VB, VC are the same except for location

VD to VH vary a little both in location and differences in their balconies

C to F are the same except for location

G to HH vary in location and degree of obstruction

I to NN vary in location and size

 

Now, since you said "A thru NN" that tells me you are not on a Vista ship, because they do not have A thru BC cabins. R-class and S-class ships do not have SC to VH, and only the Amsterdam has SA and SB, but again the only real difference between A thru BC on those ships is location.

 

What ship are you on?

[IRL_Joanie]

Thanks, Joanie. I had looked at your site before asking the question and still did not understand some of the categories that people talk about. Does the location of the room give it a different designation within a category?

 

Yes it does!! A VF for example can be located on Decks 4 and 5. On either side of the VE staterooms, VE, while being the same size, are located mid ships and less prone to ship/wave movement.

 

I will have to leave it to the more seasoned HAL cruisers to explain it better. But it is location of the stateroom that determines, if I am not mistaken, the various V Category staterooms.

 

The SA, SB, SC, SS and SY are all larger and in some instances, people say better located.

 

Me, I prefer any stateroom with a verandah, as long as it is on a HAL Ship:)

 

Joanie

[Straitaway]

Basically location. On Vistas,

SA, SB, SC are the same except for location

SS, SY, SZ are the same except for location

VA, VB, VC are the same except for location

VD to VH vary a little both in location and differences in their balconies

C to F are the same except for location

G to HH vary in location and degree of obstruction

I to NN vary in location and size

 

Now, since you said "A thru NN" that tells me you are not on a Vista ship, because they do not have A thru BC cabins. R-class and S-class ships do not have SC to VH, and only the Amsterdam has SA and SB, but again the only real difference between A thru BC on those ships is location.

 

What ship are you on?

 

Okay, that helps a lot, but it's all way too complicated for me. I really only intend to shower and sleep in my room, so I don't much care where it is. The darker and quieter, the better, so I got an inside guarantee this time. Seems as though preference for location is pretty subjective. When I bring grandchildren, I get an outside. Balconies make me nervous.

 

I'm on the Maasdam, so maybe that is why I don't see all of those categories.