Upgrades - how to do it ?

[cruz chic]

I believe I am the poster you are referring to. But I think a clarification is needed here. The original PO asked how to receive an upgrade. My reply was by purchasing a “guarantee” at time of booking. Now I agree with what everyone is saying your chances of receiving or asking for an upgrade at Pier/Dock are slim at best. What I was referring as a time frame was the date final payments are due and receiving an upgrade notice shortly thereafter. So I am talking about a period of say 60 days prior to your sailing date. So why would any cruiser take a “guarantee” for any category if there was no incentive? You say in your post that “it’s the luck of the draw”. Really? I’ll use myself as an example. I book a year out, 3 star mariner status take the “guarantee” with my understanding of what a “guarantee” means to me. Two weeks before final deposits are due Cruiser B with no sailing experience with HA takes out that same “guarantee” . Now this is where I must be missing something. If I am wrong please correct me so I can complain to HAL. IMHO there has to be a pecking order on who receives the upgrade first. I do not care if it’s based on how far out you booked or your mariners status or any other factor. Does HAL give the upgrade first to their repeat customer or does HAL give the upgrade first to the guy who has never sailed with them? You cannot tell me that “it’s the luck of the draw” because if HAL has this policy (luck of the draw) their screwing all there repeat customers and I will cancel my two guarantees on my 2011 cruises.

Please see Dutchbyassociations post #17...he says it's random and from my expereince it is true. He works for HAL so I'm thinking he's in the know. I think I have around 15 or so cruise with HAL...most all of them guarentees. I usually will go up within the category and sometimes to the next cat. ie inside to an outside. I've heard some amazing stories on here of people going from an inside to a suite...it's never happened to me. Seems to me some of the newbies do get better upgrades. You might want to go with a specific room rather then a guarentee. I'm happy for the most part with what HAL assigns me but when sailing with Princess I usually book a specific room.

[jcrandle]

Don't you think it would be appropriate to consider Mariner status, rather than upgrade people who have never sailed HAL before (which is what seems to happen)?:)

 

Actually, if I were running a cruise line, I would always choose first time sailors with my line for upgrades. Talk about a way to build instant loyalty! Some would come back 8 or 10 times before they would realize that it would never happen again.:D

[Nancyquilts]

Actually, if I were running a cruise line, I would always choose first time sailors with my line for upgrades. Talk about a way to build instant loyalty! Some would come back 8 or 10 times before they would realize that it would never happen again.:D

Sounds like you're running all the cruise lines.:D

[cruz chic]

Actually, if I were running a cruise line, I would always choose first time sailors with my line for upgrades. Talk about a way to build instant loyalty! Some would come back 8 or 10 times before they would realize that it would never happen again.:D

Too funny:D.

[ICUQT]

I was concerned about the interpetations of the "Gauarantee" in this thread by many posters. I received this reply from my inquiery a short time ago. It reaffirms my understanding of the "Guarantee". I hope the explanation helps others. I have ommitted the name of the HAL representative who responded to my request for privacy concerns.

 

bob

 

Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 2:24 PM

Subject: Re: Questions Before You Book [<AD66496>] {469689}

 

 

Dear Robert,

 

Thank you for your recent correspondence with Holland America Line regarding your 2011 voyages.

At the time your travel agent established your booking they made it with a guarantee stateroom. A guarantee means your stateroom assignment will not be made until 1-7 days prior to departure. The stateroom assignment is made at the discretion of our Ship Inventory Department based on rate paid, Mariner status and availability.

 

Guests who are booked into a guarantee stateroom are guaranteed they will be assigned the category they paid for. Only if space allows will you receive a complimentary upgrade. Guests should not book a guarantee stateroom planning to be upgraded. You must plan for being assigned into the category you paid for.

 

On all guarantee staterooms you can end up forward, or aft on any deck level that the category you paid for is located. If a complimentary upgrade is available you could end up in any higher category then what you paid for, anywhere on the ship. In some cases a guest may consider the assigned stateroom an undesirable location compared to the category they paid for, even though the stateroom assigned is a higher category.

 

If you have a specific request to be mid-ship, forward, aft, near an elevator or if you are in need of a wheelchair accessible stateroom we highly recommend you contact your travel agent so they can advise what options might be available. We do not suggest a guarantee to anyone with specific location needs.

 

Once your stateroom is assigned a new invoice will be faxed or emailed to your travel agent. Again assignments are made within 1-7 days prior to sailing. You can also go online to www.hollandamerica.com on the home page under Quick Links click on Online Check-In. Once you are signed in you will see your stateroom number at the top of the Online Check-In page under your booking number. Or, click the print button under Boarding Pass stateroom number will be displayed.

 

If you have any questions regarding your guarantee stateroom please contact your travel agent. Holland America Line is unable to provide further details on your reservation to you because of a contractual agreement between us and travel agencies.

 

Holland America Line is confident our Signature of Excellence will surpass your expectations. We look forward to welcoming you onboard in the near future.

 

Kind Regards,

[Nancyquilts]

I'm delighted to see that HAL has changed to allow for Mariner status. It's nice to know our 100 days plus will be considered in the future.:)

[cruz chic]

I'm delighted to see that HAL has changed to allow for Mariner status. It's nice to know our 100 days plus will be considered in the future.:)

Well that's the "PC" speak anyway. I'm more inclined to beleive what Dutchbyassociation says. What is HAL going to say really? Your mariner status means nothing to us;):D.

[Nancyquilts]

Well that's the "PC" speak anyway. I'm more inclined to beleive what Dutchbyassociation says. What is HAL going to say really? Your mariner status means nothing to us;):D.

Aw, shucks. You mean just because he works for HAL he might have inside information that we don't?;):D

[Davidson Duo]

We booked a guarantee on January 6 for our 28 day Panama Cruise leaving March 19. We paid $2100.00 each on a smoking hot deal for a G category outside. The current price for this category is $3351.45, so even if we didn't get an upgrade, we would have saved a good chunk of change by booking earlier. We knew it had the possibility of being partially obstructed, porthole, no bathtub, front of the ship, etc., but were willing to take the chance that we would end up with what we paid for. We don't spend a lot of time in our room, neither of us suffer from motion sickness, and prefer to save what we can on pricing which makes us able to travel more often.

 

We got our cabin assignment today (1 week before departure). We are very happy with our upgrade fairy. She has put us into a D category mid ship with full, unobstructed window view. The current price for this cabin is $4371.45. We saved over $2200 per person by taking our chances with the guarantee booking.

 

You have to decide whether or not you are willing to take the chance of no upgrade when you play the guarantee game. We knew we could have easily ended up with exactly what we booked, and were prepared to enjoy ourselves if that is what we got. But we also were willing to spin the wheel to see if got lucky, and this time we did.

 

Also, if you are not comfortable with the unknown and are the type of person who will stress about waiting for a cabin assignment, then guarantees are not for you. We were fortunate to find out our cabin number a full week ahead of departure. Quite often we will leave a few days ahead of our cruise date and may not know where we will be rooming before we leave home.

 

It is a great option for easy to please cruisers who are willing to take the chance that they MIGHT get an upgrade, but remember - it is not a guarantee of an upgrade, but a guarantee of at least what you booked. If you are willing to take the gamble, then go for it. We sure are glad we did. Now we just have to decide what to do with the $4400 we saved!!! More than enough to book another cruise! We just have to decide where to! Enjoy!:)

[parrotfeathers]

On the Eurodam, it looks as if the SB and SC categories are not in the best locations and there aren't very many of them. Yesterday I called HA and told them to make a notation that I would take an upsell if offered to SA (I am SY). She said there was already a note that I would take an upgrade and when that time came I would get a "letter". But, to me, an upsell and an upgrade are two different things (one is paid for and one is a gifty). So, if the upsell offer to SA doesn't come but the upsell offer does come for SB or SC, are those cabins on the Eurodam considered acceptable or unacceptable locations on the ship?

[ICUQT]

We booked a guarantee on January 6 for our 28 day Panama Cruise leaving March 19. We paid $2100.00 each on a smoking hot deal for a G category outside. The current price for this category is $3351.45, so even if we didn't get an upgrade, we would have saved a good chunk of change by booking earlier. We knew it had the possibility of being partially obstructed, porthole, no bathtub, front of the ship, etc., but were willing to take the chance that we would end up with what we paid for. We don't spend a lot of time in our room, neither of us suffer from motion sickness, and prefer to save what we can on pricing which makes us able to travel more often.

 

We got our cabin assignment today (1 week before departure). We are very happy with our upgrade fairy. She has put us into a D category mid ship with full, unobstructed window view. The current price for this cabin is $4371.45. We saved over $2200 per person by taking our chances with the guarantee booking.

 

You have to decide whether or not you are willing to take the chance of no upgrade when you play the guarantee game. We knew we could have easily ended up with exactly what we booked, and were prepared to enjoy ourselves if that is what we got. But we also were willing to spin the wheel to see if got lucky, and this time we did.

 

Also, if you are not comfortable with the unknown and are the type of person who will stress about waiting for a cabin assignment, then guarantees are not for you. We were fortunate to find out our cabin number a full week ahead of departure. Quite often we will leave a few days ahead of our cruise date and may not know where we will be rooming before we leave home.

 

It is a great option for easy to please cruisers who are willing to take the chance that they MIGHT get an upgrade, but remember - it is not a guarantee of an upgrade, but a guarantee of at least what you booked. If you are willing to take the gamble, then go for it. We sure are glad we did. Now we just have to decide what to do with the $4400 we saved!!! More than enough to book another cruise! We just have to decide where to! Enjoy!:)

 

Well stated and you make my point. It is a gamble that some of us are willing to take. So take out the "Gaurantee" for the category you want to be in and anything better is great. Bottom line if by chance it works out you save yourself some significant $$$.

 

bob