up grade fairy

[world~citizen]

If you book a guarantee, then you're pretty much stuck with what you're assigned. (Except as world~citizen noted, there have been some exceptions made in rare cases.)

 

I suspect it is rare. In the case referenced there was an upgrade in category but with the loss of a bathtub. It can happen.

 

That kind of begs the question: when is an upgrade not an upgrade?

 

Smooth sailing...

[kazu]

ok, so now I am confused.

 

We never book a guarantee. We always select our cabin:cool: and yet,we have been offered upgrades three times in the last three cruises:p

 

Mind you these were not freebies. We paid but much less than regular price or even sail price.

 

So, I guess there is no rhyme or reason. those hoping for a deluxe verandah, you will have to pay albeit much less. Our first upgrade was from verandah to superior verandah. (we took it $$) Our second upgrade was from Superior Verandah (a big step) to Deluxe Verandah. We took it ($$). Last cruise we had Deluxe Verandah and the Penthouse was not booked so we got offered it and we took it ($$$).

 

Maybe HAL can figure out who the people are who once they experience it won't change? i don't know. but now we always book Deluxe Verandah's - that's a long way from a Verandah which is where we started and all because of a couple of upgrades.

 

i think that's their goal.

 

No luck on the next cruise for guarantees as all the superiors, deluxe and penthouse are sold out as well as 90% of the verandahs. so in that scenario, I prefer to know where I will be and if someone can't do it and the upgrade fairy wants to make me an offer, I'm always willing to listen. Jacqui

[mtnmusic]

Can't prove it by me. :(

 

Ruth, I understand you just returned from a Westerdam cruise that stopped at essentially the same ports our 9/12 cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam will visit. It would really be helpful if you could visit our roll call with your experiences and suggestions. Thanks!

[jtl513]

Ruth, I understand you just returned from a Westerdam cruise that stopped at essentially the same ports our 9/12 cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam will visit. It would really be helpful if you could visit our roll call with your experiences and suggestions. Thanks!

Not the same ports as your 9/12-24 cruise, but the exact same ports as our 9/24-10/6 cruise.

[kazu]

Hi,

 

Several people here mentioned that they were offered upgrades and turned them down. When I spoke with my travel agent I was told that if I was upgraded Holland America would do it without consulting me and there was no going back. Because of this I was afraid I might get booked in an upgraded cabin that was basically the same cabin I was already in, only on a higher deck but maybe in a less desirable location. I was not willing to take that chance so I said no to an automatic upgrade. If people are being offered upgrades with the option to turn them down I would like to know how they are doing that? Because that is what I would like to do.

 

Thanks for your help,

Coney :)

 

Coney,

 

if you select a cabin, then you are in the driver's seat. They call before they change, just makle sure your TA let's you know about the call.

 

Jacqui

[RuthC]

Ruth, I understand you just returned from a Westerdam cruise that stopped at essentially the same ports our 9/12 cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam will visit. It would really be helpful if you could visit our roll call with your experiences and suggestions. Thanks!

I'll stop in, and answer what I can.

If anyone's making hot chocolate, I'll have a mug.

[jtl513]

Coney,

 

if you select a cabin, then you are in the driver's seat.

Usually, but not always. We were moved without any call.

[SwissMyst]

Forget the Upgrade Fairy, not even the Cabin Number Meister has shown up. But luckily I hope we are in a no-lose situation - the guaranteed SZ we booked looks good enough and sounds actually even better than those higher up the food chain so all's well that ends well when we finally get our cabin number --- I guess as we actually board the ship in a few more days.

 

I wonder what the delay is all about since this appears to be a fully booked ship. OMG, do they ever overbook and we have no cabin at all? :confused:

[jtl513]

I wonder what the delay is all about since this appears to be a fully booked ship. OMG, do they ever overbook and we have no cabin at all? :confused:

Yes, surprisingly often they will overbook, and will call people making offers to switch to another cruise. Nobody gets bumped involuntarily like on airplanes, though.

[sparky-elpaso]

We were visited by the upgrade fairy on our first HAL cruise in March on the Westerdam. I booked a VE guarantee (had no choice since we booked kind of late) and ended up in a VA on deck 7 right by the aft elevators. A really great location.

[Dog Drool]

As described before the upgrades are due to a number of reasons – in no particular order because sometimes it is a combination of two or more reasons

 

1. Guarantees have priority on upgrades over people who select a specific stateroom assignment.

2. Mariner Status – number of sea days

3. Rate Paid – higher rate means more likely to be the one to be upgraded (single supplements are high consideration)

4. Availability of rooms for upgrades (don't forget "segment travelers" for Grand Cruises)

5. Date booked

 

 

Hope this all helps to unravel the “mystery” of upgrades.

 

Thanks,

Jennifer

Business Development Services

Holland America Line

 

thanks for the info

I Might get an upgrade

Booked early 6 months out

have a guarantee

and am traveling solo ie paid more

 

But any cabin will do even the closet in the engine room :D

[tcv cruiser]

Forget the Upgrade Fairy, not even the Cabin Number Meister has shown up. But luckily I hope we are in a no-lose situation - the guaranteed SZ we booked looks good enough and sounds actually even better than those higher up the food chain so all's well that ends well when we finally get our cabin number --- I guess as we actually board the ship in a few more days.

 

I wonder what the delay is all about since this appears to be a fully booked ship. OMG, do they ever overbook and we have no cabin at all? :confused:

 

We're on your sailing and while the cruise did show as "sold out" a few days ago, it now shows as having availability in all four categories again (on our TA's website). Strange. Perhaps some cabins opened up somehow and they are still making cabin assignments. We got our a few days ago but last time didn't get it until we were at the pier! Good luck. I'm sure you;ll get a great room!

[CaliforniaAC]

Forget the Upgrade Fairy, not even the Cabin Number Meister has shown up.

 

I wonder what the delay is all about since this appears to be a fully booked ship. OMG, do they ever overbook and we have no cabin at all? :confused:

 

Perhaps the Upgrade Fairy and the Cabin Number Meister fell in love and are taking an extended honeymoon:D.

 

On the Noordam cruise in April we booked a gty about 8 weeks before sailing. We didn't get our cabin number until about the day before we left for Florida. A lot of people on the thread were experiencing the same. The running joke was that they were going to assign us lifeboats with sleeping bags, but that was a upgrade from the deck chair with a blanket:).

[kazu]

We're on your sailing and while the cruise did show as "sold out" a few days ago, it now shows as having availability in all four categories again (on our TA's website). Strange. Perhaps some cabins opened up somehow and they are still making cabin assignments. We got our a few days ago but last time didn't get it until we were at the pier! Good luck. I'm sure you;ll get a great room!

 

was the final payment due? if so, that might explain it.

 

and some people do cancel for whatever reason. not because they want to.

 

hope that happens on our cruise in October because our friends didn't get the category they wanted.

 

Jacqui

[SwissMyst]

[quote name=CaliforniaAC;24742960

 

On the Noordam cruise in April we booked a gty about 8 weeks before sailing. We didn't get our cabin number until about the day before we left for Florida. A lot of people on the thread were experiencing the same. The running joke was that they were going to assign us lifeboats with sleeping bags' date=' but that was a upgrade from the deck chair with a blanket:).[/quote]

 

:D:D:D You made my day! Now, back to packing. Guess I had better include a sleep sack in case all I get is a lounger in the Explorations Cafe and a key to the spa for an after-hours shower.

[slotl]

We're on your sailing and while the cruise did show as "sold out" a few days ago, it now shows as having availability in all four categories again (on our TA's website). Strange. Perhaps some cabins opened up somehow and they are still making cabin assignments.

 

Don't forget that large travel and online agencies "purchase" a large group of tickets for their sales. Many times one agency will "sell out" of their group purchase and other agencies have "leftover" rooms they couldn't sell from their group.

 

These are the tickets which show immediate availablity after previously the ship has been listed as "sold out".

[momatibm]

When I booked my last cruise on the Maasdam, I booked a Veranda, was . upgraded to a superior veranda, automatically. then the Upsells started, to a Deluxe Suite -- I turned down the first offer and took the second, There is NO RHYME or REASON to the upgrade fairy that anyone can figure out. Most of the long time Mariners will tell you -- they haven't been upgraded all that much.

[VAtravelers100]

We just received our cabin assignments 20 days before our July cruise on the Zuiderdam, and we got a nice upgrade! We booked "guaranteed" into three VF verandah cabins, which at the time were the cheapest cabins available for our date. We booked by calling HAL directly.

 

After the final payment deadline, the prices dropped such that the SZ superior verandah suite cabins were the same price as the lower category that we had booked. We called HAL, and even though it was after the final payment deadline, a supervisor moved us up from VF (past VE, VD, VC, VB, and VA) to SZ, at no additional charge.

 

Then, when we received our cabin assignments just recently, we see that our cabins are in category SS (so we skipped SZ and SY). That seems really nice!! We have three cabins in a row - SS8095, 8097, and 8099. I have seen some promising comments from people about these cabins. I hope that they are good ones. We're looking forward to our first cruise!

[kazu]

SS?:p How can anyone complain about that, especially when it is a free upgrade? Only better is the Deluxe Verandah's. If you have never been there, you will be shocked (in the good way) and impressed.

 

They are very nice. Be prepared in case you get the call from the 'pay' upgrade fairy. If you went all that way up,you might be offered the deluxe verandah's. If you are it's really worth considering (it's at a cost).

 

enjoy your upgrade it's great:)