Coastal Guarantee Only Logic

[mina]

I am booked on a 4 day May San Diego to Vancouver coastal in 2011 (Oosterdam). I can only book a guarantee -- however if I book the 1 day immediately after(Vancouver to Seattle) -- I CAN pick my cabin. Does anyone have any idea what the logic is behind this? The one day is not a continuation of another cruise. I just don't understand!

[Cruise_More_Often]

I am booked on a 4 day May San Diego to Vancouver coastal in 2011 (Oosterdam). I can only book a guarantee -- however if I book the 1 day immediately after(Vancouver to Seattle) -- I CAN pick my cabin. Does anyone have any idea what the logic is behind this? The one day is not a continuation of another cruise. I just don't understand!

Weird, we just booked a one-day Seattle to Vancouver for September 2011 on the Westerdam, and it's all guarantee booking.

 

You didn't actually book the 1-day coming back to Seattle, did you? I think it might be a violation of the Passenger Services Act (also known as the Jones Act) that catches cruisers unaware every spring and fall.

[trophy_23]

Curious why it would be a violation? They are seperate bookings, you'd trchnically be getting off the ship then reboarding?

[mina]

I did not book it -- it is almost the same $$ for the one nite VA balcony as it is for the four day! -- maybe that is why you can select your cabin?

[Jemima]

The 4 day is the second leg of a 14 day cruise. The first leg is a 10 day Mexico.

We had the same situation, guarantees only, on our 6 day Zaandam in April. It was part of a 21 day cruise with leg one Hawaii and leg two Pacific coast. The guarantee worked fine.

HAL wants to keep cabins available for those booking the full cruise. Also, some booking the longer first leg may latter want to add on the second leg.

[mina]

Thank you!! I did not realize it was part of a 14 day cruise offering!

[Cruise_More_Often]

Curious why it would be a violation? They are seperate bookings, you'd trchnically be getting off the ship then reboarding?

Every year people run into problems with having booked two cruises similar to those the OP mentioned, even booking successfully. Then somewhere along the line, the cruise line or the TA contacts the cruiser to tell them that it can't be done. Here's a link to a thread that was on the NCL Board last September with similar facts -- Passenger Vessel Services Act Violation. You can use separate cruise lines, as you'll see in the link. We did it a couple of years ago, using the NCL Pearl to get us to Vancouver, then walking across the terminal and onto the Coral Princess for a cruise to San Francisco. And we're doing it next year, too -- Westerdam to Vancouver, NCL Pearl to LA.

[fridayeyes]

Curious why it would be a violation? They are seperate bookings, you'd trchnically be getting off the ship then reboarding?

 

It's considered a single booking for the purposes of the PSVA unless you spend a night on land. In fact, you can't even switch ships. We tried to do one ship San Diego to Vancouver, then a diff ship (same day) from Vancouver to LA and the booking was not allowed. Presumably, if you switched *lines* you could get away with it, though.

 

The PSVA is a PITA! :D

[trophy_23]

Wow thanks for the clarification, I had been looking at one of these options to get to Seattle in May for our trip, but took Amtrak instead. The T/A never mentioned it at all.

[AZNative2000]

Our PCC at HAL stopped us from booking this cruise pair as well :(

[YYC F/A]

I am booked on a 4 day May San Diego to Vancouver coastal in 2011 (Oosterdam). I can only book a guarantee -- however if I book the 1 day immediately after(Vancouver to Seattle) -- I CAN pick my cabin. Does anyone have any idea what the logic is behind this? The one day is not a continuation of another cruise. I just don't understand!

 

I don't think anyone has actually answered the OPs question so I will try:

 

HAL almost always sells the coastal voyages in conjunction with the PREVIOUS cruise or as a combi. For instance, Fort Lauderdale to San Diego Panama Canal can also be sold as a Fort Lauderdale to Vancouver cruise.

 

Priority is given to the guests doing the 15-20 night voyage rather than just the 3 to 5 days at the end, so the short portion is all guarantee and figured out at the end when they do the berthing and close the ship out.

 

There are a lot of upgrades (and I believe overselling of the lead-in categories) so the chances of a category upgrade are good on a coastal.

 

I hope that helps!

 

EDITED TO ADD: I see Jemima already answered the same way above - oops, sorry about that!

[mina]

Thank you all for the clarification. I had not seen that it was being sold as a 14 day - as I only searched for MAY cruises and the 14 day starts in April!

 

We have a VA guarantee -- and will be happy with whatever we get. We also got great return airfare from vancouver to Phoenix ($110 each + taxes - can you believe that!). So this will be a great, short, relaxing adventure.

[AZNative2000]

We also got great return airfare from vancouver to Phoenix ($110 each + taxes - can you believe that!). So this will be a great, short, relaxing adventure.

 

Please tell me which airline??? We may be joining your cruise:) THANKS!!

[mina]

it was united -- price dropped on weds -- connecting flight leaving YVR at 1 pm arriving in Phx at 7:15. I think some of their other flights were the same price -- all connecting. The only direct is USair and it is $259 a ticket

 

Just FYI -- since it is an international flight the taxes were higher so the total cost of each ticket was $170 - still about the lowest I have seen