Guarantee assignment

[LDVinNC]

Late yesterday we received an email from our TA telling us our assignment for our 4/1 transatlantic on the Ryndam. I went right to the HA website and it did not show up there yet, although it is there this morning. We are a bit disappointed to have been assigned a cabin in our guarantee category - FF. We had been hoping for some upgrade, since we booked back last summer. Oh, well, we got we we paid for!

[CruiserBruce]

That is a possibility when you book a GTY. Shouldn't be a surprise.

[Kamloops50]

HAL very rarely gives you an upgrade when you book a guarantee cabin.

[Cruising-along]

HAL very rarely gives you an upgrade when you book a guarantee cabin.

 

Has this been your experience? Several of us have gotten upgrades most of the time. Our best upgrade (twice) was from a regular outside cabin to a balcony.

 

BUT that doesn't mean we expect an upgrade every time. We know the risks, so never book a guarantee cabin we wouldn't be happy with. You really never know. Also we're pretty easy to please, and would be happy anywhere, just get us on the ship. :D

[LDVinNC]

I did not say we were surprised, only disappointed. Seems to me I have read many posts on these boards about folks getting assigned to cabin grades higher than their guarantee level.

 

And, actually, now that I remember the history of this booking, when the price went down the first time we got the reduced price and a guarantee category upgrade at no additional cost at that time. Then we got a second price drop. So, we really came out a lot better than we originally thought we would!

[cruz chic]

Has this been your experience? Several of us have gotten upgrades most of the time. Our best upgrade (twice) was from a regular outside cabin to a balcony.

 

BUT that doesn't mean we expect an upgrade every time. We know the risks, so never book a guarantee cabin we wouldn't be happy with. You really never know. Also we're pretty easy to please, and would be happy anywhere, just get us on the ship. :D

I agree, I've also gotten a pretty good share or upgrades but I've never been as lucky as you in getting upgraded from and oceanview to a balcony. That would be sweet. That said, I've also gotten exactly what I've booked.

[bozemanman]

HAL very rarely gives you an upgrade when you book a guarantee cabin.

 

 

This is simply complete fiction. I have booked a guarantee cabin all but 2 cruises and have yet to NOT get an upgrade...not saying I always will...but very rarely is simply NOT true.

 

I am currently waiting for my assignment now and will let you know if I get an upgrade if you like!:D:D

[magictam]

HAL very rarely gives you an upgrade when you book a guarantee cabin.

 

 

Wow, I'm feeling pretty special now cuz we've booked 3 times with HAL. A guarantee each time and have gotten upgraded all 3 times.

Didn't happend when I booked a guarantee with Carnival.

[dakrewser]

WE got ours for that cruise yesterday also - moved up from an EE to a D. Which isn't really "up", just closer to the center :)

 

We'll take it...

[mllewis48]

I agree with the comments addressing upgrades that they do occur more often than not. However, an upgrade to another category, i.e.) Outside to Verandah, is more rare that an upgrade to another level within the category. We have booked many guarantees and I can't remember a time when we did not get a better stateroom assignment. We have also received several "upsell" offers, most of which we have accepted.

 

Good luck and great cruising

[kakalina]

We also have get upgrades almost every single time we have booked a guarantee ( which is most times).

 

Once we were upgraded from an inside to a small suite. It can happen. Just rarely. I also think that as the ship fills upgrades are less likely. If they sell out the cruise there is no need to upgrade anyone.

 

We had booked a guarantee for our Oct cruise. The price went down so significantly that we were able to switch to a specific cabin of our choosing (from inside guarantee to full view window) and still saved a couple hundred dollars. Worked for us.

[Big Al B.]

I have a feeling that the upgrades depend a lot on how sales are going and what the guarantee category is. For example, the balcony guarantee we had was one with only 4 cabins available. We wound up with an upgrade.

[RMLincoln]

We usually have booked a guarantee and all but once have gotten some albeit minor upgrade, but once got an excellent upgrade from inside to a window, wow that was a surprise, but then again once we booked a C guarantee and hoped for the longshot chance to get a balcony but got the C and loved it.

 

I think most of us hope for an upgrade and may be a bit disappointed if we don't get one. Hoping for an upgrade is part of the guarantee game! But beware that some upgrades really aren't better.... Enjoy your FF and your cruise! m--

[KC4LSU]

Sailing March 24 on Eurodam assigned gty balcony cabin on deck 8. Can anyone tell me their experience there god or bad?

[cruz chic]

Sailing March 24 on Eurodam assigned gty balcony cabin on deck 8. Can anyone tell me their experience there god or bad?

Location?

 

I had a balcony cabin on 8 on the NA. While it was a little more noisy than others I've had it was very acceptable.

[bepsf]

Unique itineraries such as Transatlantics are very popular w/ HAL cruisers - It's not unheard of for Suites and Insides to sell out a year in advance with few cancellations, and Minisuites soon thereafter.

On the other hand - the run-of-the-mill, non-holiday 7-day Eastern/Western Caribbean & Mexican Riviera itineraries aboard the larger ships are your best hope for significant upgrades.

[Cruizer Bill]

We have booked three Guarantee cabins and been upgraded on all three. You did the right thing booking category FF. Ryndam has some Category G cabins that are really bad and you avoided them. Sorry you did not see the Upgrade Fairy, try again. It usually works. Have fun on your cruise!

Bill

[btorlv]

We booked a guarentee for April 3 on the Noordam and have not received our assignment yet. How soon before the cruise do you usually get your assignment? How do you know when your room is assigned?

[Big Al B.]

I think it sort of depends on how the cruise is selling. We knew about our cabin for a March 25 cruise on the 9th or 10th. I was told it's usually about 10-14 days out. Holland America sent us an email saying there was a change. I got the actual room number by going to the online check-in section of the web site.

[CathyK2]

I've only done a Guarantee once with HAL but it was for a family Christmas Cruise and we had booked 5 cabins. All five cabins were upgraded AND they kept us all together. Again, this was just one experience booking this category, but just saying that it DOES happen.

 

Cathy

[m steve]

don't expect an upgrade. Cal your TA and see if you can buy one.

[Cruising-along]

I agree, I've also gotten a pretty good share or upgrades but I've never been as lucky as you in getting upgraded from and oceanview to a balcony. That would be sweet. That said, I've also gotten exactly what I've booked.

 

We've had only one cruise that we got exactly what we booked (when booking guarantee).

 

One thing we do, we always book the highest category guarantee, so IF we move, it can only be up. When we got the verandah upgrades, we had booked "C" guarantee. They moved us and my DS and BIL who were traveling with us. Strangely, that time we were offered an upsell, turned it down, and then they upgraded us free anyway. Even our PCC was surprised. It was a Med cruise on the Rotterdam and we found out the day we were flying out of the US.

[jmacjmac]

I also think it depends on how a trip is selling. I booked a MM guarantee for next weeks sailing on Maasdam and was upgraded all the way to a D. Last year on Oosterdam I got exactly what i paid for but the ship was sold out early.

[world~citizen]

Late yesterday we received an email from our TA telling us our assignment for our 4/1 transatlantic on the Ryndam. I went right to the HA website and it did not show up there yet, although it is there this morning. We are a bit disappointed to have been assigned a cabin in our guarantee category - FF. We had been hoping for some upgrade, since we booked back last summer. Oh, well, we got we we paid for!

 

Yup. :)

[cruz chic]

We've had only one cruise that we got exactly what we booked (when booking guarantee).

 

One thing we do, we always book the highest category guarantee, so IF we move, it can only be up. When we got the verandah upgrades, we had booked "C" guarantee. They moved us and my DS and BIL who were traveling with us. Strangely, that time we were offered an upsell, turned it down, and then they upgraded us free anyway. Even our PCC was surprised. It was a Med cruise on the Rotterdam and we found out the day we were flying out of the US.

 

Thx for the info:).