HAL booking site - cabin categories disaapearing

[DaveOKC]

My next cruise is about 2 months out and I am watching the Neptune cabin category availability to see if an upsell is possible when we get a bit closer to sailing.

 

Strange thing - some days this (and other) category shows as being Sold Out on the first booking page, other days it shows availability. On days when the first page is Sold Out, sometime when you go 2-3 pages into the booking, they show as available. Then sometimes they show you the cabin numbers still open, while other times it shows no availability.

 

Today, it showed the Neptunes as available, but on the next page it shows them "greyed out" and does not let you go any further.

 

What is going on here? Any experience with this situation?

[HALaftSuitesfor2]

I would call. I see this constantly closer to sailing date. One day a certain category is sold out, then the next another type. I supspect it has to do with upselling. HAL probably blocks a category to allow upsell confirmations and keep control of the inventory.

[DaveOKC]

I would call. I see this constantly closer to sailing date. One day a certain category is sold out, then the next another type. I supspect it has to do with upselling. HAL probably blocks a category to allow upsell confirmations and keep control of the inventory.

 

I thought the same thing, but it is a bit early for upsells I think. Plus, the Pinnacle suite is still showing as Available and when upsells are offered I thought that it would be the first category to be worked on.

[cp556]

There is also liquidity in the inventory around final payment time. Some people cancel out, and some agencies holding group space release it.

 

It's an art and a science :)

[PathfinderEss]

My next cruise is about 2 months out and I am watching the Neptune cabin category availability to see if an upsell is possible when we get a bit closer to sailing.

 

Strange thing - some days this (and other) category shows as being Sold Out on the first booking page, other days it shows availability. On days when the first page is Sold Out, sometime when you go 2-3 pages into the booking, they show as available. Then sometimes they show you the cabin numbers still open, while other times it shows no availability.

 

Today, it showed the Neptunes as available, but on the next page it shows them "greyed out" and does not let you go any further.

 

What is going on here? Any experience with this situation?

I have seen this happen but have no idea why. 2 month out is to early for up sells.

 

I often wonder if agency who block off a certain number of cabins, aren't returning the unsold cabins and Hal is readjusting their inventory.

[cp556]

I have seen this happen but have no idea why. 2 month out is to early for up sells.

 

I often wonder if agency who block off a certain number of cabins, aren't returning the unsold cabins and Hal is readjusting their inventory.

 

 

There's a certain "drop dead date" by which agencies need to either pay up or release unsold group space for each sailing. And the cruise line takes the initiative and cancels the space automatically if the agency doesn't take action.

 

So I really think that when we see a lot of movement in inventory ~two months before sailing, that's a good part of the reason.

[DaveOKC]

There's a certain "drop dead date" by which agencies need to either pay up or release unsold group space for each sailing. And the cruise line takes the initiative and cancels the space automatically if the agency doesn't take action.

 

So I really think that when we see a lot of movement in inventory ~two months before sailing, that's a good part of the reason.

 

Could be as we have a decent sized group onboard with us.

[galensgrl]

Our first HAL cruise is in May, so this is our first time booking with HAL and we are not familiar with the upsell process here. I have a feeling it happens much closer to the time of the cruise than a month or so out, probably more like 2 or 3 weeks out. But my question is this - when we booked we were asked if we wanted HAL to "upgrade" us automatically. We chose not to do that because I read that what the cruiseline considers an upgrade may not seem like an upgrade to the pax. So is an upsell the same as an upgrade? We booked early for a specific location, chose a Vista Suite because it had an aft balcony, and now hubby is all googly eyed over the larger digs in the Neptune suites LOL Might we get contacted for an upsell, or did we prevent that by choosing the "don't automatically upgrade us" option? :confused:

 

Lorie

Edited March 19, 2015 by galensgrl
Typos

[sail7seas]

You still could get an upsell offer but you would have the option to accept or refuse. Had you agreed to automatic upgrade, you would not have approval option.

 

An upgrade is being moved at no extra cost to a higher category cabin.

An upsell is paying varying amounts of money to move from a lower to higher category

cabin.

 

It isn't often but we have read here HAL has been known to upgrade (no extra charge) someone without consulting them despite they checked 'no automatic upgrade'.

Edited March 19, 2015 by sail7seas

[galensgrl]

You still could get an upsell offer but you would have the option to accept or refuse. Had you agreed to automatic upgrade, you would not have approval option.

 

An upgrade is being moved at no extra cost to a higher category cabin.

An upsell is paying varying amounts of money to move from a lower to higher category

cabin.

 

It isn't often but we have read here HAL has been known to upgrade (no extra charge) someone without consulting them despite they checked 'no automatic upgrade'.

 

Thanks for the info. I will keep checking our booking on the HAL site to make sure our cabin number hasn't changed without our knowledge.

 

Lorie

[wesport]

I have noticed this on cruises that are 8 and 9 months out also. Could the same circumstances apply or is it just a web site problem??

[OVgirl]

Our cruise for next February is also showing the Veranda and Pinnacle categories grayed out.

In the past if a category was sold out, it was completely removed from the booking page.

Looks like this might be some sort of glitch in their system, unless they want to divert bookings to other categories temporarily.

[wesport]

I find it interesting that the cabins that are greyed out on HAL's website are available on American expresses website. any ideas. chatted with HAL rep, and she said they could be sold out, but I doubt all inside and outside cabins 8 and 9 months out are sold out.

[wesport]

Just chatted with a HAL rep. Seems like all inside and oceanview cabins on the prinsendam are sold out on all cruises through Nov 2016. Not sure what's going on.

[tuolumne couple]

I find it interesting that the cabins that are greyed out on HAL's website are available on American expresses website. any ideas. chatted with HAL rep, and she said they could be sold out, but I doubt all inside and outside cabins 8 and 9 months out are sold out.

 

this is frustrating to us too. i dont get it. the cabins are there, but frosted out like they are not available, but i know they are. it is making me want to book on another site and not on HAL, which is too bad. :mad:

[DaveOKC]

this is frustrating to us too. i dont get it. the cabins are there, but frosted out like they are not available, but i know they are. it is making me want to book on another site and not on HAL, which is too bad. :mad:

 

I wonder if groups on the cruise could be causing this. I know on mine a large group is impacting dining options and yesterday I was told that this could also be impacting bookings.

[wesport]

Just discovered that most of the inside and outside cabins on the Prinsendam are greyed out until Nov 2016. Chatted with two hal agents and they say they are sold out. Every prinsendam cruise from now until nov 2016. doesn't make sense. Inquiring minds want to know whats going on.

[kazu]

Just discovered that most of the inside and outside cabins on the Prinsendam are greyed out until Nov 2016. Chatted with two hal agents and they say they are sold out. Every prinsendam cruise from now until nov 2016. doesn't make sense. Inquiring minds want to know whats going on.

 

does sound strange, but the Prinsendam is a popular ship for some of us and a lot do book inside and outside cabins so it wouldn't be surprising to some are gone on a cruise, but all of them until November 2016? that really seems strange.

[tuolumne couple]

Just discovered that most of the inside and outside cabins on the Prinsendam are greyed out until Nov 2016. Chatted with two hal agents and they say they are sold out. Every prinsendam cruise from now until nov 2016. doesn't make sense. Inquiring minds want to know whats going on.

 

no, it makes zero sense to me either. i was just looking at a few other cruisies and the same story. it can't be that every ship is sold out on every veranda, can it? i cant get a clear answer. if they are suddenly sold out across the board, then i would be impressed. I know that they are a popular fleet this is irritating me, as the rooms are available on other search engines.

Edited March 31, 2015 by tuolumne couple

[tuolumne couple]

no, it makes zero sense to me either. i was just looking at a few other cruisies and the same story. it can't be that every ship is sold out on every veranda, can it? i cant get a clear answer. if they are suddenly sold out across the board, then i would be impressed. I know that they are a popular fleet this is irritating me, as the rooms are available on other search engines.

it must have been an IT issue, as the cabins are now available. :)