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Mariner Upgrades - Veranda VF

shuttle-c

By shuttle-c,
in Holland America Line

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shuttle-c

shuttle-c

Posted
Posted

We booked a VF category veranda on the Westerdam and got the last veranda cabin. Wanted something better but we booked late.

 

Do Mariners get category upgrades according to the mariner level?

 

Should we expect a 2 -3 category upgrade?

 

Anyone Know?? Or had past experience?

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Iggipolka

Iggipolka

Posted
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While I have no specifically booked a VF guarentee, I can repeat what has been said frequently on these boards. The Upgrade fairy sprinkles her dust in a rather haphazard fashion. Being a Mariner does not mean that you have a greater chance of being upgraded than a non-Mariner. Booking the last VF cabin, does not mean that you'll be upgraded. It's just luck of the draw and pure chance. It all depends on what HAL in Seattle decides.

 

So..bottom line. Don't expect an upgrade at all. It may happen, it may not. Due be happy that you are going on a cruise and you got a price that you liked! :)

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shuttle-c

shuttle-c

Posted
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Oh, we're happy - got a good price and we fortunate enough to get the last veranda. Our TA went to limited inventory - we couldn't find any on the web.

 

It looked like there was only one outside cabin left also.

Lots of inside cabins still available for Thanksgiving cruise.

 

I hope the fairy dust works.

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
Posted

If I've learned anything while reading these boards, it is that none of us should ever expect we will get any sort of an upgrade. Mariner/not a Mariner.......seems to make little if any difference. Seeing as you booked the best cabin that was available when you booked, it is highly likely that is the cabin you will have.

 

Hope it's a great cruise.

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
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They may be hoping someone in a better cabin would cancel and seeing as he tried to get a better one at the time of booking, he/she may be upgraded to it. I seriously doubt they should count on anything like that happening especially seeing as they say they got such a great price.

 

I think it possible that if someone is upgraded, they might be the ones who paid the most for their cabin in the category from which they are being upgraded. Maybe the people who pay the least in given categories will not be head of the list for upgrades? I don't know if that is true; I'm just speculating.

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
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We've been Mariner's for 24 years and the only upgrade we ever got was from a B to an A, just along the hall.

 

 

 

Confused......

 

Which ship has "A" and "B" on the same deck?

 

Or are you talking about an old ship that is no longer sailing?

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Esme

Esme

Posted
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Confused......

 

Which ship has "A" and "B" on the same deck?

 

Or are you talking about an old ship that is no longer sailing?

 

 

I'm talking about the Volendam, Verandah deck. The A's & B's on the Volendam, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Zaandam are on the Verandah deck.

 

Maybe because you are always in a Suite on the Navigation deck, you don't know this fact. Suggest that you check out the deck plans for the above ships.

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Grumpy1

Grumpy1

Posted
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I've seen some mariner sales recently that include a 3 category upgrade or a shipboard credit, but then you would know when you booked that you were in line for the upgrade. Other than that, there are more theories about how to get an upgrade than there are upgrades... but keep your fingers crossed... bow towards Seattle 3 times a day... and just maybe the upgrade fairy will smile upon you.

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
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I'm talking about the Volendam, Verandah deck. The A's & B's on the Volendam, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Zaandam are on the Verandah deck.

 

Maybe because you are always in a Suite on the Navigation deck, you don't know this fact. Suggest that you check out the deck plans for the above ships.

 

 

I'm looking at the deck plan for Volendam. I'm looking at Verandah Deck.

I see Category "AA" but I don't see any "A". Where would they be? I don't see them.

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JimVrhovac

JimVrhovac

Posted
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The way our TA explained it to us is:

 

When HAL puts "3 catagory upgrade" by the prices they are pricing that room at that time 3 grades below its regular price.

 

We have found that it is unrealistic to get a free upgrade and the one time that our TA got us an upgrade from a B to an A cabin it turned into such a fiasco we ended up staying in the B level cabin.

 

Best advise is to book the room that you want and then check the prices every so often and then if they come down contact your TA to get the newer lower price...

 

Hope this helps you a little.

 

Jim & Ruth

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Esme

Esme

Posted
Posted
I'm looking at the deck plan for Volendam. I'm looking at Verandah Deck.

I see Category "AA" but I don't see any "A". Where would they be? I don't see them.

 

 

Look again, but this time at HAL's web site, deck plans for 2005, not a new brochure or the deck plans for 2006. There have always been A's & B's on Verandah deck, but I see on the web site that they have changed the designation starting in 2006.

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
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Look again, but this time at HAL's web site, deck plans for 2005, not a new brochure or the deck plans for 2006. There have always been A's & B's on Verandah deck, but I see on the web site that they have changed the designation starting in 2006.

 

 

I always try to use the most current, up to date material I can locate. The HAL catalog dated April 2005 - April 2007 is the most current, up to date information I have. Why would material which has not been update be preferable to something which is current?

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sail7seas

sail7seas

Posted
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A and B are still the cabin categories. The letter changes are not effective until 2006 and this is very clear on the HAL deck plans for Volendam, Zaandam, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. This is only 2005, isn't it?

 

 

On SOME ships, Categories "A" and "B" still apply. Maasdam still has those categories. On other ships, there are now 'subcategories'.

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moka

moka

Posted
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These boards have been such a help the last week (just discovered them)- so thank you for all the helpful ideas.

 

We booked through an online company when there where no verandas left- it was such a great deal though thought we'd go for it. We were booked into VE with no cabin assignment. Just found out this morning (we sail tomorrow the 17th on the Zuiderdam) that we are in a VA cabin on the Navigation deck. This is our first trip with HAL so I'm not too familiar with their cabin pricing with all the letters after the V, but from what I researched I think this was a good assignment. Thanks again for everyone's helpful advice :) :D

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