Will you get the room you booked?

[pugmadkate]

I just booked my first cruise! I'm so excited! We're doing a three-generation, round-trip Alaska cruise out of Seattle in June 2018. However, I am a bit confused about something (honestly, I have tons of questions but this is just one thread!)

 

When I booked with my travel agent, she had me select the rooms we wanted from a map of the ship. So we have the room numbers. My confusion comes in because I'm noticing in other threads that people are taking about having a room assigned to them only days before their cruise leaves.

 

Will we actually get the rooms we booked? I would not care except that we booked rooms next to/across the hall from each other so it would be easy to visit. I would like those specific rooms. Thanks for the help!

[mllewis48]

I just booked my first cruise! I'm so excited! We're doing a three-generation, round-trip Alaska cruise out of Seattle in June 2018. However, I am a bit confused about something (honestly, I have tons of questions but this is just one thread!)

 

 

 

When I booked with my travel agent, she had me select the rooms we wanted from a map of the ship. So we have the room numbers. My confusion comes in because I'm noticing in other threads that people are taking about having a room assigned to them only days before their cruise leaves.

 

 

 

Will we actually get the rooms we booked? I would not care except that we booked rooms next to/across the hall from each other so it would be easy to visit. I would like those specific rooms. Thanks for the help!

 

 

 

Yes you should get what you booked. What others are referring to is they booked a guarantee within a category which usually get assigned shortly B4 the sail date.

 

 

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[pugmadkate]

Okay! That makes perfect sense. Thank you so much for your prompt reply.

[JVilleGal]

Okay! That makes perfect sense. Thank you so much for your prompt reply.

 

 

Ask your TA to call HAL and have your reservations marked to "No room changes" or "No Upgrade". There is a box they can check so you don't get moved.

 

 

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[pugmadkate]

Will do! Thanks!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Did you have your Travel agent put on your paper work, No automatic up grade.?

[Krazy Kruizers]

I hope that your TA marked your booking as "NO UPGRADE".

That should guarantee that you will have the cabins you booked.

BUT -- I have read here that every once in a great while, someone was upgraded to a different cabin.

[pugmadkate]

Usually an upgrade would be awesome but it's important to my in-laws that our rooms are close together. I'll make sure our TA marks us as "no upgrade."

[erewhon]

We always book a specific stateroom, have never been allocated a different room..

[DaveOKC]

Usually an upgrade would be awesome but it's important to my in-laws that our rooms are close together. I'll make sure our TA marks us as "no upgrade."

 

Just so you know, you may still be offered a "paid upgrade/upsell", which you can accept or decline (it does cost you some money to accept).

[TheCalicoCat]

In general, if you booked a specific room, then that is the room that you will get.

 

I booked a "guarantee." So I will not know which room I get until closer to my cruise sail date.

[RuthC]

Ask your TA to call HAL and have your reservations marked to "No room changes" or "No Upgrade". There is a box they can check so you don't get moved.

Make that probably won't get moved. I am one who religiously has her booking marked "Do Not Upgrade", but did (once) get an upgrade without HAL asking about it.

I was moved from an outside cabin to one with a balcony (which I loved, and made great use of), but unfortunately also went from a cabin with a shower only to one with a tub. A tub with very high sides that was next to impossible to get into.

I do think, though, that since you have three cabins together, and are probably linked in the reservation system, the odds of one cabin in your party getting moved are as low as can be without being non-existent.

[Randyk47]

In 23 years of cruising, the vast majority on Holland America, we've never had our cabin changed from our original choice. We always book by cabin number and have never booked a guarantee. We've never had them mark our booking with "no upgrade" and have only received one upsell offer which we rejected.

[Sequim88]

Would HAL really "upgrade" without asking. Not "upsell" offers which due to extra charge they have to ask about but free upgrade without asking too? I highly doubt it unless there was a really good reason like the cabin had flooded with sewage and was being repaired. Even then you would get notified I'm sure.

 

On the other hand... when my parents paid for a cruise for their 60th anniversary for me, my two brothers and our wives we secretly "upgraded" them to a balcony and gave them an inside cabin number. Nice surprise when we showed them to their cabin. Dad said, "But it's on the wrong side of the hallway!" :evilsmile::evilsmile::evilsmile: Ain't we stinkers. :')

[KroozNut]

Ask your TA to call HAL and have your reservations marked to "No room changes" or "No Upgrade". There is a box they can check so you don't get moved.

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I always get confused when I see comments like this, and I've seen them a lot. :confused: Consider my current scenario:

 

I did my homework, reviewed deck plans etc, and decided on a specific cabin we wanted and then booked it. Our booking confirmation notes the cabin number on it, so isn't that the end of it?

We booked directly with HAL, didn't know to ask that the booking be marked 'no cabin changes or upgrades' (so we didn't do that). Are you saying that HAL could arbitrarily assign us a different cabin without our approval (potentially disguised as an 'upgrade')?

 

I would hope that before HAL reassigned us another cabin, they would contact us to receive our concurrence, wouldn't they? We're always willing to consider 'upgrade' or 'upsale' offers, but also want final say whether we want to accept the offer or not. We like the cabin we selected and have been assigned, which is why we made the effort to select it in the first place.

 

Appreciate any clarification anyone can provide here. Is there something I'm missing?

 

Seems to me that the guest should have final say in any cabin reassignments, shouldn't we. Even without marking the booking 'do not upgrade'.

 

Thanks..

[RuthC]

Are you saying that HAL could arbitrarily assign us a different cabin without our approval (potentially disguised as an 'upgrade')?

That is what happened to me the last time I sailed the Prinsendam. I had booked an outside cabin with a shower only. Close to sailing date (about a week before) I got a notice that I had been upgraded to a balcony cabin.

Happily, the cabin had that great porch! Unhappily, I had a terrible time trying to get in and out of the tub, due to the extremely high sides.

I would hope that before HAL reassigned us another cabin, they would contact us to receive our concurrence, wouldn't they?

They didn't contact me in advance, nor did they ask if I agreed. It was a fait accompli by the time I was notified.

 

Now, had the tub height been as critical then as it is now, I would have had my TA go to bat for me to get my chosen cabin back. Let the replacement people have the upgraded cabin and give me back what I want.

[KroozNut]

That is what happened to me the last time I sailed the Prinsendam. I had booked an outside cabin with a shower only. Close to sailing date (about a week before) I got a notice that I had been upgraded to a balcony cabin.

Happily, the cabin had that great porch! Unhappily, I had a terrible time trying to get in and out of the tub, due to the extremely high sides.

Wow, I think I would have contacted them and raised a fit (unless I actually wanted the new cabin of course)! ;) If I didn't approve of the new cabin, I at least would have tried to get my original cabin back. I may not have been successful, but I would have tried.

 

They didn't contact me in advance, nor did they ask if I agreed. It was a fait accompli by the time I was notified.

 

Another wow! I would have been totally miffed if I were in your shoes! :( Hopefully your experience is relatively rare.

 

Now, had the tub height been as critical then as it is now, I would have had my TA go to bat for me to get my chosen cabin back. Let the replacement people have the upgraded cabin and give me back what I want.

 

Exactly.. and I would have gone to bat for myself and demanded my original cabin back.

[Florida_gal_50]

Wow, I think I would have contacted them and raised a fit (unless I actually wanted the new cabin of course)! ;) If I didn't approve of the new cabin, I at least would have tried to get my original cabin back. I may not have been successful, but I would have tried.

 

 

 

Another wow! I would have been totally miffed if I were in your shoes! :( Hopefully your experience is relatively rare.

 

 

 

Exactly.. and I would have gone to bat for myself and demanded my original cabin back.

If you book with a ta you become a third party. You may call but you likely would be told your ta needs to call.

[kazu]

I always get confused when I see comments like this, and I've seen them a lot. :confused: Consider my current scenario:

 

I did my homework, reviewed deck plans etc, and decided on a specific cabin we wanted and then booked it. Our booking confirmation notes the cabin number on it, so isn't that the end of it?

We booked directly with HAL, didn't know to ask that the booking be marked 'no cabin changes or upgrades' (so we didn't do that). Are you saying that HAL could arbitrarily assign us a different cabin without our approval (potentially disguised as an 'upgrade')?

 

I would hope that before HAL reassigned us another cabin, they would contact us to receive our concurrence, wouldn't they? We're always willing to consider 'upgrade' or 'upsale' offers, but also want final say whether we want to accept the offer or not. We like the cabin we selected and have been assigned, which is why we made the effort to select it in the first place.

 

Appreciate any clarification anyone can provide here. Is there something I'm missing?

 

Seems to me that the guest should have final say in any cabin reassignments, shouldn't we. Even without marking the booking 'do not upgrade'.

 

Thanks..

 

If you don't say no upgrade, then, yes HAL has the right to "upgrade you". It can be for good or bad and you have no say in the matter.

 

It's in the fine print somewhere.

 

If you booked with HAL simply call and ask them to mark you as no upgrade. They will still give you upsell offers (for a cost) if they are available. That way, you don't risk being upgraded from the cabin you have so carefully chosen.

[DaveOKC]

I always get confused when I see comments like this, and I've seen them a lot. :confused: Consider my current scenario:

 

I did my homework, reviewed deck plans etc, and decided on a specific cabin we wanted and then booked it. Our booking confirmation notes the cabin number on it, so isn't that the end of it?

We booked directly with HAL, didn't know to ask that the booking be marked 'no cabin changes or upgrades' (so we didn't do that). Are you saying that HAL could arbitrarily assign us a different cabin without our approval (potentially disguised as an 'upgrade')?

 

I would hope that before HAL reassigned us another cabin, they would contact us to receive our concurrence, wouldn't they? We're always willing to consider 'upgrade' or 'upsale' offers, but also want final say whether we want to accept the offer or not. We like the cabin we selected and have been assigned, which is why we made the effort to select it in the first place.

 

Appreciate any clarification anyone can provide here. Is there something I'm missing?

 

Seems to me that the guest should have final say in any cabin reassignments, shouldn't we. Even without marking the booking 'do not upgrade'.

 

Thanks..

 

Yes, HAL can move you to what they consider to be a "better" cabin without asking you first (assuming you did not mark do not upgrade on your reservation. HAL's logic is that why would not want a better cabin for no extra cost. The problem that arises is that HAL's idea of a "better" cabin is very subjective and you (or I) might have other ideas. This happens very often to me, especially after HAL redid their rating ranking a few years back.

[KroozNut]

If you book with a ta you become a third party. You may call but you likely would be told your ta needs to call.

 

In our case I booked directly with HAL, so essentially I'm our TA; which is actually how I like it! ;)

[KroozNut]

If you don't say no upgrade, then, yes HAL has the right to "upgrade you". It can be for good or bad and you have no say in the matter.

 

Bad ju ju.. :(

 

It's in the fine print somewhere.

 

I'd like to know where. Because I've read the fine print, and don't remember seeing that! :o:confused:

 

If you booked with HAL simply call and ask them to mark you as no upgrade. They will still give you upsell offers (for a cost) if they are available. That way, you don't risk being upgraded from the cabin you have so carefully chosen.

 

I'll (reluctantly) be doing just that first thing tomorrow. Thank you for the insight and advice! :)

[KroozNut]

Yes, HAL can move you to what they consider to be a "better" cabin without asking you first (assuming you did not mark do not upgrade on your reservation. HAL's logic is that why would not want a better cabin for no extra cost. The problem that arises is that HAL's idea of a "better" cabin is very subjective and you (or I) might have other ideas. This happens very often to me, especially after HAL redid their rating ranking a few years back.

 

Exactly... what HAL considers a 'better' cabin may be different than what we consider a better one. We are VERY picky about the cabin we choose, and it's specific location. This is one of the primary reasons we don't do guarantees.

 

Appreciate the heads up, and as I mentioned in another post, I'll be contacting HAL ASAP to get our booking marked 'do not upgrade'.

 

And just to clarify, we may still receive 'upsale' offers if available, right? We welcome those, but knowing we make the decision whether to accept the deal or not. ;)

 

Thanks again!

[KroozNut]

Is the 'do not upgrade' request / acknowledgement documented anywhere for the record, such as on your booking documents; or do we have to simply take the reservation agent's word that the request was added to the booking? :confused:

[JVilleGal]

Is the 'do not upgrade' request / acknowledgement documented anywhere for the record, such as on your booking documents; or do we have to simply take the reservation agent's word that the request was added to the booking? :confused:

 

 

 

Yes, you have to believe them. But call back and get another CSR and verify it

 

 

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