Upsells to Neptune or Pinnacle SUITES

[CTOM]

Hello, we've been researching the value of spending extra $$ to get a Neptune or Pinnacle Suite.    We found many opinions and answers here on the message boards, and a lot of replies mention that "a Suite was offered to us as an upsell."    We're relatively new to cruises.  So far, we tried to get the best price from calling HAL and then compare it to the best price (and perks) that a travel agency offers us.    
No one has ever said anything like "We'll give you a special rate on a Pinnacle/Neptune Suite if you book with us."    Is that how upselling works?   These suites are so expensive, and if there is a way to be offered a lower price, I'm curious how.when HAL does it.   Thanks!!

[kazu]

No one can offer you a good price on an upsell as there may be none available and more importantly, they don't know aht HAL's offers will be.

 

they can be good and they can be not so good.

 

Upsell offers don't come close to sailing.  Who did you end up booking with?  HAL or a TA?

If you booked with HAL you should get an email if the upgrade fairy has smiled on you.  If a TA they will call or email you.

 

TIP - KNOW what you are willing to pay and be prepared to do it if the price is right.  The offers go to a lot of people and he who snoozes, looses.

[Spunky946]

We were in the Eurodam last year at Christmas booked in a veranda.  About 3-4 weeks out I got an email with an upgrade offer to a signature suite or Neptune suite.  The Neptune price was $799 per person For 1 and 2.  We took it as we had a party of 4 and we loved it.  Worth every penny

[Spunky946]

We were in the Eurodam last year at Christmas booked in a veranda.  About 3-4 weeks out I got an email with an upgrade offer to a signature suite or Neptune suite.  The Neptune price was $799 per person For 1 and 2.  We took it as we had a party of 4 and we loved it.  Worth every penny

[Spunky946]

We were in the Eurodam last year at Christmas booked in a veranda.  About 3-4 weeks out I got an email with an upgrade offer to a signature suite or Neptune suite.  The Neptune price was $799 per person For 1 and 2.  We took it as we had a party of 4 and we loved it.  Worth every penny

[leanstostarboard]

We have been offered upsells from a Veranda to a Neptune suite on several cruises.  The timing for this can be from a  month before sailing to only a couple of days before.  You need to have considered in advance what you would pay and be prepared to take the offer, my experience is they will not bargain when they offer an upsell. However on my last upsell I said "call me back if you lower the price" and I got a lower price upsell offer 2 weeks later which we accepted.

[DaveOKC]

We have done the upsell process about 12-15 times on HAL.  We book a Vista or Signature Suite that we are comfortable with and then keep an eye out for an email upsell offer to a Neptune.  Generally, they come from 4 weeks to 2 days prior to sailing.  The further out the offering comes, the less attractive the deal I have found.- (HAL seems to offer several "rounds" of upsells in order to maximize the return for them).  

 

My advice - about 6 weeks prior to sailing, decide on a price that you would be willing to pay.  If you get an upsell email (or call from your TA) act on it right away, as the good deals can go very quickly (like in Minutes!).  If you have booked through HAL, you will get the email directly from the upsell department at HAL (which is nice since it eliminates the middleman in the process).  If you booked through a TA you should get the offer from them (call or email), so if possible I would share my target price with them so that they can accept any good offer without waiting to contact you (this may not be possible with the large agencies).

 

A natural question is what is a "good offer".  Personally, what I do is look at the current fares of my booked category and the Neptune (or whatever category you are seeking) and use 1/3rd of the difference as the price I am willing to pay.  Of course, I do vary this percentage,  depending on how much I want the upsell.  

 

Another tip - if you do take an upsell, be sure to ask if you have a choice of cabins.  Normally I have been able to select from several cabins and often they are in very good locations (IMO).  I think this happens due to last minute cancellations. 

 

Earlier this year I got an email upsell offer 4 days from sailing for an SA cabin near the Neptune.  I was a bit surprised, as the category had been sold out for months.  It seems that someone cancelled at the last minute (happens more often than you would think due to people having cancel insurance waiting until the last minute) and there was only one cabin available.  The price was lower than my "target:", so I jumped on  the deal immediately (within 5 minutes of getting the email).

.

I hope this all helps explain the process

[CTOM]

Thanks, everyone.   This was informative.   I've learned that the upsell doesn't happen until you already book and you wait for them to contact you??

(I was thinking they would offer me an upsell sale at the very beginning when I am first making the reservation.   I was mistaken)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sadly -- no special upsells on a cruise that you haven't even booked.

[Djptcp]

Our first HAL upsell came about a week before our 4th Holland America cruise and we grabbed it. We had booked a Signature Suite and got a Neptune Suite for a few hundred dollars. We were spoiled at once and to our great delight, we have received great casino rates on Neptune Suites ever since (total of 5 Neptunes). We don't bother booking HAL cruises anymore until I receive the casino offers. We sail a lot on Carnival because of our close proximity to the Port of Tampa and receive upsells on it, too, but Carnival has nothing like Neptune Suites. Would love to receive an upsell offer on a Pinnacle Suite - maybe someday.

[Tricia724]

We had a great upsell opportunity last year on Westerdam on a 16-day Panama Canal sailing. We had originally booked an SS in a good location, and when an attractively priced upsell offer to a NS came a few weeks before sailing, I thought about it and decided to pass on the offer. A couple of days later I regretted not taking the upsell but figured I had missed my chance and would just enjoy the SS. Imagine my surprise a week later when another offer came through at a few hundred less. I grabbed that one in a heartbeat. A great relaxing cruise on one of our favorite HAL ships. This was the first time we ever took an upsell from HAL. We had a couple of offers previously but they were pretty much market price. Life is just full of surprises.  

[Nymich]

I just took one for a Signature Suite on the Nieuw Statendam.  Up from a Vista for our 6th cruise on HAL.   I wanted the Neptune but the price wasn't right so I figured we better get what we could before the limited SS's are all gone.  I agree with the previous poster who said know what you are comfortable spending.