Cabin Selection question

[CruisinShips]

We are booked in a Neptune suite for a cruise departing in September.  At the time of our booking ( few weeks ago) there were only a few Neptune suites left, and I ideally preferred to be on the starboard side and on the same deck as the Neptune Lounge.  All I could get (without opting for a guarantee) was a NS on the port side, on the same deck as the Lounge.  I have checked the site a few times since, and now it appears all of the Neptune suites are gone.

 

My question is does anyone have any advice as to how either track what I am looking for, or any other way to help secure it should one become available?  Obviously it's not the end of the world if we keep what we have...we will love and appreciate every moment I am sure....but I have limited experience with HAL and don't know if there is any other way to accomplish this.  Do several cabins re-appear on the website around the time of the final payment date?

 

Any insights would be appreciated!  TIA.

[DaveOKC]

Yes, usually some cabins come up right at final payment time and surprisingly just prior to sailing (I suspect that late cancellations are due to people who have cancellation insurance and wait until the last minute to cancel to be safe).

 

I would keep checking for cabins to open up, they can at any time.  Second, sometimes HAL closes a certain category to booking for a few days for inventory control purposes, so the fully booked may not be accurate.  Third, try using a different website to check for available cabins.  Some of the online agencies will show different results from what HAL's website does.

 

Finally, if you get a cabin that is better than what you have now but not ideal, go ahead and grab it.  You can always change it again later if the opportunity presents itself.

 

[Mandalay1903]

I agree with what Dave has explained and have had success the approach.

 

There's another thing to consider if your sailing is also marketed as part of a collector cruise (two sequential sailings sold separately or together, like two sequential 14-day sailings also marketed as a 28-day collector cruise). Sometimes HAL identifies and markets cabins only for the collector cruise, and doesn't release them for the separate sailings. Also, sometimes HAL markets cabins only for the separate cruises and doesn't make them available for the collector cruise.

 

If you're booked on a collector cruise, for example, and see that the cabin you want is only available for the two separate cruises, you can call HAL and ask them to release the cabin for your collector cruise. Or vice versa if you're booked on a separate cruise. They may or may not do this, but I have done this a few times with success.