Guarantee Cabins

[queen_kathy1]

We are new to Holland America after having sailed before with Princess, RCCL and Celebrity. We are interested in a June HAL sailing to Alaska and since we're so close to our sail date, all of the good cabins are gone. I'm wondering if at this stage it would be better to book a guarantee instead of picking the best of the worst cabins and perhaps we'll be upgraded. I'd feel better about this possibility if we were return customers, but we're not. Did any other HAL newbies have success with booking a guarantee and getting upgraded? It will be my dad's 70th b-day - it would be nice if the cruise line would at least upgrade their cabin if we reserved a balcony guarantee.

[jtl513]

IMO, definitely book the guarantee. I have often seen some of the best upgrades go to first-time HAL sailors, and our best upgrade (VH gty to VA) came when we booked 10 days after final payment date.

 

You didn't mention any ship, but a balcony upgrade would be much more likely on a Vista ship where there are many more balconies. In AK for 2009, those are the Westerdam and the Zuiderdam. Of those two, I prefer the Westerdam.

 

Just prepare with the mind-set that you may actually end up in what you booked.

 

:)

[niborHS]

If you book a balcony guarantee, you will get a balcony. I don't know if you will get upgraded to a suite, so not sure what you are looking for. Both times we sailed with HAL we booked a Deluxe Suite guarantee, which was at a great price, and we ended up with locations that we were very happy with. Both were SA's. Prior to that, on other lines, I always chose my cabin and booked it specifically, and didn't want it to be changed.

[Love the beach]

On the three HAL cruises that we booked guarantees( including our 1st HAL cruise) we were upgraded each time. 2 were balcony guarantees and we were upgraded to a higher deck. Have a great cruise!:)

[Karen Lynn]

I booked a Balcony (VF) gty for my upcoming cruise April 5. So far, they have offered me a 'upgrade opportunity' for $199 pp to a Cat SS-SZ I think it was?? I delclined, hoping they would come back with another lower-offer and thus far they haven't, 14 days prior. I still have no cabin assignment.:(

[travelite]

I booked a Balcony (VF) gty for my upcoming cruise April 5. So far, they have offered me a 'upgrade opportunity' for $199 pp to a Cat SS-SZ I think it was?? I delclined, hoping they would come back with another lower-offer and thus far they haven't, 14 days prior. I still have no cabin assignment.:(

 

You will probably get a balcony upgrade, but I doubt you will be upgraded to a suite. $199 was a good price for a suite upgrade from VF.

[CC Help Michell]

We are new to Holland America after having sailed before with Princess, RCCL and Celebrity. We are interested in a June HAL sailing to Alaska and since we're so close to our sail date, all of the good cabins are gone. I'm wondering if at this stage it would be better to book a guarantee instead of picking the best of the worst cabins and perhaps we'll be upgraded. I'd feel better about this possibility if we were return customers, but we're not. Did any other HAL newbies have success with booking a guarantee and getting upgraded? It will be my dad's 70th b-day - it would be nice if the cruise line would at least upgrade their cabin if we reserved a balcony guarantee.

 

Word of advice on booking a guarantee -- think of it as receiving the "worst" cabin in the category you booked, OR any cabin higher than that. Then go look at the ship and see if there are cabins in higher categories you couldn't live with -- sometimes you would trade a lower deck unobstructed view cabin for a higher deck obstructed view. If you couldn't live with that, then don't book a guarantee. It's not a "HAL newb" thing -- as others have said, being a Mariner doesn't seem to get you any bonus in this respect -- it's mostly about what cabins/classes the cruiseline needs to fill the ship.

 

If there are balcony cabins you couldn't live with, then I wouldn't book a guarantee. If there are cabins above balcony class you couldn't live with, I wouldn't book a guarantee. In either of those scenarios, I'd book the best cabin you can find, by specific number. If you have parsed the ship and the deck plans and really are comfortable with whatever might happen, then book the guarantee and have a great cruise!

[Karen Lynn]

I am fine with whatever Balcony stateroom I get...I wouldn't mind an upgrade, if it happens, it happens. $199 pp was great if we then got the highest category suite and not so great if we got the lowest. That's why we declined. Often they come back with a lower price offer...if they do, they do. If not--we are all good!

[liketraveling]

I don't have experience with an upgrade in a balcony but have booked

an HH obstructed View guarantee last year on the Veendam and was upgraded to a DD on the Promendade deck.

 

We booked an HH again this year, we are on the Ryndam next week and were upgraded to a DA on the Main Deck in a pretty decent location.

 

They must want our cabin, they have come back twice for an upsell to a Verandah Suite the first offer was for $599 pp and last week it was for

it was for $349.00.

 

Gail

[queen_kathy1]

If there are balcony cabins you couldn't live with, then I wouldn't book a guarantee. If there are cabins above balcony class you couldn't live with, I wouldn't book a guarantee. In either of those scenarios, I'd book the best cabin you can find, by specific number. If you have parsed the ship and the deck plans and really are comfortable with whatever might happen, then book the guarantee and have a great cruise!

 

That's a good point and I guess I'm indifferent because I've never sailed in a balcony cabin before but thought this would be a nice surprise for my parents. Is there a balcony cabin or higher we wouldn't want to have assigned? I'm thinking of booking them a VF guarantee on the Zuiderdam.

[jtl513]

Is there a balcony cabin or higher we wouldn't want to have assigned? I'm thinking of booking them a VF guarantee on the Zuiderdam.

Well, there are VA/VB/VC cabins very far forward on four decks that a sea-sick prone person might not like.

 

There are VA, VB, and even Deluxe Suites that are next to the glass elevators that some people do not like because they are exposed to the view of elevator riders.

 

If they don't get an upgrade, they could be in VFs on deck 4 (ie, VF4005 to VF4042) that some people don't like because they are right over the show lounge (sometime noisy) and have steel-walled railings that prevent you from seeing anything but sky or nearby mountains when seated.

[queen_kathy1]

Thanks jtl513 - I will definitely keep these points in mind!