Another question about guarantee assignments

[Jenbo57]

I'm so sorry...I know there are probably multiple threads asking this same question...

 

We booked a VF guarantee on the Westerdam back in April. Up until this point my confirmation has always read "VF GUAR"; now it just reads "GUAR". Does this mean that maybe I'll be upgraded, or am I reading something into it that I shouldn't?!?!? It was REALLY hard for me to book a guarantee, but I swore I wouldn't care where they assigned me, as long as it wasn't one of the staterooms on deck four with the steel railing!

 

Fingers crossed!!!

[AZjohn]

Up until this point my confirmation has always read "VF GUAR"; now it just reads "GUAR". Does this mean that maybe I'll be upgraded, or am I reading something into it that I shouldn't?!?!?!!!

Sorry, but you are reading more into it. Nothing final until you see an actual cabin number. But keep your fingers still crossed;)

We booked a VF guarantee on the Westerdam. It was REALLY hard for me to book a guarantee, but I swore I wouldn't care where they assigned me, as long as it wasn't one of the staterooms on deck four with the steel railing!

I thought anything below a VD category has a steel railing (such as a VF). As I said, keep your fingers crossed;)

Have a great cruise!

John

[dandro]

Sorry, but you are reading more into it. Nothing final until you see an actual cabin number. But keep your fingers still crossed;)

 

I thought anything below a VD category has a steel railing (such as a VF). As I said, keep your fingers crossed;)

Have a great cruise!

John

 

Not all categories below VD (VE, VF, etc.) have steel railings. The deck plans will show which rooms have the steel railings.

[jtl513]

I thought anything below a VD category has a steel railing (such as a VF). As I said, keep your fingers crossed;)

Have a great cruise!

John

Only the VH and VF on deck 4 (4005 to 4042) have them.

[pms4104]

I'm so sorry...I know there are probably multiple threads asking this same question...

 

We booked a VF guarantee on the Westerdam back in April. Up until this point my confirmation has always read "VF GUAR"; now it just reads "GUAR". Does this mean that maybe I'll be upgraded, or am I reading something into it that I shouldn't?!?!? It was REALLY hard for me to book a guarantee, but I swore I wouldn't care where they assigned me, as long as it wasn't one of the staterooms on deck four with the steel railing!

 

Fingers crossed!!!

If there are steel railing cabins in the VF category in which you bought a guarantee ... keep in mind that it is possible you may be assigned one of them. Then again, maybe not.

 

When passengers book a guarantee, they have to be prepared to be assigned the worst cabin in that category ... worst being different for different people.

[Jenbo57]

When passengers book a guarantee, they have to be prepared to be assigned the worst cabin in that category ... worst being different for different people.

 

Oh I know that...hence it being really hard for me to go this route.

 

What may work in our favor, however, is that even though we've never sailed on HAL we were in their system, they think I've sailed with them before, and I even have a Mariner number! I know how it happened, and I spent a long time trying to get them to fix it, but if there's any chance it's going to work to my advantage, I'll let them think I'm a HAL regular! :D

[pms4104]

Oh I know that...hence it being really hard for me to go this route.

 

What may work in our favor, however, is that even though we've never sailed on HAL we were in their system, they think I've sailed with them before, and I even have a Mariner number! I know how it happened, and I spent a long time trying to get them to fix it, but if there's any chance it's going to work to my advantage, I'll let them think I'm a HAL regular! :D

I've never booked a guarantee ... but others on these boards who do indicate there's no rhyme/reason as to who gets moved up. Mariner status may/may not come into play ... in fact, there are those who believe first-timers may get more preference than Mariners. Nobody knows for sure ... it's one of those mysteries of life.

[richie5817]

i have just got off the phone with HAL...

i booked with an online TA in europe,was griven a cabin number,but was informed by HAL that it was a mistake,the cabin had already been booked,

i am now on a BC guarantee....but was also nicely informed the way its looking at the moment..(sailing 30 may)..an upgrade is looking very good..

so fingers crossed here too...

[jtl513]

Mariner status may/may not come into play ... in fact, there are those who believe first-timers may get more preference than Mariners.

DutchByAssociation has said that Mariners do get preference, but IMO when first-timers do get upgrades they often get big ones, as compared to the few steps that we have gotten on most of our seven upgrades.

[pms4104]

DutchByAssociation has said that Mariners do get preference, but IMO when first-timers do get upgrades they often get big ones, as compared to the few steps that we have gotten on most of our seven upgrades.

Yes, I recall DBA's statements ... however, I do think it depends on the sailing and how badly HAL needs certain cabins. No way to tell the demographics of those in the cabins HAL needs/wants.

 

One of the points I hinted at above: guarantees and upgrades are a crapshoot ... and, unless you are willing to take any cabin in that category (including steel rails), it can be an iffy proposition. I fear too many passengers, and I mean this in general and not with respect to the OP or any other poster, count on an upgrade. We book the cabin we want rather than hoping not to get the least desirable, or what might seem so to us ... saves our energy and mental anguish.

[rootbear]

Just got my daughter's cabin assignment for our May 24 cruise which I booked for her about a month ago. Booked at VH guarantee and got a VC assignment. It is our first cruise on HAL. Funny thing is that she got assigned to the cabin I was originally in but had decided to downgrade to a VF.

[sjdnv]

we are going on the volendam May 20th this is our first

guarentee and still haven't got a cabin assignment. I don't know if this is a good thing or not?

[RuthC]

we are going on the volendam May 20th this is our first

guarentee and still haven't got a cabin assignment. I don't know if this is a good thing or not?

Fifteen days out is right in the normal range for guarantee assignments. My first time with a guarantee the assignment came at eight or nine days before; the next one was near twenty days out.

 

I always figure one-two weeks before sailing is on-target. Sometimes it's before that, sometimes after.

[DougandEric]

My experience with HAL has been that they assign staterooms much closer to sailing (we've done 4 guarantees and all were assigned within 60 days - one was changed the day before the sailing and we didn't know about it). On Princess, both sailings had our guarantees assigned several months out (just got our 11/22 stateroom assigned last week - 7 months out).

[Jenbo57]

Thanks for the insight, everyone! I guess at this point it's wait and see. My husband would say I'm a control freak ("but in a good way" - ;)), so not knowing where our stateroom will be runs totally against my nature! I'm just thrilled to be heading back up to Alaska, and giving HAL a shot, so I've promised him that I'll love whatever we get!!!