Up sells

Just curious on how upsells work. I am cruising in about a week on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I am booked in an Oceanview and noticed several unsold cabins in higher categories. When does the HAL decide to who and when upsells are made? I have been patiently awaiting an email from them. I have received them in the past on several of my cruises but not this time. I used a PCC to book my cruise and I am on a casino special which I have done before with upsell offers.

Thanks!

How upgrades and upsells are done is an industry secret. But the key point is to fill the ship.

Looking on line is not an accurate way to determine how full the ship is. This is discussed here frequently. You may see X number of open cabins, but you can't determine how many "guarantee" bookings there are. Literally, it can go from 10 apparently unsold cabins to sold out with one booking, if there are 9 guarantee cabins booked.

If you used a HAL PCC to book your cruise, you could always reach out to them and ask to check on any available upsells. That's how I got the upsell on our Westerdam cruise...I just called her and asked about it.

Today I received an email for our Zuiderdam cruise and was offered an upsell. It came into my spam folder (though all my other HAL emails show up in my regular in-box) so check yours for any offers.

People with Guarantees usually get the upsells first.

There is no telling who -- when -- and if anyone will get a free upgrade or an upsell.

People with Guarantees usually get the upsells first.

I do not believe this is the case. My friend just got one today and he is booked in a Signature Suite (specific cabin). Its about 4 weeks before sailing. Plus, the cruise he is on was "on a one week sale" until yesterday so I knew that upsells would not go out before that sale was over. The next day after the sale was over, the upsell came!

I turned down a guarantee to move from an obstructed view guarantee to a verandah for $179 per person a few weeks before our cruise. We received our cabin assignment about a week later, an upgrade to an unobstructed cabin.

what is Casino special?

what is Casino special?

A special rate or a discount offered to some who have "donated" to the casino on past cruises.

Thanks everyone. I think I will reach out to my pcc and see if he can do something for me.

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I asked this question on another thread and then came by this one. We have booked through on-line TA. I am sure the agency is very unlikely to look for me even if they are contacted with up-sell offer. We are four (two teens) in balcony cabin and would love to move to Neptune Suite , but we are also on a budget (Alaska, air fair to Seattle, three days in Seattle, it's a lot). What is the best way for us to go about up-sell and in a manner that will be the least expensive? Is there a chance that HAL would contact us directly via e-mail?Thank You.

BTW. Is there a way to get Neptune Suite without Suite perks ( we just want a larger room), but of course if it allows price reduction?

You need to have your TA contact HAL. That is the only realistic way to get anywhere. However, don't be surprised you get offered rack rate. That is a common response.

No, you won't get a discount if you decline the suite amenities. Doesn't work that way. Lots of people will put up a story to get themselves upgraded for little or no cost.

Thanks everyone. I think I will reach out to my pcc and see if he can do something for me.

 

 

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Called my PCC and he said there are no offers currently.

I am sure I will have a great cruise either way. It is just the first time I have not had an offer of some sort.

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I asked this question on another thread and then came by this one. We have booked through on-line TA. I am sure the agency is very unlikely to look for me even if they are contacted with up-sell offer. We are four (two teens) in balcony cabin and would love to move to Neptune Suite , but we are also on a budget (Alaska, air fair to Seattle, three days in Seattle, it's a lot). What is the best way for us to go about up-sell and in a manner that will be the least expensive? Is there a chance that HAL would contact us directly via e-mail?Thank You.

BTW. Is there a way to get Neptune Suite without Suite perks ( we just want a larger room), but of course if it allows price reduction?

If you are on one of the larger HAL ships, look into booking a Signature Suite. They are larger than the standard cabins, but not quite as large as a Neptune Suite, without any perks but at a much lower price.

Many people feel that these cabins are are best value that HAL offers (size for price).

If you are on one of the larger HAL ships, look into booking a Signature Suite. They are larger than the standard cabins, but not quite as large as a Neptune Suite, without any perks but at a much lower price.

 

Many people feel that these cabins are are best value that HAL offers (size for price).

Unfortunately, most people do not realize that a signature suite has a maximum capacity of 3 people. When travelling with 4 in one cabin, the Neptune Suite is the only larger option.

Also, (at least on the ship we booked) HAL does not make it easy for travelling families as there are not a lot of insides across the hall from signature suites. For the cost of two in an SS and two in an inside, it's less expensive to book a Neptune.

Signature Suites would be perfect, but they don't allow four in a cabin.

What is rack rate?

Signature Suites would be perfect, but they don't allow four in a cabin.

What is rack rate?

I did not know that they would not allow 4. Makes no sense as these cabins are alot larger than the standard balcony ones that do allow 4.

When I mentioned "rack rate" what I was referring to is the standard brochure price. Almost no one pays this of course.

Of course to brochure price.

I agree that it doesn't make sense since these are larger cabins then the regular balcony.

If you want an upsell, it pays to be persistent and be sure that your PCC is well aware of what you want. You can call and ask what is available and let them know what you're willing to pay.

We upsold from a balcony guarantee to a SY Spa Neptune Suite (one step down from Pinnacle Suite...only 2 of these on the ship) on Koningsdam for a few hundred $$/pp...and this happened about 3-4 days prior to sailing.

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I did not know that they would not allow 4. Makes no sense as these cabins are alot larger than the standard balcony ones that do allow 4.

You are correct, it really makes no sense. Unless you are booking quads on Koningsdam there is very limited supply, even on the Vista and Signature class ships. There are no balcony quads mid- ship unless it is a Neptune and then it is a double sofa bed which is not suitable for some families. There are no midship quads in any category except the square insides. I guess HAL thinks quads don't get sea sick since the bulk are far forward with a few in the far aft.

This brings us back to the mysterious up sell system and the slim to none chance for quads. Our upcoming cruise is a triple and the number of cabins that opened up made me feel like a kid in a candy store! But on the Maasdam the options are still limited.

We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam this Jan. for a 10 day cruise. I called 3 days before about moving to a suite, and was told I'd been sent an email that morning. To this day, it has never come. Anyway...we were able to move to a Signature Suite at a reasonable rate. Three years ago, we received an upsell email from HA and upgraded to a Neptune Suite that time.

If you want an upsell, it pays to be persistent and be sure that your PCC is well aware of what you want. You can call and ask what is available and let them know what you're willing to pay.

 

We upsold from a balcony guarantee to a SY Spa Neptune Suite (one step down from Pinnacle Suite...only 2 of these on the ship) on Koningsdam for a few hundred $$/pp...and this happened about 3-4 days prior to sailing.

 

 

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Sorry...it was an SQ, not SY.

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How upgrades and upsells are done is an industry secret. But the key point is to fill the ship.

 

Looking on line is not an accurate way to determine how full the ship is. This is discussed here frequently. You may see X number of open cabins, but you can't determine how many "guarantee" bookings there are. Literally, it can go from 10 apparently unsold cabins to sold out with one booking, if there are 9 guarantee cabins booked.

How do you tell which cabins are available on a sailing?

There is no 100% accurate way. You can do some test bookings and get some ideas, but, again, if the website shows 10 available cabins in a given cabin category, you don't know if there are 1, 3, 7 or 9 guarantee bookings already out there, but unassigned. All it takes is one other person booking a cabin in that category if there are 9 guarantees already booked, and that category will now list as full, even thought those 9 guarantees haven't been assigned yet.

There is no 100% accurate way. You can do some test bookings and get some ideas, but, again, if the website shows 10 available cabins in a given cabin category, you don't know if there are 1, 3, 7 or 9 guarantee bookings already out there, but unassigned. All it takes is one other person booking a cabin in that category if there are 9 guarantees already booked, and that category will now list as full, even thought those 9 guarantees haven't been assigned yet.

True, but you also have to take into consideration that HAL only shows a maximum of 10 cabins per category, so there may be many more still "open" for sale.

If you REALLY want to know how many cabins there are open in a specific category (for example the SA Neptunes), you have to do a dummy booking for each SA cabin on the ship and record the response if it is open for booking. From this, you still have to reduce this number by the number of quarantees sold for this category (which there is no way to find this out).

All in all, it is just an educated "guess" in the end. But you can get a pretty good idea by using this tedious process.