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Unfilled cabins on sailing day


edpacecar

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Has anyone gotten onboard and bargained for an up grade? Seems cruise we are taking in Sept. still has a lot of open cabins. Now I realize they may have a last minute sale to fill the ship. But if higher categories are still available is it possible to get one at a cheap price? If you did was it a great deal???

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Y'know, I've only been on one cruise that had unsold cabins on the sailing date; every one besides always had the "full ship" sign at the check-in desk or at Guest Relations.

 

If they do have a number of unsold cabins close to sail date, they're likely to offer a flash sale first, then either dump them at interline rates or they'll go to employees and their friends/family who are waiting on standby to travel. Still-available suites (and sometimes balconies) are typically offered at a steep discount to booked passengers via fax to their travel agent several days before the sail date.

 

I have received upgrades from HAL in the past, but always just prior to sailing.

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Ditto...... it's been a long time since we sailed on a ship they didn't have the 'Ship Full' sign up. They will lower the price on any unsold cabin until they find a buyer. Once they sail, that empty cabin brings in no money.

 

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Also..meant to add that in the past when occassionally there was an empty Suite, anyone who wanted to upgrade to it at the dock was charged almost brochure rate. There are no bargains at the dock.

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Thinking back to 2002.

 

We did have a Delux suite empty next to us. After a medical emergency where the medvac man had to stay behind, he was given that suite to stay in for a couple of days till we got to San Francisco.

 

After that the purser moved in as the new purser had come on in LA and the old purser wasn't scheduled to leave until we got to Ft Lauderdale.

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It's always possible to have some no-shows who had transportation problems or last 24-hour emergencies. I imagine lower category people would get moved up, and the empty cabins would be the lower ones.

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It's always possible to have some no-shows who had transportation problems or last 24-hour emergencies. I imagine lower category people would get moved up, and the empty cabins would be the lower ones.

 

Back in May 2002 we had to cancel a cruise just a few days before the cruise.

Within days we someone from here did post that they met the couple who was given our Suite.

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Also..meant to add that in the past when occassionally there was an empty Suite, anyone who wanted to upgrade to it at the dock was charged almost brochure rate. There are no bargains at the dock.

 

This was our experience on our second cruise (second half of the Alaska BtB). A lot of passengers asked at the desk about upgrading to the suites available and all were told they would have to pay the full difference in brochure rates between their current cabin and what they were requesting. We were in one of the inside cabins on the suite deck and got to walk past all the empty suites the entire cruise. It appeared the ship took the opportunity to perform maintenance on the cabins.

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We were on the Ryndam a few years ago, going around Cape Horn which was a fairly long cruise, and the PH was available. Invitations were sent for pax to view the PH and opt for an extra $1100 a week to "move in." They never did sell it. It was offered mid-way in the cruise, not at the beginning.

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On one HAL cruise, an elderly couple in a suite had to disembark at the first port due to a medical emergency. Many saw the medical personnel take them off along the pier as we ate breakfast. Everyone who asked if they could upgrade to that suite was told no.

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It's always possible to have some no-shows who had transportation problems or last 24-hour emergencies. I imagine lower category people would get moved up, and the empty cabins would be the lower ones.
I would wonder about that, though. Maybe those people missed the boat in their embarkation port, but are gonna catch up with it at the next.

 

I missed the boat in Fort Lauderdale on my first cruise, thanks to good ole' US Air ... but I flew to Costa Rica and picked it up there.

 

If they gave away somebody's suite, I would imagine the paying customer wouldn't be too happy when they boarded a few days later only to find out that they no longer had a cabin?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

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I would wonder about that, though. Maybe those people missed the boat in their embarkation port, but are gonna catch up with it at the next.

And maybe they won't be boarding at all---as was the case when my husband dropped dead shortly before boarding.

If the passengers notify HAL as to their inability to make sail-away, and that they are making arrangements to catch up, then HAL would hold the cabin. It's a matter of communication.

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On a Panama Canal cruise those occupying the PH suite got off in Los Angeles leaving it open the the next 3 days. SA passengers were offered the suite, but for a substancial additional amount of money. I don't think HAL had any takers.

They will get the maximum amount that they can for an upsell.

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