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We are four days from cruising and still no cabin. We have received two upgrade offers. The first was from inside to outside for $129 each. The second was for the exact same upgrade for $79. Fortunately we said no the first time. We have also declined the second offer. The categories they offered were in the bowels of the ship and far forward. We might still get assigned those cabins but we won't have paid extra. Don't like not knowing but we rolled the dice and will have to wait.

 

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You may be on the same cruise to Hawaii that we are (on the Noordam) leaving on Sunday. We have also received the same 2 upgrade offers you have. Can't figure out how a cruise that is listed as sold out on the website has cabins to be upgraded to. We're staying put. Maybe we'll get a free upgrade at the dock.

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MUCH to our surprise we had been upgraded to the primo balcony cabin. Mid ships, high up, one floor from the pool and bar, quiet sundeck area just a few steps down the hall. I can only assume the previous assignee got upgraded to a suite at the last minute.

 

This is just additional evidence that the perception of a 'primo' cabin location is always in the eyes of the beholder.

 

For us, we would have declined this 'upgrade' in a nanosecond, as a completely undesirable location.

 

But to each their own, I guess, right? :confused:

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Okay, but you leave out a key bit of information, in our view... where? Was it a fully obstructed veranda, or perhaps a cabin directly over the disco?

 

There are so many variables in cabin location, that simply saying 'we got an upgrade from an interior to a veranda' is not necessarily the whole picture. ;)

Does hal have any fully obstructed verandas? To my thinking, pretty much any veranda would be better than an inside. While I don't want to be over a bar I'm ok with any cabin, front, back or middle. Some people are very picky and wouldn't like most of those. Just because someone doesn't like the wait it doesn't mean they shouldn't book a gty. If you don't want to that's fine but don't assume others shouldn't do it either.

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Does hal have any fully obstructed verandas?

 

Yes, Cat HH, of which we we were recently offered an 'upgrade', and which we quickly declined.

 

To my thinking, pretty much any veranda would be better than an inside.

 

That's where our opinions differ. Location is so important to us that we would take an inside cabin in a great location over a veranda in an undesirable location anytime. :)

 

Just because someone doesn't like the wait it doesn't mean they shouldn't book a gty.

 

Oh, but yes it does! If you don't like the wait, take that out of the equation altogether and book your cabin up front.... no wait, and no stress!:D

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Yes, Cat HH, of which we we were recently offered an 'upgrade', and which we quickly declined.

 

 

 

That's where our opinions differ. Location is so important to us that we would take an inside cabin in a great location over a veranda in an undesirable location anytime. :)

 

 

 

Oh, but yes it does! If you don't like the wait, take that out of the equation altogether and book your cabin up front.... no wait, and no stress!:D

An HH cabin is an an oceanview not a balcony. Did hal tell you this? Take a look at deck plan. It someone told you that it was a balcony they were very wrong. I understand location is important to you and it's a great idea to book a room you are happy with. If you have a laundry list of wants I don't think a gty is the best choice. Others are not so particular. I book a specific room on occasion but I don't think I have a right to tell others what they should do just because they are wondering when they will land.

Edited by Florida_gal_50
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An HH cabin is an an oceanview not a balcony. Did hal tell you this ��? Take a look at deck plan. It someone told you that it was a balcony they were very wrong. I understand location is important to you and it's a great idea to book a room you are happy with. If you have a laundry list of wants I don't think a gty is the best choice. Others are not so particular. I book a specific room on occasion but I don't think I have a right to tell others what they should do just because they are wondering where they will land.

 

Booking a guarantee is ALWAYS a BAD choice if you care about 'where you will land'.;)

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An HH cabin is an an oceanview not a balcony. Did hal tell you this? Take a look at deck plan. It someone told you that it was a balcony they were very wrong. I understand location is important to you and it's a great idea to book a room you are happy with. If you have a laundry list of wants I don't think a gty is the best choice. Others are not so particular. I book a specific room on occasion but I don't think I have a right to tell others what they should do just because they are wondering when they will land.

People could easily mistake an HH as a balcony from looking at pictures as it has the floor to ceiling windows that look like patio doors. (As opposed to port holes or the standard rectangular windows). Balcony STYLE windows would be the best description.

Edited by Shih-tzu
Port holes are not potholes.....
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My cruise leaves in 7 days and still no assignment (though others on my roll call have gotten their assignments.) What was interesting to me is that when HAL pulled the sailing and labeled it "sold out" (a couple weeks ago) they still had 90 "unallocated" ocean view rooms (one of which was obstructed and two were port holes) and 30 "unallocated" inside rooms. Obviously all those cabins were for "guarantees." My booking is an "obstructed ocean view" and I am hoping that with so may "guarantees" and only one available "obstructed" cabin left they will run out of obstructed views....:-) We'll see....:-)

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People could easily mistake an HH as a balcony from looking at pictures as it has the floor to ceiling windows that look like patio doors. (As opposed to port holes or the standard rectangular windows). Balcony STYLE windows would be the best description.

I agree, if they are looking at pictures they could easily be mistaken. That would be easily fixed by looking at a deck plan. I like these rooms myself and book them instead of an oceanview.

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We received our cabin assignment last December for our sailing next week, because we selected it and confirmed it at time of booking. ;):)

 

Wow. You mean booking a selected cabin and booking a guarantee cabin don't work the same? Who would have ever guessed THAT??

 

I'm sure that was very helpful for the OP.:rolleyes:

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We never have any drama or stress when booking a gty. Sometimes it is a straight balcomy gty, sometimes a gty at a certain balcony category level or better.

 

When we book, we always assume two things. First that we will get the worst cabin in the lowest category on the gty sheet. Second, that there is no way in haddes that we will be upgraded.

 

Never been disappointed yet. Always been fine, more often than not delighted, with the assignment. Only once on a Carnival ship were were not thrilled with the gty assigned so they put us back in the pool and we pulled a much better cabin the second time around. HAL, Princess, Carnival, RCI, Celebrity, NCL...we have had gty's on all of them. All good.

 

We always assume that we will get the cabin number until the last day or day prior.

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Sometimes you don't have the choice of picking a specific cabin....like if there are multiple boarding points. We booked the Noordam from San Francisco to Sydney over a year ahead. Wanted a Neptune Suite but HAL would not assign us one because we were not boarding in Vancouver where the cruise officially started. We had to be given an SA Neptune guarantee. We got our cabin assignment a few days ago and we leave on Tuesday! This was the first time we couldn't pick our cabin....so ... sometimes the choice of cabins is not yours to make.

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Bit of advice... Take all of the drama and stress out of cabin selection by avoiding the gaurantee, and selecting your cabin of choice at time of booking. Done deal, no drama and no stress!;):D

 

For some, not us, the suspense of waiting for an assignment along with the hope of snagging a wonderful upgrade, is one of the better parts of the cruising experience.

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One of our cruises was booked outside the final payment window. We suspected that bookings were light based on the ongoing price decreases.

 

We cancelled our booking a few days prior to the final payment date. Booked again a few weeks later inside the final payment window. Saved hundreds of dollars over our previous reservation. Ended up with a gty cabin that was in a much higher category than our original booking. We book most of our cruises inside the final payment window. Many are gtys.

 

Of course 'we care' about where we will be assigned. Who doesn't? But it does not stop us from booking gtys. There is a difference between not caring and not being overly fussy. This also depends on what you are booking-inside, outside, verandah etc.

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Congratulations on your celebration cruise! I'm sorry your are frustrated with HAL before the cruise begins, even to the point of saying it's the last time you'll book them, but fingers crossed for you for a nice cabin assignment and a cruise of good memories together. Maybe HAL will go up a notch in your opinion with a good vacation experience in at least a Signature suite.

 

 

I'm sure you'll be checking for your cabin number daily, and we'll all be checking here to see how it turns out! m--

 

It will be our 2nd cruise with HAL, the first one was OK. But compared to Celebrity, they don't compare on the service end of things. And then after the price drop that happened, and the attitude I got from them, I already said I won't cruise with them again. I'll enjoy this one, to be sure, but I'm going back to Celebrity. I will update once I know our cabin assignment. Still waiting...

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We are four days from cruising and still no cabin. We have received two upgrade offers. The first was from inside to outside for $129 each. The second was for the exact same upgrade for $79. Fortunately we said no the first time. We have also declined the second offer. The categories they offered were in the bowels of the ship and far forward. We might still get assigned those cabins but we won't have paid extra. Don't like not knowing but we rolled the dice and will have to wait.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

 

Received our assignment today. We are on the Rotterdam deck. Still an inside cabin but happy to be on a higher deck and aft rather than forward.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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