I want to pick my cabin

My travel agent says it is possible to pick my own cabin if I pay more. Is there really any difference between BB cabins on nav deck that she says are priced for the cruise company to pick. Other option is AA cabins also on nav deck that she says we can select our own cabin. Price to pick our own cabin is about $500 more.

What ship?

I would suggest that you first go onto the HAL website, look up your cruise and find out the bottom line as far as pricing is concerned. Get the basic info down yourself.

Look at pricing for specific cabin categories (B, AA etc) and which categories are available as Guarentee only and their pricing.

Knowledge will allow you to compare and see what your TA is talking about.

We would need to know which ship and your sail date to give an educated answer.

We would need to know which ship and your sail date to give an educated answer.

Have you or others you are familiar with worked with this TA in the past? Was the experience what you expected and were you or they satisfied?

I think it is the Zaandam sailing on 12/3. Yes I'm very happy with my travel agent so far.

I think it is the Zaandam sailing on 12/3. Yes I'm very happy with my travel agent so far.

I t seems an odd situaion. I have sailed HAL more than 20+ years, have always picked our specific cab in. and neverwere charged more to do so.

My travel agent says it is possible to pick my own cabin if I pay more. Is there really any difference between BB cabins on nav deck that she says are priced for the cruise company to pick. Other option is AA cabins also on nav deck that she says we can select our own cabin. Price to pick our own cabin is about $500 more.

Are you doing the 14-day? That is part of a 30 day cruise. It seems that the BBs are all only "guarantee", and being part of a longer cruise likely has something to do with that. The big difference between the BB and the AA cabins will be location. Only you can decide if picking your location is worth it. The AAs are priced higher because they are considered a better location.

I look at it the other way. Pick the cabin you want is the standard price. Take a chance with a guarantee cabin is a "discounted" price. Remember that a guarantee only assures a room in a certain category (ie. balcony, inside, etc) and that the room assigned could be the least desirable room in that category.

I have only taken the guaranteed cabin twice in 31 cruises, and it has worked out good for me both times. But that is not always the case.

You can call up deck plans for the Zaandam online...and check out the AA or BB cabins.

You will find that they are usually grouped together...example: there may be 10 BB cabins all in a row...you can select one yourself for $xx, or have HAL do it for $yy.

By letting HAL do it you could wind up on the opposite side of the ship (no biggie), or forward or aft by a few cabin spaces.

Some categories have cabins both forward and aft...so that would also be a possibility.

Regardless, you should explore the deck plans so that you understand how it works.

Finally, if you book a guarantee and HAL has empty cabins in a higher category you could wind up in one of those.

I suspect the question is really about the lowest price guarantee balcony cabin - which is usually guarantees the lowest type in the category. I have always found that selecting our balcony cabin always costs a bit more than a guarantee - but, in my mind, worth it. I like to look at deck plans while discussing options with the consultant so I can make an informed selection.

I t seems an odd situaion. I have sailed HAL more than 20+ years, have always picked our specific cab in. and neverwere charged more to do so.

This looks like the Zaandam on December 3, 2018. Have to say I haven’t used Holland America’s website lately and it’s not real user friendly but it does appear they are offering a category BB guarantee for less than picking a specific BB. I didn’t do the math but it does look like there’s about a $250/person difference for “they select” versus picking a specific BB cabin. I really don’t understand HAL’s pricing anymore but this is different than in the past.

I suspect the question is really about the lowest price guarantee balcony cabin - which is usually guarantees the lowest type in the category.

I see this verbage a lot in discussions about guarantees, however it is possible to book an AA guarantee...so you are guaranteed at least an AA cabin....and if there are higher class cabins unfilled, you could also be assigned one. (this example is for reference only...not specifically directed at the Zaandam)

Several years ago we booked a BD balcony guarantee on Princess (BE was the lowest class balcony)....and were assigned a BA cabin on the Caribe deck. That was probably a $500. upgrade for no charge.

Are you doing the 14-day? That is part of a 30 day cruise. It seems that the BBs are all only "guarantee", and being part of a longer cruise likely has something to do with that. The big difference between the BB and the AA cabins will be location. Only you can decide if picking your location is worth it. The AAs are priced higher because they are considered a better location.

That could be the reason. The only time we've been unable to choose our cabin was when we were doing two segments--last Alaska and coastal--and they were selling the coastal as part of a transcanal, and selling all 3 segments. When there are so many options, HAL likes to keep their ability to move people around, so they push guarantees.

This may be off topic, but when I booked my 2019 cruise on Zuiderdam, I wanted a specific cabin. I tried and tried on the HAL website and just could NOT get the cabin I wanted. I just would NOT offer me one where I wanted to stay. So, I went to a different (Travel) website and went through the booking process again, and THAT website would allow me to pick the cabin that I wanted. A half hour later, I checked my Mariner account and it listed the cruise and the cabin I selected. So, I agree that the HAL website can be a challenge to use.

Tom in Okeechobee, FL

This may be off topic, but when I booked my 2019 cruise on Zuiderdam, I wanted a specific cabin. I tried and tried on the HAL website and just could NOT get the cabin I wanted. I just would NOT offer me one where I wanted to stay. So, I went to a different (Travel) website and went through the booking process again, and THAT website would allow me to pick the cabin that I wanted. A half hour later, I checked my Mariner account and it listed the cruise and the cabin I selected. So, I agree that the HAL website can be a challenge to use.

 

Tom in Okeechobee, FL

They usually show no more than 10 cabins at a time. But there is a step where you can enter specific cabin numbers to see if the one you want is available. That has worked for me. It's time consuming, because you need to have the deck plans open in one window and the booking site open in another window, and there's a lot of backing and forthing. But it does work.

Are you doing the 14-day? That is part of a 30 day cruise. It seems that the BBs are all only "guarantee", and being part of a longer cruise likely has something to do with that. The big difference between the BB and the AA cabins will be location. Only you can decide if picking your location is worth it. The AAs are priced higher because they are considered a better location.

I thought about that but you actually can pick a specific BB so it’s not restricted to guarantees only.

I thought about that but you actually can pick a specific BB so it’s not restricted to guarantees only.

Interesting! That's the 14-day? I just looked again and can't get a BB to show at all except as "We select your room". When I choose "Select My Room" I see only midship rooms, presumably not BBs (which are described as being forward and aft).

Of course, I find the HAL website pretty user-unfriendly so I could easily be doing something wrong.

For upcoming cruise it was a $300 each difference between guarantee ( they pick) and selecting room at the lowest level in that category.... so I do understand what the TA means....the price that comes up on the HAL site when you first select a cruise is the guarantee price. Just went on site ... Verandah guarantee is $1332 (says we select your room). Price is $1584 And $1688 if you select your own...so technically you do pay extra to pick your room.....

(Much the same as airlines now)

All the years we have sailed with HAL -- we always picked the cabin we wanted.

Should we book something in the future, we would pick the cabin we want and also do refundable deposits.

We may pay more, but we will get what we want.

My travel agent says it is possible to pick my own cabin if I pay more. Is there really any difference between BB cabins on nav deck that she says are priced for the cruise company to pick. Other option is AA cabins also on nav deck that she says we can select our own cabin. Price to pick our own cabin is about $500 more.

Not sure what cruise line you are using but all the ships I’ve been on , I picked the cabin . The only way the price increased or decreased was the level of cabin within the category.

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My travel agent says it is possible to pick my own cabin if I pay more. Is there really any difference between BB cabins on nav deck that she says are priced for the cruise company to pick. Other option is AA cabins also on nav deck that she says we can select our own cabin. Price to pick our own cabin is about $500 more.

Simple suggestion. You seem to be doubting the information provided by this TA. My suggestion: Call HAL. Don't mention you've discussed this will a TA. Just ask them about booking a BB with a specific cabin. Then ask about the AA. Ask what the difference in price. Etc.

I think the HAL site is a "challenge" to say the least. First off the HAL site does not list categories so if you call HAL and they say "what category is that?" You need to go to another web site to get their own information. Next is (and I find this more an more on longer cruises) all the cabins aren't displayed. It happens because the cruise you are looking at is broken up into a couple of parts. So if the cabin isn't on the list of cabins you want, go to the other parts of the cruise and check those out. Example. I am looking at a cruise on Maasdam. The choices are 14, 34 or 48 days. Now some cabins have been allotted for each. The cabins are there for all 48 and then there are cabins for the 34 and 14. If you are on the 48 day and the cabin you want isn't available then it is I found this out by checking an online TA website and finding cabins listed that weren't on HAL's. Then I called and sure enough the cabins were available.

The other thing is the pricing on the HAL website. The op is correct. The pricing that shows in the window is often the guarantee price, but not always. You need to go thru the "booking" process to establish what the price of your cabin really will be. And "if" the price on the first page is the "guarantee" price you will need to click on the box that says "we will select your cabin". But there again when you look at the ship chart sometimes the price in the first window can show up there. The best thing to do is (this is what I do) I open HAL's website up and then I open two other TA sites up, so I have three tabs. One shows all the cabins that are available and the other has the deck plans with the categories. Say I am looking for an ocean view. Hal's site says it will be a certain price. Ok now I check out what is the category on my second site (the one with the deck plans) and then I check the third site for any other cabins in that category that I might want and which HAL's site doesn't show. Anyway this is how I do it.

All the years we have sailed with HAL -- we always picked the cabin we wanted.

Should we book something in the future, we would pick the cabin we want and also do refundable deposits.

We may pay more, but we will get what we want.

I always pick the spec ific cabin and will only do refundable deposits. If I could not pick my cabin, I would not book the cruise. my ca in is too important to me to 'take a chance'.

I always pick the spec ific cabin and will only do refundable deposits..

Makes sense, for just a small increase you get precisely what you want - which is important. When spending perhaps a couple of thousand or so, it is being penny-wise to risk a cabin next to a noisy lounge or under a heavily trafficked desk just to save $100.