Available cabins?

[wldflr]

So some friends of ours has expressed an interest in perhaps joining us on our cruise on the Eurodam this December and to help I go online to various TA websites to scope out what cabins are still available.

 

What I've discovered (and you veterans probably know this already) is that 98% of the cruise websites list the same 6 available cabins when you look at each category. And to boot, they are less than desirable cabins.

 

And even the Holland website won't list the free cabins - just lets you pick a guarantee or put in a specific cabin# - and how do you know what cabin # to put in if you can't see what is available?!

 

So is this something that a live TA has access to and isn't available to us avg. cruisers?

[Y's Owl]

I just called HAL directly and they looked up my mariner number. I told them about where I wanted to be on the ship and then they gave me several choices and I wound up with a nice D cabin amidship on the Main deck of the Maasdam.

[Mary Ellen]

So is this something that a live TA has access to and isn't available to us avg. cruisers?

Yes.

[CruiserBruce]

Part of the reason it is getting harder for TAs, both online and office based, as well as the average citizen to see detailed available cabins status is the increasing number of various combos of cruises being sold.

 

For example, we have booked a 20 day Med cruise next year on Noordam. This is marketed and sold as a 20 day. But, portions of it are also being sold as a 10 day cruise, and part of a 17 day cruise (7 day prior and the first 10 days of our cruise). Also there is the option of a 20 day starting on the second half of our 20 day.

 

For our 20 day (and we booked the first day cabins were available) neither PS is available. But for the 10 day first half, both are available- still are, to this day- 5 months after the cabins first came available. We were interested in, and had previously sailed in SB cabins amidships on Deck 6, but these also weren't available to us. We ended up with a SB "hump" cabin on Deck 7. No complaints!

 

So, what appears to be happening is that to ease confusion, some cabins are being set aside for 20 day cruisers, some for 10 day cruisers and some for 17 day cruisers. I am sure as the sailing date gets much closer they will review this and adjust what is available for what cruise to make sure they sell every cabin.

 

But for all concerned, it must be very confusing, and appear that they are only offering less desirable cabins to some people.

[1cruiselvr]

The reason why all the online TAs show the same available cabins is because they are all linked to HAL's inventory system and these are the cabins HAL is making available to them. If you are interested in a certain cabin or cabins, I suggest calling HAL directly to find out what's available in a desirable category/location. Happy Sailing!