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best upgrade for guarantee booking?

bermuda triangle

By bermuda triangle,
in Holland America Line

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RuthC

RuthC

Posted
Posted

I seldom book guarantees; in almost 40 HAL cruises, it's been maybe 4-5. Of those, my best was to a D-category from ?. It was 7 categories, I do remember that. I remember going from a J-category to an I-cat one time.

On my last cruise I was in a selected E-category cabin, which I believe I had marked "do not upgrade", and I was upgraded to an A-category! It was on the Prinsendam, and I lost the shower I prefer, but gained a lovely porch.

Overall, it was worth it.

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bermuda triangle

bermuda triangle

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Thank you Ruth! I don't usually book guarantees..unless on princess and in a mini suite.

Our upcoming cruise was booked with under a month to go and we opted for a guarantee as there are over 30 cabins available in catagories above us. Our HH catagory was guarantee only and I went into that with complete knowledge we may end up a deck below the HH rooms in the very front with a porthole..:eek:..not too worried about it as I may switch rooms with my dad if things get too rough. My parents, sis, and gm were able to select the cabin they prefer. However, they are open to an upsell offer should one come up!

Laura

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jtl513

jtl513

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On the Nieuw Amsterdam we booked an H Gty, were assigned a C at 10 days out, and were re-assigned a deck 8 "plain V" at 3 days out. A total difference of 16 steps! That was the cruise that put us over 100 days, so maybe the Upgrade Fairy was being extra nice to us! :D

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dfish

dfish

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For my Veendam South America/Antarctica cruise last January we booked an E guarantee and ended up in an A with an aft balcony. I pinched myself all the way to the pier, not believing it, but it was true!

 

Debbie

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cec5248

cec5248

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We always book Guarantees and have never been disappointed. Our best was on the Eurodam in the Baltic. We booked SZ-Category Guarantee and got a SA-Category Deluxe Suite [with all the wonderful benefits]. This year we booked a C-Category Outside Guarantee on the Veendam to Bermuda and ended up in an A-Category Verandah Suite. Hoping our luck holds for our upcoming Ryndam cruise in October.

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wldflr

wldflr

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Posted

In Dec. 09, we booked a VH gty on the Eurodam and got upgraded to a VA. We were a bit nervous about it since it was near the elevators and the possible noise we might have to deal with...it turned out great, hardly heard a thing and we were in and out of our cabin so fast. No trips down long hallways!

 

Currently booked on Jan. 2012 zuiderdam with a VF gty and fingers crossed again for a fab upgrade.:D

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olson99

olson99

Posted
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We were on the same cruise as dfish and got the same upgrade from an E to an A on Veendam.

 

We have an HH guarantee on the Veendam for this September. Wonder what we will get.

 

Also have a VF guarantee for 21 days on Nordam. That cruise will put me over the 100 days so maybe the upgrade fairy will be nice to us.

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fridayeyes

fridayeyes

Posted
Posted

Booked a verandah guarantee (VH?), got a VQ spa cabin - very nice!!

 

Booked an aft balcony (specific cabin number), got moved one deck down and three cabins over to an aft corner suite with wrap-around balcony. That was my cruise buddy's very first voyage. They hooked her good!

 

Not sure if this one counts - booked HH guarantee, fully obstructed OV. Saw a flash special for less than I'd booked for but it was after final payment. First rep told me no dice on an upgrade. Said a) we don't match travel agent prices (I saw it on Travelocity first), and b) you booked after final payment, so what you have is what you get. So I called my PCC - booking wasn't made thru her due to a series of small foul-ups on HAL's part (my future cruise deposit went missing twice and had to be hunted down.). PCC got me a supervisor, and said supe happily revised our booking from HH to verandah guarantee. All things said and done, I'm verra happy. :D I don't know what we'll end up with for a final category as we haven't sailed yet.

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cruisin crazy in Michigan

cruisin crazy in Michigan

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On Maasdam March 28th - booked N category guarantee & notified by email of upgrades. By the time we boarded the ship, we were upgraded to full ocean view C365!!! When we got to the port they told us to wait a minute while they printed new cards for us since we were upgraded. That was a very nice surprise.

 

For our next cruise in December I booked MM cat. guarantee. The rates have been reduced for oceanview, so I now have HH cat for the same price! A couple weeks later, the rates just dropped so I now received a price drop of $50pp deducted per person.

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SilvertoGold

SilvertoGold

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We were on the same cruise as dfish and got the same upgrade from an E to an A on Veendam.

 

We have an HH guarantee on the Veendam for this September. Wonder what we will get.

 

Also have a VF guarantee for 21 days on Nordam. That cruise will put me over the 100 days so maybe the upgrade fairy will be nice to us.

 

I sincerely hope your Copper Medallion helps with the Upgrade Fairy, but I sort of doubt it! Not our experience. Seems a lot depends on what you pay!

 

The best of luck and congratulations on your Copper!!!!

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DoverHeights

DoverHeights

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We just had a "guarantee" on NA - not by choice. Wanted a VD/bath and got a VQ/bath.

 

We were impressed that the VQ was exactly the same as the VD - but in a different part of the ship and with a minor balcony width difference.

 

We were happy that we paid VD rather than VQ as the "Spa" attributes, were a total nonsense - including a noisy burbling water feature - which we turned off and a roll of plastic foam which I worked out was a yoga mat! Sales person gone mad here.

 

The only possible -ve for our VQ (10008), was that at around 5 to 7 pm each night some body - punisher in the "Spa" did skipping or ball dribbling which created a rythmic thump thump thump. I tapped back the second night, when I realised that it was not caused by a HAL activity and got a response. We then forgot to notice it.

 

Oh, the ipod dock and the 5 bottles of various complimentary "health" waters were nice. The bottle of cheaply priced, duty free whisky, I pre-purchased, was also nice.

 

Moral of the story VD, C, B, .... VQ balcony staterooms on Eu/NA all equivalent - if you are forward, it's a walk to the restaurant - if you are aft, it's a walk to the show - but that's what the shop and casin are for.

 

Michael

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Jade13

Jade13

Posted
Posted

CA (Lanai) to BC QTY to BA

 

We paid for a Lanai on our recent 17 day Maasdam VOV from Boston to Amsterdam, and than moved to a BC QTY before final payment. We ended up in a BA Veranda suite (not deluxe).

 

Although not as many category jumps as mentioned by some on this thread, because of the high per diem on the Voyage of the Vikings cruise (perhaps HAL's most expensive?), the difference in price was substantial.

 

I don't know the exact costs this year for the same categories because the cruise was sold out until some cabins opened up right before final payment, but looking at the 17 day VOV for 2012 (that is half of the cruise), the prices for two people are as follows:

 

CA (Lanai) $14,620.88

BC $16,420.88

BA $17, 820.88

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