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Can a guarantee ever jump categories?

edmusic

By edmusic,
in Holland America Line

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edmusic

edmusic

Posted
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To make a long story short, I have a HAL certificate good for a seven day cruise to Mexico, Alaska, Caribbean, or New England/Canada. The certificate provides an ocean view cabin for two people. DW and I have only had verandas on our past three cruises and are somewhat accustomed to that. I can pay $200 per person extra to be given a VH guarantee.

 

My question is: If I stay with the ocean view cabin, will there be a chance we can be visited by the upgrade faerie and bumped up to a verandah cabin? Does anyone have experience in this matter? Thanks in advance for all your help.

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hamrag

hamrag

Posted
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To make a long story short, I have a HAL certificate good for a seven day cruise to Mexico, Alaska, Caribbean, or New England/Canada. The certificate provides an ocean view cabin for two people. DW and I have only had verandas on our past three cruises and are somewhat accustomed to that. I can pay $200 per person extra to be given a VH guarantee.

 

My question is: If I stay with the ocean view cabin, will there be a chance we can be visited by the upgrade faerie and bumped up to a verandah cabin? Does anyone have experience in this matter? Thanks in advance for all your help.

 

It is highly unlikely, but not impossible. It is much more usual for upgrades to be given up to the highest grade within category.

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catl331

catl331

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It also depends on where and when you are going. Alaskan cruises during the summer are usually fully booked. Cruises between Thanksgiving and Xmas have openings. It doesn't matter if you are a long time Mariner either. We met a couple, first-time HAL cruisers who jumped up to a veranda. My husband's brother and wife jumped up to veranda with us on a Med. cruise. I think the Upgrade Fairy just spins a wheel!

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cruz chic

cruz chic

Posted
Posted
It also depends on where and when you are going. Alaskan cruises during the summer are usually fully booked. Cruises between Thanksgiving and Xmas have openings. It doesn't matter if you are a long time Mariner either. We met a couple, first-time HAL cruisers who jumped up to a veranda. My husband's brother and wife jumped up to veranda with us on a Med. cruise. I think the Upgrade Fairy just spins a wheel!

I think newbies are way more likely to get really good upgrades even though someone is sure to say it's not true. I've found that to be true on Princess as well.

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Mary Ellen

Mary Ellen

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Just went from a SC guarantee to a SA on our upcoming cruise so yes, there is always a possibility.
That's a deluxe suite to a deluxe suite. You didn't change categories as the OP is hoping to do.

 

OP - if you want the verandah, I'd suggest paying the extra $200. While I've known of an outside to verandah upgrade to happen, I sure wouldn't bet a vacation on it if it is important to you. From what I've been told, one of the factors that comes into play for the upgrade fairy is how much one pays for their original cabin. If that is so, you'd probably be at the bottom of the upgrade list. Sorry.

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RMLincoln

RMLincoln

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We had a C category guarantee and got a C category room, which we enjoyed a lot.... but no upgrade to a balcony, which probably would have been a steel rail, windy, small balcony that no balcony customer would have wanted, but I'd have liked to have tried it:) m--

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edmusic

edmusic

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If that certificate you hold is free (like a bingo prize for example) then the chance for a veranda is essentially zero.
Well..........the certificate was purchased by a non-profit organization to be used as a raffle prize at their annual fundraiser and I won the raffle! The non-profit paid $1000 to HAL for the certificate so it's not like the freebie given out at the onboard Bingo games.

 

As fate would have it, I won the exact same raffle last year at the same fundraiser (I was the most hated person in the room last month because I won it again and it was the same group of folks in attendance :D).

 

For the first freebie, I paid for a VH guarantee ($400 for DW and I) and we were upgraded to category V on the 8th deck, Navigation, on the Nieuw Amsterdam to the Western Caribbean.

 

DW and I have pretty much settled on the 7 day Alaska RT from Seattle on June 10th aboard the Ooosterdam. While we prefer a balcony, I was thinking of rolling the dice and see if we can get visited by the upgrade faerie to a Verandah. But as was said earlier, I probably don't want to risk my vacation on a 'chance' and not get it, especially for the spectacular views that balconies afford in Alaska. I'm not trying to be cheap, but $400 is $400 plus I have to pay for airfare and excursions.

 

I'm pretty sure I'll be paying the extra and hope for a same category upgrade in the Verandahs.

 

After going must of my life never winning anything, I'm now two for two with HAL cruises! BTW, I bought 5 tickets at $20 each and there were about 200 tickets sold.

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CrackersAndCheese

CrackersAndCheese

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On a Mediterranean cruise in July on the Noordam, we were upgraded from a VA guarantee (Deluxe Verandah Ocean View) to an SS (Superior Verandah Suite). It was our first cruise with Holland America. We weren't even told of our cabin number until embarkation. We were very much spoiled and of course now we'll always book a guarantee (in a category we'd be fine with) with hopes for an upgrade.

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gerryl12

gerryl12

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An upgrade is slightly possible but highly unlikely.

 

To us a balcony makes no real difference on an Alaskan cruise, we have taken an inside and an ocean view and realy didn't miss a balcony. Now, a Caribbean cruise is different where the air is toasty warm and you can sit outside day or night.

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cruz chic

cruz chic

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So not true. Gotten many a free upgrade and I'm a 3-star mariner.

...but you must understand that doesn't happen to everyone. Please read my post again. I said newbies are more likely....not that it doesn't happen to higher star mariners. I've had upgrades too.

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  • 2 weeks later...
1cruiselvr

1cruiselvr

Posted
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...but you must understand that doesn't happen

to everyone. Please read my post again. I said newbies are more likely....not that it doesn't happen to higher star mariners. I've had upgrades too.

 

And unless you have inside information, your statement is really an opinion and should be stated as such and not worded like it's a known fact. Nobody knows how the CL assigns upgrades.

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