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paid upgrade = awesome surprise!!

akacake

By akacake,
in Holland America Line

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akacake

akacake

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We are set to sail on the Zaandam, May 23, 2014. Booked what we could afford directly with HA in Nov as an FF GUAR and was advised of our room assignment 2 weeks ago in an F - cabin #1827.

 

Last night I received and email from HA advising of an upgrade from category C-HH to A-BC for $49 pp. I called them 1st thing this morning and we are now in a vista room midship on the verandah deck!

 

 

Just curious if paid upgrades like this happen only when you book directly with HA? (This is my 1st time with HA and normally I book with a T.A.)

 

We are absolutely THRILLED to have a balcony!! What a totally unexpected surprise! I think now I need to go and pre-order a bottle of Bailey's since I will be needing it in my coffee on my deck :)

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cruz chic

cruz chic

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There are a lot of theories around. I know that every cruise I've booked direct I've seen upsells on. When i used to book thru a ta it was rare. Once i heard about one and was told i didn't qualify for it. This was a cruise i booked thru a ta. Have fun.

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Crew News "Live from...." Rare

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Posted
Posted
We are set to sail on the Zaandam, May 23, 2014. Booked what we could afford directly with HA in Nov as an FF GUAR and was advised of our room assignment 2 weeks ago in an F - cabin #1827.

 

Last night I received and email from HA advising of an upgrade from category C-HH to A-BC for $49 pp. I called them 1st thing this morning and we are now in a vista room midship on the verandah deck!

 

 

Just curious if paid upgrades like this happen only when you book directly with HA? (This is my 1st time with HA and normally I book with a T.A.)

 

We are absolutely THRILLED to have a balcony!! What a totally unexpected surprise! I think now I need to go and pre-order a bottle of Bailey's since I will be needing it in my coffee on my deck :)

 

Enjoy Room Service breakfast on your verandah, keep an eye out for whales, and have a Bailey's when the chill starts to tickle your nose in Glacier Bay.

 

Enjoy your cruise and let us know your impressions of your verandah cruise when you return.

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NYteacher

NYteacher

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We book through a very attentive TA. He knows we book a cabin or suite we will be happy in, but also welcome upsell offers. I pre-authorize him up to a certain amount and he accepts on our behalf.

 

Last summer the amount was more than we had authorized him to accept. He called us in Denmark to tell us the offer for an SA aboard the Eurodam for a Baltic adventures voyage. I accepted because I'm weak like that. We had a wonderful time.

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cruz chic

cruz chic

Posted
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We book through a very attentive TA. He knows we book a cabin or suite we will be happy in, but also welcome upsell offers. I pre-authorize him up to a certain amount and he accepts on our behalf.

 

Last summer the amount was more than we had authorized him to accept. He called us in Denmark to tell us the offer for an SA aboard the Eurodam for a Baltic adventures voyage. I accepted because I'm weak like that. We had a wonderful time.

 

Glad I'm not the only one who is weak:D. I say I'm not going to pay more than xxx but then I do. I think I've learned my lesson but that remains to be seen.

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akacake

akacake

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Sorry...upsell...paid upgrade...

 

 

The email's subject was titled " Preferred Limited Upgrade Special", so even though it was an "upsell" they were still calling it an "upgrade" (which I had to pay for).

 

I couldn't sleep all night waiting for 0700 PST to roll around so I could call them to "upgrade" myself :)

 

I was in YVR for the day yesterday and walked down to Canada Place...not a cruise ship to be seen :(

 

10 more days until I sail....can't wait :) :)

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CowPrincess

CowPrincess

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Posted (edited)

Awesome upsell -- congratulations! :D :D :D

 

One caution -- do NOT become glued to your balcony. Alaska cruises offer amazing scenery, and you really need to get out on public decks to truly appreciate it --to get the widest angle view possible.

 

Enjoy your balcony! (despite the caution I just gave you ;) )

Edited by CowPrincess
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Bean na mara

Bean na mara

Posted
Posted
We are set to sail on the Zaandam, May 23, 2014. Booked what we could afford directly with HA in Nov as an FF GUAR and was advised of our room assignment 2 weeks ago in an F - cabin #1827.

 

Last night I received and email from HA advising of an upgrade from category C-HH to A-BC for $49 pp. I called them 1st thing this morning and we are now in a vista room midship on the verandah deck!

 

 

Just curious if paid upgrades like this happen only when you book directly with HA? (This is my 1st time with HA and normally I book with a T.A.)

 

We are absolutely THRILLED to have a balcony!! What a totally unexpected surprise! I think now I need to go and pre-order a bottle of Bailey's since I will be needing it in my coffee on my deck :)

Great deal...Congats. Jamnut and I took an upsell 2 weeks ago to the same catagory of stateroom on your deck. We are also mid-ship.

We could be neighbors:) Are you on the starboard or port side? This is the first time I have been offered upsells but have been upgraded by a few catagories 4 out of the 5 cruises my DH and I have taken... This upsell has been the most I've "moved up" Maybe traveling with my long time friend is the charm for this upsell :D Again congats--you'll love the verandah! Spazzsmom (Jean)

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NMLady

NMLady

Posted
Posted
We are set to sail on the Zaandam, May 23, 2014. Booked what we could afford directly with HA in Nov as an FF GUAR and was advised of our room assignment 2 weeks ago in an F - cabin #1827.

 

Last night I received and email from HA advising of an upgrade from category C-HH to A-BC for $49 pp. I called them 1st thing this morning and we are now in a vista room midship on the verandah deck!

 

 

Just curious if paid upgrades like this happen only when you book directly with HA? (This is my 1st time with HA and normally I book with a T.A.)

 

We are absolutely THRILLED to have a balcony!! What a totally unexpected surprise! I think now I need to go and pre-order a bottle of Bailey's since I will be needing it in my coffee on my deck :)

 

Congrats on a nice upsell. No, you don't have to book directly with HAL to get one. We got an upsell to a balcony on our AK cruise and we'd booked through a travel agent. HAL contacted the TA with the offer and she contacted us.

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Linda&Vern

Linda&Vern

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Congrats on a nice upsell. No, you don't have to book directly with HAL to get one. We got an upsell to a balcony on our AK cruise and we'd booked through a travel agent. HAL contacted the TA with the offer and she contacted us.

Exactly. From my 10 years reading these boards, my opinion is that if you booked through a TA you may receive an upsell offer - IF your TA reads their mail in a timely manner, and IF your TA contacts you immediately. There have been stories her about large TA agencies that do not respond or forward any HAL offers. I think it is wrong to say you only get an upsell if you book with HAL - although your chances may be greater because hopefully YOU have read HAL's mail in a timely manner.

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