Upgrading policy?

[elycelynne]

I know that one can have their booking marked "Do Not Upgrade". And I know that HAL or any other cruise line can move you at their whim to what they might consider an upgrade if you don't do that.

 

What I was wondering if there's an option where you can specify "upgrade only with permission" or words to that effect? For example, I booked a VC cabin on deck 6, which is in the forward section but not all the way by the bow -- A decent location above and below cabin-only decks. If HAL "upgraded me" they might move me to a VA cabin on deck 5 which has the really shallow balconies. Or they might think to put me in one of those new VB cabins by the Crow's Nest, which I believe have totally uncovered balconies.

 

SO can I request my travel agent to mark my booking to to be upgraded only if it's cleared with me? Not that it would likely happen, but I wouldn't be averse to being moved to a Signature Suite (or whatever it is they're calling the non-Neptune suites these days) or even offered an upsell for what I'd consider a reasonable price. Or is it an "all or nothing" thing where you either give HAL blanket upgrade authority or no authority whatsoever?

Edited August 11, 2015 by elycelynne

[Shmoo here]

I know that one can have their booking marked "Do Not Upgrade". And I know that HAL or any other cruise line can move you at their whim to what they might consider an upgrade if you don't do that.

 

What I was wondering if there's an option where you can specify "upgrade only with permission" or words to that effect? For example, I booked a VC cabin on deck 6, which is in the forward section but not all the way by the bow -- A decent location above and below cabin-only decks. If HAL "upgraded me" they might move me to a VA cabin on deck 5 which has the really shallow balconies. Or they might think to put me in one of those new VB cabins by the Crow's Nest, which I believe have totally uncovered balconies.

 

SO can I request my travel agent to mark my booking to to be upgraded only if it's cleared with me? Not that it would likely happen, but I wouldn't be averse to being moved to a Signature Suite (or whatever it is they're calling the non-Neptune suites these days) or even offered an upsell for what I'd consider a reasonable price. Or is it an "all or nothing" thing where you either give HAL blanket upgrade authority or no authority whatsoever?

 

On the Holland America site, when you make a reservation, there's a place to check if you are willing to take an upgrade. But nothing that says "after checking with me".

 

You can only, basically, say you will take an upgrade or not.

[cruz chic]

Agree with the previous poster. That said, you could ask your ta to make the request but it likely wouldn't be honoured. That will not keep you from getting an upsell offer.

[CowPrincess]

even offered an upsell for what I'd consider a reasonable price

 

On our last cruise we had picked a specific cabin and I did NOT want any others in the oceanview category. We marked our res "do not upgrade". We were still offered an upsell.

[DaveOKC]

On our last cruise we had picked a specific cabin and I did NOT want any others in the oceanview category. We marked our res "do not upgrade". We were still offered an upsell.

 

Ditto here. I often mark my reservations do not upgrade, but I still receive upsell offers.

[elycelynne]

Thanks for all your answers!

 

I guess I'll do the "Do Not Upgrade" option and hope for a low-priced upsell to a Signature Suite. And if I don't get one, I know that I'll be satisfied with my present location (that is -- if the A/C and the plumbing are working properly).

[SilvertoGold]

On our last cruise we had picked a specific cabin and I did NOT want any others in the oceanview category. We marked our res "do not upgrade". We were still offered an upsell.

 

 

But was your upsell to another outside? If it was, this is extremely unusual -- should have been to a balcony.

 

This is good business practice: if the price and upsell is right, you never know who will bite.

[elycelynne]

I could be mistaken, but I was under the impression that upsells were generally from one level to an entirely higher level (inside to ocean view, ocean view to balcony, balcony to suite, Signature Suite to Neptune Suite, or Neptune Suite to Pinnacle Suite).

 

Wouldn't HAL just upgrade people within the same general category rather than offering upsells?

[SilvertoGold]

I could be mistaken, but I was under the impression that upsells were generally from one level to an entirely higher level (inside to ocean view, ocean view to balcony, balcony to suite, Signature Suite to Neptune Suite, or Neptune Suite to Pinnacle Suite).

 

Wouldn't HAL just upgrade people within the same general category rather than offering upsells?

 

You are right about upsells.

 

We've gone from an MM to DD, C, F, DA, D on "guarentee" assignments. Upsells, always as you note.

 

When you book a specific cabin, upgrades are quite rare, but upsells are common.

 

Upsells make money for HAL, upgrades don't.

Edited August 11, 2015 by SilvertoGold

[Shmoo here]

I could be mistaken, but I was under the impression that upsells were generally from one level to an entirely higher level (inside to ocean view, ocean view to balcony, balcony to suite, Signature Suite to Neptune Suite, or Neptune Suite to Pinnacle Suite).

 

Wouldn't HAL just upgrade people within the same general category rather than offering upsells?

 

I don't know that there's any rhyme or reason to upsells/upgrades.

 

We were upgraded from an oceanview (we selected a specific room) to a (second from the highest) verandah on one cruise. And offered upsells from an oceanview (again, specific room selected) to either a lanai or verandah room on another.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Shmoo here

[DaveOKC]

I don't know that there's any rhyme or reason to upsells/upgrades.

 

We were upgraded from an oceanview (we selected a specific room) to a (second from the highest) verandah on one cruise. And offered upsells from an oceanview (again, specific room selected) to either a lanai or verandah room on another.

 

From what I have seen, HAL will first try to upsell people from on "category" (i.e. - inside, ocean view, veranda, etc.) to a higher level category. If, after this process is complete, they still have higher level cabins open, they will give free upgrades to them.

 

While I am not certain, I think assigning the "guarantees" occurs between these two procedures. I do know that guarantees are assigned AFTER the upsells.

[cruz chic]

I could be mistaken, but I was under the impression that upsells were generally from one level to an entirely higher level (inside to ocean view, ocean view to balcony, balcony to suite, Signature Suite to Neptune Suite, or Neptune Suite to Pinnacle Suite).

 

Wouldn't HAL just upgrade people within the same general category rather than offering upsells?

 

Generally that is true. That said I took an upsell from an obstructed oceanview to an unobstructed oceanview on the Veendam. The price was quite reasonable.

[ej22ndrow]

Can you contact HAL to initiate Upsells yourself (and if so, who or which dept do you contact) or do you have to wait for them to contact you?

[cruz chic]

Can you contact HAL to initiate Upsells yourself (and if so, who or which dept do you contact) or do you have to wait for them to contact you?

 

I've had limited success with calling them for upsells. I contacted my PCC.

[SeaBands]

but several times our TA calls with an offer and usually it's worth doing.

[DaveOKC]

Can you contact HAL to initiate Upsells yourself (and if so, who or which dept do you contact) or do you have to wait for them to contact you?

 

You need to have your TA do this for you. HAL will not talk to you directly if you used a TA.

 

If you booked through HAL, you need to contact your PCC (personal cruise consultant) or their reservations department (that you booked with).

[3rdGenCunarder]

We requested an upsell one time, through our TA. It's true that HAL will not talk to you if you've booked through a TA.

 

Question about upgrades/upsells: do they have a pattern for this? Do they work top to bottom or bottom to top?

 

My upcoming cruise on Veendam (8/29) has had only insides and Neptunes available for the past week, maybe longer. Now today, there's a bunch of Vistas available. The Neptunes and Vistas are at the price they've been for quite a while. (We're in a Vista that we got for $200 pp less, so we're happy, but we wouldn't reject an upgrade). Starting price for an Inside has gone up a whopping $10. Oceanview and Lanai have been sold out for weeks, although a search for insides picks up a few outside cabins, which is odd.

 

So where did all those available Vista suites come from? The same Neptunes are still showing as available, so that doesn't explain the Vista availability.

[DaveOKC]

We requested an upsell one time, through our TA. It's true that HAL will not talk to you if you've booked through a TA.

 

Question about upgrades/upsells: do they have a pattern for this? Do they work top to bottom or bottom to top?

 

My upcoming cruise on Veendam (8/29) has had only insides and Neptunes available for the past week, maybe longer. Now today, there's a bunch of Vistas available. The Neptunes and Vistas are at the price they've been for quite a while. (We're in a Vista that we got for $200 pp less, so we're happy, but we wouldn't reject an upgrade). Starting price for an Inside has gone up a whopping $10. Oceanview and Lanai have been sold out for weeks, although a search for insides picks up a few outside cabins, which is odd.

 

So where did all those available Vista suites come from? The same Neptunes are still showing as available, so that doesn't explain the Vista availability.

 

I have seen HAL close a whole category or two for a week or so, then open it back up. They did this on my upcoming Dec. cruise - well before final payment. Normally it is due to upsells being offered or assigning of guarantees (I think), but 4-5 months out??

 

Hard to really know what HAL is up to at times.

[jtl513]

Or they might think to put me in one of those new VB cabins by the Crow's Nest, which I believe have totally uncovered balconies.

I don't think that's the case for cabins with the Retreat above them. I can't find a new enough picture of any Vista with the added cabins, but on the deck plans it appears that deck 11 "bulges out" the same way as deck 10, so that the balconies would be covered. It's the Eurodam and N.A. cabins that are the same level as the Retreat that are uncovered.

.

Edited August 16, 2015 by jtl513

[CowPrincess]

But was your upsell to another outside? If it was, this is extremely unusual -- should have been to a balcony.

 

This is good business practice: if the price and upsell is right, you never know who will bite.

 

Sorry, I missed this previously! And sorry if I was unclear. I was actually offered an upsell to a higher-level OV (which I didn't want ;) ), and at the same time, an upsell to a balcony. So.... went with the balcony, and we will be eating a lot of generic "kraft dinner" for the winter :eek: :D

[SilvertoGold]

Sorry, I missed this previously! And sorry if I was unclear. I was actually offered an upsell to a higher-level OV (which I didn't want ;) ), and at the same time, an upsell to a balcony. So.... went with the balcony, and we will be eating a lot of generic "kraft dinner" for the winter :eek: :D

 

CP

 

You and me both!!

 

Glad you took the balcony!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Ditto here. I often mark my reservations do not upgrade, but I still receive upsell offers.

I do the same thing ..