Upsell Pecking Order for HAL

[wesport]

After reading so many posts about upsells and ugrades with HAL, I was at a dinner party with a tour agent who seemed to know how its done. Here's what he said.

 

UPSELLS(several rounds offered depending on space)

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

 

After all the upsells have run the course, 5 star mariners get the first complimentary upgrades.

 

If there is anything left.

 

Then the rest of the get the complimentary upgrades 4,3,2,1.

 

I do know that I was offered three rounds of upsells on my first cruise as a four star mariner last October.

 

His logic made sense, but only HAL knows. Just thought I would share.

 

My opinion is its the luck of the draw!!!!!!!!!!!

[catl331]

If that is true, why do so many first-time HAL cruisers get great upgrades? My DBiL/DSiL booked an H gty and sailed in a VE on their first cruise ever!

Edited March 19, 2016 by catl331

[CowPrincess]

If that is true, why do so many first-time HAL cruisers get great upgrades? My DBiL/DSiL booked an H gty and sailed in a VE on their first cruise ever!

 

Thank you :) I've read on CC of exactly that happening. I've received upsell offers (as have friends on the same trip) that disprove the criteria in the OP's post but I won't go into detail about them.

[taxmantoo]

After reading so many posts about upsells and ugrades with HAL, I was at a dinner party with a tour agent who seemed to know how its done. Here's what he said.

 

UPSELLS(several rounds offered depending on space)

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

 

After all the upsells have run the course, 5 star mariners get the first complimentary upgrades.

 

If there is anything left.

 

Then the rest of the get the complimentary upgrades 4,3,2,1.

 

I do know that I was offered three rounds of upsells on my first cruise as a four star mariner last October.

 

His logic made sense, but only HAL knows. Just thought I would share.

 

My opinion is its the luck of the draw!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Your opinion is much closer to the truth than the tour agent's far-fetched and ridiculous assumption. How much wine was served at that dinner party? :D

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I doubt the travel agent is correct. I think it is random and luck of the draw.

Edited March 19, 2016 by SJSULIBRARIAN

[wesport]

I guess it's best not to try to figure it out. Just do the happy dance when your number comes up. It would be nice to find out one of these days how its done.

[kazu]

I had to check my calendar. I thought it was April Fool's Day for a moment :)

[DeeniEncinitas]

I had to check my calendar. I thought it was April Fool's Day for a moment :)

 

Love it Jacqui!!!!!!

My thoughts exactly.

Happy Saturday though:)

Denise:)

[sail7seas]

After reading so many posts about upsells and ugrades with HAL, I was at a dinner party with a tour agent who seemed to know how its done. Here's what he said.

 

UPSELLS(several rounds offered depending on space)

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

 

After all the upsells have run the course, 5 star mariners get the first complimentary upgrades.

 

If there is anything left.

 

Then the rest of the get the complimentary upgrades 4,3,2,1.

 

I do know that I was offered three rounds of upsells on my first cruise as a four star mariner last October.

 

His logic made sense, but only HAL knows. Just thought I would share.

 

My opinion is its the luck of the draw!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

I totally reject there being any accuracy to this theory of that tour agent. They are trying to make a sensible,

orderly logic about something that does not work that way.

 

No way I can agree with this.

The best way to have the cabin you want is to book and pay for it.

 

Edited March 19, 2016 by sail7seas

[the2ofus]

I can only say that after achieving 4 star status several years ago and having 20 cruises on HAL, having worked with a PCC for at least a decade, I have yet to be offered any kind of upsell, ever. I have to go with the fairy dust theory and can attest that it doesn't drift my way.

Edited March 19, 2016 by the2ofus

[serendipity1499]

If that is true, why do so many first-time HAL cruisers get great upgrades? My DBiL/DSiL booked an H gty and sailed in a VE on their first cruise ever!

 

I had to check my calendar. I thought it was April Fool's Day for a moment :)

 

My thoughts exactly!

 

Westport, that Tour Agent was talking through his hat.. Too many new Psgrs are being offered upgrades & upsells..

 

That is the way it SHOULD be done, but IMO it is not /B] the way it Is done.. ;)[

 

However, just to be honest, we usually cruise with another couple & mark our Reservations "Do Not upgrade"

 

We've done several cruises alone & only once was offered an upsell to either a veranda or a Lanai on our Veendam cruise to Bermuda..We took the upsell in the lanai, & we are now hooked on Lanai's.. We've been 4 star for several years../SIZE]

Edited March 19, 2016 by serendipity1499

[sail7seas]

Betty,

I was thinking the Tour Agent gave a politically correct (PC) unimaginative, expected description of how things might go in a perfect world.

 

The Tour Agent (whatever that is) is wrong.

[FlorenceItaly]

Betty,

I was thinking the Tour Agent gave a politically correct (PC) unimaginative, expected description of how things might go in a perfect world.

 

The Tour Agent (whatever that is) is wrong.

 

I agree with you.

[wesport]

Someone on this earth knows the algorithm. I'm just sharing conversations. Don't shoot the messenger. Sending fairy dust to all!!!!!

[serendipity1499]

Betty,

I was thinking the Tour Agent gave a politically correct (PC) unimaginative, expected description of how things might go in a perfect world.

 

The Tour Agent (whatever that is) is wrong.

 

Judy, I agree with you! :D/SIZE]

Edited March 19, 2016 by serendipity1499

[cruz chic]

Betty,

I was thinking the Tour Agent gave a politically correct (PC) unimaginative, expected description of how things might go in a perfect world.

 

The Tour Agent (whatever that is) is wrong.

 

Yup :).

[sail7seas]

Someone on this earth knows the algorithm. I'm just sharing conversations. Don't shoot the messenger. Sending fairy dust to all!!!!!

 

Westport,

No wish to shoot the messenger. We know that is the Tour Agent's theory, not yours. :)

 

[rkacruiser]

One aspect of what the tour agent said does agree with my one cruise where I was offered an upsell opportunity. Westerdam: I booked a V?, don't remember the exact category one month before sailing. Two weeks later, I was offered a very reasonable upsell to a SY; took it. 48 hours before sailing, I received another very reasonable upsell to a SC; took it.

 

So, from my experience, it may go by "rounds". But, the question remains: for whom does it first start? And, why them?

[lazey1]

I was under the impression that every day a different HAL employee put all the passenger names in one of 3 hats. Then a member of HAL's upper management mixed up the hats keeping one for himself. Then a management trainee took the 2 remaining hats to the zoo and hired a monkey to pull out the names. When the monkey pulled from the hat in the right hand it was for upgrades; from the left hand it was for upsells.:D

[knittinggirl]

If that is true, why do so many first-time HAL cruisers get great upgrades? My DBiL/DSiL booked an H gty and sailed in a VE on their first cruise ever!

Over on the Royal Caribbean thread someone mentioned they'd been on one cruise in and Inside Cabin, and were upgraded to a Grand (GS) Ste. (Equivalent to the Neptune Ste.) All Future got booked in Grand Suites.

[Skoogs]

First three cruises on Hal, no upsells. Last three cruises, 2 upsells each time. Our Maasdam cruise on March 29th, we have two first time cruisers, yep, two upsells, we have two other two star mariners, one got two upsells, the other none. So, if there is a system...I bet a NASA super computer is involved! [emoji6]

[Vict0riann]

We have never, ever, had an upset offer. On our second cruise on HAL we got a surprise upgrade as we boarded from a verandah to a signature suite. That is the extent of our visits from the fairy.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

After reading so many posts about upsells and ugrades with HAL, I was at a dinner party with a tour agent who seemed to know how its done. Here's what he said.

 

UPSELLS(several rounds offered depending on space)

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

 

After all the upsells have run the course, 5 star mariners get the first complimentary upgrades.

 

If there is anything left.

 

Then the rest of the get the complimentary upgrades 4,3,2,1.

 

I do know that I was offered three rounds of upsells on my first cruise as a four star mariner last October.

 

His logic made sense, but only HAL knows. Just thought I would share.

 

My opinion is its the luck of the draw!!!!!!!!!!!

In theory this is how it is suppose to work, in reality this is not how it works;) The days of Free Upgrades are a rarity and not to be counted on. HAL has actually gone to the point for Neptune or Pinnacle Suite to leave them empty. They would rather have an empty cabin to move someone to if there is a need to last minute or problem with a cabin. Now if there are more than two then the Upsell offers can occur.

Upsell offers are NOT sent out based on your Mariner Status, if an Upsell offer goes out then it goes to EVERYONE that is eligible.(see below on what makes you eligible)

If you are wanting an Upsell offer first you must not have your reservation linked with another cabin for dining or traveling together because in the first round of offers for those reservations are NOT included. Depending on the number of cabins being offered they might be included in the second round of offers but often not till the third round.

If there are just a small number of cabins available there may not even be an offer sent. Numerous agents know the drill and know timing and keep contacting HAL. Often Upsells are gone before notices go out.

Pricing is also based on percentage of remaining cabins. It is the revenue department that handles this, and YES Revenue is seeing how much MORE money they can make the company, NOT how many they can GIVE AWAY to 4 and 5 star Mariners. One has to remember HAL is still a company that needs to make a profit. Pricing for these Upsells and been increasing over the past few years and if you see a crazy low price you will know that this is the 3rd of 4th round :D

The likelihood of an offer grows by the size of the ship, the smaller the ship is not nearly as likely unless it is Interior to OV. Vista Class and higher get the most offered Upsells.

The other thing is that offers do not come very frequently if you are on a Collectors Series or a Segment that is linked with other segments. The cabins availability gets quite complicated at that point.

Edited March 19, 2016 by LAFFNVEGAS

[qsuzi]

Thank you Lisa.

[Shih-tzu]

I guess I could put my two cents worth in here (if we still had pennies).... I got upgraded by 2 or 3 levels on my 1st cruise with HAL- booked the cheapest inside cabin but by the time came to print the luggage tags, we had been moved up a deck and to a more desirable location on the ship (although still inside - but we were tickled pink..... )

 

Another friend got moved from an OV to a balcony with a different line - 1st cruise.

 

The first couple of times we stayed on a Disney property, we got pixie dust and were given a higher grade of room.... but hasn't happened during the last several trips.....

 

So my theory (but probably wrong...)...."Let's treat the first time cruiser to a "perk" - they will probably come back. The return customers are already hooked on our product and we KNOW they'll probably come back."

 

Or maybe it's "Let's move the 1st time cruiser to a balcony - once they experience it, they will always book a balcony. And they'll tell 2 friends, who may tell two friends about how well we treated them - and we are building a new customer base...."

 

As for the "Mouse Trap" in Florida - they probably have noticed on their data bases that we haven't been there lately - we've started getting a few offers by e-mail and mail.....

 

But - if we REALLY knew how it was done... - why that would take all the fun away from the cruise lines who like to see us confused.... **chuckle**