Large TA vs PCC

[a.madruga]

do upsells get treated the same when the time comes to put them out?

[innlady1]

I absolutely think you’re better off with a PCC. I just had a nice upsell on our upcoming Bermuda cruise.

 

 

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[Lady Arwen]

Upsells are done randomly, starting a few weeks prior to sail date and up to the day before, depending how many cabins are left and which categories they're in. Many 4 star Mariners have never seen an upsell and many first time cruisers have. It does not matter how you book...travel agent, online agency or directly with HAL. If you receive an upsell email and you want to take advantage of it, call them immediately because they can go very, very quickly. If it seems like too much, just wait. Sometimes a better offer will come around closer to sail date. Good luck!

[Lady Arwen]

I absolutely think you’re better off with a PCC. I just had a nice upsell on our upcoming Bermuda cruise.

 

 

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Our PCC told us that it's the luck of the draw in receiving an upsell. However, it doesn't hurt to keep in touch with your PCC who can keep checking with HAL to see if one is available. We've been sailing a long time with HAL and are 3 star Mariners and have never received an upsell offer. Our PCC offered some to us that were not any less expensive than what we could get on our own. It depends on the ship, the date and supply and demand at the time. Congrats to you on your upsell! I love to hear about folks who do well getting a nice upgrade. Enjoy your cruise!

[ksmaxey]

We have received and accepted a number of upsells. We have received then on more cruises than not. (we are 3 star). While I do believe that they are random, I also believe that if you use a TA the upsell goes to the TA rather than a direct email to the customer. You then rely on the TA to contact you and to do so quickly before they sell out. One advantage I found with the PCC is that they will check if any are available and after accepting an upsell if a preferred cabin in the new category becomes available a quick call and we are moved.

[Hlitner]

We once get a terrific upsell offer (for the Prinsendam) when using one of our favored high volume cruise agencies. But the big difference between using a PCC and a cruise agency is that you will generally save 7-10% by using the cruise agency :).

 

Hank

[CruiserBruce]

Upsells are done randomly, starting a few weeks prior to sail date and up to the day before, depending how many cabins are left and which categories they're in. Many 4 star Mariners have never seen an upsell and many first time cruisers have. It does not matter how you book...travel agent, online agency or directly with HAL. If you receive an upsell email and you want to take advantage of it, call them immediately because they can go very, very quickly. If it seems like too much, just wait. Sometimes a better offer will come around closer to sail date. Good luck!

 

I tend to think this is the correct answer. First, upsells and upgrades are done to fill the ship. If your cabin is one they need to upsell, they will do it irregardless of who sold you that cabin.

 

Second, we can never really know the absolute answer, as each ship and sailing sells differently, and thus the needs to fill it are different. Additionally, no one has gotten upsells or upgrades under both systems (booked through PCC, or through TA) and can absolutely say it was or was not because of who they booked through. Statements based on one upgrade or upsell are anecdotal. And to quote a somewhat famous statement around Cruise Critic, the plural of anecdotes IS NOT data.

[DaveOKC]

We have received and accepted a number of upsells. We have received then on more cruises than not. (we are 3 star). While I do believe that they are random, I also believe that if you use a TA the upsell goes to the TA rather than a direct email to the customer. You then rely on the TA to contact you and to do so quickly before they sell out. One advantage I found with the PCC is that they will check if any are available and after accepting an upsell if a preferred cabin in the new category becomes available a quick call and we are moved.

 

I agree with this. Just yesterday I received a direct email for my upcoming cruise offering an upsell to a Neptune cabin. Since this sailing has been booked solid for over 2 months, I IMMEDIATELY called HAL's upsell department and grabbed it. Took less than 3 minutes from when I received the email. I was told that there was only 1 cabin open (due to a cancellation). If I would have waited for a TA to call me I am certain I would have missed out.

 

Now, this does not always work out like this, but in this case I am sure happy I booked through a HAL PCC. My PCC told me that she called the upsell dept. last week to be certain I was on the upsell list, just in case one came open.

[catl331]

I have no evidence, but suspect that the PCC's would "get the word" first, before TA's do, if that's what you're asking.

[kazu]

All of my upsells have come from TA's.

 

It helps if they or the PCC have "connections" since they can ask in advance and, if they are proactive ;)

 

One of my upsells was received and negotiated before the 'official' upsell offers came out.

[igraf]

The difference has probably more to do with the cabin type, and the number of upsell cabins of that type on the ship. For example, there are probably many upsells going from an ocean view to a verandah on a Vista class ship.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

Our PCC told us that it's the luck of the draw in receiving an upsell. However, it doesn't hurt to keep in touch with your PCC who can keep checking with HAL to see if one is available. We've been sailing a long time with HAL and are 3 star Mariners and have never received an upsell offer. Our PCC offered some to us that were not any less expensive than what we could get on our own. It depends on the ship, the date and supply and demand at the time. Congrats to you on your upsell! I love to hear about folks who do well getting a nice upgrade. Enjoy your cruise!

[FlorenceItaly]

A PCC accomplished something for me this morning, that I am quite certain a large online TA could not have or would not have. The first answer was no, but, she pushed back, and the second attempt was successful. I am quite certain a large online TA would not have pushed back.

[Overhead Fred]

We booked a 24 day TA/Med cruise through a PCC (first time using a PCC) and we leave next week - Yippee!

 

We have been getting "Preferred Limited Upgrade Special" upsell offer emails directly through HAL, not the PCC. So far, none of the three (VF to Vista Suite for $749pp or to Signature Suite for $2399pp in the latest one) have been attractive enough for me.

 

One interesting note - In the fine print of the offer, it says;

 

Preferred Limited Upgrade Special offers do not qualify for the double cruise day credits under the Mariner Society Loyalty Program. By accepting this offer, guests who have purchased Cruise Protection, either Platinum or Standard, are responsible for any increase in cost of the coverage based on the upgrade price.

 

I had always heard that an upsell to a suite would get you the double mariner credit. Is this a new HAL policy? That removes maybe the biggest incentive to move from a Veranda to a Vista Suite. It had also never occurred to me that an upsell would also change the HAL CCP cost - another variable to factor in!

[cabinluvn]

We booked a 24 day TA/Med cruise through a PCC (first time using a PCC) and we leave next week - Yippee!

 

 

 

We have been getting "Preferred Limited Upgrade Special" upsell offer emails directly through HAL, not the PCC. So far, none of the three (VF to Vista Suite for $749pp or to Signature Suite for $2399pp in the latest one) have been attractive enough for me.

 

 

 

One interesting note - In the fine print of the offer, it says;

 

 

 

Preferred Limited Upgrade Special offers do not qualify for the double cruise day credits under the Mariner Society Loyalty Program. By accepting this offer, guests who have purchased Cruise Protection, either Platinum or Standard, are responsible for any increase in cost of the coverage based on the upgrade price.

 

 

 

I had always heard that an upsell to a suite would get you the double mariner credit. Is this a new HAL policy? That removes maybe the biggest incentive to move from a Veranda to a Vista Suite. It had also never occurred to me that an upsell would also change the HAL CCP cost - another variable to factor in!

 

 

 

The only way you can get double cruise credits for a suite is to pay full fare. Upsell would not qualify. As far as I know, it has always been that way

 

 

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[DaveOKC]

We booked a 24 day TA/Med cruise through a PCC (first time using a PCC) and we leave next week - Yippee!

 

We have been getting "Preferred Limited Upgrade Special" upsell offer emails directly through HAL, not the PCC. So far, none of the three (VF to Vista Suite for $749pp or to Signature Suite for $2399pp in the latest one) have been attractive enough for me.

 

One interesting note - In the fine print of the offer, it says;

 

Preferred Limited Upgrade Special offers do not qualify for the double cruise day credits under the Mariner Society Loyalty Program. By accepting this offer, guests who have purchased Cruise Protection, either Platinum or Standard, are responsible for any increase in cost of the coverage based on the upgrade price.

 

I had always heard that an upsell to a suite would get you the double mariner credit. Is this a new HAL policy? That removes maybe the biggest incentive to move from a Veranda to a Vista Suite. It had also never occurred to me that an upsell would also change the HAL CCP cost - another variable to factor in!

 

If you use an upsell to go from a "non-suite" to a "suite", you do not get the double credit. If you go from a "vista or signature suite" to a Neptune suite, you get the double credit. It all depends on the category you originally booked in. It has been this way for as long as I can remember.

[kazu]

We booked a 24 day TA/Med cruise through a PCC (first time using a PCC) and we leave next week - Yippee!

 

We have been getting "Preferred Limited Upgrade Special" upsell offer emails directly through HAL, not the PCC. So far, none of the three (VF to Vista Suite for $749pp or to Signature Suite for $2399pp in the latest one) have been attractive enough for me.

 

One interesting note - In the fine print of the offer, it says;

 

Preferred Limited Upgrade Special offers do not qualify for the double cruise day credits under the Mariner Society Loyalty Program. By accepting this offer, guests who have purchased Cruise Protection, either Platinum or Standard, are responsible for any increase in cost of the coverage based on the upgrade price.

 

I had always heard that an upsell to a suite would get you the double mariner credit. Is this a new HAL policy? That removes maybe the biggest incentive to move from a Veranda to a Vista Suite. It had also never occurred to me that an upsell would also change the HAL CCP cost - another variable to factor in!

 

That has always been the policy on the double mariner points and upsells as long as I can remember.

 

Now, if the cabin you book originally has the word "suite" in it, and you take an upsell, you get the double mariner points because you were always in a suite. (Ie. Vista suite to Neptune Suite = double mariner points, verandah cabin to Signature Suite = no double mariner points.)

 

Upsells are normally much cheaper than a regular booking generally speaking which is the reasoning behind HAL's rules.