HAL Cabin Upgrades

[0106]

@EatonDoolittle Tell your TA you are interested in “upsells “ to be sure they are forwarded to you.

 

@rodndonnaIf upsells are available, I usually start getting emails about 3 weeks before the cruise.  The cost of the upsell continues to go down as the sailing date gets closer.  On the Oosterdam last November, upsell started at $500+ pp from a verandah to signature suite.  I booked it 3 days before the cruise for $149pp.  So check the current price of the cabin you would like to move to and decide how much you would be willing to pay for the upsell.

[DaveOKC]

36 minutes ago, 0106 said:

@EatonDoolittle Tell your TA you are interested in “upsells “ to be sure they are forwarded to you.

 

@rodndonnaIf upsells are available, I usually start getting emails about 3 weeks before the cruise.  The cost of the upsell continues to go down as the sailing date gets closer.  On the Oosterdam last November, upsell started at $500+ pp from a verandah to signature suite.  I booked it 3 days before the cruise for $149pp.  So check the current price of the cabin you would like to move to and decide how much you would be willing to pay for the upsell.

Good advice.  Do some homework around 5 weeks prior to sailing to determine what you are willing to pay and where you want to be located at.  When you respond to an upsell offer, you have to make a quick decision as they do not have time to hold your hand.

 

[CruzHand]

17 hours ago, 0106 said:

@CruzHand  You can wait for an email offer to upgrade or call on your own.  There is no bidding.   You are not assigned a room; you pick from the available rooms.  Here’s the number:

888.628.8107 

1.  Have booking number

2.  Have credit card

3.  Have deck plan

4.  Be ready to make a decision 

 

Thanks - the HAL: their system seems much better - I will never bid in a Celebrity Move Up again

[DaveOKC]

7 hours ago, CruzHand said:

Thanks - the HAL: their system seems much better - I will never bid in a Celebrity Move Up again

I agree - I like the way the HAL system works.  Except that you do have to be alert for the email offers when they come as the deals get taken quickly.  One time I got the sole cabin (Neptune) upsell by responding within 5 minutes of the email.  Someone else on our cruise called at 10 minutes after and missed out (they were not happy with us!).

[albingirl]

I had 2 free upgrades, while onboard.  Once was when my cabin flooded, and the other time was when my cabin was next to a very noisy crew station and I complained.  I had a free upgrade another time when I was asked before the cruise if I wanted to pay for an upsell and I said no.  It happened anyway.  Generally, though, I never do expect upgrades and if an upsell comes my way, I may or may not bite.  Depends on my mood and what it's worth to me. 

[kurtmi03]

We just returned from a 20 day Eurodam cruise. About 2 weeks prior to the cruise we received an upsell offer to go from our OV to a SS for $1899 pp or a NS for $3899 pp. I didn't want to spend that much and was only hoping for a veranda but called anyway. They had no SS or NS left but had a veranda for $499 pp. I took that immediately. 3 days before the cruise we received an update to our booking. We thought a port or time changed, but when we read through it we found we had been upgraded to a wonderful SS.

[CruzHand]

8 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

I agree - I like the way the HAL system works.  Except that you do have to be alert for the email offers when they come as the deals get taken quickly.  One time I got the sole cabin (Neptune) upsell by responding within 5 minutes of the email.  Someone else on our cruise called at 10 minutes after and missed out (they were not happy with us!).

Good to know, thanks.

[luv2travel06]

On 1/4/2023 at 1:43 PM, REOVA said:

Not necessarily. We are particular about location (noise, access, view from balcony) so would never work for us but you definitely want to avoid below or above common areas where noise may be a factor, vents on the ship where wind may blow smell of unwanted air to your balcony, near noisy kitchen or mechanical sections, etc if you want to enjoy the vacation. Some folks are light sleepers or more susceptible to noise so also depends on what you and yours thresholds would be. And since you have the opportunity of choice of cabin for this ship (unlike your past ships 😁) why not take advantage. 

HAL contacted our TA with several upsell offers in the last couple months before our upcoming cruise. We accepted one for a little more that we really wanted to pay and they assigned us to a cabin below B.B. King's.🙄 So we agree with OP above.

[islander47]

On 5/1/2023 at 8:48 AM, EatonDoolittle said:

 

If one booked with a Travel Agent, I'm  guessing she needs to get involved in the call (?).

Or not (?).

 

No, you can do this yourself without involving your travel agent. We called 20 days out about an upsell for a month long cruise this year and moved from a Verandah to a Signature suite for a reasonable price. Only sorry we did because we'll sure miss this big room in the future on our next cruise which is sold out. I'm guessing the pent up demand after COVID will make upsells lots more expensive.

[cattman]

We have always had good luck with upsells.. we always book the lowest category balcony with CO which includes an auto upgrade to the highest category balcony, pick a cabin we won't mind sailing in, then start calling Inventory three or four weeks out, twice a week, looking for a Neptune. We have found a reasonable offer on our last four cruises and have taken advantage of them all.

 

For our May 13 Alaska cruise on the Koningsdam neither my TA nor I ever received an email offer, but I called four weeks out and was offered only a Vista for $199pp, Inventory, TA and website showed all Neptunes sold out, as they were when we booked in February. Wasn't interested as we had booked a VB cabin with a large balcony we were perfectly happy with.

 

Three weeks, same Vista offer available, one Neptune now available at $899pp. Passed.

 

Called yesterday, same Vista offer, all Neptunes sold out.

 

Called today, snagged a Neptune for $499pp(plus increase in CP) with a refund of $175pp(for CO as it is included in a Neptune Suite). Had choice of six different cabins(!), got one directly across from Neptune Lounge, Starboard, just like our original cabin.

 

So.. yesterday, none available, today choice of six. Go figure.

 

in our experience, price drops even further a week out(on a Eurodam sailing before Covid we paid $199pp for a NS a week before sailing), but we were comfortable with this price point - and we got a location we like. Moral of my(long winded) story: if you want an upsell, have a bottom line price you are happy paying and keep calling - even several times a week - all the way up to sailing date.

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by cattman

[cattman]

34 minutes ago, cattman said:

Called today, snagged a Neptune for $499pp(plus increase in CP) with a refund of $175pp(for CO as it is included in a Neptune Suite).

Sorry, should have said Less the $175pp paid for Club Orange. It is deducted from the upsell price.

[breakiron]

Received a free cruise on the Rotterdam last Halloween.  About a week and a half before the cruise received an email to upgrade to a obstructed view balcony for $99 or an unobstructed view for $198.  Called HAL pronto and booked the obstructed view, better location then the unobstructed.  Since I had booked my own cabin I was required to pay double, $198.  Can’t beat that.  Hoping to get an offer for my 22 night cruise in January.

[Tim and Kim]

Two questions:

1) With an CO upgrade, are you given a choice of cabins to choose from and can you decline if you are happy with your original cabin?

2) Has anyone ever been upgraded from a Signature Suite to a Neptune Suite?

 

Thanks!

[pirate cruiser]

To piggy back on the above-is CO worth the cost if you are in a cabin that you want ?

[CruiserBruce]

44 minutes ago, TRTraveller said:

Two questions:

1) With an CO upgrade, are you given a choice of cabins to choose from and can you decline if you are happy with your original cabin?

2) Has anyone ever been upgraded from a Signature Suite to a Neptune Suite?

 

Thanks!

As mentioned frequently, with CO you are offered the best available cabins in the meta category you are booked in. In other words, if you are booked in a VE cabin, you will be offered V, VA, etc. You can ask about specific cabins to see if they are available. If your decline, that is your choice. No one is going to force you to upgrade.

 

Signature Suite is not the same meta category as a Neptune.

[CruiserBruce]

18 minutes ago, pirate cruiser said:

To piggy back on the above-is CO worth the cost if you are in a cabin that you want ?

Only you can decide worth. I guess it certainly could lose some value if you didn't select an upgrade...perhaps hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on the cabin meta category range and length of cruise.

[0106]

@TRTraveller @pirate cruiser When I am booking a cruise, I ask my PCC if CO is available.  If it is, I book the least expensive verandah and then up grade to the cabin of my choice.  You cannot switch category…verandah to verandah,  you cannot move up to a suite.  The cost of CO is usually less than the cost of the better cabin in the same category.  I like the CO dining room dining n the Pinnacle  ships but I feel the real CO value is the ability to upgrade your cabin.