What was your recent experience on an upsell offer with HAL?

[tuolumne couple]

We don't have much experience on upsell offers with HAL as we usually keep the room we book and ask to not be upgraded. But am just curious about your experiences in this situation. Were you offered an upsell a few weeks out? If so, did you accept it? How much was your upsell? Any recent experiences out there to share?

[Mary229]

I also mark my room as do not change but I always call about 2 weeks after final payment date and then again about 10 days out.  
 

This week I received a so-so offer, just chump change difference for obstructed OV to best OV and took it as it is a long cruise and the additional space was welcome.  (In this case the second room is about 4 to 5 feet longer.). I was also offered a  good price on a vista suite but declined for lack of interest.  The original difference in price was about $4500 and the upsell was $2999.  That was not within my normal criteria but decent nonetheless.  Also I didn’t particularly want the balcony for this particular cruise.   PS I sail next Sunday.  Since this is a partial grand voyage my original booking was a guarantee

Edited February 4, 2023 by Mary229

[tuolumne couple]

Thanks, Mary229 enjoy your cruise, we leave in about five weeks.

 

[Real NHDOC]

We got one a couple of days ago for our 10 day Caribbean cruise in about 5 weeks on the Rotterdam.  They wanted $849 PP to upgrade from an interior to Veranda which seemed high since we only paid $749 PP for the cruise so we passed on it.  They also offered a Vista suite for $949 PP which, given the differential isn't bad but the Vista suite on the Pinnacle isn't more than a slightly larger Veranda so nothing special.  

 

Given how much time there is before the cruise I think we'll probably be given another opportunity.   In the past we've received up to three offers before sailing.

[57redbird]

Not sharing how much it was to upsell but we got an offer to go from a Vista Suite on the K to a Neptune....35 day Hawaii/South Pacific/Tahiti about 3 weeks prior to the cruise.  We're old, this might be our last cruise so we went for it.  The only other time we've been offered an upsell by the time I called they were gone. This time I called maybe an hour or so after receiving the offer & there were still several cabins available....

[WannaSea]

2 weeks out from 10 day Partial Canal got an upsell offer from verandah to Signature Suite at $299pp or to Neptune at $599pp. Took the verandah to Neptune upgrade and it was a great value imo. Would have declined the other cabin upgrade, but Neptune included so many extra perks. A few weeks out had done some dummy bookings to see what still showed as available which was helpful. At upgrade there were 4 Neptunes available and they went fast. 

[tuolumne couple]

2 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

Given how much time there is before the cruise I think we'll probably be given another opportunity.   In the past we've received up to three offers before sailing.

good to know. thank you

[tuolumne couple]

1 hour ago, 57redbird said:

 This time I called maybe an hour or so after receiving the offer & there were still several cabins available....

awesome that you took the neptune. we completed that same cruise and loved it. have fun. thanks for the info

[tuolumne couple]

1 hour ago, WannaSea said:

 A few weeks out had done some dummy bookings to see what still showed as available which was helpful. At upgrade there were 4 Neptunes available and they went fast. 

wow, you are making me want a neptune now. thanks. long live king neptune!

[Real NHDOC]

We upgraded from an interior to a Neptune on last year's 45 day south pacific cruise on the Zuiderdam and it was well worth the extra $$$.  It landed up doubling our fare (I don't recall the exact amount).  The total cost was about 1/3rd the "published fare". 

 

It was the result of being offered an initial upgrade to a Veranada and then another offer to upgrade that to the Neptune suite.  So watch for those offers!

Edited February 5, 2023 by Real NHDOC

[tuolumne couple]

8 minutes ago, Real NHDOC said:

upgrade to a Veranada and then another offer to upgrade that to the Neptune suite.  So watch for those offers!

all these Neptune upgrade offers give me hope. thanks so much. how wonderful.

[KroozNut]

Have had no recent experience with up sells from HAL. We have a 'do not upgrade or up sale this booking' notation automatically added to all of our bookings. 😉

[mathed101]

My husband and I sailed on the NA Sunday, December 4th and we had an offer on November 30th. We originally booked stateroom 4168 which has the double sized balcony and is a VB category. The offer we received was for a 7 day Caribbean cruise: Neptune $499 pp or Signature $199 pp. 

 

We took the Neptune and had the best cruise ever!! Just absolutely loved it!!

[Mary229]

7 hours ago, KroozNut said:

Have had no recent experience with up sells from HAL. We have a 'do not upgrade or up sale this booking' notation automatically added to all of our bookings. 😉

Upsells are different from upgrades.  Upsells are requested or solicited unlike upgrades which are bestowed.  I have never been impressed with my upgrades so quickly learned about “do not upgrade”.  

[MISTER 67]

HAL can keep their upsells, a couple of times they offered us upsells and the rates were higher than the rate on the HAL website.

I liked the old days when the lines gave loyal passengers free upgrades.

BTW on the Celebrity Equinox last June we went to guest services as soon as we boarded and asked about the charge from an inside cabin to a veranda, lo and behold the nice lady at guest services upgraded us at no charge. I offered her a nice gratuity and she refused but I insisted  and she finally accepted the gratuity.

Edited February 5, 2023 by MISTER 67

[Real NHDOC]

The paid upgrade offers have a lot of variables.  If the cruise is full or near full capacity then the odds are there will be no offers or they will not be financially sensible, however, on cruises where there are plenty of empty cabins you might get a good deal and can always refuse if you don't like the selection available (unlike a guarantee, you actually get to choose the cabin you get when offered a paid upgrade).  We've had some good offers and some bad ones over the years but I am always open to trading up if it makes sense.  The downside to these is that they are generally sent to your travel agent if you book through one and they rarely forward them to you unless you ask them to and even then it's a matter of how attentive they are when they come in.  If you book directly with HAL you will receive them in your email.  So if you want to make sure you get them tell your TA you want to see any upgrade offers they are sent. 

[Iamthesea]

2 hours ago, MISTER 67 said:

BTW on the Celebrity Equinox last June we went to guest services as soon as we boarded and asked about the charge from an inside cabin to a veranda, lo and behold the nice lady at guest services upgraded us at no charge. I offered her a nice gratuity and she refused but I insisted  and she finally accepted the gratuity.

That's really unheard of these days.  Must have been because the ship was not sailing full.  Were you a Celebrity cruiser with any status? 

 

Back in the day, we once asked guest services about availability to move up from an OV GTY to a balcony on Celebrity.  We were put on a wait list.  Didn't happen!  Taking that GTY was the biggest booking mistake we have ever made.  It was a last minute cruise to Bermuda.  We had never stayed in anything lower than a balcony, but a balcony was not available by the time we booked, so we booked the OV.  We stupidly assumed that we would be upgraded.  Miserable stateroom with separated beds on either side of the porthole. Beds up against the walls.  The stateroom connected to another, so instead of a couch, we had a chair.  Could also hear the next door neighbors.  We knew to talk quietly.   Other than the stateroom, had a great cruise! 😉

[Florida_gal_50]

3 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Upsells are different from upgrades.  Upsells are requested or solicited unlike upgrades which are bestowed.  I have never been impressed with my upgrades so quickly learned about “do not upgrade”.  

I’m familiar with the do not upgrade.  Never have seen the do not upsell. That’s a first.

[friendswithdave]

6 hours ago, mathed101 said:

My husband and I sailed on the NA Sunday, December 4th and we had an offer on November 30th. We originally booked stateroom 4168 which has the double sized balcony and is a VB category. The offer we received was for a 7 day Caribbean cruise: Neptune $499 pp or Signature $199 pp. 

 

We took the Neptune and had the best cruise ever!! Just absolutely loved it!!

We had a nearly identical experience to mathed101. We used CLub Orange to upgrade our guarantee balcony to 4168 on a Dec 11 NA cruise. I called about an upgrade I think 11 days out and took an upgrade to the Neptune for $549 pp but they refunded our Club Orange purchase. Definitely worth it for us, our first suite on a cruise. We enjoyed the bigger room, Neptune Lounge, and a few other perks.

[KroozNut]

3 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Upsells are different from upgrades.  Upsells are requested or solicited unlike upgrades which are bestowed.  I have never been impressed with my upgrades so quickly learned about “do not upgrade”.  

Yes, I understand the difference, and we prefer not to be bothered with either. We do our own bookings directly with HAL, either via their website or telephone. Years ago we asked them to note the 'do not upgrade or up sell' message on all of our bookings, and it's worked so far. We haven't received either since then. 🙂 

[KroozNut]

43 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I’m familiar with the do not upgrade.  Never have seen the do not upsell. That’s a first.

See my post above in response to Mary229..

[tuolumne couple]

6 hours ago, mathed101 said:

My husband and I sailed on the NA Sunday, December 4th and we had an offer on November 30th. We originally booked stateroom 4168 which has the double sized balcony and is a VB category. The offer we received was for a 7 day Caribbean cruise: Neptune $499 pp or Signature $199 pp. 

 

We took the Neptune and had the best cruise ever!! Just absolutely loved it!!

wow, another Neptune, getting hopeful now. glad you had a great time.

[tuolumne couple]

4 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Upsells are different from upgrades.  Upsells are requested or solicited unlike upgrades which are bestowed.  I have never been impressed with my upgrades so quickly learned about “do not upgrade”.  

agreed, for sure.

Edited February 5, 2023 by tuolumne couple

[tuolumne couple]

We have been offered an upsell in the past, just not recently. We usually book through a TA or directly through our PCC or on the HAL website, depending upon the cabin availability we desire, and the perks. We are 4* and usually choose a do-no-upgrade cabin option when we book, keeping the cabin that we chose. Only once were we ever offered an upsell to a suite. Once. The reason I wanted input is that there seems to be quite a few cabins available 5 weeks out, so you all give me hope that an upsell is possible. Thanks for everyone's input. 

[Real NHDOC]

You can always call into the Ship Inventory office and ask about a paid upgrade even if you haven't received an offer.  Sometimes they will tell you about an offer that is about to go out so you get first crack at it.  Sometimes its an offer that went out to your TA but they didn't forward.  I have had that happen a couple of times. 

 

We also once received a paid upgrade offer that was substantially worse than one we received on the prior leg of a B2B cruise and when I called in I mentioned that and they put me on hold and then came back and said I could have the upgrade for the same price we had been offered on the last leg. 

 

It never hurts to ask for something that you want. 

 

I don't see what the harm is in receiving the paid upgrade offers as there is no obligation to accept or even respond to them and sometimes for as little as $20 a day you can get a much better cabin.  All I can say is based upon my experience we've saved thousands of dollars by accepting paid upgrade offers over what the same cabin would have cost to book directly, you just cannot count on it and have to be satisfied staying where you booked if nothing better is offered for a reasonable price.