NEWS FLASH: HAL to favor Triples and Quads

[shadow 123]

4 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Which cruise?   Here is my guess as to safety of not being bumped 

1. over 12 days

2. When school is in session except for the holidays

3. requires an expensive flight

4. expensive cruises especially grands and legendary voyages and a couple of other expensive locales with high operational costs reflected in the port fees

October this year 21 days. No flight Very expensive

[Mary229]

15 minutes ago, shadow 123 said:

October this year 21 days. No flight Very expensive

You should be fine.  

[crystalspin]

6 hours ago, shadow 123 said:

I booked a veranda cabin for my cruise in October of this year. I travel solo. I asked not to have an upgrade.   Does this mean they could change my cabin even though I told them I didn't wanna upgrade?

It does mean that, according to my PCC. At least if you are booked in a triple or quad. However, according to Mary's algorithm and your details above, you are unlikely to be bumped even if it's a 3 or 4 room.

[Mary229]

An aside on the topic of getting bumped. DH enjoys pilot YouTube videos. On a recent video a reliable, credible pilot mentioned that he who checks in last is the most likely to get bumped from a flight.  Check in early for your flights

 

maybe this works for cruises too🤷‍♀️

[TiogaCruiser]

4 hours ago, Mary229 said:

An aside on the topic of getting bumped. DH enjoys pilot YouTube videos. On a recent video a reliable, credible pilot mentioned that he who checks in last is the most likely to get bumped from a flight.  Check in early for your flights

 

maybe this works for cruises too🤷‍♀️

I’m thinking you watched the latest installment of Kelsey. I was appalled at a couple of those pax.
 

And the “lead-off woman” who kept arguing and the whole plane had to be disembarked because of her.🥴 I was hoping she got a lifetime ban. (Can you imagine being a passenger with a tight connection you were trying to meet?)

Edited June 20 by TiogaCruiser

[ExArkie]

20 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Which cruise?   Here is my guess as to safety of not being bumped 

1. over 12 days

2. When school is in session except for the holidays

3. requires an expensive flight

4. expensive cruises especially grands and legendary voyages and a couple of other expensive locales with high operational costs reflected in the port fees

Perhaps repositioning/transoceanic cruise should be added, since those tend not to attract groups of family and friends. But those are also almost always more than 12 days, so they’re probably already included. 

[Mary229]

17 minutes ago, ExArkie said:

Perhaps repositioning/transoceanic cruise should be added, since those tend not to attract groups of family and friends. But those are also almost always more than 12 days, so they’re probably already included. 

They also require an expensive flight

[BadgerRedux]

My husband and I chose our own quad verandah on the Nieuw Amsterdam, sailing July 21, and I've been wondering whether HAL will try to give our cabin to a larger party.  I did try to confirm that the booking was marked "No Upgrade" but the representative's response was a bit cryptic (and not sure how much "No Upgrade" will mean under the new policy).

 

We received a paid upgrade offer today, $829 per person for a Neptune Suite; looks like it's quite a savings, but not worth it to us.

 

Now I'm feeling like there's a target on our backs 😬 If they later move us to a cabin we dislike, might regret not having taken the offer, but $1,658 was a chunk of change!

[TRLD]

Keep in mind that such changes are a low probability event. However if you cruise enough or just have bad luck it may happen.

 

All part of cruising. Compared to other types of vacations one gives up a lot of control in return for the convenience of cruising.

[BadgerRedux]

17 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Keep in mind that such changes are a low probability event. However if you cruise enough or just have bad luck it may happen.

 

All part of cruising. Compared to other types of vacations one gives up a lot of control in return for the convenience of cruising.

You're right about the tradeoff of control for convenience; as a first time cruiser, I need to get used to that idea.  I hope you're right that it's unlikely we'll be moved.  .

[badtwin]

Maybe I should start a new topic, but I just noticed in the morning email from HAL on offer for a perk called "priority stateroom choice." Is this something new or just a pretentious way of saying the earlier you book, the more rooms you have the select from?  Or some way to charge for the benefit of not getting bumped? Just curious. We have never booked real far ahead so never experienced early booking bonuses.

[Mary229]

3 minutes ago, badtwin said:

Maybe I should start a new topic, but I just noticed in the morning email from HAL on offer for a perk called "priority stateroom choice." Is this something new or just a pretentious way of saying the earlier you book, the more rooms you have the select from?  Or some way to charge for the benefit of not getting bumped? Just curious. We have never booked real far ahead so never experienced early booking bonuses.

Cunard started that same exact lingo in one of their fares.  I don’t know who came first but I think it is the latter  that is pay more and not get bumped.  

[oaktreerb]

4 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Cunard started that same exact lingo in one of their fares.  I don’t know who came first but I think it is the latter  that is pay more and not get bumped.  

It’s already pay more to choose your stateroom, now is it pay even more to not get bumped?  I’m about ready to cancel my next cruise.  I already paid more to select my stateroom, I could still easily get bumped from my highly regarded quad that I booked for the two of us.  My chances are not good, it’s also during Thanksgiving week.  I could easily get booted for a “kid’s sail free” offer!

[Mary229]

2 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

It’s already pay more to choose your stateroom, now is it pay even more to not get bumped?  I’m about ready to cancel my next cruise.  I already paid more to select my stateroom, I could still easily get bumped from my highly regarded quad that I booked for the two of us.  My chances are not good, it’s also during Thanksgiving week.  I could easily get booted for a “kid’s sail free” offer!

It is all speculation right now.   I am not too concerned for my own self as on the cruises I sail on I rarely see but a handful of children.  I don’t have much experience with holiday sailings. 

[oaktreerb]

3 hours ago, Mary229 said:

It is all speculation right now.   I am not too concerned for my own self as on the cruises I sail on I rarely see but a handful of children.  I don’t have much experience with holiday sailings. 

 The last two times I have booked this particular 7 day itinerary HAL has cancelled it.  This would have been my first holiday itinerary.  Probably not a good choice for me.

[3rdGenCunarder]

14 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

It’s already pay more to choose your stateroom, now is it pay even more to not get bumped?  I’m about ready to cancel my next cruise.  I already paid more to select my stateroom, I could still easily get bumped from my highly regarded quad that I booked for the two of us.  My chances are not good, it’s also during Thanksgiving week.  I could easily get booted for a “kid’s sail free” offer!

 

Yeah,,, a quad on a holiday week could see you bumped. Take a look at the deck plan and maybe choose a different cabin in your category and move to that as a preventive measure? What was it about the quad that made you choose it? Is there a not-quad nearby?

[TRLD]

5 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Yeah,,, a quad on a holiday week could see you bumped. Take a look at the deck plan and maybe choose a different cabin in your category and move to that as a preventive measure? What was it about the quad that made you choose it? Is there a not-quad nearby?

Keep in mind that the ship has maximum for life boats by zone that means that not all 3/4 cabins can hold 3/4.  Even on a holiday period the number of forced moves will be fairly small. They will be more likely than on longer cruises, and during non holidays, but still fairly small.

[SeaCapt]

4 minutes ago, TRLD said:

Keep in mind that the ship has maximum for life boats by zone that means that not all 3/4 cabins can hold 3/4.  Even on a holiday period the number of forced moves will be fairly small. They will be more likely than on longer cruises, and during non holidays, but still fairly small.

Life boats are not an issue. There are plenty to cover max occupancy in every cabin, plus full crew, plus a percentage more capacity in case of malfunction or inability to launch due to listing, fire, etc.

[TRLD]

23 minutes ago, SeaCapt said:

Life boats are not an issue. There are plenty to cover max occupancy in every cabin, plus full crew, plus a percentage more capacity in case of malfunction or inability to launch due to listing, fire, etc.

Yes and No. Cruise ship have to have enough lifeboat capacity for 75% of people (passengers and crew) on board. The rest of capacity, including surplus capacity is in rafts. Usually the plan would be passengers in lifeboats  a lot of crew in rafts.

 

Their max capacity on HAL is usually around 15 to 20% higher than normal capacity. On some of the family focused lines especially Disney their max is a higher percentage.

 

For example take the Rotterdam. It's max is listed as 4173 passengers and crew. The number of crew is 1025. The normal 2 passenger per cabin capacity is 2668. So they can only hold 480 passengers above the normal 2 per cabin or about a 17% increase. Not enough to fill all 3/4 cabins to their full amount.

 

There are also restrictions by zone. They cannot fill all 3/4 cabins to 3/4 in a given zone, even if they are under their total maximum and other zone are below their max.

 

 

Edited Sunday at 03:17 PM by TRLD

[oaktreerb]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Yeah,,, a quad on a holiday week could see you bumped. Take a look at the deck plan and maybe choose a different cabin in your category and move to that as a preventive measure? What was it about the quad that made you choose it? Is there a not-quad nearby?

huge balcony on deck 4.  There are only two of them.  The stateroom is more important than the cruise!

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, oaktreerb said:

huge balcony on deck 4.  There are only two of them.  The stateroom is more important than the cruise!

 

Ohhh, I know where you mean. I didn't know they're quads. I love a big balcony. 

[CNSJ]

I am surprised it took this long for HAL to reign in couples booking staterooms that can hold three of four.  I can only imagine if I booked a hotel room with two queen beds for two people to be told that they moved us to a room with one king, to make room for a family of four.

 

HAL should have grandfathered all booked cabins, then announced the new plan.  Someone in the business office should have known better.  

 

Since HAL reads all the cruise critic posts on this site (not sure who they pay to do it) - read this "Don't make changes like this midstream - always grandfather for your loyal clientele!"

[CNSJ]

4 hours ago, TRLD said:

There are also restrictions by zone. They cannot fill all 3/4 cabins to 3/4 in a given zone, even if they are under their total maximum and other zone are below their max.

 

This might be a driver as they allow 3/4 passenger cabins to be sold as guarantees.

[TRLD]

2 hours ago, CNSJ said:

I am surprised it took this long for HAL to reign in couples booking staterooms that can hold three of four.  I can only imagine if I booked a hotel room with two queen beds for two people to be told that they moved us to a room with one king, to make room for a family of four.

 

HAL should have grandfathered all booked cabins, then announced the new plan.  Someone in the business office should have known better.  

 

Since HAL reads all the cruise critic posts on this site (not sure who they pay to do it) - read this "Don't make changes like this midstream - always grandfather for your loyal clientele!"

Not sure if they did not. Most of the discussion has been with the recent change in terms and conditions language and the announcement to TAs and people directly booking 3/4 rooms. Have not heard any outbreak about people that had previously booked 3/4 rooms for 2 getting moved or that matter anyone that booked after the announcement.

 

There have been a couple of people moved with "upgrades" that did meet the cruise line definition of upgrade if not the passengers. Under the 3/4 announcement someone would be moved to a 2 person cabin in the same class.

 

So far the uproar seems to be concern about what might happen, not what actually has happened.

[sambamama]

This is just another poor marketing move by  HAL. I've looked at their choices and decided I get far more bang for my buck touring by land. I don't worry about single supplements, or my cabin choice getting changed, or menus getting cut again and again, and entertainment budgets cut to the bare minimum, and the MDR being shut on port days and spas at 4 times or more pricing.