NEWS FLASH: HAL to favor Triples and Quads

[Sea42]

9 hours ago, sambamama said:

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.

Most of our travel does not involve a cruise.

In our experience, land travel costs have skyrocketed! Vacation rentals, hotels, meals etc. Service options are limited, including hours and days that restaurants are open, and how often hotel rooms are cleaned.

We're currently in a small town motel that was $130 for the night. Very basic. No front desk person at all. You get a code to to input to access your room key. There is a phone number to call if you need assistance but no actual person on the property.

Everything about travel is evolving.

 

 

[Menocchio]

11 hours ago, sambamama said:

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.

They don't call it a "single supplement", but a solo traveler is typically paying twice as much per person for a hotel room as a duo would. If you buy a more inclusive resort or tour package, they often do charge a single supplement. 

[Sail and Relax]

This new policy is a little disturbing, like many of us, we chose to pay more for a certain room.  I chose my room based on mobility issues, so location is very important.  We select a room close to an elevator.  This surely will be an inconvenience for others who have done the same.  If the majority of the rooms are 3 with some at 4, they should put these family of 3 or 4 under a guaranteed status.  They are booking late and in some cases maybe getting a better rate (3rd/4th passenger free).  HAL is contradicting their website "you chose room", "we chose" to we will move previous passengers so you can get the better one.  Somehow this just doesn't seem right.

[TRLD]

1 hour ago, Sail and Relax said:

This new policy is a little disturbing, like many of us, we chose to pay more for a certain room.  I chose my room based on mobility issues, so location is very important.  We select a room close to an elevator.  This surely will be an inconvenience for others who have done the same.  If the majority of the rooms are 3 with some at 4, they should put these family of 3 or 4 under a guaranteed status.  They are booking late and in some cases maybe getting a better rate (3rd/4th passenger free).  HAL is contradicting their website "you chose room", "we chose" to we will move previous passengers so you can get the better one.  Somehow this just doesn't seem right.

The bookings most likely to get you kicked out of a 3/4 are the guarantee bookings for parties of 3/4 that the cruise line is trying to fit in.

 

The policy is more select a room that matches your party size. With the warning that they have made that if you select one that holds more people you may be at risk of being moved. 

 

 

[Windsailer]

The problem I have with this new policy is that it came out after I booked my 4 2024 and 2025 cruises. I have Club Orange on all 4. With Club Orange once you select a cabin you can't change it. I travel solo (and pay the same as 2 people) and two of the cabins are designated for 3/4 persons. I tried to change the 2 cabins to ones that are designated for 2 people. but HAL refuses to let me. One of the cruises is over Christmas. If I am booted from my cabin to accomodate late bookers I will be extremely unhappy. 

 

Assuming i continue to cruise on HAL I will make sure that I only books cabins that are designated for two passengers. 

[TRLD]

Just now, Windsailer said:

The problem I have with this new policy is that it came out after I booked my 4 2024 and 2025 cruises. I have Club Orange on all 4. With Club Orange once you select a cabin you can't change it. I travel solo (and pay the same as 2 people) and two of the cabins are designated for 3/4 persons. I tried to change the 2 cabins to ones that are designated for 2 people. but HAL refuses to let me. One of the cruises is over Christmas. If I am booted from my cabin to accomodate late bookers I will be extremely unhappy. 

 

Assuming i continue to cruise on HAL I will make sure that I only books cabins that are designated for two passengers. 

I have not heard on anyone getting hit by the new policy yet. Only the change to contract language and warnings during recent bookings. Until it actually happens no reason to assume it is not grandfathered in for bookings made before the change.

 

Even then I would expect that this policy will not be used very often. Especially if people heed the warnings and look for 2 person cabins first.

 

After all for the policy to be used there would have to be

 

1. no open 3/4 person cabins is the category

2. An open 2 person cabin in the category

 

By giving the warning HAL has reduced the need to actually make the changes because many people that select their cabins will look for a satisfactory 2 person cabin to make sure that they do not run foul of the policy.

 

For others they are in a category for which there are no 2 person cabins, so again unlikely to be a problem.

 

So far a lot of smoke, still waiting for the first sign of fire.

[81Zoomie]

When I look for cabins now for 2 people, the 3/4s show full.  Anyone else see this?  And unfortunately, the larger balconies are mostly 3/4s.

[TRLD]

5 hours ago, 81Zoomie said:

When I look for cabins now for 2 people, the 3/4s show full.  Anyone else see this?  And unfortunately, the larger balconies are mostly 3/4s.

I checked a few cruises for next year and found very few open verandah cabins 

[PSR]

A few weeks ago I was looking at a cruise (can't remember where to or what HAL ship, or even year). We like Neptunes, but none appeared to be available. As I looked at other cabins for availability, suddenly, a Neptune pic appeared. I clicked on the pic and got...nothing. Went back to the other pix and again the Neptune appeared....after doing this several times I got a statement: "this cabin not available for passenger number". I was looking for 2 persons; maybe this is an example of the new change? Not sure why it took 3-4 attempts to get the NA reason.

[KAKcruiser]

That would be crazy to not allow 2 people to book a Neptune Suite.  They are charging really high prices for these cabins now.  Maybe they are doing this for cruises far in the future and will open them up to everyone as the sailing date gets closer.

[3rdGenCunarder]

12 hours ago, PSR said:

A few weeks ago I was looking at a cruise (can't remember where to or what HAL ship, or even year). We like Neptunes, but none appeared to be available. As I looked at other cabins for availability, suddenly, a Neptune pic appeared. I clicked on the pic and got...nothing. Went back to the other pix and again the Neptune appeared....after doing this several times I got a statement: "this cabin not available for passenger number". I was looking for 2 persons; maybe this is an example of the new change? Not sure why it took 3-4 attempts to get the NA reason.

 

I don't think there are any Neptunes for only two people. Blocking couples from Neptunes is ridiculous. If you're looking seriously, not just browsing, call HAL to see if you can get that Neptune.

[SilvertoGold]

Very interesting thread.  I had no idea that there are so many triples and quads. Wow! 

But, not really understanding why 2 people want to book triples or quads. Is this about location? Something else? All that is left when booking?  What am I missing here?

[KAKcruiser]

Yes, many times cabins for triples or quads are in the best locations.

[Sea Hag]

50 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

Very interesting thread.  I had no idea that there are so many triples and quads. Wow! 

But, not really understanding why 2 people want to book triples or quads. Is this about location? Something else? All that is left when booking?  What am I missing here?

In our case, it was because the quad ticked all the boxes. We're booked on the Noordam in a quad on Observation deck.

 

High in the ship - check

Far forward - check

Near open deck - check

Near the Crow's Nest for early coffee - check

Tiny balcony - we just don't care

 

I booked this over the phone, working with the rep to get Club Orange and the cabin I wanted. I wasn't given any warning that we might be moved out of that cabin if they need it for 3 or 4 passengers. To be fair, the rep might not have known this. Who can tell. 

 

The cabin is a VB. Nearly all the VB cabins are either connecting cabins or aft (oddly, my hubby doesn't like aft). If they move us, the odds of it being to a VB that we wouldn't like are very high. 

 

I think it's unlikely that we'll be first on the list to be moved, since I can't see them putting three or four people in a balcony cabin where the balcony wouldn't hold that many. But if I'd known it was a possibility that we'd be moved, I would have chosen differently.

 

End of my long whine. 😂

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, SilvertoGold said:

Very interesting thread.  I had no idea that there are so many triples and quads. Wow! 

But, not really understanding why 2 people want to book triples or quads. Is this about location? Something else? All that is left when booking?  What am I missing here?

 

Some categories are all triples. I believe all the Sig suites on Eurodam have a sofabed. All the Neptunes sleep 3 or 4. The PInnacle suites sleep 4. So if the system restricts couples to doubles (which seemed to happen to a few posters above), that means a couple cannot book any higher category than a Vista "suite." I'm sure HAL doesn't mean to make that restriction, but given their IT, if they try to block double reservations in triples or quads, that's what will happen. 

[TRLD]

2 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Some categories are all triples. I believe all the Sig suites on Eurodam have a sofabed. All the Neptunes sleep 3 or 4. The PInnacle suites sleep 4. So if the system restricts couples to doubles (which seemed to happen to a few posters above), that means a couple cannot book any higher category than a Vista "suite." I'm sure HAL doesn't mean to make that restriction, but given their IT, if they try to block double reservations in triples or quads, that's what will happen. 

I suspect HAL is going through the same pains implementing the new policy as Princess did when they made some cabins guarantee only and also prevented parties of 2 from booking 3/4 deluxe balcony cabins.

[AKJonesy]

On 6/19/2024 at 5:32 PM, TiogaCruiser said:

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

I like Kelsey. 

[PSR]

13 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I don't think there are any Neptunes for only two people. Blocking couples from Neptunes is ridiculous. If you're looking seriously, not just browsing, call HAL to see if you can get that Neptune.

 

Was just browsing...booked another cruise on HAL.🙂

[cccole]

24 minutes ago, PSR said:

 

Was just browsing...booked another cruise on HAL.🙂

Did you get your Neptune suite?  Hope so.  Cherie

[love_the_sea]

I think the solo cruisers have more to be concerned about than couples (even though we are paying for 2 people on most cruises). I checked my January cruise to S.A. and Antarctica and I picked a cabin that is a quad. I wanted the location. I would not want a forward cabin for this particular cruise since that is where you feel the most motion and we do the Drake Passage. I don't think there are any VA's there, at least not on deck 5. But I book far enough in advance that I can carefully pick the location I want. If they move me to a less desirable location (in my opinion) then I would want some compensation or be able to cancel without a penalty. Even "Cancel for Any Reason" insurance doesn't give a full refund. My next cruise I am in a cabin that is not a triple or quad so unless they start telling us solo's we can't book at all, I am safe. That will probably be my last cruise. 

[Windsailer]

I had always planned to be more careful in cabin selection after I heard about this new policy. Perhaps HAL is going to make that process easier. I searched for cabins on two potential cruises in 2026 on the HAL website, indicating that the number of guests was one. I also picked "select your own cabin" at a cost of approx $250 more. Each time the only cabins that came up were ones that did not sleep 3 or 4. Not that I agree with the policy and hope that I am not affected by it on the two cruises I have booked for this year. 

[PSR]

On 6/26/2024 at 6:41 PM, cccole said:

Did you get your Neptune suite?  Hope so.  Cherie

 

Actually not, because it's on the Koningsdam and as far as I can tell, the tub in the Neptune suite does not have a shower and the walk-in showers on HAL ships with tubs are too small. We'll survive...😊

Edited 2 hours ago by PSR