NEWS FLASH: HAL to favor Triples and Quads

[FlaMariner]

1 hour ago, mawvkysc said:

“We pick” is different than a guarantee  cabin. 

 

 

I never book thru HAL but check out the prices....When I see "we pick" on HAL I think that is a GUARANTEE and "you pick" is when you identify a specific cabin to book.....

 

What do I not understand?

 

 

 

[YourWorldWithBill]

8 hours ago, craig01020 said:

I recently tried to book a Princess cruise and was frustrated because I couldn't choose a cabin with occupancy of more than two. Now it all makes sense.

 

That's actually a better method than letting us book it and bump us later, but it still stinks.

Yes, that is more honest, but they would have to change the basic layout in which they assign most of the cabins as triple or quads. For example, on a cruise I booked yesterday, I booked the cheapest verandah but paid for CO, so I'm upgraded to a V midships on deck five that I chose. Almost every V stateroom on five is a quad or a triple; there were probably four or five (midships) that were for two only. So, this is really the bottom line: they want to structure it so that most of the rooms can fit more passengers just in case they get more. 

24 minutes ago, kazu said:

LOL - hotels have this warped idea that if you are willing to pay the price, you can the room/suite you booked. 😉 

 

[YourWorldWithBill]

2 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

I never book thru HAL but check out the prices....When I see "we pick" on HAL I think that is a GUARANTEE and "you pick" is when you identify a specific cabin to book.....

 

What do I not understand?

You're correct, and that's the reason for this thread. The policy has changed so that even if "you pick" your cabin of choice, they can move you.

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, mawvkysc said:

“We pick” is different than a guarantee  cabin. 

I think that IS a guarantee. 

[mawvkysc]

@crystalspin @FlaMariner I think my mistake was that I was looking at a closer in cruise. (May 11) on the We Choose option it actually had a room assignment.  But then when you click on you choose the only choices at that same price are that cabin and a few close by it. To get other locations there is an up charge. I guess a further out cruise it would just say We Choose and not have an assignment which would be a guarantee. 
 

I find non HAL booking sites much more user friendly. 

Edited March 22 by mawvkysc

[TiogaCruiser]

7 minutes ago, mawvkysc said:

@crystalspin @FlaMariner I think my mistake was that I was looking at a closer in cruise. (May 11) on the We Choose option it actually had a room assignment.  But then when you click on you choose the only choices at that same price are that cabin and a few close by it. To get other locations there is an up charge. I guess a further out cruise it would just say We Choose and not have an assignment which would be a guarantee. 
 

I find non HAL booking sites much more user friendly. 

I’m not so sure that is a guarantee: it looks to me that if you accept what they “chose” you are in cabin 4003. If you choose then you get to specify which deck, then can see available cabins, and you can choose one of them instead.

 

Either way you are checking out with a cabin assignment. Not a guarantee that will be assigned close to sailing.

[Menocchio]

 

18 minutes ago, TiogaCruiser said:

I’m not so sure that is a guarantee: it looks to me that if you accept what they “chose” you are in cabin 4003. If you choose then you get to specify which deck, then can see available cabins, and you can choose one of them instead.

 

Either way you are checking out with a cabin assignment. Not a guarantee that will be assigned close to sailing.

You can get a guaranteed stateroom. But if there's only a small number of staterooms in that category they'll just assign one to you immediately, or you can choose one without an additional charge. 

 

If there's many to choose from, then you'll be assigned closer to sailing, or there will be an upcharge to choose and another to choose on the more popular decks and sections. 

 

So pertinent to this discussion, the guarantees simply won't be assigned in the triples and quads. But I have to imagine that many of the triples and quads will be popular among the choosers.

Edited March 22 by Menocchio

[KAKcruiser]

I was just looking at a travel agent website and it would only show me cabins available for 2 on the Koningsdam in the Caribbean March 2026.  Anything for 3 or 4 was not shown.  Then I went to the HAL website and it was the same thing.  They must be serious about this.  

[Menocchio]

7 minutes ago, KAKcruiser said:

I was just looking at a travel agent website and it would only show me cabins available for 2 on the Koningsdam in the Caribbean March 2026.  Anything for 3 or 4 was not shown.  Then I went to the HAL website and it was the same thing.  They must be serious about this.  

Yeah. I was wrong. That's a substantial number of cabins held back. Wonder if they'll open them up if the big parties fail to show up closer to sailing. 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

4 minutes ago, Menocchio said:

Yeah. I was wrong. That's a substantial number of cabins held back. Wonder if they'll open them up if the big parties fail to show up closer to sailing. 

This is my understanding that after final it will open up but many like to book well in advance as well as the better promotions with pre paid crew incentive are well in advance. 

I see where this concept will work for Royal Caribbean, Disney and Carnival but not sure that it is the way to go for HAL, Princess and Celebrity. Totally different demographics.

Celebrity start this bit of charging 400%++ for single supplement and just this week added a new promo that was for single pricing that is appearing to be closer to what it use to be right at 200%, one I saw was actually at 180%. I think they started to see lots of lost sales.

We can only hope that HAL will also see their mistake in this in the next few months when cruise sales drop. 

[Sherry H]

FlaMariner, that is correct!  If HAL picks, they are giving you a guaranteed cabin in the category you chose.  They will let you know later what cabin you receive.  If you pick you choose a specific cabin.  In the past, you would pay more for the privilege of choosing when booking.   

[kazu]

42 minutes ago, KAKcruiser said:

I was just looking at a travel agent website and it would only show me cabins available for 2 on the Koningsdam in the Caribbean March 2026.  Anything for 3 or 4 was not shown.  Then I went to the HAL website and it was the same thing.  They must be serious about this.  

 

Actually I was thinking on this and now that I am solo. - I don’t believe any of the triple capacity cabins have shown available when I went to select my cabins on several cruises.

 

No biggie - I don’t need a pull out sofa but kind of a relief that I shouldn’t have to worry on my upcoming cruises.

[sambamama]

This is an absolutely horrible idea.  As I just about always book a guarantee, it would almost never affect me. But I know I am in a very small minority.  HAL most be out of their mind to change the policy this way.  Just about every cruise I go on is couples.  Very, very rarely do I meet families cruising or people sharing 3 or 4 to a cabin.  If HAL this was absolutely necessary, they should only do it for prime periods of Alaska or Caribbean cruising.  No one wants to sign up for an expensive long cruise and lose their specially selected cabin.  HAL will be losing a great deal of their cruisers.  People should write and tell the management that they won't continue to sail with HAL with these conditions in place. 

[RedIguana]

All the extra large balcony V cabins on the Nieuw Statendam (and I assume Pinnacle class in general) are quads. I really hope they don't try and reassign me from 5096. I'm not sure even a vista upgrade would be worth losing that balcony for Norway. 

Edited March 22 by RedIguana
Left off balcony

[kazu]

5 minutes ago, RedIguana said:

All the extra large V cabins on the Nieuw Statendam (and I assume Pinnacle class in general) are quads. I really hope they don't try and reassign me from 5096. I'm not sure even a vista upgrade would be worth losing that balcony for Norway. 

 

those cabins look no larger than the others.  If you want a big verandah, book the aft deck on Beethoven deck (deck 4 on the Pinnacle Class ships).  They are huge - bigger than the Neptune suites, I think.

[Oceansaway17]

Like others might have said, if pricing for 1, the website should not bring up rooms that require 3-4.  And also have an option to select no changes if you still want the room.

 

Glad I have stopped sailing on HAL as I do not like the changes/refund policies and so now this is also annoying as well.

[RedIguana]

3 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

those cabins look no larger than the others.  If you want a big verandah, book the aft deck on Beethoven deck (deck 4 on the Pinnacle Class ships).  They are huge - bigger than the Neptune suites, I think.

Thanks for the heads up, I edited my post to clarify extra large balcony. 

[YourWorldWithBill]

17 minutes ago, RedIguana said:

All the extra large balcony V cabins on the Nieuw Statendam (and I assume Pinnacle class in general) are quads. I really hope they don't try and reassign me from 5096. I'm not sure even a vista upgrade would be worth losing that balcony for Norway. 

Although they're the same size as other Vs, as @kazusaid, we chose 5070 - not far from you - for its location for our Baltic cruise. And our cruise is sold out; so, we're hoping.

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, TiogaCruiser said:

I’m not so sure that is a guarantee: it looks to me that if you accept what they “chose” you are in cabin 4003. If you choose then you get to specify which deck, then can see available cabins, and you can choose one of them instead.

 

Either way you are checking out with a cabin assignment. Not a guarantee that will be assigned close to sailing.

Exactly @mawvkysc in that screenshot scenario HAL selected cabin 4003 for you rather than you picking one. A guarantee will show "your stateroom will be assigned before sailing" (or similar verbiage) rather than a cabin number. 

Simple - a cabin number visible on the booking confirmation is different than a "Guarantee."  

[oakridger]

I sometimes sail in a Signature Suite (on non-Pinnacle ships) as a solo.  I will be pretty ticked off if that is no longer an option!  My next two sailings are in veranda cabins so shouldn't be a problem.  

 

I've already been looking at smaller ships in general to avoid crowds and have booked on Windstar for 2025.  It will be interesting to see how things play out.

 

~Nancy

[YourWorldWithBill]

2 minutes ago, oakridger said:

I sometimes sail in a Signature Suite (on non-Pinnacle ships) as a solo.  I will be pretty ticked off if that is no longer an option!  My next two sailings are in veranda cabins so shouldn't be a problem.  

 

I've already been looking at smaller ships in general to avoid crowds and have booked on Windstar for 2025.  It will be interesting to see how things play out.

 

~Nancy

When I looked at a cruise to view the staterooms posted for two, the V class that were quads and triples were blocked off, but the SS were available, so I think you should be fine. 

(I guess the abbreviation for Signature Suites should be SSs!)

[retird]

3 hours ago, crystalspin said:

I think that IS a guarantee. 

It is a guarantee.  I booked that way for my upcoming cruise

[BigBee51]

On 3/21/2024 at 4:44 AM, Cruise Suzy said:

If there are no symbols, then the stateroom capacity is 2 persons

Not necessarily true.  We are booked on the Koningsdam in Vista Suite 5122 for a 35 day cruise. There is no symbol in the PDF floor plan on HAL's website. But the booking page does indicate it sleeps up to 4 guests. Not sure where 4 people would fit. There is a couch but no indication that it is a pull-out and two beds that convert to a queen.

[ChinaShrek]

22 hours ago, SUESEABE said:

Don't forget the Rock Climbing Wall😉

Actually, I wouldn't mind one of those installed on HAL ships. They are great for exercise!

[SUESEABE]

1 hour ago, ChinaShrek said:

Actually, I wouldn't mind one of those installed on HAL ships. They are great for exercise!

Never tried it but I would definitely need a harness.