Pinnacles/Neptunes as Solo: risk getting bumped or cancel?

[atexsix]

Okay, I have to put this out there to my fellow HAL family, do I cancel or change the booking for the cruises in which I'll be in a Neptune or Pinnacle as a solo?  Granted they were booked before all the policy changes, and the bookings were made directly through HAL and they clearly allowed me to do so, but I still fear getting bumped. 

 

Some background: I got great rates on all of these through early booking discounts, all the sailings are 2025 Alaska 7 days, but during the low season (May or Sep); I'm perfectly fine switching to a 14 day, but I didn't really want to be gone that long, so I broke up my plans into one week trips instead.  

 

I just don't want to be looking forward to something, only to get a big surprise at embarkation. I know there's been few reports of bumping, but not everybody belongs to cruise critic or chooses to post it, so we really don't know how frequently it's occurring.  

 

If I cancel, then I have to face the possibility of sailing with other cruise lines that are friendlier to solo travelers (NCL's Haven/Oceania/Cunard Grills) when I'm inching ever so closely to 4 star.  😥

[KAKcruiser]

Since you are at the top of cabins, I would think you would be safe.  There would be no reason to move you.

[Gsel]

I am also sailing single in a NS. My TA called Hal and they said not to worry. I will probably worry anyway!

[atexsix]

30 minutes ago, Gsel said:

I am also sailing single in a NS. My TA called Hal and they said not to worry. I will probably worry anyway!

So will I, because worrying is what I do best.  Nobody else in my life worries because they know I'm going to do it for them. 

[Gsel]

The story of my life! But the older I get the less I worry. Stuff happens and it is not worth the worry.

[Ileneilene123]

I do not think you need to worry. The new policy says that they can move you to a “comparable” stateroom (see below). I read that to mean within the same meta cabin category. So at worst from one Neptune suite to a different Neptune suite. And, I cannot imagine they’d bump anyone from a Pinnacle Suite. 
 

“Specific stateroom assignments are not guaranteed. Carrier reserves the right to move Guest(s) to a comparable stateroom for any reason including, but not limited to, instances during which a stateroom is booked with fewer than the maximum number of Guests that the stateroom can accommodate; or when a partial Guest cancellation occurs, and the remaining number of Guests do not match the maximum number of Guests the stateroom can accommodate.”

 

[Catlover54]

Interesting. 

I knew that of late cruiselines reserve the right in interpreted fine print to change their routing, port of embarkation, port of disembarkation, ports visited, food and excursions offered, etc., without much if any obligation, but I did not know that solos are first on the hit list for getting moved from their chosen accomodations if there is a problem.  Perhaps this could occur  if some other party on a sold-out ship fusses loudly enough about the inadequacy of their accomodations?  Solos aren't generally a fussy bunch, and may have less clout than couples or groups if there are problems.

But if they would move you "to a comparable stateroom", and you booked a  Neptune, how could anything less than a Neptune be considered "comparable"?  What is the definition of comparable here?

 

[Menocchio]

A comparable stateroom is one in the same metacategory. Inside to inside, veranda to veranda. They could only move someone in a Neptune Suite to another Neptune Suite. 

[kirkc]

Really don’t think they are going to move a top paying guest. I suggest spending your time worrying about something that really matters, like the weather.

[maryandmarge]

6 hours ago, atexsix said:

Okay, I have to put this out there to my fellow HAL family, do I cancel or change the booking for the cruises in which I'll be in a Neptune or Pinnacle as a solo?  Granted they were booked before all the policy changes, and the bookings were made directly through HAL and they clearly allowed me to do so, but I still fear getting bumped. 

 

Some background: I got great rates on all of these through early booking discounts, all the sailings are 2025 Alaska 7 days, but during the low season (May or Sep); I'm perfectly fine switching to a 14 day, but I didn't really want to be gone that long, so I broke up my plans into one week trips instead.  

 

I just don't want to be looking forward to something, only to get a big surprise at embarkation. I know there's been few reports of bumping, but not everybody belongs to cruise critic or chooses to post it, so we really don't know how frequently it's occurring.  

 

If I cancel, then I have to face the possibility of sailing with other cruise lines that are friendlier to solo travelers (NCL's Haven/Oceania/Cunard Grills) when I'm inching ever so closely to 4 star.  😥

Bruno - so glad to see you posting again on cruise critic.   I hope you have been able to get back into a normal routine and your life continues to get better for you.   I agree with the others that have responded to you that I don’t think you have to worry about being bumped.     Our friends that did a 14 day in Alaska with us this year in May had booked a large inside room that they had been in on past cruise - 2 days before the cruise Holland bumped them up to an obstructed oceanview room without contacting them. They were not happy.    Holland considered it an upgrade - they did not.    The oceanview was smaller than the large inside.  They are the only ones I’ve known that got bumped.   They never did find out why.  
Happy to see you are returning to cruising and hope we end up on the same ship someday.   Take care - 
Maryell 

[atexsix]

On 6/24/2024 at 6:26 PM, maryandmarge said:

Bruno - so glad to see you posting again on cruise critic.   I hope you have been able to get back into a normal routine and your life continues to get better for you.   I agree with the others that have responded to you that I don’t think you have to worry about being bumped.     Our friends that did a 14 day in Alaska with us this year in May had booked a large inside room that they had been in on past cruise - 2 days before the cruise Holland bumped them up to an obstructed oceanview room without contacting them. They were not happy.    Holland considered it an upgrade - they did not.    The oceanview was smaller than the large inside.  They are the only ones I’ve known that got bumped.   They never did find out why.  
Happy to see you are returning to cruising and hope we end up on the same ship someday.   Take care - 
Maryell 

I've had those large insides, I don't remember where we went, I think it was Hawaii, and we were more than comfortable for such a long sailing.  I wonder if it was someone that needed it to accommodate a disability, even though it's not an accessible room, it might be large enough for some people to make it work.  

 

Yes, it'd be nice if we could sail together again, one that I won't get sick for, who on God's green earth ever heard of a salivary gland infection?!  And then to get it on a cruise.  Sigh.  But leave it to me.  

On 6/24/2024 at 5:36 PM, kirkc said:

Really don’t think they are going to move a top paying guest. I suggest spending your time worrying about something that really matters, like the weather.

Good advice.  However, weather is not an issue, I love rain, a big reason I book alaska sailings over and over again.  Not a sun person at all, although I did enjoy it in hawaii. 

 

On 6/24/2024 at 3:08 PM, Catlover54 said:

Interesting. 

I knew that of late cruiselines reserve the right in interpreted fine print to change their routing, port of embarkation, port of disembarkation, ports visited, food and excursions offered, etc., without much if any obligation, but I did not know that solos are first on the hit list for getting moved from their chosen accomodations if there is a problem.  Perhaps this could occur  if some other party on a sold-out ship fusses loudly enough about the inadequacy of their accomodations?  Solos aren't generally a fussy bunch, and may have less clout than couples or groups if there are problems.

But if they would move you "to a comparable stateroom", and you booked a  Neptune, how could anything less than a Neptune be considered "comparable"?  What is the definition of comparable here?

 

Well solos are often the first on the hit list when it comes to MDR assignments, it's happened, and I was not at all happy, ugh...the memories, that was one of the worst cruises EVER. And yes, I think they assumed I wouldn't be fussy about it.  But I prefer fixed dining.  That was the only time I didn't have it because AYW was forced on me and I hated it.