They Charge for Upgrades?

[BJane]

Our TA just called and said that HAL was offering us an upgrade on our Oosterdam Pacific Northwest cruise. The catch is that it would have cost us $99 per person. Is this what the upgrade policy on HAL is? We've been upgraded several times on RCI and there has never been any additional costs to us. We declined the upgrade. It's only a three day cruise anyway so let them get an extra $198 from someone else.

[Babs1121]

We just received an upgrade on our cruise in March from Holland America and didn't have to pay anything extra for it.

[DavidO]

I think that would depend on weather you booked a guarantee room or not. Wiht a guarantee room you pick your minimum level and take your chances and you can get upgraded higher at no cost. If you book a specific cabin you are purchasing just that cabin level specifically so upgrades are not automatic and not free. Guarantees give cruise lines more freedom in shuffling people around to make popular cabin levels (often less priced ones) available more to boost sales.

 

All the cruise lines do that, not just HAL.

 

David

[gizmo]

Sometimes Hal makes an offer to upgrade for a reduced cost. This is not uncommon. Sometimes it is a good deal other times not so good.

 

Hal does upgrade for no additional cost, but it is not as common as other cruise lines.

[Jemima]

Yes, paid upgrades are sometimes offered by HAL and probably also by other cruiselines.

"Upgrade" can mean any of the following:

1. Sales in which higher level cabins are offered for the price of a lower level cabin. Example would be a "View & Veranda Sale". We booked an HH guarantee (obstructed outside) for the price of one of the inside cabin categories. TAs like to call those "upgrades" although it is really just a sale price.

2. Guaranteed cabin assignments that are higher than the guaranteed level. Example would be getting an L cabin (inside) for an N guarantee (lowest insdie). We have always booked a guarantee and have so far been "upgraded". We understand that doesn't always happen. We've always liked our cabin.

3. Upgrade when a specific cabin is booked. HAL switches a specific cabin to another cabin at a higher category. This is a free upgrade.

4. Paid upgrade. These usually involve the highest several categories and this is one way those are filled. HAL offers these to a few passengers. The one time this happened to us, HAL called our TA a week or so before the cruise and offered an upgrade to a balcony. Price was good and we accepted. (if offered, this sometimes occurs ahead of time and sometimes at embarkation.)

[Trail46]

Regarding upgrades, last year we booked a suite on Radisson Seven Seas Navigator to Bermuda with an internet company (only our second dealing with this company) and were upgraded to a master suite - the biggest suite on the ship - in spite of never having sailed on Radisson Seven Seas. Go figure!

However, we were punished, as we were in a Nor'easter in the bow, so bad that we took to the bed one day because we couldn't stand up!

[Tracyr]

We were on the Oosterdam March 25th seven night Mexico with a paid oceanview cabin cat F, HAL offered us an upgrade to the best available verandah. It was $99 for the first two in the cabin (we are a family of 4 all in one cabin) We took the upgrade for $198. We had gotten a great deal on our original booking so getting a Verandah was a huge bonus. We were thrilled.

[Jules1]

Princess doesn't charge for upgrades - on our British Isles sailing last summer our kids were upgraded from an inside to a Caribe deck balcony (largest balconies). The family that we were traveling with - their kids were also upgraded from inside to balcony and the adults were upgraded from balcony to mini-suite. All at no charge.

[Grumpy1]

I think it would be accurate to say that ALL lines offer some paid upgrades, sometimes referred to as "upsells", and ALL lines offer some complimentary upgrades. When and what is offered will depend on sales in particular categories, percentage of cabins sold, and a whole bunch of factors known only to the upgrade fairy and her cohorts.

 

Last year on the World cruise, we were offered an upgrade from an A to an SS for a very attractive price difference. I tried to counter with a little less, but they said they were sure that someone else would take the deal if we didn't. We took it.

[Gardyloo2]

Regarding upsells or paid upgrades, does anyone know if there's a good time to have the TA inquire about one? For instance, is it better to do it after the final payment is in, when the cruiseline would have a better idea of the pax actually going?

The sailing we're on in July has a lower price than the others that month, and almost all categories are still available. The final payment is due in two weeks. I'm starting to wonder if there's something going on we don't know about, like that's the week all the shops in every port are closed or something equally bizarre :D

[doone]

If the price for your category has gone down since you booked, before you make final payment, be sure to ask your TA to get you the lower price. If you don't ask for it, you won't get it.

[Randyk47]

We're kind of stuck here trying to define "upgrade" like it's a tube sock where one size fits all. That's not true, at least not with HAL, and I don't know about other lines. In my limited experience I've seen the following "upgrade" range:

 

1. We're upgrading you up to a higher category cabin at no charge.

 

2. We're offering you an upgrade to a higher category at a reduced charge.

 

3. We have unsold cabins in a higher category and if you'll willing to pay the full difference you can upgrade.

 

While those are simplistic descriptions, they're all "upgrades"....just not all no-cost upgrades. Obviously, when most of us dream of the upgrade fairy it's the free upgrade one, not the one who wants more money. :)

[iceman93]

Great summary, Randy.

 

The bottom line, as others here will attest, is to book the cabin you'll be happy with. Upgrades are neither common nor predictable. And if you're going to spend all the time between booking and embarkation trying to "game" the system to get the best possible deal on a higher cabin category, then you should probably just book that higher cabin category and be done with it.

[louiesowner]

HAL phoned me too about the "paid" upgrade. I am the TA and was a little apprehensive about it... but in the end we took it. We were booked in a N category guarentee. Knowing what I know about HAL and their upgrades, I figured we wouldn't get that much of an upgrade for free. We are going with my parents and we wanted two rooms together... so I phoned HAL and we got 2 aft cabins with the big balconies for only $99US per person more. Since we only paid $199 per person for the cruise (plus taxes)... we figured it was a good deal. Sometimes you have to weight the negatives and the positives and see which one comes out on top. We are very happy to know what cabin we are in now and that we got some of the best balcony cabins for the money. We are very happy!!! 3 nights on the Oosterdam on our big balconies at the back of the ship... what a great time we will have.

 

To the original poster, yes you could still get upgraded for free. This was just a promo they were doing to get some people out of the guarentee category. I just didn't want to take the chance since our last experience with HAL wasn't so good with upgrades (1 inside category upgrade).

[BJane]

We have never booked a guarantee. We always pick out our cabins when we book a cruise. For many years our TA had a "do not upgrade" note in our folder. For this cruise we picked out a balcony cabin that appeared to be in a convenient place and we will very happy to spend our three nights in it.

[louiesowner]

if you are in a balcony already - where were they offering you to go for the paid upgrade? We are very happy to pay the little extra to go from an inside (lowest category) to the highest balcony. That means we paid $298 per person for a 3 night cruise on a balcony cabin... can't complain. Are you first seating dining or second? we are first. I have a roll call going for this cruise, but so far we are not a big group ;)

[blue whale]

Gumpy, How did you get "chosen" for your upgrade on the world cruise? Did you do anything special through your agent before hand? HAL certainly picked the right people for the upgrade. Your interesting travelogue probably sold lots of cabins on the 07 world cruise. HAL should give you a free upgrade next time as well as free internet service connection.