Canceling question

[southern_yarddog]

I don't know were to post this but i think this would be the best place. I booked a VA GUAR on the Zuiderdam for April of next year. This is my honeymoon cruise so I have to get it just right. When I got my confirmation paper in the mail it had me down as a VD GUAR. I called my TA and told him that there was a mistake and he told me it would be ok that he talked to HAL and they said I would have my VA when they do the upgrades. So I have to wait to get upgraded to something I have already paid for??? But anyways, The thing is I have been tring to get this fix for 3 months with no luck. Can anyone tell me how to and what to do to cancel? Do you lose any money? This is a online TA but I am not going to say who. But I believe I have been done wrong and I just want to cancel and rebook with someone I know before the cabin I want vanishes. Thanks for all ya'lls help.

[serene56]

for april of next year there should not be a problem cancelling BUt if you transfer the booking you are still guaranteed the price you booked.

 

Some agency charge a cancellation fee- hopefully you did not book with an agent that will charge you 75.00 to cancel.

[jhannah]

... BUt if you transfer the booking you are still guaranteed the price you booked.

Oh, really? I never heard of any TA guaranteeing to honor the price booked through another TA.

[MBeamTX]

You said you booked a VA GUAR, then say you want to make sure you get the cabin you want before it vanishes. This makes me wonder if you understand what a guarantee is.

 

You do not get to select a specific cabin with a guarantee reservation. Instead, you are assured of getting a cabin in AT LEAST the category you booked. But a guarantee reservation is not a guarantee of an upgrade.

 

If you want a specific cabin, then book it. If you're willing to roll the dice and can live with the least desirable cabin in the category you booked, then stick with a guarantee reservation.

 

That being said, it sounds to be as if your online TA may be scamming you. If you have any correspondence from the TA showing that your reservation was a VA guarantee, then you should either insist they honor that or else cancel the reservation with no financial obligation on your part. You are way outside of HAL's penalty period. If there is a TA cancellation charge, then I would dispute it with your credit card company as the TA is not providing what you purchased.

 

If you have no quote or confirmation proving you purchased a VA, then you have a few less-desirable options: cancel and eat any cancellation charge, then rebook with another TA; or pay whatever the difference is between a VA and VD guarantee to your current TA.

 

But don't ever let a TA tell you that you will get a guaranteed upgrade from what's on your confirmation. That's a flat-out lie. Even if HAL were offering a free 3-category upgrade (i.e., pay for VD category guarantee get a VA cabin), your confirmation should show a VA guarantee not a VD.

 

In the end, since it's your honeymoon, I would absolutely book a specific cabin, not a guarantee. But that's me. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

Susan

[dakrewser]

I've never heard of a VA or a VD guarantee, simply a Verandah Guarantee.

[WNYCRUISER]

I've never heard of a VA or a VD guarantee, simply a Verandah Guarantee.

 

You can get a guarantee in any category, well except maybe for the penthouse!

[SanDiego Single]

Something is wrong and I would tell the TA that you either get the VA you signed up for and in writing or that you are going to jump to another TA who will give you what you paid for!!

[arzz]

We have sailed many verandah guarantees and they have ususally had a category attached to the guarantee. We have had BB and B guarantees as well as VD and VA guarantees. On R and S class ships, as long as it is a verandah guarantee (any category) we do not care as there is no assignment in the R and S class verandahs that would ruin the cruise for us. Half the time we have ended up in the category guaranteed, the other half of the time we have ended up in a higher category.

 

Good luck with whatever you do and whatever you choose. I agree that if it is a honeymoon cruise you should not leave things up to chance. If you want a VA, get a real VA guarantee or an assigned cabin. If there is a cabin that you could be assigned in the category of your guarantee (or above) that would ruin your cruise if it was yours, by all means get a specific cabin assigned so that you can have a great time!

[grannynurse]

I've never heard of a VA guarantee either. It's not listed in the HAL brochure.

GN

[ocngypz]

VA and VD guarantees are not the same. And if you were booked under a VD guarantee..that's just what you may get, not a VA.

 

Also, you may cancel now, but there is no guarantee (excuse the pun) that the same rates are available now.

 

Now, speaking from experience, having quoted more balcony guarantees than I can count, HAL normally does not price VA balconies on guarantee this fareout. The VF, VD, yes. But VA?? Uh uh.

 

If there was a built in upgrade, your booking would still say VA.

 

Something isn't right somewhere. And as far as talking to HAL about berthing, that's a load of crock.

[southern_yarddog]

(quote): You said you booked a VA GUAR, then say you want to make sure you get the cabin you want before it vanishes. This makes me wonder if you understand what a guarantee is.

 

Yes I know what a GUAR is. I just don't want all the cabins to be booked in that cat. before I get a chance at one. The only thing I have that said a VA Cat was when the T.A and I talked on the phone. When the papers got to me it had a VD cat on it. I have tried to call customer service and all I ever get is a anwer machine telling me to leave a message and they will contact me back. But I will find a way to contact them. I was just wanting to find out if others has had to cancel for something like that and if they charge alot to cancel. I have never had a problem like this. I found a very good deal and I thought I would go for it. Goes to show that the grass isn't greener on the other side for no reason. They just throw more S@*# on it.:rolleyes:

[Sunshine91]

southern_yarddog - Sound to me like your TA simply made a mistake & doesn't want to admit it. Since you only spoke on the phone about VA cabin guarantees, you signed nothing acknowledging anything else. The TA booked you for a VD guarantee. Maybe just a typo, maybe just inattention (A & D are pretty close on the keyboard). You've got no proof (either way) who's right. Now it's been 3 months.

The deposit is the same for both categories, isn't it? What about the total amount? The VA should cost more, right? So does the balance due for the VD on the confirmation you have match the dollar figure you were given for the VA?

Have you tried to speak with a supervisor or manager? Might that help? Since you are actually booked into a VD, have you learned if any VAs are still available on your sailing?

As others have said, you are far outside HAL's cancellation period. If your TA charges a cancellation fee, well, that's another story. Since you have a discrepancy about the VA v. VD, & it appears the TA made an error, ask if they will waive it for you. If there are VAs available, you just may not be able to get that great rate with another TA.

John & I always book a specific cabin & use a live person TA. We have to sign 2 sets of papers confirming everything about the trip - it avoids just this scenario.

I really hope it all works out for you. Be sure to come back & let everyone here know what happens. :)

[serene56]

Oh, really? I never heard of any TA guaranteeing to honor the price booked through another TA.

 

If the price is cheaper then what the new agency has then yes---they should honor the price. THe new agency after all is getting the business.

You are transfering the cruise..not setting up a new one. ALl the work is done on the booking

[Tinknock50]

You can get a guarantee in any category, well except maybe for the penthouse!

 

Agree.....but guarantees are not always availiable. It's up to the cruiseline to decide which categories to make guarantees.

[WNYCRUISER]

Agree.....but guarantees are not always availiable. It's up to the cruiseline to decide which categories to make guarantees.

 

Yes, but I was referring to the statement by dakrewser that there are not specific category guarantees, but only a verandah guarantee.

 

I would not take a blanket "Verandah Guarantee" if there was such a thing, as I would not be happy receiving the lowest VH cabin with the steel railings. Now I would take a VE guarantee knowing that I would not get the steel railing, but could get anything from a VE to a VA (or better if the upgrade fairy was feeling especially kind.

[DD]

To the best of my knowledge, HAL does not do blanket "Verandah Guarantees". You can pay for a VD GTY or a VC GTY or a VA GTY or whatever. It's HAL's sister-line, Carnival that does a "Balcony Guarantee" and "Oceanview Guarantee" and an "Inside Guarantee".

[JYGresham]

Yes, but I was referring to the statement by dakrewser that there are not specific category guarantees, but only a verandah guarantee.

 

I would not take a blanket "Verandah Guarantee" if there was such a thing, as I would not be happy receiving the lowest VH cabin with the steel railings. Now I would take a VE guarantee knowing that I would not get the steel railing, but could get anything from a VE to a VA (or better if the upgrade fairy was feeling especially kind.

 

I'm wondering what is the Steel railing verandah and why is it inferior?

[arzz]

The steel railing verandahs do not have the plexiglass bulkheads, but a steel bulkhead. As such your view of the sea is restricted by the few feet of steel where the other verandahs would have the grey tinted plexiglass below the railing. That is important to some. Not to others. On some ships (e.g. the Maasdam) all the railings are steel and that has never bothered us. It does bother others.

 

The specific category guarantees (e.g. VA guarantee vs VD guarantee) that we have had we booked through a T.A., not HAL (and the category guarantee was specified on the confirmation)-- possibly a group of cabins held by the agency? Or, possibly the agency can get such a guarantee with HAL where we cannot.

[southern_yarddog]

Well, after doing alot of phone calls I finally got everything right. I just went ahead and got a AFT balcony room 5181. I looked at alot of the VA rooms and found out there are alot right under the lido pool and bar. Don't want that so I took the GUAR off and went for an AFT room. think that will be alot better for the honeymoon. Thought for sure I was going to have to cancel. But when I did get intouch with customer service they helped alot. I checked on the Holland America web site and they have my room down to. SO I think everything is took care of. Thanks for all ya'lls input.:)

[Sunshine91]

Yay! Glad to hear it worked out for you.