When do YOU consider it an "upgrade"?

[ekerr19]

The fear of being "upgraded" to an undesirable location has kept us from ever indicating that we are willing to upgrade. I try to book early and find cabins with more sq. footage, a larger balcony or an exceptional location, and also would consider many "upgrades" not to be any better.:rolleyes:

 

EKerr- Wanted to wish you an early Bon Voyage and Happy Anniversary! :D I hope you enjoy the 'O', we'll be looking for your signature on the banner. Look forward to meeting you in November on the Veendam cruise.:D

 

Localady - Thanks!!! We are SO ready! I only wish we'd been able to join you on Lisa's ROV's... the timing was just not good for us, unfortunately.

 

Look for our sigs on the HAL banner - also I have an orange/blue HAL flag - approx. 3x5 that we will be displaying in addition to the gorgeous banner. Heck, maybe I'll leave my flag in Mr. Deering's office for our future/fellow CC'ers! As it stands now, we only display it from our deck, lol.

 

We are looking forward to the Veendam as well!!! We are going to have a super group on this cruise!!! :)

[localady]

Localady - Thanks!!! We are SO ready! I only wish we'd been able to join you on Lisa's ROV's... the timing was just not good for us, unfortunately.

 

Look for our sigs on the HAL banner - also I have an orange/blue HAL flag - approx. 3x5 that we will be displaying in addition to the gorgeous banner. Heck, maybe I'll leave my flag in Mr. Deering's office for our future/fellow CC'ers! As it stands now, we only display it from our deck, lol.

 

We are looking forward to the Veendam as well!!! We are going to have a super group on this cruise!!! :)

 

Laura- If there is orange in that flag, it must be an older HAL flag. I think I'd hold on to it as those will surely become collectors items. :D

(Heck folks try to sell old document holders on EBay!!:eek: )

We'll look for your signature, have a great Anniversary!!:D

[Bill S]

Reading all the replies, it appears that an "upgrade", like beauty, is in the "eye" of the beholder. I tend to agree with those who believe that if they get a cabin that cost more than what they paid for, it is an upgrade.

We have been blessed with one true upgrade, a freebie upgrade from a Cat C to a Cat B on the Amsterdam (an outside to a verandah). We have also taken advantage of 3 upsells but at a discounted upgrade price from Cat A's to Cat S' on the Amsterdam and Ryndam (twice). We have also declined a couple of upsell offers when there was no discount offered. For our imminent 2/24 Oosterdam cruise, we booked a Cat SY guarantee and were assigned to a Cat SS, the same cabin but on a higher deck, and while not a larger cabin, it would have cost us more to book it than the SY, and it is in a good location (we think), so we are pleased with it. True, it may be only a paper upgrade but it still good deal, financially speaking.

Our cruise after the Oosterdam is on the Zaandam and we booked a Cat C guarantee, so in our opinion, if we get an assignment to any Category above that will be a true upgrade, even if it is to a verandah at the extreme aft or forward of the ship.

 

We have yet, for lack of a better term, "switched" to an undesirable cabin as part of any "upgrade" on any HAL ship. Knock on wood??

[ekerr19]

Laura- If there is orange in that flag, it must be an older HAL flag. I think I'd hold on to it as those will surely become collectors items. :D

(Heck folks try to sell old document holders on EBay!!:eek: )

 

We'll look for your signature, have a great Anniversary!!:D

 

It is the orange flag with the blue ship logo... I actually have a couple of them, but different sizes. Isn't this the flag they fly while in port???

[molly361]

I think it would be a legitimate upgrade to be moved from a VH/VF on a vista ship to a VA-VD, as the VH/VF cabins are less desirable because the balcony has the steel hull which prevents you from looking out onto the ocean while you're sitting down. The cost difference is also significant, especially on long cruises--perhaps $300pp.

 

Isn't that only on deck four? We have a VF booked on deck 5 (Westerdam) and I believe that the balcony is plexiglass-please correct me if I am wrong-

[babyher]

I also agree that a true upgrade is when you are getting something comepletely different than what you booked ( inside cabin to an outside , outside to a balcony etc.)

 

I have received several "upgrades" in the past . But all they really were were the same cabin I booked on a higher deck or the other side of the ship. Which didn't make that much ofa difference to us.

[cruisecrazytoo]

I also agree that a true upgrade is when you are getting something comepletely different than what you booked ( inside cabin to an outside , outside to a balcony etc.)

 

I have received several "upgrades" in the past . But all they really were were the same cabin I booked on a higher deck or the other side of the ship. Which didn't make that much ofa difference to us.

 

We have never cruised HAL before but booked the Oosterdam for mid May Alaska. Since we just cruised a few months ago, the budget is stretched so we committed to an inside guarenteed booking Catagory N. I am curious as to how HAL books. Do they continuously offer inside guarenteed at their lowest price and move people around (and hopefully up!). Just wondering the prospects of an upgrade. Actually will be just fine with what we booked as we plan to be up on deck most of time and in wonderful ports. :)

 

Sensation Jan 2004

Glory Jan 2005

Celebration Apr 2005

Liberty Jan 2006

Glory Jan 2007

[noblepa]

.Isn't that only on deck four? We have a VF booked on deck 5 (Westerdam) and I believe that the balcony is plexiglass-please correct me if I am wrong-

 

Yes, the VF cabins on deck 5 have plexiglas. We had 5065 on Oosterdam last April, and it definitely had plexiglas. If you look closely at the deck plans and decypher the little symbols next to each cabin, you will see that only the VF's on deck 4 have the little diamond, indicating the steel wall.

 

That's one reason that I booked a specific VE cabin on Zuiderdam, rather than a VF guarantee, which is the only VF they were offering when I booked. I didn't want to take a chance on getting a steel wall.

[jtl513]

.Isn't that only on deck four? We have a VF booked on deck 5 (Westerdam) and I believe that the balcony is plexiglass-please correct me if I am wrong-

Relax ... the steel wall railings are only on 4001 to 4042!

I am curious as to how HAL books. Do they continuously offer inside guarenteed at their lowest price and move people around (and hopefully up!).

That's my belief ... but I've been wrong before!

[Denn33]

 

Isn't that only on deck four? We have a VF booked on deck 5 (Westerdam) and I believe that the balcony is plexiglass-please correct me if I am wrong-

 

Yes, the VF steel hull is only on deck 4; deck 5 has plexiglass. The deck 5 VF balconies are a bit smaller, however (I believe 3 feet deep versus 5 feet deep), but I would certainly prefer to have the plexiglass than the extra balcony size and the steel hull (on the cruise that I booked, I was originally looking for a VF on deck 5, but they were all sold out, and only those on deck 4 were available, so I had to pay extra to get a higher category).

[MercedMike]

I agree, Laura. We carefully select the location we want and choose a specific cabin. I could easily be "upgraded", but the location ends up being in an area I'd rather not be. This happened to me just recently and even though it was a higher category, I was an inferior move for us.

 

So unless they want to really upgrade me bigtime, I'll stay where I am and be very happy!!!:D

 

Then the thing to do is to be sure your TA marks it "DO NOT UPGRADE!"

 

HAL has been known to "upgrade" without notice -- even upon arrival at the port. So if you carefully pick a cabin ... you have to give up that tiny tiny probablility of being upgraded to a suite in exchange for being sure you are in your preferred location!