Scared after reading other post...Upgrades?

[budhisetiawan]

I just read the ongoing post about cabin upgrades and whether to mark the box or not and what is an upgrade and what is not....

Well after all that yall got me a little spooked! The room size is in our top 3 things about HAL we love so much and put it at the #1 slot for cruiselines that we have traveled on. I do not want to be upgrade to a smaller room!

There are some things yall say on here I dont quite get...and I dont think i quite get the Cats yall are talking about...Let me tell you what I got and you tell me if I need to contact my TA.

Cruise: Ryndam 12/18/11 w/caribbean
Cat: M #768
Upgrade box: checked

Soooo....What do I need to do if anything?

[sail7seas]

If that is the cabin you want, tell your TA to mark your reservation "No Upgrade". You will then be in the cabin you chose.

The way people get moved to cabins they may not like is they book a guarantee. That means for a reduced fare, they agree HAL can put them in any cabin they wish as long as it is at least the level of the guarantee they booked and paid for.

They are hoping to get more for their money than that minimum and take the chance they may get a better cabin than the minimum they chose. Some get upset when they are assigned exactly what they booked but they had visions of getting more than they booked as sometimes does happen. They shouldn't be upset with what they are assigned as long as it is at least the category they chose.

There have been times when people had no choice but to book guarantee for some reason I don't fully understand but most guarantees are booked for the advantage of a lower price and hopes for a higher level cabin.

We have always booked our cabin by specific number and in over 70+ cruises, HAL has always had us in the cabin we chose. We have been offered upsell which we had the choice to accept or not. HAL never 'made' us move from the cabin we chose.

[readytocruiseagain!]

The second way people might get upgraded to a cabin they don't like is if they book a specific cabin and then check "upgrade." HAL may then upgrade, and you might or might not like the upgrade.

So I would suggest that if you like the cabin you have booked, and are fairly picky about what cabin or deck you want, then you tell your TA to change to "do not upgrade."

[budhisetiawan]

Its all about the size with us...after reading that post...I got worried that marking that upgrade box might get us moved to some smaller cabin...we could care less up down left or right...but in this case SIZE DOES MATTER!!!


That is my only hang up...I dont care if we get upgraded as long as the room is not SMALLER! Now were have 3 in our room so it cant be moved to a 2 pp room...we do have that going for us!

[Krazy Kruizers]

I agree -- if you like the cabin you have chosen -- tell your TA to mark your reservation as NO Upgrade!!

You could easily end up in a smaller cabin or a cabin over the engines, etc.

We always chose the cabin we want.

[RuthC]

Its all about the size with us...after reading that post...I got worried that marking that upgrade box might get us moved to some smaller cabin...we could care less up down left or right...but in this case SIZE DOES MATTER!!!
You really don't have anything to worry about if you leave your booking to allow an upgrade. Here's why---

You are booked in a "large inside" in a relatively low category. The most likely place you would ever be upgraded to would be another "large inside" in a higher category---that would most likely be Main Deck, or possibly Upper Promenade (unlikely, however). All those possible cabins are exactly the same as the one you chose.
Main Deck is a good place to be, because it is between two passenger decks. Lower Promenade is under quiet areas, and above passenger cabins. Both of these possibilities are fine.

If location fore/aft, or deck level, does not matter to you, you really have no place to go but up.

[RuthC]

You could easily end up in a smaller cabin or a cabin over the engines, etc.
This is absolutely not correct. The only smaller cabins on the ship are in lower categories. OP can't be downgraded, so OP can't end up in a smaller cabin.

[3rdGenCunarder]

If that is the cabin you want, tell your TA to mark your reservation "No Upgrade". You will then be in the cabin you chose.

The way people get moved to cabins they may not like is they book a guarantee. That means for a reduced fare, they agree HAL can put them in any cabin they wish as long as it is at least the level of the guarantee they booked and paid for.

They are hoping to get more for their money than that minimum and take the chance they may get a better cabin than the minimum they chose. Some get upset when they are assigned exactly what they booked but they had visions of getting more than they booked as sometimes does happen. They shouldn't be upset with what they are assigned as long as it is at least the category they chose.

There have been times when people had no choice but to book guarantee for some reason I don't fully understand but most guarantees are booked for the advantage of a lower price and hopes for a higher level cabin.

We have always booked our cabin by specific number and in over 70+ cruises, HAL has always had us in the cabin we chose. We have been offered upsell which we had the choice to accept or not. HAL never 'made' us move from the cabin we chose.


Sometimes sale prices are guarantee only. I also think sometimes the ship is getting near to full, so the line wants more flexibility in assigning cabins. I prefer to choose a cabin, but there have been times when I haven't been able to. On HAL and also on Cunard. At least Cunard assigns the cabins earlier than HAL does.

[3rdGenCunarder]

This is absolutely not correct. The only smaller cabins on the ship are in lower categories. OP can't be downgraded, so OP can't end up in a smaller cabin.

You really have to know what level the "smaller than usual" cabins are to make sure you're above that category. thanks goodness people here can answer these questions!

[fann1sh]

EDIT: while I was researching and typing slowly, RuthC pointed out you can't be upgraded to a smaller cabin. I'm sorry I got people stirred up by mentioning involuntary upgrades, which are very rare.

As for those cats/category differences - differences can be very subtle.

Examples for Ryndam: sideways cabins (run the length of the ship, not the width) M769, M 773 are configured differently and some people prefer them. One deck up from you, K548 and 549 are extra large insides on main deck. Some people are very attached to the lower promenade deck J cabins, because they're only steps away from the promenade. Etc, etc, etc.

As already stated - none of that affects you. Don't worry, be happy.

[Roz]

Ruth,

It happened to me. I got "upgraded" on the Noordam to a higher inside category (I think it was consider higher because it was on an upper deck) but it was the smallest cabin I've ever had on a HAL ship. I was not a happy camper, and I book guarantees a lot. That was the only time it backfired.

Roz

[RuthC]

Ruth,

It happened to me. I got "upgraded" on the Noordam to a higher inside category (I think it was consider higher because it was on an upper deck) but it was the smallest cabin I've ever had on a HAL ship. I was not a happy camper, and I book guarantees a lot. That was the only time it backfired.

Roz
You were on a Vista class ship; the OP is on an S-class ship. Those are entirely different situations, and has no place as an answer to OP's question.
The OP cannot be upgraded to a smaller cabin.

[sail7seas]

If we ever were not able to book specific cabin number, we would not book that cruise. I would never leave it to HAL to assign which cabin we would have.

It has never happened we could not book the specific number we wanted if that cabin was not already booked.

[world~citizen]

If we ever were not able to book specific cabin number, we would not book that cruise. I would never leave it to HAL to assign which cabin we would have.

It has never happened we could not book the specific number we wanted if that cabin was not already booked.


Wow.

That is really interesting. We always book a guarantee and have always been prepared to take what we get. If a cabin is that important then you are certainly doing the right thing.

For us, on occasion the upgrade fairy has been quite kind. In other situations we had to wonder what the HAL she was thinking.;) Still we wouldn't book any other way.

I have to admit, it isn't for everyone.

Smooth sailing...

[fann1sh]

I'll only take a guarantee, if it's the *right* guarantee. Booked an EE guarantee on an S class - got A deck cat E, midship, very happy.

But, I would never book an S or R ship guarantee where there was even a remote chance of winding up in a category FF over the engines.

YMMV.

[Roz]

To Ruth and the Original Poster,

My apologies; I never meant to mislead anyone or give an incorrect response.

Roz

[sail7seas]

Wow.

That is really interesting. We always book a guarantee and have always been prepared to take what we get. If a cabin is that important then you are certainly doing the right thing.

For us, on occasion the upgrade fairy has been quite kind. In other situations we had to wonder what the HAL she was thinking.;) Still we wouldn't book any other way.

I have to admit, it isn't for everyone.

Smooth sailing...


It depends what matters most to you for YOUR cruise.
What is your priority may not be mine.

Our cabin and cabin location is very important to us.
We would book a different date, a different cruise, a different ship rather than take pot luck on our cabin.

That isn't a Wow for us...... it's a given we pick our cabin.
It would have to be the most extreme circumstance that we absolutely wanted to be on that ship on that date and that is the only way we could go is for HAL to assign our cabin. I really cannot think of a circumstance off the top of my head that would make that okay, for us.

YMMV...

[sunviking90]

Its all about the size with us...after reading that post...I got worried that marking that upgrade box might get us moved to some smaller cabin...we could care less up down left or right...but in this case SIZE DOES MATTER!!!


That is my only hang up...I dont care if we get upgraded as long as the room is not SMALLER! Now were have 3 in our room so it cant be moved to a 2 pp room...we do have that going for us!

With 3 in your cabin is it very unlikely you will be upgraded anyway and as others have said no upgrades will be smaller than what you have. We were only upgraded once when we had 3 (from an L to a DA on the Amsterdam) and I think that may have been because I had contacted HAL last minute about waitlisting for a Verandah (and paying the diff). Maybe they tried to give us something a little better when no verandah's opened up?

You have nothing to worry about.

[twodogmom]

I used to book guar, not anymore. I also prefer space to anything else. I travel solo, and try to get one of the large insides. I have found I have to book those very early.

After getting what I paid for on a R class, DD guar, I hated it. It was very small and was a connecting room (noise issues). I will now only book a certain cabin.

donna

[G&G]

We have asked for a cabin upgrade on 14 of our 30 HAL cruises. We were upgraded 11 times and only once we were not happy; upgrade was from an inside cabin midship on Lower Promenade to Main Deck outside cabin towards the back of the Ryndam.

There may be another problem. We sailed on the Ryndam in 2005 and were in Cabin 776 (two cabins from your cabin 768). There was a serious noise issue with our cabin. If you look at the deck plan you will see a stairwell next to our cabin. This was the crew's stairwell and obviously made of steel with no covering based on the noise all day when someone used the stairs. In addition we could hear all day any intercom messages for the crew in the stairwell. I do not know if HAL corrected this problem but HAL's staff treated us like "Suite" people on this cruise; invited to all functions with Captain / Suite passengers.

[budhisetiawan]

well that brings up a thought i been wondering about...what is that beside my cabin (#768) between 768 & 758? Anyone know?

[Hobbsey]

well that brings up a thought i been wondering about...what is that beside my cabin (#768) between 768 & 758? Anyone know?

It looks like a housekeeping space. I'm also curious about that much larger space to which those cabins back up-to. I note an entrance from the starborad passageway into a space that is about 7 cabin fronts in length.

[Jade13]

You were on a Vista class ship; the OP is on an S-class ship. Those are entirely different situations, and has no place as an answer to OP's question.
The OP cannot be upgraded to a smaller cabin.

Not the issue with OP, but I know for sure if someone is taking the cheapest inside GTY on an "S" class ship they could be put in one of those few tiny tiny insides on Veranda deck forward. We were across from them one time and saw them through opened doors on more than one occasion. They looked like a closet yet given a "Spa" designation and the highest grade of the Insides.

[RuthC]

Not the issue with OP, but I know for sure if someone is taking the cheapest inside GTY on an "S" class ship they could be put in one of those few tiny tiny insides on Veranda deck forward. We were across from them one time and saw them through opened doors on more than one occasion. They looked like a closet yet given a "Spa" designation and the highest grade of the Insides.
You're right. I keep forgetting about those two silly little closets that are sold as cabins. :o Sorry to mislead anyone.
My apologies.

OP has a triple, though, so won't be upgraded to one of those closets, as they are doubles. I agree with sunviking 90 who says that a triple is unlikely to be upgraded.
Bottom line, is the OP has no worries by leaving the booking marked for upgrades possible.