Guarantee Question- Pay Early?

[cutelittle]

Here's another dreaded guarantee question. Back in the olden days, and on some ships I've sailed in the distant past, if a pax "paid in full" early in a guaranteed catagory, the line would put them in the best available cabin open in their category at time of full payment.

I haven't gone with the guarantee method for a long time, but if I want to go on this cruise, this time I think we'll need to.

So my question naturally is, does anyone know if HAL does this anymore, or have any other guarantee strategies? Are we just looking at pot luck? We can't help by booking early, the cruise is in July. A window of opportunity just came up, and we're going to try and go.

[kaleighsgram]

Maybe it's potluck. My husband and I booked a cruise that leaves on Wednesday, Apr 5. We booked it at the end of February. We paid for a VH guarantee and received a VA. Someone else on our thread paid for a VH and got a VH. Go figure. I also remember that, in the past, if you paid early, you got a great price. Now people on our thread are complaining because they paid early and the price has now dropped but HAL is allegedly saying too bad.

[lougee1043]

early pay has nothing to do with it -- its solely based on the law of supply and demand----- based on a cabin breakdown you will see that there are more less expensive cabins then the more costly ones --- so in an attempt to sell out the ship they will move booked pax "up" a notch or two (regardless of whether they are paid in full or just a deposit) to make your cabin available for resale ----- in many cases the upgrade is not as desireable a location as the original cabin-- evidenced by the fact that it had not already sold on its own

[lougee1043]

thread are complaining because they paid early and the price has now dropped but HAL is allegedly saying too bad.

the "new" hal policy is not to llower prices in the 70 day window after everyone has to have all their payments in ---- this gives them 70 days to work the magic and offer lower prices for available cabins without giving any money back ---so your option is to wait to book within that window and hope there are cabins available that you want and that the price is low enough for you to accept a less desireable location in that cabin area ---after all the good ones are taken by people who step up early to get the cabin of their choice-------------then depending on the time of year you have to deal with getting a flight to the port and home

[zaandam_2]

i've booked gtys twice now. both times i've gotten the cat i booked. the savings though made it worthwhile, almost like getting the bar tab for free.

[MrLee]

i've booked gtys twice now. both times i've gotten the cat i booked. the savings though made it worthwhile, almost like getting the bar tab for free.

In order to make up my bar tab I would have to book the lowest inside and get the penthouse! ;)

[lougee1043]

In order to make up my bar tab I would have to book the lowest inside and get the penthouse! ;)

sorry to say but you will never get bumped from a lowest inside to a suite let alone the penthouse

[MrLee]

sorry to say but you will never get bumped from a lowest inside to a suite let alone the penthouse

I'm well aware of that. (Notice the wink?)

[Randyk47]

Several folks have mentioned, here and in other threads, that they book guarantees to save money. OK....educate me.....because when I look at a guarantee for say a VH it's the same price as picking a specific VH cabin. The only way I "save money" is if I luck out and get upgraded, at no additional cost, to a higher category. The money I've saved then is the cost avoidance of not having booked the higher category in the first place. Right??? Another example.....we're booked to a specific cabin on the Veendam next March. I notice that they are showing a guarantee for an S category suite but it's the same price as booking a specific S. If we change our minds and go with an S there's really no advantage I can see to the guarantee...at least not at that level. All I could figure is that I would be entering a lotto for the PS in the off chance that it doesn't get booked between now and the cruise and HAL decides to move up one of the S category customers.

[Sunshine10]

I notice that they are showing a guarantee for an S category suite but it's the same price as booking a specific S. If we change our minds and go with an S there's really no advantage I can see to the guarantee...at least not at that level.

I wondered this exact same thing as we are booked in an S cabin. What's the point of an S guarantee? In our case the penthouse shows unavailable, but if it wasn't, would HAL bump an S gty?. Not trying to highjack the thread, but would love to understand this whole guarantee thing. :)

[DesertDiva]

When I book a guaranteed cabin, I chose the "lowest of the low" or the most inexpensive catagory. Many times, the ONLY option is to choose a guaranteed cabin when booking - you are not giving the option of booking a specific cabin number.

Several folks have mentioned, here and in other threads, that they book guarantees to save money. OK....educate me.....because when I look at a guarantee for say a VH it's the same price as picking a specific VH cabin.

[Randyk47]

Cheryl - In other words, you're betting that HAL, or whateve line, will come through with a better cabin. Makes sense and seems to work according to what I read here. Still wonder why do a guarantee at the higher levels as there's virtually no place to move up to and there's no savings over picking a specific cabin.

[DesertDiva]

Randy,

Exactly! On my New Year's cruise I booked a NN category and was upgraded to a D category stateroom. However, I found out my assignment the day before I sailed. On my recent sailing last month, I booked an N category and was upgraded to a J category stateroom. Both staterooms were on the main deck and I was "quite happy."

Cheryl - In other words, you're betting that HAL, or whatever line, will come through with a better cabin. Makes sense and seems to work according to what I read here.

[WNYCRUISER]

the "new" hal policy is not to llower prices in the 70 day window after everyone has to have all their payments in ---- this gives them 70 days to work the magic and offer lower prices for available cabins without giving any money back ---

I'm stupid today, it took me three times reading this to understand it, the way I know it. In a nut shell:
Final payment is usually due 70 days prior to sailing.
If you book a cabin, and the price goes down prior to final payment, you are entitled to the lower price.
If your cabin goes down in price after final payment is made, you generally are out of luck, they will not lower the fare. (Sometimes, I have read that some TA's are able to make this happen, but I don't believe it is often.)
After final payment date has passed, HAL will start lowering the fares, in order to attract more people, and fill the ship.
I don't believe that paying early gives you any better chance at an upgrade.

As far as strategy, don't book a guarantee in any lower category than you will be happy with. If you will be satisfied with an inside cabin, book the lowest category you can get. If you would settle for nothing less than an outside with a view, then book that as a minimum. I believe that more times than not, those booking a guarantee get exactly what they pay for. Simply, don't book an inside guarantee if you won't be happy with an inside. You may get exactly what you bargained for.

It is a crap shoot. On our last cruise, I booked very early, and "chose" my cabin (VC). Prior to final payment, the price went down about 40pp. We were entitled to that reduction. After final payment was made, I looked at pricing and found that the price for a SZ guarantee was significantly lower than what I paid for a VC. I contacted my TA, who contacted HAL, and their response was, since we had passed final payment, the only way I could do it, would have been to cancel the original booking (with a penalty of course), and rebook the higher category. Stayed with the VC.

Now, knowing this, the next time I want to cruise, I could wait until after the final payment date, and hope for the best of finding a great deal on a decent cabin. As was stated before, many times, when it gets toward the end, the cabins that are left, are the less desirable locations. Also, there is the chance that the ship could sell out prior to the final payment, and there I would be, left standing with the brochure in hand, and not able to get on my desired sailing. We must, due to our particular situation, book well in advance to make provisions for while we are gone.