Found Out Cabin Assignment Today!

[Bill S]

We booked a Cat BB guarantee for the Maasdam Aug 7 cruise about 6 weeks ago, and today I checked HAL website, excursion section to find our cabin assignment: a Cat B, #109. I realize the Cat B is no different from the Cat BB, except for location, but nevertheless, our first experience using the Guarantee Method, worked fine! We would have been happy with a BB as well. As long as Ms. Bill S has a verandah, she is happy. Now, I can fill out the luggage tags and start organizing! :) :) :) :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

Congratulations!

Hope you have a great cruise. From reading what everyone has said, that schedule is very port intensive.

:)

[jhannah]

That's great. But isn't there still a chance that they could bump you to a different category? I've never gone with a guarantee ... but it seems like I remember someone saying they were upgraded again before sailing. But since you're this close, maybe not.

[Bill S]

Jim,

yes, hope does spring eternal for an additional bump up, and that would be sweet! The HAL site shows all the Cat A, Cat S and the PS as closed, but miracles can, and do happen! We sure won't miss the hot days we are having here, regardless of category! :cool:

[FlorenceItaly]

Bill - How very exciting! Have a wonderful cruise.

Marie

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Good for you Bill, I am sure the feeling of knowing your cabin number is almost as good as getting your Docs. It kinda of gets a more REAL FEEL. I do hope that Upgrade Fairy waves her wand one more time for you. It certainly will be nice to get out of our heat.

[jasl]

Hi Bill,

Congratulations - happy sailing.
Also booked a BB on "your cruise" Antartica, Dec 15th and hope we'll get bumped up as well. Will keep you posted, still a long way off.

[BCEagle78]

Last cruise Rotterdam, November 2003, we booked Inside Guarantee. About 10 days prior to departure date, we saw a cabin number when we went to the HAL web site. This was good since we had gone from a Cat J guarantee to Cat HH (Outside Obstructed View). This was a step in the right direction.

When we got to the pier, we discovered that we had been assigned to Cat D (Outside - No obstructed view)!...

So, it can only get better, it can't get worse...

We are booked on the Volendam on Nov 26, used the same approach and are waiting to see what happens. Even if we get the same category that we booked, we will be happy. :D

[trubey]

[QUOTE=Bill S]Jim,

The HAL site shows all the Cat A, Cat S and the PS as closed, but miracles can, and do happen! ]

Could you tell me where this is posted on the HAL site? Is there some sneaky way to access the booking info? I'd love to know. Susan.

[BCEagle78]

Jim,
Could you tell me where this is posted on the HAL site? Is there some sneaky way to access the booking info? I'd love to know. Susan.

I have used this method many times.

Go to the Holland America web page, http://hollandamerica.com/

Step 1: go to "For Booked Guests" and click on "Immigration Form"
Step 2: Enter your booking number, passenger number (1 or 2) and last name.
Step 3: Click on "Begin"
Step 4: Click on "Print" (next to one of the passenger names)

This will display the "Immigration Form". Look for the field "Stateroom #"

What you will see is either your cabin number or 000... The 000 indicates that the cabin has not been assigned yet.

I have booked guaranteed several times and this approach has worked for me. I have typically started looking about 2 weeks before the departure date.

The last time we cruised, we found the cabin number displayed using this approach. Hope this helps.

[trubey]

I just tried your wonderful method and see that I have not been assigned a room number. This is not a surprise as my cruise is still about eight weeks away.

However, BillS says "The HAL site shows all the Cat A, Cat S and the PS as closed . . . ". Do you know this trick, too?

[BCEagle78]

:( That's one trick that I haven't figured out yet.... sorry...

[Tinknock50]

I just tried your wonderful method and see that I have not been assigned a room number. This is not a surprise as my cruise is still about eight weeks away.

However, BillS says "The HAL site shows all the Cat A, Cat S and the PS as closed . . . ". Do you know this trick, too?
Its simple....just go through the procedure as if you were booking through HAL on line (stopping before you actually book something, of course). At some point you will see a list of all the categories and next to them it will say "availiable" or "closed".

[Bill S]

To follow up on Sean's post, when you get to the page that shows the ship, itinerary and cruise date, click on the "Price this cruise" button, and it will take to a page showing the status and price of each cabin category. Be aware that the status can change daily, and even within 10 days of the cruise, when it says all categories are closed, there still could be cancellations, so checking with HAL or your TA is the only sure way to find out about any last minute openings for upgrades.

[Charlie2na]

The Idea that an upgrade can only get better , isn't true. We booked a cat j and if they try to upgrade us, unless its center of ship , on lower prom deck[ just steps from outside]we'll refuse it. Higher price doesn't always mean better.

[Orcrone]

The Idea that an upgrade can only get better , isn't true. We booked a cat j and if they try to upgrade us, unless its center of ship , on lower prom deck[ just steps from outside]we'll refuse it. Higher price doesn't always mean better.Charlie,

I agree. There are many higher category rooms that I would not want. BTW, when I cruised with Carnival last year all inside rooms on a floor were one category, outside another and balconies (if available) were a third. HAL has so many different categories based not only on deck, but where on a deck the cabin is located.