upgrading question

Hoping all you very experienced HAL cruisers can help me with a question I have.

We are booked for on the Amsterdam next month for a 7 day Alaska cruise with a L inside guarantee room. I'm getting really antsy about stateroom assignments and know that I still have a bit of time before we know anything.

I've been watching the prices on our cruise, and lately some of the ocean views have dropped in price. We paid $799pp for our L, and cat E oceanview is now $809pp. Cat DA is $849pp. That makes it much more affordable than when we booked. We would be fine to be in our inside, but it also would be very nice to have some kind of ocean view.

I was wondering if I could call HAL to change to one of those cabin types. Do you think it's worth the money? Anything to know about DA or E cat cabins? Do you know if there would be any charges to do this, and would I lose the $50/day beverage package I had? I booked directly with HAL if that makes a difference.

I would just like some input before I call them and possibly make a fool out of myself. Thanks for any and all advice :)

Why don't you try it? The worst they (or you) can say is no. You may lose the SBP. Only you can decide if the upgrade is worth the potential loss to you.

On the other hand, you may very well get a similar upgrade for free because you have a guarantee.

I should add that I was in an E on the LP deck, on the Amsterdam. These are shorter cabins so less square footage overall. Still a great cabin and very convenient. Outside cabins on the lower decks would be longer and might have a full size couch (rather than the short one we had).

Thanks for your reply. I'm going to stew on it for a bit while at work today. Part of me wants to wait it out and see what we'll end up with with the guarantee, but I'm so impatient :p Tomorrow is 1 month out from sailing.

The beverage package is probably the deal breaker, my husband is looking forward to having it. I would be happy with water the whole week, him not as much :)

I'm just afraid of them being like "oh, well this person is interested in possibly upgrading, so let's not upgrade them on their own (say if they were going to)... I don't know.

Thanks for the info on the LP rooms. The cabins they have coming up in each category when selected are mostly on the Main Deck. There are plenty available in each category. They also have advertised that if you book a N they'll upgrade to free to NN obstructed views.

You mentioned a $50/day beverage package. I was not aware there was a deal like this. Did you perhaps mean $50/person for the full cruise? That is what has been offered recently. You may want to check.

When we were in the Amsterdam for a 14 night Caribbean we were in K2534 right beside the L cabins. It was absolutely fine. Reasonable size cabin for 4 of us. No real noise issues in it either.

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You mentioned a $50/day beverage package. I was not aware there was a deal like this. Did you perhaps mean $50/person for the full cruise? That is what has been offered recently. You may want to check.

You likely would lose this benefit if you upgrade yourself. HAL generally charges a higher rte when they are offering "deals'.

You mentioned a $50/day beverage package. I was not aware there was a deal like this. Did you perhaps mean $50/person for the full cruise? That is what has been offered recently. You may want to check.

"Our convenient, affordable Signature Beverage Package allows you to select from a variety of wine, beer, spirits, cocktails (including non-alcoholic), sodas & coffee! Includes any beverage priced at a $7.00 or lower menu price. Up to 15 beverages per day. * Prices are per day; Signature Beverage Package for $44.95* per day, per person a 15% service charge is not included and will be automatically applied to your purchase. The package must be purchased for the entire duration of the voyage. Up to a 15-drink maximum per day. All adults over 21 years old booked in the same stateroom must also purchase the package. Participants may order only one drink at a time. No sharing is permitted. Excludes Mini Bar, In-Room Dining, & beverages on Half Moon Cay. Packages are not transferable or refundable. Beverage management reserves the right to revoke the package if misused and reserves the right to refuse service for any reason; including refusing service of alcoholic beverages to intoxicated customers. Must be 21 years or older to purchase and agree not to give to minors. "

I'm a dedicated cave dweller, but I would be very interested in buying this upgrade. As Alberta Quilter said, so long as the outside cabins are not on Lower Promenade Deck, they will be a little larger than the inside cabin (as opposed to smaller when they are on Lower Promenade).

You will get daylight, which is nice. Even better is the opportunity to look out the window to enjoy that gorgeous Alaska scenery as soon as you get up. You will also get an idea of what to wear that day---rain? sun?---before you get dressed.;)

If you can get a cabin on Main Deck, between the forward and aft elevator banks, you will be well-located. If you do choose a cabin on Lower Promenade, get a cabin between the forward and mid-ship elevators; you don't want to be under the galley.

Last year on Ryndam we had booked inside guarantee And was upgraded to Oceanview 2 weeks before free. They then rung us a week before and offered us an upsell to vista suite for $100 each. We have never been disappointed when booking a guarantee cabin. We have always been given a decent upgrade from HAL on our 7 cruises with them. That drinks package was part of the explore 4 offer they had I think don't think it's compatible with changes and is worth $$$$$. Maybe worth asking though.

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If you have a guarantee inside cabin, wait and see what happens closer to the sailing date as often the inside cabins get ocean view upgrades. Would wait for at least their 2nd or 3rd offer - similar to oversold planes where the compensation gets better and better closer to boarding.

I'd be calling Hal and seeing if I could upgrade.

I used to book an inside cabin on a guarantee and I've got many days with HAL. I can count on one hand how many times I was upgraded from an inside to an oceanview. Personally I would try to go the pay route to the oceanview.

We're sailing on the Westerdam on Aug 9 2014 . On July 9 2014 we got an email from HAL offering an upgrade from a G ocean view (4091) to a VA balcony (4127) for $149 each and we kept our $50 beverage cards. We even got to choose our stateroom rather than a guaranty. This is the phone number HAL gave us to call 888 628 8107 to make the change. Can't hurt to call them.

Thanks everyone for your input. I haven't called yet and I'm still thinking on it. Think I'll wait another day or two before I call, if I do. I was pretty sure the beverage thing was $50/day/person. We had the explore 4 originally, but I lost some things from that when I rebooked at a cheaper fare before final payment.

Yumagirl, that's great.. and nice to know. Our cruise departs on Aug 17th so tomorrow we're a month out. I'll keep my fingers crossed tonight that I hear from HAL on my own :)

If you checked the upgrade box when you booked then perhaps you will get a upsell email soon. The ones a month out usually aren't as good a price as the ones a week or two before the cruise so I usually ignore the early ones. Perhaps you should buy an early one.

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If you checked the upgrade box when you booked then perhaps you will get a upsell email soon. The ones a month out usually aren't as good a price as the ones a week or two before the cruise so I usually ignore the early ones. Perhaps you should buy an early one.

 

 

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You do not need to check the upgrade box to get an upsell. Upsells are not sent to everyone. Also, upsells are not offered on every cruise.

You do not need to check the upgrade box to get an upsell. Upsells are not sent to everyone. Also, upsells are not offered on every cruise.

Indeed. And also, it has been known for some to be upgraded in spite of the fact that they checked the "Do Not Upgrade" box. (I'm not aware of a box to check if you wish to be upgraded, but I could be wrong).

Just wanted to pop in again and say thank you to everyone for your replies. I ended up waiting a bit and calling HAL yesterday. I upgraded to a cat E oceanview for only a $20 difference total for both of us. The agent originally said we would lose the beverage card (and thank you for someone posting that, I had them clarify and it was a $50 one time use card... I feel like when I originally booked with my explore4 that was something different though.. I had lost that anyway) She told me she could put me in a guarantee again, but I asked to get assigned a cabin. I went with the knowledge that the upgrade could be a slightly smaller room on the LP deck... and some of the upgrades could be partial ocean view. So we're happy and all set down on the Dolphin deck. Thanks again :)

Thank you for coming back and telling us how it worked out. This is so educational! And you did well!! Have a great cruise!!!!!!

Thx for the update! Have a wonderful time.

That is great to hear! And Dolphin deck is usually quiet (except for the very aft, but I don't think that's where the E rooms are). Sometimes an "upgrade" is not to a happier room. Only once did we get an OV from an inside guarantee and that was a very good room, an E on Ryndam. But we could have gotten a porthole in the bow or worse. I think you did better than the upgrade fairy might have! Well done. You inspire the rest of us to be proactive. Enjoy it all. m--

Sounds like you got a good deal. Congratulations!

Thanks for coming back to let us know what you did. Congratulation, sounds like you got a great deal and a nice cabin selection.:)

Yumagal, I'm on that sailing also!! I got an upgrade at the same time but didn't accept it. I wonder if I will get another one....

We're sailing on the Westerdam on Aug 9 2014 .

Please come over and join our Roll Call -- it's been too quiet!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1999167