Upgrades, yeah right!

[Cauvet]

My TA just called and said that HAL is offering us an upgrade to an S suite for only $650 pp or $1300 on our Sea of Cortez cruise Sunday. Well that is almost how much we paid pp for a B mini suite. What happened to the complimentary upgrade? My TA agreed was called back HAL to ask for a complimentary upgrade--haven't heard back so I guess that's that. So much for being upgraded!

[ekerr19]

I'm sorry, but what reason do you have for thinking you will get a "complimentary" upgrade from a B to an S???

 

HAL still can and probably will sell that category for the published price... I'm really confused here.... :confused:

 

That is a huge upgrade, why would it be free?

[bluehorizonlover123]

An upgrade is when it is free. If they are asking you to pay it is not an upgrade. It is a chance for them to sell you something else.

[sail7seas]

My TA just called and said that HAL is offering us an upgrade to an S suite for only $650 pp or $1300 on our Sea of Cortez cruise Sunday. Well that is almost how much we paid pp for a B mini suite. What happened to the complimentary upgrade? My TA agreed was called back HAL to ask for a complimentary upgrade--haven't heard back so I guess that's that. So much for being upgraded!

 

 

As someone who pays for that "S" category cabin, I'm happy to hear they aren't simply giving it to you.

 

We all would like to pay for a "B" and get an "S".

 

We've cruised HAL a great many times (each and every time in an "S") and certainly have never gotten it free.

 

Thanks HAL for not making us feel "taken". If we hear alot about free upgrades to those suites, we will stop paying for them. We will stop cruising HAL. Now and then, okay. There are various reasons why occasionally it may happen.....but Often???? It shouldn't be a regular thing IMO

[ekerr19]

It is also a good price for an upgrade from a B to an S, which in many cases can be thousands of dollars more per person...

 

I'm not sure what the OP is expecting...:confused: HAL seldom gives these categories away.

[ekerr19]

As someone who pays for that "S" category cabin, I'm happy to hear they aren't simply giving it to you.

 

We all would like to pay for a "B" and get an "S".

 

We've cruised HAL a great many times (each and every time in an "S") and certainly have never gotten it free.

 

Thanks HAL for not making us feel "taken". If we hear alot about free upgrades to those suites, we will stop paying for them. We will stop cruising HAL. Now and then, okay. There are various reasons why occasionally it may happen.....but Often???? It shouldn't be a regular thing IMO

 

Sail - Our posts crossed and I couldn't agree with you more... how nice it would be to purchase a B and receive and S automatically, just because they are available... ;)

[Bill S]

Cauvet: I am confused too! What complimentary upgrade are you referring to?

 

A few weeks ago I checked with my TA to find out how much it would cost us to pay for an upgrade from a Cat VE to a Cat SS on the Oosterdam and it was $700/pp, which I thought was way too high for not all that many differences in cabin space/amenities between the those two cabin categories for 7 days.

 

By comparison with my situation as described above, $650/pp to go from a Cat B to a Cat S is a decent price IMO, at least we would certainly consider it. There is a big difference between a Cat B to a Cat S in space and amenities, but only you can decide if the price is worth it.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

It is also a good price for an upgrade from a B to an S, which in many cases can be thousands of dollars more per person...

 

I'm not sure what the OP is expecting...:confused: HAL seldom gives these categories away.

 

I totally agree Laura, I hope and pray that I get that deal for the Maasdam. Right now the S Suites are all booked and we are on a wait list for a S. We are currently booked in a B. I personally feel what was offered was a great deal.

[ekerr19]

Lisa -

 

We are currently waitlisted for the S on Volendam too. Why I did not book it originally, I can't tell you. My DH always tells me to book what I want - I try and economize and we really don't mind a lower category, but in the end I always want the S - go figure. :)

 

I hope you are lucky! My M&D are booked on the Statendam 3/21/05 to Hawaii - they so much wanted a verandah (at minimum) and were waitlisted because they booked so late - in the end, they got what they wanted; though it was at the last minute and cost a small fortune, they are happy.

[BruceMuzz]

It's an age-old game; trying to get something for nothing.

[jhannah]

An upgrade is when it is free. If they are asking you to pay it is not an upgrade. It is a chance for them to sell you something else.

I respectfully disagree. By definition, an upgrade is a grade that is "up" or higher. An S compared with an SS, VA, VB or any lower category is an upgraded cabin. Whether it's paid or gratis matters not.

 

HAL is simply making a business proposition. It would allow you to have a larger cabin and them to have more money ... not only from you but from whomever would then be able to purchase the cabin you currently have but who wouldn't pay full price for the S. It's simply business.

[dakrewser]

My TA just called and said that HAL is offering us an upgrade to an S suite for only $650 pp or $1300 on our Sea of Cortez cruise Sunday. Well that is almost how much we paid pp for a B mini suite. What happened to the complimentary upgrade? My TA agreed was called back HAL to ask for a complimentary upgrade--haven't heard back so I guess that's that. So much for being upgraded!

 

The list price diference is over $2000/PP ($4000 per cabin) - I'd say it was a great offer.

[BoardwalkBabe]

We just upgraded from an oceanview H to a BC for $200 a person, which I thought was pretty good. I am not overly familiar with HAL's policies and prices, but I know from my TA that HAL was not likely to comp upgrade us from the H to the BC, so for $400 total, I was happy to pay for it. With three days at sea, we will enjoy that verandah!

[HeatherInFlorida]

I would see this an a really nice offer. It appears that HAL is attempting to "reward" a previously booked passenger with an upgrade at what appears to be a discounted rate rather than bringing the price down for a newly booked passenger. They're simply offering the opportunity. I can't imagine coming back to them and saying "Sure I'll take the upgrade, but I want it for free". If I were HAL, I'd say "Huh???" I don't even want to know if they meet you anywhere in between on price.

 

When they do complimentary upgrades, it's generally just one category, certainly not 3 or 4. Some people may luck out and for some reason step up several categories, but I sure hope not.

 

Besides, fair's fair. I'd be pretty upset if I booked an "A" category and found out that someone who booked a "B" had been upgraded to an "S" for free!!!

[Cauvet]

Oh, come on, everyone wishes and hopes for the "Upgrade fairy", I read it on this board all the time. I am not asking for something for nothing. We always book verandas and suites on all our cruises but have never ever been upgraded.

It would just be nice if once in a while the lines would upgrade their loyal cruisers. And those of you that always book an S, wouldn't it be nice to have the penthouse or royal suite once? Seems the folks upstairs never get the upgrade.

[adamsmark]

I am not asking for something for nothing.

No? You're not? Could have fooled me. ;)

[xpcdoojk]

Oh, come on, everyone wishes and hopes for the "Upgrade fairy", I read it on this board all the time. I am not asking for something for nothing. We always book verandas and suites on all our cruises but have never ever been upgraded.

It would just be nice if once in a while the lines would upgrade their loyal cruisers. And those of you that always book an S, wouldn't it be nice to have the penthouse or royal suite once? Seems the folks upstairs never get the upgrade.

 

Amazing. Get a good offer you have three choices. Accept it. Refuse it. Or make a counter-offer. Looks like HAL took your counter-offer of free and chose answer two. No. :p :D

 

jc

[Randyk47]

Wow....talk about walking into a minefield blindfolded....the OP certainly did that with his posting! Quite honestly, as pointed out by several above, I think this actually was a very fair and reasonable offer. Wishing for a free upgrade and then getting upset when it doesn't happen doesn't seem to wash, loyal HAL cruiser or not. Not all upgrades are free and, while it may happen from time to time, that big of a jump for free is asking a lot. We were offered an upgrade from our SS to an S on the Oosterdam last March for about the same amount and decided not to take it. We didn't go back and tell our TA to ask HAL to comp the upgrade. We were more in the "thanks but no thanks" mode but certainly not put out by the offer. I'd imagine that HAL kept offering other SS passengers and then maybe the category below and so on until they found somebody willing to pay the cost. I know that the S's were fully occupied by the time we sailed.

[jhannah]

It would just be nice if once in a while the lines would upgrade their loyal cruisers.

And that they do, on occasion. But it certainly cannot be a regular practice or there wouldn't be enough upgraded categories because the vast majority of HAL cruisers are Mariners. I loved our free upgrade on the Zuiderdam from an A to an SS. It wasn't because I was a Mariner or anything like that. Our chosen and booked cabin was taken down by the engineering department for maintenance and, luckily, an SS booking was cancelled. I have since booked SS and even S accommodations because their pricing at the time was so close to the A that it was a great deal. It seems like that is basically what was offered to you.

[Oceanwench]

As someone who pays for that "S" category cabin, I'm happy to hear they aren't simply giving it to you.

 

We all would like to pay for a "B" and get an "S".

 

We've cruised HAL a great many times (each and every time in an "S") and certainly have never gotten it free.

 

Thanks HAL for not making us feel "taken". If we hear alot about free upgrades to those suites, we will stop paying for them. We will stop cruising HAL. Now and then, okay. There are various reasons why occasionally it may happen.....but Often???? It shouldn't be a regular thing IMO

 

I totally agree -- and thanks for saying this, Sail.

I think these same thoughts every time I read of someone *expecting* a free upgrade.

It doesn't happen often ... when it does, it is a nice surprise.

 

Maybe some people read the threads on upgrades and make the assumption that upgrade = free?

A lot of posters paid for their upgrades, but got a good rate as an incentive.

 

As someone who has only booked verandah cabins, I decided to upgrade myself to an SS for the next two cruises.

I paid the $$ ... and as S7S said, one would feel "taken" if HAL were to start giving a lot of free upgrades to this level.

[CrabbyHarper]

On our Nov cruise on the Maasdam we were offered an upgrade to S suite from B for what I thought was a reasonable sum. Gosh! We jumped right on that - my credit card was sizzling! And to us it was worth every penny!

 

We once got a complimentary up grade - on the Celebrity Galaxy - I think it was one category higher but got us a balcony. We've never booked less than a balcony since. So both HAL and Celebrity have benefitted from that.

 

Don't want to pay for an upgrade? It's your call.

 

Gerry the Crab

[dakrewser]

It would just be nice if once in a while the lines would upgrade their loyal cruisers. And those of you that always book an S, wouldn't it be nice to have the penthouse or royal suite once? Seems the folks upstairs never get the upgrade.

 

Um, they do. On our recent O'dam cruise the occupant of one PS had been given a comp upgrade from S.

 

But comps are rarely given (by anyone) to "be nice", they're given because they want the cabin you're booked into. See the other thread were airline comp upgrades to 1st class are discussed.

 

THe line offered you a heck of a deal (probably because you were a "loyal cruiser") and you threw it back in their face. Perhaps you should get your TA to grovel just a bit on your behalf.

[LizB1]

Oh, come on, everyone wishes and hopes for the "Upgrade fairy", I read it on this board all the time. I am not asking for something for nothing. We always book verandas and suites on all our cruises but have never ever been upgraded.

It would just be nice if once in a while the lines would upgrade their loyal cruisers. And those of you that always book an S, wouldn't it be nice to have the penthouse or royal suite once? Seems the folks upstairs never get the upgrade.

 

Seems to me that not too long ago someone on the CC board received a complimentary upgrade from an S to a PS and was very pleased to receive this complimentary upgrade.

[obriendan]

We've been upgraded on HAL with no charge from outside C to Veranda B on the Panama Canal cruise. It was on a soldout cruise and we found out about it at the dock. On a South America-Antarctica cruise (21 days), the ship was about 90% full and I inquired about an upgrade upon boarding and it was $850/pp. So the offer from B to S for a seven day cruise seems about right.

[Esme]

Seems to me that not too long ago someone on the CC board received a complimentary upgrade from an S to a PS and was very pleased to receive this complimentary upgrade.

 

I remember that and also I think I remember who it was that received the upgrade from an S to the PS !