Question about UPSELLS

[Hflors]

You most likely were in the second or third round of offers, it is only in the first round of offers that those linked do not get the email. I am sorry if I did not make that clear. I have seen sailings that they badly wanted people to move that I received 4 email offers then a 5th email offer because because the category they were in was oversold and not enough passengers took the up sell so the next offerr was a move over to another sailing offer.

 

I have been following this thread and it has been interesting. I do have a question. I know HAL sells cabins and guarantees, but how do they "oversell" if the coast guard only allows so many passengers to begin with once that number is reached/cabins sold how is it possible that you could have more than is allowed?

 

Also on my last cruise I did (what I called an upsell) from an ocean view to a balcony. I had our TA contact Hal about three days before sailing and Hal's price was more than I wanted to pay. I did the same thing the next day, same thing. On the last afternoon, again contacted HAL and HAL came back with a much lower number. We agreed and got the balcony. Is this not an UPSELL? If not what would you call it? Thanks

[startwin]

You most likely were in the second or third round of offers, it is only in the first round of offers that those linked do not get the email. I am sorry if I did not make that clear. I have seen sailings that they badly wanted people to move that I received 4 email offers then a 5th email offer because because the category they were in was oversold and not enough passengers took the up sell so the next offerr was a move over to another sailing offer.

 

However it came about it was a beautiful deal. For less than $300 total we went up several categories from an oceanview on main deck to a balcony suite, mid-ship on the verandah deck. I cannot imagine it was turned down in several rounds of offers, but it was our gain.

[tcook052]

I have been following this thread and it has been interesting. I do have a question. I know HAL sells cabins and guarantees, but how do they "oversell" if the coast guard only allows so many passengers to begin with once that number is reached/cabins sold how is it possible that you could have more than is allowed?

 

They don't oversell the maximum ship capacity, they merely sell more of a particular category. For example they may choose to sell 40 inside cat. L cabins when there are only 10 of that category. The assignments are set after final payment up to a few weeks before embarkation and some magically get a category upgrade to cat. K. Those in ocean view may get an upsell offer to go into a verandah or those in a verandah may get an offer to move to a suite and in this way the cruise line adjusts it's cabin assigment.

 

If they only accepted reservations based upon exactly how many cabins were in a particular category there would be no need for cabin guarantee and those booking closer to sailing would not get the best cabins as they would've already been spoken for by early bookers. This way the cruise line gets much more flexibility in how it sells the cabins and for how much.

[Globaliser]

They don't oversell the maximum ship capacity, they merely sell more of a particular category.

I don't know if HAL does this, but some cruise lines definitely seem to overbook the maximum ship capacity. If the cancellation rate in the last couple of weeks is too low and they might be in danger of having an oversold ship, they start making offers to some passengers to change to a different cruise. As the sailing date approaches, the offers get more generous until eventually they no longer have more passengers than space.

 

If there was no risk of overselling, they'd just be doing the cabin shuffle rather than asking some people to change to a different cruise.

[Caribbean Chris]

They have to oversell, just like an airline, because they know there will be cancellations...and there is often fallout at final payment time.

 

Then there may be groups that start by holding a block of staterooms in various categories months in advance. Maybe the groups sell all the rooms in their room blocks, or maybe none, and have to turn unsold rooms back in to the cruise line at various dates per their group contract.

 

When I worked as a cruise line sales rep (long ago), we introduced cruises to China soon after it opened up as a destination again. Every group sold every stateroom in their block and their travel agents begged for more. Meanwhile individuals were booking fast. Almost no one cancelled closer to departure. We ended up having to "buy off" entire groups by offering to move their sailing date to the next year plus give each passenger a free Med cruise.

 

These days, I assume the lines have sophisticated computer inventory programs to predict and guide their decisions to offer sales, up sells, and free upgrades. Supply and demand drives offers. All depends on the sailing date, itinerary, which categories are oversold and which have empty rooms. Luck of

the draw for passengers.

 

Chris

[tcook052]

I don't know if HAL does this, but some cruise lines definitely seem to overbook the maximum ship capacity. If the cancellation rate in the last couple of weeks is too low and they might be in danger of having an oversold ship, they start making offers to some passengers to change to a different cruise. As the sailing date approaches, the offers get more generous until eventually they no longer have more passengers than space.

 

If there was no risk of overselling, they'd just be doing the cabin shuffle rather than asking some people to change to a different cruise.

 

I've seen & heard of it happening on some cruise lines but thought it was pretty rare for HAL. I'm willing to be corrected if that's a misperception on my part.

[sail7seas]

Most ships on most cruises have most of their cabins sold again and again and again in the time leading up to cruise date. the same cabin gets booked, gets cancelled and gets rebooked sometimes more than once.

 

When it comes final payment time and they now have a number for which cabins actulaly made final payment,, they start assigning guarantees and moving everyone around. This is when they know they have sold too many of a particular category and upgrades and upsells begin. They usually find cabins they need in the necessary categories.

 

When they still have to make assignments and cannot because of over population of one or more categories, that is when the 'dealing' begins.

 

I have never read of anyone who did not want to cancel not being able to go on their cruise but I certainly have read of folks who got better, better, better offers to rebook and reschedule. They keep making the offers as good as necessary to get people to switch.

 

It's worked this way for years. We once were the happy recipients of a great offer to 'sell our "S" suite back to HAL' for a cruise we had really wanted to take. They made an offer we couldn't refuse. :) ...... and we never regretted it. ;)