Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Volendam Limited Upgrade Offer - Yes or No?

kaswife

By kaswife,
in Holland America Line

Recommended Posts

kaswife

kaswife

Posted
Posted

Hi Seasoned HAL CC'ers - We are a couple in our late 30's/early 40's, traveling to Alaska's inside passage next week (Wed Aug 15) on the Volendam with our toddler daughter, 3 years old. We have a guaranteed A category verandah stateroom reservation (cabin #7048) on the Nav deck. I've received 2 "limited upgrade offers" within the last 2 days. The first offer (received Aug 7) was for an S category Deluxe Verandah at additional $399 pp, and now in the second offer I received today, the price has dropped to $269 pp. Questions:

  • Will we likely receive another offer at yet an even lower price if I wait?
  • Is the $269 pp a good price for the upgrade?
  • Are all S category rooms located on the Nav deck (meaning near the Neptune lounge)?
  • Can I assume this upgrade comes with all the perks of a Deluxe stateroom? Concierge, Neptune access, etc?
  • Does $269 pp include our daughter as well (meaning we would pay $269 x3)? We only paid for taxes and fees for her with our original booking, so basically she was "free" as a child/third person in our room.
  • Our daughter is generally well-behaved/polite, but she is 3 and we can't predict her behavior at all times. We do consider ourselves sensitive to others' comfort and experience while out and about with her. We would certainly remove her from situations if we felt her presence was causing discomfort to other travelers (i.e. tantrum in public). That being said, would she be an "unwelcome surprise" in the Neptune lounge?

Any other considerations I should be making? I've seen some similar threads on this subject that suggest this is a good opportunity, but not this exact situation/price. I know you will give me some great advice!

 

Thanks All!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CruiserBruce

CruiserBruce

Posted
Posted
Hi Seasoned HAL CC'ers - We are a couple in our late 30's/early 40's, traveling to Alaska's inside passage next week (Wed Aug 15) on the Volendam with our toddler daughter, 3 years old. We have a guaranteed A category verandah stateroom reservation (cabin #7048) on the Nav deck. I've received 2 "limited upgrade offers" within the last 2 days. The first offer (received Aug 7) was for an S category Deluxe Verandah at additional $399 pp, and now in the second offer I received today, the price has dropped to $269 pp. Questions:

  • Will we likely receive another offer at yet an even lower price if I wait? Not likely. They are probably taken.
  • Is the $269 pp a good price for the upgrade? Not bad, i would take it.
  • Are all S category rooms located on the Nav deck (meaning near the Neptune lounge)? Yes
  • Can I assume this upgrade comes with all the perks of a Deluxe stateroom? Concierge, Neptune access, etc? Yes
  • Does $269 pp include our daughter as well (meaning we would pay $269 x3)? We only paid for taxes and fees for her with our original booking, so basically she was "free" as a child/third person in our room. Don't know
  • Our daughter is generally well-behaved/polite, but she is 3 and we can't predict her behavior at all times. We do consider ourselves sensitive to others' comfort and experience while out and about with her. We would certainly remove her from situations if we felt her presence was causing discomfort to other travelers (i.e. tantrum in public). That being said, would she be an "unwelcome surprise" in the Neptune lounge? No

Any other considerations I should be making? I've seen some similar threads on this subject that suggest this is a good opportunity, but not this exact situation/price. I know you will give me some great advice!

 

Thanks All!

 

Take it if still available.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

Posted
Posted
Thanks CruiserBruce! Now to convince the hubby.:o

 

Don't waste time convincing him - take it before it's gone:D I doubt it will be there for long:) You can always surprise him or convince him later;)

 

edited to say the S suites on this class of ship are quite nice.!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CtheW0rld

CtheW0rld

Posted
Posted
Don't waste time convincing him - take it before it's gone:D I doubt it will be there for long:) You can always surprise him or convince him later;)

 

edited to say the S suites on this class of ship are quite nice.!!!

 

how much are marrige counselors? :eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kaswife

kaswife

Posted
  • Author
Posted

We only had to pay for the 1st and 2nd passengers ($538 total). I switched us from Port to Starboard, now we're in #7031. The extra room will be great for us as we are still on a nap schedule with our daughter, so we'll spend considerable time in the cabin. Not to mention the laundry service and 24 hour concierge! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sjgertz

sjgertz

Posted
Posted

You will love the unlmited laundry. We are of a similar age and took a similar offer last summer when travelling with our then 11 month old (inside passage on the Zuiderdam). The laundry and the space were lovely. And the staff treated our daughter amazingly including in the Neptune Lounge

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Krazy Kruizers

Krazy Kruizers

Posted
Posted

Great!! That is a great Upsell.

You will love the Deluxe Suite.

You will also have use of the Neptune Lounge from 7 AM to 8 (8:15) PM -- lots of snacks there -- Continental breakfast -- and you will have use of either the Kings Room or the Upper level of the dining room for breakfast.

You are going to be spoiled with all the perks and the extra room.

Congratulations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DaveOKC

DaveOKC

Posted
Posted
We only had to pay for the 1st and 2nd passengers ($538 total). I switched us from Port to Starboard, now we're in #7031. The extra room will be great for us as we are still on a nap schedule with our daughter, so we'll spend considerable time in the cabin. Not to mention the laundry service and 24 hour concierge! :D

 

I think you will like this cabin, as it is right by the mid-ship elevators. No noise from them (at least we never heard any) and it is SO convenient to use these elevators to get anywhere on the ship. They really come in handy during busy times, as most people use the other two banks mostly, forgetting about this bank.

 

The cabin is also not too far from the Neptune Lounge. Not right next to it, but just a short ways - not an issue IMO.

 

One more thing - your cabin is below the dining area of the Lido buffet. This way you do not hear the lounge chair scraping noises others get from being below the pool area.

 

Only thing - once you experience sailing in a deluxe suite on HAL, you will not want to go back to a lower level cabin!

 

DaveOKC

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LVSue

LVSue

Posted
Posted

Kaswife, you will LOVE this cabin, convenient to Neptune and steps from midships elevator, which you can take right to the Lido! You will love it for nap time, since you have tons os space to move around.

 

What a great upgrade--don't think you'll need a marriage counselor!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kaswife

kaswife

Posted
  • Author
Posted
You will love the unlmited laundry. We are of a similar age and took a similar offer last summer when travelling with our then 11 month old (inside passage on the Zuiderdam). The laundry and the space were lovely. And the staff treated our daughter amazingly including in the Neptune Lounge

 

Sjgertz - looks like you have come full circle over the years; from HAL through all of the other comparable lines and then back to HAL. Would love to know your thoughts, any notable comparisons/differences? We considered Princess and Celebrity for this trip (our first cruise ever) and went with HAL not only for its itinerary/reputation in Alaska but also because my parents were supposed to come with us and we thought they would appreciate HAL's classic oceanliner aesthetic the most. I would have chosen the more contemporary feel I got from Celebrity if not for the lack of permit to visit Glacier Bay. My husband is active and probably would have appreciated a ship with a rock climbing wall etc. but I admit, it felt like a "downgrade" to choose one of the more glitzy lines like RCCL or Carnival that has these types of activities. I already know we are going to love this cruise to Alaska and will be looking forward to another cruise vacation in our future. If not to Alaska again, perhaps someplace more tropical or exotic (like New Zealand) and so I wonder if you would lean towards HAL again or to one of the other lines (perhaps depending on the cruise destination)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kaswife

kaswife

Posted
  • Author
Posted
$800 (if you have to pay x3) would be better spent on excursions, IMHO. to some people that much money is chump change, though. four years ago i took a 16-day transatlantic on carnival for $800 (inside cabin, though).

 

We already have some amazing excursions booked (dogsledding on Mendenhall, White Pass Rail trip, flightseeing/bearwatching) but I see your point. $800 is not chump change to us by any means, but we are definitely willing to splurge on this trip. An extra $500 for an amazing stateroom that otherwise would have cost thousands more when we booked is totally worth it, even at the $800 price point!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Typhoon1

Typhoon1

Posted
Posted
We only had to pay for the 1st and 2nd passengers ($538 total). I switched us from Port to Starboard, now we're in #7031. The extra room will be great for us as we are still on a nap schedule with our daughter, so we'll spend considerable time in the cabin. Not to mention the laundry service and 24 hour concierge! :D

 

You will love it.

 

Keep in mind, once you cruise in a Deluxe Suite, you will want one every time you cruise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PathfinderEss

PathfinderEss

Posted
Posted
We only had to pay for the 1st and 2nd passengers ($538 total). I switched us from Port to Starboard, now we're in #7031. The extra room will be great for us as we are still on a nap schedule with our daughter, so we'll spend considerable time in the cabin. Not to mention the laundry service and 24 hour concierge! :D

Congratulation on the GREAT up sell. You will love it. Please come back and tell us how much fun you had in your wonderful cabin. :D:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
erewhon Holiday Sharing Rare

erewhon

Posted
Posted

kaswife,

 

All staterooms on the Volendam were refurbished last year, so the rooms have a more "modern" look.

 

On the Volendam, Breakfast for Penthouse and Deluxe Suite passengers is served by the Pinnacle Grill Staff in the Kings Room.

 

Have a wonderful Alaskan cruise and enjoy the benefits of staying in a Deluxe Suite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • ANNOUNCEMENT: Set Sail on Sun Princess®
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...