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Two days to go and no assignment - what can happen?

Aqua's Mom

By Aqua's Mom,
in Holland America Line

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Aqua's Mom

Aqua's Mom

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We are leaving tomorrow to board the Zuiderdam on Friday. We have a SZ guarantee (which we paid too much for, another story for another time). As of now we don't have a cabin assignment. I know that can happen all the way up to the pier. What happens when I get to the pier without a cabin?? (Usually I seem to remember we just hand bags to a porter). What is the best or the worst that has happened to you? ANY cruise is a good cruise, and ANY cabin a good cabin, but is it still possible for that little fairy to wow us? Your experiences, please!

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Aruba

Aruba

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When you get to the pier, check with a HAL representative before you leave your bags with a porter. At that point, you will have a stateroom assignment which the HAL rep can give you to place on your luggage tags.

 

Check again Thursday, the day before sailing -- a couple of times we received cabin assignments the day before sailing. Good luck.

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sherilyn70

sherilyn70

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Keep positive. You might get something really special.

 

Here's to hoping it's all for something special. :) One would think if they're waiting this long to give you an assignment it means they're busy doing shuffles and seeing who is willing to pay for what... meaning upgrades in your favor if yours is what most people are more willing to upsell to.

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puppycanducruise Holiday Sharing Rare

puppycanducruise

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The longer it takes for a cabin assignment, the better chance for an upgrade (at least, in my opinion). If you still do not have a cabin assignment when you get to the pier, no worries, the porters have a list and will make sure your luggage gets to the right cabin. On our last cruise, we had a last minute upgrade, which we didn't know about until check-in, but our bags eventually showed up in our cabin even though we had the old cabin number printed on the tags.

Hope it's a great cruise.

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m134

m134

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I have also heard that upgrades are given to those who paid higher prices... and in our previous experience, that is true in our case too. Good luck!

 

I don't think this is true. We always book at rock-bottom prices after the final payment and our experience does not support the claim that "upgrades are given to those who paid higher prices". Granted, this is anecdotal evidence only, but look at our last two HAL cruises:

 

11 days on Amsterdam -- booked oceanview. Got an upsell to a verandah suite (A-B) for $499pp. Ignored the offer, but made a mental note to self that should they offer the same upsell for half the price, will take it. A week later another email arrived: same offer, for $199 pp. Took it.

 

14 days B2B on Nieuw Amsterdam. Booked verandah (VH) GTY. Received no upsells. The cabin assignment appeared on the reservation 5 days prior to sailing -- an aft VA. An outstanding upgrade, according to me.

 

We are now booked on a HAL Nieuw Amsterdam - Celebrity Silhouette B2B (7+7 days) over the New Year's. That will be interesting: walking off one ship, crossing the pier and getting on another. For each leg, booked the cheapest balcony GTY at flash sales soon after the final payment. The Celebrity assignment arrived a week later - a nice unobstructed balcony. With HAL, still waiting for the assignment. I really enjoy the randomness and the waiting game.

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jtl513

jtl513

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I have also heard that upgrades are given to those who paid higher prices...

 

I don't think this is true.
DutchByAssociation, a former HAL HQ employee, has said that "all else being equal" between two people, the one who paid more will get the upgrade. For example, if one paid full list and one booked on a sale, the full list person gets the nod.
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Cruising-along

Cruising-along

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I don't think this is true. We always book at rock-bottom prices after the final payment and our experience does not support the claim that "upgrades are given to those who paid higher prices". Granted, this is anecdotal evidence only, but look at our last two HAL cruises:

 

11 days on Amsterdam -- booked oceanview. Got an upsell to a verandah suite (A-B) for $499pp. Ignored the offer, but made a mental note to self that should they offer the same upsell for half the price, will take it. A week later another email arrived: same offer, for $199 pp. Took it.

 

14 days B2B on Nieuw Amsterdam. Booked verandah (VH) GTY. Received no upsells. The cabin assignment appeared on the reservation 5 days prior to sailing -- an aft VA. An outstanding upgrade, according to me.

 

We are now booked on a HAL Nieuw Amsterdam - Celebrity Silhouette B2B (7+7 days) over the New Year's. That will be interesting: walking off one ship, crossing the pier and getting on another. For each leg, booked the cheapest balcony GTY at flash sales soon after the final payment. The Celebrity assignment arrived a week later - a nice unobstructed balcony. With HAL, still waiting for the assignment. I really enjoy the randomness and the waiting game.

 

You're talking about upsells. I was talking about free upgrades.

 

DutchByAssociation, a former HAL HQ employee, has said that "all else being equal" between two people, the one who paid more will get the upgrade. For example, if one paid full list and one booked on a sale, the full list person gets the nod.

 

Thank you John, I knew I heard it from a reliable source, I just couldn't remember who. :D

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m134

m134

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You're talking about upsells. I was talking about free upgrades.

 

Not quite.

 

The first example was an upsell. A very lucrative (read: very cheap, as in almost free), but indeed an upsell. The second was a free upgrade, from VH to VA.

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m134

m134

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DutchByAssociation, a former HAL HQ employee, has said that "all else being equal" between two people, the one who paid more will get the upgrade. For example, if one paid full list and one booked on a sale, the full list person gets the nod.

 

 

In other words, the former HAL HQ employee essentially told you that the price paid for the original reservation is the last factor in upgrade decisions. You are making my point for me.

 

Since "all else" is rarely equal, I do believe that the original price is practically irrelevant to upgrades and there is plenty of anecdotal evidence on this and other boards to support this conclusion. Is it unfair? Probably. But HAL is not in the business of fairness. It is all about maximizing HAL's total bottom line, not about rewarding any individual's loyalty.

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cruz chic

cruz chic

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I don't think this is true. We always book at rock-bottom prices after the final payment and our experience does not support the claim that "upgrades are given to those who paid higher prices". Granted, this is anecdotal evidence only, but look at our last two HAL cruises:

 

11 days on Amsterdam -- booked oceanview. Got an upsell to a verandah suite (A-B) for $499pp. Ignored the offer, but made a mental note to self that should they offer the same upsell for half the price, will take it. A week later another email arrived: same offer, for $199 pp. Took it.

 

14 days B2B on Nieuw Amsterdam. Booked verandah (VH) GTY. Received no upsells. The cabin assignment appeared on the reservation 5 days prior to sailing -- an aft VA. An outstanding upgrade, according to me.

 

We are now booked on a HAL Nieuw Amsterdam - Celebrity Silhouette B2B (7+7 days) over the New Year's. That will be interesting: walking off one ship, crossing the pier and getting on another. For each leg, booked the cheapest balcony GTY at flash sales soon after the final payment. The Celebrity assignment arrived a week later - a nice unobstructed balcony. With HAL, still waiting for the assignment. I really enjoy the randomness and the waiting game.

 

I agree with you. I was on the Veendam and there were people that paid next to nothing. I booked early so my price was high. I'm a four star, others had their first cruise with Hal. Everyone moved up the food chain equally. I think that's something the cruiseline would like you to believe to get you to book early at a high price.

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