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GTY cabins - with 11 days to go...

Anne76

By Anne76,
in Holland America Line

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iancal

iancal

Posted
Posted

Buying upgrades and buying a cabin in the final payment window have similarities.

 

In both instances you need to understand the pricing matrix.

 

If you understand the matrix and know where your personal sweet spot is when it comes to buying the process becomes much less confusing. An upgrade offer is not necessarily a good deal even though it may be positioned as such.

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fann1sh

fann1sh

Posted
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Iancal: I'm not sure I understand your reference to the "pricing matrix". Is this a reference to what would make an average consumer part with money?

 

As for a personal sweet spot, are you referring to something like:

 

- for me - and I'm only talking about me - an upsell from inside to an obstructed outside has a small but definite worth,

 

- an upsell from obstructed outside to outside is worth ZERO,

 

- an upsell from *whatever* to balcony will be interesting if it's $30/cabin/day or that neighbourhood,

 

- yet an upsell to a Neptune suite will make me part with SERIOUS money, perhaps double my original fare = paint "sucker" on my forehead.

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happyglobetrotter

happyglobetrotter

Posted
Posted (edited)

Anne, if you could, please send me a email....we have room left in our van to go to Louisbourg fortress, interested ???? This is out of Sydney et we are all french speaking. Myself and 2 other persons originally from la ville de Québec.

 

write eurodam6 at gmail dot com

 

Louise

Edited by happyglobetrotter
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iancal

iancal

Posted
Posted (edited)

My reference to the price matrix refers to the price list on a cruise. The cost and the differences in price between cabin categories in the same band, ie outsides for instance, and between different bands...outsides, insides, verandah, suites, etc.

 

So if we book a gty and get offered an assigned balcony we compare the price of the 'offer' against the pricing matrix. If the 'offer' is really just the current list price delta we turn it down.

Edited by iancal
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Roadster1

Roadster1

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Posted

Hi all - fwiw, the gty process can work in the other direction as well. We just returned from Nieuw Amsterdam ex Vancouver on Sept 3. After receiving all our info/docs for a Cat C cabin, we received a call from our TA asking if we'd take a downgrade to a Cat HH cabin about a week out...higher deck but fully obstructed view. Apparently there were too many Cat C gty sold.

We got a 50% reduction in cruise price and $250 pp OBC. Did a little research here and found the cabin had floor-ceiling windows which turned out to be just fine and could still see out enough for weather check in the am. For the sake of someone else getting their gty category we can basically now afford to take another cruise sooner than expected!!

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SilvertoGold

SilvertoGold

Posted
Posted
Hi all - fwiw, the gty process can work in the other direction as well. We just returned from Nieuw Amsterdam ex Vancouver on Sept 3. After receiving all our info/docs for a Cat C cabin, we received a call from our TA asking if we'd take a downgrade to a Cat HH cabin about a week out...higher deck but fully obstructed view. Apparently there were too many Cat C gty sold.

We got a 50% reduction in cruise price and $250 pp OBC. Did a little research here and found the cabin had floor-ceiling windows which turned out to be just fine and could still see out enough for weather check in the am. For the sake of someone else getting their gty category we can basically now afford to take another cruise sooner than expected!!

 

VERY nice! Thanks for posting this. It is really interesting to read about all the possibilities.

How was your cruise?

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iancal

iancal

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Absolutely. We were just outside the final payment widow on a Celebrity cruise when we noticed that the balcony gty price had been reduced. We canceled our higher cat balcony to save $500. And rebooked with a gty. We were assigned an even better cabin.

 

We are very flexible and have found that we have not only saved a fair amount of money but also ended up with some great cabins that we would of otherwise not enjoyed. nver had a bad one however I suspect that this is partly because of attitude.

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Roadster1

Roadster1

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Posted
VERY nice! Thanks for posting this. It is really interesting to read about all the possibilities.

How was your cruise?

 

The cruise was great thanks. As noted everywhere, Alaska weather in September can be iffy - it was. The WPYR was pretty socked in, even at noon, but still had fun on the return with Chilkoot Tours - (Brian). In Juneau it was pretty liquid all day. Thankfully in Glacier Bay the clouds were high enough to see everything and I was shocked to see how the ice had receeded since my travels that way years ago.

THe ship itself was comfortable, clean everywhere, good quiet cabins. The food was fine - definitely plentiful...I'd say a little better in the MDR than at Lido. Didn't partake of the Grill, Tamarind etc.

The only sortof surprise was the entertainment factor. The shows themselves were really good but I was surprised how few people attended. There was an illusionist (Leon Etienne) was was amazing but played to less than a third in the room. The only conclusion I could come to was perhaps people were worn out from their tours, or perhaps they really needed to hype the activities a little better, maybe using the in room TVs or even signage outside the theatre. The only way to find out these things was thru the daily program - more than a few times I heard people say they didn't know such and such was on.

All in all a wonderful trip though...I should do a proper trip report but it might bring back my post cruise depression.:rolleyes:

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Anne76

Anne76

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Anne, if you could, please send me a email....we have room left in our van to go to Louisbourg fortress, interested ???? This is out of Sydney et we are all french speaking. Myself and 2 other persons originally from la ville de Québec.

 

write eurodam6 at gmail dot com

 

Louise

 

Thanks for your offer, but we already have plans!

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