When does HA release cabins for booking, that are blocked for longer itineraries?

[Middleager]

We are looking to book the 2017.3.21 Zaandam sailing from Buenos Aires.

 

They have 3 itineraries (all starting from Buenos Aires):

* 14-day to Santiago

* 32-days to San Diego

* 36-day to Vancouver.

 

There are lots of availabilities for the 32 and 36 day sailings, but the 14-day is "sold out", or "blocked". When could HA release cabins to be bookable for the 14-day sailing?

 

 

We know HA is blocking cabins because we had a hold on 2 inside cabins for the 14-day (sailing to Santiago) with a TA till yesterday evening. I tried to contact the TA to go ahead with the booking, but couldn't get a hold of them. Then I remembered, Florida is getting pounded by cat-4 hurricane and everyone went home to buckle down.

 

Last night I saw online lots of inside cabins available (20+ in category J, and many in other categories I, K, L, etc.) I could've booked with some online TAs, but thought I'll wait and contact the Florida TA to book this morning.

 

But this morning, all the 14-d cabins are "sold out"?!? I called HA, and confirmed it's true, there are lots of cabins available for the longer 32 or 36 days, but none for the 14 days. Can also see that online.

 

Well, I now have a "waitlist" booking, for 2 inside cabins for the 14-d sailing.

 

Would HA release cabins so I can take 2? Or could they just not allow 14-d booking, and hope they fill up with 32-3 or 36-3 bookings?

 

Thanks.

[CruiserBruce]

This is a very complicated process. I have seen GTY only bookings for the levels of cabins we book (SC and above) on both the full (rare) voyage and on the segments (almost every time). This is one way they can make sure they have cabins for everybody across the full voyage.

 

They can also say XX cabins for for the full voyage, YY are for this segment and ZZ for this other segment, then as the day gets closer, re-balance. But I think that as long as possible, they will always sell a cabin for the full voyage. Shorter segments not so much. I think this might be what you ran into.

Edited October 7, 2016 by CruiserBruce

[TiogaCruiser]

I am on this sailing and insides have been showing as sold out for the past week; OVs just started to show sold out a few days ago. I'm sure they will release more from the longer cruises at some point. Maybe after the Explore4 promo ends????

 

Hope to see you on our roll call.

[Middleager]

When I contacted a TA, they said the Explore 4 promo only applies to suites, but it's over now.

 

Well, 2 nights ago, and whole day yesterday, there were lots of availabilities (seen from multiple websites). But all of a sudden this morning all are "sold out". So something happened in the last 2 days (to have lots of cabins), then today all are blocked.

 

Yap, I'll join the roll call, if we get our 2 cabins.

Edited October 8, 2016 by Middleager

[TiogaCruiser]

I wonder if any of it is effected by where we live: you are in Canada and I'm in US west coast????? I did have the option to book e4 in the beginning of September.

[take us away]

I wonder if any of it is effected by where we live: you are in Canada and I'm in US west coast????? I did have the option to book e4 in the beginning of September.

 

Cannot see how one's physical location has any effect of what one sees for cabin availability but one never knows. Do know the HAL website has 'glitches' in cabin availability now and again, and that cabins 'open up' right after payment are due, either additional down payments or final payments.

[Hlitner]

There is no hard and fast rule...as much depends the number of bookings for a particular cruise. If sales for longer segments are weak, then more cabins will be released at an earlier date. On the other hand, if they can sell-out a cruise with longer segment bookings, there will not be any additional cabins released for the short segments.

 

Hank

[Middleager]

I just book for 2 guarantee inside cabins. The original TA from Florida got back to us. They didn't respond on Thr. Oct. 6 night and was closed on Fri. Oct. 7, due to hurricane Matthews.

 

Earlier she said she held our 2 inside guarantees for 24-hr. But then she said it's held till today, from their group booking. So I paid the $1200/cabin deposit. The waitlist bookings with HA would automatically cancel.

 

I'm still interested to know when will HA release the block on so many cabins that was suddenly available and then also quickly got re-blocked.

 

We did have a conference, with 250+ that booked since Sept. (with another TA) So that must have messed up HA's ways of projections. That TA originally said HA told them the entire ship is sold out (while we still saw some availability, then lots more, then a few days later all gone)