Another guarantee question

[Fran Record]

We are booked HH guarantee. Now everything is sold out except suites. Does HAL upgrade balcony guarantees to suites and outside guarantee to balconies? Do they look at Mariner people first? Or how does it usually work?

 

Fran

[Jemima]

Your chances of going from an HH (obstructed outside) guarantee to a balcony are poor. The most likely cabin assignment is a higher category outside cabin, but you could also just get the HH you booked. We book either inside or outside guarantees. So far our cabin assignments have always been an upgrade, but we do know we could get what we booked. The only time we went from an inside to an outside was when we'd booked one of the higher level insides as a guarantee. We've never gone from an outside to a balcony.

We always keep the guarantee category in mind and try to think in terms of that. That way we are pleased with any upgrade and it won't ruin our cruise if/when we get just what we booked.

If you will only be happy if you get a big upgrade, then you shouldn't book a guarantee.

[Roz]

Fran,

 

There's no set procedure that HAL uses for upgrades...it's the luck of the draw. Assume you're going to get an HH, and be pleasantly surprised if you get something better. If you get an upgrade, it will probably be to a better outside cabin.

 

Roz

[cruisequeen10]

I just got back from the Alaska Zuiderdam July 8-15 cruise with a MM (inside) guarantee. We were upgraded to D (outside). I only found out which cabin we were in the night before sailing. They explained to me how the upgrades work:

 

Mariner guarantees are upgraded first

guarantees (who are not mariners) are second

Mariners asking for upgrades are third

passengers (who are not mariners) asking for upgrades are last

[Fran Record]

Thanks for the info. We are happy with HH and if that's what we get, we'll be fine with it. Heck we do't spend much time in our cabin anyway. Too much to see on the ship and scenery outside. We love viewing from the Crow's Nest and that is why we prefer HAL especially for Alaska.

Fran

[gizmo]

I just got back from the Alaska Zuiderdam July 8-15 cruise with a MM (inside) guarantee. We were upgraded to D (outside). I only found out which cabin we were in the night before sailing. They explained to me how the upgrades work:

 

Mariner guarantees are upgraded first

guarantees (who are not mariners) are second

Mariners asking for upgrades are third

passengers (who are not mariners) asking for upgrades are last

 

I assume someone at Hal explained this to you ?

 

I know of more than one case where this theory doesn't hold true. The non mariner got the upgrade. The mariner did not.

 

I am still going with the upgrade fairy who throws darts at a board that has all the names of guarantees. If your name gets hit, you get upgraded. :D

[Mary Ellen]

I'm going with the upgrade fairy who throws darts at a board too. On one of my cruises a couple at our table were upgraded (unexpectedly) 3 days before sailing from a B to a S. We were also in a B, I've been sailing HAL longer than the couple, more often - and booked earlier. Why they got the upgrade and we didn't - who knows?? While I certainly didn't begrudge their upgrade - it would have been nice...

[Roz]

"They explained to me how the upgrades work:"

 

Crusiequeen, who is the "they" in the above statement? Based on my own personal experience, I don't believe there's a set policy on handing out upgrades.

 

Roz

[cruisequeen10]

"They explained to me how the upgrades work:"

 

Crusiequeen, who is the "they" in the above statement? Based on my own personal experience, I don't believe there's a set policy on handing out upgrades.

 

Roz

 

"They" means the girl in customer service at HAL. I had been calling them for the whole week before I left to find out what cabin we had. This is what she had told me.

[Stevesan]

I just got back from the Alaska Zuiderdam July 8-15 cruise with a MM (inside) guarantee. We were upgraded to D (outside). I only found out which cabin we were in the night before sailing. They explained to me how the upgrades work:

 

Mariner guarantees are upgraded first

guarantees (who are not mariners) are second

Mariners asking for upgrades are third

passengers (who are not mariners) asking for upgrades are last

 

At last count there were more than four million Mariners.:eek:

[hammybee]

Ahhhh, but just how many of those Mariners "asked to be upgraded".

 

I think HAL has creat4ed the perception that it likes to keep all of us guessing and that includes their employees. We see and hear, time and again, that what is often said by well meaning HAL employees sometimes does not hold water. Let's not jump on the messenger.

 

And in the meantime, I am going to continue to believe in the fairy.

[Arizona Cruiser II]

I am still going with the upgrade fairy who throws darts at a board that has all the names of guarantees. If your name gets hit, you get upgraded. :D

 

 

I like your view on it.

[motro]

Can you be upgraded more than once? We went from a VE to VA and wondered if we could be upgraded again before sailing?

[tnkrbell13]

We booked an "N" guarantee and were upgraded on our immigration form to an "HH" before ending on a "C" We loved our cabin but would have been happy with anything!

[Waxer]

How and to who do you ask to get upgraded?

 

Our TA booked us specific cabins (adjoining VBs) for my parents and I. Since hearing about this upgrade thingy, I've been like a kid waiting for Santa...

 

Neil

[gizmo]

Waxer,

 

If you book a specific cabin, Hal normally will not upgrade you.

The TA must put the information in your file that you will except an upgrade.

 

Upgrades are not as common as you may think.

 

What you are reading about are people with guarantees. They book a specific category but have no choice of cabins. Sometimes they get upgraded to a higher category sometimes not.