Mariner preference on booking

[woody14h]

Does anyone know whether a Mariner status helps when assigning Guaranty cabin assignments. How do they know whether you are a one timer or 10 X.

It seems to me that this would be more time consuming for them than simply luck of the draw. Curious!!

[sail7seas]

They have records of how many cruises we all have taken. It is easy enough to enter our Mariner numbers into their computers and immediately get the information. Your Mariner number is attached to your reservation.

 

Does it effect cabin assignemt or upgrades? Possibly. None of us know for sure. Lots of speculation about it though.

 

Remember though, that on many cruises the number of Mariners is so high it can often be 70% of the entire manifest.

 

HAL has the largest number of repeat cruisers of any of the major cruise lines.

 

 

 

[Stevesan]

More than three years ago an e-mail response to a query noted that HAL has more than four million Mariners.

 

With the possible exception of the Mariners who have hundreds of days on board, and there are more than a few, it's very unlikely Mariner status influences upgrades.

[jhannah]

I also doubt that Mariner status plays a role. As stated, there are just too many of us. Oh, but we'd all love to know the inner workings of the upgrade fairy. She is truly a mysterious entity, and probably utilizes an algorithm unknown to any computer system! ;)

[LHC]

DD and I got an upgrade from the Fairy last December,..it was wonderful. We are anxiously awaiting to see if we get one this December.

Not sure there is a rhyme or reason, but when the dust flys it is so good.

Linda

[RuthC]

With the possible exception of the Mariners who have hundreds of days on board, and there are more than a few, it's very unlikely Mariner status influences upgrades.

I doubt that even thousands of days makes a difference! :rolleyes:

When I was assigned to bunk with Dolly a few years ago we were upgraded from a K-inside to one of those inside-outs (they were still classified as insides then) on Lower Promemade.

(In case you haven't heard of Dolly---she has several thousand days on HAL.:eek: )

[frbob]

Ah yes, the elusive upgrade fairy...I WISH I knew her well. I have personal experience with 2 different sets of dinner mates, first time HAL cruisers, who were upgraded from inside staterooms to suites. I've never been so lucky. Sure, this 150 day + Mariner has had some upgrades within the same general classification, but I've never been so fortunate as to hit the proverbial jackpot. Based on my experience with HAL, Mariner status doesn't seem to make any difference in the way they hand out upgrades. I think their computer is VP of Marketing. :rolleyes:

[jtl513]

IMHO the earlier you book the better your chance for a good upgrade. We got a better one on our 1st HAL cruise (ie, non-Mariner) than we did on our 2nd. On our last two, on the advice of a TA, we booked a VE class early on the Westerdam and Noordam and were bumped to VA both times. :o

[Mary Ellen]

IMHO the earlier you book the better your chance for a good upgrade. We got a better one on our 1st HAL cruise (ie, non-Mariner) than we did on our 2nd. On our last two, on the advice of a TA, we booked a VE class early on the Westerdam and Noordam and were bumped to VA both times. :o

No so IMHO. We sat with a couple who been upgraded from a 'B' to a 'S'. We (also booked a 'B') had booked earlier and had more days (and cruises). Why they got the upgrade and we didn't - who knows? Sometimes the pixie dust hits you and sometimes it doesn't...

[Krazy Kruizers]

Someone I know is presently on a cruise. After 25 cruises on HAL -- they finally got an upgrade.

 

No one knows exactly how the upgrade fairy works.

[kryos]

No so IMHO. We sat with a couple who been upgraded from a 'B' to a 'S'. We (also booked a 'B') had booked earlier and had more days (and cruises). Why they got the upgrade and we didn't - who knows? Sometimes the pixie dust hits you and sometimes it doesn't...

I've heard that the upgrade fairy's ways are not necessarily logical. Often it's just the luck of the draw.

 

Now, I would like to think that if someone was a Mariner with a couple of thousand days on HAL, that might give them a leg up for upgrades. But for just the "average" Mariner with a few hundred days on HAL, I don't think being a Mariner would help them one iota with upgrades. Thousands of people on HAL have that range of days.

 

I certainly have no substantial number of days on HAL. I've never, ever once been upgraded so far. But, then, I think that has something to do with cruising solo. Since HAL is theoretically losing about 50% on any cabin they sell me, not to mention the lesser potential onboard charges of a single versus a couple in the cabin, I'd probably be the last in line for even the smallest of an upgrade. And, I guess that's understandable.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[Sprocket]

My first cruise with Hal was on the Zuiderdam. I booked the single share Cat F and was upgraded to C on the main deck. The lady I was paired with was traveling with the couple next to us and they wanted an adjoining cabin.

 

Our second cruise on the Oosterdam we booked an aft S, and we did not want an upgrade.

 

I will be on the Westerdam in a couple of weeks and I booked an HH guarantee (totally obstructed), and I was upgraded to............. a GG

totally obstructed cabin.;) Too funny, anyway I spend very little time in my cabin so I'm sure it will be just fine.

 

Upgrades seem to be one of life's little mysteries, and maybe we're better off not knowing what the criteria is, I just book, cross my fingers and hope for the best.

 

Bev

[duck tune]

IMHO the earlier you book the better your chance for a good upgrade.

 

Not so for us! We booked a June 2 Alaska cruise in April through an online agency and took a D category Outside because the price was right. We always had a balcony cabin before but rationalized that we would spend more time out of the cabin. This was cruise #5 on HAL for us and at the pier we found out we had been upgraded to a category A balcony - 7 category upgrade. We were thrilled. When we returned I changed our December Oosterdam booked cabin (that we booked on 12/24/05) to a Guarantee SY just to see what we get. First time we have done this but after the surprise upgrade in June we thought it would be fun! No matter what cabin we get we will be happy to be cruising! :)