Any way to increase likelihood of getting an upsell call?

We booked an inside stateroom, but are checking multiple times daily, hoping the many balcony staterooms still available on the Caribbean Princess transatlantic 9/22 are further discounted. BUT hesitant to lower their fares, I suspect that the cruise line may be offering upsells soon.

Can I call and inquire? Or just keep my fingers crossed?

Right now it's $1,000 extra (total) for the balcony and I'm tempted. But for $500, I'd jump at it.

We tried that strategy once to have TA call and inquire, and all they offered was to sell us the better cabin at the current rate.

Maybe you will be lucky and get an upgrade!

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We booked an inside stateroom, but are checking multiple times daily, hoping the many balcony staterooms still available on the Caribbean Princess transatlantic 9/22 are further discounted. BUT hesitant to lower their fares, I suspect that the cruise line may be offering upsells soon.

 

Can I call and inquire? Or just keep my fingers crossed?

 

Right now it's $1,000 extra (total) for the balcony and I'm tempted. But for $500, I'd jump at it.

You certainly can call and inquire but based upon past posts in this forum, it is unlikely you'll get what you want.

You should be aware that it is impossible to estimate how many cabins are available from looking at the website. While the site may show a number of cabins as available, that doesn't take into account the gty cabins. By definition, a gty cabin has been sold but a specific cabin has not been assigned to that gty. For example, suppose the website shows 400 'available' cabins but there are 390 people who have booked guarantee cabins. While there are 400 cabins for you to choose from, there are only 10 unsold cabins. You really have no insight into how many guarantee cabins are sold so the website will not accurately reflect the number of unsold cabins.

In the example above, if 10 more people bought cabins, either guarantee or assigned, the ship would go from 400 available to sold out in the blink of an eye, ie, the instant the 10th cabin was sold.

gottaluvcruising-We're on the same cruise as you, only we're taking the full 27 days beginning Sept 10. I've called Princess a few times and asked the same question about upsells. Each time I was told it's purely random as to who might get an upsell or an upgrade offer. We've never had a balcony due to retired teacher budget constraints. But I'd definitely consider a good offer on one. :D

It's computerized based on supply and demand for specific categories. Each cruise is different.

In general, you have a better chance of being offered an upsell (most of which aren't worth it) if you've booked the lowest category in the cabin type. The higher the category of cabin type, the less likely.

If you do get that nice upsell email, please react to it immediately! If it is something I am interested in, I call as soon as I get the email. While on hold, I go to the Princess site and look up the available cabins left in the category I am upgrading too. The rep. will not necessarily give you the best of the rooms left so be ready to ask for the cabin you want. I did that as a stateroom available was a really good location and she was not aware of it when I asked for it. She said "Wow" it is available. So that is why I say while on hold on the phone, look up the cabins still open. Good luck in getting that email and enjoy your cruise.

In talking with the reps., on average, the upsell rooms available usually are gone within hours of the email being sent out.

Pooh

If you do get that nice upsell email, please react to it immediately! If it is something I am interested in, I call as soon as I get the email. While on hold, I go to the Princess site and look up the available cabins left in the category I am upgrading too. The rep. will not necessarily give you the best of the rooms left so be ready to ask for the cabin you want. I did that as a stateroom available was a really good location and she was not aware of it when I asked for it. She said "Wow" it is available. So that is why I say while on hold on the phone, look up the cabins still open. Good luck in getting that email and enjoy your cruise.

 

In talking with the reps., on average, the upsell rooms available usually are gone within hours of the email being sent out.

 

Pooh

Thanks for the tips Pooh! I'll be watching for sure.

PS...my son was a "friend" of yours (a bouncy one) for a dozen years @ WDW.

We booked an inside stateroom, but are checking multiple times daily, hoping the many balcony staterooms still available on the Caribbean Princess transatlantic 9/22 are further discounted. BUT hesitant to lower their fares, I suspect that the cruise line may be offering upsells soon.

 

Can I call and inquire? Or just keep my fingers crossed?

 

Right now it's $1,000 extra (total) for the balcony and I'm tempted. But for $500, I'd jump at it.

Very unlikely if you call. We received all our previous upsells by email. Just check your emails regularly

I agree calling will likely not accomplish much.

It's random and they need to contact you.

The one time I got an upgrade was the one time I booked a guarantee; I was assigned a MF mini suite, the lowest category on Royal Princess but a couple of months before sailing was upgraded to a MA, the highest. Oddly enough, a couple of weeks before sailing I received an upsell offer to an aft Owner's suite which unfortunately I took--but that's another story.

If you are to receive an upsell it's from your category to one up. Since you are in an inside cabin IF you receive an upsell it will probably be to an ocean view.

If you are to receive an upsell it's from your category to one up. Since you are in an inside cabin IF you receive an upsell it will probably be to an ocean view.

Don't know for sure about Princess upsell policy (the one upsell I have received on Princess was from balcony to mini suite) but on Holland America I received upsell from minimum category Balcony to full suite.

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If you are to receive an upsell it's from your category to one up. Since you are in an inside cabin IF you receive an upsell it will probably be to an ocean view.

Not necessarily. We received an upsell offer for inside to balcony on a Sun Princess cruise last year. The upsell price was too high though.

The upsell offer came about two weeks before embarkation, I think.

If you have a good TA, he/she will know which department and which person to call. You would never call the regular Princess number to ask for an upsell and expect to get one. This is one time it pays to have that "in". ;)

If you have a good TA, he/she will know which department and which person to call. You would never call the regular Princess number to ask for an upsell and expect to get one. This is one time it pays to have that "in". ;)

I really don't think that's true. If that was the case, every TA would be inundating that phone number and there would never be upsells offered to people without TAs. That makes no sense.

As others nave said, it's totally random.

If you are to receive an upsell it's from your category to one up. Since you are in an inside cabin IF you receive an upsell it will probably be to an ocean view.

The upsells we've received have been more than one up. From a obv to a mini, from a balcony to a suite, and from an obv to a window suite. We've taken them all!

Also, our experience is that you don't get put on hold waiting to speak to someone, instead you have to leave a message. If they haven't sold all the upsells, they will call you back in the order of the messages received and you can accept or decline. So if you have any interest at all, leave the message then decide for sure while you're waiting for the call back.

I really don't think that's true. If that was the case, every TA would be inundating that phone number and there would never be upsells offered to people without TAs. That makes no sense.

 

As others nave said, it's totally random.

It actually does work but only if you knew that there is a current upsell out there with the same criteria for that sailing. Person in Minisuite to Suite example. And it only works with repeat passengers, not new passengers.

It's computerized based on supply and demand for specific categories. Each cruise is different.

 

In general, you have a better chance of being offered an upsell (most of which aren't worth it) if you've booked the lowest category in the cabin type. The higher the category of cabin type, the less likely.

Thanks.

If you monitor your roll calls here on CC and see anyone claiming they got a email about an upsell, call Princess immediately. Twice I had not gotten an email but others on the rollcall had so I called and asked if I had been sent an upsell offer, the original Princess Rep that I talk to affirmed that I had been sent a offer and transfer me or gave me the number of the person to contact. In both case I had nice offers. One was from an inside to a premium balcony for $200pp and another time from an oceanview to premium balcony for $125pp.

Enjoy your cruise,

framer

If you are to receive an upsell it's from your category to one up. Since you are in an inside cabin IF you receive an upsell it will probably be to an ocean view.

I agree.

Tony

I am a first time cruiser with Princess and this week got the upsell email from inside cabin to a balcony for$350pp . This was for an Alaskan cruise.

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In another thread, a person reported that they received an e-mail from Princess say they soon would receive an upgrade offer (which sounds like an upsell offer to me).

This is for a cruise in 2018.

So it sounds like Princess is starting the push to have you pay more much earlier than in the past.

I am a first time cruiser with Princess and this week got the upsell email from inside cabin to a balcony for$350pp . This was for an Alaskan cruise.

 

 

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Interesting - it used to be reserved for Captain Circle Members. Did you take it?

There are many who book a voyage hoping for an upgrade or upsell and arrive on the ship disappointed they received neither offer and are stuck in a cabin they won't enjoy. Always book a cabin that you will enjoy and if you don't get an offer you won't be disappointed.

On this particular voyage, there were so many available inside, balcony and mini-suites until a couple days ago. Certainly there were quite a few that showed open but were part of the gty pool. What took it from showing open to sold out was the promo offered to the "casino whales" at almost free fares. The forward and aft locations on the CB are now showing sold out for the lower balcony categories and mostly sold out for interior cabins. So the gty and promo worked. We probably won't get an upgrade or upsell because our fare for our BE Balcony is higher than the promo but much less than the current fare shown - but it doesn't matter because we are happy with the cabin we chose which we have for this voyage and the next of the BTB.

As noted by another poster, stateroom availability dropped dramatically after the casino offer went out and I suspect (hope) the guarantees were assigned. There's still a number of balconies available (forward and aft are gone.)

SO based on other feedback and with some concern about 15 days in an inside, we did upgrade to an obstructed oceanview this morning...putting us just a little closer to the ultimate goal. Last year we did a 21 day cruise in an inside, so we know we can do it. We're hesitant to pay a lot for a balcony on this ship...we had the half covered-half open one once and hated the open part. So we had mini-suite E731 the next time and it was fabulous! (Covered and private.) So we're really OK either way, but would be delighted with an upgrade and excited if we do get an upsell offer.

Thanks for all the tips, suggestions, feedback.