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Forgot to mark "Do Not Upgrade"- a cautionary tale!


LidoLiz
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Received a free "upgrade" for our upcoming Crown cruise to the Caribbean. We always like booking an inside forward Lido (IF) for the location, but were informed by an email that we had been upgraded to Aloha 323 (IB).

 

Upon checking the deck plans, it looks like this is one of the cabins with the protruding bunk beds.

 

I phoned immediately and was able to grab back our preferred room....but I asked the Princess rep how this possibly could be considered an upgrade .... she said a mid-forward, lower deck cabin is considered preferable!

 

Different strokes, I guess....but a good reminder to mark "no upgrade" if you like your current spot. I'm not too fond of those bunks!

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You can also mark your cabin as mega upgrade only - meaning that you will accept an upgrade into a better cabin type (inside to outside or above) but not an upgrade to a better location in the same type of cabin.
FYI, it’s called a “meta” (which means “after” or “beyond”) upgrade rather than “mega.” [emoji4]
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FYI, it’s called a “meta” (which means “after” or “beyond”) upgrade rather than “mega.” [emoji4]

Yup - I knew that. Also can mean "about" ie, in computer systems meta data is the structure of the data storage.

 

That's what I get for posting before I have my morning coffee!

 

And I just corrected my original post. I'm so embarrassed.

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:eek:,

Received a free "upgrade" for our upcoming Crown cruise to the Caribbean. We always like booking an inside forward Lido (IF) for the location, but were informed by an email that we had been upgraded to Aloha 323 (IB).

 

Upon checking the deck plans, it looks like this is one of the cabins with the protruding bunk beds.

 

I phoned immediately and was able to grab back our preferred room....but I asked the Princess rep how this possibly could be considered an upgrade .... she said a mid-forward, lower deck cabin is considered preferable!

 

Different strokes, I guess....but a good reminder to mark "no upgrade" if you like your current spot. I'm not too fond of those bunks!

 

Thanks for the reminder!

 

B

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Yup - I knew that. Also can mean "about" ie, in computer systems meta data is the structure of the data storage.

 

That's what I get for posting before I have my morning coffee!

 

And I just corrected my original post. I'm so embarrassed.

 

Having worked in IT I am well aware of what meta data structure is. We originally years ago had a window view cabin for our first cruise. The second cruise our cabin was upgraded to a balcony and the rest is history as they say. It had to be balcony from then on .....until one cruise we were upgraded to a mini suite. So once again fate struck and now it is always a mini. I am afraid to get upgraded to a suite so I now mark our reservations to no upgrade of any kind. :)

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Thanks, all....I will remember to "meta" next time; however, it takes a lot to get me to move from Lido deck!

 

We did accept an upgrade once from an inside Lido cabin to an obstructed-view balcony on Emerald deck (on pre-centre staircase Royal Princess). It was nice having the fresh air, but I still missed being a few steps from the upper deck...

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A couple of years ago we had a B2B booked thru a TA. Luckily I am a worrier so always checking my booking. One Saturday I checked on cruise personaliser to find one of our cruises had been upgraded. Phoned the TA to ask why as we had specified no upgrade. TA phoned us back at 5pm to say they had been unable to contact Princess. Rang again on Sunday morning to get told by TA that Princess was not open. Do they think I am a novice cruiser. I checked. Of course Princess were open. Phoned the TA back. Was told I am the only person here. If I am on the phone helping you I can't deal with anybody else in an emergency. Needless to say they lost my business and I only book direct with Princess now. I also got my cabin back by speaking directly with Princess who were brilliant.

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So Platonic, were you upgraded even though you specified 'no upgrade'? Didn't think that was supposed to happen...

 

When you ask to have your booking marked 'no upgrade' it is only listing your preference, while in almost all cases they meet your preference however they can still move your cabin assignments if required.

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A couple of years ago we had a B2B booked thru a TA. Luckily I am a worrier so always checking my booking. One Saturday I checked on cruise personaliser to find one of our cruises had been upgraded. Phoned the TA to ask why as we had specified no upgrade. TA phoned us back at 5pm to say they had been unable to contact Princess. Rang again on Sunday morning to get told by TA that Princess was not open. Do they think I am a novice cruiser. I checked. Of course Princess were open. Phoned the TA back. Was told I am the only person here. If I am on the phone helping you I can't deal with anybody else in an emergency. Needless to say they lost my business and I only book direct with Princess now. I also got my cabin back by speaking directly with Princess who were brilliant.

 

you must have been lucky that day because if you use a travel agent princess wont talk to you about your booking

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We always pick and stick.

 

A couple of years ago on Diamond Princess, met a couple who were “upgraded” from an extended balcony to a Mini Suite the total floor space of cabin and balcony was pretty much identical (we didn’t measure just by eye) but the balcony was half the size, plus they went from a mid ship to an extreme forward position and from a deck with cabins above and below to something under them that made noises (a theatre from memory but may be wrong there).

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We said no upgrade to the TA but they obviously did not mark the booking as such. Think Princess helped me as I was in tears and said we would cancel both cruises. As we were in a mini suite for a month that was a lot of money. A lesson learned on my part.

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Out of curiosity, where is the option to don't upgrade? I've never seen anything like that when I booked that I recall, or in the manage my booking part.

 

I just told the Princess rep over the phone to put a note on my booking. Presumably a TA can do the same. But it sounds like it is still no guarantee!

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Out of curiosity, where is the option to don't upgrade? I've never seen anything like that when I booked that I recall, or in the manage my booking part.

 

I have never seen the "do not upgrade" option either.

 

Does Princess upgrade folks that have picked a specific cabin or is it just the guarantee bookings?

It's not in the Personalizer...you have to ask the Princess rep or your TA to make it "do not upgrade" or "meta" upgrade.

It's still no guarantee. If Princess wants/needs your cabin, they'll move you. You're supposed to be notified and given 48 (?) hours to request a change back to your cabin, but posts on Cruise Critic say the notification doesn't always happen.

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A few years ago the 'do not upgrade' option was in the personalizer when first making a booking. It was a window that disappeared after making the booking so you couldn't go back and keep changing it. As I usually make my booking through the website instead of calling Princess, I wish it was still there. It seems pointless to make the booking online and then have to call to add the no upgrade option.

 

I would always choose 'no upgrade' if booking an inside or Oceanview. We recently took a Guarantee Inside on the Royal and were assigned a 4 person cabin. Princess called it an upgrade. The only way out was to cancel the booking and re-book a specific room. The top category Obstructed Outsides are rooms I would avoid at all costs, as they are behind tenders.

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WE always book a GTY, and always were pleased with the location of our cabins. Upon the initial booking, shortly thereafter, we would receive an assigned cabin. BUT, most of the time we were moved up to four times before sailing...once from an obstructed Lido to a Caribe balcony. This way we tend to be assigned cabins which we probably would not consider and hope to find a "favorite" place of which going forward, we would request.

 

On our last cruise, to make a long story short, I called Princess to book on the Regal, we were assigned an accessible cabin, which I found out after the fact, after an intense phone call and emails, we were moved to an obstructed Marina deck. Shortly before sailing we were moved to a Deluxe balcony Emerald deck. We had been on Emerald deck many times, didn't really care for it, but, with the Deluxe, it was OK with me. So one night we were in our cabin, 8 o'clock we hear boom boom boom, WHAT!, 10 o'clock again, and occasionally during the afternoon hours....come to find out, its from the theater. SO, never again will we accept a cabin on Emerald deck forward or mid forward. So on our next cruise, the Caribbean Princess, we have a Lido forward booked, and told them we would only accept a "meta" upgrade. And hopefully avoid any noise from the theater.

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Received a free "upgrade" for our upcoming Crown cruise to the Caribbean. We always like booking an inside forward Lido (IF) for the location, but were informed by an email that we had been upgraded to Aloha 323 (IB).

 

Upon checking the deck plans, it looks like this is one of the cabins with the protruding bunk beds.

 

I phoned immediately and was able to grab back our preferred room....but I asked the Princess rep how this possibly could be considered an upgrade .... she said a mid-forward, lower deck cabin is considered preferable!

 

Different strokes, I guess....but a good reminder to mark "no upgrade" if you like your current spot. I'm not too fond of those bunks!

 

FYI, the upgraded cabin has the bunks in the ceiling...

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