Upgrade Fairy Mechanics

[Choinski]

If one books an interior room, do the potential upgrades only happen with other interior rooms? Or is it possible to be upgraded to an Ocean View?

[CruiserBruce]

The "mechanics" of the upgrade fairy are a closely guarded industry secret, so nobody really knows. Generally, it would seem you would stay within your cabin type (inside, or outside, balcony or suite), but there are people who got much better upgrades.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Really can't tell you how HAL's upgrade and upsell fairies work.

A few people here have gotten fantastic upgrades -- a few have been offered great upsells.

The majority just are upgraded within the category that they have booked -- for example -- an inside to another inside; an ocean view to an ocean view; etc.

[kacurl]

we booked an inside May 29th to Bermuda and were upgraded to an ocean view

[catl331]

I think how booked a cruise is also is important. Usually something like Alaska cruises which almost sell out don't offer big upgrades. It seems like they always tell you when you sail away that the cruise is totally booked. I think the crew is supposed to tell us that. We got a great upgrade on an eastern European cruise in the fall. Of course, many people travel in the summer when school is out.

 

Careful though, because you can upgrade to a room that is very noisy etc. and it is yours!

[510picker]

I got a great upsell from an inside cabin to a VA verandah, so anything can happen.

[Ray in NH]

We were just (over the weekend) offered an up-sell for our Voyage of the Vikings. We are booked in a Cat A Verandah Suite and were offered a Cat S Suite. It would be quite a nice move, for 35 days, except for the ~$11,000 price increase :eek:. We regrettably declined. One thing that struck me as strange was the notation that "PLUS offers will not qualify for the double cruise day credits under the HAL LOYALTY PROGRAM." I do not understand that since we are already booked in a category that qualifies. Perhaps this is just something that is always attached to the PREFERRED LIMITED UPGRADE SPECIAL (PLUS) offer sheets?

Anyone else have experience with something like this?

Ray in NH

[Boytjie]

I got a great upsell from an inside cabin to a VA verandah, so anything can happen.

 

Upsells and free upgrades are different things. ;)

[cruz chic]

In all my 200+ days with HAL I've only been upgraded to the next category twice. It's highly unlikely but not impossible.

[pms4104]

We were just (over the weekend) offered an up-sell for our Voyage of the Vikings. We are booked in a Cat A Verandah Suite and were offered a Cat S Suite. It would be quite a nice move, for 35 days, except for the ~$11,000 price increase :eek:. We regrettably declined. One thing that struck me as strange was the notation that "PLUS offers will not qualify for the double cruise day credits under the HAL LOYALTY PROGRAM." I do not understand that since we are already booked in a category that qualifies. Perhaps this is just something that is always attached to the PREFERRED LIMITED UPGRADE SPECIAL (PLUS) offer sheets?

 

Anyone else have experience with something like this?

 

Ray in NH

I would guess that disclaimer appears on virtually all upsell offers.

 

The reality: If you already are in a category that qualifies for double day credits, and you accept a further upgrade or upsell, you still will get the double day credits. If you start out with a category that does not qualify for double days, and you upsell/upgrade into one that does, you will receive only single day credits.

[kazu]

The "mechanics" of the upgrade fairy are a closely guarded industry secret, so nobody really knows. Generally, it would seem you would stay within your cabin type (inside, or outside, balcony or suite), but there are people who got much better upgrades.

 

CruiserBruce is so right and if someone knows how the upgrade fairy works and how to coerce her into giving them an upgrade, trust me they're not talking:p no one knows. Settle for what you booked and if you happen to get something else, enjoy:D

[510picker]

Upsells and free upgrades are different things. ;)

 

I well aware of that....thanks.

[3rdGenCunarder]

CruiserBruce is so right and if someone knows how the upgrade fairy works and how to coerce her into giving them an upgrade, trust me they're not talking:p no one knows. Settle for what you booked and if you happen to get something else, enjoy:D

 

This is a good point. Some people book an inside cabin hoping to be upgraded to oceanview, and are disappointed when it doesn't happen. Book a level of cabin that you can be comfortable in. Don't count on the upgrade fairy, she is a law unto herself. Sometimes upgrades go to people with 100 days, other times upgrades go to first-timers. It's a mystery.

 

The only upgrade practice I know about is someone wanting YOUR cabin for a particular reason, like it's a quad or it connects to another cabin. Suppose, for example, you're in a cabin that will connect with one next to it. You aren't connecting to your neighbors, and maybe that cabin isn't even sold. Someone comes along wanting to book two connecting cabins. In order to get that booking, the cruise line will move you. My parents once got a great upgrade that way.

[CaveDiving]

If one books an interior room, do the potential upgrades only happen with other interior rooms? Or is it possible to be upgraded to an Ocean View?

 

When we checked in for the Grand Asia cruise on the Amsterdam last September, we were informed that we had been upgraded from a cat. K (Main deck-midships inside) to a cat. D (Main deck-midships oceanview). When we objected, we were told that it was an upgrade to a better midships cabin on the same deck and the cabin we had reserved had already been given to another passenger.

 

I informed the clerk that a mistake had obviously been made, we had reserved our favorite cabin and were not about to change simply to get an unwanted window in a smaller room. The final outcome was that it took about a half hour for the other passenger (a staff member) to be moved out of our cabin, the cabin cleaned and the paperwork corrected to give us the cabin we wanted.

 

In this case we did get an upgrade from an inside cabin to an oceanview cabin even though unfortunately, it was not desired.

 

Scott & Karen

[luvcruisn']

On my last 17 day cruise on the Veendam I had booked a "K" inside guarantee. I was upgraded to an outside G handicapped cabin, quite forward on the ship. On other cruises I have been upgraded from "MM" to "K" or "J" inside cabins. On my 26 day cruise on the Prinsendam, my roommate and I were not upgraded - we had booked an M guarantee, and that is what we received. However, on the same cruise many others sailing with us were either upgraded, or received very inexpensive upsell offers.

[BumperII]

Put in its best possible light, booking guarentees is a risky manuver that most often works out in a way percieved to be favorable to the buyer. The practice is used by the cruise line to facilitate the full booking of every cabin on every cruise.

When we first started cruising we booked guarentees and were introduced to several 'grades' of cabins. We figured out that with a few exceptions, inside cabins are pretty much alike. I still have absolutely no idea why an I cabin on the Veranda Deck sells for $100.00 pp more than a K cabin on the Main Deck. My guess it that it has to do with marketing, because the cabins are identical.

As other posters have noted, we like inside cabins, and we are not that fond of surprises. We have learned to pick what we want, book it, and mark it as 'no upgrade' while aboard ship. If there is a price reduction before we make final payment, a telephone call to the TA takes care of it.

Any marketing student will tell you that people want from a transaction: They want to feel good. People love to sense that they have negotiated a good deal. Guarentees serve two important functions, they facilitate full booking and create good will.

[DiploTraveler]

Can you refuse an upgrade? I'm booked in VD on N.A. and wouldn't want to be bumped one or two categories and give up the deeper veranda for no benefit.

[Nasmas]

I'm sure you can tell them you don't want to upgrade. As a matter of fact, I'm sure our personal cruise consultant asked us if we would take an upgrade. We have been offered upsells on our past two cruises and were offered a specific room before we told them yes. We use HAL's cruise consultants and couldn't be happier with the one we deal with. She calls sometimes if she gets a good deal on a cruise to see if we're interested and she always calls when they start offering upsells. We tell her up front what we'd take.

[iancal]

Never had an upgrade on any line. Well, we did have an upgrade from one category of outside to another. My notion of an upgrade would be from an outside to a balcony or from a verandah to a suite and so on.

 

We often book guarantees or a class of balcony where there are only 4-8 cabins in that sub category. I think the cruise lines use these guarantees and lower class cablins to reduce fares prior to the 90 day window but not have others who have purchased slightly higher sub categories ask for price adjustments.

[Jade13]

We were just (over the weekend) offered an up-sell for our Voyage of the Vikings. We are booked in a Cat A Verandah Suite and were offered a Cat S Suite. It would be quite a nice move, for 35 days, except for the ~$11,000 price increase :eek:. We regrettably declined. One thing that struck me as strange was the notation that "PLUS offers will not qualify for the double cruise day credits under the HAL LOYALTY PROGRAM." I do not understand that since we are already booked in a category that qualifies. Perhaps this is just something that is always attached to the PREFERRED LIMITED UPGRADE SPECIAL (PLUS) offer sheets?

 

Anyone else have experience with something like this?

 

Ray in NH

 

Ray, interesting. But, I agree that the additional $11,000 does not sound like a bargain. Ok, I thought the ship was sold out?

 

We are in a QTY, so maybe we will get the Suite. I can only dream :)

[Jade13]

When we checked in for the Grand Asia cruise on the Amsterdam last September, we were informed that we had been upgraded from a cat. K (Main deck-midships inside) to a cat. D (Main deck-midships oceanview). When we objected, we were told that it was an upgrade to a better midships cabin on the same deck and the cabin we had reserved had already been given to another passenger.

 

I informed the clerk that a mistake had obviously been made, we had reserved our favorite cabin and were not about to change simply to get an unwanted window in a smaller room. The final outcome was that it took about a half hour for the other passenger (a staff member) to be moved out of our cabin, the cabin cleaned and the paperwork corrected to give us the cabin we wanted.

 

In this case we did get an upgrade from an inside cabin to an oceanview cabin even though unfortunately, it was not desired.

 

Scott & Karen

 

Wow. Did you have "Do not upgrade" on your reservation?

[Ray in NH]

Ray, interesting. But, I agree that the additional $11,000 does not sound like a bargain. Ok, I thought the ship was sold out?

 

We are in a QTY, so maybe we will get the Suite. I can only dream :)

 

Jade13,

I too thought that the ship was "sold-out". They have been showing "No Availability" for a few weeks :confused: I am hoping that they come back with a more reasonable offer like a lower priced up-sell, or (fingers crossed) complimentary up-grade. :rolleyes:

Of course, the cabin we booked was with the thought that is where we would be for this cruise. However, it never hurts to dream. :D

Ray in NH