Upgrade Poll - something different

[English_in_Spain]

September 2009 Voyager OTS. Our second cruise. Upgraded from OS to RS.

[cruisingnewyorkers]

Twice both a D+

 

First on Explorer November 2009 inside to outside

 

Second Radiance February 2011 outside to balcony...

 

Now that they let us combine the balcony discount again, we only have balconies booked so there is less of a chance we will be upgraded.:)

[Jimbo]

We booked a week before sailing (because I was not sure I could get off work - the stress drove me crazy!) and I watched a certain site that shall go unnamed so I could see what was left which was only balcony's but the RCI website was still offering inside grty and OV grty. So.....

Sernade out of San Juan, April 2010, Booked inside grty and was upgraded to Balcony. It was an obstructed view balcony but we were thrilled.

We are Diamond and this was our first upgrade. One point away from Diamond Plus. :D

E-Beth

 

Don't believe that is the kind of upgrades the OP was asking about in this poll.

 

Jimbo:)

[Jimbo]

I was upgraded on my 13th cruise. I got an upgrade from a Boardwalk Balcony on Oasis to a Grand Suite. Best cruise ever! :D

 

This was the April 30th 2011 sailing and I got the call on the 15th and I'm actually lucky I answered the phone since the caller ID showed "unknown caller". :eek:

 

Did you book directly with Royal Caribbean or a Travel Agency?

 

Jimbo:)

[petesweet]

Don't believe that is the kind of upgrades the OP was asking about in this poll.

 

Jimbo:)

I must not understand what an upgrade is. If not this, then what?

Kathy

[melbur]

In total 4 times but twice in the last 24 mo that fall into two of the categories

Radiance '09 D1 to GS - took it happily (D+)

Serenade jan 11 - GS to OS but turned it down - we were in a GS for a B2B and didn't want to move in the middle of the 2 weeks

[Paulxyz2004]

I must not understand what an upgrade is. If not this, then what?

 

Kathy

 

 

I have no idea what Carol had in mind as to what an upgrade is and don´t want in any way imply that this is what she thinks.

 

My view on upgrades likely differs greatly from most others on this boards.

 

In my book guarantee cabins never get something I would consider an upgrade. Booking a guarantee I might end up with the lowest guaranteed category, but it´s well within the deal to get anything higher. Booking a guarantee is like a gamble and you hope to get more than the minimum.

 

To me an upgrade is booking a specific cabin, and the getting a higher category cabin without paying anything additional for it. Of course this would also exclude any changes related to price drops.

[Bonnie Voyager]

Was "upgraded" last month on Explorer. Had the coveted HUGE deck 7 aft/corner balcony cabin (category E2) and was "upgraded" with no notice at all, to an ordinary side balcony cabin (category D2) several days before we sailed. Was NOT happy at all! :p;) Tried to get my original cabin back, but couldn't. Still had a great cruise though! :D But I hope I never get another "upgrade" like that one! :eek::cool:

[marci22]

I must not understand what an upgrade is. If not this, then what?

 

Kathy

 

To me she means if you book a specific cabin and then somewhere along the line RC calls you and gives you a better cabin. (Not booking a certain guarantee and getting something higher than expected. That's not really an upgrade as your cabin wasn't changed. Now if you said you booked an interior gurantee and were assigned a promenade, then they called you a week later and gave you a JS, I would consider that an upgrade).

 

She wants to see who is getting upgraded. It ain't me, that's for sure.

[marci22]

Was "upgraded" last month on Explorer. Had the coveted HUGE deck 7 aft/corner balcony cabin (category E2) and was "upgraded" with no notice at all, to an ordinary side balcony cabin (category D2) several days before we sailed. Was NOT happy at all! :p;) Tried to get my original cabin back, but couldn't. Still had a great cruise though! :D But I hope I never get another "upgrade" like that one! :eek::cool:

 

That stinks!

[firstplacechef]

One upgrade on RCL after my 2nd cruise from OV to balcony and once on X, my 4rd cruise with them, from CC to a Sky Suite and it was sweet, :)

Now Elite with X and usually book inside or lower OV and Diamond with RCL and book OV or take balcony upgrade when available.

[emmy]

Was "upgraded" last month on Explorer. Had the coveted HUGE deck 7 aft/corner balcony cabin (category E2) and was "upgraded" with no notice at all, to an ordinary side balcony cabin (category D2) several days before we sailed. Was NOT happy at all! :p;) Tried to get my original cabin back, but couldn't. Still had a great cruise though! :D But I hope I never get another "upgrade" like that one! :eek::cool:

 

Bonnie I am curious if this upgrade came about because you might have selected 'I Prefer an automatic Upgrade'. This option is available on RCI website under My Cruises..Profile...Upgrade Preferences.

 

I too love the aft cabins so am hesitating checking this option on the RCI site fearing they would assign an upgrade without calling and what they see as an upgrade is not to me.

[Bonnie Voyager]

Bonnie I am curious if this upgrade came about because you might have selected 'I Prefer an automatic Upgrade'. This option is available on RCI website under My Cruises..Profile...Upgrade Preferences.

 

I too love the aft cabins so am hesitating checking this option on the RCI site fearing they would assign an upgrade without calling and what they see as an upgrade is not to me.

 

 

Well, that IS a possibility as I did inadvertently check that darned "automatic upgrade" box and cannot find a way to UN-check it now! :p But, my husband was sailing in that cabin with me, and he has NOT checked the "automatic upgrade" box!

 

But, the reason they took my cabin away without my "consent" was that it was a triple capacity cabin that I had booked after the final payment period, as a double. Apparently, only days before sailing, a family of 3 decided to book the cruise, and the only way to accommodate them was for RCCL to switch my husband and I into a double cabin, freeing the triple for the family. I was sad to have lost my huge aft/corner balcony cabin, but under the circumstances I would have willingly given it up anyway had RCCL called and told me the situation. ;)

 

Now, next week I am booked in a HUGE aft/corner JS cabin on Vision of the Seas and they better LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!! :eek::D

[kneadsdough2cruise]

Radiance Feb 2011 - At the time D on the first leg of B2B. Made it to D+ For second leg and we were upgraded from GS to RS......yep RS. RCCL first called our TA who called us.....but said it was a OS - wanted to keep the same AFT GS for both legs so turned it down. They called back and said they made a mistake it was the RS. Well heck yeah, we took it:D

[Merion_Mom]

I must not understand what an upgrade is. If not this, then what?

Kathy

 

 

I have no idea what Carol had in mind as to what an upgrade is and don´t want in any way imply that this is what she thinks.

 

My view on upgrades likely differs greatly from most others on this boards.

 

In my book guarantee cabins never get something I would consider an upgrade. Booking a guarantee I might end up with the lowest guaranteed category, but it´s well within the deal to get anything higher. Booking a guarantee is like a gamble and you hope to get more than the minimum.

 

To me an upgrade is booking a specific cabin, and the getting a higher category cabin without paying anything additional for it. Of course this would also exclude any changes related to price drops.

 

To me she means if you book a specific cabin and then somewhere along the line RC calls you and gives you a better cabin. (Not booking a certain guarantee and getting something higher than expected. That's not really an upgrade as your cabin wasn't changed. Now if you said you booked an interior gurantee and were assigned a promenade, then they called you a week later and gave you a JS, I would consider that an upgrade).

 

She wants to see who is getting upgraded. It ain't me, that's for sure.

 

Yeah.

 

What Paul and Marci said.

 

:)

[RVRCLC]

After 15 cruises (several years ago) with Royal Caribbean, I had no upgrades.

On my 3rd and 4th cruises on Princess I had been given whopping upgrades.

 

I was overheard by the RCCL upgrade fairy as I was telling that to tablemates during a Royal Caribbean cruise. That evening I got a call offering me a modest upgrade. The cruise was half over, but I moved into the offered cabin.

[Cruzin Carol]

Mariner 5/09 D1 to OS 9/09 D1 to GS D+

[critterchick]

Diamond Plus at the time: on Mariner we were upgraded from a JS to an OS in September, 2009. November 2009, I was upgraded from a D-1 to an OS. I also was upgraded in April 2009, but that's just outside the 24 month window.

 

I called all three times to get the upgrade. C&A had skipped over me in 2009, so my TA (not me) had to fight for the upgrade. After that I didn't want to take a chance.

 

Have had two cruises since becoming Pinnacle Club. All the full suites were gone by 14 days out. On Rhapsody, they vanished about 3 weeks before the cruise, and I'm guessing they were revenue department upgrades, since we were the top cruisers onboard.

[Merion_Mom]

Diamond Plus at the time: on Mariner we were upgraded from a JS to an OS in September, 2009. November 2009, I was upgraded from a D-1 to an OS. I also was upgraded in April 2009, but that's just outside the 24 month window.

 

I called all three times to get the upgrade. C&A had skipped over me in 2009, so my TA (not me) had to fight for the upgrade. After that I didn't want to take a chance.

 

Have had two cruises since becoming Pinnacle Club. All the full suites were gone by 14 days out. On Rhapsody, they vanished about 3 weeks before the cruise, and I'm guessing they were revenue department upgrades, since we were the top cruisers onboard.

 

You and me both, on that cruise. :rolleyes: I remember the whole mishegos. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[petesweet]

I have no idea what Carol had in mind as to what an upgrade is and don´t want in any way imply that this is what she thinks.

 

My view on upgrades likely differs greatly from most others on this boards.

 

In my book guarantee cabins never get something I would consider an upgrade. Booking a guarantee I might end up with the lowest guaranteed category, but it´s well within the deal to get anything higher. Booking a guarantee is like a gamble and you hope to get more than the minimum.

 

To me an upgrade is booking a specific cabin, and the getting a higher category cabin without paying anything additional for it. Of course this would also exclude any changes related to price drops.

Appreciate the clarification. I always book inside guarantee when one is available, and we always end up in a very nice cabin - but never an oceanview or anything like that. We are happy no matter where we lay our heads.:D

Kathy

[Jimbo]

To me she means if you book a specific cabin and then somewhere along the line RC calls you and gives you a better cabin. (Not booking a certain guarantee and getting something higher than expected. That's not really an upgrade as your cabin wasn't changed. Now if you said you booked an interior gurantee and were assigned a promenade, then they called you a week later and gave you a JS, I would consider that an upgrade).

 

She wants to see who is getting upgraded. It ain't me, that's for sure.

 

Exactly !

 

Jimbo:)

[Jimbo]

Well, that IS a possibility as I did inadvertently check that darned "automatic upgrade" box and cannot find a way to UN-check it now! :p But, my husband was sailing in that cabin with me, and he has NOT checked the "automatic upgrade" box!

 

 

Bonnie, what name did they have listed on the reservation first? Yours or your husbands? I'm guessing yours and that is why you got the automatic upgrade without being asked?

 

When is Royal Caribbean going to understand a Category E of anykind to a Category D of anykind is NOT AN UPGRADE!! Junior Suite or Higher please :)

 

Jimbo:)

[Bonnie Voyager]

Bonnie, what name did they have listed on the reservation first? Yours or your husbands? I'm guessing yours and that is why you got the automatic upgrade without being asked?

 

When is Royal Caribbean going to understand a Category E of anykind to a Category D of anykind is NOT AN UPGRADE!! Junior Suite or Higher please :)

 

Jimbo:)

 

 

Yup, I was the "primary" passenger on the booking...(just like always!) ;) But, I truly believe my "upgrade" only happened because they needed a triple and I was possibly the only group of 2 that was booked in a triple at that time. I knew when I booked that cabin as a "double" that I stood a risk of losing it. But, to your point, I sort of expected a better upgrade than I got.....but....this happened only days before sailing and there were only category D cabins left at that time. I guess I am lucky they didn't DOWNGRADE me to a category E double cabin on the side of the ship!!!!! :p

[springaussie]

I am Platinum and have never had an upgrade. But I know Cunard, P&O and Princess regular cruisers here in Oz who seem to get upgrades regularly.

This thread certainly confirms Royal are not as generous on upgrades as other cruise companies.

[Realtor at Sea]

Oasis of the Seas - Central Park balcony to JS. (May 2010)

Jewel of the Seas - JS to Grand Suite!!! Really cool upgrade with special

perks on Labadee. (Jan. 2011)

 

In the CL we started talking about upgrades and the cruisers there seemed to think upgrades came more often when you booked directly

through RCCL rather than TAs. Any input about that aspect of upgrades???