For those that have been upgraded to suites...

[runnerodb83]

If you've been one of the fortunate that have been upgraded to a suite, a few questions (not a minisuite):

• What category did you originally book?
  
• Was it just you and one other or were there 3 or 4?
  
• When did you find out?
  

Thanks.

[DebJ14]

Originally booked a minisuite Guarantee (ME or above). Got a good cabin assignment on that in an MA. Got the offer to upgrade to the full suite for $399.00. Found out about a month before sailing. My TA contacted me immediately with the offer and we took about a day until we said yes, which was stupid on our part. DH was reluctant since the cruisetour was already quite expensive. Our TA called immediately and got voicemail. They return the calls in the order they were received. The next morning at 8am she got the callback and they had one suite left. She took it. The Princess rep said that the previous caller did not answer their phone, so they did not get the suite.

[e71465]

What category did you originally book? A mid ship balcony room on the Dolphin deck

Was it just you and one other or were there 3 or 4? It was just the 2 of us

When did you find out? While I was updating my credit card information on the princess web page. No one called or asked us if we wanted an upgrade.

[Gunner22aa]

Princess has been moving to the Upsell route as opposed to free upgrade for some time. The upsell offers can be quite good. Our next cruise has not had a suite available for a couple of months and it's still 300 days away. There is always the possibility of a cancellation but there could very well be a waiting list as well.

[truckmaker]

On our Cape Horn cruise, that later became known as the 'Santiago earthquake cruise' we originally booked an AA mini. Over 100 days prior to sailing we were upgraded to one of the aft suites on the Star. No charge pure upgrade.

[xavier]

If you've been one of the fortunate that have been upgraded to a suite, a few questions (not a minisuite):

• What category did you originally book?
  
• Was it just you and one other or were there 3 or 4?
  
• When did you find out?
  

Thanks.

 

Always book a guarantee mini suite. Once got true free upgrade to a VS suite once got upsell offer to a PS suite. Almost always get "upgraded" in the mini suite category.

[Pam in CA]

Originally booked a minisuite Guarantee (ME or above). Got a good cabin assignment on that in an MA. Got the offer to upgrade to the full suite for $399.00.

That's an upsell, not an upgrade (which would be free.) While a bargain, you paid for the full suite. Princess rarely upgrades to full suites.

[jfgdbg]

We originally booked a AC Mini (721) on the Diamond Princess for a 32 day cruise, Bangkok to Whittier. We (just 2, my husband and me) were upgraded to a Vista Suite and found out about it 4 days before sailing. It was wonderful.

[CruisingJs]

If you've been one of the fortunate that have been upgraded to a suite, a few questions (not a minisuite):

• What category did you originally book?
  
• Was it just you and one other or were there 3 or 4?
  
• When did you find out?
  

Thanks.

Ours was a $399 upsell offer which we took. We upgraded from an AD mini-suite to a penthouse suite about a month before our Alaska cruise. It was just the two of us. Sweet deal. I would take that any time.

[busymomofboys]

• What category did you originally book? It was our first cruise- we were in an AA mini got upgraded to a full suite
  
• Was it just you and one other or were there 3 or 4? There were 2 of us booked
  
• When did you find out? We found out maybe 45 days out- got an email telling us we were upgraded unless we contacted them within 48 hours. Hubby asked did I want it. I was like sure- boy now that I have been in one I would whoop and holler if I got upgraded to a suite again. Did not take advantage of all the freebies being a newbie- now I would know and enjoy more of the extras.
  

[akeasley]

Was upgraded from a mini-suite (don't remember which kind) to a full suite. There was two of us and we were informed of the upgrade 3 days before we sailed. It was a really nice surprise :)

[Big Timber]

On a transatlantic (Venice to Rio), I was upgraded from a mini to a full suite. Did not receive a call, it appeared on my booking about 2 weeks before the sailing and I had the cabin as a solo. On the same cruise, my sister was upgraded from an inside to a balcony cabin.

[Tak8]

I booked a mini suite on The Golden. It was for 3, 2 adults/1 teenager. I found out about 2 weeks before cruise. I didn't tell the rest of the family until we boarded. Great experience. I would add it was my first Princess cruise. Some say it happens more to first timers. I don't know. I just enjoyed it. Great aft cabin.

[Luvmyrotti]

We booked an AD guarantee mini and were assigned an AA. Two days prior to leaving for our cruisetour we were upgraded (no charge) to a vista suite. They were smart to do it. While our cruise after that we booked a mini, for our last couple and next cruise we've booked full suites. It's hard to go back once you sail in a full suite.

[Seal]

Been up-graded to a full suite twice from mini-suites---we were notified just FEW DAYS BEFORE BOARDING IN BOTH CASES--Don't want to sound ungrateful but both were the same type mid ship, under the pool deck--very noisy from above--should have kept the mini suites--after the first one I couldn't believe it was the same on the second one---The strange thing about both of them was that we always mean to mark NO UPGRADE--apparently we forgot on the first one and then we Un-marked the one that became our second upgrade--both up-grades were within one month.

 

Nancy:D:D

[Bimmer09]

We had booked a mini suite on Dolphin deck, Crown Princess, Southern Caribbean Jan 2012-our 2nd Princess cruise. On the Monday before our Saturday sailing our Princess assigned booking agent called and asked if we wanted a free upgrade to a suite. I said that all depends on the location as I wanted to avoid L102 and 103. Answer was C749 -aft. The word AFT got a YES answer.

 

Once we experienced the suite and the aft location (and the perks) we booked the same cabin (different #) on the Diamond (Alaska) and Ruby (E Caribbean)

Have also booked it on Royal (Caribe S2) and the Ocean (6088) which are both in the future, neither of which are free, but rather the opposite!

 

Time-wise we can only cruise a maximum of twice a year and are running out of years (not LOL) so we want to savor the cruise to the max and book suites.

 

A side benefit is that we have reached Platinum status in 4 cruises and reach Elite in 5 more, two of which are already booked- suite bookings count as two cruises in the tally.

 

Norris

[ndgolden]

When you get an upsell offer of $399, is that per person or for the suite?

[Gunner22aa]

All prices are per person

[runnerodb83]

thanks all for the info. Seems like the consensus is that "upgrades" to suites were given shortly before sailing for folks who had booked minisuites. Doesn't sound like the group im traveling with will qualify, oh well!

[doe326]

Booked an AA mini on Panama Canal cruise (our 2nd with Princess). Got upgrade notice about 3-4 days before we sailed. Loved the suite but will not pay for one. Would rather taken two cruises instead of one.:D

[Cancun01]

That's an upsell, not an upgrade (which would be free.) While a bargain, you paid for the full suite. Princess rarely upgrades to full suites.

 

I believe Pam's line of thinking to be correct. We have been upgraded (i.e. free) twice from a mini to a full suite. Both times we paid top dollar in that our TA did not do us any favours as far as any discounts went - not even a cheap bottle of wine. Although free upgrades are allegedly randomly selected I have always suspected that there was a correlation with the amount paid....by extension an indirect up sell. I may be very wrong .....but there are very few things that are entirely free ....that being said....I do indeed wish the op good luck....the breakfast is great!!!!

[Cruzman]

We booked (DD and myself) a mini suite cabin E 731 on the Crown, 2011 Thanksgiving sailing. Got a call from my TA about 10 days before our sailing advising that we were upgraded to Vista Suite E 732. This was a complementary upgrade that we thoroughly enjoyed!

[Bimmer09]

I believe Pam's line of thinking to be correct. We have been upgraded (i.e. free) twice from a mini to a full suite. Both times we paid top dollar in that our TA did not do us any favours as far as any discounts went - not even a cheap bottle of wine. Although free upgrades are allegedly randomly selected I have always suspected that there was a correlation with the amount paid....by extension an indirect up sell. I may be very wrong .....but there are very few things that are entirely free ....that being said....I do indeed wish the op good luck....the breakfast is great!!!!

 

Not sure how you figure that there is an indirect up-sell when no extra money changes hands for an upgrade from say a mini-suite to full suite?

 

I got a free upgrade just like that. I did pay full price via Princess (no TA) and was happy with my mini-suite price. Getting a PH suite didn't cost a penny extra so it was a huge bonus...so there are some things that are entirely free.

 

In my case, for Princess it was a gesture that paid dividends. We have booked 4 cruises in suites since that day and spend freely while on board.

 

The breakfast is indeed excellent.

 

Norris

[OCruisers]

We have been on many cruises with Princess but have only been given a n/c Fairy upgrade from a mini suite to a full suite twice and none recently.

 

On a Panama Canal cruise on which we were doing for a B2B ...they offered us (through our TA) an upgrade to a full suite for the first sailing but not the for the last sailing. We did not accept the offer because we don't like to change cabins in the middle of a cruise. At least they did offer before just moving us which they actually have the right to do.

 

LuLu

~~~

[Cancun01]

If you pay a non-discounted $2100 for your AA ( under the old stateroom classification) and everyone else in AA staterooms have paid a discounted amount between $1400 to 1600 you have in effect paid $700 to $500 more than everyone else in that category for the same product - and a week before the cruise Princess sends an email and upgrades (free) you to an unsold suite...you have actually paid for that upgrade indirectly....even though no additional money changes hands and from outward appearances it is complementary...but Princess actually got an extra $500-$700 from you for the upgrade - no different than a visible up sell....it is just a different way to look at things...Princess like every other business works within certain margins...I note that everyone who has posted that they were upgraded to a suite had already booked in a mini....the complementary upgrades

we have received were a GREAT bargain and we thoroughly enjoyed them but I do not believe for one minute that they were completely free.