Question about Upgrade email we received

[jbobst]

We are booked for an October cruise on Sapphire Princess. Our final payment isn't even due until lat July. There are three of us in an inside cabin on Plaza deck. I believe we are in the lowest category possible. However, I actually like the location as we are just steps away from the forward elevators and steps away from the International cafe and the Piazza.

 

We got an email today with an upgrade offer. The upgrade is still an interior cabin, but they put us on Dolphin deck behind the aft elevator bank. While I appreciate the "upgrade" offer, I think I am going to decline as I've never agreed with the industry idea that higher up in the ship is better necessarily. We are still in an interior cabin, and now we are just farther away from any public space and are in the aft of the ship...which often means you can feel more vibration and movement (not on every ship, but some of them). My idea of an upgrade goes: Interior - Oceanview - Balcony - Mini Suite - Full Suite.

 

My questions are:

 

1. If I decline this upgrade, does this mean that they won't offer us any other upgrade on this sailing again? Meaning, in the slight chance there are actual real upgrades (to an ocean view or balcony), will they not bother asking us since we declined this upgrade?

 

2. I have no idea what the reason is for this upgrade offer, but could it be that maybe a family might need our original cabin for some reason, and because I am declining the upgrade, I might cause more hassle for other passengers? It would seem to me that there would have to be other options for families that need adjoining cabins, but I would hate to decline this upgrade if it could help out a family (for example). Our room is not an adjoining cabin, but maybe because it's capable of holding more than two passengers, maybe some family needs it? Of course the upgrade cabin also holds more than two people.

 

3. Do most upgrade offers always stay in the same type of cabin? Meaning, does anyone in an inside cabin ever get offered a real upgrade to an oceanview or balcony? If an oceanview or above cabin upgrade was ever offered to me, I would accept it no matter what the location! I just have a hard time leaving the Plaza deck location if I am going to get another inside cabin farther away from public spaces...regardless if it's higher up in the decks.

 

4. Since this cruise is still months away from happening, it seems strange that they are already offering upgraded cabins (their definition, not mine :). Anyone know how they determine upgrade offers? It seems like if the sailing was really close, and they had unsold cabins in higher cabins, they would offer them, but being so far out, it just doesn't make sense.

 

Thanks for any insight!

 

P.S. I hope I am not sounding like I am complaining about the upgrade offer. Even though I'll probably decline it, it just got me curious about the process.

[Pam in CA]

Upgrades are based on supply and demand. If you decide not to accept, you're still eligible for an upgrade, as are most of the other cabins as that's the default for all bookings.

 

Cabin categories are based more on perception than an individual's preference. It's the perception that the higher the deck, the more desirable. That's not necessarily true. An inside is an inside is an inside, the only difference is location. There are a few insides that have a different layout that's perpendicular to the hallway that those who know about jump at as the layout is roomier.

 

If it were me, I'd keep the location I like and adjust my booking that I would accept a meta upgrade. A meta upgrade is one to a higher cabin type, such as an inside to an outside, outside to a balcony, etc.

[caribill]

We are booked for an October cruise on Sapphire Princess. Our final payment isn't even due until lat July. There are three of us in an inside cabin on Plaza deck. I believe we are in the lowest category possible. However, I actually like the location as we are just steps away from the forward elevators and steps away from the International cafe and the Piazza.

 

We got an email today with an upgrade offer. The upgrade is still an interior cabin, but they put us on Dolphin deck behind the aft elevator bank. While I appreciate the "upgrade" offer, I think I am going to decline as I've never agreed with the industry idea that higher up in the ship is better necessarily. We are still in an interior cabin, and now we are just farther away from any public space and are in the aft of the ship...which often means you can feel more vibration and movement (not on every ship, but some of them). My idea of an upgrade goes: Interior - Oceanview - Balcony - Mini Suite - Full Suite.

 

My questions are:

 

1. If I decline this upgrade, does this mean that they won't offer us any other upgrade on this sailing again? Meaning, in the slight chance there are actual real upgrades (to an ocean view or balcony), will they not bother asking us since we declined this upgrade? You still might be offered another upgrade. However, since you are in a cabin for three, that will limit the number of other cabins available for you to be upgraded to.

 

2. I have no idea what the reason is for this upgrade offer, but could it be that maybe a family might need our original cabin for some reason, and because I am declining the upgrade, I might cause more hassle for other passengers? It would seem to me that there would have to be other options for families that need adjoining cabins, but I would hate to decline this upgrade if it could help out a family (for example). Our room is not an adjoining cabin, but maybe because it's capable of holding more than two passengers, maybe some family needs it? Of course the upgrade cabin also holds more than two people. Probably the offer was made because the higher price category is not selling as well as they would like. If you accept the upgrade offer, then they can resell the lower price category cabin you are currently assigned.

 

3. Do most upgrade offers always stay in the same type of cabin? Meaning, does anyone in an inside cabin ever get offered a real upgrade to an oceanview or balcony? If an oceanview or above cabin upgrade was ever offered to me, I would accept it no matter what the location! I just have a hard time leaving the Plaza deck location if I am going to get another inside cabin farther away from public spaces...regardless if it's higher up in the decks. Yes, most upgrades are to the same type cabin. However, unless you have the reservation marked "will not accept upgrade", the upgrade (any type) can be made without asking you first. There is now an option that you can pick (ask your TA or Princess if you booked directly) which says you will only accept an upgrade to the next type cabin (called a meta upgrade).

 

4. Since this cruise is still months away from happening, it seems strange that they are already offering upgraded cabins (their definition, not mine :). Anyone know how they determine upgrade offers? It seems like if the sailing was really close, and they had unsold cabins in higher cabins, they would offer them, but being so far out, it just doesn't make sense. It makes sense from a supply/demand basis. I have had an upgrade as quickly as a couple of hours after the reservation was made...and this was months before final payment.

 

Thanks for any insight!

 

P.S. I hope I am not sounding like I am complaining about the upgrade offer. Even though I'll probably decline it, it just got me curious about the process.

 

 

See above in red

[paul929207]

How long do you have to accept or decline. I would not waste too much time or Princess may decide for you.

[runnerodb83]

From the information I have collected, upgrades within the same type of cabin type account for 85% of upgrades, possibly even more with quads. Meaning, if you get another upgrade, there's only about a 15% chance it will be to an oceanview or better.

 

As Pam noted, there are many supply and demand factors, and many that we cannot see like the cruiseline can. If I were you, I would check how the other categories are selling. In my sparetime, I've been developing a list of all cabins and categories on each ship, while I havent developed the list for the Sapphire/Diamond yet, other grand class ships have over 70 quad/triple cabins that are inside cabins spread pretty evenly among the inside categories. Oceanview categories have about half that number, and many are on plaza deck. If you book a higher category triple/quad room hoping for an upgrade, the good news is that if you get upgraded, you have a shorter "climb" to a OV, balcony, minisuite, etc, the bad news is, there are fewer total cabins to get upgraded to.

 

Perhaps you can watch the cruise fares and book the highest inside quad/triple you would be happy with and then perhaps you will get an upgrade to an OV. It sounds like the higher categories are not selling well, but that may only be among inside cabins.

 

It's been echoed a lot, book the cabin you will be happy with and then most upgrade offers are a nice little extra.

[jbobst]

Thanks for all the replies. I went ahead and respectfully declined the upgrade, as we really like the lowest category Plaza deck cabins the best. The Princess agent was helpful and got our original cabin back to us. She also said that she marked our reservation for a preference of and ocean view or above cabin, should another upgrade round happen (doesn't everyone with an inside want an ocean view or above ;)?).

 

Regardless of any future upgrades, we are thrilled to be on the Sapphire and like our inside location.

[sherryf]

Thanks for all the replies. I went ahead and respectfully declined the upgrade, as we really like the lowest category Plaza deck cabins the best. The Princess agent was helpful and got our original cabin back to us. She also said that she marked our reservation for a preference of and ocean view or above cabin, should another upgrade round happen (doesn't everyone with an inside want an ocean view or above ;)?).

 

I think you made the right choice.

 

I love the Plaza deck insides - we're booked in one for our cruise in July. I would never accept an "upgrade" to an inside in any other location. I also wouldn't accept an obstructed oceanview. It just wouldn't be worth losing my preferred location to look at a lifeboat all week. I would consider an unobstructed oceanview or higher... but they've never offered so far. :(