Last minute upgrades?

[websiteauthor]

We're going out on a RCI cruise in a few weeks. Currently we have an outside stateroom waaaaaaaaaaay up on top on Deck 12. All my co-workers are telling me we should upgrade to a balcony - unfortunately, at time of booking the balcony rooms were a lot more expensive and we couldn't afford that.

 

Does the cruise line typically offer any discounts for last minute upgrades?

 

This will be my first cruise so I'm completely unfamiliar with all this.

[cruiserking]

We're going out on a RCI cruise in a few weeks. Currently we have an outside stateroom waaaaaaaaaaay up on top on Deck 12. All my co-workers are telling me we should upgrade to a balcony - unfortunately, at time of booking the balcony rooms were a lot more expensive and we couldn't afford that.

 

Does the cruise line typically offer any discounts for last minute upgrades?

 

This will be my first cruise so I'm completely unfamiliar with all this.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic Websiteauthor. Once you have made your final payment you cannot get any discounts. You picked a great cruise line, have a wonderful cruise.

 

Jonathan

[xxoocruiser]

Though final payment has past you can't get any refunds or OBC (on board credit ) but you can upgrade your cabin if the balcony cabin price has dropped to or below what your paid for your Deck 12 Panoramic Oceanview Cabin.

 

Your best to call your TA or RCCL ( which ever you booked directly with) to check out if switching is an option.

 

FYI - The Deck 12 Panoramic Oceanview rooms were added backed in February 2014 during Navigator's refurbishment. The rooms are all new and have a beautiful floor to ceiling windows unlike a conventional oceanview cabin on a lower deck.

[websiteauthor]

Thanks for the welcome and the replies!

 

I'm a bit surprised that they wouldn't try to upsell their passengers with discounted upgrades to better staterooms, like the airlines do with business class seats right before take-off. But like I say, I'm completely ignorant about all this so it really helps to get everyone's feedback.

 

Sounds like our current room is pretty cool, xxoo. They don't have pictures of it on the RCI site or other sites that I've checked out. I guess the renovations are too new. I will be sure to get pictures of the room so others can see what it looks like.

[xxoocruiser]

This link http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2041982&highlight=navigator+panoramic+cabins has a photo of a Navigator Family Panoramic Cabin . The windows are the same for the a regular Navigator Panoramic Cabin.

[websiteauthor]

That window really does look nice!

[culinarc]

This link http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2041982&highlight=navigator+panoramic+cabins has a photo of a Navigator Family Panoramic Cabin . The windows are the same for the a regular Navigator Panoramic Cabin.

 

I'll take it!

[CowPrincess]

We're going out on a RCI cruise in a few weeks. Currently we have an outside stateroom waaaaaaaaaaay up on top on Deck 12. All my co-workers are telling me we should upgrade to a balcony - unfortunately, at time of booking the balcony rooms were a lot more expensive and we couldn't afford that.

 

Does the cruise line typically offer any discounts for last minute upgrades?

 

This will be my first cruise so I'm completely unfamiliar with all this.

 

(bolding mine)

Nice of other people to decide how you should spend your money :D

 

We've travelled in plenty of non-balcony cabins and enjoyed each cruise. If you can't have a balcony, please don't worry about it. Enjoy being on vacation on a ship, with someone you care about :)

[websiteauthor]

(bolding mine)

Nice of other people to decide how you should spend your money :D

 

We've travelled in plenty of non-balcony cabins and enjoyed each cruise. If you can't have a balcony, please don't worry about it. Enjoy being on vacation on a ship, with someone you care about :)

 

LOL naw, it's not like that. Just people who have done cruises making suggestions that they think would help me improve our trip.

 

Sitting on a balcony in the morning would be nice, and if I could upgrade last minute for a good price I'd do it. Otherwise, I'll "struggle" with the floor to ceiling window in our room LOL I'm glad we have a window and the pictures look like the window in our current room is awesome.

[dancinman66]

YeH depends on how many available though

 

 

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[Donray]

OP have you called and asked????????

[websiteauthor]

Donray - it's not last minute so it's too soon to call about last minute upgrades.

 

I was asking, as a first-time cruiser, what opportunities may arise in the days before the cruise starts in general, and not specifically for our upcoming cruise. I know you experienced cruisers know what is coming - will we get emails with offers? Does it make sense to call a few days before? Does RCI post updates on their space with last-minute upgrades?

 

Just trying to find out what we might expect and if there are typically any ideas people might have to take advantage of opportunities.

[CraftyEC]

It doesn't necessarily have to be 'last minute'. Keep a track of the price of your booked stateroom, and if the prices drop enough that a higher category room is the same or less than you paid for yours then you can contact the cruise line (directly or through your TA) and ask for them to 'upgrade' you to the category you would be able to buy currently for the price you paid.

We did it on one cruise and the price dropped that we moved from the cheapest outside view to one of the higher balcony categories. I just checked the prices on the cruise line website every few weeks and tracked them until around final payment date, or perhaps it was a little later.

[dorisis]

Many cruisers don't want balconies. The money is often better spent on tours of the ports.

[CraftyEC]

Many cruisers don't want balconies. The money is often better spent on tours of the ports.

 

True, but in our case we had already spent the money, couldn't get a refund or a drop in price, so we took the upgrade happily.

[websiteauthor]

Many cruisers don't want balconies. The money is often better spent on tours of the ports.

 

This was our original thinking as well . . . when several of my co-workers suggested I look into upgrading, that made me wonder if the cruiselines typically offered last minute upgrades to fill empty suites or higher level rooms and pull in a little more $.

 

From what people are saying here it sounds like they don't send out any emails in the last week to offer last-minute upgrades, but they may change prices so you just have to keep calling the cruiseline to find out.

 

I'm getting daily emails from RCI to promote excursions and drink packages and everything else . . . so an attempt to sell upgrades with an email seemed like a reasonable possibility, which is why I brought up the question here.

[RSLeesburg]

This was our original thinking as well . . . when several of my co-workers suggested I look into upgrading, that made me wonder if the cruiselines typically offered last minute upgrades to fill empty suites or higher level rooms and pull in a little more $.

 

 

 

From what people are saying here it sounds like they don't send out any emails in the last week to offer last-minute upgrades, but they may change prices so you just have to keep calling the cruiseline to find out.

 

 

 

I'm getting daily emails from RCI to promote excursions and drink packages and everything else . . . so an attempt to sell upgrades with an email seemed like a reasonable possibility, which is why I brought up the question here.

 

 

Yes. The best is to watch the prices on your own, and then contact TA or RCI directly if you see a balcony or suited price drop down to something affordable to you.

 

The only problem this year is the ever-changing, almost never-ending "new" deals that RCI is offering for new bookings, so hard to tell when you can take advantage of a price drop (without having to cancel and rebook). But, just to let you know - there are probably lots of your fellow cruisers who are monitoring prices and looking for cheaper upgrades, which is one reason that RCI does not need to send out emails. Those deals, when they appear, vanish quickly...

 

Enjoy your first cruise! It will be special with or without a balcony!

 

 

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[dancinman66]

Last minute upgrades are a way of cashing in on current clients for that cruise to increase revenue

Captive market

Easier to sell low cabins last

Minute to people not already committed and upgrade those who are committed

 

 

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[wassup4565]

I have experienced the cruise line calling TA once and offering us a significant upgrade ($10 a day each for more amenities, access to special venues) two weeks before cruise. I guess they had not sold out the higher category and had some demand for our category. For $10 a day each, it was a good deal.

 

On a recent Caribbean cruise, our aft balcony cabin was next to a hugely swanky suite (private hot tub, outdoor dining table, many loungers, etc.) The thing was, the people in that suite never actually did much with all those amenities, that I could see. I wasn't peering, but they were practically never out there at all.

 

I eventually decided the cruise line had not sold that luxury suite, and offered it to this family group at a bargain price. That could have freed up two or three balcony suites to sell. Makes business sense.

Edited August 26, 2014 by wassup4565