Turned down 2 free upgrades so far. Starting to see how the game is played.

[SeagoingMom]

Passengers in cabins with a balcony do not get upgraded to window suites

I did not know that. How have you learned this fact? Knowing that would have eased my mind. (P.S. I will admit that I did not ask much of the online TA I used, though if I had asked more questions perhaps they would have been very helpful... I suppose I thought because I was getting such a great deal --big OBC-- and it was an online agency, I should not expect much in customer service, so I didn't demand much.)

[SeagoingMom]

And this is exactly why I love Dolphin Deck Mini-Suites so much. When I am on the balcony, there is nothing but ocean and sky in my field of vision. If other people want to stare at the back of my head and watch me sip a glass of wine, then so be it. I choose to believe that people on cruise ships have better things to do with their time than watch me enjoying myself. I have never understood the extreme concern some have with the "lack of privacy" of the Dolphin balconies. I have the same level of privacy there (more, actually), as I do dining in the MDR in full view of the other passengers. Is cruising on a ship with 3000 other people really the best place for people to vacation if they have extreme privacy issues? :confused:

Well, I for one can certainly understand a concern about lack of privacy on the uncovered balcony -- for example, in spite of the openness, I spent a lot of time on my balcony in my bathrobe, as I have done on all our balconies -- some folks would be embarrassed to do this with folks looking down on them, though it did not bother me. With the open balcony, we simply changed some of our behaviors to match the loss of privacy. My DH, for example, who is very modest, would probably never go out on an open balcony without a shirt on, whereas on a "private" balcony, he might. Any such behavior modifications were not a big issue for us, as we were determined to enjoy our cruise even without having an "ideal" balcony.

 

As for cruisers having "better things to do with their time than watch me enjoying myself," I would say that one of my favorite pastimes on board ship is people watching, and I imagine I am not the only one (by far) who does this! I actually spent a good deal of time on my D-deck balcony observing the folks on the balconies above me (inasmuch as this was the first time on a ship I had actually been able to do this, since I had always had covered balconies and therefore little view of others, except those at the rail.) There was even some waving and smiling at each other going on among all the pax above and below, so the atmosphere was genial.

 

I think the "privacy" issue is looked at as more important on one's balcony than in your example of the dining room -- the dining room is indisputably a "public" place, whereas most folks look at their balcony as an extension of their cabin/bedroom, and therefore a good deal more "private" -- maybe a better term is "personal"-- than the MDR. No ship's balcony I have been on is totally private, of course, but many have been close enough to it for us to behave differently than we would on the Dolphin deck; we were, therefore, cognizant of a loss of a large degree of privacy.

[SeagoingMom]

Let me address this question with respect to "cost", which isn't really a cost at that time but could be later.

 

Let's say you have a mid-aft partially obstructed (but barely) cabin that you chose and you got it for $450. Then, the sweethearts give you a free upgrade and move you into a non-obstructed on a higher floor going for $575. Very cool right?

 

Well, maybe...

 

They then drop the price of your old cabin to $375 and the new cabin price drops to $550. You see this and ask for a $75 per person price reduction.

 

Too bad. Your new "upgraded" has been lowered to $550, which is still more than the $450 you paid. So from Princess' perspective, there has not been a price drop at this point. In fact, lucky you, they'll tell you you're actually getting a $100 discount on that cabin.

 

No soup for you, or no specifically, no price reduction for you.

 

You might say, "That's cool. I like my new cabin and I'm perfectly content here, even if I can't get a price reduction".

 

Or, you might say, "Hey, there was a substantial price drop and I want that adjustment".

 

In order to get it, you have to move back into your old partially obstructed category.

 

Surprise, surprise. The best cabins (least obstructed) often go the fastest and/or they might have already put someone else in it.

 

Of course, there are still a couple of rooms in that category available...Facing the side of a lifeboat with zero view. But hey, if you want your $75 price reduction, we'll give it to you if you don't mind the new room with the boat in the way.

 

Oh...you don't want too look at the boat? Just stay in your upgraded cabin with no obstruction and you'll be good to go (no price reductions though).

 

Again, I went through this drill a couple of times. I ultimately changed it to "META" upgrade only, as I have a feeling they'd otherwise take me out of my relatively nice OW partially obstructed oceanview cabin, throw me back on the bow and immediately put someone else in my old cabin.

 

In fact, when I asked to be moved back to my old cabin for the 2nd time (moved from the non-obstructed forward cabin over the theater), I noticed that they *immediately* put someone else back in that forward cabin once I was moved out.

 

So it was like, "Let's move stockjock out and upgrade another OW obstructed instantaneously". I was online and I watched me being moved back to my old room and then, in less than 1 minute, my former forward "upgrade" room was assigned to a new passenger.

 

Got a feeling that the process is a lot more sophisticated and a lot less random than many might suppose.

 

As I also mentioned, once final payment is paid, that's when the real games begin, if there's still room. They'll run "flash sales" for new bookings only that you won't be able to match. In fact, they'll probably tell you they don't even see them and that you are getting the best price.

 

Thanks for the reiteration. My quick and dirty summary is that you got at least 100 dollars'-worth of better cabin, at no cost to you. Am I misunderstanding this?

[M4dC0w]

Here's a quick question, has anyone that had their booking listed "meta" upgrade only get an unwanted upgrade, maybe when you book ask for "meta" rather than "no", and there are better chances they will leave your booking alone. Just a thought.

[Stockjock]

Thanks for the reiteration. My quick and dirty summary is that you got at least 100 dollars'-worth of better cabin, at no cost to you. Am I misunderstanding this?

 

That statement is highly objective.

 

Take my case, where I was moved forward. I had a minimal obstruction before. Now I had no obstruction, but was in a more expensive room near the bow of the ship over the theater.

 

Did I get $100 more (or whatever) worth of cabin for free?

 

I'd say no, and by remaining in the room I'd also preclude myself from potentially taking advantage of future price drops, as future refunds or credits will be based on the rate of the "upgraded" cabin you're in, and not based on what you actually paid.

 

So...for some people, they will be perfectly fine with that, and still feel like they've gotten "something for nothing".

 

Others will feel like their "upgrade" was actually neutral, or perhaps even a practical downgrade, even though it may be an upgrade in name, category and pricing. They will also be unhappy that they might not be able to take advantage of future price reductions.

 

Thus, it all depends on your attitude and of course, where you are actually upgraded to.

 

Had they put me into a balcony, I would have remained there and there are plenty of balconies left (not many inside or oceanview). You might think this would be crazy, but past guest (not me) balconies are only going for $20 more than I paid for my partially obstructed oceanview, so they would have been able to fill a cabin in the most empty part of the ship, provide no new OBC (as they're doing for new passengers), open up a more sellable cabin at a lower price point (my old OW oceanview cabin), and possibly prevent me from taking advantage of price drops.

 

If this scenario had occurred (OV to balcony). I'm happy and win, and under current circumstances, so does Princess potentially.

 

This last part is obviously hypothetical, as I was moved to other OV cabins where I didn't remain, but not a balcony, where I would have remained.

[JimmyVWine]

... it did not bother me. With the open balcony, we simply changed some of our behaviors to match the loss of privacy....Any such behavior modifications were not a big issue for us,

See? Problem solved. Why the consternation?

I actually spent a good deal of time on my D-deck balcony observing the folks on the balconies above me (inasmuch as this was the first time on a ship I had actually been able to do this, since I had always had covered balconies and therefore little view of others, except those at the rail.) There was even some waving and smiling at each other going on among all the pax above and below, so the atmosphere was genial.

And again, situation solves itself. Rather than bemoaning the openness or the balcony, you found that you actually benefited from it.

...most folks look at their balcony as an extension of their cabin/bedroom, and therefore a good deal more "private" -- maybe a better term is "personal"-- than the MDR.

Not at all sure this is true. When one goes outside, one goes "outside". And while it may be be true for a fully enclosed balcony, one cannot have any such illusions about a balcony on Dolphin Deck. Or, frankly, at the rail of any balcony. The highly praised Caribe Deck balconies are just as "out in the open" when one is at the rail, which, as you no doubt notices when you were gazing upwards at others on the ship, is where most people spend their time outdoors.

[caribill]

I did not know that. How have you learned this fact? Knowing that would have eased my mind.

 

Mainly by postings by others on Cruise Critic.

 

Many have posted that they feared getting such an upgrade, but not one poster that had a balcony (regular or mini-suite) has posted they were "upgraded" to a window suite.

 

There have been a number of posts by people who had booked an oceanview cabin and were upgraded to a window suite.

[caribill]

I actually believe that princess agents can't see some of the flash sale pricing. Every time I have looked at a big online discount cruise site, the prices before final payment were worse or similar to booking directly with princess.

 

TAs are not allowed to advertise/post lower prices than what Princess offers. However, if you ask for a quote (and give your Captain's Circle number for the best deals), many TAs will then quote a lower price than you can get from Princess.

 

If you see any TA advertising prices higher than what Princess offers, then stay far away from that TA.

Once final payment date has passed, I have never been able to get princess to come close to the much cheaper price of online discount sites.

 

The great pricing after final payment is usually in the form of Flash Sales that are not posted on the Princess web site and are only available for new bookings. Because these are prices set by Princess, TAs can advertise them. Again, some TAs will discount the flash sale pricing if you ask for a quote.

 

 

see above in red

[caribill]

I think the "privacy" issue is looked at as more important on one's balcony than in your example of the dining room -- the dining room is indisputably a "public" place, whereas most folks look at their balcony as an extension of their cabin/bedroom, and therefore a good deal more "private" -- maybe a better term is "personal"-- than the MDR. No ship's balcony I have been on is totally private, of course, but many have been close enough to it for us to behave differently than we would on the Dolphin deck; we were, therefore, cognizant of a loss of a large degree of privacy.

 

100% of the balconies are visible to ship's staff, either directly from the bridge or via CCTV. Do not expect true privacy on any balcony.

[GandG331]

Okay, having never sailed Carnival, I have to ask... what is so bad about a Carnival cruise that you wouldn't want to go, even if it's free?

 

Having sailed with Carnival three times, I couldn't tell you. Having initially heard that Carnival was a party boat for those in their 20's and 30's, we (ages 62 and 73) were delighted to find a broad spectrum of interesting people, great service, good food, lots of activities, no excessive noise, and no troublesome overindulgers. If he gets a free Carnival cruise, we'll be happy to take it off his hands!

[shredie]

Having sailed with Carnival three times, I couldn't tell you. Having initially heard that Carnival was a party boat for those in their 20's and 30's, we (ages 62 and 73) were delighted to find a broad spectrum of interesting people, great service, good food, lots of activities, no excessive noise, and no troublesome overindulgers. If he gets a free Carnival cruise, we'll be happy to take it off his hands!

 

Some cruises are louder than others, and it depends on the itinerary. I've been on my share of Carnival ships, and some are more attractive than others. I don't know if the person who wouldn't cruise Carnival for free had ever been on one of their cruises, but I do know people are put off by the reputation, whether justified or not. I'll happily take any free Carnival cruise they want to give me. :p

[SeagoingMom]

See? Problem solved. Why the consternation?

 

And again, situation solves itself. Rather than bemoaning the openness or the balcony, you found that you actually benefited from it.

 

Not at all sure this is true. When one goes outside, one goes "outside". And while it may be be true for a fully enclosed balcony, one cannot have any such illusions about a balcony on Dolphin Deck. Or, frankly, at the rail of any balcony. The highly praised Caribe Deck balconies are just as "out in the open" when one is at the rail, which, as you no doubt notices when you were gazing upwards at others on the ship, is where most people spend their time outdoors.

You would appear to be a fan of the D-deck open balconies -- I simply am not. The fact that I made the best of my situation does not mean I would not have preferred something different. What I would have preferred was a ship without a tiered balcony configuration.

[WendyG]

As you've never cruised on Princess before, of course you wouldn't qualify for a "past passenger" rate. There's no reciprocity between the Carnival and Princess loyalty programs.

 

Sounds like you got a good rate to start with. Not sure I would have spent all that time and effort for just a few $$.

 

You might have done better in the first place by using a good discount Princess TA.

 

Well said Pam! :D

[newparks]

I took a "cheapie" 4-day cruise last January and yes, using my TA made a difference. I didn't have to "play the game."

 

There was a flash sale this past weekend, my cruise has been paid in full but my TA called on Saturday and tried to get Princess to give me an upgrade since a balcony cabin was now cheaper than what I paid for an OBV. Princess said nothing doing. So yesterday Monday, my TA called Princess again and this time talked to a Princess rep who was so cooperative, not only was I upgraded to a Balcony but I was able to keep my fantastic OBC from the original booking. You can't say enough about having a great TA who goes to bat for you!!:)

[Stockjock]

There was a flash sale this past weekend, my cruise has been paid in full but my TA called on Saturday and tried to get Princess to give me an upgrade since a balcony cabin was now cheaper than what I paid for an OBV. Princess said nothing doing. So yesterday Monday, my TA called Princess again and this time talked to a Princess rep who was so cooperative, not only was I upgraded to a Balcony but I was able to keep my fantastic OBC from the original booking. You can't say enough about having a great TA who goes to bat for you!!:)

 

I ended up with a balcony on the Baja deck and some credit as well. Had to spend a touch more, but not much.

[trvllin1]

I'm convinced that in most cases, there are ulterior motives for the so-called upgrades offered by Princess. My husband and I have been upgraded several times; in most cases to an identical stateroom that's 10 doors away from the first one. Even though I am now Elite, I've never been offered any sort of meaningful change. Most likely the change occurs not because Princess is interested in making you happier, but because someone wanted two connecting staterooms, or one with accommodation for 3rd or 4th guest, or a balcony with the inside stateroom directly opposite, and couldn't find that configuration. Makes sense for them to boot you from one stateroom if they can then sell two. I agree with the OP's reasoning that there's always a $$ advantage for Princess. I book early enough to choose a stateroom I will really like, and I have a problem with those automatic upgrades. I would like to be asked first and have the option to choose.

 

I received a visit from the "Fairy" on the Golden Princess in September, after having carefully selected my stateroom AND noted no upgrade on my reservation. At least I didn't have to argue to be returned to my original cabin - I was happy that it was still available and I got it back!. During Halloween week especially, the temptation is almost too much for me - I just think of her as the "Upgrade Witch", and hope that she stays away from my bookings!

[pablo222]

My husband and I have been upgraded several times; in most cases to an identical stateroom that's 10 doors away from the first one.

 

I agree with you. But there are many, many posts here announcing

how excited someone is for receiving the exact upgrade you describe.

 

It is a brilliant method used by Princess.

[helenb]

I'm convinced that in most cases, there are ulterior motives for the so-called upgrades offered by Princess. My husband and I have been upgraded several times; in most cases to an identical stateroom that's 10 doors away from the first one. Even though I am now Elite, I've never been offered any sort of meaningful change. Most likely the change occurs not because Princess is interested in making you happier, but because someone wanted two connecting staterooms, or one with accommodation for 3rd or 4th guest, or a balcony with the inside stateroom directly opposite, and couldn't find that configuration. Makes sense for them to boot you from one stateroom if they can then sell two. I agree with the OP's reasoning that there's always a $$ advantage for Princess. I book early enough to choose a stateroom I will really like, and I have a problem with those automatic upgrades. I would like to be asked first and have the option to choose.

 

I find this thread very interesting, because we have never been upgraded on any cruise line, ever. And we've sailed a lot, being elite on both Celebrity and Princess, with a handful of cruises on other lines as well.

 

However, we are a family of 4. When our kids were smaller, we sailed all 4 of us in one stateroom. Now that our kids are older, we usually get 2 cabins that are adjoining, or, in the case of our upcoming cruise, a balcony with an inside across the hall. based on what you have said here in this post, it seems that the reason we never get upgraded is because we have a more 'difficult configuration' and they don't have another place to put us?

 

For the record, we have never booted anyone out of their stateroom to cruise, and I would feel horrible if we did. We have always booked through our TA, picking cabins from amongst the list of what is available.

[anteaters]

DH and I found this so funny! I had been reading this strand aloud to him a couple days ago and we were both muttering how we never get any changes on our booked cabins, going guarantee and then just accepting the cabin that we receive (often it is rated as a higher up "letter" one but pretty much what we paid for.) And then that very night, I was looking at our mini-cruise coming up in a couple weeks where we had just been assigned a cabin several days before. I had been thrilled because our BF guarantee got us a BE very forward but still Caribe balcony that I like but then these several days later, it had been changed to a BD on the Baja deck in mid-aft location. At first I was disappointed since I liked the larger balcony but since it's still on a quiet deck and a good location plus only a three night cruise, we decided it wasn't worth getting on the phone to see if we could have our Caribe back. But, just very funny that we've never had a change in cabin after receiving ours until now, just the day that I was reading this thread, and although an upgrade isn't always really an upgrade like this one for us, it's still fine. We enjoy the surprise of seeing what we'll get, even though it's never been a whole-category gain.

[caribill]

I'm convinced that in most cases, there are ulterior motives for the so-called upgrades offered by Princess. My husband and I have been upgraded several times; in most cases to an identical stateroom that's 10 doors away from the first one.

 

The ulterior motive is really simple to explain.

 

Move passengers from lower priced cabin to a higher priced cabin that has little chance of getting booked.

 

Sell the now available lower priced cabin.

Edited October 30, 2014 by caribill

[princessfan12]

100% of the balconies are visible to ship's staff, either directly from the bridge or via CCTV. Do not expect true privacy on any balcony.

 

Even the aft balconies? How would they do that without putting a camera on every balcony? My dh may have given a show a couple of times:D

[SoCal Cruiser78]

Deleted.

Edited October 30, 2014 by Ryndam2002

[M4dC0w]

Even the aft balconies? How would they do that without putting a camera on every balcony? My dh may have given a show a couple of times:D

 

I noticed a cctv camera in the aft balcony in my last cruise on the Golden

[trvllin1]

I find this thread very interesting, because we have never been upgraded on any cruise line, ever. And we've sailed a lot, being elite on both Celebrity and Princess, with a handful of cruises on other lines as well.

 

However, we are a family of 4. When our kids were smaller, we sailed all 4 of us in one stateroom. Now that our kids are older, we usually get 2 cabins that are adjoining, or, in the case of our upcoming cruise, a balcony with an inside across the hall. based on what you have said here in this post, it seems that the reason we never get upgraded is because we have a more 'difficult configuration' and they don't have another place to put us?

 

For the record, we have never booted anyone out of their stateroom to cruise, and I would feel horrible if we did. We have always booked through our TA, picking cabins from amongst the list of what is available.

 

Helen, you are absolutely correct about the cabin configuration being the reason you're not getting upgrade notices. I am a retired travel agent of 20 years experience, and I know that if I had difficulty placing clients needing opposing, connecting, or quad staterooms, I could phone Princess directly, explain the situation, and as if by magic, an option would suddenly appear, usually in just a couple of minutes. What happened? Someone got an automatic upgrade. I know most people wouldn't mind that in this situation; I do think Princess should be more open about the possibility of things like this happening. Knowing this won't solve your dilemma, but I'm pretty sure that the stateroom proximity is more important to you than a miniscule upgrade that you would likely never even notice!

 

I'm not saying that Princess is an inherently evil entity, but knowing this and other of their tricks and traps, and passing them on via this medium and others just helps cruisers to try to stay even. I think it's important for all travelers these days to be informed, observant, knowledgeable about their travel plans, and stalwart in insisting that they receive what they have planned and paid for. When real issues occur, it's necessary to stand up for yourself. Satisfactory solutions can be found for some issues, but if you just lay down without a whimper, rest assured that they will surely roll right over you!

[Hawaiidan]

Doing a quickie 3 day out of Los Angeles for my girlfriend's 50th birthday, which will occur on the 2nd day of the cruise. Booked an obstructed OW oceanview for $269, but picked a cabin between lifeboats so that the obstruction is minimal and also got a bottle of Champagne.

 

Shortly thereafter, I was upgraded to a non-obstructed oceanview that was going for $349 at the time. I thought that was pretty cool.

 

But after another short time, they dropped the rate on my old cabin to $229. Called to ask for a price adjustment and they said they couldn't do that because the new room was now at $279, which is more than I paid. Asked if they could move me back to my old cabin, since it was still available. They gave me a bit of a hard time, but ultimately did it. I lost the Champagne, but picked up $12.50 per person in OBC.

 

A little bit later, they upgraded me again to a higher priced, non-obstructed oceanview room. I declined this because it was at the bow of the ship, over the theater, and also at a higher price point and I was concerned that I couldn't take advantage of future price drops, which I thought were coming as the ship was largely empty. Again, got a hard time "I'm not sure we can do that", but eventually they moved me back to my original OW cabin.

 

Next came final payment and then they did a "flash sale", which decreased prices by another 15% or so. It was advertised pretty much everywhere but on their website. Called to see if they would price adjust, but they said they "didn't see it" and that I had the best price. Later found out that flash sales are typically for new bookings after final payment is made, so they don't have to do further price adjustments for booked passengers.

 

They have a super great rate for past passengers, but apparently I can't qualify for that either.

 

Meanwhile, Carnival has a 4 night unobstructed OV 2 days later for $125, but I've been on that ship and wanted to try Golden Princess.

 

Not really complaining, so hopefully it's not coming across that way. It's just that I'm seeing how the game is played. It's kind of like a chess game, even though this is a short cheapie cruise example. I'm sure it's the same deal on longer more expensive trips.

 

These upgrades don't seem to be done altruistically. Rather, they know that by moving one into a marginally better (maybe) cabin, it will be tougher for customer's to take advantage of price drops prior to final payment. Then, if they want to go to their original cabin, if it was a decent one, it might well be gone, leaving the person to stay in their new higher priced room. Of course, after final payment, they just do "flash sales" to fill the unsold rooms and they don't have to price match those.

 

Pretty tricky. Still dreaming of a balcony upgrade, but I don't suppose that will be forthcoming, at this poing.

 

This is a classic example of pie in the sky... and why you book the cabin you want when you book to begin with. Book what you want, when you want for a price you thing fair and don't look back.... Same with cars, TV's and other stuff.

 

You have pretty killed off your chances for a better room upgrade for this cruise and maybe for the future with this line.... you shot your self in the foot on this one but good. and it and all over less than $ 20-$30 !!

I can see it if it is $500 to $1000....

Upgrades are given many times to new passengers with the hope that they will appreciate the consideration for the action and second, be sold for future cruise on a higher cruise category.

Again your actions pretty much told the cruise line sales that you would not be a candidate now or in the future. I am sure there is a note on your name and account for future reference. Put your self in the same situation... and a customer hassles and hassles you, are you going to want him as a customer?

I would doubt it.

 

Your nickel and dimming on an already cut-rate cruise is not going to endear you to the line. Second if flags you as some one who in not going to appreciate better accommodations and is totally into price and uprades would be pointless...