Refresh my memory re upgrades

[melb1988]

Hi all.

 

Im just wondering if I've lost my chance at a possible upgrade?

 

Have recently booked a trip on QM2 through an agency. Have sailed on her once before but that time, I booked myself through the Cunard website.

Can anyone remind me if Cunard offers the option of ticking a "do not upgrade me" box when you make the booking? I know of other cruise lines that offer this option.

 

I ask because when I originally booked through the agent, I selected a Guarantee cabin. I received confirmation of the booking which did show GAUR as the cabin type. I then changed my mind about what sector I wanted travel so I contacted the agent and asked to change my booking. Again I asked for a guarantee stateroom. I then received new confirmation about my new booking which again showed GAUR as my cabin type, but the agent had entered some details in correctly (mind you this was rather a bother changing my booking for all involved as it required communication between cunard, myself and the agent in order to organise them to allow me to carry over my original deposit to the new booking). Anyway upon receiving the correctly filled out confirmation email, I noticed that the cabin was not Guarantee, rather an actual cabin number in the category i wished to be Guaranteed in.

 

Im happy with the cabin although I always select Guarantee as i like to see if I get upgraded or not but now I'm wondering if there is still a chance i may be upgraded even though I was given an actual cabin number not a Guarantee? is it worth calling the agent to change this (although their site no longer shows availability) or will Cunard still consider upgrades for people who are not Guarantee? I logged into the voyage personalizer just to make sure that there was no "Do not upgrade" option that i could un tick, as yes, I would be happy to upgrade if they want to offer it to me or just do it!

[Salacia]

If I understand correctly, you are happy with the cabin you have been assigned. My suggestion would be to do a happy dance.

However, you can pursue the issue with your travel agent, and either tell your travel agent that you are happy with your cabin assignment and hope that it doesn't change, or tell your travel agent that you hope for an "upgrade" (knowing that not all "upgrades" are better).

 

Please excuse me if I misunderstood your question. I have no familiarity with Australian bookings so perhaps those with experience can offer better advice. Regards, -S.

[melb1988]

If I understand correctly, you are happy with the cabin you have been assigned. My suggestion would be to do a happy dance.

However, you can pursue the issue with your travel agent, and either tell your travel agent that you are happy with your cabin assignment and hope that it doesn't change, or tell your travel agent that you hope for an "upgrade" (knowing that not all "upgrades" are better).

 

Please excuse me if I misunderstood your question. I have no familiarity with Australian bookings so perhaps those with experience can offer better advice. Regards, -S.

 

Thanks for the reply :)

 

I am happy with the cabin selection but it's more because I also book Gaurentee in at the very least a category I would still be happy with if I was not to be upgraded. In this instance I had asked for a BA category Guarantee, I would have been happy with any balcony category but lucky for me the prices across the balcony categories at time of booking were exactly the same! (Weird huh?) so I took a BA Guarantee knowing that should I be uograded I would be jumping straight into Britannia club or higher! So if I wasn't upgraded no problem as I wanted a balcony at least, but should I have been uograded I would be jumping into a category offering me more! I feel as though when trying to sort out my booking when I rearanged it the agent may have just selected me a cabin number (possibly forgetting that I wanted guarantee) or perhaps when he did select Gaurentee, Cunard allocated a cabin straight away? I'm not sure? I just feel I may have missed out on a chance of an upgrade if the agent did indeed not select Gaurantee and actually selected me a cabin.

I don't think there is much I could do now as there's no longer availability for that category on the agents site.

 

Does Cunard still ever offer upgrades to people who haven't got Gaurentee cabins?

 

Thanks :)

[cruiseluvva]

Yes they do.

[Bell Boy]

About Cunard Line bookings ( I don't know about other cruise lines booking system)

 

 

Cunard have an upgrade system on one of the following;

 

 

1) The possibility of an upgrade when accepting a 'Guarantee Booking' (I think most of us go for this type of booking - I do ;) )

 

2) The possibility of an upgrade even though the customer has selected their preference of a stateroom , but only if the 'BOX' has been ticked 'Yes or No' to the possibility of an upgrade. (the box has to be ticked at the time of booking and is usually only available to the booking agent)

 

3) The possibility of an upgrade due to the customers World Club level ( in other words a frequent or return guest)

 

At the end of the day we'd all like to be offered an upgrade , but it is pot luck :(

[balf]

At the end of the day we'd all like to be offered an upgrade , but it is pot luck :(

 

 

Well this isn't quite true. We prefer the certainty of the cabin or grade we choose to the lottery of an upgrade given the fact that you don't have the possibility of refusal.

 

David.

[Bell Boy]

You sound a bit like those who say " I wouldn't want an invitation to sit at the Captains table" ;) but I take your point :)

 

 

For most people, an upgrade often makes one feel like a valued customer :)

[melb1988]

So how do I know if this 'don't not upgrade' box has been ticked by the agent!? I don't think they would tick it as it seems odd to me?

Thoughts?

[maina]

On our first Cunard voyage (QM 2 transatlantic) 2 years ago, we went through an agent, selected a particular cabin, and I believe had her check that we'd accept upgrade. Two weeks before we were to leave, we were upgraded from ocean view to sheltered balcony cabin. For our transatlantic earlier this month, we went through Cunard and selected a sheltered balcony aft as the price was lower; when I saw here on CC that others had requested and gotten upgrades, I called Cunard and we were able to switch to a midships sheltered balcony cabin at no extra charge. We did not go the guarantee route either time as we preferred to pick out the location.

[Pennbank]

So how do I know if this 'don't not upgrade' box has been ticked by the agent!? I don't think they would tick it as it seems odd to me?

Thoughts?

 

Contact him and Ask

[Bell Boy]

So how do I know if this 'don't not upgrade' box has been ticked by the agent!? I don't think they would tick it as it seems odd to me?

Thoughts?

In my experience of all my bookings ( and again only the other month for an upcoming trip on Q.Vic) I was asked by the Cunard agent ( only after selecting the category & the stateroom ) "would I object to an 'upgrade if it was offered"

 

Now I'd be foolish not to take a free lottery . :) I'm a seasoned cruiser and don't care where I am ,as long as it's not 'below' my chosen category. :)

[melb1988]

On our first Cunard voyage (QM 2 transatlantic) 2 years ago, we went through an agent, selected a particular cabin, and I believe had her check that we'd accept upgrade. Two weeks before we were to leave, we were upgraded from ocean view to sheltered balcony cabin. For our transatlantic earlier this month, we went through Cunard and selected a sheltered balcony aft as the price was lower; when I saw here on CC that others had requested and gotten upgrades, I called Cunard and we were able to switch to a midships sheltered balcony cabin at no extra charge. We did not go the guarantee route either time as we preferred to pick out the location.

 

So you were able to actually request an upgrade from Cunard and they did it for you!? That's fantastic!!!

I've never heard of that before.

[Salacia]

You sound a bit like those who say " I wouldn't want an invitation to sit at the Captains table" ;) but I take your point :)

 

 

For most people, an upgrade often makes one feel like a valued customer :)

 

On my last QM2 cruise I was "upgraded" from a sheltered balcony to a glass fronted balcony on Deck 8. It did not make me feel like a "valued customer". Frankly, it made me feel like a chump. The fare I paid at the time of booking well in advance was later reduced to the fare for Britannia Club accommodations.

 

I don't understand your comment about being invited to the Captain's table. It might be a thrill for some, but for the Captain, it is part of his or her duty (just another part of the job), and some passengers recognize it as not a social occasion, but rather an obligation - as charming as it might be.

[balf]

It may be difficult for some to understand that there are passengers who are happier with their choice of cabin than with the possibility of an upgrade which gives no choice and cannot be changed. This is presumably why the option to refuse is given.

 

Also with the captains table. I would rather dine at a "normal" table than at one where passengers are fawning at the captain and officers, even given the free wine.

 

Just my opinion. I think we are still permitted those here.

 

David.