Celebrity Cruises Introduces Upgrade Program for Loyal Cruisers

[JustAGirl79]

Anyone else just get the Celebrity email about the reduced rate upgrade program? Thoughts? I understand not getting "extra" Captain's Club points for the upgrade, but will we keep "perks" from our original booking? I booked my next cruise under the old 123 GO promotion...

[Chrissit]

I am excited to announce the new Celebrity Cruises Reduced Rate Upgrade Program we have designed based on the feedback from our amazing Loyalty members. We look forward to implementing this program over the next several weeks starting with testing in the North American market, and then expanding this to other regions of the world.

 

What is it?

The Celebrity Cruises Reduced Rate Upgrade Program offers Captain's Club members the opportunity to upgrade their Stateroom or Suite at the "last minute" (within 45 days of sailing) based on availability. To be clear, these upgrades will not be presented for every sailing, or even most sailings. Instead, this is a new way for us to adjust our inventory as we get closer to individual sail dates while giving you the chance to upgrade your stateroom or Suite at a great rate.

 

How does it work?

When these Reduced Rate Upgrades are made available, our valuable Captain's Club members will be given a one-day advanced notice to take advantage of the offer. The notification will be made only by email and sent to you or your travel agent. Should you be the lucky recipient of one of these offers, please call us immediately for details and to check on remaining inventory, as the upgrades are provided on a first-come, first-served basis and are reliant on availability.

 

What can I do?

If you haven't already done so, please make sure to check your email permissions on file with us. If you have "opted out" from receiving promotional emails from Celebrity Cruises, then you will unfortunately not receive these Reduced Rate Upgrade offers, as they are only available to those guests who have "opted in" to receive special promotions from Celebrity Cruises by email. Also make sure that you or your travel agent have added your Captain's Club number to all reservations. Further, it is important that your email address is included on your reservation. Doing these things will ensure that you receive these offers before non-loyalty members and also enable you to receive all your loyalty benefits while on board. If you book through a travel agency, it is essential that your agent is aware of your interest in obtaining an upgrade at a discounted cost if/when they are offered.

 

To check: celebritycruises.com/login > Sign In > Click on 'Profile' > 'Communication Preferences'

 

Important note:

Should you choose to take advantage of a Reduced Rate Upgrade, you will not be awarded Club Points for the higher category of stateroom or suite. Rather, Club Points will be awarded based on the original stateroom or suite category you purchased at the time of booking, as the benefit received is the reduced rate itself.

 

As an example, if you initially booked a 10-night cruise in an AquaClass® stateroom—earning 5 Club Points per night—and then opt to take advantage of a Reduced Rate Upgrade Offer to a Sky Suite—that would normally earn 8 Club Points per night, you will earn 5 Club Points per night for those 10 nights, for a total of 50 Club Points.

 

You asked, and we listened!

Captain's Club members have been asking us to formalize our last-minute upgrade process, and we are excited to announce that it is finally here! Again, Reduced Rate Upgrades will not be available on all sailings, but when they are offered, be sure to contact us right away to improve your chance of securing an upgrade before they are gone.

 

As always, we realize that you have a choice when making your vacation plans, and we greatly value your loyalty to Celebrity Cruises! We are always eager to hear your feedback—that is how we continue to evolve as a company, make program changes such as this, and provide our guests with the best loyalty program at sea.

 

Looking forward to seeing you back on board soon!

[Kreative03]

Curious as to how this will impact those of us who used to buy up to higher categories....it doesn't speak to any impact on that, but one has to wonder.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Just received this email as well. If the had done their homework, they'd have known that we book suites to begin with. Perhaps they can come up with some benefit (OBC? :) ) for those of us who ponied up for one in the first place.

 

Sort of like first class seats on flights... I suppose I should just feel happy for the guy in front of me who was bumped up for free! :D

 

Tom

[crazycatlady82]

Wondering how this will impact the 123go promo...Id love to upgrade but haven't because of the great promo!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We received the email also. Would be interested in upgrading to a RS on our next cruise but they have been sold out for months. Our other cruises are in a RS and I don't know what we would do with all the space in a Penthouse Suite.

[dkjretired]

Just received email about a new Captains Club upgrade program which will allow CC members to upgrade to a higher category up to 45 minutes before sailing. You can upgrade from AQ to sky suite as an example under this program

[BEAV]

I just received the email as well.

 

I have to assume any perks in your originally booked category would remain intact if/when Celebrity contacts YOU with the upgrade offer.

 

Their program sounds very similar to the Princess "upsell" model. Princess emails you (or your TA if booked through one) offering paid (but reduced) upgrades. If interested, you call a designated phone number, leave a message with your ship/sail date, booking number, etc and wait for them to contact you back. Calls responding to the offer are answered in the order received. We booked a November Princess cruise in September (full payment was due immediately). 3 days after booking Princess emailed me with an upgrade offer (mini-suite to full suite). I immediately responded and Princess returned my call 3 hours later.

 

As the email states, this won't happen on each and every voyage. Only those sailings where they have certain categories needing to be liquidated.

Edited November 4, 2015 by BEAV

[Gone Fishing]

It is an upsell offer. We will have to wait and see what the "reduced rates" upgrades are. I am sure people will post if/when it happens.

 

The upsell fairy works in mysterious ways :)

Edited November 4, 2015 by Gone Fishing

[bhughey]

Just received this email as well. If the had done their homework, they'd have known that we book suites to begin with. Perhaps they can come up with some benefit (OBC? :) ) for those of us who ponied up for one in the first place.

 

Sort of like first class seats on flights... I suppose I should just feel happy for the guy in front of me who was bumped up for free! :D

 

Tom

 

I imagine the email went to everyone on their mailing list, I doubt their systems have the ability to search passenger booking behaviors to remove those that already book suites - and of course, they have no crystal ball to predict whether or not you will book suites in the future.

 

Do you always book the highest category available? If not, perhaps you could upgrade from the RS to the Penthouse?

 

And regarding flights & first class upgrades - quite often, airlines offer upgrades at the gate for a nominal fee. The past two times I've flown first class it was by taking advantage of such offers before boarding. Same concept that X is rolling out.

[chamima]

We just got an email about this program.

It sounds enticing as we are in Aqua and for the right price I'd love to try Luminae.

 

My question is what will happen to our "benefits" if we upgrade?

(We booked under the Spring 1,2,3 program and we currently have a classic drinks package, pre-paid gratuities and $650 in OBC ($300 from the 1,2,3 and $350 because we booked onboard)

I can't think of any upgrade worth losing all that.

 

 

Also, will the upgrade be a suite guarantee or will they offer specific cabins.

 

 

Official Celebrity poster- help on this one, please!

[Boxerlover2]

Just received email about a new Captains Club upgrade program which will allow CC members to upgrade to a higher category up to 45 minutes before sailing. You can upgrade from AQ to sky suite as an example under this program

 

 

Is it 45 minutes or 45 days? My email stated 45 days, unless missed some other information.

[Jane2357]

The upgrade offer is with 45 DAYS -- not 45 minutes. You are emailed an offer to PAY a fee to upgrade. Plus because the UPGRADE is considered a perk - you only get the Captains's Club points of the cabin class you originally booked. So if you end up in a Sky suite from an Aqua - you get the Aqua points x number of days. They say this new program was due to CC customers feedback -- so looks like free upgrades, as rare as they were - are most likely gone.

[Classynfun1]

It will be interesting to see what this looks like!

 

We are going on our honeymoon in December and I have been watching our cruise like a hawk to PAY full fare for an upgrade. No cabins above a sky suite have come open at all!

Edited November 4, 2015 by Classynfun1

[K.T.B.]

My only question is do we keep the perks we picked when we booked? If getting an upgrade means, for example, losing the drink package, then forget it. If we can upgrade and keep everything "as is" on the booking (perks, etc.), then I'll consider it.

[Jane2357]

The upgrades are not a FREE upgrade - you have to pay - and the offer to do so will be emailed to you. I'm not sure how they will decided who gets an email.

[cle-guy]

A friend of mine on our upcoming Connie 9 night leaving Nov 28, got an offer to upgrade from his A2 to an S2 for a flat $500 (not per person, just flat $500). This happened last Monday/Tuesday. At the time, there was 18% open cabins.

 

I noticed the day he got this offer that all 9 remaining suites disappeared and lesser categories reopened as the day went on. There were 5 sky, 2 RS, 1 PH and 1 CS left before the offer went out. Now there are 2A, 2B and 07's left. Today we have 4% open cabins.

 

Getting people out of lesser cabins opens up lower priced cabins which are easier to fill than the suites last minute.

 

Now I know that if I plan to snag an upgrade to look prior to 45 days out if I want to ensure I get something, and not rely on the upgrade fairy to be the lucky caller.

[kenevenpar]

Can't get excited until we know how much it will cost, and do we keep all our perks (I am assuming so, otherwise it is worthless).

[BEAV]

A friend of mine on our upcoming Connie 9 night leaving Nov 28, got an offer to upgrade from his A2 to an S2 for a flat $500 (not per person, just flat $500). This happened last Monday/Tuesday. At the time, there was 18% open cabins.

 

I noticed the day he got this offer that all 9 remaining suites disappeared and lesser categories reopened as the day went on. There were 5 sky, 2 RS, 1 PH and 1 CS left before the offer went out. Now there are 2A, 2B and 07's left. Today we have 4% open cabins.

 

 

Did =X= only offer your friend the upgrade to S2, or other, higher category suites as well? With Princess, I was given two upgrade offers into two different full suite categories.

[Caribbean Chris]

Just received this email as well. If the had done their homework, they'd have known that we book suites to begin with. Perhaps they can come up with some benefit (OBC? :) ) for those of us who ponied up for one in the first place.

 

Sort of like first class seats on flights... I suppose I should just feel happy for the guy in front of me who was bumped up for free! :D

 

Tom

 

Unless you always book the top suite on the ship (we don't), it sounds as though the email offer still applies to you and me and other suite-purchasers, assuming a higher suite category is open.

 

Holland America has been doing this kind of up-selling by email offer for years.

[rose6]

I regard this "reduced rate upgrade" program as a marketing ploy to increase the cruise line's revenue. If the cruise line really wished to reward customer loyalty they would be offering FREE upgrades as they have occasionally done in the past.

[Jane2357]

I think we need to get a couple of threads merged together here. :) Agree

 

Anyway, I would LIKE to think that, based on category, that it's "first booked, first emailed". Meaning you and I would be in prime position 45 days out from our cruise in May, Jane. ;)

 

Kevin - that might be an offer that I WOULD refuse :eek: I've got a prime aft facing cabin - one of the Aqua cabins on deck 11 - #1138. :D Aft in Alaska - so unless they offer me the Penthouse - no. If they offer upgrades to other suites - I' bet for our North bound cruise that they will all be on the port (wrong) side although really that wouldn't be a deal breaker.

 

My next cruise - 2017 - we have a Celebrity suite and ALL suites are SOLD out well over a year in advance. I won't be watching for an email on that one.

[BEAV]

My next cruise - 2017 - we have a Celebrity suite and ALL suites are SOLD out well over a year in advance. I won't be watching for an email on that one.

 

I hear you, but sold out a year in advance doesn't always translate to sold out 45 days in advance......

[K.T.B.]

Kevin - that might be an offer that I WOULD refuse :eek: I've got a prime aft facing cabin - one of the Aqua cabins on deck 11 - #1138. :D Aft in Alaska - so unless they offer me the Penthouse - no. If they offer upgrades to other suites - I' bet for our North bound cruise that they will all be on the port (wrong) side although really that wouldn't be a deal breaker.

 

My next cruise - 2017 - we have a Celebrity suite and ALL suites are SOLD out well over a year in advance. I won't be watching for an email on that one.

 

If they offer me a suite on the starboard side, I'd probably take it. On the port side, it would be difficult in saying no, but for Alaska, especially with our cruise, starboard or aft is where you want to be.

[Jane2357]

BEAV - you are correct people often book and drop out - I might consider a Royal from our Celebrity but on an M class - I love the thought of that rounded bumped out balcony as you slide through the locks. Would have to see the offer amount. Never say Never! :)