Which cabins do they prefer to be empty?

[beason641]

This isn't necessarily a Celebrity specific question, but since it's what we're booked on, I figured I'd ask here.

 

Say it's getting closer to sail, and there are empty cabins still. For example, say it's a few weeks to sail, and they've got 30 AQ cabins empty, 10 Concierge, 5 balcony, 5 OV, and 5 Inside. (I am obviously entirely making this up.)

 

In your experience, would the cruise line be more inclined at this point to upgrade people automatically (or otherwise offer free upgrades) so the lower priced rooms are up for sale again, or just drastically slash rates on the upper priced cabins and hope they get filled?

 

And to get even further into fantasy land, say it's the day before sailaway - does the line prefer to have the upper cabins empty or the lower ones?

 

This is honestly an intellectual exercise based on what you've experienced in the past - I cannot imagine this actually coming to fruition, lol.

[beason641]

Or even simpler - you've got two rooms left the day before sail, one AQ and one 2C, and you've got a pax with a Veranda Guarantee. Which one would they get tossed into?

[Iamthesea]

2C is a past guest

AQ if a first timer. :D

[SAC69]

In your experience, would the cruise line be more inclined at this point to upgrade people automatically (or otherwise offer free upgrades) so the lower priced rooms are up for sale again, or just drastically slash rates on the upper priced cabins and hope they get filled?

 

I would hope they would not automatically upgrade someone without their permission. I've got a 1A on the hump that I would be very angry about if they took it from me and gave me a AQ or C2 cabin with a smaller balcony.

[beason641]

I would hope they would not automatically upgrade someone without their permission. I've got a 1A on the hump that I would be very angry about if they took it from me and gave me a AQ or C2 cabin with a smaller balcony.

 

For automatic I meant more for the Guarantee people, rather than people who selected their (amazing) cabins (I am jealous).

[Xport]

In your experience, would the cruise line be more inclined at this point to upgrade people automatically (or otherwise offer free upgrades) so the lower priced rooms are up for sale again, or just drastically slash rates on the upper priced cabins and hope they get filled?

 

Celebrity's Captain's Club has added a feature that offers upsell opportunities--at rates purported to be below market--based upon loyalty... There have been a few recent posts here that suggest the practice is now in operation...

[CathyCruises]

I too have tried to analyze this many times because we always book guarantee cabins. I don't think they do a lot of last-minute upgrading just because higher cabins are available, although they do have a relatively new program where they apparently contact some cruisers and offer them upgrades at a nominal fee. We would like to think that they start upgrading loyal customers first, but from reports hear it appears that you have a better chance of getting a free upgrade if you are a first-time cruiser with celebrity.

 

If you figure this out, please let me know!

[LouisV]

We were upgraded from an aft family veranda cabin to a royal suite on our first cruise with Celebrity. It was amazing but I'm sure the chances of that happening again are slim to none!

 

Mo

[SuzeCruz1]

The Upgrade Fairy does exist, but I can't figure her out.

 

Last March, we booked a deck 3 ocean view for a June 2015 sailing; it was a spur of the moment decision. It was our 4th Celebrity cruise (50/50 ocean view or veranda). The Wednesday before we sailed, I checked our reservation and found that we were now in a veranda on deck 8. I checked the location and was happy with it. I called Celebrity to find out what was going on, because we’d had no communication from them about it. They confirmed the upgrade, no additional cost, but had no explanation as to why we were upgraded or why we had not been notified. They said the upgrade had been made within the previous 24 hours. If they had upgraded us earlier, I would say it was so they could resell the cheaper cabin, but because it was within a few days of sailing, they couldn't.

 

I’m really glad I checked because I already had the luggage tags for the original cabin and our sons and daughters-in-law had purchased a celebration package as a surprise for us (we had both recently retired). Luckily I told the kids about the change, so they changed the package information, and we were able to have new luggage tags put on at the pier.

 

The original people in our cabin obviously had not been notified either, because their luggage showed up at our door.

 

It was a wonderful surprise but I’m really glad I accidentally found out about it before we boarded. We booked the same cabin for our cruise this June.

[az_tchr]

Or even simpler - you've got two rooms left the day before sail, one AQ and one 2C, and you've got a pax with a Veranda Guarantee. Which one would they get tossed into?

 

If they had exactly 2 open cabins NOBODY would be upgraded as they normally require two or three cabins to accommodate maintenance issues etc.

[Iamthesea]

Sue, you are honestly one of the first past guest Celebrity cruiser that I have heard of being upgrade by surprise and not a GTY! :)

 

Free Upgrades are almost unheard of with Celebrity. I would not worry about losing a stateroom that you purposely booked.

 

If they had exactly 2 open cabins NOBODY would be upgraded as they normally require two or three cabins to accommodate maintenance issues etc.

 

I think they use the cabins of passengers that don't make the sailing at the last minute. And if it's a Suite, those are saved for BINGO.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Iamthesea

[Cruise Raider]

I thought I read an email from Celebrity that they were no longer going to drastically reduce the price of their cruises after final payment but just happened on a cruise on which I am sailing....but you know, I don't think it came with any of the free perks that we are receiving so maybe not such a drastic slash after all.

In Sept, I was able to upgrade my inside cabin to a concierge level for only $100 pp -- so it looks like they do slash the prices but only offer guaranteed cabins. We were lucky, we ended up in the most amazing room but it wasn't automatic.

So, I would say they slash their prices and offer no perks and what doesn't sell, they send out emails for upsells or maybe even upgrades, but I haven't seen one. As others have said, I would hope they start with the Zenith members that are sailing and work down the list to elite + and then elite, but I, too, think they might just pass them out on a random basis.

[Fouremco]

If they had exactly 2 open cabins NOBODY would be upgraded as they normally require two or three cabins to accommodate maintenance issues etc.

If they went ahead with the upgrades, there would still be the same number of cabins available to accommodate maintenance issues, just not the same ones.

[2many2count]

We are sailing on the Infinity next Sunday, Mar 13th. We booked an Ocean View GTY and a few weeks later received a call from Celebrity offering us a veranda for $75 pp or an AQ for $150 pp. We took the veranda because of the location. I had asked the person who called if an aft cabin was open. He said that they always sell quickly, which I knew, but it never hurts to ask. Last week I went into our reservation to make sure all was in order and to my delight and surprise, we were upgraded to a C1 aft cabin. Someone must have cancelled at the last minute. We are Elite on Celebrity and I booked on line. DOn't know if any of this makes a darn bit of difference. I assume that the rep who called maybe noted that I had inquired about an aft cabin. Seems that loyalty and luck pay off on occasion.:)

[beason641]

I thought I read an email from Celebrity that they were no longer going to drastically reduce the price of their cruises after final payment but just happened on a cruise on which I am sailing....but you know, I don't think it came with any of the free perks that we are receiving so maybe not such a drastic slash after all.

 

In Sept, I was able to upgrade my inside cabin to a concierge level for only $100 pp -- so it looks like they do slash the prices but only offer guaranteed cabins. We were lucky, we ended up in the most amazing room but it wasn't automatic.

 

So, I would say they slash their prices and offer no perks and what doesn't sell, they send out emails for upsells or maybe even upgrades, but I haven't seen one. As others have said, I would hope they start with the Zenith members that are sailing and work down the list to elite + and then elite, but I, too, think they might just pass them out on a random basis.

 

 

A friend of mine just upgraded her veranda gty to a concierge gty for $20 because of the price slash, no perks lost. We already has concierge gty so we got a $200 refund, which is insane to us.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[jules815]

This is a really good question. I'm sailing on Constellation next Sunday, and there are currently 36 balcony cabins still available. Interiors and outsides are all sold out, and was wondering if those people will get a call for a paid upgrade, and if left unsold, do they just leave those open?

[beason641]

This is a really good question. I'm sailing on Constellation next Sunday, and there are currently 36 balcony cabins still available. Interiors and outsides are all sold out, and was wondering if those people will get a call for a paid upgrade, and if left unsold, do they just leave those open?

 

That's where my question was going. Less "will I personally get an upgrade" and more "which cabins do the line prefer to sit empty"? I assume balconies might be more work than insides, just because they're bigger, but then perhaps they have potential for bigger tips?

[villauk]

If they went ahead with the upgrades, there would still be the same number of cabins available to accommodate maintenance issues, just not the same ones.

 

But then only lower category replacements would be available if they had upgraded along the line and used those 'spares'. For example, would you be happy if there was an issue in your balcony cabin and you had to move to a lower deck inside?

[Fouremco]

But then only lower category replacements would be available if they had upgraded along the line and used those 'spares'. For example, would you be happy if there was an issue in your balcony cabin and you had to move to a lower deck inside?

Yes, I'd thought about that, but the upgrade choice guarantees happy customers whereas the "hold for emergencies" choice may never come to fruition. Also, the gty choice might have seen someone going from, for example, an obstructed balcony to a better balcony. You are assuming that in an emergency, passengers would be moved to an inferior cabin, but it's equally possible that the maintenance issue might arise in an inside cabin and the passengers moved to that now vacant obstructed balcony, a win-win for both the gty passengers and the ones who had to be moved because of a maintenance issue.

[Redtravel]

I have a friend that has been upgraded on several cruise lines. I have not. Recently we sailed with them. We both booked a GTY veranda. Booked with the same TA at the same time. We were in a nice angled veranda. It was a nice location near the forward lifts. We were happy with it. Our friends got a suite. We have never been in a suite on Celebrity. We are elite plus. They are classic or select. Is it just luck of the draw or is there a formula? On another cruise line, which we have only been on once, we recently booked a cruise and got an upgrade. Nicer cabin can make for a more enjoyable trip. If Celebrity has an upgrade person, I wonder what they use as a way to offer someone an upgrade. I know that there is a new Captains Club way to upsell better cabins at a low price. I have never been called. Is it random? With all the cruises that I take ( 4-6 a year) when I get an upgrade? Our friends liked the suite so much on that last cruise that they booked a suite on their next cruise. They said that the extra space and extras were worth it. It may be nice. Maybe someday. We are still not booking a suite.

[az_tchr]

If they went ahead with the upgrades, there would still be the same number of cabins available to accommodate maintenance issues, just not the same ones.

 

Not possible. If you have a problem with you cabin they will give you the same or a better cabin. We had issues with a cabin on RCCL and they gave us a better cabin and a complimentary dinner. Do you think we would have been happy moving to an inside cabin?

 

Next - The cruise company cannot sell cabins for those that miss the ship as people are likely to catch up with the ship at the next port. They would be realy ticked if they booked a suite and worked to catch up and were shown to an inside cabin would'nt they? Cabins as paid for and thus not touched unless the people agree they will not be boarding later.

[GUT2407]

I'm not sure anyone really knows how they allocate cabins.

 

I sometimes wonder if the lines know:D.

[Jane2357]

Our last cruise we had a Concierge 2 booked and 2.5 weeks before the cruise got a phone call with the offer to take an Aqua 1 for a very nominal fee. Since it was a short cruise, and our Alaska cruise in May will be our 1st Aqua (right on the aft :D) - we passed on it.

 

My opinion is that the cheap upgrades offered through the new program are not based on loyalty level but that they are moving people up 1 cabin level. So the concierge were getting moved to aqua and so on.

 

Will we ever get another offer? I hope so but we tend to book the cabins we want - so for the next 2 cruises - I would be turning an upgrade down.

[Fouremco]

Not possible. If you have a problem with you cabin they will give you the same or a better cabin. We had issues with a cabin on RCCL and they gave us a better cabin and a complimentary dinner. Do you think we would have been happy moving to an inside cabin?

Sorry, but I disagree. I've known people moved to lesser cabins, although the preference would always be to move them to equal or better.

[Fogfog]

We just got moved from a Bal to a CC. I called to ask about changes because the price of the cruise has dropped PLUS people buying our class of Bal were able to upgrade to CC for $0.00.:confused:

 

The first stateroom had a decent location and the new CC one is even better.

 

We were offered an AQ for a nominal fee per person yet because we plan to eat at the specialty restaurants, we turned down the AQ.

 

I don't think they would have called us to ask if we wanted to be moved. :rolleyes: