What if you DO NOT want to be upgraded?

[AstridSJ]

With all the threads about people receiving upgrades.

Anyone any experience with being upgraded and not being happy about that.

What did you do??

 

Astrid

[usha]

You can ask your TA to notify Celebrity in advance that you DO NOT want an upgrade from your assigned cabin.

[AstridSJ]

Usha,

 

I tried that, only to be told that I had nothing to worry about, since Celebrity never upgrades.

 

Astrid

[usha]

Yup, Danno would testify to that!:D

[AstridSJ]

We are "Founder Elites" as well, so I guess we are safe from any upgrades:D :D

[excitedofharpenden]

This is the man that put all his money on black and it came up red.;) My last cruise and this one upcoming I asked my TA to note that no upgrade would be accepted because I picked the cabins specifically. Knowing my luck if I didn't do this it would be the one time when I did have the upgrade fairy visit.

 

Phil

[Host Walt]

A cruise line will never upgrade a booking without your advance authorization where a specific cabin number is requested in the original reservation.

 

Conversely if you book just a category with no cabin specified, you are eligible for an upgrade with no required advance notification, although the cruise line is still likely to notify your TA when an upgrade will be offered.

[AstridSJ]

Phil,

 

That is what I am worried about. We were lucky enough to get a corner FV on Summit and sure would not want to be upgraded to a Sky Suite.

 

(Now if it was the PH:rolleyes: )

 

I am wondering if people were able to reverse upgrades?

 

Astrid

[AstridSJ]

Thanks Walt,

 

I have been wondering if all those people that have been getting upgrades were in a GTY.

When I read that one person with an assigned cabin got upgraded, I got worried, so hopefully she got notified ahead of the upgrade.

 

Astrid

[Karynanne]

Phil,

 

That is what I am worried about. We were lucky enough to get a corner FV on Summit and sure would not want to be upgraded to a Sky Suite.

 

(Now if it was the PH:rolleyes: )

 

I am wondering if people were able to reverse upgrades?

 

Astrid

 

We have a specific aft cabin also on Summit, and I wouldn't want it upgraded...unless it was the Penthouse!

[excitedofharpenden]

Phil,

 

That is what I am worried about. We were lucky enough to get a corner FV on Summit and sure would not want to be upgraded to a Sky Suite.

 

(Now if it was the PH:rolleyes: )

 

I am wondering if people were able to reverse upgrades?

 

Astrid

Astrid, you'll be getting on Summit as I get off. I have one of those much lauded aft CCs and nothing less than an upgrade to the Royal Suite would do!:)

 

Thanks for the info Walt. I just like to make doubly sure:o

 

Phil

[excitedofharpenden]

OK then Karyn and Astrid, maybe the Penthouse;)

 

Phil

[Vistadeck]

I expect specify you do not want an upgrade or change of cabin when you book if thats what you want.

 

I had an upgrade once and asked to be downgraded, I know thats kind of odd but on Holland America I got upgraded a few categories that took me to a cabin with a window onto the promenade, not my prefered spot so I asked for a downgrade and got placed in a cabin with a clear ocean view not out to the promenande, better in my opinion. - an upgrade isn't always a better cabin or spot on the ship :)

 

Ah, the upgrade fairy can be peculiar I dont think anyone knows the true forumula and if there is one I bet its flexible and can change frequently. We're Founder/Classic Elite on Celebrity and have received nice upgrades and sometimes modest ones. I can't remember the last time we had no upgrade, I dont think that's ever happened but we often book guarantees. We booked an assigned cabin, an outside on Infinity for a Hawaii cruise once though and even without requesting we got an upgrade to a balcony, we were so thrilled, but know not to expect it. I always book a cabin I would be happy in, thats a good basic rule.

 

Tina

[Gypsea]

It's true upgrades are not always a good thing. I like obstructed oceanviews over the ones on lower deks that are unobstructed. I prefer stairs to elevators and if you are on deck four you will end up waiting for elevators much more often. So, to me moving from deck eight to three or four never seemed like a good thing. If your cabin is deck eight there are just a few flights up or down to most of the action. Of course a balcony or suite would be lovely. Lovely but not likely.

 

Last time sailing I booked a big handicap cabin because it was a few days before sailing on the Dawn Princess and it was one of several handicap cabins unoccupied. It was obstructed and so considered one of the lowest oceanviews. They put us in the highest oceanviews which was nice but very forward. Lucky it was smooth sailing. It was a nice cabin. Being in Alaska it was good to have an unobstructed view. One of the only places I've been where there is always something to see.

[F5Loar]

I was asked to "upgrade" from a very nice center suite to an aft suite with bigger balcony and smaller room so we declined. They called back and sweetened the pot saying they would offer $500 on board credit if we took the "upgrade" still we declined. I countered offered with $1000 on board credit and we are out of here so they never called back. They have their limits but beware as an "upgrade" is not always an upgrade. Room sizes vary from deck to deck and front to back. It may carry a higher tier but it's not always a better room. The reason we got for this "upgrade" was we booked a 4 room with 3 in it and the aft suite was a 3 suite and they had someone who drasctically needed a 4 suite.

[canderson]

Usha,

 

I tried that, only to be told that I had nothing to worry about, since Celebrity never upgrades.

 

Astrid

Based upon the threads here that demonstrate quite another thing, I think you already know that you need a new TA. Anyone who says this can't be trusted to let you know if Celebrity comes acallin' about an upgrade, either.

 

My worst nightmare would be to buy a FV Guarantee on an M-Class ship. The "upgrade" to a Sky Suite would leave less space both inside and out.

[canderson]

Phil,

 

That is what I am worried about. We were lucky enough to get a corner FV on Summit and sure would not want to be upgraded to a Sky Suite.

 

(Now if it was the PH:rolleyes: )

 

I am wondering if people were able to reverse upgrades?

 

Astrid

Ah -- Just read down far enough to catch this post -- guess you can ignore my previous one -- we're on exactly the same page!

 

ESPECIALLY if you scored this cabin as one of the rare FV Guarantees, make your request VERY clear.

[canderson]

Astrid, you'll be getting on Summit as I get off. I have one of those much lauded aft CCs and nothing less than an upgrade to the Royal Suite would do!:)

 

Thanks for the info Walt. I just like to make doubly sure:o

 

Phil

Amazing, isn't it? The Sky Suite isn't much of an upgrade, as while it's nicer inside, it certainly doesn't offer the exterior experience. The Celebrity Suite has no veranda at all. It really would take a Royal Suite to pry me out of an aft CC, too.

 

Oh -- and what, er, happened to your -- you know -- avatar?

[Moeve]

Since I take it you are booked in a FV with out the required 5 pax?! Well then your TA should have told you the following..... FV are opened for booking by less than 5 Pax on certain cruises (outside schoo-l holiday times) - HOWEVER here is the catch - you can be ousted from this cabin IF X requires it for a booking for 4 - 5 pax!!! (mainly when small children are involved who are too young to have their own cabin) The chances are very slim of that actually happening but in the unlikely event that it does happen - you won't have a choice but to take the offered upgrade. Remember there only a certain no. of these cabins and Parents with small children have priority with these cabins. If we are honest with ourselves that is the way it should be... If that was not possible it would leave X with only 1 option - not sell these cabins to anyone else until sailing - which surely none of us would want as then we would never have to chance to sail in one of these cabins again

[rjg41]

A cruise line will never upgrade a booking without your advance authorization where a specific cabin number is requested in the original reservation.

 

Conversely if you book just a category with no cabin specified, you are eligible for an upgrade with no required advance notification, although the cruise line is still likely to notify your TA when an upgrade will be offered.

 

Walt, while I am sure many cruise lines follow this policy, including Celebrity, but Princess has a reputation of not notifying and the Princess boards periodically have reports of same. We have our own personal experience with Princess.

 

We were booked on what turned out to be Coral Princess's third sailling. We booked over a year in advance. We were on Deck 7 on the bump. About 6 months out we happened to be in our TA's office and she was looking at our record and mentioned our cabin number. It was not the right one. We had been "upgraded" to deck 8 at the bow. NOT!!!!

 

Turns out that Princess said their policy is to send a fax to the TA and if they hear nothing they "assume" it is ok to upgrade. First, our TA, who we trust completely, said they got no fax and secondly Princess could not, in any way, demonstrate they sent the fax or had anyone's ok to move us. It took 4 weeks and the involvement of the agency's VP of sales to get the room back.

 

Our upcoming cruise on Princess has, "NO UPGRADES" on the booking record.

[Host Walt]

Walt, while I am sure many cruise lines follow this policy, including Celebrity, but Princess has a reputation of not notifying and the Princess boards periodically have reports of same. We have our own personal experience with Princess.

 

We were booked on what turned out to be Coral Princess's third sailling. We booked over a year in advance. We were on Deck 7 on the bump. About 6 months out we happened to be in our TA's office and she was looking at our record and mentioned our cabin number. It was not the right one. We had been "upgraded" to deck 8 at the bow. NOT!!!!

 

Turns out that Princess said their policy is to send a fax to the TA and if they hear nothing they "assume" it is ok to upgrade. First, our TA, who we trust completely, said they got no fax and secondly Princess could not, in any way, demonstrate they sent the fax or had anyone's ok to move us. It took 4 weeks and the involvement of the agency's VP of sales to get the room back.

 

Our upcoming cruise on Princess has, "NO UPGRADES" on the booking record.

YIKES!

 

I checked with X, HAL and an agent before I posted, but not Princess. What makes it interesting is that Holland America which is a (step) sister company of Princess. On X and HAL, if you request a specific cabin number on X or HAL and the booking reflects the specific cabin number, you cannot be changed without your positive acceptance of the change.

 

Your experience makes it clear. Never, ever, assume anything at all when booking a cruise. Make it clear to your TA what is OK and what is not OK for you when you book and don't hesitate to check it periodically.

[canderson]

Since I take it you are booked in a FV with out the required 5 pax?! Well then your TA should have told you the following..... FV are opened for booking by less than 5 Pax on certain cruises (outside schoo-l holiday times) - HOWEVER here is the catch - you can be ousted from this cabin IF X requires it for a booking for 4 - 5 pax!!!

Yikes again! Where does one find that in the contract?!? Does the passenger have any say at all as to the "nature" of the upgrade? If space was the reason for booking the FV (and it most alway is when just 2 book one), a Sky Suite isn't a very good substitute for an FV (less space inside and out). Neither is a Celebrity Suite (no veranda at all). I wonder if it's possible to bail out of a cruise (w/o penalty) and pick another in the face of an "upgrade" of this sort?

 

The FV cabin is one of the great $/space bargains in cruising to begin with. Perhaps the problem is this -- the FV actually costs too little, and should be considered an upgrade FROM a Sky Suite? I know, don't put ideas into Celebrity's heads. That said, it's a very large anomoly in their cabin space and price curve, and that's what causes causes problems like this.

[Moeve]

Canderson - that is exactly the reason why the rules for those FVs got changed this year. Actually X is not supposed to release those cabins for booking by two persons until 90 / 60 days out to make sure families have first choice of those cabins. X does however know from experience that during certain cruises (eg Transatlantics) there are never many children so these cabins are opened ahead of time. FV = Family Veranda - if a family with small children needs to book a cabin with more space at the days going rate why do you think you should keep the cabin without really needing the space when you are offered an upgraded to a suite.

 

I wouldn't be happy either but on the other hand it would be really selfish not to take the upgrade. As families with small children cannot take cabins with upper beds and these are the only cabins that offer two lower beds / couches for 4 to 5 passengers. Therefore I think X has every right to upgrade you when families (with no alternative) request those cabins.

 

Sorry I know you didn't want to hear that but those are the facts.

[Moeve]

Canderson - that is exactly the reason why the rules for those FVs got changed this year. Actually X is not supposed to release those cabins for booking by two persons until 90 / 60 days out to make sure families have first choice of those cabins. X does however know from experience that during certain cruises (eg Transatlantics) there are never many children so these cabins are opened ahead of time. FV = Family Veranda - if a family with small children needs to book a cabin with more space at the days going rate why do you think you should keep the cabin without really needing the space when you are offered an upgraded to a suite.

 

I wouldn't be happy either but on the other hand it would be really selfish not to take the upgrade. As families with small children cannot take cabins with upper beds and these are the only cabins that offer two lower beds / couches for 4 to 5 passengers. Therefore I think X has every right to upgrade you when families (with no alternative) request those cabins.

 

Sorry I know you didn't want to hear that but those are the facts.

[usha]

Moeve, I don't necessarily think that you should be obligated to give up your FV cabin that you booked 8 months ago, because a family of 5 decides 60 days before the cruise that they want to book that cabin. If you're cruising as a party of 5, you should know to book earlier to get the space you require. I don't think it's another pax's obligation to accommodate the Johnny-come-lately family of 5.