up-sell

[StormySeas]

at what point does carnival start offering up-sell/grades? would it be after the final payment date? I might call myself for an upgrade if the price drops but I was just wondering what experience you had if you were offered either of these. how long before you sailed did they call/contact you? we are sailing out of New Orleans on Dream if that makes any difference

[SpainAlien]

I was offered an upsell when I was still 6 months out. We went from inside to an obscured french door cabin on Pride.

 

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[winddawn]

There's no set rule. It really depends on remaining inventory, and the answer totally is dependent on Carnival's discretion.

[teknoge3k]

Our friends we're cruising with in May have received 4 (yes FOUR!!!) upgrade calls since we booked last January. The most recent being last month. (I've never gotten one. :( )

[sgttami]

I've gotten the call several times and it was always 2-3 days before sailing.

 

One time they offered an upgrade (no charge) from a mid ship balcony to a Spa balcony and I declined as I had picked the cabin I wanted for location and had no desire for a spa balcony.

 

The other calls were upsells from balcony to suite and too much money to say yes!

[beachbum53]

at what point does carnival start offering up-sell/grades? would it be after the final payment date? I might call myself for an upgrade if the price drops but I was just wondering what experience you had if you were offered either of these. how long before you sailed did they call/contact you? we are sailing out of New Orleans on Dream if that makes any difference

 

It mostly depends on the demand for a certain category. If category ___ is completely booked, and there is still a demand for cabins in that category, and the next category up still has some unsold cabins, then a Carnival Rep. will send out emails or make phone calls to those that have already booked to try and talk them into booking an unsold cabin in the next higher category so they can free up some of those cabins that are in demand. If you're offered a cabin in a higher category at no extra cost to you (which is almost as rare as a tap dancing turtle)), then it's an "upgrade". If you have to pay extra for the change, then it's an "upcharge". We always book using Early Saver, and book the cabin we want. I've never once worried about whether or not someone at Carnival would contact me with an upgrade or upsell offer.

[CruisinJerseyMom]

I’ve been offered 2upsells for my June Horizon cruise. I think they just want my Cove balcony lol.

[True Texan]

We are sailing in May on the Vista and got an upsell email in January.

[RWolver672]

It mostly depends on the demand for a certain category. If category ___ is completely booked, and there is still a demand for cabins in that category, .

 

I know that's how it works but I have always wondered how there can be a demand for a certain cabin if when you go to book, they (Either on-line or through a PVP), tell you that there aren't any cabins available in that category or area. Has anyone ever said that they demand a certain cabin category and gotten one? Does Carnival assume that if they have balcony cabins empty on the Empress deck, they can sell more interior cabins on the Riviera deck so they try to upsell to the Empress to free the Riviera's interior?

 

The only time we were ever upgraded (free) was when we had six balcony cabins booked and one of them held three guys. For some reason, they changed that cabin to a two person so they upgraded all six cabins from the Empress deck to the Panorama Deck. And all six were still in a row.

[RHilla619]

There really is no rhyme or reason as to when the up-sell call comes, but I would imagine they are more common after final payment date since Carnival then has a more definite idea as to their inventory. I think what makes you more likely to get the call/email is having a cheap & desirable room, i.e. porthole, ocean-view, cove balcony. In their minds if they upgrade you to a regular balcony (or better), it frees up a room that is easier to sell than the starting price of a regular balcony.

 

I wouldn't expect to get one of the great deals people post about if you make the call, your likely to just get quoted the difference in price between what you paid and the category of the upgrade room on that date.

[Defender1791]

Our family was booked for a deluxe Oceanview stateroom on the breeze for August. I called Carnival and switched us to a Cove balcony room. 5 days later I got the upgrade email from Carnival offering to put me in a standard balcony room for only $52 more. I accepted the offer and upgraded. Because booking the standard balcony to begin with would have been $140 more. So I'm only assuming that they had plenty of balcony rooms with upper pullmans available and trying to sell them.

 

Sent from my Moto Z Droid.

[beachbum53]

I know that's how it works but I have always wondered how there can be a demand for a certain cabin if when you go to book, they (Either on-line or through a PVP), tell you that there aren't any cabins available in that category or area. Has anyone ever said that they demand a certain cabin category and gotten one? Does Carnival assume that if they have balcony cabins empty on the Empress deck, they can sell more interior cabins on the Riviera deck so they try to upsell to the Empress to free the Riviera's interior?

 

The only time we were ever upgraded (free) was when we had six balcony cabins booked and one of them held three guys. For some reason, they changed that cabin to a two person so they upgraded all six cabins from the Empress deck to the Panorama Deck. And all six were still in a row.

 

My guess would be that travel agents contact Carnival saying that they have customers wanting a cabin in a certain area which is currently showing as "Sold Out". The other possibility would be Carnival's PVP's with the same requests. If Carnival gets several requests for cabins in a specific area or category that is full, on a specific ship for a specific cruise date, then they start making upsell calls. The other likely scenario is that someone at Carnival sees that there is a certain category that is filling up more quickly than the next one up, so the Sales Dept. starts making upsell calls. Carnival will do what they can to fill their ships for sailing.

[nutterbutter818]

The first time we cruised with Carnival, we got an upsell call a couple of months before our sail date and we went from balcony to a suite on a 5-day out of Galveston. Our last upsell was from a suite to the unlisted penthouse about a month before our sail date. We had 4 ladies total in our room for a 3-day and the upsell was $187 pp. We decided to try it and we were pleased with the room. We are again in a suite for our next one (7-day in May) and I am kind of hoping we get the call. I just hope that the price is reasonable. I have never received an upsell call on RCI or NCL.

[loanshark]

Cruise is scheduled for Nov 2018. Received an upsell offer in December 2017 (11 months out) to go from cove balcony to regular balcony or spa balcony. Turned it down. Just received the same offer again last week. (9 months out).