paying for an upgrade onboard

[Coates55]

Assuming there is availability, I presume the Pursers Desk will offer and prices upgrades onboard. Prices to upgrade in advance seem pretty high for a lightly booked cruise. Does anyone have experience of upgrading onboard QE and getting a good price.

[Bell Boy]

Voyage Sales office is your go to ! Don't be wasting any time at the Pursers desk they do not have the authority for upgrades . 'Voyage sales' will advise you if space is available - they in turn will direct you to the 'Customer Service Manager' who has the authority for upgrades during an itinerary.

 

If the guest complement is full there is often signage at the Purses desk indicting No upgrades available.

 

To reply to your question ; Yes I have on two occasions in the past opted for an upgrade during an itinerary, I've also opted to extend my cruise and continue on the next itinerary, Voyage sales have been my go to .    

Edited March 25 by Bell Boy

[jazzyboom]

We upgraded on the return segment of transatlantic to Southampton. Though this was Queen Mary 2. 3 of us and we paid 1500gbp to upgrade from sheltered to princess grill which was worth it. We went to the pursers desk all easy 

[Bell Boy]

1 hour ago, jazzyboom said:

We upgraded on the return segment of transatlantic to Southampton. Though this was Queen Mary 2. 3 of us and we paid 1500gbp to upgrade from sheltered to princess grill which was worth it. We went to the pursers desk all easy 

The Purses desk will have had to first liaise with Voyage Sales to obtain Pricing. The receptionists behind the desk don't have that information - much quicker to visit Voyage sales who have everything at hand, not only the pricing but also advice on staterooms available.     

[BlueRiband]

FWIW, when I was on board QM2 in late November the Voyage Sales desk was available by appointment only. 

[Bell Boy]

20 hours ago, BlueRiband said:

FWIW, when I was on board QM2 in late November the Voyage Sales desk was available by appointment only. 

For a Seasoned Cunard sailor like you 😉 (me and a few others on this board)  appointments are easy , possibly within an hour or so.

I noticed on Queen Victoria last year they have an additional Voyage Sales Manager, the total being three in the office.  

[exlondoner]

16 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

For a Seasoned Cunard sailor like you 😉 (me and a few others on this board)  appointments are easy , possibly within an hour or so.

I noticed on Queen Victoria last year they have an additional Voyage Sales Manager, the total being three in the office.  

If they are going show favouritism to anyone, wouldn’t it be sensible to show it to those on their first or second voyage, rather than those who have done many voyages and are likely to book anyway, even if they have to wait a little. I wonder if I shall ever be regarded as a Seasoned Cunard sailor? Not yet anyway.

[Bell Boy]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

If they are going show favouritism to anyone, wouldn’t it be sensible to show it to those on their first or second voyage, rather than those who have done many voyages and are likely to book anyway, even if they have to wait a little. I wonder if I shall ever be regarded as a Seasoned Cunard sailor? Not yet anyway.

I was actually thinking of You  and  Victoria 2 (and even Big Mac) when I was posting the above 😅 

[3rdGenCunarder]

On 3/25/2024 at 11:15 AM, Bell Boy said:

Voyage Sales office is your go to ! Don't be wasting any time at the Pursers desk they do not have the authority for upgrades . 'Voyage sales' will advise you if space is available - they in turn will direct you to the 'Customer Service Manager' who has the authority for upgrades during an itinerary.

 

If the guest complement is full there is often signage at the Purses desk indicting No upgrades available.

 

To reply to your question ; Yes I have on two occasions in the past opted for an upgrade during an itinerary, I've also opted to extend my cruise and continue on the next itinerary, Voyage sales have been my go to .    

 

I've seen the "no upgrades" sign on nearly every cruise I've taken. I sometimes wondered if they put that out to stop people asking. I never would have thought to go to voyage sales and ask them. 

 

I wonder if upgrade availability will be reduced by the "bid up" option.

[exlondoner]

7 minutes ago, Bell Boy said:

I was actually thinking of You  and  Victoria 2 (and even Big Mac) when I was posting the above 😅 

I certainly wouldn’t consider myself a seasoned Cunarder, and certainly have never been aware of any priority treatment from the Sales Office, but who knows? One thing that helps is to go and see them early in the cruise before the abbreviated brochures appear in cabins.

[exlondoner]

5 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I've seen the "no upgrades" sign on nearly every cruise I've taken. I sometimes wondered if they put that out to stop people asking. I never would have thought to go to voyage sales and ask them. 

 

I wonder if upgrade availability will be reduced by the "bid up" option.

Yes, so have I, though, as time has gone on, I’ve become less inclined to believe it. In any case, they must have some empty cabins to cope with the victims of plumbing catastrophes and the like.

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

If they are going show favouritism to anyone, wouldn’t it be sensible to show it to those on their first or second voyage, rather than those who have done many voyages and are likely to book anyway, even if they have to wait a little. I wonder if I shall ever be regarded as a Seasoned Cunard sailor? Not yet anyway.

I consider myself a loyal Cunard passenger rather than any other title and I find it easy to get appointments with Future Sales but rather than favouritism as I don't know the staff now, and they don't know me,  I assumed everyone can do the same if they phone up for a f2f.

 

I did go and see them early last year to enquire about upgrading Q2 to a Q1 on a cruise later in the year, but was told the waitlist was quite long, so not worth bothering. OK. C'est la vie

but

when a Q1 appeared on the website [I looked twice a day after that], we booked it pdq! Had to pay the full difference, but we got our 'upgrade'.

[exlondoner]

20 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

I consider myself a loyal Cunard passenger rather than any other title and I find it easy to get appointments with Future Sales but rather than favouritism as I don't know the staff now, and they don't know me,  I assumed everyone can do the same if they phone up for a f2f.

 

I did go and see them early last year to enquire about upgrading Q2 to a Q1 on a cruise later in the year, but was told the waitlist was quite long, so not worth bothering. OK. C'est la vie

but

when a Q1 appeared on the website [I looked twice a day after that], we booked it pdq! Had to pay the full difference, but we got our 'upgrade'.

I’ve read several accounts on here of people who were on the waiting list, but heard nothing, until they rang up, having looked at the website, and bingo, there was a cabin.

[Down-Unders]

On 3/26/2024 at 1:56 AM, jazzyboom said:

We upgraded on the return segment of transatlantic to Southampton. Though this was Queen Mary 2. 3 of us and we paid 1500gbp to upgrade from sheltered to princess grill which was worth it. We went to the pursers desk all easy 

 Pursers Desk is the way to go as  there is a chain of command pursers desk first for anything and if you you are not satisfied they will listen and direct you to the next step. This is why we love Cunard they listen and act. The no  upgrade signs are there for the boarding of a new cruise, could you imagine how many people would be bothering the Pursers Desk on one of their busiest times, but do believe they forget to remove the signs once the ship is underway.