Upgrades requests on Princess

[Angela4cruiser]

I have requested a free upgrade from a balcony to a mini-suite. I thought it wouldn't hurt to try. Does anyone have any good experiences to tell about success with this? This is only on a short cruise. I know this depends on how full the ship is--if it is over 85 % full, does this still work? If the free upgrade does not work, upon checkin can one still request an upgrade and a get a good rate by doing this at last minute?

[sonomaphil]

How do you request a free upgrade?

 

I have in my reservations that I will take any upgrade, is that what you mean?

[Angela4cruiser]

To my knowledge a TA can put in "a free upgrade request" only.

[spongerob]

When you book, you have a choice to accept an upgrade from the cabin you are assigned, or you can select a "no upgrade" option if you have selected a type of cabin or a location that is preferable to you. By default, every booking is upgradable unless you specify otherwise. You obviously cannot choose no upgrades if you just book a guarantee. Upgrades are just luck of the draw. Often it's to the same type of cabin, just in a different location.

 

You cannot purchase upgrades with Princess at embarkation. If there are cabins available, and there is a need to move people up, then it will just be done ahead of sailing. If you have booked a specific cabin, your TA should get a request asking if you accept the upgrade, but sometimes that doesn't happen.

 

Prior to final payment, you can self-upgrade if you see that prices have fallen, and a higher category is now priced attractively. Most agents should be willing to do this. After final payments, pricing specials are usually only available for "new bookings only".

[Sandytoes]

This is what happened to me....

I booked an aft cabin for $$. I wrote requesting if an upgrade comes available I would welcome one.

Then, I saw a mid-ship cabin available for $25 more p/p. So, I made the change.

Right after my final payment, I went on My Personalizer - and saw that I was upgraded to forward Caribe. My booking Cabin was now available.

I was upset that they changed it without asking me first, but being I wrote the letter to Princess they accepted that as a YES.

I told my TA that I wanted to keep my mid-ship cabin.

She thought I was out of my mind and told me that once I deny an upgrade Princess will never offer one to me again.

I told my TA, I'll take my chance.

I got my mid-ship cabin back and sooooo glad I kept it....

 

If you do want an upgrade it might not be in the location you want. Upgrades are usually areas where they have a hard time selling.

[Pam in CA]

By requesting a "free" upgrade, all you're really doing is saying that you'd accept an upgrade if one were offered. Keep in mind that if you are upgraded, it could be in a location that you don't want to be. Upgrades from one cabin type (balcony to mini) are unusual and don't happen very often. Most "upgrades" are just a category or two, i.e., same exact cabin type but in a different location.

 

If you really want the mini, you should go ahead and book it. It's always possible and it doesn't hurt to ask but your chances are very, very slim that you'll get that much of an upgrade.

[CroozBlooz]

On 14 cruises with Princess, we've been "upgraded" several times, but always within the same cabin type. We've never had an upgrade into a new cabin type on Princess (although we did on Carnival). Of course, we have never booked lower than a balcony, and now book only mini-suites, so the chances of getting an upgraded cabin type are significantly reduced.

[vpoopsy]

I've been told to always book your room as "guaranteed" and you have a better chance of getting an upgrade. We got an upgradeon Grand Princess, but it only moved us to a different deck because the room wasn't any nicer, in fact it was quite small. I assumed an upgrade would be a bigger room.

[cherylandtk]

I've been told to always book your room as "guaranteed" and you have a better chance of getting an upgrade.

On other lines, such as Carnival, that is the only way to get an upgrade. But on Princess, upgrades are randomly doled out to those who mark their booking as willing to accept an upgrade. Even those who book specific cabins, as SandyToes found out.

[vpoopsy]

then we got lucky I guess. My husband was thrilled because we were on the same deck as the pizza bar. Cruizin on HAL in Dec. and my daughters mother-in-law is a travel agent. She said she can probably get us a nice upgrade!!

[bjboothman]

my daughters mother-in-law is a travel agent. She said she can probably get us a nice upgrade!!

 

Would someone who really KNOWS the answer to this question please clarify that statement for me? I've heard many times that people think their agents "get us a nice upgrade" on Princess when in reality the agent was only doing the "self-upgrade" that spongerob described above. In other words, as prices drop - the traveler could either get a lowered cruise fare, or a better room for the original fare - it is not in any way "free". But in a consumer mentality, you are getting more than you paid for (in lieu of receiving a refund on what you already paid for and keeping the original cabin). Am I mistaken in my understanding of this --- or should I go find myself that special agent who is really giving away all the nice upgrades?

[vpoopsy]

BJ, I guess I need to clarify that I'm going on HAL this time around. My 'agent' commented that the week we are going is the slowest cruise week of the year, so the possiblity of getting an upgrade is pretty good. She said she'd mention it to them when she made our final payment.

[cherylandtk]

Would someone who really KNOWS the answer to this question please clarify that statement for me?

Joyce, LOL, I am of the opinion that the only person who KNOWS the real answer is the computer programmer at Princess, and he ain't talking! But I do want to say that I think you are correct in your understanding of how the upgrades actually are 'assigned' and just what a TA can, or cannot, do in 'obtaining' one.:D

[Toto2Kansas]

Would someone who really KNOWS the answer to this question please clarify that statement for me? I've heard many times that people think their agents "get us a nice upgrade" on Princess when in reality the agent was only doing the "self-upgrade" that spongerob described above. In other words, as prices drop - the traveler could either get a lowered cruise fare, or a better room for the original fare - it is not in any way "free". But in a consumer mentality, you are getting more than you paid for (in lieu of receiving a refund on what you already paid for and keeping the original cabin). Am I mistaken in my understanding of this --- or should I go find myself that special agent who is really giving away all the nice upgrades?

 

I honestly think there are some agents out there that 'know somebody' that has a bit of pull. But this isn't something they would do for a regular customer, even a good customer, even a GREAT customer. Heck, my agent is one of the top Princess cruise specialists and she can't even get herself a good upgrade.

 

I used to read about a certain agent that always took credit for every upgrade her clients received. She was doing the 'price drop, upgrade' game with her clients and not giving them the choice of saving the money or taking the upgrade to a cabin in the same category, just higher up. Her clients sang her praises and still do. Personally, I think this is totally wrong and the client should be the one to make the choice of whether they would like a better cabin in their category, or if they would rather have the savings. We used her for a few cruises, then switched agents because of her sneaky way of doing things.

I am one that firmly believes that when upgrades do take place, they are usually with those that have either not sailed on Princess before or are quiet new and within their first couple of cruises with Princess. Also, that the lower the category you book, the better chance you have to get that upgrade, I mean, there isn't any way but to go higher when you book a very inexpensive cabin. There are always exceptions to the rule. But when you think of how many passengers post on these forums, and the percentage that actually get what I would consider a good upgrade (up in category, not just within the category), the percentage is probably less than one percent.

Upgrades aren't even worth taking into consideration when you book. Book that cabin you will enjoy and then if you happen to be in that small, tiny, percent that does receive an upgrade, then consider yourself lucky.

The TA you book with doesn't actually have the pull to get a customer that special 3 or 4 category upgrade as some might think.

[dazee8]

I agree with other posters here. The odds on getting a great upgrade are very very few. Does it happen? Sure it does. We booked a balcony and were upgraded to a mini-suite on a summer Alaska cruise one year. And for another cruise we decided to roll the dice and try the guarantee game. We booked a guarantee deluxe oceanview cabin and got upgraded to a balcony. That was however rather stressful since we didn't get our assigned cabin until just before sailing.

 

Like others have said, book the cabin that you can be comfortable in for the entire cruise, not one that you "might" be happy with if you got upgraded. If you like risk, then go with a guarantee cabin, but be warned you will probably be put in one of the last cabins that didn't sell due to it's unfavorable location.

 

Happy sailing,

:)

[jennew]

If you are not picky about location, then book the lowest priced cabin in the category of your choice. A guarantee is great for this option. For example, we won't cruise without a balcony so we always book at least that. You vacation should be what you want it to be. I would be miserable if I booked an oceanview and did not get upgraded to a balcony.

[mik]

We are about to take our ninth cruise with Princess. From the beginning, we have always booked "guaranteed" cabins. We book the best price of a particular cabin type ie; inside, oceanview, balcony. Not only have we always received complimentary upgrades (at least two to three categories), we have been upgraded from inside to obstructed view, balcony to mini-suite. We have never refused an upgrade. In the back of our minds, we know that we will also be happy with no upgrades. We have thoroughly enjoyed every cruise so far and feel that cabin location for us is a small part of the cruise experience.

[kruisey]

I seem to get upgrades whether I wont or not,this time again I have noted 'No Ugrade'.

Travelling as a single I book the best I can afford on a high deck in a quiet area close to open air because I cannot afford the balcony.Twice I have been given upgrades that I didnot wont on the lowest deck of the ship .

Gee my favorite inside must be very popular.:rolleyes:

[Ethel5]

Would someone who really KNOWS the answer to this question please clarify that statement for me? I've heard many times that people think their agents "get us a nice upgrade" on Princess when in reality the agent was only doing the "self-upgrade" that spongerob described above. In other words, as prices drop - the traveler could either get a lowered cruise fare, or a better room for the original fare - it is not in any way "free". But in a consumer mentality, you are getting more than you paid for (in lieu of receiving a refund on what you already paid for and keeping the original cabin). Am I mistaken in my understanding of this --- or should I go find myself that special agent who is really giving away all the nice upgrades?

 

You have a prefect understanding of how it works. I use a very popular TA who does a whopping business with Princess and I have been given a "true" up grade only once from obstructed to deluxe non obstructed. The rest of the time I was given a choice to upgrade or take the price drop. I have 14 cruises with Princess and don't expect they will ever upgrade me as they have me "hooked".:)

[seagarsmoker]

I honestly think there are some agents out there that 'know somebody' that has a bit of pull. But this isn't something they would do for a regular customer, even a good customer, even a GREAT customer. Heck, my agent is one of the top Princess cruise specialists and she can't even get herself a good upgrade.

 

I used to read about a certain agent that always took credit for every upgrade her clients received. She was doing the 'price drop, upgrade' game with her clients and not giving them the choice of saving the money or taking the upgrade to a cabin in the same category, just higher up. Her clients sang her praises and still do. Personally, I think this is totally wrong and the client should be the one to make the choice of whether they would like a better cabin in their category, or if they would rather have the savings. We used her for a few cruises, then switched agents because of her sneaky way of doing things.

I am one that firmly believes that when upgrades do take place, they are usually with those that have either not sailed on Princess before or are quiet new and within their first couple of cruises with Princess. Also, that the lower the category you book, the better chance you have to get that upgrade, I mean, there isn't any way but to go higher when you book a very inexpensive cabin. There are always exceptions to the rule. But when you think of how many passengers post on these forums, and the percentage that actually get what I would consider a good upgrade (up in category, not just within the category), the percentage is probably less than one percent.

Upgrades aren't even worth taking into consideration when you book. Book that cabin you will enjoy and then if you happen to be in that small, tiny, percent that does receive an upgrade, then consider yourself lucky.

The TA you book with doesn't actually have the pull to get a customer that special 3 or 4 category upgrade as some might think.

As usual, Toto2Kansas is 100% correct. I am also 99% sure I know which TA she is talking about and agree.

[Toto2Kansas]

Seagar-:::::::::::GRIN:::::::::::: I bet you do too! ;)

[katier825]

If I'm booking a guarantee, and hoping (as everyone does) for the elusive upgrade, this is my strategy:

 

Check the deck plans

Choose a catagory that only has a few rooms in it

Book early

 

For example, if I book a BE guarantee on the Golden Princess, there are only 4 rooms on the ship in that category. If I book early enough, my chances for an upgrade are pretty good.

 

Same thing for inside or ocean view cabins. I don't think my stategy would work well by booking a JJ or BB, because there are many cabins in those categories and you have a lot more competition for the upgrades.

 

Worked for us a couple of times! :)

[Toto2Kansas]

If I'm booking a guarantee, and hoping (as everyone does) for the elusive upgrade, this is my strategy:

 

Check the deck plans

Choose a catagory that only has a few rooms in it

Book early

 

For example, if I book a BE guarantee on the Golden Princess, there are only 4 rooms on the ship in that category. If I book early enough, my chances for an upgrade are pretty good.

 

Same thing for inside or ocean view cabins. I don't think my stategy would work well by booking a JJ or BB, because there are many cabins in those categories and you have a lot more competition for the upgrades.

 

Worked for us a couple of times! :)

 

This is great if you just keep in mind that someone is going to get that category and be placed in those cabins, even if there are only a few of them, and next time it could actually be you. Plus, some upgrades, as stated below, are cabins that nobody else wanted to book, because of location or other factors. If you are prepared to be anywhere on the ship, then that is a good way to try for one. But you can NEVER actually count on getting one. Best of Luck!

[seagarsmoker]

This is great if you just keep in mind that someone is going to get that category and be placed in those cabins, even if there are only a few of them, and next time it could actually be you. Plus, some upgrades, as stated below, are cabins that nobody else wanted to book, because of location or other factors. If you are prepared to be anywhere on the ship, then that is a good way to try for one. But you can NEVER actually count on getting one. Best of Luck!

Correct. A good example of this even happens in the higher up categories. I have read that some people will book cat AE mini-suites on Caribbean Princess since they only have a few rooms and feel they will get upgraded to AD, AC, etc. I read a review from someone who did this and did get upgraded to AD room 733 which is a mini-suite, but does not have a tub. They took the chance and she was very upset - she lost her tub and the AE's have a covered balcony, where as the AD's do not. Also read this happening to someone on Celebrity Century a couple of years ago, booked the low end Suite cat and ended up with a smaller balcony (1200 or 1201?), but better category because of location. I would never chance it, but heck, that is what makes the world go round. :)

[WCAB]

This has been the best kept secret, I have ever seen. I would think by now there would have been an ex-employee that knows how upgrades are determined and shared it. I think the cruiselines are aware they have a mystry going and work hard to keep the whole process under wraps.

 

Carol