CAt M Guarantee/potential for upgrade??

[skarletohara]

Hi. My husband and I are probably going to book Cat M guarantee for

2/12/05 cruise on the Diamond. We don't care if we don't get an upgrade as we always do a guarantee, but we were wondering what the likelihood will be for an upgrade to at least an obstructed view cabin?? Can anyone out there who's booked the least expensive cabin on the ship enlighten us as to if

you have been upgraded with a guarantee/ or even non-guarantee basis?

 

I guess i'm just curious as to what we can expect. I am fully aware of the

"only book what you'll be happy with" rule. I'm particulary curious about

the inside cabin upgrade potential as that is what we'll most likely be booking.

 

Thank you for your input

[West Coast]

The Diamond is very popular and sailing at near 100% capacity which would normally translate into fewer upgrades. Having said that, I have friends who booked a cat II (highest inside) 60 days before sailing and 2 days before leaving for LA found out the were upgraded to a BA (highest balcony).

 

I was so excited for them - it's their first cruise and they were also celebrating their recent engagement so the balcony made it just that much more special.

 

I helped them arrange the trip, so for now... they're calling me their upgrade fairy :)

[spongerob]

I checked an on-line site for this cruise and the difference in price between a Cat M inside and Cat GG ocean-view is less than $90 pp. Perhaps you can upgrade yourself.

 

To take a different tack than I normally do on this subject, consider this. There are relatively few OV/obstructed (or unobstructed) cabins compared to inside cabins. Regardless of the mechanism used, an upgrade to an outside is going to be uncommon. However, there are many OV and balcony cabins, so booking in the OV/obstructed categories might increase your chances of a step up in the world. Just a thought. Of course, if you end up with a balcony, that's where the real trouble starts when booking future cruises. :)

[MichTraveler]

Of the 3 inside cabins we booked (lowest catgory), we were upgraded to obstructed view once. So 33% for us. Other threads show people having 15+ cruises with few if any upgrades, and someone with 2 cruises and 2 upgrades.

[bearette]

I wouldn't count on being upgraded to an ocean view. I have done guarantess for most of the cruises I have been on and though I have always been upgraded to a better category I have never been upgraded from an inside to an outside. It happens, but so rarely the stories are kind of like Big Foot. Everyone has heard of them, but no one has ever seem them themselves.

[KKB]

Booked JJ GTY (interior) cheap on expedia

10/23 got room--upgrade to D exterior w/ huge window!

Upgrades seem to be a crapshoot!

Kristin

[donh1]

Been on three cruises. Upgraded twice. Once on the NCL Sky. Booked the lowest inside and ended up with a balcony.( thought I had won the lottery). Second time booked lowest inside and ended up with an outside with a porthole on NCL Norway. The third cruise was with a travel agency on a theme cruise and got no upgrade because in my opinion the TA controlled all the rooms. ( he was selling the upgrades)

 

This time we are booked HH obstructed and still have no room assignment for 23Nov Princess Dawn and are still hoping.... Our friends booked on the same cruise booked Guarantee "M" and have been assigned "J". Up four floors from original booking.

 

I think it's a lot of luck and being in the right place at the right time...

 

Like I have read time and time again be sure to book something you will be happy with and then consider an upgrade a bonus.

 

Cost is certainly a factor. The big plus about cruising is that booking guarantees makes it very affordable. It also allows the cruiseline the opportunity to fill vertually every ship. :)

[skarletohara]

Thanks everyone for the great replies. I think I'll take spongerob's advice

and upgrade myself for $88 more dollars per person. Besides, we'll get more

shipboard credit that way anyway. Therefore, the upgrade is more akin to

$63 per person. I'm being really a cheapo on this cruise for some reason. I guess I feel a little guilty going again so soon, having just gotten off the Diamond on Oct 2 !!

 

Who knows, maybe we will end up in one of the coveted balcony cabins by

purchasing a Cat. GG! I don't care if we don't get a balcony though. Been

there, done that, and we really don't use the balcony all that much. But really do enjoy the fresh air!

 

Once again, thanks for the input.

[skarletohara]

We booked this cruise less than 2 weeks ago on Diamond. Decided to

purchase the GG guarantee and today we are assigned Cat. FF, Cabin

E-422. We're still almost 3 months away from sailing. Hopefully ANOTHER

upgrade or reassignment of cabins will be possible. :-)

 

I figured we'd have no assignment at all until shortly before sailing.

Last year we waited until 10 days before to get our guarantee assignment.

On that one we were upgraded from Cat. BB to VS and on the last

sailing we did a guarantee and did not receive a cabin assignment until

right after final payment was made and on that one went from an AD to

an AA, which is where we stayed until sailing.

 

This is the quickest we're ever been assigned an actual cabin number with this many months to go.