upgrades?

[bridecruiser]

My fiance and I just booked a 10 day honeymoon cruise for next November on Century. We've heard rumors that since we've booked so early, there's a good chance our room will be upgraded. Has anyone heard of this? Thanks.

[Andy]

My fiance and I just booked a 10 day honeymoon cruise for next November on Century. We've heard rumors that since we've booked so early, there's a good chance our room will be upgraded. Has anyone heard of this? Thanks.

 

Hi Bridecruiser !

 

Sorry to tell you this, but I wouldnt expect an Upgrade.

 

Celebrity RARELY if ever, gives out free Upgrades anymore. About the only way you can get an "Upgrade" is it you pay for it, on the day of sailing. When you get to the Pier, ask for the Pier Coordinator. Just keep in mind that it will cost you, but sometimes, there are some very good deals for upgrades on the day of the sailing.

 

While I never say never..... If you are looking for something free, I wouldnt get your hopes up. I wish I had better news.

 

Enjoy your Cruise !

 

Regards,

Andy

[StephenJohnson]

It's a crap shoot. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. We've gotten some quite nice upgrades, and other times we've gotten exactly what we booked. (Well, once we got downgraded, but we got a fair amount of money back for that one!)

 

Date of booking, past passenger status, and the specifics of your booking all affect where you stand in the order. Obviously, you're more likely to get an upgrade on a softer sailing.

 

NB - we got a significant upgrade on our upcoming cruise, so it's not impossible - but it's still a matter for the fickle upgrade gods, and NEVER count on one.

[tuggers]

I don't mean anything bad by this, I actually find it amusing. I didn't even know what an upgrade was till after the first couple of cruises. Now, it seems people are asking about them when they are first time cruisers (which I'm assuming this person is) and are a year out to the booking date! Like I said, no harm intended. I just find it amusing!:D

[kitty9]

The time when you book has very little to do with getting upgrades. Celebrity doesn't give away upgrades, and the only way to get one is to pay for it. That's why I always tell everyone to book the room you're going to be happiest with and not expect anything for free.

[ajpack]

We got upgraded from an inside to an outside on our Galaxy cruise last year. This was our first cruise on Celebrity and still have no idea why it happened!

[Parrotgirl]

I've never received a free upgrade in all of the years that I have been cruising and usually book way in advance. I'm a Captain's Club member and have been sailing with Celebrity for over 12 years. If you booked a guaranteed cabin, then there is a better possibility. I always book the cabin that I want so that I won't be disappointed if assigned a less than desirable cabin with a guarantee.

 

That being said, I did just pay $600 to be upgraded from a sky suite to a royal suite on the Summit, which was a great price. It all depends on what is still available. This past sailing had quite a few empty suites. It was $400 to go from a concierge cabin to a sky suite.

 

Someone in front of me asked about free upgrades at the pier coordinator's desk and was told that if any are given, they are assigned several days in advance, so if you check your cabin assignment online before you leave, don't expect to be upgraded once you reach the pier.

[pjsugg]

Parrotgirl,

 

This is our sixth cruise but our first on Celebrity (Century 1/22). We booked a SS (1202) because, like you, I want the cabin I want. But I am interested in finding out how you paid the $600 to get the Royal. Was it at the dock? I will be fine with the SS but if all we need to do is ask what is available and how much more it would be, why not? And did you love the Royal?

 

Patti

[idssms]

Upgrades are possible but not very likely and you have to be extremely lucky. With that,,,,,, winning the lottery is very possible but you have to be extremely lucky.

 

With that said do the following:

 

Get to the port early

 

Get in line and register

 

Be first in your category line to get on the ship

 

Go right to the Pursers Desk, now called the Customer Service Desk and tell them you want to be on the waiting list for any upgrades

 

Ask them what place you are in the upgrade request listing

 

Proceed to your cabin and wait for about 2 hours after sailing, go back to the DESK (wait in the long first day line) and ask them the status on upgrades.

 

99% of the time the answer will be, "Sorry Sir/Madame, there are no cabins available for upgrade, we are 100% booked".

 

Pull out FIVE $100 bills and ask again,,, Proceed to the secret third Penthouse Suite thats hidden on deck 11 ---- LOL, just kidding

 

As they say with the lotto,,,,,,, if you dont try to upgrade you will never get an upgrade, so try,, what do you have to lose..

 

Formerly NOVAMAN now FL man...... Don

[ajpack]

When we got our upgrade last year, it was at the pier---didn't ask for it--didn't even know it was possible. Actually, my cousin would have rather had an inside because she gets seasick, so she had to keep the window covered all the time. I loved it---won't ever book an inside again!;) Next year for the Med, we have a balcony.

[Parrotgirl]

Since you can no longer do last minute, at the dock, booking, since passenger manifests have to be available ahead of time, go to the website a couple of days before you sail to see what is still available. In my case, there were about ten suites not booked - 5 sky suites, 3 celebrity suites and 2 royal suites - when I left on Saturday morning.

 

We left for the pier at around 11:00 but you may want to get there a little earlier. I checked in as normal but then went over to the desk at the end marked "pier coordinator". I stood in line, asked if the royals were still available, and switched to the last one right there. She said it was $600 in total. Once I gave up my sky suite, 6146, my aunt, who was in line with me, took it. They were originally in a concierge cabin and switched to the sky suite for $400. They switched our seapass cards at the desk and then we boarded, as usual. The upgrade amount was added to our onboard account but since we had a $200 onboard credit from booking during the prior cruise, it made it seem like only $400 for the upgrade, which was great.

 

This was very unusual since last year, on the same cruise (Thanksgiving but the other itinerary), there was a sign stating that there were no available cabins. We had boarded early but maybe we were too late or everything had been taken ahead of time. Or - maybe more people are trying out concierge and not booking the suites.

 

I love being in suites but hate to pay for them (must be the accountant in me) so I usually book a sky suite. The suite area is very peaceful and the butlers have always been attentive. It's great for a longer than seven day cruise.

 

Good luck.

[StephenJohnson]

We've never done any of this rigmarole at the port / guest relations - or paid for an upgrade - and we've gotten significant free upgrades (12->5, 6->2, SS->RS) on about 1/3 of our cruises with Celebrity. So, it's not quite like winning the lottery.

 

On two of those cruise we had assigned cabins, not guarantees.

 

That being said, there's never a guarantee, so don't get your heart set on it.

[adegner]

As you see by my signature, I have sailed 25 times with X. In all of that time we have been upgraded only ONCE. And I think that was because of a booking error. We were on Galaxy and had booked an oceanview cabin. We checked in and went to our cabin only to find out that the dining room card had someone else's name on it. We immediately checked with the room attendant and he said "I'm sorry, but I don't have you booked in this room." Needless to say we were a little concerned. We went down to the customer service desk and the lady said "Well, the reason you are not booked in that cabin is that we have you booked in a Sky Suite".

 

WOW! I'm sure it was originally some mistake, but we sure lucked out!!! It sure was better than a downgrade. Especially the beautiful Sky Suites on the Galaxy!

 

But, it hasn't happenned since. So, do NOT get your hopes up!

[CindyinSeattle]

Hello!

 

Don't believe everything you hear! We took a repositioning cruise to the southern Carribean back in October, only booked our cruise 9 days in advance, and were pleasantly surprised when we went through boarding procedures that Celebrity had in fact upgraded our inside cabin to an outside cabin at no extra charge! I think the chances are better on getting an upgrade if the ship you are going on is not full, which was the chase on the Horizon repositioning cruise - there were only 956 passengers. We love Celebrity, and just booked an 11-day Mexican Riveria cruise departing from San Diego on 12/6/04. If we don't get an upgrade on this cruise, I'm sure it will be fine - celebrity's staterooms all have plenty of space! I think one of the reasons why we got an upgrade is that we booked the cruise through "Hotwire", and they have a deal with the cruiseline for upgrades when possible.

 

I don't think booking way far in advance is going to give you a better deal, since it's too far away to know how full the ship will be. Enjoy your honeymoon! There is no such thing as a "bad" cruise!

[BCHappyGal]

WE have cruised 13 times with several different lines and been up about 50% of the time. Always free upgrades thru our TA and the upgrades came with our cabin assignment - we normally purchase "Guarantee" or "run of the ship" which means you purchase a minimum standard of cabin and the cruise line will assign you that catagory or better - we usually get better.

 

This year on Celebrity we werre upgraded from an outside to a premium balcony cabin at the last minute when our TA asked that we be upgraded. however that sailing the ship was only about 50% occupied.

 

If you are on a full sailing do not count on an upgrade free or paid.

[mmp13]

We were upgraded on our first X cruise no apparent reason but I have to say it was a good marketing tool since now we alwasy book the cat we were upgraded to!

[ISABELLA]

As X customer Service superviser explained to me that free upgrade to CC members are done only one cat. up when that cat is available. But I think it's done based on availability and original price paid. For example, we are going on 15 days Hawaii cruise on Infinity 12/5/04, that was sold out 18 months ago for a veryyyyyyyy low price. And, now, they have some cabins available, but at much higher price.I booked it over a year ago at the low price, so now , will they give me an upgrade? think not. That is my philosophy on upgrades.