Realism about upgrades

[Pettifogger]

I check this bulletin board frequently and I've noticed that some posters say they almost always get an upgrade, others say that they never do and a fair number of the rest seem to spend a lot of their time hoping, scheming or praying for an upgrade.

 

I think maybe I have detected a reason for the difference: ones who did get upgrades booked earlier and paid more and the ones who didn't, booked later and paid less. I may be entirely wrong and I'm sure one or more of you will tell me so if I am.

 

I'm personally a bargain seeker inclined to wait for the best price. I've always had the option of booking earlier and getting things like cabin choice and confirmed fixed dining, but I've been willing give up those and the likelihood of upgrade for a better price.

 

I'm inclined to think that a savings in the hand is as good as two upgrades in the bush and anyway I'm not much concerned about windfalls like upgrades. If I get what I paid for I'm happy; in the past I haven't always gotten what I paid for.

 

Others, who may be in the fortunate condition of not needing to weigh the value and the cost of everything can just go ahead and book early and I don't resent at all most of the benefits they get for paying more, especially because I suspect they are to some extent subsidizing my cruises.

 

But in any event, these days most of us are getting cruises at great prices, so we have very little to complain about. We don't need an upgrade if we can afford a veranda instead of an ocean view or an ocean view instead of an inside; in a sense we've already had an upgrade.

 

I am not immune to the joy of receiving an unexpected windfall, but I have schooled myself to not be disappointed when I get only what I deserve or, at least, the good part of what I deserve.

 

Please be as critical as you like of the foregoing speculation, because I shan't even know it. I'm off for a bargain cruise which I expect to fully enjoy without any kind of a cabin upgrade, although I must sheepishly admit that I am hoping for an upgrade to fixed dining.

[Rassa]

Yep, when we paid full price a few years ago, we received upgrades within the category - outside low to outside higher deck. I was hoping for an upgrade with my last cruise on Princess (never been with Princess before and I didn't pay top dollar) and no, I did not get an upgrade from inside to outside. Talking to some fellow passengers, those who had been on before and paid full price, received an upgrade from inside to outside.

 

My next cruise is a good price for guaranteed outside (booked through the UK and it was much cheaper than Oz for the same cabin) and boy am I happy with that - hate inside cabins. Don't know that I will get an upgrade from low to higher, but outside is great for me.

Rassa

[tomc]

Einstein's General Law of Relative Upgrates:

 

The Upgrade Fairy sprinkles its magic dust where it will, and nobody has figured out how it chooses its beneficiary.

[Jewel99]

There's been a lot of discussion on these boards about upgrades and upsells.

 

It does seem that it's based on a few things

- Price paid - if you paid full price, or close to it, you're more likely to get upgraded. If you got an amazing deal, it's less likely.

- History with the specific cruiseline. Regular passengers often get upgraded before new ones (although that seems to be debatable).

- Popularity of cruise and specific types of staterooms. Say cruiseline "A" has sold almost all of their inside staterooms for $900 and their outside staterooms for $1200, but have tons of $1500 balcony staterooms left unsold. They might bump people up to the balconies so that they can more easily re-sell the less expensive staterooms. Better to make an extra $900-1200 per stateroom versus having the balcony stateroom go empty. (these numbers are just for examples - not real figures). Same would hold true if lots of suites were available but almost everything under them was sold out, etc.

[tomc]

I book the cheap seats (inside, K-cat) and about half my cruises, maybe fewer, have been upgrades to outside. One person posted how they have been on 35 cruises without an upgrade.

[CowPrincess]

A lot of the discussion about "how to get an upgrade, will I get an upgrade, what's the best way to get an upgrade," offends me. IMHO if it is REALLY important to you that you have a better cabin than you paid for, you should consider paying for a better cabin. I find it nauseating when people want to spend a bunch of time trying to figure out how to "game" the system and get more than they are prepared to pay for.

 

I recall one poster who spent a LOT of time wanting a better cabin for her parents, and posting about it, and when I suggested she pay for a better cabin for them, her reply was (more or less) "No, I'm travelling in a suite because my vacation is important to me and I'm not prepared to downgrade my accommodations". Sorry, dear but these are YOUR parents, whom you know and presumably love -- why should HAL do more for them than you would? :)

 

Why should anyone expect HAL to do more than provide the class of accommodation the travellers have paid for? I've rec'd upgrades on some cruises and on others not. Pay for what you want. If you are fortunate enough to receive a visit from the upgrade fairy, lucky you -- what a nice gift!

[shandryl]

You said it CowPrincess!! :D

 

I was upgraded & it was a nice surprise. :)

 

I have always paid for the Stateroom I wanted. :) To me its a room to rest/shower/change lol I am too busy up on deck or at different ports to care. :)

 

I mean really what does it matter (just enjoy the cruise) life is too short to worry about what stateroom your going to be in. :confused:

[tomc]

We had a guy who dropped in here maybe three years ago, really Really p.o.'d with HAL about his cabin (pretty much under the anchor and next to the outhouse).

 

He was extraordinarily irate because HAL didn't give him an upgrade, which he expected.

 

A board member finally said something like, "You cheapskate. You booked the worst cabin in the ship and that's what you got. What's the problem? If you wanted a better cabin, then you should have booked it. It's not HAL's fault; it's yours. Now shut up and go away."

[photomikey]

I think maybe I have detected a reason for the difference: ones who did get upgrades booked earlier and paid more and the ones who didn't, booked later and paid less. I may be entirely wrong and I'm sure one or more of you will tell me so if I am.

It's always seemed to me that upgrades are done by someone in a cubicle in Seattle who is responsible for shuffling rooms on 14 different ships, each with 500+ rooms, with different passengers and destinations every week - on top of whatever their other duties are.

 

The sheer unpredictability of it all points to the fact that someone who is probably quite busy needs to even out the number of cabins open in each class, and needs to move a dozen outsides to balconies... and does so in whatever order their computer spits out numbers.

 

IMHO, after reading posts here about the upgrade fairy for five years... no rhyme or reason - seniority, age, special occasion, newbie, veteran, honeymoon, birthday, 100 cruises... nuttin.

 

The only thing you can count on with 100% certainty is that the moment someone posts a thread about upgrading, twelve people will turn their nose up and chime in about how THEY book the category they're HAPPY WITH and EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD TOO. (Sorry for the caps, these people typically post in all-bold, for effect.)

 

We're not quite to 12 yet, but halfway there. Wait for it. :-)

[brucory]

The only thing you can count on with 100% certainty is that the moment someone posts a thread about upgrading, twelve people will turn their nose up and chime in about how THEY book the category they're HAPPY WITH and EVERYONE ELSE SHOULD TOO. (Sorry for the caps, these people typically post in all-bold, for effect.)

 

This is true...

 

Some people do get very upset about things like this!!!

 

To the point of feeling nausea, no less.

 

Happy sailings!!!

 

:D:D:D

[brucory]

I'm personally a bargain seeker inclined to wait for the best price. I've always had the option of booking earlier and getting things like cabin choice and confirmed fixed dining, but I've been willing give up those and the likelihood of upgrade for a better price.

 

 

Pettifogger,

 

I too wonder about how all this works...

 

There have been some that have said they don't believe that it is first booked or most paid that get the upgrades...

 

Sometimes, those who book far out pay less than those that book late...

 

I reason that those who book guarantees stand a far better chance of upgrade than those who don't... Beyond that, I would go with TOMC and say that where the fairy's dust shall land is not predictable...

 

:D:D:D

[esther e]

We were booked in an SY last year and upgraded to an SA. Smart move on HAL because we are booked for 2 cruises in the future and have booked an SA on each of them ourselves. We don't "want to go back," so to speak.:)

[Taxguy77]

A group of us were going on a 7day one time and one person did all the booking, inside. Never again, although there was enough room after we figured out that one of us should stay in bed untill the other was dressed!:rolleyes:

Since then we have always picked a cabin we could afford and liked and booked it. We don't want an upgrade, gambling is for the casino not room choice.

[jtl513]

I too wonder about how all this works...

 

There have been some that have said they don't believe that it is first booked or most paid that get the upgrades...

 

Here is part of a reply that sunviking90 received from HAL

(bolding mine)

 

Requests for complimentary stateroom upgrades must be sent to our Ship Inventory Department. Their fax number is 800-547-4720. On your request please include your booking number, ship name, sailing date and guest names on the booking. Requests for upgrades are reviewed once we are within 1-7 days prior to sailing.

 

Requesting a complimentary upgrade does not mean you will receive an upgrade. It is a request only. A complimentary upgrade is based on availability, Mariner status and rate paid. Once a complimentary upgrade is applied to a booking a fax or email invoice is sent. The new stateroom assignment cannot be changed and the original stateroom occupied is no longer available.

 

DutchByAssociation clarified that to say that it's not how much you paid a TA that's important, but how much HAL actually got paid. If a TA cut their commission to make the booking, that doesn't come into play.

[Nasmas]

I agree. We booked a room we wanted, where we wanted it. We booked thru HAL and were told we were eligible for an upgrade, whatever that means. But, I hope we're told before they 'upgrade' us. Location is more important to us because of my husband's disability. We like being close to the center elevator and that's where we always book. We did a guarantee once because it was last minute and that's all that was available. We really lucked out. We got a room next to the elevator. Will they call us before they 'upgrade' us if they do. I hope we can say yes or no to it. Does anyone know?

[jimmy2x]

I agree. We booked a room we wanted, where we wanted it. We booked thru HAL and were told we were eligible for an upgrade, whatever that means. But, I hope we're told before they 'upgrade' us. Location is more important to us because of my husband's disability. We like being close to the center elevator and that's where we always book. We did a guarantee once because it was last minute and that's all that was available. We really lucked out. We got a room next to the elevator. Will they call us before they 'upgrade' us if they do. I hope we can say yes or no to it. Does anyone know?

 

If you do not wish to take a chance on being "upgraded" all you have to to is let HAL know.

[kakalina]

I would also add that I think those who book directly with HAL have a slightly better chance, assuming they have booked a guarantee paid early etc. etc. , than a pax who booked with a TA.

[pipedreams62]

[world~citizen]

 

And I thought it was in the stars.:eek:

[suse]

We got an upgrade once. From a balcony to a suite, no charge. The funny thing was, my husband was ticked off because it was on a lower deck and he liked being near the Lido and the action. Go figure. We never did understand why that happened but I, for one, was extremely grateful.:)

[Roz]

I've received several upgrades on HAL, but it was usually when I booked an inside cabin - there's nowhere to go but up! :D I also sail solo, so I imagine a single passenger is easier to move around. As far as fare paid, booking with HAL vs. with a TA, and booking early vs. late, I've found it doesn't seem to factor in.

 

I'm always pleased as punch when I get an upgrade, but I have no expectations. I've had more than adequate inside cabins. I'm just thrilled to be on the ship.

 

Roz

[suse]

By the way, it was not a guarantee. It was a room we chose because of the location.:)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have booked 3 times direct with HAL and all the 20 + others with a TA and have been offered upgrades on probably the last 10 in a row that I DID NOT book a S Suite. So booking thru HAL or booking with a TA made absolutely NO difference. But What I will say made the difference and was also told to me by those at HAL is that it depends on of course availability. But first thing they look at is Your Mariner Status. Medallion Holders are definitely looked at first, then the frequency that you have cruised with HAL in the past 2 to 3 years, then the price you paid for the cabin to begin with.

[Benita]

I check this bulletin board frequently and I've noticed that some posters say they almost always get an upgrade, others say that they never do and a fair number of the rest seem to spend a lot of their time hoping, scheming or praying for an upgrade.

 

I think maybe I have detected a reason for the difference: ones who did get upgrades booked earlier and paid more and the ones who didn't, booked later and paid less. I may be entirely wrong and I'm sure one or more of you will tell me so if I am.

 

I'm personally a bargain seeker inclined to wait for the best price. I've always had the option of booking earlier and getting things like cabin choice and confirmed fixed dining, but I've been willing give up those and the likelihood of upgrade for a better price.

 

I'm inclined to think that a savings in the hand is as good as two upgrades in the bush and anyway I'm not much concerned about windfalls like upgrades. If I get what I paid for I'm happy; in the past I haven't always gotten what I paid for.

 

Others, who may be in the fortunate condition of not needing to weigh the value and the cost of everything can just go ahead and book early and I don't resent at all most of the benefits they get for paying more, especially because I suspect they are to some extent subsidizing my cruises.

 

But in any event, these days most of us are getting cruises at great prices, so we have very little to complain about. We don't need an upgrade if we can afford a veranda instead of an ocean view or an ocean view instead of an inside; in a sense we've already had an upgrade.

 

I am not immune to the joy of receiving an unexpected windfall, but I have schooled myself to not be disappointed when I get only what I deserve or, at least, the good part of what I deserve.

 

Please be as critical as you like of the foregoing speculation, because I shan't even know it. I'm off for a bargain cruise which I expect to fully enjoy without any kind of a cabin upgrade, although I must sheepishly admit that I am hoping for an upgrade to fixed dining.

 

We book early all the time - we usually use an agency who checks the prices regularly, and adjusts the prices as they come down. However, until very recently, prices only went up as time went by, so we rarely got any adjustments. That said, we have never been upgraded (and we are in the highest level of loyalty programs on RCL and Princess).

When we book directly with the cruise lines and do not use a travel agent, we do not get upgraded either. (and this is after 50 plus cruises - some cabins selected and some in the guarantee category)

[scopewest]

I booked our Veendam cruise for this fall back in Jan. I really really wanted an S suite but just couldn't justify the cost to myself so we went with a balcony. Six months later I saw that HAL lowered their cabin prices for our cruise so that the S price was what I was willing to pay. I immediately called TA and had her book us the PS. Yep, I broke open the piggy bank and went for it. I told myself that the odds of that cabin still being available for an upgrade from our S were slim, the odds of me getting the call were slimmer, so I booked the PS. Now I don't have to think about will I get an upgrade! :)