ralph 0 Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 What do I have to do to get an UPGRADE? Several advertisments come through my letter box every week and some talk of upgrades if I book this cruise or that cruise by this month or next. It seems that late bookers stand more chance of an upgrade. What do you think? As soon as the cruises for 2016 went on sale I booked a seven week cruise in the Far East for February 2016. What chance do I stand of getting an upgrade? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Terminator 916 Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Book the cabin you want and stay, upgrades aren't always a positive move. You could book a midship cabin because of movement of ship then accept an upgrade and end up at the sharp or blunt end. You get upgraded normally because you're in a cabin that is easier to sell..then get moved to one that nobody wants...it's a win win for the cruiseline. I've always said no to an upgrade. gopher, Captain Kidd II and Life0nMars 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Land Ahoy 797 Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Hi Upgrades are not a right. I have been on over fifty cruises and I have had only had a meaningful upgrade (inside to outside or balcony) on four occasions and two of these have occurred on my last three cruises. Upgrades are more likely to be given if you travel outside the peak seasons and on longer voyages. I agree that you can feel aggrieved if you hear that fellow passengers who book late at a lower price are awarded a complimentary upgrade as well. If you are unhappy with the situation it's in your hands, book later. However, I assume you were happy with the price you paid at the time of booking so you still got a "good" value product. I know many on this forum wish to have a specific cabin and will not accept an upgrade to a different position on the ship, I have not one of these I prefer to have a cheaper cabin on a cruise line I rate higher than have a suite on a cruise line which I feel is inferior. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Solent Richard Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 What do I have to do to get an UPGRADE? Several advertisments come through my letter box every week and some talk of upgrades if I book this cruise or that cruise by this month or next. It seems that late bookers stand more chance of an upgrade. What do you think? As soon as the cruises for 2016 went on sale I booked a seven week cruise in the Far East for February 2016. What chance do I stand of getting an upgrade? Good morning Ralph. It is my opinion that the 'Upgrade' you are talking about is not the one that cruisers generally look to and appreciate. The one in question is more of a 'marketing' ploy by the cruise lines and travel agents. As far as your question as to 'what chance do I stand' goes, well you need to give us a little more information on the ship and cruise line and the level you are already booked, before we can speculate on your chances. Fingers crossed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Solent Richard Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Book the cabin you want and stay, upgrades aren't always a positive move. You could book a midship cabin because of movement of ship then accept an upgrade and end up at the sharp or blunt end. You get upgraded normally because you're in a cabin that is easier to sell..then get moved to one that nobody wants...it's a win win for the cruiseline. I've always said no to an upgrade. Hi Terminator. I have had some great upgrades in my time, mainly with Cunard. The one I didn't appreciate was on P&O's Arcadia when we were upgraded to an aft facing balcony. Leave aside the usual 'soot' problems, I would never consider booking one ever. The views are pretty poor: you only see where you have been. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Terminator 916 Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Hi Terminator. I have had some great upgrades in my time, mainly with Cunard. The one I didn't appreciate was on P&O's Arcadia when we were upgraded to an aft facing balcony. Leave aside the usual 'soot' problems, I would never consider booking one ever. The views are pretty poor: you only see where you have been. Morning Richard I'm like Land Ahoy..if I'm happy with my choice of stateroom and the price to be paid why bother asking for or expecting an upgrade? Why take the decision making process out of your own hands and give it to someone else? Not for me thanks...I'm neither that brave nor foolish. Little Mermaid 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Solent Richard Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Morning Richard I'm like Land Ahoy..if I'm happy with my choice of stateroom and the price to be paid why bother asking for or expecting an upgrade? Why take the decision making process out of your own hands and give it to someone else? Not for me thanks...I'm neither that brave nor foolish. Nice réponse Terminator but I think you may have read me wrong. I too am like you and book the cabin/stateroom I want however, when a meaningful upgrade, like the one Cunard gave me last November, on my solo Trans Atlantic, comes along, surely you would agree it would be madness to turn it down. From an Atrium View (basically an inside)... ... to a Britannia Club Balcony... with the exceedingly better dining arrangements, is not to be sniffed at. Terminator 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Terminator 916 Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 Nice réponse Terminator but I think you may have read me wrong. I too am like you and book the cabin/stateroom I want however, when a meaningful upgrade, like the one Cunard gave me last November, on my solo Trans Atlantic, comes along, surely you would agree it would be madness to turn it down. From an Atrium View (basically an inside)... ... to a Britannia Club Balcony... with the exceedingly better dining arrangements, is not to be sniffed at. Very nice indeed..and one I have to admit would be worth taking if certain criteria in my case were met. Were you given the choice of remaining in your original stateroom if the upgrade didn't suit .i.e. position on ship, deck etc? And what chance would there be of someone like myself who has never cruised with Cunard before being offered the same? Very little I'll warrant...and why would they..better to look after their regulars. Most cruise lines that I know of don't give you that option..once they've given you an upgrade there's no going back. So basically it's like it or lump it. AFC04/03 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cruise chef 865 Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 I always thought that it was down to the choice of the passenger, I know who I book with always asks if I wanted to be added to the upgrade list, they do advise though that I could receive anything of a higher grade anywhere on the ship so depending what Ive booked will make my decision for me. I have to say having tried another company a while ago they were not as thorough and I had a dreadful experience, so if you are happy to be anywhere then accept it if not then decline the option to be upgraded. Anyone who thinks they should be upgraded automatically should have booked a different cabin Little Mermaid 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Little Mermaid 50 Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 I have been given similar info in the past cruise chef, I think I understand it. There are complimentary upgrade posibilities which you can decline when you book. If you don't decline you have no choice, its automatically given, mainly Cunard and P&O. And I get the impression they upgrade when it benefits them more than the passengers. But there is also a possibility that the cruise op or your agent could call you and offer a reduced price upgrade, this of course you have a say in it and if you dont like it you can decline and stay where you have booked, sometimes a very good deal. There are possibilities of an upgrade when you book a guarantee cabin and there is no number to give, where the cruise op may give you a higher grade, at no extra charge when they allocate your cabin And then the marketing promotions where you book say an outside cabin at the inside price. Phew, I think thats more or less it, please feel free to throw any other versions into the cruise pot, lol. I do agree that its about time fellow passengers stopped moaning about them, expecting them, and the bloomin cheeky ones who dare to brag about them he he Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Solent Richard Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 Very nice indeed..and one I have to admit would be worth taking if certain criteria in my case were met. Were you given the choice of remaining in your original stateroom if the upgrade didn't suit .i.e. position on ship, deck etc? And what chance would there be of someone like myself who has never cruised with Cunard before being offered the same? Very little I'll warrant...and why would they..better to look after their regulars. Most cruise lines that I know of don't give you that option..once they've given you an upgrade there's no going back. So basically it's like it or lump it. Good morning Terminator. I certainly was given the choice, hence I was able to take the photograph of the first stateroom before moving out. Exactly correct on the second highlighted issue. But I would add that it's not the only criteria. One's spend and whether or not one removes the auto gratuities also plays a part. In general it's all about being a valued customer when the opportunity arises. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tinkerbell 80 Posted June 9, 2015 Report Share Posted June 9, 2015 Yesterday we were offered an upgrade from a balcony cabin to a mini suite for a cost of £300 per person. This is for 25 night Eastern Med cruise on Arcadia at end of August originally booked as Black Sea. I have 2 questions. Are people usually charged for an upgrade? Do members think this is good value? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Land Ahoy 797 Posted June 9, 2015 Report Share Posted June 9, 2015 Yesterday we were offered an upgrade from a balcony cabin to a mini suite for a cost of £300 per person. This is for 25 night Eastern Med cruise on Arcadia at end of August originally booked as Black Sea. I have 2 questions. Are people usually charged for an upgrade? Do members think this is good value? Hi I would not count this as an upgrade but it can be beneficial if you like the idea of "better" accommodation at a reasonable cost Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ron 606 Posted June 9, 2015 Report Share Posted June 9, 2015 Hi I would not count this as an upgrade but it can be beneficial if you like the idea of "better" accommodation at a reasonable cost It just goes to show peoples different perspectives, I would class this as an upgrade if you take into account the actual cost of booking a Mini Suite originally. P&O do these days seem to impose a charge for certain upgrades, so if you are happy to pay the charge go for it . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Solent Richard Posted June 9, 2015 Report Share Posted June 9, 2015 Yesterday we were offered an upgrade from a balcony cabin to a mini suite for a cost of £300 per person. This is for 25 night Eastern Med cruise on Arcadia at end of August originally booked as Black Sea. I have 2 questions. Are people usually charged for an upgrade? Do members think this is good value? Yes, P&O do offer this kind of upgrade. If I were you i would jump at it if it's not too late. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tinkerbell 80 Posted June 9, 2015 Report Share Posted June 9, 2015 Thanks Richard. My husband did jump at the chance as he thought it was good value. DavidH 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DavidH 593 Posted June 9, 2015 Report Share Posted June 9, 2015 Thanks Richard. My husband did jump at the chance as he thought it was good value. Good decision, Tinkerbell. A couple of years ago we were offered a low cost upgrade to one of the 2 Penthouse Suites on Aurora which gave us the most fabulous experience at a fraction of the normal price. A real no-brainer, in my view. Enjoy!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sammy sun 1084 Posted June 9, 2015 Report Share Posted June 9, 2015 These type of upgrades seem to be the norm these days and it's a good thing that passengers are offered this chance. Yes we could all argue that free upgrades would be fantastic and should be given out to loyal passengers and so on but they are a business after all and in business, you need to make money, hence why they come to a middle ground offering which still works very much in the passengers favour as David H gives an example of above. Some of my close friends had the opportunity to upgrade their superior deluxe on Ventura to a suite a few months ago for a very reasonable price and did so. DavidH 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
seawitch 291 Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 We have been offered the paid upgrade, a few years ago we had booked a 4 berth outside cabin as we were taking the family. the day before departure we were offered a second outside cabin for £300. we jumped at the chance. The only problem was when we got to check in they had put us in the second cabin and removed the children from the booking altogether.The boarding passes they had were still the originals so we managed to sort it out but we were hanging around Mayflower for almost 5 hours while they did. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tinkerbell 80 Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 Thanks Seawitch. Hopefully that won't apply to us. Our offspring flew the nest years ago but unfortunately these days there's always the chance they'll fly back in again! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ron 606 Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 Thanks Seawitch. Hopefully that won't apply to us. Our offspring flew the nest years ago but unfortunately these days there's always the chance they'll fly back in again! They must know which side there bread is buttered. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tally 392 Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 I'll be quite honest here. I actually loathe the upgrade system. We always book a suite because that's what we like. I really think it unfair that people are upgraded to them at a much cheaper price than we have paid, simply because they haven't been booked. We found out on our World cruise this year a lot of people had been upgraded to the suites. I know my point of view will not be popular but as far as I'm concerned if you want a better cabin you should pay for it. sinbad10 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
smtcan 274 Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 We have only once had a really meaningful upgrade. That was on Celebrity Century when we were upgraded from inside to a concierge balcony. We enjoyed that although it was a very port intensive cruise and we had little opportunity to use the balcony. We generally only choose a balcony when we will have many sea days. We were also upgraded to a balcony on Royal Princess, but that was because our reservation was cancelled in error by Princess and our original cabin was sold, so I don't really count that one. Sheila Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ron 606 Posted June 12, 2015 Report Share Posted June 12, 2015 I'll be quite honest here. I actually loathe the upgrade system. We always book a suite because that's what we like. I really think it unfair that people are upgraded to them at a much cheaper price than we have paid, simply because they haven't been booked. We found out on our World cruise this year a lot of people had been upgraded to the suites. I know my point of view will not be popular but as far as I'm concerned if you want a better cabin you should pay for it. So in fairness what do they, do leave them empty or upgrade someone from a lower grade to free up the cheaper options. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tinkerbell 80 Posted June 13, 2015 Report Share Posted June 13, 2015 Quite right Ron. However I also sympathise with Tally. Most of us have had a little grumble when we've been on a holiday and found out people have paid less than us. This time, I'm not grumbling. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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