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Beware upgrades!


Sherbidashus
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Has anyone else been offered a cabin upgrade and then regretted accepting it? We chose a mid ships cabin on a cruise when we booked it for this year but the cruise was cancelled. We were offered a replacement cruise with 'free cabin upgrade'. Not thinking of any disadvantage we accepted the offer and booked another cruise. It was only when we received our confirmation on a fully booked ship that we realised we were on the top deck - which was ok - but in the noisiest cabin furthest away from everything that it was possible to have! :( We've just booked a cruise for next year and were in the process of picking cabins when we were asked if we'd be interested in an upgrade. We said no. We suspect this is a way of them getting rid of the less popular cabins?

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...We suspect this is a way of them getting rid of the less popular cabins?

 

Nope!! I would never say to beware upgrades. But just like guarantees, an upgrade might not be what you consider an upgrade. Since higher level is considered an upgrade, any cabin, same category, on deck ten for example would be an upgrade over that category on deck five. So, as you experienced, you might get a cabin undesirable to you. But twice we've gotten upgrades that were definitely better, including the location. Just like with guarantees the location of an upgrade is left to chance.

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Good to know it can sometimes work out well!

 

Worked out gr8 for us! When prices dropped our agent upgraded all 3 cabins. We originally booked 3 Interior staterooms on Deck 6. Our 1st upgrade was to a Promenade Window stateroom and the last two cabins were upgraded to Deck 10 Superior Balcony and we don't have to change rooms!

San :)

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  • 4 weeks later...

Let's say a ship had a few Suites and a few Balconies that were not sold a day before sailing. Do they upgrade passengers to fill all of those cabins or do they just leave then empty? I would think that the good will generated, by upgrading passengers from an Inside or Oceanview, would be enormous. Even if they offered the upgrades at a reasonable surcharge it would still generate future business. After all, it does not cost the cruise line anything to put a passenger in an unsold cabin I would think.

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Even my TA did not inform me correctly about upgrades. Had to call HAL directly for the right info.

 

There are two types of upgrades, which many experienced cruisers are probably aware of but that some may not be. There is the Comp (compensatory) upgrade. This upgrade is free and is at the convenience of the cruise line. If you state that you will accept an upgrade, on your booking, if they upgrade you then you have to accept it. You do not have a choice whether to accept or not. The upgraded cabin automatically becomes your booked cabin. You cannot keep your originally booked cabin even if you are not satisfied with the upgrade.

 

Then there is the non compensatory upgrade. This is where they offer you an upgrade for an additional fee. My travel agent now advises me that HAL will notify them if any of these upgrades become available and they will notify me. I then have the option of accepting or rejecting the upgrade.

Edited by Floridastorm
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I don't see any there on my HAL account whether we asked for upgraide or not. We booked via third party on-line TA. How do I find out?

 

On your Invoice, from the TA, it should state No Cabin Upgrade right below your cabin category and number, if you requested not to allow HAL to upgrade your cabin. Possibly some TA's indicate it differently. If it is missing then HAL will upgrade you automatically, if there is an opening. However, I would make a quick call to your TA or to HAL just to make sure.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Yes the trick is, there are upgrades where you are told what you're paying for and get to say Yay or Nay, and then there are the tricky upgrades where they have reclassified less desirable rooms in ways that make them higher categories, often dumped on guarantees.

 

An example is the "I" insides on the HAL Nieuw Amsterdam which are high in the ship and tiny, but rated higher than the "J" and "K" insides which are low in the ship and enormous!!!

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Royal Caribbean has a section on their site where you choose your upgrade preferences to prevent an unhappy experience.

 

They do not automatically upgrade to fill the top categories. One time I upgraded at the pier upon embarkation from an inside to a grand suite for a $800 fee.

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And be aware that cabin categories are funny. We leave next week and I (paid) to "downgrade" from a balcony to a Family Panoramic Ocean View, which was an "outside" category. It cost me an additional $900, but we now have a wall of 30' of windows directly at the front of the ship on Deck 12. A "downgrade"...but one I am very much looking forward to!!

 

BTW - we also got an "inside" on Carnival Splendor that was right at the front of the ship that actually had a big window. It was not in a desirable location, so they put it in the inside category, but we loved it.

 

Bottom line - you just have to do your homework :)

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  • 1 year later...

I see on occasions an upgrade might work out better but I would never say when booking I would accept one. The only reason the cruise line would move you I think is because someone else wants your cabin and not whatever else is offered. Also remember that with auto tips an upgraded cabin will most likely have higher tips so the company gain that way. We have this often when hiring a car at airports. Congratulations they say your car has been upgraded to a much bigger one. No thank you as that’s more fuel and more insurance I’ll stick please !!

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I’ve always considered an upgrade to be free and if you paid for it then it wasn’t an upgrade but an upsell. That being said, I had a great upsell recently. We went from an inside on deck 7 to a balcony on deck 9 for just $30. :D

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  • 2 months later...
I’ve always considered an upgrade to be free and if you paid for it then it wasn’t an upgrade but an upsell. That being said, I had a great upsell recently. We went from an inside on deck 7 to a balcony on deck 9 for just $30. :D

 

 

May I ask how far out from your sail date do they offer upsells and/or upgrades? A month, week, 6 months? I haven't cruised in over a decade.

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  • 9 months later...

I've been called a couple times with upsell calls, about a week or two before sailing.

 

On the upgrade - I got the upgrade from hell on my first cruise.  I knew nothing and definitely not enough to see it on a deck plan.

I had booked an inside cabin, and it was a nice middle of the deck cabin.   I knew I was prone to motion sickness, my travel agent had booked this cabin for me.  I didn't know what cabins would offer less movement, but she did.   Then at check in, someone sweetly offered me an upgrade to a porthole cabin.  Of course way in front.  I was so sick, when we hit rough water it was like riding the maliboomer up and down.  Never, ever again.  

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  • 2 months later...

I'm slightly worried about the upgrade i recently got from Royal Caribbean for an upcoming cruise on the Symphony of the Seas. I was upgraded from a central park balcony to boardwalk balcony and I'm concerned about the noise level, lights and also being alllllllll the way at the back of the ship. I'm not sure if I'll try out the guarantee cabin again.

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  • 1 month later...

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