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Going Rate for Upsell Fairy?


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So I got an email from RCCL stating that I could be put on a wait list for an upgrade to a Junior Suite from an Obstructed Balcony for a 9 night on the Anthem at end of May (me my husband, and my 1 yr old son). They want to charge $1300 which to me is the cost of another cruise so is not appealing to me. However, I joined the wait list as I felt it couldn’t hurt and I could just say no if they called.

 

But it made me question, is the upgrade a take it or leave it thing? Or can I get them to negotiate a price? What would be a good price for that level of upgrade? Was joining the list a bad idea and will it possibly take me out of the running for a free upgrade? I have never cruised RCCL so do not know their tactics!

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So I got an email from RCCL stating that I could be put on a wait list for an upgrade to a Junior Suite from an Obstructed Balcony for a 9 night on the Anthem at end of May (me my husband, and my 1 yr old son). They want to charge $1300 which to me is the cost of another cruise so is not appealing to me. However, I joined the wait list as I felt it couldn’t hurt and I could just say no if they called.

 

But it made me question, is the upgrade a take it or leave it thing? Or can I get them to negotiate a price? What would be a good price for that level of upgrade? Was joining the list a bad idea and will it possibly take me out of the running for a free upgrade? I have never cruised RCCL so do not know their tactics!

There is no "history" on this latest gambit on the part of Royal Caribbean.

 

If you hear back from them, please post again.

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Thanks! I will for sure report back regardless of outcome, but I really can’t imagine anyone thinking that a $1300 upsell on a cruise that cost me only twice that is any sort of deal. I’ll for sure ask if it is negotiable, and if not, I’m declining. Sad because I do like the idea of suite perks!

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So I got an email from RCCL stating that I could be put on a wait list for an upgrade to a Junior Suite from an Obstructed Balcony for a 9 night on the Anthem at end of May (me my husband, and my 1 yr old son). They want to charge $1300 which to me is the cost of another cruise so is not appealing to me. However, I joined the wait list as I felt it couldn’t hurt and I could just say no if they called.

 

But it made me question, is the upgrade a take it or leave it thing? Or can I get them to negotiate a price? What would be a good price for that level of upgrade? Was joining the list a bad idea and will it possibly take me out of the running for a free upgrade? I have never cruised RCCL so do not know their tactics!

Wow. I got that email this afternoon and price from my hump balcony to junior suite is $300 (yes, three hundred). I have sailed with them a few times and I don't think anyone knows their tactics!

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. Sad because I do like the idea of suite perks!

 

Just in case you are not aware, the name Junior Suite is a bit of a misnomer as they do not qualify for most of the suite perks (really the only ones they do qualify for are pre boarding and double points and I have read that these email offered upgrades do not even get the double points. So really, it is only a "better" room (DH is very tall and most junior suites have a bath tub/shower combo which has less space for a tall person to stand up fully than a shower stall so he considers the room itself a downgrade from a balcony)

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That seems high to me, especially since you don't get the real suite perks. You usually don't get the double points so for that extra money I would put it towards another cruise. Do you know what the jr. suites were selling for when you originally booked or can you find out?

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But it made me question, is the upgrade a take it or leave it thing? Or can I get them to negotiate a price? What would be a good price for that level of upgrade? Was joining the list a bad idea and will it possibly take me out of the running for a free upgrade? I have never cruised RCCL so do not know their tactics!

 

I got a call from C&A to upgrade from a JS on a 7 night AD to a GS, for $1000. I told her that it was too much money. She asked me if I wanted to hear all the benefits of a suite. I said I was already familiar with them. She really tried hard to sell me and seemed disappointed I didn't take it. There was no counter offer. She did tell me at the beginning that our call was going to be recorded 'for customer service purposes'.

 

Maybe they are working on commission with the upsells. At the end she gave me a number to call if I changed my mind and told me that it was a 24 hour number.

 

I don't think it will take you out of the running for a free upgrade; I have never gotten one since 2005. I think that they are trying to gauge how much they can actually get for these upsells because it seems like a lot of people are getting upsell calls/upgrade emails lately with widely varying costs to upgrade.

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... I think that they are trying to gauge how much they can actually get for these upsells because it seems like a lot of people are getting upsell calls/upgrade emails lately with widely varying costs to upgrade.

I agree, I think they gauge the reponse to their offer to decide how much they can get. Who knows if all the emails have the same offer amount.

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I agree, I think they gauge the reponse to their offer to decide how much they can get. Who knows if all the emails have the same offer amount.

 

 

Getting ready to leave my hotel for our Brilliance TA this morning and received a call. They offered a JS for $700. Not too bad for a 15 day cruise. I turned it down and asked why they had called me as I'm marked "no upgrades". She stated my account was mark "automatic upgrade". This may of happened during the website "enhancement" she said.

 

So everyone please check if you, like me, do not want automatic upgrades.

 

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

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Getting ready to leave my hotel for our Brilliance TA this morning and received a call. They offered a JS for $700. Not too bad for a 15 day cruise. I turned it down and asked why they had called me as I'm marked "no upgrades". She stated my account was mark "automatic upgrade". This may of happened during the website "enhancement" she said.

 

So everyone please check if you, like me, do not want automatic upgrades.

I'm surprised they even called you if your account was marked automatic. Perhaps they know one of the side-effects of their website "enhancement" was to lose the upgrade preference. I can imagine how upset you two would have been to have lost a corner aft for an upgrade! Cross your fingers until you get your Seapass card!

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I'm surprised they even called you if your account was marked automatic. Perhaps they know one of the side-effects of their website "enhancement" was to lose the upgrade preference. I can imagine how upset you two would have been to have lost a corner aft for an upgrade! Cross your fingers until you get your Seapass card!
They called cause they wanted $700 for the upgrade

 

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

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My email was came in yesterday. The offer was upgrade from an OV to balcony for $250. This is a 5 night from Baltimore to Bermuda. I put us on the list. Seems like a lot for 5 nights, though.

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Yeah, the more I think about it the more this whole thing seems a bit insulting to my math skills and like a major money grab on RCCLs part. I get it, they have High level cabins on my cruise that are not sold out and we are now 54 days out, as I checked. But the offer amount seems like the highest suggested out of all those posting on the other thread. $144/day.

 

But $1300 is already half what we paid for the cruise, that I would remind them, I have already paid for and am already going on. That $1300 does not get me extra services on ship, nor does it get me more ports or port time.

 

I guess they feel it can't hurt to ask, but in the end, yes, it can hurt to ask. Cause now that money I was thinking of spending for drinks or a day or 2 in the specialty restaurants, and maybe a spa treatment will not happen. But I'll make sure to spend my money on shore for sure. Since they are recording for training purposes, I will for sure make sure they understand that if this is how they are training their sales force to make more money, it is a major fail.

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If you put auto upgrade would they do it if it wasn't free ....I had assumed this is what it related to ?

No, they would not upgrade automatically if they wanted more money. The auto upgrade would only come into play if they could not upsell enough and they had no choice but to do free upgrades. Which, by the way, seem to be extremely rare anymore.

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Does it seem like they ask those who have paid the most for their balconies first and then go down the list? Or if you had a really good price for your balcony you would be asked to pay more for an up sell? I’m just tying to figure out how RC does this as we have never been called.

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Does it seem like they ask those who have paid the most for their balconies first and then go down the list? Or if you had a really good price for your balcony you would be asked to pay more for an up sell? I’m just tying to figure out how RC does this as we have never been called.

I think the jury is our on that. This email process that is being described here is very new and we don't have much history to report.

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