D+, when to call for possible upgrade?

[39august]

I have read both 3 weeks prior to sailing and 2 weeks prior to sailing as the time frame for Diamond + members to inquire about upgrades. There are lots of JS and some higher suites available for my LOS cruise 9-26. Actually, someone has cancelled an OS, as there is 1 available today and there were none yesterday.

[Janet524]

It's 2 weeks prior. I've called (on several occasions) earlier than 2 weeks out and was told they do not start looking at D+ upgrades earlier than 14 days before sailing. Good luck with your request. I've never had any luck.

[Puffinater]

I call 3 weeks out pick the ammentity and ask that they put a memo in our record that we are ok with an upgrade. In 2 instances where there were a bunch of upgrade cabins available we lucked out. Not saying the memo worked just fyi as to what we did.

[daveky]

Just had a recent sailing of the Liberty and as others had said, it's now back to 2 weeks. Has been 3 weeks and it goes back and forth. Doesn't hurt to call 3 weeks out each year just in case. Have been fortunate to receive several suite upgrades in past years with the phone call if the D+ list is out and you're within the call period.

 

Good luck

 

Dave

[pcur]

Actually, calling prior to 2 weeks won't help. I just talked to the D+ desk at RCCL yesterday morning about a few questions I had. I told her we were "virgin" D+ members (our upcoming cruise on 9/30 is our first as D+).

 

She said that 2 weeks before the cruise the ship sends over a list of D+ passengers to the D+ desk in the Crown and Anchor section of the head office in Miami. According to the number of cruise credits each D+ has, they start calling from the top: those with the most credits.

 

As they move people to upgraded cabins, their booked cabin becomes available. So, a D+ with more credits than us might vacate a balcony cabin, and we might get it.

 

The way she explained it to me is the upgrades are not huge jumps in categories, but we could go from our OV to a balcony.

 

I also asked her about the new Concierge Lounge / Diamond Lounge / Diamond evening event policy that started this week. She said D+ can go to any of these according to what's available on the ship. Diamond Lounges will NO LONGER serve free mixed drinks, and so to go to the Concierge Lounge if there is one, since the program will not change in those lounges: free mixed drinks.

 

Each ship has the option of modifying these according to the circumstances. For instance, if a sailing has a very large number of D+ passengers, they may not allow them in the Concierge Lounge, but have them go to the Diamond Lounge or Diamond nightly event. The whole point to the changes is to eliminate overcrowding, so they have to adjust depending on the numbers on board for each sailing.

 

You can call within 30 days before your sailing to request your amenity gift in your cabin; yes, it's per cabin, not per passenger.

[daveky]

Calling and asking around 2 weeks out can help if the list is out and you ask for the D+ rep who has the list. I'm not always by the phone and as with the Liberty I sailed the past 2 weeks and and last 3 cruises got upgrades over the phone to 2 JSs and 2 OSs (including my past sailing). They will look to see where I'm at on the list and I can tell by my cruise credits and number of suites they show on the board (which by the way they don't always show all available suites) where I'm at on the list. They'll check and see how many suites are available, what number I'm on the list and if I'm well within the number of suites available, they've let me pic out my cabin number right then. They actually tell me what number I'm on the list in credit history but I'm usually in the top 5 on my sailings. BTW, they've also told me on certain sailings if the ship is full or close to full and there are too many D+ members with more credits and I probably won't get a call. They're always very polite either way when I call.

 

Dave

[critterchick]

Each ship has the option of modifying these according to the circumstances. For instance, if a sailing has a very large number of D+ passengers, they may not allow them in the Concierge Lounge, but have them go to the Diamond Lounge or Diamond nightly event. The whole point to the changes is to eliminate overcrowding, so they have to adjust depending on the numbers on board for each sailing.

 

Interesting that they would (1) give the ship the authority to act without a directive from Miami and (2) charge D+ for drinks in the now-overflow lounge. When we were on Radiance on a members' cruise, Miami told the ship to make the Hollywood Odyssey the overflow lounge (D and D+ were banned from the CL because there were about 500 onboard). The ship protested that HO wasn't large enough, but it took a night of insane overcrowding for them to change to the Starquest.

 

Calling and asking around 2 weeks out can help if the list is out and you ask for the D+ rep who has the list. I'm not always by the phone and as with the Liberty I sailed the past 2 weeks and and last 3 cruises got upgrades over the phone to 2 JSs and 2 OSs (including my past sailing). They will look to see where I'm at on the list and I can tell by my cruise credits and number of suites they show on the board (which by the way they don't always show all available suites) where I'm at on the list. They'll check and see how many suites are available, what number I'm on the list and if I'm well within the number of suites available, they've let me pic out my cabin number right then. They actually tell me what number I'm on the list in credit history but I'm usually in the top 5 on my sailings. BTW, they've also told me on certain sailings if the ship is full or close to full and there are too many D+ members with more credits and I probably won't get a call. They're always very polite either way when I call.

 

Dave

 

Have they actually transferred your call? I've called once or twice (on other issues) and asked to speak to somebody specific and they wouldn't do it. That would be a nice touch.

 

This year is a rare one for upgrades - we've never seen so many JS and higher cabins go begging as they have on our cruises. We've been very lucky to get a couple of upgrades to full suites, but I think I'd rather see the economy recover and the cabins sell out.

[PrincesScuba]

Those are the THEORETICAL ways that D+ upgrades work.

 

In practice, it can be a different story.

 

They either forget or don't care that we have Roll Calls here on Cruise Critic, and we share information with each other.

 

There have been any number of incidents where D+ with LOW numbers have been called before D+ with high numbers of cruise credits.

 

RC's record-keeping SUCKS. They sometimes have lists that omit YOU entirely. "What? You have 85 cruise credits? I don't see that on the list."

 

The point of my quasi-rant?

 

CALL. It sounds nice to say, "Be patient, they'll call you, they call in order of cruise credits."

 

Uh uh. CALL.

[daveky]

Interesting that they would (1) give the ship the authority to act without a directive from Miami and (2) charge D+ for drinks in the now-overflow lounge. When we were on Radiance on a members' cruise, Miami told the ship to make the Hollywood Odyssey the overflow lounge (D and D+ were banned from the CL because there were about 500 onboard). The ship protested that HO wasn't large enough, but it took a night of insane overcrowding for them to change to the Starquest.

 

 

 

Have they actually transferred your call? I've called once or twice (on other issues) and asked to speak to somebody specific and they wouldn't do it. That would be a nice touch.

 

This year is a rare one for upgrades - we've never seen so many JS and higher cabins go begging as they have on our cruises. We've been very lucky to get a couple of upgrades to full suites, but I think I'd rather see the economy recover and the cabins sell out.

 

When I call I ask to speak to a D+ representative. Then I ask about the possibility of a suite upgrade, each time for each cruise it varies from there. They always check to see how many avaialble, then they had put me on hold or sometimes I ask to have then check for the D+ list for that cruise. Sometimes I get the D+ reprent who says they have the list and tell me more info as how I stand for an upgrade and/or get it right then. I have a business and the time they would call me my buisness line can be busy or away from the phone, that is why I call and explain that to them. Again, I'm not agressive, tell them just checking and they're very polite. Was told on one cruise when they were calling down the list, my line was busy so they called the next one on the list and missed out on an upgrade. So that is why I can and check in on the status of the suites. I always thank them for checking and ask them if it's a problem for me calling, they always say no problem. Also, if the list is not out, they have told me when the list should be out and to call back.

 

Dave

[39august]

Thanks to all of you for so much good information. I will be calling 14 days before sailing!

[critterchick]

Those are the THEORETICAL ways that D+ upgrades work.

 

In practice, it can be a different story.

 

They either forget or don't care that we have Roll Calls here on Cruise Critic, and we share information with each other.

 

There have been any number of incidents where D+ with LOW numbers have been called before D+ with high numbers of cruise credits.

 

RC's record-keeping SUCKS. They sometimes have lists that omit YOU entirely. "What? You have 85 cruise credits? I don't see that on the list."

 

The point of my quasi-rant?

 

CALL. It sounds nice to say, "Be patient, they'll call you, they call in order of cruise credits."

 

Uh uh. CALL.

 

Amen to that! I know they're busy, overwhelmed, underpaid, etc., but I get really irritated when I'm told to be patient. As if the upgrade inventory won't be depleted in 24-48 hours....

 

When I call I ask to speak to a D+ representative. Then I ask about the possibility of a suite upgrade, each time for each cruise it varies from there. They always check to see how many avaialble, then they had put me on hold or sometimes I ask to have then check for the D+ list for that cruise. Sometimes I get the D+ reprent who says they have the list and tell me more info as how I stand for an upgrade and/or get it right then. I have a business and the time they would call me my buisness line can be busy or away from the phone, that is why I call and explain that to them. Again, I'm not agressive, tell them just checking and they're very polite. Was told on one cruise when they were calling down the list, my line was busy so they called the next one on the list and missed out on an upgrade. So that is why I can and check in on the status of the suites. I always thank them for checking and ask them if it's a problem for me calling, they always say no problem. Also, if the list is not out, they have told me when the list should be out and to call back.

 

Dave

 

For future reference, just press "9" to be connected directly to the D+ desk.:) And you should think about voicemail.:D I've been told that they will leave a message and give you 24 hours to reply. It would be nice if they'd check to see if you're on an RCI cruise at the time, though..

[pcur]

Calling and asking around 2 weeks out can help if the list is out and you ask for the D+ rep who has the list. I'm not always by the phone and as with the Liberty I sailed the past 2 weeks and and last 3 cruises got upgrades over the phone to 2 JSs and 2 OSs (including my past sailing). They will look to see where I'm at on the list and I can tell by my cruise credits and number of suites they show on the board (which by the way they don't always show all available suites) where I'm at on the list. They'll check and see how many suites are available, what number I'm on the list and if I'm well within the number of suites available, they've let me pic out my cabin number right then. They actually tell me what number I'm on the list in credit history but I'm usually in the top 5 on my sailings. BTW, they've also told me on certain sailings if the ship is full or close to full and there are too many D+ members with more credits and I probably won't get a call. They're always very polite either way when I call.

 

Dave

 

Yes, I agree. My point was just that the list is not available until 2 weeks prior to the cruise, according to the D+ service rep I talked to this morning.

[pcur]

Those are the THEORETICAL ways that D+ upgrades work.

 

In practice, it can be a different story.

 

They either forget or don't care that we have Roll Calls here on Cruise Critic, and we share information with each other.

 

There have been any number of incidents where D+ with LOW numbers have been called before D+ with high numbers of cruise credits.

 

RC's record-keeping SUCKS. They sometimes have lists that omit YOU entirely. "What? You have 85 cruise credits? I don't see that on the list."

 

The point of my quasi-rant?

 

CALL. It sounds nice to say, "Be patient, they'll call you, they call in order of cruise credits."

 

Uh uh. CALL.

 

Yes, call them and don't wait. But, at least wait until they have the information available to work with you.