Upgrades for D+

[Seagalca]

Any D+ members out there getting upgrades from balcony to suite? It is a wonderful & much appreciated perk, but they seem to not be doing it at the "21 days or less" from sailing. Not at 21, not at 20, not at 19, not at 18, not at 17, then at 16 all the suites (sometimes I see 10 or more up to that point) disappear & I wonder if they go to the W guarantees. Is this another perk that is disappearing. Just wondering if anyone is having success? I'm not complaining as long as they do this in order of your number of cruises and are honest when they say they "don't have the list" for the sailing & can't assign the upgrades.

[critterchick]

We got one on Mariner a couple of weeks ago. They didn't even call, just upgraded us (JS to OS). But their records aren't accurate - I've been passed over and have friends who were passed over, too. The program is very much alive but not exactly well.

 

They seem to have gone back to calling 14 days out. RCI will often drop the price of the suites dramatically before then. One can't complain about their selling the cabins instead of giving them away.

[steponboard]

Another loyalty perk in policy but not practiced.

[ChipLondon]

We recently received an upgrade from a late booking Inside cabin to a JS, as we were the most sailed passengers on board, thank you wery much to the Hotel Director on board. So yes the D+ system works

[Bellalago Breeze]

We were recently upgraded from a balcony to a GS. I called D+ desk to order our amenity 2 weeks out, as they never called us. At the same time I asked if there was a chance that the upgrade fairy would visit. I knew there were still 9 JS available. Gal I spoke with said that the cabins had not been released yet and that if an upgrade was available, I'd get a call. Not being satisfied with her answer, I called back a couple of hours later and got someone else. When I asked about the chances of an upgrade, she skipped over the JSs and gave us the GS. I'm a happy camper! That's the first time we've ever gotten an upgrade.

[LadeeBug100]

Got a call yesterday, 17 days out, upgraded from hump E2 to owners suite. Needless to say I am on cloud nine. There are still GS and JS available,but I am not complaining.

 

I asked about the next week of our b2b and she said the info had not been released yet.

 

I will have to move out of the OS back to the E2 unless she calls back next week.

That will be okay, it is our first room on the bump out, so we will get to see what all of the fuss is about!

[kerri1jill]

Did you guys book will RCCL directly or with a TA?

[Bellalago Breeze]

Did you guys book will RCCL directly or with a TA?

 

We always use a TA to book our cruises.

 

Congratulations Ladeebug! Nice upgrade!!! There's still a FS available on our cruise. Wonder if I could request an upgrade of our upgrade.:rolleyes::D

[Seagalca]

We got one on Mariner a couple of weeks ago. They didn't even call, just upgraded us (JS to OS). But their records aren't accurate - I've been passed over and have friends who were passed over, too. The program is very much alive but not exactly well.

 

They seem to have gone back to calling 14 days out. RCI will often drop the price of the suites dramatically before then. One can't complain about their selling the cabins instead of giving them away.

 

 

We did receive an upgrade from D balcony to GS on Liberty in August & were very pleased. But it did not happen until about 14 days prior. I understood that 14 days was for inside to ocean view, ocean view to balcony.

 

No complaints if they sell the suites. It's just too bad that we book ahead for what is supposed to be the "best" pricing, then when they offer a W suite guarantee is is a lot more than we paid. For a new booking it is about the same as a balcony rate, or sometimes there are no balconies available & the W is the only way to go.

 

I'd like to see consistency in assigning the cabins. We are told not to call in, but it seems that is how it happens. We have to make it happen.

 

Also, the upgrade from inside to suite was done onboard by the hotel director, not by C&A. So that doesn't show the program is working. It is definitely wonderful that they recognized you as top cruiser & upgraded you. Maybe since C&A hasn't upgraded me that will happen on my Radiance cruise. One can only hope.

 

I do hope this upgrade perk continues & becomes more consistent & organized. This "sorry we don't have our list of top cruisers yet" thing sounds like an "untruth."

[LadeeBug100]

We booked with a TA, after we accepted the upgrade RCCL contacted our TA to inform her of the upgrade and I received a new invoice with the OS listed.

That is the first time they have contacted my TA and I have received a new invoice. They could have contacted her and I just did not know because I have never received a new invoice before.

We have never contacted them, they have always contacted us.

 

We always book the stateroom we will be happy with w/o an upgrade.

Just wish we could have it again for the second week of our

B2B, but it is showing as unavailable.

[tootsieh]

We received an upgrade for our upcoming cruise. We got the call 2 1/2 weeks before sailing! I also called three weeks out and was told they didn't have the list but would probably call 14 days out - I got the call on a Monday. We were upgraded from a D1 to a GS------------------very exciting. This was our first upgrade after being D+ about two years. They also told me that before you could call but now they have to call us because people that had more cruises were being looked over---that I can understand!

[truffles2]

Hi Tootsie!:p

[critterchick]

We recently received an upgrade from a late booking Inside cabin to a JS, as we were the most sailed passengers on board, thank you wery much to the Hotel Director on board. So yes the D+ system works

 

That's not the D+ system at work as much as it's an astute Hotel Director giving away what might have been a no-show cabin (we had one of those upgrades once). If there were 5 suites available at 2-3 weeks out, Crown & Anchor should have called you to offer the upgrade.

 

We received an upgrade for our upcoming cruise. We got the call 2 1/2 weeks before sailing! I also called three weeks out and was told they didn't have the list but would probably call 14 days out - I got the call on a Monday. We were upgraded from a D1 to a GS------------------very exciting. This was our first upgrade after being D+ about two years. They also told me that before you could call but now they have to call us because people that had more cruises were being looked over---that I can understand!

 

That's still happening. On the cruise where we were upgraded to an OS, there was a couple with more cruises who were in a GS and livid because they had been passed over for an OS. They were less upset about not having an OS than at having to move - they were on the second leg of a B2B and had to vacate their OS, which had been given to somebody with far fewer cruises.

 

And a friend reported that she got a voice mail from RCI offering the upgrade, but then gave the cabin away in the 3 hours it took for her to call them back. *****? People work or run errands - they should either make the upgrades automatic (and give you the option of marking your reservation "no upgrade" if you have a coveted cabin) or give people time to respond.

[tootsieh]

Hi Truffles

I wasn't sure you would remember me! Hope we are on a cruise together soon!

Tootsie

[pcur]

I called earlier this week about our cruise on 9/30, and was told about the "5 cabin rule". They have to have at least 5 cabins available in the higher category in order to give one to a D+. Of course this may not apply to the higher end suites that are not as plentiful.

 

Also, they call in order of the number of cruise credits you have. So, if you are a "virgin D+" like we are (24 credits), you get called last or not at all.

 

So, as they upgrade the "upgradees" cabins' become available. We have an outside, and I'm still hoping some balconies will be freed up by higher level D+ passengers, and we might get our balcony just before the cruise.

 

But, no one here is holding their breath. :D

[English_in_Spain]

I don't know how they decide how to upgrade but we have just got back from the Voyager and we were upgraded from an OS to the Royal Suite.

 

We were just Gold C&A (now Platinum). We got the upgrade about a week before we sailed.

 

That RS is just wonderful. You can see a slide show of some photos here

 

http://s537.photobucket.com/albums/ff339/CarolandBob_photos/Voyager%20Royal%20Suite/?albumview=slideshow

 

[truffles2]

Hi Truffles

I wasn't sure you would remember me! Hope we are on a cruise together soon!

Tootsie

 

We are in Huntsville. What cruises are in your future? You can see ours below in my rather out of date signature.

[Bobal]

Don't flame me over this but it occurs to me that if they only ever upgrade D+ cruisers and this often means upgrading to a suite (and therefore another cruise credit), and they choose who to upgrade by the number of credits someone has, won't this mean eventually there there is a bunch of cruisers with many many credits who always get upgrades and those who only just achieved D+ will rarely get upgraded :confused:

 

Thinking of ourselves, for instance, we are currently Platinum, will become Diamond after our next cruise and we live in the UK so don't have access to a number of cruise ports (and find the price of cruises much higher than those in the US). If we carry on cruising with RCCL it will be some time before we reach D+ status but I can envisage that by that time there will be no hope of ever getting an upgrade as by that time all those who are currently D+ cruisers will have continued to amass more and more credits.

 

Like I say, please don't flame me I'm only thinking out loud;)

[rubrrick]

That's still happening. On the cruise where we were upgraded to an OS, there was a couple with more cruises who were in a GS and livid because they had been passed over for an OS. They were less upset about not having an OS than at having to move - they were on the second leg of a B2B and had to vacate their OS, which had been given to somebody with far fewer cruises.

 

And a friend reported that she got a voice mail from RCI offering the upgrade, but then gave the cabin away in the 3 hours it took for her to call them back. *****? People work or run errands - they should either make the upgrades automatic (and give you the option of marking your reservation "no upgrade" if you have a coveted cabin) or give people time to respond.

 

We were on the same cruise as Jean and know of the other couple, and know that the D+ desk does not always follow the guidelines, as have been told to D+ members.

 

We stayed aboard on a b2b for the next week, and were offered a GS, when OS's were available. When my wife told the D+ desk that we were told we would be offered an OS, the lady came back and said we could have one. The irony of it all.......on that cruise we had the most number of cruise credits. The heavyweights (cruisers with many more points than we have) got off on that Sunday, when we stayed on!:);)

 

Rick

[Tagsalong]

Don't flame me over this but it occurs to me that if they only ever upgrade D+ cruisers and this often means upgrading to a suite (and therefore another cruise credit), and they choose who to upgrade by the number of credits someone has, won't this mean eventually there there is a bunch of cruisers with many many credits who always get upgrades and those who only just achieved D+ will rarely get upgraded

 

It's a shame you have to start a post this way, but as an active reader - and seldom poster - I see way too much of this flaming going on with this board! There are pendantics out there ready to pounce at every opportunity.

 

Now to you thoughts above. This is definately the case. We were with an 85 credit (heavyweight) couple last week on the Enchantment OTS and they told us that they get upgraded from a balcony to a GS or OS on almost every cruise they take. We are at 31 credits and have seen only one upgrade which was from an inside to ocean view, which I would surmise will be easily achieved in the future for us Lightwieghts.

 

So it is obvious that the heavyweights are accumalating credits at a faster rate (per cruise) than the lightweights since they are more likely to get the extra credit suites. As far as we are concerned, we will just take twice as many cruises as the heavyweights in order to reach their ranks. Now, as for the superheavyweights, ie. 150 credits or more, that's probably beyond our reach. But we'll keep trying!

[waterbug123]

.......on that cruise we had the most number of cruise credits. The heavyweights (cruisers with many more points than we have) got off on that Sunday, when we stayed on!:);)

 

Rick

 

How do you people find out where you stand compared to other pax as far as the # of cruise credits everyone has? Do you call C&A and just ask?

[Tagsalong]

How do you people find out where you stand compared to other pax as far as the # of cruise credits everyone has? Do you call C&A and just ask?

 

You always know who has the most credits on a particular cruise because they announce it at the welcome back event and give that couple / person a bottle of champaign (or Asti). Often I hear others telling how many credits they have during normal conversation when in the DL / CL, like I did in the above post. No, C&A will not give out this information.

[Host Kewlguy]

How do you people find out where you stand compared to other pax as far as the # of cruise credits everyone has? Do you call C&A and just ask?

 

The Concierge has this information as well as the Loyalty Ambassador.

[Seagalca]

Some thoughts from what I've read in the last few posts:

It seems like you can call the Diamond+ line & get agents who have no idea what is going on. I realize they are maybe not the ones with the "list" of top cruisers on a particular sailing, but it's really bad that they do not know the rules. Or one tells you one thing & another tells you something else. These are some of the things I've been told:

As a d+ member getting an upgrade you will never get the RS or Rfamily suite. So how did the person above from Spain get the upgrade to RS?

Upgrades are available from balcony to suite 21 days before the cruise. It seems they never are available at 21 days because they "claim" they don't have the list yet. Good, I want you to use the list in order of most cruises to be fair, but why don't you have the list?

I've been told no one can speak to the agents who assign the upgrades. Even the D+ agents who answer say they have to instant message those agents.

I"m told they don't upgrade on the weekend because those agents aren't working. But that's not true, we met people in the DL who got their upgrade on Saturday.

I'm told we can put it in the notes for a cruise that we will take an upgrade, I'm also told that they do not read all the notes.

I'm told that ther is a time limit to call them back--yet what do we do if we are on a cruise when they make the offer? What a slap, you are on a RCCL cruise so you miss the upgrade call & miss the upgrade???

I'm told there only have to be 2 total suites available & they will then give 1 suite away. No one knows if RS counts for this 2 suite thing..

Some agents want to give you the lowest suite they have available, but you will later talk to a guest in the lounge who got a higher suite & they have less cruises. How does that happen?

Some agents try to tell you that if you have a balcony then you get a 1 category upgrade to a JS. These are not the agents who give out the cabins, but since they answer the D+ line shouldn't they know the rules?? Is that too much to ask?

For inside to ov & ov to balcony they need 5 or 7 cabins & they do it 14 days before. I can't get the truth on this one either.

We book the cabin we want at a price we are comfortable paying. If we get an upgrade we feel we are very privileged & lucky. However I am a rule follower & it really upsets me when I find out that other guests got an OS when I got a GS & I am the top cruiser. I can see the available cabins on RCCL.com & I know what is there, it's just a matter of when they assign it. The longer they wait revenue is likely to take it way & no one gets it as an upgrade. Then it could be a 1st time cruiser on a guarantee who gets those wonderful suites.

Please don't flame me for being honest & wishing the system was more consistent & organized.

[pcur]

For inside to ov & ov to balcony they need 5 or 7 cabins & they do it 14 days before. I can't get the truth on this one either.

 

I was told by the D+ desk that they need 5 balcony cabins available before they can use them for D+ upgrades. They start CALLING 14 days in advance. There is a list of D+ members, and they start calling the passengers on that list 14 in advance. They call in the order of the number of total credits. It takes them a while to get down the list if there are a lot of D+ sailing on that cruise, so it could happen anytime within that 14 days. On my next cruise there are only 2 balcony cabins available, so unless 3 D+ on the list above me move out of balcony to higher categories, I will not get a balcony upgrade from our ov cabin. We are at the bottom of the list with "virgin D+" credits: 24. We like our existing cabin, so it's not a big deal to us not to get the upgrade.

 

I hope this helps.