Suite Upsell Patterns

[singinglizzie]

I always get excited when someone posts that they got a call from the upgrade fairy - kinda like reading someone won the lottery! Anyhow, it seems that many of the upsell calls go to either someone in a mini-suite or an aft cabin. Maybe those are easier to re-sell? I've also read that upsells are given to lattitude members with silver or gold status and those that book earliest. Are there any other patterns? Im curious if those that get called original paid full price (ie no discount on room) or does it not matter? What do you think??

[SeattleCruiselover]

I always get excited when someone posts that they got a call from the upgrade fairy - kinda like reading someone won the lottery! Anyhow, it seems that many of the upsell calls go to either someone in a mini-suite or an aft cabin. Maybe those are easier to re-sell? I've also read that upsells are given to lattitude members with silver or gold status and those that book earliest. Are there any other patterns? Im curious if those that get called original paid full price (ie no discount on room) or does it not matter? What do you think??

 

I was in an AJ suite on the Star for 25 Sept Alaska, and got a call for a Deluxe Owner's Suite at $200.00 total upgrade cost. I am silver, DD is bronze. We booked about 9 months early, and have been upgraded by NCL several times before.

[OceanDreaming2]

Could be -- the one and only time we got "the call" was when we had an aft balcony and we were offered an AC for $500 total. We jumped on it!

 

Since then, no calls... and we're both Platinum. But we haven't had an aft cabin booked either.

[Tucker in Texas]

And then there is my BIL who has taken three cruises in his life and none on NCL. He got upgraded from an inside to a balcony!

 

On Princess, he got upgraded from an inside to a picture window outside.

 

Go figure.

 

Tucker in Texas (who has taken 30 plus cruises and only been upgraded once and never offered an upsell).

[barbyj]

I posted this on another thread.

 

 

What is upsetting to me is when people brag about their upgrades on the actual cruise. I went on a TA on the Jade 2 1/2 years ago and paid $600 for an upsell from a Mini Suite to a suite. I met 2 women, who had never sailed on NCL before and they were upgraded from an inside cabin to a 2 bedroom family courtyard suite, without paying a dime more.

 

It's bad enough because I sail solo and have to pay double.

 

From what my NCL pcc tells me, there is no rhyme nor reason how they do the upgrades or upsells

[98Charlie]

I was in an AJ suite on the Star for 25 Sept Alaska, and got a call for a Deluxe Owner's Suite at $200.00 total upgrade cost. I am silver, DD is bronze. We booked about 9 months early, and have been upgraded by NCL several times before.

I wonder if they call previous "upsellees" (don't look for that in the dictionary:p) first?

Charlie

[OhioGirl]

I don't know why and who waves that magic upsell fairy wand...but we are sailing on the Jade on Nov 14th out of Barcelona...we have been booked for over a year..we are both Silver Members, and we are celebrating my fiance's 65th birthday (I gave him this cruise for his special birthday...and all I could afford was a cabin with a balcony) so if I would get the upsell fairy call...I would jump for joy..and jump all over it to make it even more special for my special man! Hint...Hint...Hint!

[singinglizzie]

I was in an AJ suite on the Star for 25 Sept Alaska, and got a call for a Deluxe Owner's Suite at $200.00 total upgrade cost. I am silver, DD is bronze. We booked about 9 months early, and have been upgraded by NCL several times before.

 

Wow, you got my dream cabin for our upcoming cruise. Like you we are booked AJ, but unlike you - we aren't silver members (only bronze) and we only booked at 7 month out. I realize it's highly unlikely that we will get an upsell for our date, but a girl can dream right?

[SeattleCruiselover]

I wonder if they call previous "upsellees" (don't look for that in the dictionary:p) first?

Charlie

 

I don't know, but I have kind of wondered the same thing. They have only FAILED to call me once.

[tdcjerry]

Five of our last six cruises have been upsells ( no free) but for a fee from $200 to $1000 a cruise, I just don"t see NCL giving away a A3 from a inside cabin, that's well over a $6000 write off, and that's just for a seven day cruise.

We almost had a free upgrade from a AE to a A3 for free, but NCL made a mistake, they said "we can"t give you a free upgrade, that would be a giveaway of $6400 and NCL can't do that" long story short it cost us $1000

[Laszlo]

I hope I get a call. My wife and I have an SF (10664) on the Gem in June

[SuiteRose]

We have only been on 4 cruises (3 with NCL) our last cruise was booked right before the economy collapsed. We booked an AF in Sept and immediately paid entire cruise... weeks later, the prices kept going down.. I called my PCC and asked if there was something that she could get me.. OBC, discount? She said she would do what she could... a few days before sailing we got an email that we had gotten a complimentary upgrad to an AC suite. Needless to say we were thrilled...

 

This time I am booked in an AE and it seems like almost all of the higher suites are already booked... so I am not expecting any calls... but I'll be very happy to try an AFT suite which I have never had.

[mafig]

Do you think it makes a difference if you're booked directly with the cruiseline vs. a TA?

and if a TA.....~

Does it make a difference who the TA is? (if they book a lot of NCL cruises, for instance.)

[Dajbman22]

I am in the camp of just not really expecting an upsell, so instead I just watch prices and upgrade myself if prices for higher categories drop near my current amount. I just did that for my Jewel sailing in June... prices dropped $50pp and NCL is doing their upgrade sale concurrently. I was able to book a mid-ship picture window from a mid-ship inside on deck 5 for only $40 more total, including taxes (technically booked an obstructed view with an automatic upgrade to mid-ship picture window). I made my own "upsell".

[singinglizzie]

Do you think it makes a difference if you're booked directly with the cruiseline vs. a TA?

and if a TA.....~

Does it make a difference who the TA is? (if they book a lot of NCL cruises, for instance.)

 

I also wonder about this? Anyone care to comment?

[SuiteRose]

I also wonder about this? Anyone care to comment?

 

I do believe that my PCC went above and beyond to get me the upgrade. I called her and pointed out how the prices were dropping and she on her own called the proper department and got me the upgrade. I am not sure if a TA would have have the same access.

[barbyj]

I do believe that my PCC went above and beyond to get me the upgrade. I called her and pointed out how the prices were dropping and she on her own called the proper department and got me the upgrade. I am not sure if a TA would have have the same access.

 

I am a retired travel agent. Worked as one for about 40 years. Since I have retired, I have booked my cruises directly with the cruise lines. I have personally had upsells and upgrades when I booked through my travel agency and also when booking directly. So, I can't really say whether booking directly helps or not.

 

My NCL PCC has told me that they have nothing to to with upgrades or upsells. That the revenue department decides this. In other words he was saying don't bug me, lol. You would think upgrades/upsells would first go to people that book directly with the cruise line since they aren't paying a commission to the travel agent. But, as I have said, this evidently isn't the case.

 

All I know is if you have a good travel agent, they will do everything in their power to work for you.

[bhealy]

I think it would make sense to upsell inside/outside to balconies;balconies/mini suites to penthouses and penthouses to courtyard. That way they are exposing people to the next level and they may continue to want to book higher cats. after experiencing them. From what I read it doesn't always happen that way.

[floatplan]

Do you think it makes a difference if you're booked directly with the cruiseline vs. a TA?

 

My first upsell was when booked with a TA. One problem that creates is they call the TA, then the TA has to put them on hold and try to reach you.

 

So after final payment you should make sure your TA knows you want the upsell. Give them a written idea of what rooms you want, or don't, and what you'll pay. Gve them all your phone numbers.

 

I've always booked early, I don't think that matters. I think the earlier the offer comes the higher the price. I refused one as too expensive and they never called back. Other 2 were much lower priced and occured within 30 days of sailing.

[hateswaterloves2cruise]

We received one upsell offer, thru our TA, from a balcony to an AC. By the time she reached us and we said YES, it was gone. She talked to "the upsell fairy" and we ended up with an AB suite for the same price. We had been on NCL once before (same cruise actually) and it was during the slow part of December.

We had an AE suite booked last cruise, hoping for an upgrade to the owners suite or ? but didn't get anything.

It is definitely the luck of the draw.

[insidecabin]

Upsells seem to exclusive to US and canadian bookings by locals.

 

Some UK/EU pax have had the calls/emails but these are very rare.

 

UK(I think EU as well) bookings sometimes get free upgrades and there have certainly been cases of free upgrade to CV from non suite catagories.

[mpk218]

We have been sailing with NCL for a long time . Never got the call for an upgrade. It did come up one time when talking to staff on board and she gave me a rather reasonable answer.

We sail with our 2 kids and always book a suite , which means there are maybe 2 or so types of suite that will accommodate 4. So there you go , no up grade because we dont fit in most of the other suites. I have been campaigning Kevin Sheehan for the 5 pax to a suite change and he says its coming. So maybe some day..;)

[Cruise_More_Often]

We've had a few upsells. We book minisuites or the least expensive penthouse suites, always aft and always very, very early.

[mafig]

We have been sailing with NCL for a long time . Never got the call for an upgrade. It did come up one time when talking to staff on board and she gave me a rather reasonable answer.

We sail with our 2 kids and always book a suite , which means there are maybe 2 or so types of suite that will accommodate 4. So there you go , no up grade because we dont fit in most of the other suites. I have been campaigning Kevin Sheehan for the 5 pax to a suite change and he says its coming. So maybe some day..;)

 

 

Now my observations seem to go the other way. We're leaving on the 24th and I've been "lurking" on the roll calls for the cruises leaving before us. It seems to me that they've been upselling families from balconies to A3s or minisuites to A3 or higher.

[ICANTWAITTOCRUISE]

I just called NCL to ask about an upgrade/upsell for our cruise that starts next Saturday. I was told that if I booked through travel agency, which I did, that I needed to call them.

I did...we could upgrade from Aft Balcony (cant remember the exact coding designation, but it is on the 8th deck) to a mini suite also on 8 for 590 total. (2 people). Is it worth it, I can't really see how it is, since the extra square footage and the bathtub is not important to us.

To upgrade to a suite, it is 3100 dollars more!! That's not going to happen.

I was wondering if bookings through agents ever get a call from NCL for upgrade/upsell, or would it come from the agents themselves?