When does the Upgrade Fairy notify you of an upgrade?

[sherin65]

We've been on a few cruises but have never gotten a free upgrade.

 

At what point do upgrades get distributed? Will it be last minute? A couple of months ahead of time?

 

Sher

[alexkrn46]

Usually 2 weeks before the cruise, rccl is not known for upgrading though. Have a good cruise.

[Merion_Mom]

When she feels like it.

 

There is no "usually".

 

A general time frame may be 21 to 6 days before your cruise departs.

[Shippy]

NEVER ! and we have been on 35 cruises on various cruiselines.

[FionaMG]

The one (and only) time we were upgraded we found out purely by chance.

You can check, though, by going into your booking on the online check-in facility.

If you are lucky, and have already printed your set sail pass, don't forget to reprint with the new cabin number so that there are no hiccups at check-in on the day.

[Meanee]

My second cruise is coming up. Got upgraded from interior guarantee to balcony on allure. Sailing on September 25, got upgraded last Friday. Found out by checking cruise details.

[Scotty G]

In our experience :):) we have been upgraded a week out and at the port. Good luck.

[Annika2900]

We had our first real upgrade after we booked a guarantee outside and were distributed to an outside. Also in our online check in it was an outside. 2 days prior sailing I checked something and saw the cabin number changed (from level 2 to level 8) into a comfort balkony. No chance to print the setsailpass again (closed 2 days prior to sailing).

 

At the prot they had to write the "old" cabin number and our luggage was not redirected. We collected it personally in the early evening in front of the oroginally booked room on the second level. We needed 2 days to recieve all our crown&anchor stuff (booklet, pin, welcome present & drink, robes...) the drinking mug from the soda package we never recieved.

 

BUT - hey we were upgraded to a balcony - so after 2 days we stopped asking for the stuff and just enjoyed the great balcony :).

 

Wish you luck with the fairy...

 

Thekla

[philnpen]

Our first cruise on RCCL we found out at check-in that our cabin number had changed (not knowing it was an upgrade from a balcony to a GS). We had already put the luggage tags on that had our old cabin number. I questioned as to how will our luggage get to the new cabin? DW later said she heard the attendant say we had been upgraded. All the way up the gangway, riding the elevator to our deck, walking down the hall (past our original booked room), I complained about not liking the switch of cabins. When we arrived at the new cabin number I saw it was a suite. When we walked in DW asked if I was done b*tch*ng yet? I meekly said yes and enjoyed the cruise.

 

Another RCCL upgrade was noticed by DW when checking on our reservation noticed we had been upgraded from balcony to a JS one deck above. That cruise with the double credits for a JS put us in the Diamond category.

 

The last time DW received a call two weeks before the cruise and was asked if we would accept an upgrade from our mid-ship balcony to an aft JS. It took her all of two nano seconds to say yes.

[smltwngrl76]

Do you have to be an existing Crown & Anchor member in order to get automatically upgraded by RCCL without asking? I see in another thread that if you notice prices have dropped since your final payment, you can call RCCL and kindly ask if it is possible to be upgraded. But I'm just wondering under what circumstances might they automatically upgrade you without even asking or informing you.

[waterbug123]

We've been on a few cruises but have never gotten a free upgrade.

 

At what point do upgrades get distributed? Will it be last minute? A couple of months ahead of time?

 

Sher

 

I doubt you would ever get upgraded several months out; that leaves way too much time for the cruise line to actually SELL the pricier cabins, and that, of course, is what they'd prefer.

 

The one and only time we've been upgraded, we had no idea until we were checking in at the port and the agent told us we'd been upgraded to a JS. (Had an OV booked)

[stephanie1]

I have been on maybe 10 RCCL cruises and I am Diamond and have never had an upgrade. I was on the phone yesterday with RCCL regarding a cruise I was

booking for November. I booked an Interior Gty because it was so cheap.

I got into a conversation with her regarding upgrades (who gets them, when,

why?) She said that it used to be that the RCCL reservation staff used to offer

the upgrades to Diamond Plus members first then Diamond etc.

 

Now, she said, it is the job of the revenue department and why or how they decide the upgrades it unknown. She said that she has seen people who have been sailing with RC for years and never seen an upgrade but then Revenue

will give one to a first time cruiser!

 

My cruise is more than 2 months out and she said that there lots of cabins on the ship and my chances of getting a "good" cabin is good. However, when RCCl has these Sales Events they often dramatically discount these rates and

there could be little or no cabins left. I was on the Liberty last year on

Thanksgiving weekend and there were a lot of cabins left 2 weeks prior to

sailing, In the week prior, everything was on sale - you could get a balcony

then for what an interior was selling for 1 month prior.

 

She said that they did change the policy for purchasing a better cabin than you have, if you see a Sales Event. It used to be that Sales Event prices

were only for New Bookings but she said that if you are now booked and

paid they will not give you a refund if your cabin is selling for less than you

paid, but if you see a cabin selling for more than you paid you can get it

and you do not have to be a New Booking.

 

I like that. 3 years ago I was on the navigator as a single and I paid

maybe $600 for a 4 nite cruise in a balcony which was a good price.

2 weeks before sailing they put the bigger D balconies on sale for

maybe $5 more than I paid for an E and they said that I could not get

the better cabin.

 

That was then, this is now and I look forward to better polices

and better cabins and a visit from the upgrade would be very welcome.

[FionaMG]

Our first cruise on RCCL we found out at check-in that our cabin number had changed (not knowing it was an upgrade from a balcony to a GS). We had already put the luggage tags on that had our old cabin number. I questioned as to how will our luggage get to the new cabin? DW later said she heard the attendant say we had been upgraded. All the way up the gangway, riding the elevator to our deck, walking down the hall (past our original booked room), I complained about not liking the switch of cabins. When we arrived at the new cabin number I saw it was a suite. When we walked in DW asked if I was done b*tch*ng yet? I meekly said yes and enjoyed the cruise.

 

Another RCCL upgrade was noticed by DW when checking on our reservation noticed we had been upgraded from balcony to a JS one deck above. That cruise with the double credits for a JS put us in the Diamond category.

 

The last time DW received a call two weeks before the cruise and was asked if we would accept an upgrade from our mid-ship balcony to an aft JS. It took her all of two nano seconds to say yes.

 

Goodness, that upgrade fairy seems to really like you. :D

[daveky]

My second cruise is coming up. Got upgraded from interior guarantee to balcony on allure. Sailing on September 25, got upgraded last Friday. Found out by checking cruise details.

 

Congrats and thanks for the info.

 

Dave

[Tanker4]

Our last upgrade was from a JS to a GS on a 10 day Caribbean cruise. We were notified by email about a week before departure date.

[bumpthehuge]

We've been on a few cruises but have never gotten a free upgrade.

 

At what point do upgrades get distributed? Will it be last minute? A couple of months ahead of time?

 

Sher

 

 

We got our upgrade approx in June (if I remember right) and we sail on Oct 2, we were upgraded from an interior room to a boadwalk balcony. We found out when my sister logged on to her profile and saw it.

[Pumbaamd]

We are D+ and have never been upgraded, until last Tuesday morning for our Friday sailing on Monarch.

 

Saw early Tuesday morning that there were several JS's still available on our Monarch cruise, with SO's all but gone. We had booked an SO on Monarch for a last minute weekend getaway. Called C&A, told them what we saw, and asked about an upgrade. The CSR read the rules about upgrades and said that an upgrade could "maybe happen between now and check in time".

 

Shortly thereafter, maybe 45 minutes later, we received an e-mail stating that we were upgraded to a JS.

 

Don't know if the phone call helped, or our D+ would have earned it anyway.

 

Whichever, thanks C&A, we had an outstanding shorty cruise on Monarch and surprised some very good friends who did not think we would be on that cruise with them.

What a GREAT three days. Thanks Monarch staff and crew, all of you!

 

Rick and Deirdra

[Merion_Mom]

We are D+ and have never been upgraded, until last Tuesday morning for our Friday sailing on Monarch.

 

Saw early Tuesday morning that there were several JS's still available on our Monarch cruise, with SO's all but gone. We had booked an SO on Monarch for a last minute weekend getaway. Called C&A, told them what we saw, and asked about an upgrade. The CSR read the rules about upgrades and said that an upgrade could "maybe happen between now and check in time".

 

Shortly thereafter, maybe 45 minutes later, we received an e-mail stating that we were upgraded to a JS.

 

Don't know if the phone call helped, or our D+ would have earned it anyway.

 

Whichever, thanks C&A, we had an outstanding shorty cruise on Monarch and surprised some very good friends who did not think we would be on that cruise with them.

What a GREAT three days. Thanks Monarch staff and crew, all of you!

 

Rick and Deirdra

That's great to hear, Rick!

[Pumbaamd]

Hi Carol,

Yes, we got lucky. Met many officers and talked a while with all of them. Had dinner at the . . . you know where. It was a 3 day cruise that really included many extras!

R&D

[Merion_Mom]

Hi Carol,

Yes, we got lucky. Met many officers and talked a while with all of them. Had dinner at the . . . you know where. It was a 3 day cruise that really included many extras!

R&D

 

We're doing it exactly three months after you!

 

Wanna go back during Diamonds in December? ;)

[Virtopia]

Is there a chance of a solo traveler being upgraded? It would be nice as this is my 3rd cruise with RCCL and I have a 4th booked for September.

[Pumbaamd]

We're doing it exactly three months after you!

Wanna go back during Diamonds in December? ;)

Would love to. However, up next is our 25 day expedition via Italian Alps/Voyager/NOLA in October/November that will shorely take a toll on us. We have not ruled anything out. When we are on board the VY TA, we will take a serious look at the December itins. We have a few in mind, and with all those sea days, we will most likelly book something on VY for later.

R&D

[Big_G]

We were upgraded on our 4th cruise with Royal. We went from inside to a balcony and didn't know it until we checked in. One side effect of being upgraded is we haven't had anything less than a balcony since.

[RoyalDiamond]

Out of 24 cruises, we've been upgraded once.....AFTER boarding! We were on Majesty in a JS and had just unpacked. The cabin phone rang...someone didn't show for a GS and they wanted to know if we wanted to change cabins! We repacked in about 3 seconds and moved to our GS....

[vickiw0318]

We had a C&A upgrade on our Voyager cruise last year. They called us about 10 days out.