Upgrade Question

[cruzaddict]

We are considering booking a Princess Hawaii Sailing for April 2006. Here's my question:

We have always had balcony and/or suite cabins.......But......I was wondering if I booked just an inside cabin for this cruise,what are my chances of maybe getting upgraded to a balcony? I am a Princess past passenger and get offers in the mail from them almost every day! I really want to at least get a balcony cabin,but was hoping I could pay for an inside and maybe get bumped up!!! Thanks for your help everyone!

[dawcruiser]

I have cruised 15 times with numerous lines. Past cruiser on most lines.

 

I have found upgrades are getting harder to get. When you do get one it is normally inside to inside. Outside to outside maybe outside to a balcony. But I have never gotten this. Once I went from a inside gty to an obstructed oceanview.

 

Cruiseline upgrade because it is to their betterment. I have read where a person booked inside and got a balcony, but I have been led to believe this was a mistake from the cruiseline.

 

Don

[Pam in CA]

If you book an inside cabin, be prepared to enjoy an inside cabin. There are no guarantees for any upgrade and usually, upgrades are just a category or two, i.e., same type of cabin in a better location. Book the type of cabin you would be happy with.

[bdjam]

If you want a balcony cabin, the best bet is to book one…maybe the lowest category to save some dollars. First, never count on an upgrade. Second, upgrades from insides to balconies probably never happen…inside to outside, maybe, but up to balconies would mean a jump of a good number of categories. Third, the Island Princess Hawaii itineraries seem to sell well – there probably will be few available cabins to upgrade to. You'll find that the longer itinerary has many past passengers and unless you're at the top of the heap (on my cruise the most cruised passenger had over 100 with over 1000 days at sea) it's not going to help your upgrade chances.

[coiran]

Being a past Princess pax has no influence on whether you will get an upgrade - No one really knows how upgrades work. We have never gotten an upgrade and have 15 Princess cruises and three more booked. Book a room you will be happy with and it can only get better if you should recieve an upgrade.

 

Ron

[Druke I]

Book the category cabin you want - certainly don't count on an upgrade, which can be few and far between.

[Toto2Kansas]

Balcony cabins and suites seem to sell out very quickly anymore, especially for Hawaii and the South Pacific cruises.

Definitely take the advice everyone has given here or you may be very disappointed.

It seems anymore that there is more of a chance for an upgrade for new Princess cruises then those of us that have sailed with the line many times.

Definitely book the minimum category you will be happy with or it could be a huge mistake in the end.

[Italy52]

A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a Princess representative about upgrades. She told me that there is no guarantee one will get an upgrade. She explained that the upgrades are randomly generated by the computer. One's cruisng history with Princess has no bearing on the upgrade decision. Go with the advice that previous posters have offered so you won't be disappointed.

[sherman931]

On my first cruise with Princess I booked an inside guaranteed and was upgraded to an outside with obstructed view. Just booked my third princess cruise on the Coral for Nov 24th; a Balcony B320BC and just recived an upgrade yesterday to A404BB. Currently praying for one more upgrade to a mini-suite ;)

[dan40]

Bonafide upgrades do happen. But in the whole upgrade spectrum are these.

Rooms above/below galleys, rooms above/below discos, etc. How can they be upgrades? Most people or their TAs' can read a deck plan and those rooms as well as any rooms above/below blank spaces are the last to be booked. So they are available for "upgrades" Its not uncommon for someone to have a cabin on the first deck and get moved up 2,3, or 4 decks and find themselves below a bar/lounge/disco.

If you want a better cabin, buy it.

 

Been on over 40 cruises, upgraded from inside to outside once. Have been "upgraded" from a balcony to a balcony on a higher deck but I find that to be a meaningless upgrade. Never from any cat. to a suite.

 

Dan

[cruzaddict]

Thank you all for all your great advice! I'll do what you suggest and just book the cabin that I want and hope for something even better! Thank you.

[Toto2Kansas]

Thank you all for all your great advice! I'll do what you suggest and just book the cabin that I want and hope for something even better! Thank you.

I think you are making a very wise decision! Congrats! ;)

[chrismch]

Having been on 15 cruises and booking gty on many only were upgraded 2 times - one from an inside to an obstructed window and the other which was an inaugural cruise and in the respositioning stage we were upgraded from an inside to a suite. However if you look on bookings you will notice that the inside cabins and the balconies are always sold out first - so slim chance of an upgrade. However, our table mates on Celebrity to Alaska booked gty balcony and were upgraded to the concierge class with a butler and it was there first cruise. Go figure!

[Cinerama]

About twenty years ago I booked my first cruise on the Carnival Fantasy. It was a 3 or 4 day cruise to Nassau. I booked an inside cabin and was upgraded to a balcony. It was very nice except not private.

 

 

Last year we booked a balcony on the Dawn Princess to the Eastern Caribbean. It was very nice.

 

 

This year we had a last minute decision to go on a cruise on the CB July 16. We booked an inside guaranteed in June and the ship was sold out two days later. The TA said we were upgraded to an inside on the Aloha deck. Why that's an upgrade I have no idea.

 

[DesrtDrmr]

Hi Cruzaddict,

I never heard about any BIG upgrades on our Hawaiian cruise on the Island. I think a couple of folks got upgraded from one level of balcony cabin to another. Also, some got moved within their category. We did not get upgraded, and booked nine months in advance. The Island is a beautiful ship, and I'm sure that any cabin you book will be lovely. Except for the big suites, the cabins are all similar anyway........the mini suites just have an additional seating area, and a tub in the bathroom, but the bedroom part is much the same as the rest of the cabins.

Have a wonderful cruise