Upgrades to Penthouse

[stephlovesdogs]

We are booked in a balcony stateroom, and would love to upgrade to a penthouse but not for $1k per person which is what it is now. I know at a certain point they offer discounted upgrades. Any idea when that happens and what the discount traditionally is?

[hypercafe]

I was offered an upsell from an A1 to a penthouse for 400$ pp two days before going on the Riviera.

[JimandStan]

We are booked in a balcony stateroom, and would love to upgrade to a penthouse but not for $1k per person which is what it is now. I know at a certain point they offer discounted upgrades. Any idea when that happens and what the discount traditionally is?

 

Nobody can "know", because nothing is written in stone, and it all depends on how your particular cruise is selling. Even people who generally say that cabin differences don't bother them, recognize that Oceania Penthouses are a HUGE step up, so a Penthouse is always a hot ticket.

 

Hopefully you used a Travel Agent, because they usually get first crack at the Up-sells, if only because they are in daily, if not hourly contact with the Cruise Line.

 

In any case, you'll want to work out an amount which you would be willing to spend for the upgrade in advance, because if an Up-sell offer comes, there will be no time to mull it over.....you must say yes or no on the spot.

[TKS]

Contact your TA, let them know you're amenable to an upsell, how much you would like to spend, and see what happens. There are no guarantees since the availability of upsell bookings it totally tied to how well those cabins are being absorbed and how close to sailing you are. Be reasonable in your expectations - don't expect to score a $100 upsell if there's $1,000 difference in fares between the two cabins you're comparing. And be happy with the cabin you already have booked if the upsell doesn't happen (don't book an inside cabin hoping for a "cheap" upsell unless you're content to cruise in an inside cabin)

 

Keep an eye on the Oceania website to see how bookings are proceeding. I recently noted that several categories which had been waitlisted on our next cruise were opened back up for booking right at 90 days to sailing (I thought maybe an aggregator turned back cabins they had been unable to sell??), so I contacted my TA, who contacted O, and I was rewarded with a very reasonable upsell. We're thrilled, and O received additional money for a cabin with a butler (who depends on gratuities for part of his income) which might have sat empty while opening up a lower priced cabin for someone on the wait list in the category we were originally booked. A win-win situation for all involved.

[orchestrapal]

Yes, a cheap upgrade is a wonderful thing if you can get it.

But, basically you should book the cabin you really want to begin

with and be a happy traveler!

[Balloon Man]

Upgrades are a DANGEROUS thing. On our second cruise we were upgraded by Celebrity to a Royal suite. Now my wife insists on penthouses. I'm thinking a divorce might be less expensive in the long term ;)

[roberts2005]

Contact your TA, let them know you're amenable to an upsell, how much you would like to spend, and see what happens. There are no guarantees since the availability of upsell bookings it totally tied to how well those cabins are being absorbed and how close to sailing you are. Be reasonable in your expectations - don't expect to score a $100 upsell if there's $1,000 difference in fares between the two cabins you're comparing. And be happy with the cabin you already have booked if the upsell doesn't happen (don't book an inside cabin hoping for a "cheap" upsell unless you're content to cruise in an inside cabin)

 

Keep an eye on the Oceania website to see how bookings are proceeding. I recently noted that several categories which had been waitlisted on our next cruise were opened back up for booking right at 90 days to sailing (I thought maybe an aggregator turned back cabins they had been unable to sell??), so I contacted my TA, who contacted O, and I was rewarded with a very reasonable upsell. We're thrilled, and O received additional money for a cabin with a butler (who depends on gratuities for part of his income) which might have sat empty while opening up a lower priced cabin for someone on the wait list in the category we were originally booked. A win-win situation for all involved.

 

In reading your response, I am sure how far out you got your upswell. Was it 90 days out?

[Pearl64]

An upsell was offered to us to go from a B3 to a concierge class. We saw no benefit in that so we doubled the concierge offer and got the penthouse. Our cruise seems to have several open categories and our travel agent was able to snag the PH. First time in a PH. Balloon Man, is it addicting? This all transpired right after final payment. Keep checking the Oceania website for what cabin level has openings. Good luck.

 

Pearl

[Mura]

Pearl, yes it is. Addicting, I mean! I rue the day I accepted an upsell to the OS on Regatta.

 

That was the beginning of the end.

 

Although we do USUALLY confine ourselves to a PH. But our upcoming Marina cruises are in an aft OC and a VS. After that I'll have to go back to more modest digs.

 

Mura

[vulcan1971]

An upsell was offered to us to go from a B3 to a concierge class. We saw no benefit in that so we doubled the concierge offer and got the penthouse. Our cruise seems to have several open categories and our travel agent was able to snag the PH. First time in a PH. Balloon Man, is it addicting? This all transpired right after final payment. Keep checking the Oceania website for what cabin level has openings. Good luck.

 

Pearl

 

Pearl, yes it is. Addicting, I mean! I rue the day I accepted an upsell to the OS on Regatta.

 

That was the beginning of the end.

 

Although we do USUALLY confine ourselves to a PH. But our upcoming Marina cruises are in an aft OC and a VS. After that I'll have to go back to more modest digs.

 

Mura

 

Pearl / Mura

 

I'm on my first O cruise in 2014 (Marina westbound TA) and booked into a PH4 Guarantee. I'm really excited for all the new "firsts" I will experience while cruising from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. While keeping up with the TA threads for 2013, it would be nice to cross paths with either or both of you in 2014.

 

 

Walter

 

Sent from my Samsung Note II on the T-Mobile 4G LTE network using Tapatalk Beta 4

[Mura]

I'd like that, too, Walter, but it may not happen.

 

I'm booked on the EASTBOUND TA on Marina in May 2014 ... nothing else booked after that.

 

At least not yet!

 

And of course Pearl and I are doing the westbound TA to Rio, except it's on Marina and leaving from Barcelona this November.

 

Mura

[TKS]

In reading your response, I am sure how far out you got your upswell. Was it 90 days out?

 

Yes, right at 90 days out. But, I'd been watching the site for some time, since categories seemed to be available, then wait listed, then available again (including the category our cabin was in), so it was obvious things were changing daily. When several categories opened at once, I saw my opportunity and jumped. We are fortunate and have a wonderful TA who will always go to bat for us, even if he isn't always successful - but this time he hit a home run! We can't wait! And since this is a 24-day cruise the added PH space is greatly appreciated.

[Silver Sweethearts]

vulcan1971 -

 

Your quote:

 

"I'm on my first O cruise in 2014 (Marina westbound TA) and booked into a PH4 Guarantee".

 

Thought Penthouses are only PH1, PH2 and PH3. Is this a typo or are we missing something?

[JimandStan]

vulcan1971 -

 

 

Thought Penthouses are only PH1, PH2 and PH3. Is this a typo or are we missing something?

Aren't there PH4's adjoining the indoor swimming pool on deck 4? :p

[Balloon Man]

Isn't that an image of FDR's personal suite? ;)