Balcony upgrade?

[BiXLL]

We just returned from our first cruise and it was the most enjoyable week of our lives. I am starting to research our next cruise and to be honest started questioning if I should just go with an interior cabin instead of the aft balcony we had simply because of the $400.-$500(2 people) difference in price.

 

That thought did not last long though, we spent a lot of time on the balcony and even had friends we met on the cruise come and hang out there a couple times. It was an amazing feel/experience out there.

 

My question is, how do the upgrades work? The first time I booked the aft balcony from the start. Would I do better by booking a lessor cabin and wait to be contacted about upgrading? I have a cruise and ship in mind (1/18/15-Epic-Western Car.) Should I not try to get an upgrade at a better price, or is it a pretty safe bet that I will be offered the upgrade at a much better price?

 

Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

[garycarla]

...Should I not try to get an upgrade at a better price, or is it a pretty safe bet that I will be offered the upgrade at a much better price?

 

Any help or guidance would be appreciated.

 

We have NEVER been offered an upgrade. Based on feedback from others here, it is closer to rare than the norm.

 

Book what you want, and watch prices.

[Demonyte]

If you want to get an aft balcony, you need to book it right away as they are the most sought after balcony cabins in general.

 

Also the chances of you getting contacted about upgrade are really low - we have never gotten upgrade calls no matter how we were booked. We have upgraded cabins for the difference in price closer to cruise ourselves though.

[B6ConMe]

I would agree with the others and I've upgraded/upsold myself, in other words, I watch the prices, I make the call, I decide what is worth it and what is not.

 

I guess the rule of thumb would be, only book a cabin that you would be happy staying in.

[RikkuCat]

I would never book a lower cabin category than I wanted to sail in. If you want an aft balcony, that's what you should book - particularly since aft balconies are particularly popular and more likely to sell out early than other cabin categories. Remember that they are no guarantees with upgrades - you may not be able to get one, and if you do, you may not be able to get upgraded into the particular category that you want, or the cabin offered might be in a less than desirable location. If you would be happy sailing in an interior cabin and want to take your chances that you might be able to upgrade to any balcony category, then book the interior - but don't count on an upgrade, especially not to an aft balcony.

 

When we booked our upcoming cruise on the Breakaway, we were debating between a regular balcony (we're not particular, so any category) and a spa balcony. The difference at the time was about $400. We weren't sure whether DH would use the spa enough to make the price worth it - and it would be cheaper for me to buy a spa pass onboard if I wanted it - so we booked the regular balcony. We would have been 100% happy with this, but as our cruise date got closer, I started watching the prices - why not upgrade if we could? There was a major price drop this week and the price for the spa balcony dropped to less than what we had originally paid for the lesser category. So I called NCL and they were happy to upgrade us.

 

If your situation is similar - that you'd be happy with the lesser cabin category if you could not upgrade - you might get a great deal. But if you won't be happy with an interior cabin, book the balcony in the first place.

[roger001]

As others have said, being offered an upgrade is extremely rare. We've never been offered one. Book what you want and will enjoy (a balcony is a must for us). Then if prices suddenly drop considerably as the cruise approaches (and they are just as likely to increase instead), then call and see if you can get an upgrade. I sure wouldn't book an inside if I didn't really want one based on a thought that you will be upgraded out of it.

[Twinzma]

Welcome to the addiction of cruising! We just got off the Epic on the 25th, you are going to love it!!!! Anyway book your balcony and BOOK IT NOW. The higher up the more likely you won't be impacted by the lifeboats. Do the Aft or the Bow because that's closest to the elevators, Epic has no midship balconies.

 

The upgrade fairy may call you, but you can't depend on her. So rather than being disappointed pick out the cabin you want, and hope that when the price drops you can call and ask nicely for some OBC.

[4774Papa]

Keep checking prices, especially after final payment. If they go down, call and ask for an upgrade.

[BiXLL]

thanks all, advice will be taken!