Upgrade Question

[trbarton]

I'm booked and paid for a balcony on the Star to Alaska. I see there is a few mini-suites left. If I decide to upgrade to a mini suite is this considered a new booking?

 

Tom:)

[Nancyquilts]

I'm booked and paid for a balcony on the Star to Alaska. I see there is a few mini-suites left. If I decide to upgrade to a mini suite is this considered a new booking?

 

Tom:)

I wouldn't think so. :D

[cruisequeen4ever]

As long as it's not for a "new booking only" promotion, you can pay to upgrade, or even downgrade yourself and get money back, anytime based on availability.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Grego]

Go for it.

[Pia1913]

I'm booked and paid for a balcony on the Star to Alaska. I see there is a few mini-suites left. If I decide to upgrade to a mini suite is this considered a new booking?

 

Tom:)

 

Since you are past final payment, this would be considered an upsell. But usually only if they offer it to you. If you have a good TA, see what he/she tells you.

[BEAV]

Last year we upgraded twice on Princess, both times being very close to sail date and after final payment date. In each case we simply paid the difference between what we had already paid and the current rate for the higher category. Upgrading categories was not considered as making a new booking. We retained our original booking number throughout the process.

[BEAV]

Since you are past final payment, this would be considered an upsell. But usually only if they offer it to you. If you have a good TA, see what he/she tells you.

 

In our case it was not an upswell. In both cases, the categories we upgraded to had previously been sold out. I monitored inventory daily and when I noticed a suite had popped up, I called our TA and orchestrated the upgrade.

[Pia1913]

In our case it was not an upswell. In both cases, the categories we upgraded to had previously been sold out. I monitored inventory daily and when I noticed a suite had popped up, I called our TA and orchestrated the upgrade.

 

Which is why I suggested he contact his TA. They can often do magical things, besides save you beaucoup bucks.

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes you can upsell yourself to a mini. :p

[BEAV]

Which is why I suggested he contact his TA. They can often do magical things, besides save you beaucoup bucks.

 

Oh, I wasn't knocking your advice to contact the TA. I just wanted to point out upgrades past final payment time aren't 100% upsell situations. In our two examples, suites were sold out, so nothing to "upsell" to. I simply monitored inventory myself and was able to jump when someone cancelled their full suite.

 

Incidentally, on one of the sailings we were on a waitlist for a full suite to open up (we were booked in a mini-suite). The morning I noticed a full suite had become available, I quickly grabbed it on the Princess website and then contacted our TA or orchestrate the transition and additional collection payment arrangements, etc. It taught me that although a waitlist exists, a cancelled cabin still goes back into general inventory rather than automatically going to #1 on the waitlist for that category. At least that's the way it worked in this instance, anyway. When the TA called Princess, I discovered we had been #8 on the waitlist, but because I had actually grabbed the cabin online when I saw it display, it went to me. Another reason to monitor inventory constantly if you're looking to upgrade rather than relying on the waitlist system to automatically do all the work for you.

[Pia1913]

Oh, I wasn't knocking your advice to contact the TA. I just wanted to point out upgrades past final payment time aren't 100% upsell situations. In our two examples, suites were sold out, so nothing to "upsell" to. I simply monitored inventory myself and was able to jump when someone cancelled their full suite.

 

Incidentally, on one of the sailings we were on a waitlist for a full suite to open up (we were booked in a mini-suite). The morning I noticed a full suite had become available, I quickly grabbed it on the Princess website and then contacted our TA or orchestrate the transition and additional collection payment arrangements, etc. It taught me that although a waitlist exists, a cancelled cabin still goes back into general inventory rather than automatically going to #1 on the waitlist for that category. At least that's the way it worked in this instance, anyway. When the TA called Princess, I discovered we had been #8 on the waitlist, but because I had actually grabbed the cabin online when I saw it display, it went to me. Another reason to monitor inventory constantly if you're looking to upgrade rather than relying on the waitlist system to automatically do all the work for you.

 

And that's what I do. Monitor inventory as well as pricing. You did the exact way I would have. Never wait to clear a waitlist if you can grab it on your own.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Paying for an upgrade from a balcony to a mini-suite is NOT an upsell. This is something YOU initiate, not Princess. You keep the same booking number, everything in your Cruise Personalizer will stay there and it's a very simple change. Just remember you'll be paying the going rate (whatever that happens to be).

 

An "upsell" is an offer from Princess that they initiate. They either call your TA, send a fax or call you directly if you don't have a TA. The pricing is good for these and it varies on your cabin category and the open category they want to move you to if you'll pay for it. If they don't get any "bites" for these upsells, then they upgrade people for free. Who they upgrade is a never-ending, on-going guess on everyone's part.