Turned down 2 free upgrades so far. Starting to see how the game is played.

[KarateMan]

I disagree with you 100%. The reason is that I can afford a mini even booking as a solo but ever since Princess changed the balcony chairs, I find them very uncomfortable and am unable to sit in them for more than a few minutes at a time. Thus, for me, balconies are useless and a waste of good money if I can't enjoy the balcony. I'm now booking OV cabins and have extra money for the Sanctuary or even another cruise.

 

As for the OPs post, it's important to be familiar with Princess ships and cabins. What Princess considers an upgrade might not be an upgrade in your or other passengers' eyes. Shortly before my recent RP cruise, I had an "obstructed" balcony on Emerald deck near the aft elevator that wasn't obstructed. Princess "upgraded" me to an Aloha deck unobstructed balcony mid-ship. No thanks... not on your life! I was able to get my cabin back. I loved the location and no way did I want to be stuck mid-ship.

 

My rationale for inside or balcony cabin is this. If I have the money I will book a balcony cabin. If for any reason a balcony cabin is too expensive, not in the area I want or not of use then I will just go for an inside. I see an outside cabin as a waste of money. Unless you can physically step outside then it is not providing any benefit.

 

The outside cabin is always a window in a indentation in the hull, there on there is some distance to reach it. You have no way of testing the weather outside, the window gets dirty, its no use taking photos through glass.

 

My though is you are only sleeping in the cabin so the window provides little use. I can then save money and use it elsewhere on the ship.

 

I have tried them and I never liked the outside cabins. I only ever tried the unobstructed view ones. Besides being on the bottom two decks of the ship was quite an inconvenience also.

[ontheweb]

It seems trivial worrying about upgrades over a few minor $$$ difference in the price.

 

You should be more concerned about location.

 

I agree some upgrades are bad. In effect cruise lines often "downgrade" unsuspecting passengers to inferior cabins that are disliked by many people.

 

I can understand not wanting to be above or near the theatre. That is a reasonable ground to decline an upgrade.

 

On my last cruise I had booked an inside cabin on Lido deck on the Diamond Princess. For me it was a prime location with immediate access to the open decks, it was in a quiet area and up high so it ticked all the boxes of what I like. A week before the cruise I got an "upgrade notification" email. When I examined it more closely I decided it was not actually an upgrade for me as going from an inside on Lido deck to an obstructed outside on Emerald deck puts me in an inconvenient location compared to where I booked. The Princess cruises call centre person actually abused me on the phone for wanting my original cabin back!

 

On our Ocean Princess British Isles cruise last summer, we received an upgrade from an inside with a very good location to an OV. I only discovered this when I saw the cabin had changed in my personalizer.

 

I called out TA to ask about the location of the new cabin. It turned out that it was directly above a bar. We decided we did not want it. My TA contacted Princess. They told him the original cabin had been taken out of inventory. This turned out to be a lie. (I asked our steward why it was taken out of inventory, and he said it had passengers. I later confirmed that there were names by the door.) Our TA tried to see if we could get a different OV or better if they wanted to upgrade us. He was told there were no other OV cabins available. He finally got us a cabin a few cabins away from our original cabin, and we actually saved a very small amount of money (IIRC $10 per person) because it was a "lower" category since it was slightly less in the center of the ship. He also told us that he never received an e-mail from Princess concerning the upgrade, but they claimed to have sent one to him.

[JimmyVWine]

Inside cabin: The most economical way to get on board and thus avail oneself of everything else that the ship has to offer.

 

OV cabin: The most economical way to obtain natural light and perhaps get a view of the horizon if doing so helps ward off sea sickness.

 

Balcony: The most economical way to get somewhat private outdoor space and fresh air.

 

Mini suite: The most economical way to get a cabin with a full bath tub and seating area, and a third bed that does not pull down from the ceiling. (Though Royal Class Deluxe Balconies also have small seating areas that can become a bed.)

 

There are good reasons for all of these categories. None are a "Waste of money." Some may fit your lifestyle, wants and needs more than others at any given time. But none are "useless". When we travel as a family, it is a MS for us. Need the seating area and outdoor space. If it were just the wife and I, an unobstructed OV would be fine. She needs natural light. If it were just me, or if I were traveling with one of my brothers, an Inside would suffice. Isn't it great to have choices?

[Mom33]

On our first cruise ship in 1980, we were inside. We rode through a terrible storm and we couldn't see what was happening during the night. The ship was tilted so bad, we had to crawl on the floor to maneuver around the cabin.

We swore we would never cruise again in an inside.

 

We tried an ocean view twice. Once on HAL and once on Princess. We were fine with both cabins until the reports about the Triumph drifting at sea with no power. We realized we would want a balcony to have access to fresh air in our cabin if the power failed or the air conditioning wasn't working.

 

We now only cruise in balcony cabins.:)

[amazinglife]

iginally Posted by KarateMan

A outside cabin is just a second rate excuse for people not rich enough to afford a balcony cabin.

 

 

Many people on here are "rich" enough to afford any cabin on any Princess ship at least once but choose not to. I found your comment insulting and I am sure so do others.

Edited October 5, 2014 by amazinglife

[rpcv77]

"There are good reasons for all of these categories. None are a "Waste of money." Some may fit your lifestyle, wants and needs more than others at any given time. But none are "useless". When we travel as a family, it is a MS for us. Need the seating area and outdoor space. If it were just the wife and I, an unobstructed OV would be fine. She needs natural light. If it were just me, or if I were traveling with one of my brothers, an Inside would suffice. Isn't it great to have choices?"

 

Jimmy,

How very true! I'm not sure why people find it necessary to attach pejorative language when speaking of cabin choices that are not right for them (or food, entertainment, excursions etc.). Lack of civility, anonymity of the internet? Who knows, but let's try not to denigrate others choices. Variety and differences are what make the world go round!

[cdngrl]

if an outside cabin is a "2nd rate excuse for people not rich enough to afford a balcony" then I'm downright destitute. I can't usually afford even an obstructed ov. I would love a balcony and an ov would at least allow me to see the water and the sun, but for me its an inside or nothing so inside it is. hunh....apparently I was quite offended by that comment. :o

 

These upgrades don't seem to be done altruistically. Rather, they know that by moving one into a marginally better (maybe) cabin, it will be tougher for customer's to take advantage of price drops prior to final payment.

 

I always thought they upgrade the bottom categories as they are cheaper to re-sell which makes the ship easier to fill. yes, some upgrades are to a worse location but in my experience, some are also very good.

[dms42]

To the OP... a few points:

 

 

• Princess is not Carnival. You'll see...
  
• Upgrades are optional. Princess has to hold your original cabin for 48 hrs before they sell it- giving you time to accept or decline the upgrade. If you accept, you then cannot go back and ask for your old cabin and a refund. You're lucky they granted it to you, or that it was still available.
  
• Upgrades are not really a chess game, in fact, its not a game at all. Its simply an opportunity to move for no money. Its up to you- based on your likes and dislikes- as to if it's worth it or not. But, once you say "yes" it's done. You just gotta learn the rules.
  

I was just offered a balcony on the Aloha deck vs. the Caribe deck balcony I have now. Since the size of the balcony is most important to me, I declined. It was very easy- a quick call to customer service and it was done. The thing I love about Princess is the lack of gimmicks and games.

[swedish weave]

The term "not rich enough" intrigues me.

 

It is an incorrect assumption by those who don't understand that some of us choose to allocate our resources differently than others do.

 

Assumptions can lead to gross misunderstandings.

[JimmyVWine]

Upgrades are not really a chess game, in fact, its not a game at all. Its simply an opportunity to move for no money. Its up to you- based on your likes and dislikes- as to if it's worth it or not.

 

I don't think you can discount the possibility that some (many?) upgrades are done to fill up a category in order to block people from requesting a lower re-fare. In that respect, there is an element of "chess" there. But it is a "win-win" for both Princess and the person getting the upgrade, so calling something a chess game isn't necessarily a bad thing.

[Thrak]

"The game" is not about whether you do or don't use a travel agent. It's about how the cruiselines will "upgrade" you based primarily or solely on whatever extracts maximum money out of you or benefits them otherwise. I can't see how things would have been even a little bit different with or without a TA. Sure, you could have requested "no upgrade" either way, but that would have precluded one from that rare exceptional upgrade.

 

If I'm missing something here, please let me know. :-)

.

I've only been upgraded once. It was an excellent upgrade and we were really happy with the cabin change. Not all "upgrades" will be something the passenger likes but, in our case, we were extremely pleased.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Thrak

[Stockjock]

Odd. I didn't read the OP that way at all. More of a tutorial on how upgrades might work. Princess is getting ready to lower the fare on a cruise. 10% of the BA cabins remain unsold. If Princess does nothing, all of the existing BA passengers will call for re-faring and the first thing that Princess will look at is: are there cabins still available in that category. If so, all who call will get a lower fare. If not, they are told "no soup for you." So just before the fare sale, Princess moves people from the BB or BC categories into the BA category filling that group. When the sale goes into effect, the existing BA folks call for re-faring and are told that there are no cabins available in that category so they must remain at their existing fare. Seems to make perfect sense and I don't see this as complaining in any sense of the word. Not to mention that the OP said that they were not complaining, so reading a complaint into a post that disavows that very thing is inappropriate at the very least.

 

You are exactly correct. People always seem to want to read some form of complaint or entitlement into posts regarding upgrades, and I stated pretty clearly (I think) that this was not the case. Also, I didn't state or imply that past experience on Carnival or any other line I've sailed on (Carnival, RCL, Celebrity, Norwegian, and soon MSC and CDF) had anything to do with this cruise, other than using a similar longer sailing on Carnival for pricing comparison purposes, just for the heck of it (leaves 2 days later, 25% longer, better room, unobstructed and about 55% cheaper).

 

But yes, the point is the post is to detail "the game" or the business end of how and why they often do upgrades and how many or all of the upgrades seem to place the cruiseline in a better position and may also limit future options for the passenger.

 

That having been said, most of us are certainly open to better rooms and lower prices. I think that's pretty much a given.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Stockjock

[camofwilliamsburg]

What is a "meta" upgrade as mentioned by someone here?

[helenb]

Inside cabin: The most economical way to get on board and thus avail oneself of everything else that the ship has to offer.

 

OV cabin: The most economical way to obtain natural light and perhaps get a view of the horizon if doing so helps ward off sea sickness.

 

Balcony: The most economical way to get somewhat private outdoor space and fresh air.

 

Mini suite: The most economical way to get a cabin with a full bath tub and seating area, and a third bed that does not pull down from the ceiling. (Though Royal Class Deluxe Balconies also have small seating areas that can become a bed.)

 

 

You forgot:

 

Suite: The most economical way to have breakfast at Sabbatini's. ;)

[mrstmaxx]

I'm curious how to find a TA who can get discounts. I use a friend of a friend and like her but she's with a small travel agency and she told me the owner will not even advise clients when there is a discount Luckily my TA does this part time (for fun:)) and she always calls Princess when I see a drop in rate. But at one point her husband was critically ill and she asked me to call Princess to get the drop in rate but I know Princess can't do that so I had to wait until she could call because she told me she would get in trouble if I called someone else at the agency. I do like her but I've always wondered how you get a TA like the one Pam (and I'm sure others) have.

[helenb]

Let's see...Carnivore or Golden Princess...there's a reason the Carnival ship is so much less. ;) You get what you pay for. I have done plenty of those short Carnival cruises (under duress - had to go with DH's company) and will never do them again even when they're free.

 

Okay, having never sailed Carnival, I have to ask... what is so bad about a Carnival cruise that you wouldn't want to go, even if it's free?

[Mekamax]

Actually it was intersting to read how you saw what they were doing. I do the same thing on every cruise line to figure the game out. Sometimes win and sometimes not but always get to cruise Thank God! So I guess we win. :) No harm in taking the time to figure the game so you know how best to play it. Carnival plays the game a bit differently and so does RCL and NCL. Each have little things they do or not do. Have heard but not sure that RCL will not allow stock holder credit to those already having OBC from RCL and if that is the case it explains why they didn't lower their prices but added OBC as an incentive to book.... Interesting I think and all part of the booking business game. No harm to anyone just business.... Booked on an awesome deal for CCL and then they came out with the $30 a night sale and that was cheaper - oh well as I couldn't switch to it as it was a guarantee after finally payment and I didn't even try as I know the game... Nice to see others analyse how it plays out. :D

[ontheweb]

To the OP... a few points:

 

[*]Princess is not Carnival. You'll see...

[*]Upgrades are optional. Princess has to hold your original cabin for 48 hrs before they sell it- giving you time to accept or decline the upgrade. If you accept, you then cannot go back and ask for your old cabin and a refund. You're lucky they granted it to you, or that it was still available.

 

That was not true in our case this summer on the Ocean Princess. Our TA was told that the cabin we were originally booked in had been taken out of the inventory. This turned out not to be true; the cabin was occupied during our cruise.

[greenie082756]

I reread what the OP had to say. From what I gathered it was typical big business trying to find a way to make more for less. Every single business has sales and rules with the sales (time limit, quantity, etc.). Nothing surprising with offers. All companies "play the game" that's just economics.

 

I currently love the cabin I picked for my next cruise but if an upgrade (that I like) is offered without any extra cost to me that's like a coupon in the mail from the upgrade fairy.

 

Obviously I know that if I take that upgrade, they will most likely sell my cabin @ more money than what I paid for it. Win / win.

 

Right now, either way, I'm a happy cruiser. Now that I have purchased stock I want the company to do business as efficiently and with as much profit as possible.:D

[KarateMan]

Just last month I found out the hard way that Princess immediately sells your cabin the moment they "upgrade" you. In my case I found it more of a downgrade as I was moving from a top deck to a lower deck and from a good location to a bad location.

 

I called Princess immediately and managed to get my original cabin back. This was only 4 days before departure.

 

On arrival at the ship I had the cruise card and cabin that I wanted, however the name tag on the door was for another couple, the beds were in the wrong configuration and all of my elite Captains Circle invitations were sent to the wrong cabin. Even my most travelled lunch invite was sent to the wrong cabin.

 

In effect the moment they upgrade you they immediately signal the ship which sets in place all your invites and tickets to be reprinted to the upgrade cabin.

 

It is a stupid game that Princess plays. Some upgrades I admit are very good and really worth it and possibly help out be encouraging passengers to book a higher grade on return.

 

However some upgrades are really poor, lousy and a deliberate attempt to shaft passengers into undesirable cabins that they cannot sell to the more savvy cruise passengers who know their ships well.

 

My example was if you book an inside cabin on Lido deck with prime access to the upper decks where I spend all my time in the day and close to my favourite location, then why on earth would I want un upgrade from the top of the ship close to the decks all the way down the bottom of the ship and in longer walking distance to everything I use.

 

If you pick an inside cabin on the upper decks then the only upgrades they should offer are cabins on the upper decks.

[Stockjock]

Okay, having never sailed Carnival, I have to ask... what is so bad about a Carnival cruise that you wouldn't want to go, even if it's free?

 

I have never been on a bad cruise. Every ship I've been on has interesting things about it and every cruise line does certain things very well. Carnival can be a lot of fun for sure!

 

I'm doing a cruise on CDF (Croisieres de France) in early 2015. It's a French cruise line owned by Royal Caribbean's Spanish subsidiary Pullmantur. They buy primarily retired ships from Celebrity and refurbish and repurpose them for the French market. I'm doing 7 nights on the Horizon *with unlimited booze, sodas, etc* out of St. Martin for about $330, which is crazy cheap. They visit some interesting ports like Margarita Island in Venezuela, Martinique, Guadeloupe, etc. Really looking forward to it.

 

BTW, to the person who brought it up, I've done shareholder credit and OBC on RCL, so that is definitely possible.

Edited October 6, 2014 by Stockjock

[RickEk]

Just last month I found out the hard way that Princess immediately sells your cabin the moment they "upgrade" you. In my case I found it more of a downgrade as I was moving from a top deck to a lower deck and from a good location to a bad location.

 

I called Princess immediately and managed to get my original cabin back. This was only 4 days before departure.

 

On arrival at the ship I had the cruise card and cabin that I wanted, however the name tag on the door was for another couple, the beds were in the wrong configuration and all of my elite Captains Circle invitations were sent to the wrong cabin. Even my most travelled lunch invite was sent to the wrong cabin.

 

In effect the moment they upgrade you they immediately signal the ship which sets in place all your invites and tickets to be reprinted to the upgrade cabin.

 

It is a stupid game that Princess plays. Some upgrades I admit are very good and really worth it and possibly help out be encouraging passengers to book a higher grade on return.

 

However some upgrades are really poor, lousy and a deliberate attempt to shaft passengers into undesirable cabins that they cannot sell to the more savvy cruise passengers who know their ships well.

 

My example was if you book an inside cabin on Lido deck with prime access to the upper decks where I spend all my time in the day and close to my favourite location, then why on earth would I want un upgrade from the top of the ship close to the decks all the way down the bottom of the ship and in longer walking distance to everything I use.

 

If you pick an inside cabin on the upper decks then the only upgrades they should offer are cabins on the upper decks.

 

Well, if all this happened 4 days before embarkation, that's why your stuff got mixed up. Passenger info is transmitted to the ship in that timeframe. If it happened a week before there would have been no problem.

[bhopal21]

" trying to find a way to make more for less."

 

 

Is that not what the passenger is doing when they book a "guarantee"?

 

We have always selected a particular cabin and marked our booking no upgrade and have never had a surprise.

 

Mike:)

[KarateMan]

I have certainly never booked a cruise hoping to get a free upgrade. I always book a cabin based on where I would really like to be on the ship. I don't think many people at all would book and hope for an upgrade that they may not get.

[generichandle]

What is a "meta" upgrade as mentioned by someone here?

 

Meta upgrade is upgrade from one class to another [like from inside to OV, or from balcony to suite]. Other upgrades are from a room within a class to another considered by the cruise line to be a better room within that same class.

 

If you request 'only meta upgrade', then you should not be offered those within the same class. If you agree to ANY upgrade, they can move you to

another within the class.

 

If you request 'no upgrade', I think they can still offer you upsells, but you are free to decline these.

 

What is worse than getting a lesser desirable room? That's right! Not cruising!

 

Doug