Upgrading Onboard?

[ajagent]

Have any of you ever tried to get an upgrade once the ship sails? I was wondering if they had any empty cabins in a higher category if they would let you move up?

[sail7seas]

Many times there is a sign at Front Office stating there are no vacant cabins. Other times I have heard that if someone wants to upgrade to a vacant higher category cabin, they will charge full price for it. No bargain. If you think you want a higher category cabin you are far better to try and book it before boarding than hope for it once aboard.

 

[RuthC]

I have boarded to find there were higher category cabins available. It was possible to go from an inside to a balcony cabin. :D When we (I had a roomie, who had family across the passageway) checked, the price was outrageous. The cabin was going for full price, iirc.

[Krazy Kruizers]

On our second segment of our recent cruise, there were quite a few cabins that had not been sold.

A couple we met at the special Indonesian lunch wanted to go from an VB to a Neptune Suite. They said that the price they were quoted was 3 times what they had paid for their VB -- which they had booked at a sale price.

No bargains once you are on the ship.

[PathfinderEss]

Interesting thread, I had no idea there was an opportunity to up grade once you were on board. Every time I ask if I can stay on for the next cruise they always tell me they are booked. Could they be stretching the truth, I wonder.

I certainly can see opportunities for lower category cabins, but Neptune Suites, really. I always thought they up sold them at a discounted rate before they sailed, to lower category cabin passengers.

[ajagent]

Seems strange that they would want to charge you anything. They are going to have an empty cabin either way. Surely it does not make any difference to them. I have had people change cabins in the same category on a ship before. I had just never thought to try and get an upgrade.

[RuthC]

Seems strange that they would want to charge you anything.

"You get more; you pay more" sounds fair to me.

 

On the cruise where I was looking at the upgrade once on board, I would have gone from an inside to a balcony cabin on a 14-day Alaska cruise. Certainly worth paying HAL $$$, but not full price. As you said, they weren't going to get anything if no one took it, so might as well get something.

I would have paid as much as 50% of the difference between the final fares.

[DaveOKC]

Interesting thought.

 

I can see the idea of charging just a bit more - its basically extra revenue for HAL.

 

On the other hand, I can see where HAL needs to be a bit careful with this, so that people do not get used to doing this and just booking a lower level cabin and trying to upgrade while onboard to save money.

 

I wonder what the impact on the cabin stewards is with last minute changes?

[RuthC]

On the other hand, I can see where HAL needs to be a bit careful with this, so that people do not get used to doing this and just booking a lower level cabin and trying to upgrade while onboard to save money.

Since most cruises sail full, this kind of thing wouldn't happen too often. I don't see many people postponing taking upsell offers in advance of sailing on the off-chance that they could do better if they waited until they were on the ship. Too much of a gamble that HAL would win.

I wonder what the impact on the cabin stewards is with last minute changes?

They wouldn't get the one less cabin to clean that they had been expecting.

If there were several upper level cabins, and they were filled by passengers from lower category cabins once on board, the cabin steward assignments could be redistributed to ensure work levels were fairly equal (if that became necessary).

[cruz chic]

Interesting thread, I had no idea there was an opportunity to up grade once you were on board. Every time I ask if I can stay on for the next cruise they always tell me they are booked. Could they be stretching the truth, I wonder.

I certainly can see opportunities for lower category cabins, but Neptune Suites, really. I always thought they up sold them at a discounted rate before they sailed, to lower category cabin passengers.

 

Hal will not give these cabins away even though it seems like they do sometimes. I took an upsell to a neptune on my panama canal cruise. I took the upsell on the third go around and it was no bargain. There was one more upsell after that I learned and it was not much less than what I paid. Maybe some folks got free upgrades on that cruise but I wouldn't be surprised if some went empty. I believe HAL does have a price they are not willing to go below for upsells.

[sail7seas]

Hal will not give these cabins away even though it seems like they do sometimes. I took an upsell to a neptune on my panama canal cruise. I took the upsell on the third go around and it was no bargain. There was one more upsell after that I learned and it was not much less than what I paid. Maybe some folks got free upgrades on that cruise but I wouldn't be surprised if some went empty. I believe HAL does have a price they are not willing to go below for upsells.

 

I've been in Neptune Suites on cruises when I knew the cabin beside me or down the hall etc was empty. Sometimes more than one Neptune I was sure was empty. I 'assumed' they had tried and failed to get people to buy upsells and would not drop the price to too low. I can't speak for what their thinking is or was.

 

[CowPrincess]

I've been in Neptune Suites on cruises when I knew the cabin beside me or down the hall etc was empty. Sometimes more than one Neptune I was sure was empty. I 'assumed' they had tried and failed to get people to buy upsells and would not drop the price to too low. I can't speak for what their thinking is or was.

 

 

Possibly those passengers missed the ship for some reason and had plans to join at another port -- which may not have occurred.

 

I've been on a couple of cruises where I know that a cabin is occupied because of chatting with the pax. Yet if I had not met those people, and known they were in that cabin, I would have presumed the cabin was empty due to lack of traffic, lack of noise, lack of appearance of habitation.

[sail7seas]

Possibly those passengers missed the ship for some reason and had plans to join at another port -- which may not have occurred.

 

I've been on a couple of cruises where I know that a cabin is occupied because of chatting with the pax. Yet if I had not met those people, and known they were in that cabin, I would have presumed the cabin was empty due to lack of traffic, lack of noise, lack of appearance of habitation.

 

Yes, that must be the case. :) :cool:

 

 

 

[Typhoon1]

It can be done. Subject to availability, of course.

[jtl513]

I've been in Neptune Suites on cruises when I knew the cabin beside me or down the hall etc was empty. Sometimes more than one Neptune I was sure was empty. I 'assumed' they had tried and failed to get people to buy upsells and would not drop the price to too low. I can't speak for what their thinking is or was.

 

On our Prinsendam T-A there were about 100 empty "balcony cabins" (i.e. suites plus non-suite verandahs) according to our steward, but we could not agree with HAL on a price to upgrade from our Outside. I believe they did not want to drop the price too much, because if the word got around (and it would!) that this was possible, it would become a "standard practice" for many people to book lower and try to upgrade once on board.

.

Edited December 5, 2014 by jtl513

[2bout2c]

The only time I asked on the ship they got the cruise book out and looked at the two prices there.The difference in those two cabins would be what I would have to pay now. The difference in published fares, not in what I paid originally to the full rate of the new cabin.

[sail7seas]

On our Prinsendam T-A there were about 100 empty "balcony cabins" (i.e. suites plus non-suite verandahs) according to our steward, but we could not agree with HAL on a price to upgrade from our Outside. I believe they did not want to drop the price too much, because if the word got around (and it would!) that this was possible, it would become a "standard practice" for many people to book lower and try to upgrade once on board.

.

 

Yes, I think that is a good part of the reason.

They are aware some of us are tuned into the upsells and upgrades in advance of sailing. If they provide low cost upsells while on the ship where they know for sure people will brag the great deal they got, the whole pricing scheme becomes too unpalatable to those who pay high fares for neighboring cabins. They know there Are Limits. :D

 

[jt58203]

Just wondering if they (still?) have "win a suite" bingo during the first bingo session of the cruise. It's been a few years since I've sailed HAL and can't remember if they did or not. Great way to possibly get upgraded for $20/$25.

[jtl513]

Just wondering if they (still?) have "win a suite" bingo during the first bingo session of the cruise. It's been a few years since I've sailed HAL and can't remember if they did or not. Great way to possibly get upgraded for $20/$25.

I've never heard of that, but then we don't always play the first session of the cruise.

[sail7seas]

This is the first I've ever heard of this, as well.

 

[jt58203]

Sorry, must be one of the different cruise lines I've been on and I've seen this more than once. Neat idea. Winner of the game immediately gets to move from their cabin to the highest available suite for the remainder of the cruise. Odds are pretty good being not too many people show up for the first bingo session of the cruise.

[cruz chic]

Sorry, must be one of the different cruise lines I've been on and I've seen this more than once. Neat idea. Winner of the game immediately gets to move from their cabin to the highest available suite for the remainder of the cruise. Odds are pretty good being not too many people show up for the first bingo session of the cruise.

 

This is starting to ring a bell with me. Not sure if I've heard the story before or what. I can say I haven't seen this in practice on the ships.

[B Russo]

I got a free up grade to a Neptune as i was ck in. I did not ask for it , They said I just got it , :):) Still don't know why. They are making money from it, because I book a Neptune now. It is hard to go back after you have one. LOL

[VermeulT]

Back in the 90's when we went to Bermuda - NCL had the doors to all cabins open when you boarded... keys were in the rooms, if I recall correctly. The ship was maybe 1/2 full... we booked a guarantee and were given an obstructed outside. We heard several people complaining that they had insides and the cabin across the hall was unfilled... why couldn't they just get that room... the front desk said they were free to pay for the upgrade - which of course, no one did.

 

I would think the cruiselines would take advantage of a little bonus revenue with very little effort required on their part... Instead of charging full price, have a set fee of X per person to go from category Y to category Z.

[sail7seas]

Back in the 90's when we went to Bermuda - NCL had the doors to all cabins open when you boarded... keys were in the rooms, if I recall correctly. The ship was maybe 1/2 full... we booked a guarantee and were given an obstructed outside. We heard several people complaining that they had insides and the cabin across the hall was unfilled... why couldn't they just get that room... the front desk said they were free to pay for the upgrade - which of course, no one did.

 

I would think the cruiselines would take advantage of a little bonus revenue with very little effort required on their part... Instead of charging full price, have a set fee of X per person to go from category Y to category Z.

 

What about those guests who paid full price for those same cabins? What should they get when others are getting deep discounts on the same cabin?