FREE upgrades do exist!

[JinxyB]

I am just off the Fascination this morning and would like to share our story of our free upgrade from an inside cabin to a balcony cabin. I still don't know how we were so lucky to have been chosen. This was my 18th Carnival cruise and I have only ever had an upsell call on a 3-day Sensation cruise a few years ago (that we declined). I have never been given any type of free upgrade on the 30+ cruises I have taken. I will lay out the facts that I know:

 

1. My travel companion booked the cruise due to having a special VIFP rate available to her. This rate was $40 less per person than any rate I was offered (it was not a resident rate). The booking also came with a $30 OBC. We chose an inside cabin on the Upper deck.

 

2. Travel companion is only a red card holder with one previous 3-day Carnival cruise according to their computer program (even though she sailed 2 short cruises with Carnival before they changed the loyalty program). They did not have any record of these prior cruises, but she would still be a red card, regardless.

 

3. One day before the cruise, she gets a call and email regarding a time-sensitive upsell. Emails and calls are addressed to her, not me. She calls and is offered an aft-extended balcony cabin on Empress for $200 total. We didn't want to spend that kind of money, so she declined.

 

4. Driving to the Jax port on Thursday, she tells me she got another call and email that morning, but didn't answer the phone because she was driving on I-95. Thinking it is the same guy that called her yesterday, I call him back. We are now parking the car in the parking lot at the port. He tells me he didn't call, but can offer us a regular balcony for $150. We decline.

 

5. We are waiting in the port building for the xray machine, and her phone is ringing. No cell phones allowed in the building, so she doesn't answer it.

 

6. We went to the priority boarding (I'm platinum) and get checked in to our inside cabin. They had already started boarding and we get on the ship a little after 11AM.

 

7. We go to our inside cabin and the steward is around in the hall and says our cabin is all ready to go. We just want to drop off our carry-ons and the soda we brought onboard.

 

8. Travel companion looks at her phone and says Carnival called again (missed call while going through security) and we listen to the message. It is a different rep who is offering a complimentary balcony upgrade. Thinking it is a scam, I call the lady back and she says she has a balcony cabin for free on Empress deck and do we want it? I ask what's the catch, and there is none?! Of course we want it!

 

9. I'm like, don't touch anything in the cabin and don't unpack a thing!! We go up to guest services where a rather unhelpful guest services man looks at me like I'm crazy and says we need to come back after sail away to see if the occupants in the balcony room show up.

 

10. It was really loud in the atrium with music so we go back to the room and call the Carnival rep back who we just spoke to. She says Mr and Mrs. X in the Empress balcony cabin cancelled this morning and she emailed the guest services people at 11:38AM to tell them of our upgrade. I got her full name and extension #.

 

11. Back up to guest services and the platinum line opens where I explain our plight to Blanka. She looks at me like I'm crazy and says there is no email and to check back at 2PM. I get it, it does sound crazy, and right now I'm not so sure myself of this whole story!

 

12. We go to the bar in the atrium to get a drink and a few minutes later, Blanka comes over to us and says she sees it in the computer now, and the way they processed the upgrade was something she had never seen before? I don't really know what that means, but at least she doesn't think I am insane.

 

13. We go and get a luggage cart and load all our crap on it (our bags had already arrived to original cabin), go meet Blanca at guest services and she makes us new key cards.

 

14. At this point I'm so happy, but confused! We roll our cart down the hall and open the door to our free balcony cabin! We are celebrating on the balcony and in the back of my mind a tiny voice of jealousy is asking me why someone who has only sailed once with Carnival gets a free upgrade whereas I, who have spent a lot of $$$ on my 18 Carnival cruises gets nothing. Keep in mind this was all under her name, as she made the original booking. I remember being kind of miffed when we booked the cruise that they were giving her a better rate, plus OBC. As an aside, it was my friend's birthday a few days before the cruise, so that was a nice Bday gift for her! :D

 

I guess the moral of the story is Carnival is courting infrequent cruisers with lower prices, OBC, and free upgrades (when available)? They know I'm a loyal customer and I already have deposits on 2 future cruises, so logically why would they give me anything if they know I will keep coming back? My friend is like, well stop sailing them then! I am really not loyal to one line, but have sailed Carnival the most for one reason or another (home port choice, price, etc.). For a short getaway, Carnival usually wins.

 

I know this is long-thanks for reading. I do hope Mr. and Mrs. X are OK, because it can only be something bad that would make them cancel their cruise the morning of departure. Any future cruise I book with this particular friend, I am having her make all the bookings! :D

[silvercrikhix]

Thanks for sharing!

[RaiderFaninNM]

How awesome!

 

 

hope you had a great cruise!

[islandatsea]

Congrats on your upgrade!

[lizardhowson]

A true UPGRADE but boy did they make you earn it. Congrats !

[Taters]

An awesome story! Thanks so much for sharing!

[Carnival_Brides]

That sounds a lot like our upgrades on our Canadian b2b two years ago. We were booked in 2 1A cabins, and got bumped up to balconies on deck 7&8 as we were driving to the port. It was also a hot mess getting that resolved at check-in/Guest Services.

[falkcor]

congrats on your upgrade, regardless of the situation.

 

there used to be a lot more stories regarding first time cruisers (on carnival) being upgraded. not so much anymore, and there's a lot of back and forth about who gets the 'free cruises' etc., i certainly don't want to get into that. there are the same amount of 'stories' more recently about platinum members being 'upgraded' because of that status.

 

it comes from both ends. regardless, you got to enjoy it, so congrats, i hope you enjoyed it :)

[N2Mischief]

On our Splendor cruise in March we were upgraded from an inside, deck 2, all the way in the back, to a balcony, midship, deck 8. Problem was, I wanted to be in the back because of mobility issues and it was easier to get to the dining room and the buffet. We were told upon checking in. We told them, "no thank you" but they said our original cabin had already been given to someone else. Problem was, no on told the room steward and our room wasn't ready, we didn't get our shore excursion tickets or tickets to Carnival Live. Our luggage was delivered to the original cabin and we had to go get it ourselves. And the shower in the new stateroom backed up and overflowed every night of the cruise when someone around us took a shower....Really is was nice of them to do it, but we were really unhappy and would have preferred the original room.

[falkcor]

On our Splendor cruise in March we were upgraded from an inside, deck 2, all the way in the back, to a balcony, midship, deck 8. Problem was, I wanted to be in the back because of mobility issues and it was easier to get to the dining room and the buffet. We were told upon checking in. We told them, "no thank you" but they said our original cabin had already been given to someone else. Problem was, no on told the room steward and our room wasn't ready, we didn't get our shore excursion tickets or tickets to Carnival Live. Our luggage was delivered to the original cabin and we had to go get it ourselves. And the shower in the new stateroom backed up and overflowed every night of the cruise when someone around us took a shower....Really is was nice of them to do it, but we were really unhappy and would have preferred the original room.

 

you can have them flag your booking as 'do not upgrade' when you're picking specific rooms for a reason like that. i know it doesn't help your situation the last cruise, but keep that in mind going forward!

[sfaaa]

This is one Let's Get Crazy story.

[JinxyB]

That sounds a lot like our upgrades on our Canadian b2b two years ago. We were booked in 2 1A cabins, and got bumped up to balconies on deck 7&8 as we were driving to the port. It was also a hot mess getting that resolved at check-in/Guest Services.

 

That's an amazing upgrade! I have always heard of people getting free upgrades, but never to me or anyone I know....I was very happy it finally happened! I am not one who gets all those free cruise offers, either.

 

We had a great cruise, especially since it was a girl's getaway with no kids, spouses, etc.

[Seany527]

Carnival really didn't want you to stay in that inside room on the Upper deck. I wonder why. They tried to get your money first and when that didn't work, they moved you for free. Either way, a huge benefit for you [emoji4]

[love my grandkids]

Awesome:)

[sjcruiser]

Awesome!! Thanks for sharing and congrats on the upgrade!!!

[Sweet Dutch Girl]

All of my upgrades on any CruiseLine have been given at the check in counter as I just politely ask the person checking me in if any are available. I've had a dozen over my cruising history. One thing is that I check in later in the day, and am not in a rush. Only drawback with a sailing day upgrade is there is always a search for my luggage. I've had to knock on many a door where I previously booked to find that the new occupant has just thrown my luggage on the bed since the husband rarely knows what the wife has actually packed.

[cruising meemee]

On our first cruise, we were upgraded from a balcony to a junior suite but it

has never happened again.

[NCMtnBoys]

Great story!

 

I'm amazed that they kept contacting your friend with offers to upgrade. With so many other passengers onboard, surely they would have found someone to pay for the upgrade. But how lucky that she was contacted not once, but three times! I would have thought once someone declines, they're removed from an upgrade list and they move on to another passenger. I would have been tempted to upgrade for the $150, but your patience paid off! :p

[CptFatguts]

We have had several upgrades within cabin category over the years with P&O Australia ie lowest grade inside to several grades higher. Our last cruise 2 weeks ago we were upgraded from outside fully obstructed to deck 9 forward unobstructed (an additional brochure cost of 250 AUD pp). I find that selecting a gauranteed cabin increases your upgrade chances.

 

Our best upgrade was on HAL Oosterdam this January. We selected a gauranteed Vista suite at $300 AUD cheaper than a selected bottom grade vista suite. 3 weeks out we were upgraded to a top grade midship vista suite, we were very impressed.

 

1 week before sailing we were upgraded again...... Full Neptune Suite including entry to the Neptune lounge, we were elated! But it got better, upon inspecting the deck plan, we discovered that our suite was a sunset wrap around suite, 400 sq feet + 320 sq feet of balcony. Our balcony had a table for 4, 2 sun lounges and 2 armchairs with Ottomans and side tables, the remain 2/3 of the balcony was open space. We were very happy!:D

[mumtopugs]

That's so cool!

[Geblues]

Carnival really didn't want you to stay in that inside room on the Upper deck. I wonder why. They tried to get your money first and when that didn't work, they moved you for free. Either way, a huge benefit for you [emoji4]

 

Yes they were really determind to see them moved:confused: