Upgrades?

[Teach2cruise4fun]

After reading all of the awesome stories regarding upgrades, I need help!

 

For all my seasoned cruisers, how do you go about asking about upgrades before/after final payment?

 

Thanks so much for your advice!

[hpeabody]

AFIK there is no "asking" for an upgrade. It is a random mysterious internal thing within Princess. The best you can do is make sure your booking shows your preference, such as no upgrade, will accept upgrade, mega upgrade only, etc. You can check this yourself by calling Princess.

[skynight]

After reading all of the awesome stories regarding upgrades, I need help!

 

For all my seasoned cruisers, how do you go about asking about upgrades before/after final payment?

 

Thanks so much for your advice!

When you book you have the option to request "no upgrades." Bookings which are not marked in this manner default to "upgrade will be accepted."

To directly answer your question there is no system to request an upgrade, unless you are willing to pay the current published fare. Princess does have a system which gives upgrades at no additional charge, but you can not request them. They are given for many reasons which are only known by Princess. Princess also has an upsell program where you may be offered, can not request, a higher category cabin for a reasonable price.

Edited April 30, 2016 by sknight

[moki'smommy]

The upgrade fairy spreads her magical dust where she will....you cannot request it. More recently, her cousin, the "upsell fairy" seems to be more active--this results in a phone or e-mail contact offering you a better cabin category for a reduced price. You can accept and pay it or decline. You can also find out the exact cabin in advance. BUT decide quickly. She may make this offer to 10 people when she has 3 cabins available--first pay, first served!

 

There is also no way to predict the price of an upsell in advance, either on a per cruise or per diem rate. I've seen reports that I thought were amazing and others that were really not much discount at all.

Edited April 30, 2016 by moki'smommy

[paul929207]

You just call your TA or Princess and ask for an upgrade. They will give you the current price for the upgrade.

[JF - retired RRT]

If there is a price drop that puts a "better" cabin (location, inside to ocean view, etc) at a price that is less than what you paid...call Princess or your TA and ask to switch.

Be aware that you may lose any OBC/benefits from the original booking.

[idahospud]

Chances of upgrades are higher with guarantee cabins. We book guarantee cabins and have been upgraded or gotten an upsell offer on almost every single one.

[shredie]

The stories you have read about upgrades represent only a small fraction of the people who are here on CC. That's why it's news when it happens. If it were possible to ask for (and receive) upgrades, everyone would be doing it. Upsells are a slightly different situation.

[paul929207]

From the comments on Cruise Critic, it appears Princess sometimes gives upgrades to a higher category of the same type cabin. That is from a lower category Outside to a higher category Outside. This usually means a "better" location.

 

When they want to move people to a better cabin type (such as Outside to Balcony), they offer an upsell. With this people are offered the new cabin for a price. Price seems to depend on the number of cabins they want to move and the number of potential buyers.

[idahospud]

From the comments on Cruise Critic, it appears Princess sometimes gives upgrades to a higher category of the same type cabin. That is from a lower category Outside to a higher category Outside. This usually means a "better" location.

 

When they want to move people to a better cabin type (such as Outside to Balcony), they offer an upsell. With this people are offered the new cabin for a price. Price seems to depend on the number of cabins they want to move and the number of potential buyers.

Every time we have booked an obstructed ocean view guarantee we have been moved up to a balcony. No upsell, a free upgrade. Every single time. GUses we should consider ourselves lucky. Going from an inside guarantee to a balcony has been where we had the up sells.

Edited April 30, 2016 by idahospud

[TracieABD]

We typically book minis. We will book an MA gty and hope for a suite upsell. This has happened for us several times. We just managed to score a suite upsell for less than the current cost of a MC mini.

[cheeseclan]

We too book minis most of the time. We also got a great upsell from a mini to a suite on the Regal that is way below the cost of a mini and of a regular priced suite. Can't wait.

[Teach2cruise4fun]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. We have experienced the "upsell" part. I guess I don't mind paying a bit more if we get an awesome room. That is how we first got a taste of the balcony rooms!

 

For all of you that have booked minis. I am wondering, if, and that is a big if, we get the chance to upgrade from a balcony on Caribe to a mini, what would make it a "worth it" change. I have never seen a mini or know anything about them.

 

Thanks everyone!

[CU64]

We typically book minis. We will book an MA gty and hope for a suite upsell. This has happened for us several times. We just managed to score a suite upsell for less than the current cost of a MC mini.

 

We prefer MC Minis on Emerald with a covered balcony. >>>useful in cold or warm weather...marked NO UPGRADE

 

sometimes upgrades sound good but are in a lousy location with noisy decks above. Check before you buy.

[Todd320]

A upgrade can be an identical cabin next door to your current cabin or worse, a total different bad location.

[mrs and mrs]

A upgrade can be an identical cabin next door to your current cabin or worse, a total different bad location.

 

Oh how very true this is.

 

We once received a downgrade, from a balcony hovel, into an ocean-view with so much obc,it paid for one fare.

[Gwendy]

Every time we have booked an obstructed ocean view guarantee we have been moved up to a balcony. No upsell, a free upgrade. Every single time. GUses we should consider ourselves lucky. Going from an inside guarantee to a balcony has been where we had the up sells.

Lucky you, can you pass my name to upgrade fairy please. Only ever had one upgrade, from inside to obstructed outside. I generally book insides as I travel solo most of the time, but you would think they could be nice to me.

Princess probably knows I am going to keep cruising regardless, so no need to woo me. Lol

[mrs and mrs]

I am led to believe that up-grades are totally random computer driven,if you can believe that one.

[easyboy]

Chances of upgrades are higher with guarantee cabins. We book guarantee cabins and have been upgraded or gotten an upsell offer on almost every single one.

I agree. My folks have the same experience but I prefer to choose my cabin location.

[IECalCruiser]

We prefer MC Minis on Emerald with a covered balcony. >>>useful in cold or warm weather...marked NO UPGRADE

 

sometimes upgrades sound good but are in a lousy location with noisy decks above. Check before you buy.

The Emerald deck mini's are Cat ME. The two times we have booked an Emerald deck mini we have been offered an upsell to a full suite. We took one on a Baltic cruise but skipped it on a 4 day coastal because we had E731 booked and our friends were in E729. We selected the meta upgrade only option to prevent an "upgrade" to an uncovered Dolphin deck mini. Edited May 1, 2016 by IECalCruiser

[CU64]

The Emerald deck mini's are Cat ME. The two times we have booked an Emerald deck mini we have been offered an upsell to a full suite. We took one on a Baltic cruise but skipped it on a 4 day coastal because we had E731 booked and our friends were in E729. We selected the meta upgrade only option to prevent an "upgrade" to an uncovered Dolphin deck mini.

 

we are in one on starboard to Alaska this weekend. Originally they were all booked but after the upsell, 3 appeared on that side (I was worried about E730bass vibrations)...I spotted them while checking website. I suspect they all upgraded to a suite but we wanted covered in Alaska.

[Nancyquilts]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. We have experienced the "upsell" part. I guess I don't mind paying a bit more if we get an awesome room. That is how we first got a taste of the balcony rooms!

 

For all of you that have booked minis. I am wondering, if, and that is a big if, we get the chance to upgrade from a balcony on Caribe to a mini, what would make it a "worth it" change. I have never seen a mini or know anything about them.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

If you spend a fair amount of time in your cabin, the balcony only has one comfortable chair, and the mini has that chair and a sofa for two. The mini has a bathtub instead of the shower only.