How do upgrades work?

[HighCPU]

Booked with ES and saw something about two category upgrades. Also saw a post on CC with someone saying they hope the upgrade fairy visits them. SO, how do the upgrades work? Are they given at random during check in? Also, does that mean upgrade from Interior to OV? Or like 6B room to 6D? Is there anything you can do to increase your chance of being upgraded? Only been on one cruise in the past with a 4 day coming up in May.

Thanks for reading!!

[kezrarayne]

Following.

 

 

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[bury me at sea]

Upgrade means different things.

 

At the time of booking if a two-category upgrade sale is in progress, it means an 8 C cabin is the same price as an 8 A. This is clearly demonstrated on the fare viewer site.

 

If you're already booked there are various reasons you might decide you would prefer a more expensive cabin. You can call your TA or Carnival and upgrade at the current price. This is advantageous especially if prices have dropped since you booked.

 

Sometimes, usually after final payment date, Carnival wants to fill rooms and they will call booked passengers offering them an upgrade, rarely free, so it's really an upsell.

 

I don't have any notion how they determine whom to call.

 

Other posters will give you more examples of upgrades.

 

Happy cruising.

[HighCPU]

Upgrade means different things.

 

At the time of booking if a two-category upgrade sale is in progress, it means an 8 C cabin is the same price as an 8 A. This is clearly demonstrated on the fare viewer site.

 

If you're already booked there are various reasons you might decide you would prefer a more expensive cabin. You can call your TA or Carnival and upgrade at the current price. This is advantageous especially if prices have dropped since you booked.

 

Sometimes, usually after final payment date, Carnival wants to fill rooms and they will call booked passengers offering them an upgrade, rarely free, so it's really an upsell.

 

I don't have any notion how they determine whom to call.

 

Other posters will give you more examples of upgrades.

 

Happy cruising.

 

 

GREAT DETAILS! Thanks! :)

[bury me at sea]

You're welcome.

[the_lovely_voyage]

I got an email on Wednesday to upgrade from an inside to an OV for $30 total for our 3 day on the Liberty next month. Absolutely snatched it up.

The current price of the cheapest OV is $130 more than what I booked our inside, so we're still about $100 on top for the OV upgrade.

Other cruisers must have gotten the email because there were two rooms open to choose from and by the time I selected, one of the rooms were taken.

 

 

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[maryred]

As bury me at sea pointed out the booking upgrades are factored into the booking price when offered. But to just clarify they are within cabin types, so if you book a 8A (lowest balcony price point) you are not being offered the same price as a 6D (2nd highest ocean view price point). So you might as well pick an 8B or 8C, which will be the same price.

As to upgrade (upsell) calls after booking that's depends on soon to be announced sales and promotions where Carnival needs to move already booked passengers to so-called better cabins, so they may offer the lesser cabins at a discount without triggering an avalanche of ES price adjustment forms. To improve your chances of receiving these calls you need to book direct with Carnival (either online, or by phone to the call center or their PVPs) under the Early Saver rate. The reason being is if you book through a travel agent, vacation/travel club, or 3rd party reservation taker they are the ones holding the actual booking and it is up to them contact you about the possible upgrade then to relay the reply back to the cruise line. Since this would be a slower process the cruise line will first contact those passengers they can deal directly with.

There is also a third possible way to score an upgrade, regardless of which rate or booking method you used, many call it self upgrading. Simply monitor what the current offers are for your cruise. With ES you have up until 2 days before sailing to find the best possible price for the same cabin you have booked to reduce the amount you owe or gather OBC (once paid in full), but other booking rates like Past Guest or Casino rates don't offer that same pricing safety net. So what Carnival will do, if you contact them about your current booking amount being more than what a comparably cabin is currently being offered for is allow you to upgrade. Like the upsell call most times you will pay a bit to upgrade, but in some cases the next cabin category can be the same price as you paid that you can say move from an obstructed balcony to the next deck up for an unobstructed view at no extra charge.

[Retired_to_Cruise]

We have been on 24 Carnival cruises. Have always booked balcony cabins. And have never had a upgrade call.

[hotsauce126]

We have been on 24 Carnival cruises. Have always booked balcony cabins. And have never had a upgrade call.

 

They also email them, but I think people booked in interiors get them most often (there's more OV/Balcony ones to switch to than suites from balcony, also interiors are easier to sell). I got one on my 2015 Victory cruise for an interior to a balcony.

[Elaine5715]

Booked with ES and saw something about two category upgrades. Also saw a post on CC with someone saying they hope the upgrade fairy visits them. SO, how do the upgrades work? Are they given at random during check in? Also, does that mean upgrade from Interior to OV? Or like 6B room to 6D? Is there anything you can do to increase your chance of being upgraded? Only been on one cruise in the past with a 4 day coming up in May.

Thanks for reading!!

It could mean simply up one deck or from aft to mid ship. What cruise lines consider upgrades and guests do, are two separate things. Sometimes, what the cruise thinks is upgrade is a downgrade to you.

[Engrvrgal]

We are sailing on the Conquest April 23. I got a call on February 28 from Carnival offering to upgrade me from my balcony cabin to an Ocean Suite for $424 total for the 6 day cruise. Of course, I jumped at it. I have never sailed in a suite, as it is out of my budget. But this offer was awesome. I get the priority boarding also with this, which is a nice perk. It is a 2 category upgrade, midship, perfect location for us.

I'm sure they are trying to fill the ship at this point, and can sell my balcony cabin faster than they can the suites. I did a mock booking to see what the actual price is for the suite on my cruise. With taxes, the total came to over $2400. We are paying just a little over $1900. $500 savings. I would call that a win win situation. Carnival filled my balcony (it's already gone) and they filled a suite at the same time, still making money, I'm sure.

How they chose me, I have absolutely no idea. All I know is , I'm glad they did.

Edited March 11, 2017 by Engrvrgal
I want to add a line

[SNJCruisers]

Sometimes, what the cruise thinks is upgrade is a downgrade to you.

This is true. You could have a midship high deck inside cabin and Carnival could possibly offer you an OV on deck two under the galley and it's considered an upgrade to Carnival, but I would never sail there.

 

 

 

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