complimentary upgrades?

[FLArmyWife]

Out of curiousity, does anyone know if Carnival does "complimentary" upgrades.

 

In essence, they "oversell" their cheapest interior rooms, then give "complimentary" upgrades to some of those rooms into open ocean view rooms, etc etc.

I only ask because I've noticed that there are 11 ocean suits still available, 15+ balconies available (I quit counting after finding 10+ on one level), 26 ocean view rooms available,

 

then again I did just count 35 available interior rooms still so who knows...

[HawkIVette]

First, how are you seeing all these rooms available?

 

Second, do you mean "complimentary" as in free?

[FLArmyWife]

First, how are you seeing all these rooms available?

 

I see the rooms available when I pull up the cruise and go to make another booking. Those are all the available rooms.

 

Second, do you mean "complimentary" as in free?

yes

[klfrodo]

Those are not the only cabins that may be open.

There could be another 100 cabins that are assigned to Travel Agency groups that just haven't sold yet.

 

And No, unless it's a part of a promotion, Carnival ain't doin nothin for free

[FLArmyWife]

Those are not the only cabins that may be open.

There could be another 100 cabins that are assigned to Travel Agency groups that just haven't sold yet.

 

oh wow never thought of that. sounds like we could luck out and have a quiet ship

 

And No, unless it's a part of a promotion, Carnival ain't doin nothin for free

lol that's what I figured.

[HawkIVette]

Then first, Carnival does not show all the room available while doing a "mock" booking. They will only show 10 rooms at a time max per catagory and floor. So there may be many more rooms available then what you are seeing. Case in point, on my upcoming Dec Fascination cruise, I recently booked a room for my friends and showed only 2 availabe on the same deck as ours. So I called my PVP and she gave us 3 more rooms than what were showing so we could get them closer to us.

In that case, there were more available than showing up on the Carnival site.

 

Second, twice (my Alaska cruise and my Mediterranean Cruise) I recieved an upgrade call. Oceanview to Balcony for Alaska, and Cove Balcony to Family Harbor Suite on Mediterranean, and both times were offered upgrade for extra $$$. The Alaska was at around $700/ cabin if I remember right, and the Med. cruise was for $800/ cabin. Not that it might not happen for free, but usually they cost money and will move on to someone else that will pay for the upgrade if you turn it down.

[sanger727]

Typically they do upsells where they will call people and offer to upgrade them for a cost. I'm sure some people have gotten an upgraded cabin for free (especially in the guarantee category where you can get ANY cabin equal to or greater than the guarantee); but wouldn't expect it.

 

 

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[Tapi]

The best way to try to get a "complimentary upgrade" is to book a "guarantee". You book a type of stateroom (inside, oceanview, balcony) but you don't get a specific stateroom number or specific category. Carnival will then assign your room at a later time. The worst you can get is the type of stateroom you booked, but there's a chance that you'll get upgraded to a better type of stateroom. So you may get an oceanview, balcony or better even if you paid for an inside.

 

It's a gamble, but for many, it has paid off. However, do understand that by taking a guarantee you are leaving the door wide open for Carnival to assign whatever they want, including staterooms in undesirable location.

 

As my PVP used to tell me: look at the deck plans and find the worst stateroom within the type that you booked. If you're OK with it, the guarantee option is for you. Otherwise don't bother.

 

 

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[FLArmyWife]

oh I received the upsell/upgrade fairy call last night and politely decline.. I was just curious. We cruised disney when I was a child and my mom said my uncles happened to get a complimentary/free upgrade on the ship. It isn't something I expect or even figured they would do, I was mainly just curious

[Elaine5715]

oh I received the upsell/upgrade fairy call last night and politely decline.. I was just curious. We cruised disney when I was a child and my mom said my uncles happened to get a complimentary/free upgrade on the ship. It isn't something I expect or even figured they would do, I was mainly just curious

If your booked stateroom is taken out of service, you may be moved to another stateroom they consider an upgrade. Of course, that could mean being moved from an inside in Deck 1 to an inside on Deck 2 ..under the galley. But spontaneous, just because upgrades happen about as often as airlines moving you from Economy to First Class, just because.

[AdGuyMG]

Carnival does not do complimentary upgrades. They do paid upsells.

 

Their reservation system, overseen by the Revenue Management department will not allow the cheapest interior cabins to be "oversold". A situation like this would disrupt the lifeboat seating capacity and cause other logistical problems as well.

 

You are asking this question at over 60 days out before your August cruise. If there were 180 - 200 open cabins, they would only need to book 3 - 4 cabins per day to approach a full ship at a time that for many people is still summer vacation time. That's easy for them to do.

 

Perhaps as the sailing date gets closer, you will get an email asking if you would like an upsell to an oceanview or balcony, or you may get a phone call about an upsell to a Suite.

 

Good luck.

[firemanbobswife]

They "upgraded" me twice both without telling me. Once was to an inside on deck 7 right by the doors to the "secret deck". NOPE!! Called my PVP and I was able to switch back to Deck 1 but it wasn't where I wanted. They said they needed my cabin for "Engineering" meaning repairs. The night before my cruise I checked and my original cabin was available. Called and got it switched.

 

Second time was from the same cabin and they moved me way forward to a connecting OV - NOPE!! Called my PVP and he got me moved back. They wanted it to put workers in it. Guess they got the "upgraded cabin".

 

This was 1456 which is all the way aft and a 4A. If you want a good chance of getting bumped, choose this cabin. I'm 2 for 2 so far. Just be aware that if you don't, you will have a lot of vibration, movement, and noise. And that is why I love it.

 

Both times in my file they (not my PVP) claimed they left me a message which was a flat out lie. I always answer my phone and the correct number is in their system. No call, no vm. If I wasn't obsessed with checking my booking I wouldn't have even known.

[Cruise4Jesus]

Have been upgraded several times, all while having a guarantee cabin booked, from interior to OV and OV to balcony.

[AdGuyMG]

There could be another 100 cabins that are assigned to Travel Agency groups that just haven't sold yet.

 

Doubtful ... For 3 reasons.

 

 

1) Unsold Group space is recalled at 120 to 150 days before sailing depending on the length of the cruise. The OP is sailing in about 60 days.

 

2) TA Group space is subject to the same final payment and cancellation terms as individual bookings. Final for the OP's August cruise was 2 weeks ago at 75 days. A TA would have to have their unsold cabins paid in full.

 

3) If I were the above TA with 5 or 6 unsold cabins in my group at $1000 to $1500 a pop and facing them going unsold or facing a big penalty for cancelling at this point after final, I'd be reaching for the xanax on an hourly basis.

[doubleduty]

I received an upgrade on the Carnival Pride about 4 years ago. Went from ocean view to balcony - no extra charge. But, that is the only time I received an upgrade without an additional charge. Now I don't book anything but a balcony so I guess Carnival benefits as well.

[jimbo5544]

It happens although not frequently. We were upgraded on the ship on the Ecstasy from an ocean view to the Owners Penthouse Suite (which at the time we did not even know they had). Granted, it was to solve a problem they had, but it set the bar pretty high.

 

 

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[iamsteph]

The last time we received a free upgrade was our very first cruise back in 2007 (interior to extended balcony). We've never received an upsell call. I think I've booked two balcony guarantee rooms in the last couple of years - once I ended up in a regular balcony and once in an extended balcony.

 

Your best bet to get the type of cabin you want is to book the one you want :) Otherwise, book a guarantee and hope for the best (but be happy with what you get) or hope that you get randomly selected for an upsell call.

[JaneyLynn]

We received a free upgrade from an interior cabin to a suite on my last cruise. The call came at 6am the morning of the cruise. She said she was sorry for waking me, I said no it's fine. It was on the Fantasy last month. Came to find out the passengers originally booked in the room canceled. I know this because I received their sign & sail statement (which was zero of course) on the last night. The cabin steward was confused, he was expecting 3 people. So I'm going to guess the cancellation was very last minute.

[Gigi115]

I have a cousin that had booked a small suite on a cruise and when they got there, they put them in one of the VIP suites that is not even listed to purchase. I saw the pictures, and it was HUGE! They didn't have to pay any more for it.

[buddylover]

We got a 'free' upgrade only one time, on our very first CCL cruise. No one said a word to us, we went to our OV cabin that we THOUGHT we had booked and S&S card did not work. A steward passed us in the hall multiple times and finally stopped to help....ends up we had been upgraded for free to an Upper Deck Balcony cabin mid ship.....great cabin, great location.....and have booked balconies ever since. Score ONE for Carnival....they got us hooked on a more expensive cabin from the get go!!;p

[tlwg04]

and here I am.....5 cruises so far, and havent received a call for even a PAID upgrade, much less a free one. :(

[Gigi115]

 

We've done eight cruises and have never received any freebies or upgrades or anything.

[springs741]

Well for what it is worth I have done 15 cruises in less than 6 years. Number 16 is booked for September and I got my first upsell call just days after final payment date. We upgraded to an extended balcony for about 1/2 of what it would have cost to do it our self.

[jamscckmc]

Was offered an upsell on the Pride from a 4K (considered an inside but the same size as an OV or balcony with French doors that open) to premium balcony for $300 total. Took that. Next time on the Pride had a 4K again and was offered an upsell to an OV on deck 1. Definitely not an upgrade. Only $70 so might have been an upgrade from an actual interior but not from a 4K.

 

Was upgraded for free twice on a Princess from a mini suite to a full suite with all the benefits.

[candigirl41]

Best upgrade I ever got was free. Inside guarantee to obstructed balcony for 3 rooms. I was so happy. This was back in 2006. The next cruise I took in 2007 on Pride we got an OV guarantee and got upgraded to a nice balcony. I don't expect upgrades, but it's nice when you get one.

 

Candi