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"You're eligible for an upgrade!" email

indygirl76

By indygirl76,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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indygirl76

indygirl76

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I'm currently booked for a five night, non peak season, cruise in an inside cabin. Carnival sent me an email with that title, offering an upgrade to a balcony for $520. I had no intention of accepting the offer (I like either insides or suites, not really an "in between" girl), but that sounded really high for the given cruise. So I did a mock booking, and the same cabin they tried to send me this "special upgrade offer!" on? would have cost $510 more than what I initially paid. Thanks but no thanks, Carnival! 😂😂

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ZoeyVictoria

ZoeyVictoria

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4 hours ago, DukeASUGirl said:

 

What's an "interior with walkway"?

 

One of the best values on the ship, an interior 4J.  The cabins on the very front of the ship, usually six across on Decks 6 through 10, have windows that look out onto a “walkway” or almost-secret deck.  Nobody can see into your window during the day, at night you need to keep the curtains closed for privacy.  The best part is that the door to the almost-secret deck is just a few feet from your cabin door, so you have paid a few dollars a day more for a window and easy access to a deck across the front of the ship that is almost always yours alone.  There are usually a few more people out there on embarkation day sail away, after that only the people in those front cabins go out there.  The cabins on the front corners are usually set up as partially handicapped accessible; they have two twin beds that do not convert into a king, but they are huge for an interior, about 220 square feet.  The other four are the normal configuration.

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ZoeyVictoria

ZoeyVictoria

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1 hour ago, RWolver672 said:

Just to be clear, none of the above were upgrades.  They were upsells.  An upgrade is free.

 

You are right, I should have used quotes around “upgrade”.  I was referring to the subject line of the email, “ZoeyVictoria, you qualify for a stateroom upgrade.”  Definitely not an upgrade, just Carnival presenting an upsell in a positive manner 😄

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indygirl76

indygirl76

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14 hours ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

I got an upgrade email yesterday, also for a 5-night cruise.  $340 to move from an interior w/walkway to a balcony.  It would be $450 more if we had upgraded on our own.  No, thank you, we are happy where we are.

Hey, at least yours involved a discount, lol!

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elcuchio24

elcuchio24

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On 3/21/2019 at 12:28 PM, indygirl76 said:

I'm currently booked for a five night, non peak season, cruise in an inside cabin. Carnival sent me an email with that title, offering an upgrade to a balcony for $520. I had no intention of accepting the offer (I like either insides or suites, not really an "in between" girl), but that sounded really high for the given cruise. So I did a mock booking, and the same cabin they tried to send me this "special upgrade offer!" on? would have cost $510 more than what I initially paid. Thanks but no thanks, Carnival! 😂😂

 

Haha, yep...I have gotten plenty of these sweet 'upgrade' offers over the years. We always book balconies, so its always upsell to a Suite. Often for the same price as what it would have been if we had booked the Suite to begin with.

 

I think they are hoping they rope in people who are just excited to see the offer and dont spend the time to look at the price or think it through...

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indygirl76

indygirl76

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10 minutes ago, elcuchio24 said:

 

Haha, yep...I have gotten plenty of these sweet 'upgrade' offers over the years. We always book balconies, so its always upsell to a Suite. Often for the same price as what it would have been if we had booked the Suite to begin with.

 

I think they are hoping they rope in people who are just excited to see the offer and don't spend the time to look at the price or think it through...

Re the part I bolded - I think so too. And the best/worst part is, it must be at least a little bit successful if they keep doing it!

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RWolver672

RWolver672

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1 hour ago, Lottacruises said:

 

So if I pay $2000 and upgrade my wardrobe I didn't really upgrade it? I upselled it?

 

There is a difference between cruising and buying clothes.  The cruising industry will offer to move you to a better (sometimes) cabin for free which is an upgrade.  They will also offer a better cabin (again sometimes) but you will have to pay extra for it.  That is an upsell.  They are selling you the better cabin.  They use to offer upgrades a lot more than what they do now.  And now a lot of the upsells aren't much less than what you would have paid for that cabin had you booked it originally.

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jimbo5544 "Live from...." Rare

jimbo5544

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On 3/21/2019 at 12:28 PM, indygirl76 said:

I'm currently booked for a five night, non peak season, cruise in an inside cabin. Carnival sent me an email with that title, offering an upgrade to a balcony for $520. I had no intention of accepting the offer (I like either insides or suites, not really an "in between" girl), but that sounded really high for the given cruise. So I did a mock booking, and the same cabin they tried to send me this "special upgrade offer!" on? would have cost $510 more than what I initially paid. Thanks but no thanks, Carnival! 😂😂

Not sure I understand the math and initial in reference to your pricing, but not important.  I am stuck however on your inside or suite comment.  I assume you have stayed in both?

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indygirl76

indygirl76

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19 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

1 - Not sure I understand the math and initial in reference to your pricing, but not important.

2 - I am stuck however on your inside or suite comment.  I assume you have stayed in both?

Couldn't figure out how to split the quote, whoops! 🙂

1 - They were offering me a "deal" for $520, which I could have called and booked myself for $510. Thanks, Carnival! Lol. The "sounded really high" was just based on typical upsell offers that people post they've received, plus the part where I'm sailing non-peak time, etc.

2 - Yep, I've stayed in both, as well as ocean view and balcony once each. I like different things about Inside vs Suite (obviously, haha), but don't find OV or balcony worth any extra spend over the inside when I'm sailing by myself.

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jimbo5544 "Live from...." Rare

jimbo5544

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5 minutes ago, indygirl76 said:

Couldn't figure out how to split the quote, whoops! 🙂

1 - They were offering me a "deal" for $520, which I could have called and booked myself for $510. Thanks, Carnival! Lol. The "sounded really high" was just based on typical upsell offers that people post they've received, plus the part where I'm sailing non-peak time, etc.

2 - Yep, I've stayed in both, as well as ocean view and balcony once each. I like different things about Inside vs Suite (obviously, haha), but don't find OV or balcony worth any extra spend over the inside when I'm sailing by myself.

Interesting on the rooms, can understand it especially if traveling alone.  I am surprised that the price offered was more then you could get.  I initially thought it was in comparison to what you COULD have gotten back when you booked not current.  Huh, at any rate thanks for the reply.  We have stayed in almost every type of room Carnival has except inside.  Recommendation is when it can work, try a balcony for the right place sometime.

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Djptcp

Djptcp

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I recently received "You are eligible for an upgrade" email and I took it. We went from an obstructed balcony cabin on the Legend to an extended (unobstructed) balcony for only $64 total. We usually take these upsell offers, but never had one as inexpensive as this one.

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Lottacruises

Lottacruises

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6 hours ago, RWolver672 said:

 

There is a difference between cruising and buying clothes.  The cruising industry will offer to move you to a better (sometimes) cabin for free which is an upgrade.  They will also offer a better cabin (again sometimes) but you will have to pay extra for it.  That is an upsell.  They are selling you the better cabin.  They use to offer upgrades a lot more than what they do now.  And now a lot of the upsells aren't much less than what you would have paid for that cabin had you booked it originally.

 

Thanks. So if I go to buy a shirt then for $40, and they offer me a presumably better one for $60.00 then that's NOT an upsell because it's clothing. Got it. So then that would be an upgrade I guess.

 

So is the term "free upgrade" an oxymoron?

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