Upgrade Fairy, does she ever come...

[cruisinbuddy]

For specific cabin reservations? Ive actually never been 'offered a guarranty' when booking any of my 5 cruises. Just wondering.

[Arwenmark]

For specific cabin reservations? Ive actually never been 'offered a guarranty' when booking any of my 5 cruises. Just wondering.

 

With whom did you book your cruises? I don't mean specifically, but the cruiseline? and agency? online?

 

Did you ask for a specific cabin? or did you ask for a guarantee?

 

guarantee's are not always availble but usually they are in at least some categories.

 

If you call a TA and just say I want to book a cruise they are not likely to say do you want a guarantee? and what category guarantee would you like.

 

Hopefully you at least select the cabin you want and don't just take what they give you.

[wrp96]

Yes, the upgrade fairy will sometimes (rarely) visit when you've booked a specific category. There seems to be no rhyme or reason, but some common reasons include:

 

You are 2 people booked into a stateroom that will hold 3 or 4 people.

You are booked into a connecting stateroom and don't need it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

For some unknown reason, several people have been surprised recently to get upgrades on HAL.

 

No rhyme or reason.

[MrsPete]

Yes, the upgrade fairy will sometimes (rarely) visit when you've booked a specific category. There seems to be no rhyme or reason, but some common reasons include:

 

You are 2 people booked into a stateroom that will hold 3 or 4 people.

You are booked into a connecting stateroom and don't need it.

I agree. To expand . . . most people choose their cabin with one of these two schools of thought:

 

1) This is my vacation. I want lots of room, you know, the best! I don't mind paying what it costs for a balcony room or even a suite.

2) I just want to be on the ship -- what's the cheapest room?

 

Few of us fall between these two categories. Soooooo . . . the nicer, more expensive rooms go fast, and the inside rooms go fast. Once the nicer rooms are gone, there's no way to book more people in that category. The cruise line is left with all those oceanview rooms -- the redheaded stepchild of the cabin world: not attractive to the "I want it all" crowd, too expensive for the cheapskate crowd. Frequently -- okay, frequently might be too strong a word -- they move people from the inside cabins to the oceanviews. This frees up the insides, and it encourages last-minute bargain hunters who otherwise wouldn't have cruised at all.

 

So, in my opinion, booking early and booking an inside is a good way to set yourself up for a possible upgrade. Upgrades from an inside or an oceanview to a balcony, however, are so rare that they're essentially unheard of.

 

And, of course, the best advice of all: Upgrades are rare. You will probably not get one regardless of what you do, so book the room in which you'll be happy. Or book the room you can afford and decide to be happy in it.

[cruisinbuddy]

We booked with Carnival and have a specific Balcony cabin, forget the #, a year ahead of time. This looks like it's going to be a full ship because of the 8 day intinerary. So i'm not hoping, was just wondering, thanks everyone.

[Big Al B.]

I think that in today's market the upsell fairy comes more often than the upgrade fairy.

[cherylandtk]

It seems to depend also on the particular cruiseline:

On Carnival she mostly comes to those who book GTY cabins.

On Princess she comes randomly to both specific cabins and GTY, unless you mark your cabin "do not upgrade".

On RCI she pretty much has become the upsell fairy at the dock.

 

Can't say what current practice is on HAL, NCL or X, but I am sure others will know.

[TnMDougherty]

My first cruise with Carnival we had a category 6 outside stateroom - and they upgraded us to a category 12 balcony suite. Of course we were hooked from that moment on, just waiting for it to happen again. 6 cruises later, and no luck. But we're getting what we paid for, so can't really complain!

[sofunky]

On our first carnival we booked a balcony suite since we had our kids they bumped us up to a penthouse suite...yea! I knew the kids would pay off someday. Our last carnival cruise we booked a gty 8A (we booked about a year in advance) and got a 9A...Woohoo...it was really nice. Maybe she'll see me again on the next cruise.

[Mjjpower]

We booked a balcony room on the Caribe deck of the Sapphire Princess (for a Mexican Cruise in April). I have had a mini suite on the Sun Princess years ago and loved it but decided not to book it this time. I'm second guessing myself now. If you get an upsell are they reasonably priced? Just curious. I think the balcony will be great...no kids this time so we should have plenty of room.:)

Thanks

Mary Jane