Calling for an upsell?

[hawaiissunshine1]

I am going on the Vista in February for my honeymoon. We are currently in a Cove Balcony which is all fine and dandy, but my hope is to upgrade to a Havana room. They are currently all sold out, but I keep checking.

I wouldn't mind paying a reasonable amount to upgrade to the Grand Suite, but paying an additional 200% on our current rate is a little extreme. Has anybody had any luck calling the upsell fairy (as opposed to waiting for them to call you) and getting a good deal on a better cabin?

[jimbo5544]

1 hour ago, hawaiissunshine1 said:

I am going on the Vista in February for my honeymoon. We are currently in a Cove Balcony which is all fine and dandy, but my hope is to upgrade to a Havana room. They are currently all sold out, but I keep checking.

I wouldn't mind paying a reasonable amount to upgrade to the Grand Suite, but paying an additional 200% on our current rate is a little extreme. Has anybody had any luck calling the upsell fairy (as opposed to waiting for them to call you) and getting a good deal on a better cabin?

For the record, if a Havana opens up, I sincerely doubt it would be discounted.  We have called and upgraded to Grand suite a long time ago.  I am not sure what you would think of as reasonable in terms of pricing, but to put a perspective it, there are not all that many GS, so the possibility is slim and the discounting not large (from my perspective).  Did you book thru a TA, they can manage that for you.    

[bury me at sea]

You can always upgrade your cabin on-line or by phoning Carnival or your TA.  The rate will be whatever the published rate is at the time.  The cruises I have booked in the last 4-5 years have steadily increased as time elapsed, some by a little bit and some significantly.

 

People report being offered less than the published rate when contacted by Carnival.

[jimbo5544]

2 minutes ago, bury me at sea said:

You can always upgrade your cabin on-line or by phoning Carnival or your TA.  The rate will be whatever the published rate is at the time.  The cruises I have booked in the last 4-5 years have steadily increased as time elapsed, some by a little bit and some significantly.

 

People report being offered less than the published rate when contacted by Carnival.

True, but most often from an inside to a Balcony. 

[bury me at sea]

6 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

True, but most often from an inside to a Balcony. 

 

I have never received an offer but don't doubt that you are correct.

 

As a TA what has your experience been with up-sell offers from Carnival to your clients?  I have always (except for once) booked through a TA and have never received an up-sell offer.

 

I am not hoping for one since I book the cabin I want, but I've often wondered if they are ever offered to people who book through a TA.

[2wheelin]

33 minutes ago, bury me at sea said:

 

I have never received an offer but don't doubt that you are correct.

 

As a TA what has your experience been with up-sell offers from Carnival to your clients?  I have always (except for once) booked through a TA and have never received an up-sell offer.

 

I am not hoping for one since I book the cabin I want, but I've often wondered if they are ever offered to people who book through a TA.

We had to book with a TA this time and have received two offers on our cruise manager. No email and no notification from the TA. Both were balcony to extended balcony for $48 and $50. Did not like the locations available (under the Lido pool/bar) so ignored them.

[jimbo5544]

42 minutes ago, bury me at sea said:

 

I have never received an offer but don't doubt that you are correct.

 

As a TA what has your experience been with up-sell offers from Carnival to your clients?  I have always (except for once) booked through a TA and have never received an up-sell offer.

 

I am not hoping for one since I book the cabin I want, but I've often wondered if they are ever offered to people who book through a TA.

The upgrades used to be reserved for cabins that Carnival held.  About two years ago they opened it up to the TA community.  They usually pop up on slower selling cruises, either ships or itinerary, and most often from the cheaper rooms to Balconies.  Maybe 10% of cabins we have booked at any one time as a max to months without any.     

[jimbo5544]

13 minutes ago, 2wheelin said:

We had to book with a TA this time and have received two offers on our cruise manager. No email and no notification from the TA. Both were balcony to extended balcony for $48 and $50. Did not like the locations available (under the Lido pool/bar) so ignored them.

They are coming thru your ta.  

[2wheelin]

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

They are coming thru your ta.  

I figure as much. She is pretty worthless but we are stuck because of a wedding group. We had to pester her to get invoices and even booking numbers. I’ll just start keeping closer track myself. Not many cabins we would move to as we have 4 people.

[bury me at sea]

12 hours ago, 2wheelin said:

We had to book with a TA this time and have received two offers on our cruise manager. No email and no notification from the TA. Both were balcony to extended balcony for $48 and $50. Did not like the locations available (under the Lido pool/bar) so ignored them.

 

Thanks.  I had never heard of receiving an offer this way.

 

12 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

The upgrades used to be reserved for cabins that Carnival held.  About two years ago they opened it up to the TA community.  They usually pop up on slower selling cruises, either ships or itinerary, and most often from the cheaper rooms to Balconies.  Maybe 10% of cabins we have booked at any one time as a max to months without any.     

 

That's interesting.  Thanks.

[RWolver672]

In 2005, we were upgraded  on the Conquest from the Empress Deck balcony to the Panorama Deck Balcony for free.  The next six cruises we got none.  Jump ahead to 2017, we had booked a balcony on the Panorama Deck on the Horizon and was offered an upsell for a suite that was only $60 cheaper than what we had paid for the Panorama Deck plus the upsell offer than what the suite would have cost originally.  Needless to say, we turned it down.

 

Rarely do they offer any good upsell deals anymore.

Edited September 24, 2019 by RWolver672

[4133raw]

21 hours ago, hawaiissunshine1 said:

I am going on the Vista in February for my honeymoon. We are currently in a Cove Balcony which is all fine and dandy, but my hope is to upgrade to a Havana room. They are currently all sold out, but I keep checking.

I wouldn't mind paying a reasonable amount to upgrade to the Grand Suite, but paying an additional 200% on our current rate is a little extreme. Has anybody had any luck calling the upsell fairy (as opposed to waiting for them to call you) and getting a good deal on a better cabin?

Your cruise wouldn't happen to be the Feb. 22nd Vista cruise is it? I read on the group Facebook page that the whole Havana area has been booked by a group. It was talked about it in March.

[hawaiissunshine1]

1 hour ago, 4133raw said:

Your cruise wouldn't happen to be the Feb. 22nd Vista cruise is it? I read on the group Facebook page that the whole Havana area has been booked by a group. It was talked about it in March.

Yep, sure is! 

 

Damn it. 

[hawaiissunshine1]

20 hours ago, jimbo5544 said:

For the record, if a Havana opens up, I sincerely doubt it would be discounted.  We have called and upgraded to Grand suite a long time ago.  I am not sure what you would think of as reasonable in terms of pricing, but to put a perspective it, there are not all that many GS, so the possibility is slim and the discounting not large (from my perspective).  Did you book thru a TA, they can manage that for you.    

I don't anticipate a Havana getting discounted. I'm cool with paying full price. And I'm willing to pay up to $2,000 more to upgrade to a Grand Suite, so I'm not by any means trying to go from a cove balcony to a grand suite for $500. That would put us at about $4,000 for our cabin but it's our honeymoon. Right now it's looking like closer to $3,000 above our current rate. 

[jimbo5544]

4 minutes ago, hawaiissunshine1 said:

I don't anticipate a Havana getting discounted. I'm cool with paying full price. And I'm willing to pay up to $2,000 more to upgrade to a Grand Suite, so I'm not by any means trying to go from a cove balcony to a grand suite for $500. That would put us at about $4,000 for our cabin but it's our honeymoon. Right now it's looking like closer to $3,000 above our current rate. 

Ok, keep an eye on the GS pricing.   I really do not remember the cruise date but if a Havana room were to open it most likely would near final payment date.  Good luck.

[xitappers2bx]

On 9/24/2019 at 12:38 PM, hawaiissunshine1 said:

I don't anticipate a Havana getting discounted. I'm cool with paying full price. And I'm willing to pay up to $2,000 more to upgrade to a Grand Suite, so I'm not by any means trying to go from a cove balcony to a grand suite for $500. That would put us at about $4,000 for our cabin but it's our honeymoon. Right now it's looking like closer to $3,000 above our current rate. 

 

$4000 isn't that insane for a grand suite... I paid slightly more than 4k for an ocean suite over Christmas... only you know if it's worth it... for me, that was the only room on the ship with a balcony, and we tend to cruise in suites normally so the price isn't such a huge OMG sort of thing and I am realllly good at justifying spending on a cruise.  It doesn't sound like it's worth it to you, so I wouldn't even stress about it.  Watch the prices, see what happens, and if it doesn't feel right, at least you know you are happy where you are now.