best way to get an upgrade?

[Robrph]

We've cruised 8 times on 5 different lines and have never been upgraded. Each time we booked a specified cabin because location is important to us. We've read that upgrades usually occur with those booking a "guarantee" for a particular class of room. Has anyone ever gotten an upgrade after booking a particular cabin, and when did the upgrade occur? Thanks for your input.

[ocngypz]

If you are picky about location then a guarantee won't work for you.

 

Chances are you would wind up somewhere you won't like.

[tbelian]

Has anyone ever gotten an upgrade after booking a particular cabin, and when did the upgrade occur?

 

Yes. We have been upgraded twice. We didn't find out about the upgrade until we checked in at embarkation. The cabins we were upgraded from were specific cabins that we booked, and not guarantees.

[skyview851]

We were upgraded as were our traveling companions. To this day, we still do not know why we were upgraded. We dined with the captain on the same cruise and we don't know why that happened either. I think they had us confused with someone important :)

[howard6933]

There is no "best way" to get an upgrade.......it's striictly a crapshoot. Back in 1999 myself and a group of friends booked six inside cabins on the third sailing of Voyager of the Seas on RCCL. About a month prior to the cruise, we were all notified by our TA that we had been upgraded to outside balcony cabins. WHY??? WHO KNOWS??? :rolleyes: I was once told by a ship rep that sometimes when it gets close to a sailing date and a ship is not sold out, they upgrade passengers from low cost cabins to a higher category and then they offer the lower cost cabins to travel agents at very attractive rates. Maybe it's true and maybe it isn't, but it sounds logical doesn't it?

At any rate, it sometimes is good to book a gurantee and just maybe you'll wind up with an upgrade. As I mentioned earlier, it's a crapshoot. ;)

[flashdog_1]

Yes. We have been upgraded twice. We didn't find out about the upgrade until we checked in at embarkation. The cabins we were upgraded from were specific cabins that we booked, and not guarantees.

 

Please be more specific.Tell us on what ships and from what cat. to another cat, please.

 

Also, was there any confusion about getting your luggage when they changed your cabin #? Thanks.

[Garrick]

I think its luck of the draw, we had tablemates on one cruise who booked it within days of sailing, inside guarantee and got upgraded to a suite.

 

why? they don't like to leave a suite empty because it affects the butler's tips/pay. why them? nobody seemed to know.

 

Garrick

[more mangos please]

Here are a few tried and true tips:

 

1. Be the CEO of a Fortune 100 company.

2. Never use glitermaker.com in your signature

3. Whenever someone 'leaves the ship' on your cruise, be the first to ask for their cabin

4. Don't sail on 5 different lines--they tend to reward loyalty.

5. Believe it will never, ever happen. (Note: You have REALLY, REALLY believe it.)

[ECCruise]

We found a sure-fire way to get an upgrade. We leave on a cruise 2 weeks from Sunday that up until about a week ago we had no cabin. We booked this cruise about 8 months ago and when it came time for our final payment it seems that our reservation (and our cabin) was "lost." To make a long story short, we were given a guarantee for the category we had booked (which was not satisfactory since we wanted a specific cabin). In the end, though, we were upgraded 2 categories (value of around $1000).

 

There must be a better way, though....:)

[BrendaJ]

I don't think there is any rhyme or reason to it. I have been upgraded twice on Celebrity - my first and second cruise with them, both on the Infinity, within 6 weeks of each other. I had previously cruised on two other lines.

 

On the first, we booked a specific inside cabin and were upgraded to a balcony and were invited to eat at the Captain's table - we certainly did feel like we were being treated famously (or had been mistaken for someone else). We found out we were upgraded at the pier. I must admit that our luggage didn't land at the upgraded cabin; luckily, our new cabin was on the same deck as our originally booked cabin, so we didn't have to go far to find it.

 

The second time, I had booked an inside guarantee while on board the same ship (Infinity) six weeks prior. A couple of weeks later, I found out on-line that we were upgraded to an outside and our tickets had the outside cabin's number on them when they arrived. On that cruise, I went with my mom, and this was her first time on Celebrity, although she had previously cruised other lines.

 

From the people I speak to who have been upgraded, it seems to me to often be people that previously cruised with other lines, and it was their first time on Celebrity. On one cruise I met a loyal single Cunard cruiser who had booked herself in, I believe, a regular outside cabin on her first Celebrity cruise, and she was upgraded to a suite.

 

I would suggest, for first-time Celebrity cruisers, indicate on your documentation that you have cruised many times, but not on Celebrity - that seems to get their attention. It makes sense - they may be trying to impress people that are currently spending their cruise money on other lines and trying to switch them to Celebrity.

 

Brenda

[DancerOT]

I have never been upgraded....I figure one of these days it will happen....at some point, the G-d of Upgrades will smile down on me :)

[Danno]

Here are a few tried and true tips:

 

14. Don't sail on 5 different lines--they tend to reward loyalty.

 

Not so far!! (for me)

[CaliforniaDreamin]

This was in September 2003 prior to 1B cabins being called Concierge Class (CC). Was upgraded to cabin 7184. Don't know why. Our anniversary was in August and our TA knew that. Maybe she got it for us. It showed up when I checked online at X a couple of weeks prior to cruise. That's the only time for us. All except one guarantee on the second leg of our back to back in 2002 were cabins we selected.

[Holly2]

We had booked two inside cabins on Century in Dec. 2001; I saw a couple weeks prior to boarding that there were two outside cabins available on the same deck. I called and asked if we could please be upgraded to those and we were. Maybe holiday spirit; hasn't happened since.

[wannagoagain]

We took our 1st ever cruise on Constellation 12/05. We reserved guaranteed balcony and were upgraded to concierge class.

[Cruise Arizona]

We booked an ocean view on the infinity with two lowers, two uppers and a sofa bed. I actually chose that one because I thought the lay-out would give the 4 of us the most space and I was a little leary of a balcony with kids.

 

When we arrived we had been upgraded to a balcony, one floor up and in the same general area of the ship. We enjoyed the balcony, but didn't feel like we couldn't live with-out it. Wonder if the lay out of the other room might have been better because the room was really crowded when the sofa bed was out.

 

Anyway the moral of the story is to book a room that will hold more people than in your party and you may get upgraded. We booked a room that whould technically hold 5, and got upgraded to a 4 person room. I think most rooms hold 3 people, so if you want to get a "suprise" upgrade, book a room that holds 4 or 5, and maybe, if that was the reason we got upgraded, they'll give your room to larger party and put you in a balcony or sky suite.

 

But who knows, it is all the luck of the draw.

[rubrrick]

Our first X upgrade......the down fall for us, was on our first Mercury cruise. We had booked a Sky Suite guarantee..........well, they gave us a Royal Suite, as all of the Sky Suites were sold out. I'm sure that the exec's at X are smiling, as we now pay for that same cabin, everytime we sail on the Mercury!! Oh, by the way..................we love it!!

 

 

Rick

[lilreckster]

Has anyone who is Captain's Club ever been upgraded???If so what is your Captain's Club category???

[Ma Bell]

I can tell you I've been on 22 Celebrity cruises plus others and never been upgraded. Oh well.

[Karynanne]

We have never been upgraded after 12 Celebrity cruises. A few years ago, we met a couple that had booked a Sky Suite, and were upgraded to a Royal Suite...it was their first cruise with Celebrity. My personal take on this...Celebrity wants your first cruise to be so memorable, that you become a loyal patron. Great marketing and promotion...

 

Karyn

[pixiguru]

hi there

 

we were upgraded from concierge class to a penthouse suite on 21st jan sailing of century.........not a clue as to why..........2nd X cruise.......

 

i am a classic captains club member....my travelling companion is a select member.....

 

we had a great cruise.....but would never want to pay full fare for a suite like this.......the jacuzzi on the balcony was fabulous though........

 

allison

[excitedofharpenden]

I've never been upgraded either. From what I have read here, there is no hard and fast rule for getting one and the best thing to do is be happy with what you have and don't expect anything more. If you get one it's a bonus. I don't believe Celebrity are a cruise line that gives them out that easily, but they obviously do happen.

 

Luck of the draw I guess. Now if my lottery numbers would just come up, I'd be a happy cruiser.........;)

 

Phil

[rlj1010]

Just booked a last minute cruise on the Zenith last week, to sail on 2/16, directly from Celebrity's website.

 

We booked a Category Z, inside guarantee... cheapest room on the ship.

 

And to my surprise, they put us in a Cat 6 outside cabin...

 

 

Looks like most of the rooms on the Zenith are exactly the same, so the only cabin differences lie in the location of the room. But it's still better than i expected to get.

[ahoughton]

We were on Zenith 1/23/06 booked cat Z guarantee and got cat 8 level 9 ov. I have never heard of an upgrade unless a guarantee was booked. When a specified room is booked they wouldn't know if you would be willing to accept an upgrade. You might want that specified room and you would be po if not received. We booked a promenade last October on Mariner of the Seas and I would not have wanted an upgrade.

[mmp13]

We have been upgraded on all three of our Celebrity cruises and we always pick our cabin. We have never booked a gaurantee. We always pick a cabin we know we will be happy in. We are aware that upgrades are not a given and we are grateful!