Upgrades after Boarding

[debnrick]

A recent traveler told me that as soon as you board, go straight to the Customer Service Desk and see if you can purchase an upgrade … ex: balcony to a suite (if any available of course). Has anyone ever done this and if so, was it cost effective?

Thanks and happy safe sailing. 

[cyclist_guy1]

12 minutes ago, debnrick said:

A recent traveler told me that as soon as you board, go straight to the Customer Service Desk and see if you can purchase an upgrade … ex: balcony to a suite (if any available of course). Has anyone ever done this and if so, was it cost effective?

Thanks and happy safe sailing. 

ive never heard upgrading rooms after boarding happening but it couldnt hurt to try.

 

report back after your attempt please.

[Cruisesfun65]

I'd like to read from ONE person who has been successful doing this. So far everyone I know has been denied, including myself. 🤣

[tallnthensome]

That recent traveler was wrong. This question has been asked several times over the past month and nobody has gotten an upgrade while on the ship by going to customer service once on board. 

[pe4all]

Never heard of this happening - and with covid passengers taking up/being moved to "empty" cabins can't imagine it happening now.  But it never hurts to ask.

[firefly333]

I've read this rumor for 15 years. So far it hasnt worked on carnival that I know of. 

[Guest BasicSailor]

Just last month and in the past, I've noticed people being moved from one room to another for one reason or another. So, there are rooms available especially in these times, and when not full.  I can say someone in our party did get an upgrade after their room was soaked when a fire sprinkler broke.🤐

[Homosassa]

A long, long, long time ago this was possible (at least on other cruise lines).

 

It was also possible at that time to visit other ships in port. You showed your cardboard boarding pass for your ship to the security officer at the gangway of another ship. You were welcomed on board to visit the public areas and were told where food was currently being served.

 

It was a way for competing lines to have customers of another line view their product.

 

Carnival ships were never included in the visit exchange.

[evandbob]

I have been offered upgrades at check in, and I've accepted and declined the offer, depending on the type of upgrade cabin offered.  Sometimes the cruise line's idea of an upgrade clashes with my idea of a good deal.

 

I have not gone to CS and asked for an upgrade though.

 

 

[Homosassa]

Another option from long, long, long ago was to show up at the pier with your luggage and asked if there were any open cabins available for purchase. It was the ultimate last minute booking discount.

[firefly333]

28 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

Just last month and in the past, I've noticed people being moved from one room to another for one reason or another. So, there are rooms available especially in these times, and when not full.  I can say someone in our party did get an upgrade after their room was soaked when a fire sprinkler broke.🤐

I got a upgrade at check in, but looked like the whole wing I was booked in was closed. Something about doing work in the ceiling, maybe ventilation. Got a nicer cabin, lol my new cabin steward said he didnt have me on his list so he was surprised too. 

[1025cruise]

Under normal circumstances, when ships sail full, I have always seen the "sorry, ship full, no upgrades" sign at the desk.

 

With today's circumstances, with cabins being left empty for quarantine, I wouldn't bet on upgrades being available.

[CarolSW]

Nope, did not happen for us on the NYE sailing of the Dream.  We asked twice at the Guest Services desk once onboard, and both times they said NO we do not give upgrades or upSELLS once onboard.  I am fairly certain there were some no-shows because late on embarkation day, several hours after we sailed away, there were several cabins on our spa-area hallway that still had their sign&sail envelopes in their mailboxes.  That prompted us to inquire about an upsell since we were in an inside cabin.  But it was a no-go.  
 

We learned to love our inside cabin though so all was good!!

[californiatripman]

3 hours ago, dcsham said:

Nothing is for free. 

Have 32 Carnival cruises and it happened once a few years ago.

First night had knock on door and it was hotel director and he moved us from an inside to a junior suite because passengers did not show up

[Joebucks]

My sailing offered me an upgrade on the my booking page. $230 to go from interior to balcony.

[CarolSW]

2 hours ago, Joebucks said:

My sailing offered me an upgrade on the my booking page. $230 to go from interior to balcony.

Yes, I think IF we are to be visited by the Upgrade/UPSELL fairy, it will be in an e-mail or our To Do list page sometime within a month or so of our sailing.  Has not happened to me yet, but maybe…someday. 

[Beffy1167]

6 hours ago, Homosassa said:

Another option from long, long, long ago was to show up at the pier with your luggage and asked if there were any open cabins available for purchase. It was the ultimate last minute booking discount.

 

My father and stepmother did this in 1998.  Got a five-day cruise super cheap, because of a fully-paid no-show.  

 

Post 9-11 rules make it impossible nowadays, I think.

[Calnev1]

On our recent Panorama sailing, we went to Guest Services immediately upon boarding and asked about the possibility of a cabin upgrade.  We made it clear that we were willing to pay.  The response was an immediate and emphatic no, that they were not doing any upgrades aboard ship.  The guest services rep started talking about COVID protocols, but as soon as it was clear that we weren't going to get the upgrade I tuned him out.

 

On our upcoming Radiance sailing, we received an email about three weeks out offering to upgrade us from our balcony to a grand suite for something like $35 per person per day.  That seemed pretty good, so we took the offer.

[Calnev1]

28 minutes ago, Beffy1167 said:

 

My father and stepmother did this in 1998.  Got a five-day cruise super cheap, because of a fully-paid no-show.  

 

Post 9-11 rules make it impossible nowadays, I think.

You are right, those days of the last minute standby are dead.

[glrounds]

7 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I got a upgrade at check in, but looked like the whole wing I was booked in was closed. Something about doing work in the ceiling, maybe ventilation. Got a nicer cabin, lol my new cabin steward said he didnt have me on his list so he was surprised too. 

 

In 35 Carnival cruises I was only upgraded once. Also at the terminal. Had to go through the entire process at the time as someone else until I got my pic taken and card issued just before boarding. I suspect the last minute change was because the remnants of Hurricane Jeanne was roaring through New York and there were, most likely, a lot of cancellations. Had to go to the cabin I was initially assigned to get my luggage, so apparently no one knew about it. 🙂

 

Incidentally, I don't qualify it as an upgrade unless you move up in CATEGORY and it's FREE.

Edited January 2, 2022 by glrounds

[heidikay]

I’m March 2020 my Sister in law paid an amount to upgrade from inside to a balcony.  I think she paid $200.  This was on Princess.

 

In 2001 on my first NCL cruise I got upgraded to outside from guaranteed inside.  It is the only cruise this has happened.  

[guxu]

Years ago, I booked the cheapest inside (lowest deck next to engine room type cabin). It was so noisy that all doors and drawers were vibrating. We barely slept in the 1st night. So I went to Customer Service Desk to complain.

 

They said the ship was full and they could not do anything. But on the 2nd day when we complained it again, they moved us to a quiet inside cabin. Then, someone knocked our door, saying they were in that cabin and left a phone charger. We could not find the charger anywhere. So I told him if we found it later, I would bring it to his cabin. Sure his new cabin was an Oceanview. So apparently upgrading on ship is possible.

 

BTW, the guy did not believe us when we told him we did not see the charger. He actually went in and looked himself. A couple days later, I saw him in Lido deck. I said hi first and told him we still did not see the charger. He said, oh, my wife found it. And he just left, did not say thank you or anything.

[Ilovesailaway]

I had an upsell offer show up on my to do list for Legend in November and Sunrise for my cruise next week. Both times I paid a very reasonable amount to move from an inside room to a balcony.

For Sunrise I booked the GTY inside at a crazy low covid rate so the $120 to upgrade was a no brainer.

[ano]

Wait a few days after the cruise starts to ask.  By then, maybe you can get a room where the owner has been moved to COVID quarantine and the room is now available.