The Upgrade Fairy lives!

[Qextor]

The cruise is on the Discovery Princess, a 4 day no-port repo from LA up to Vancouver, whereupon it will continue onto Alaska.  I had booked an inside, aft, on deck 14. I love my afts, because they are near the restaurants, pools, and such, especially since my mom has mobility issues. Received an email today congratulating me for my upgrade to M103, a deluxe balcony, obstructed.  Special notes say 'balcony access only while in port'.  Whomp, whomp.....   You win some, you lose some.  We at least will get the big picture window (the sliding glass doors), and a larger room. My parents will also love not having the top bunk deployed (I will sleep on the couch, which is what normally do on holidays)

[wendellman]

6 hours ago, Qextor said:

The cruise is on the Discovery Princess, a 4 day no-port repo from LA up to Vancouver, whereupon it will continue onto Alaska.  I had booked an inside, aft, on deck 14. I love my afts, because they are near the restaurants, pools, and such, especially since my mom has mobility issues. Received an email today congratulating me for my upgrade to M103, a deluxe balcony, obstructed.  Special notes say 'balcony access only while in port'.  Whomp, whomp.....   You win some, you lose some.  We at least will get the big picture window (the sliding glass doors), and a larger room. My parents will also love not having the top bunk deployed (I will sleep on the couch, which is what normally do on holidays)

Forward facing balconies are always accessible, although can be breezy depending on weather conditions. The balconies are large and deep, as such the balcony partitions block most of the wind if you stand nearer the cabin. They are fabulous when sailing slowly in and out of port. 

[cjpj]

Enjoy the room. It has a huge balcony and you can usenit any time.

[cr8tiv1]

Congrats. Was this a free upgrade?  
 

You mentioned that you are starting in LA. Are you doing a b2b?  Where is your finally port?

 

PVSA? Applies ????

[Essiesmom]

I believe it was stated it is a 4 day cruise, a repo.  Not continuing to Alaska.  EM

[Bwana Tom]

Great upgrade! You will certainly enjoy the large balcony. Just don't open the balcony door and the room door at the same time while underway and you will be just fine. Congratulations and have a nice cruise.

[Cruise Raider]

Yahoo!  Congrats on the great upgrade!  

[startedwithamouse]

Are you stopping in Victoria? 

[Serious Cruisers]

11 hours ago, Qextor said:

The cruise is on the Discovery Princess, a 4 day no-port repo from LA up to Vancouver, whereupon it will continue onto Alaska.  I had booked an inside, aft, on deck 14. I love my afts, because they are near the restaurants, pools, and such, especially since my mom has mobility issues. Received an email today congratulating me for my upgrade to M103, a deluxe balcony, obstructed.  Special notes say 'balcony access only while in port'.  Whomp, whomp.....   You win some, you lose some.  We at least will get the big picture window (the sliding glass doors), and a larger room. My parents will also love not having the top bunk deployed (I will sleep on the couch, which is what normally do on holidays)

If your on the April 26th sailing we stop in Victoria bc so there is one port. We were advised yesterday we will actually be staying one hour longer (now departing at 4pm) due to the tides. I board on April 15th for two other sailings prior see u on board

[Qextor]

I had forgotten about the Victoria stop, but we've been there many times before, as I live near Vancouver.  Might or might not get off the boat.  I booked this cruise for the chance to explore one of Princess' newer ships, and I want to make the most of it.

 

Yes, it was a free upgrade.  Not an upsell, as the trip had been paid in full prior to the upgrade.  Certainly a very nice birthday gift from Princess (mine's on the last night of the cruise).

 

Also, the ship does continue on to Alaska, but I'm pretty sure nobody on this cruise will be doing that one.  Booking both cruises wouldn't be allowed.

 

[Serious Cruisers]

1 hour ago, Qextor said:

I had forgotten about the Victoria stop, but we've been there many times before, as I live near Vancouver.  Might or might not get off the boat.  I booked this cruise for the chance to explore one of Princess' newer ships, and I want to make the most of it.

 

Yes, it was a free upgrade.  Not an upsell, as the trip had been paid in full prior to the upgrade.  Certainly a very nice birthday gift from Princess (mine's on the last night of the cruise).

 

Also, the ship does continue on to Alaska, but I'm pretty sure nobody on this cruise will be doing that one.  Booking both cruises wouldn't be allowed.

 

I live in Vancouver too!  A few blocks from Canada place. If you have any ship questions post them here and I will check in once I board on the 15th

[MsSoCalCruiser]

Congratulations!

[Jeter02]

On 3/21/2023 at 10:49 PM, Qextor said:

The cruise is on the Discovery Princess, a 4 day no-port repo from LA up to Vancouver, whereupon it will continue onto Alaska.  I had booked an inside, aft, on deck 14. I love my afts, because they are near the restaurants, pools, and such, especially since my mom has mobility issues. Received an email today congratulating me for my upgrade to M103, a deluxe balcony, obstructed.  Special notes say 'balcony access only while in port'.  Whomp, whomp.....   You win some, you lose some.  We at least will get the big picture window (the sliding glass doors), and a larger room. My parents will also love not having the top bunk deployed (I will sleep on the couch, which is what normally do on holidays)

Congrats. I'm awaiting on my four day sailing on Discovery Princess cabin to be assigned. I'm also kind of praying I got a visit from the upgrade fairy. We shall wait and see.

[jdacombe]

Well done, hope you all enjoy the upgrade 

By coincidence I received an email today from Princess to say that we have been upgraded from a deluxe balcony to a mini suite, it's a couple of decks higher but mid-ship location, so not grumbling at all.

[warren buffet]

Just now, Qextor said:

I had forgotten about the Victoria stop, but we've been there many times before, as I live near Vancouver.  Might or might not get off the boat.  I booked this cruise for the chance to explore one of Princess' newer ships, and I want to make the most of it.

 

Yes, it was a free upgrade.  Not an upsell, as the trip had been paid in full prior to the upgrade.  Certainly a very nice birthday gift from Princess (mine's on the last night of the cruise).

 

Also, the ship does continue on to Alaska, but I'm pretty sure nobody on this cruise will be doing that one.  Booking both cruises wouldn't be allowed.

 

optimistic greetings. 2 questions.  are you an elite loyalty member that you received that. inside to balcony of any type I have never ever heard of before without paying.    2. why would princess not allow  someone to purchase the LA to vancouver cruise and then the purchased seperately cruise vancouver to alaska? people do back to back cruises all the time. you just have to disembark for an hour or 2 and get back on.      did princess implement a brand new policy prohibiting back to back cruise purchases?     it wouldn't seem to make sense to turn away paying customers?

[Essiesmom]

24 minutes ago, warren buffet said:

optimistic greetings. 2 questions.  are you an elite loyalty member that you received that. inside to balcony of any type I have never ever heard of before without paying.    2. why would princess not allow  someone to purchase the LA to vancouver cruise and then the purchased seperately cruise vancouver to alaska? people do back to back cruises all the time. you just have to disembark for an hour or 2 and get back on.      did princess implement a brand new policy prohibiting back to back cruise purchases?     it wouldn't seem to make sense to turn away paying customers?

It would not matter if the cruises were purchased separately, or that you got off the ship for a couple of hours.  The cruise line and the government view it as one continuous trip which starts in one US port and ends in another without visiting a distant foreign port.  Any port in Canada is foreign but not distant.  Nearest distant port is in South America.  The law is called the PVSA.  Google it.  It is discussed (and cussed) a lot on these boards.  EM

[warren buffet]

I think you are half right and half wrong. I see what you mean that is would be us to us if you leave from LA and end in an alaska port. It does seem to me that govt's should count it as separate trips legally. Otherwise, why does the cruise lines make back to back cruises leave the ship?  there would be no point.. but maybe you could be correct. the law was never for immigration purposes but purely to help US economy port and sailor jobs to prevent foreign carriers from taking domestic shipping jobs.     It always been bizarre that it applied to cruise ships, since 95 percent of the employees on the ship (or more) are not us legal residents.           the distant part of your explanation makes no sense. hawaii cruises leaving from LA have always included ensenada to satisfy the law. that's not very far from LA at all. 

[warren buffet]

Just now, Essiesmom said:

It would not matter if the cruises were purchased separately, or that you got off the ship for a couple of hours.  The cruise line and the government view it as one continuous trip which starts in one US port and ends in another without visiting a distant foreign port.  Any port in Canada is foreign but not distant.  Nearest distant port is in South America.  The law is called the PVSA.  Google it.  It is discussed (and cussed) a lot on these boards.  EM

i just remembered the poster modified that it does stop in victoria canada. So that would satisfy the Jones act. that would be very similar to the ensenada stop rule on LA to hawaii roundtrip cruises. 

[Qextor]

2 hours ago, warren buffet said:

2 questions.  are you an elite loyalty member that you received that. inside to balcony of any type I have never ever heard of before without paying.

Me either.  Not elite - I am still ruby. My parents are platinum, so maybe that helped?  I think the demand for this sailing is rather soft, so they are upgrading current pax, so they can discount the insides.  Already, I had paid $1300 (CAD)  for 3 people in an inside, where now it goes for $1100 for 3.  To me it seems like they are being proactive, reducing the number of people calling in to refare.  On a busier sailing, I don't think the upgrade would've happened.

[Cruise Raider]

1 hour ago, warren buffet said:

i just remembered the poster modified that it does stop in victoria canada. So that would satisfy the Jones act. that would be very similar to the ensenada stop rule on LA to hawaii roundtrip cruises. 

 

Actually, this doesn't matter.  And it is not the Jones Act per se but the PVSA that governs cruise ship passengers.  

The reason it is ok to use Ensenada as a foreign port is because it is a closed loop cruise, meaning it starts and ends in the same US port.  If your continuous cruise starts and ends in two different US ports, you must then stop at a distant foreign port.  Starting in LA and ending in Alaska, you are in violation with the PVSA and the cruiseline will refuse to allow you to do this itinerary.  If you start and end up back in Vancouver on the second leg of the cruise, you'd be fine because the PVSA is a US law.  

 

[warren buffet]

Just now, Qextor said:

Me either.  Not elite - I am still ruby. My parents are platinum, so maybe that helped?  I think the demand for this sailing is rather soft, so they are upgrading current pax, so they can discount the insides.  Already, I had paid $1300 (CAD)  for 3 people in an inside, where now it goes for $1100 for 3.  To me it seems like they are being proactive, reducing the number of people calling in to refare.  On a busier sailing, I don't think the upgrade would've happened.

[warren buffet]

i saw that same price for 3, I think on the princess website. However, once I called they said oh no. that is only for a cabin that only handles 2. our website is misquoting 3 passenger cabins in 2 passenger max cabins.  my travel agent reduced the price a little with their new sale but not as much as it appears on the princess website on the 3 person search. 

[californiagirl]

Having sailed in L101 and L102 (one deck above you) I can confirm that you may use your balcony at all times.  Having said that the wind may limit the amount of time you want to spend at the rail when under way.  We used the balcony everyday when seated back near the door.  
 

That is a great upgrade.  Someone probably cancelled last minute.  Have a wonderful cruise.

[Serious Cruisers]

On 3/23/2023 at 3:15 AM, Jeter02 said:

Congrats. I'm awaiting on my four day sailing on Discovery Princess cabin to be assigned. I'm also kind of praying I got a visit from the upgrade fairy. We shall wait and see.

I am still waiting for my cabin for the 15th sailing (it's a comp cruise) the other two sailings I have the same cabin