Cabin Upgrade...HOW?

[TeacherSus]

Please don't flame me for this question; I tried a search without much luck and figured I'd just ask.

 

Are cabin upgrades just a random, lucky thing or is there something I can do to help my chances?

 

My husband and I are booked in an obstructed oceanview on the Emerald deck of the Grand on the Feb. 17th sailing. I would be perfectly happy with our cabin which is between lifeboats and will be FINE, but I do dream of a better oceanview or even a balcony.

 

Any tips on how to help make that happen?

 

Thanks in advance...Can't wait to sail!

[MercedMike]

... Are cabin upgrades just a random, lucky thing or is there something I can do to help my chances? ...

 

The reservations department of any cruise line is a large, comfortable office filled with hundreds of earnest young people equipped with powerful computers, whose sole duty is to mess with reservations and make TAs pull their hair out. However, over in the corner is one rickety old desk equipped with an obselete 286 computer with 4 meg of RAM and a dialup modem, which belongs to an elderly female employee who is usually out on sick leave. On those rare days when she does come in to the office, occasionally she lays her knitting down on the keyboard and it hits the proper key to do something nice ... even something wonderful ... to some particular reservation. She is known as the Upgrade Fairy and no living human being has any idea how her slow old computer happens to pick any particular reservation.

 

If she smiles on you, thank your lucky stars and accept gratefully. And if she does not, then be satisfied that you got a good deal on your guaranteed category and have a GREAT cruise!

[chrysalis]

the general opinion is that upgrades on Princess are very random, but some believe that you have more chances if you are a first time Princess cruiser.

 

If you really want a better cabin, the best thing to do is pay for it....or be satisfied with the cabin grade you chose in the first place.

[TeacherSus]

Thank you Mike, for your funny and informative response.

 

Thank you Chrysalis, for responding EXACTLY the way I knew someone would. As I stated in the OP, I would be quite happy with the cabin I chose, which not so coincidentally is why I chose it. I was not interested in doubing the price of my vacation for a better view or a balcony.

 

I'm just looking for tips on how to win favor with the upgrade gods!

[Times Prince]

Please don't flame me for this question; I tried a search without much luck and figured I'd just ask.

 

Are cabin upgrades just a random, lucky thing or is there something I can do to help my chances?

 

My husband and I are booked in an obstructed oceanview on the Emerald deck of the Grand on the Feb. 17th sailing. I would be perfectly happy with our cabin which is between lifeboats and will be FINE, but I do dream of a better oceanview or even a balcony.

 

Any tips on how to help make that happen?

 

Thanks in advance...Can't wait to sail!

I believe you deserve some serious answers to your question. Here's our experience:

1. When booking directly with Princess for our last Grand Princess cruise, the Princess representative asked us if we wanted to be put on a list requesting an upgrade.
   
2. Also when booking other princess cruises directly we have asked if upgrades are available. One time we got a one class upgrade the next day.
   
3. When booking through a local, privately owned travel agency (TA) down the hall from where my wife used to work, the TA was consistently able to get us upgrades. I know she cited special occasions which we had (e.g. significant anniversary) while doing this. She was just a very good TA, acting on our behalf and checked on status often.
   
4. We received an upgrade without our solicitation for a cruise after we had made some major purchases onboard ship on the previous cruise.

The "upgrade fairy" may smile upon you, especially if you have someone cheering on and checking up on status. I applaud your attitude of choosing a cabin that will fit your desires and being happy with it. Bottom line on upgrades, is it never hurts to ask.

Happy Cruising!

[TeacherSus]

What a kind and informative response.

 

Thank you so much.

[chrysalis]

Since it may have been suggested that my answer was not serious, I can assure you that it was.

 

Also, there is something else that you need to realize. Everyone booking Princess has the option of telling them if you are willing to accept an "upgrade" or not. Some refuse because they want only the specifac cabin that they have booked. Just remember, there are different opinions about what an upgrade actually is....there are those the consider upgrades only to be movement from an inside to an outside, an outside to a balcony, a balcony to a mini, and so on. There are others that consider an upgrade to be from one "category" of inside to a more expensive inside, and so on.

 

We have gone from inside to an unobstructed outside once (I consider that a true upgrade) and that happened on our first Princess cruise. We have also been moved from one "category" to another within the same kinds of cabins.

[Lynda90]

The default on Princess is that everyone wants an upgrade and will allow one. If you want a particular cabin and do not wish anything but that cabin, you must specify "no upgrades" to Princess or your TA depending who you are bookied with. Princess is supposed to notify either you or your TA when you are bing upgraded and your TA or Princess is supposed to check with you to see if the upgrade is one you want. I have had several (some small, some not so small) upgrades and I have yet to be either notified or asked.

Travel agents have very little if anything to do with who is upgraded, although some of them enjoy the credit where none is due. This is all done from Princess and as far as I've been able to tell, it's completely random.

[happy cruzer]

I have almost the same situation as the OP. I am booked on the Grand too. I selected the gty outside obstructed view category. I am totally ok with that, I've booked inside cabins on all but one cruise. The price was almost the same so thought I would give the obstructed view a shot.

 

So when my reservation first showed on Princess the category was listed but no cabin. Two weeks later a cabin is listed that is a slight upgrade but still obstructed. The cabin shows to be able to hold 4 people, we are just two.

 

So my question is: Does Princess ever reassign cabins after the first assignment? Do the extra spots make it likely that we will be reassigned?

 

I like the location of this cabin E509 but it is right square in the middle of a lifeboat view.:p We will know if they lower the lifeboats.:p

[happy cruzer]

duplicate

[shepp]

So my question is: Does Princess ever reassign cabins after the first assignment? Do the extra spots make it likely that we will be reassigned?

 

I recently had a Princess CS rep tell me they virtually never do second upgrades. However, we all know how reliable CS can be...

[happy cruzer]

Shepp, thanks for sharing, I know what you mean;) I just thought it a little strange to get a cabin assignment 2 months before sailing. Haven't cruised Princess lately but last cabin was assigned 3 days before sailing that's why I thought there might be another one later plus the fact that we have extra berths in our cabin.

 

Cheers!

[LUCY55]

I always indicate I don't want an upgrade. The reason being is that we take a balcony room and put the kids in a lower category (usually an inside). Because we meet up before dinner, I want to be reasonably close together. This time I booked our two teen sons two floors lower but by the same elevator/stairs. With an upgrade I figure we could land up at opposite ends of the ship.

[spongerob]

So my question is: Does Princess ever reassign cabins after the first assignment? Do the extra spots make it likely that we will be reassigned?

Yes, in fact they can re-assign cabins. I recall booking a guarantee basis once, getting one cabin assignment, then getting "upgraded" (moved) to a slightly higher category of minisuite. A few days before sailing we got a real upgrade, to a suite. One possible reason that happened was that someone needed a quad cabin, which we were in.

 

I believe that many upgrades are just a matter of necessity. They could result from overbooking in lower categories, someone needing extra berths for children, or whatever. I think that's what makes whatever system might be used so hard to figure out.

[TinaLee]

The reservations department of any cruise line is a large, comfortable office filled with hundreds of earnest young people equipped with powerful computers, whose sole duty is to mess with reservations and make TAs pull their hair out. However, over in the corner is one rickety old desk equipped with an obselete 286 computer with 4 meg of RAM and a dialup modem, which belongs to an elderly female employee who is usually out on sick leave. On those rare days when she does come in to the office, occasionally she lays her knitting down on the keyboard and it hits the proper key to do something nice ... even something wonderful ... to some particular reservation. She is known as the Upgrade Fairy and no living human being has any idea how her slow old computer happens to pick any particular reservation.

 

If she smiles on you, thank your lucky stars and accept gratefully. And if she does not, then be satisfied that you got a good deal on your guaranteed category and have a GREAT cruise!

 

Far and away the BEST description of the Upgrade Fairy I have ever had the pleasure of reading!

 

Thank you!

[calikak]

Book on a sailing that isn't very full. On our British Isles cruise, we went on the first sailing of the season and Princess had a hard time selling out the ship (this was just before Europe became such a hot cruising destination) so after final payment (when you can't get your fare reduced anymore) the prices dropped like a rock. Our TA had booked a VERY large block of cabins on this cruise (like 100 or more) and got all of us upgraded. People in minisuites got suites, people in balcony cabins got minisuites, people in outside cabins got balcony cabins, etc. There is no way that would have happened if the sailing had been full or even nearly full.

[happy cruzer]

ok now I know that I can keep on checking the website with a real purpose!

 

thanks!