What is the best upgrade you have ever gotten for FREE?

[snshn3]

My travel agent said that if the prices drop I can get a credit or refund and that depending on the ship's availability I can get an upgrade as well. What is the best upgrade you have ever got for free?

 

For us, it was on our honeymoon a few years ago, we had an oceanview cabin and we got upgraded a few decks.

[ss-sunset]

We went from an inside Deck 7 to a Deck 9 balcony for my honeymoon cruise for free.

[snshn3]

wow from an inside to a balcony and a few decks up, awesome!!

[hajekfam]

We didn't get an upgrade - but the price went down on our Alaska cruise $300 per person. Our TA contacted the cruiseline and we ended up getting a credit of over $1400 - the cost of our shore excursions. (Helicopter tours, seaplane tours, narrow gauge railway excursion, etc)

 

Zenith-Western Caribbean-6/92

Zenith-Eastern Caribbean-6/93

Century-Maiden Voyage-12/95

Galaxy-Southern Caribbean-11/99

Mercury-Northbound Alaska-6/00

Millennium-Westbound Transatlantic-9/01

Horizon-Western Caribbean - Adults only cruise-11/02

Millennium-Westbound Transatlantic 10/26/03

Century - Western Caribbean 1/31/04

 

 

 

[serene56]

Friends of ours were on the Pride last year. Booked a 4A gauarantee for two cabins are were upgraded to an 8A balcony for both. That was their second cruise on Carnival. THe ship sailed less then half full.

 

My best upgrade was at Atlantic City. THe people gave away my free room so they gave us the penthouse suite. Never in my life did I see a room like that.

 

Going NOWHERE

 

 

Miracle, February 13, 2005

Legend, October 22,2004

Voyager August 31,2003

Victory September 22,2002

Regal Empress,June 2001

Sensation,August 2000

 

 

[pg.]

In 1999, we booked our first Princess cruise. We booked the lowest cat inside guarantee,( cat K , I think) and recieved a cat bc which is a BALCONY!!!!!!!.

We loved it, only problem is this time we had to book a balcony guarantee since I refuse to go back to an inside or even a window!! We did get upgraded to the highest cat balcony , but we don't really consider a higher deck that great as when the sea was rough( which it was for the first two days) it would have been better to be on a lower deck.

 

On two previous Carnival cruises we recieved no upgrades.

[wildprofessor]

Went from a Deluxe Vernadah Outside to a Mini suite and got $400 refund...(that's "suite")

 

JW

[Lynda90]

Went from lowest catetgory mini-suite to full premium suite on diamond princess. Will be going in 2 weeks. Very excited, first time in premium suite.

[Happy ks]

Our first cruise was on the Disney Magic in 1998. The ship was delayed (twice) during the building phase. We only had to change once, some people were changed twice, and we were given a 25% discount off the total cost of our package. This was great news, plus, when we got to the ship, we had been upgraded from an inside lowest deck to 2 decks higher outside. This may not sound like a big deal to some, but it reflected a savings of $1600.

 

Our first Hawaiian cruise we booked almost a year in advance. Our TA reserved our cabin and the cruise line asked if we wanted a different location. We did not want to change, but the cruise line messed up and resold our cabin. We ended up with a larger room, plus the TA and cruise line both kicked in $200 onboard credit to total $400, a bottle of wine and several onboard gifts.

The best part was, we went to check out our original cabin, the location was very noisy and there was a chain smoker in the area (not in our original cabin). The whole area reeked every time we passed by, myself and my allergy prone son would have been sick all week. That was worth more to us than all the gifts and cash.

 

Kathy

[mitaxi]

We went from a 6A guarantee to a Suite on the Carnival Paradise on our very first cruise two years ago.

Spoiled us - just booked on the Mariner and had to have at least a balcony.

[Donnaluv2cruise]

We went from a 1A to a Sky Suite on The Constellation. It was awsome!

[everyotheryear]

We got upgraded from a inside to a outside, (all 5 rooms) up a few levels, and $100 refund each person. On the Majesty this past Aug.

 

Festivale 96

Fasination 98

Inspiration 2000

Maasdam 2002

Majesty of the Seas 2003

Adventure of the Seas 2005

[AZ Boomer]

For our honeymoon in the Mexican Rivera on Carnival we moved from and inside cabin (deck 6 I think ) to an oceanview on deck 9 (pre-balcony days)

 

The other "freebie" was a wonderful view of Halley's Comet at night.

 

Jewel of the Seas - Scandanavia/Russia - July 15, 2004

 

 

2/95 Mardi Gras

3/96 Tropicale

7/02 Adventure of the Seas

[blestmom3]

I am new to cruising - going on my first one in a week!

 

How do you get these free upgrades and refunds??? Please share!

Thanks!

Aly

 

Enchantment of the Seas

 

[doctor_robert01]

RCCL Southbound to Hawaii in May. My new Bride and I got upgraded from an aft deck 3 oceanview to a mid ship deck 8 w/balcony. Never found out why. But it didn't matter because our first morning on the ship she won a Grand Suite on deck 10 at the raffle at bingo. Included Concierge Lounge and Daily deliveries of different plates of snacks and such.

 

Was our first cruise and made it truly memorable. The Serenade of the Seas is a beautiful Ship!

[lougee1043]

on hal we were booked in what was known as a mini (ss celebrity) and we were upgraded at the pier to a full suite (rs) the couple that was originally booked in the full suite were upgraded to the penthuose-----both upgrades were free

 

lougee1043

 

 

Since we last sailed on the Oosterdam

<img src=http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&prgb=2325FF&cdt=2004;03;28;08;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800>

 

til our next cruise on the Galaxy

<img src=http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&prgb=2325FF&cdt=2005;03;21;18;00;00&timezone=GMT-0800>

 

9/87 HAL - Noordham

10/92 HAL - Westerdam

4/01 HAL - Zaandam

5/02 HAL - Maasdam

8/02 HAL - Zaandam

3/03 HAL -Statendam

cancelled due to surgeries

12/03 HAL - Statendam replacement cruise

3/04 HAL Oosterdam

3/04 Celebrity Galaxy

[captainmac]

Masdaam Baltic Sea 10 days. Booked the mini-suite w/ verandah, free upgrade to full suite about 2 weeks prior to sailing.

[germantowners]

How did everyone get these free upgrades? Just by asking at the pier? PLEASE give details! We're sailing in 1-1/2 weeks!

[aggieastrosfan]

Went from a 6D to a 12 on the Elation a few weeks before sailing! :D

 

It's a double whammy for us - not only are we now spoiled on the balcony, we're also spoiled on the larger cabins.

[captainmac]

Our upgrade on the Masdaam was our first cruise (Baltics). I had done a lot of research and shopping. I found a great price online, and went to my local TA who, with a little work was able to get the same rate for us. We had heard about free upgrades and inquired about how to do it from everyone we could think of. Our TA told us that the best way was if we could tell the cruise line that we were a celebrity of some sort -- not like a movie star, but maybe something of a local celeb. Unfortunately, we really didn't qualify. My wife ended up calling HAL and just asking them how it worked. The customer service rep said she would note our request, and suggested that we check back with her several weeks later. Before we had a chance to do so -- about three weks before the cruise, we got a call offering to upgrade us from the Cat. A mini-suite to a full suite. It was wonderful, but of course has spoiled us forever. We tried cruising without a balcony once, but I don't think that we will ever do that again. And there really is something special about having enough room in a big cabin.

 

Just my two cents.

[profilsdumonde]

I took my Mom on a 4 day cruise out of Seattle on Radiance of the Seas during its furst season, and had booked us into an outside cabin D1. We were updraded to an Owner's Suite. WooHOO! :D I didn't tell my mom until we got to the cabin and she was totally floored. It was gorgeous and we spent much of our time on the balcony and in the jacuzzi, when we weren't sampling the constant flood of snacks and hors d'oeuvres that kept appearing in our dining area. Just wish it had been a longer trip...

 

Queen of All She Surveys

Fabulous Berkeley CA

 

American Pacific '97 Hawaii

Norwegian Wind '98 Alaska

Rhapsody of the Seas '00 Mexico

Radiance of the Seas '01 British Columbia

Statendam '04 Mexico

NOVEMBER O4--Crystal Harmony Southern Caribbean (Can't wait!)

[srphnx]

We have been moved up 15 cats by shopping and making the CL honor better pricing, the real upgrade was trading a commute and a work day for an Alaskan cruise.

[dobie]

We booked a guarantee inside on the Dawn Acapulco-Vancouver repositioning, a 7 day and 4 day cruise back to back. We were called and told we had been upgraded to a balcony about a week and a half prior. I unfortunately broke my leg the third day, but that balcony sure helped me--I could sit outside in my cast and enjoy the fresh air (if not the pool).

[HighRoller]

The best upgrade so far was this past April on the Star Princess. Booked 30 days before sailing in a Cat FF Outside Obstructed and was upgraded 19 categories to a PS Balcony Suite...very nice!:cool: :eek: :cool:

[Princess Cruiser27]

Went from a 1a (inside) to a 6A Oceanview on the Carnival Legend.