Involuntary Upgrades: Guarantees Only?

[Leo Jay]

I called CLL to have them note my booking as "do not upgrade" to make sure I didn't get bumped from my porthole 1A to an interior 1A on a higher deck, but the PVP told me it wasn't an issue, and that I couldn't be upgraded as long as I had selected my own cabin assignment. Is that right? I thought I'd heard of people being involuntarily upgraded from cabins they'd specifically chosen...

[horsemen]

if you pick a cabin that it but you couldnt go from ocean view"window" to interior you would always have a ocean view just maybe on a higher desk with a upgrade

[firefly333]

There have been upgrades from coveted cabins like the aft corner balconies seem to be a target by Carnival. Or they could upgrade or slide you sideways if you are in a connecting cabin and only have one of them booked, or its a handicapped cabin, or you booked a quad and have 2 people and Carnival needs it.

 

They wouldnt bump you from a specific 1A cabin dont worry.

[rangerdog]

We had the aft wrap on the Conquest and Carnival called to offer us an upgrade to a Cat. 12. NO WAY!! The balcony is MUCH smaller on the Cat. 12, so I told our TA to tell Carnival NO!! Besides, we had this cabin booked for a year and a half. I was not giving up this cabin!! I know many of you probably think we were crazy by saying no, but we wanted the huge balcony, not a suite. Carnival thought we were crazy, but we did not give up our aft.

 

So, even though you have a specific cabin booked, they can still try and upgrade you. Just make sure your TA knows to call you first without accepting the upgrade.

[Kurbanfan]

We had the aft wrap on the Conquest and Carnival called to offer us an upgrade to a Cat. 12. NO WAY!! The balcony is MUCH smaller on the Cat. 12, so I told our TA to tell Carnival NO!! Besides, we had this cabin booked for a year and a half. I was not giving up this cabin!! I know many of you probably think we were crazy by saying no, but we wanted the huge balcony, not a suite. Carnival thought we were crazy, but we did not give up our aft.

 

So, even though you have a specific cabin booked, they can still try and upgrade you. Just make sure your TA knows to call you first without accepting the upgrade.

 

I'm with you! I would choose bigger balcony over bigger cabin any day!

[Leo Jay]

if you pick a cabin that it but you couldnt go from ocean view"window" to interior you would always have a ocean view just maybe on a higher desk with a upgrade

Though it does have an ocean view, I'm not sure this cabin would technically be considered an 'OV', since it's a 1A that just happens to have portholes. I could easily imagine the argument being made that moving from a 1A to a 4C is an "upgrade", even if it means moving to an interior.

We had the aft wrap on the Conquest and Carnival called to offer us an upgrade to a Cat. 12. NO WAY!!

An offer is fine, I was just worried about being bumped against my will.

There have been upgrades from coveted cabins like the aft corner balconies seem to be a target by Carnival. Or they could upgrade or slide you sideways if you are in a connecting cabin and only have one of them booked, or its a handicapped cabin, or you booked a quad and have 2 people and Carnival needs it.

 

They wouldnt bump you from a specific 1A cabin dont worry.

Ok.

 

Thanks all.

[PINEVIEW01]

Yes, you have read here of people being bumped out of cabins. All heck would break loose. It does seem to be the aft wraps the most often as firefly stated and it was for Carnival Emploees friend if memory serves me. Not right. But, have never heard anyone being bumped from an assigned 1A.

[keene state mom]

I was one of them that was bumped out of my wrap, I was first offered an upgrade for 250/each to a suite quarantee, when I refused they took me out of my wrap and put me in the Cat 9 on the side , as that was my room for the second week. Thank goodness I saw it, before I got to the port as they never told me, after several phone calls I was back in my wrap. out of fairness to Carnival they did say they were trying to make it easier for me to be able to stay in the same room for the two weeks.

[okgirl]

I was upgraded from my chosen inside 6294 on the Valor in May to a Balconey on deck 10.........I alway cruise inside in that specific cabin if I can get it........I just like the location......It was nice having a sofa, but I couldn't care less about the balconey......I didn't know anything about the upgrade until I got to the pier and checked in.

[BND]

We always book specific cabins and have never been offered an upgrade. Now we book Cat 11's so an upgrade would be to a Cat 12, which of course I would take.

[Leo Jay]

I was upgraded from my chosen inside 6294 on the Valor in May to a Balconey on deck 10.........I alway cruise inside in that specific cabin if I can get it........I just like the location......It was nice having a sofa, but I couldn't care less about the balconey......I didn't know anything about the upgrade until I got to the pier and checked in.

 

Now, an upgrade to a balcony -- any balcony -- I would absolutely take! I actually thought I'd never sail without a balcony again, but sailing solo this time, I couldn't justify the cost.

:)

[jlforester]

I'm with you! I would choose bigger balcony over bigger cabin any day!

 

I think I would have taken the suite, myself. We booked a suite on our last cruise, and we loved it. The bathroom was great with a full tub with sauna and double sinks. The balcony was larger than the cat 8s we normally have (but, obviously not as large as your wrap-around), and the suites come with VIP boarding (but if you're platinum, you get that already). So, for us, the choice would be easy...suite over wraparound.

[Ken076]

I believe the only people who have to worry abouyt "involuntary" upgrade would be if you were a party of two in a stateroom with extra beds and they needed the room for a party of 3 or 4, or if you were in a handicapped room and they needed it, both of which you can avoid when you book. Maybe for adjoining rooms. If you were to raise even a minimum "stink" I expect they'd offer you some OBC.

[firefly333]

I believe the only people who have to worry abouyt "involuntary" upgrade would be if you were a party of two in a stateroom with extra beds and they needed the room for a party of 3 or 4, or if you were in a handicapped room and they needed it, both of which you can avoid when you book. Maybe for adjoining rooms. If you were to raise even a minimum "stink" I expect they'd offer you some OBC.

 

I have never heard of them offering you OBC because you booked a cabin that you dont need, especially for those who book handicapped cabins just for the extra space who arent handicapped. That has been a bone of contention here anyway, folks who are not handicapped in HC cabins and Carnival not bumping them when they should be and HC folks not being able to cruise.

 

I wouldnt count on OBC.

[dan40]

I called CLL to have them note my booking as "do not upgrade" to make sure I didn't get bumped from my porthole 1A to an interior 1A on a higher deck, but the PVP told me it wasn't an issue, and that I couldn't be upgraded as long as I had selected my own cabin assignment. Is that right? I thought I'd heard of people being involuntarily upgraded from cabins they'd specifically chosen...

 

Another reason why I always use a TA rather than a PVP. The PVP is misinformed.

 

A very rare happening, but it has been reported on these boards. I'd guess the cruise contract says they can do it if they deem it necessary. But rare;y do they do it. But you DO have one of the "desirable" cabins, a 1A OV. Somebody with some clout might want that. That's what I think happens when people get moved out of their aft wrap balconies. Not fair, but that's life.

 

Dan

[gargoyle999]

I have an aft wrap on deck 4 on the Miracle in Feb and the Spirit in 2010. I had my TA tell Carnival "no upgrade". No Cat 12 cabin would replace that balcony for me (and I've only seen pictures)! Cat 11 come with VIP boarding and I'll have double sinks. Only take showers so don't even want a tub. No way roominess inside the cabin would make up for a smaller balcony. It is a connecting cabin so I hope they don't try to use that as an excuse then stick someone else (with some clout) in there.

 

Now if they want to refund the cost of my cruise and give me some OBC then give me a different balcony cabin I might be willing to listen! :D

[jayscore]

I have an aft next to a 9A, 8C. I booked it long ago, because the balcony is 1/3 wider than "normal" and a little bit deeper. Unless they offered me free laundry with the suite, I'd tell them "No thanks!";)

[Leo Jay]

I did know that if there are two booked into a cabin that can accommodate 3 or 4, you can be bumped -- we took that risk once with an extra long balcony and got away with it; maybe that was the case with the aft wrap balcony bumps? Anyway, I've just been reassured again that my 1A selection is safe, so I'll leave it at that. Thanks.

:D

[JXR]

That exact thing happened to me in 2004 on the Destiny. I had one of those 1A cabins with the huge windows. When I got on the ship, I noticed that they had upgraded me to a 4B. I was very upset by this. The staff member was trying to tell me that I had received an upgrade. What an upgrade, I went for a window to no views.

 

Keep checking your bookings, and make sure that they do not upgrade you without your consent.

 

Joanne

[Ken076]

firefly333 - now that you mention it, I agree!!! Why would they let non handicapped book a handicapped in the first place?

[luv2cruz66]

sorry to be so uninformed but is a 1A cabin the same as a room on the Spa deck with the floor to ceiling windows?? because the couple we are traveling with has one of those rooms booked so i want to warn them ....

[ferretface]

firefly333 - now that you mention it, I agree!!! Why would they let non handicapped book a handicapped in the first place?

 

Because they want the ship full. $$$$$

[Leo Jay]

sorry to be so uninformed but is a 1A cabin the same as a room on the Spa deck with the floor to ceiling windows?? because the couple we are traveling with has one of those rooms booked so i want to warn them ....

 

 

What ship? I don't think there are 1As on Spa decks. At least not on Victory.

 

Basically, what I take away from some of the comments, is that anytime you're in a cabin that has unique characteristics/advantages vs. most in that same category, there's some chance you could get bumped to a more standard cabin in that category if the cruiseline happens to need to accommodate "someone with clout". Seems to happen quite rarely, though, and I suppose it's because it's not an official practice that PVPs usually aren't aware it can happen, and are therefore unwilling to note your booking to safeguard against it. So I emailed guest relations to tell them that should not upgrade me from my selected cabin, except to upgrade me to an OV or BL; not sure if it would make any difference, but at least it's in writing -- beyond that, there's probably not much to be done about it, so no sense in worrying too much about something that has a slim chance of even happening anyway.

[debster818]

I was upgraded from my chosen inside 6294 on the Valor in May to a Balconey on deck 10.........I alway cruise inside in that specific cabin if I can get it........I just like the location......It was nice having a sofa, but I couldn't care less about the balconey......I didn't know anything about the upgrade until I got to the pier and checked in.

 

 

We are on the Valor Oct. 19th. Got an inside 6299. What can you tell me about insides. I am having second thoughts. Last cruise we had a OV. First had an inside, but that was in 1984.

 

I want a balcony, but can't justify the cost. Do you know how and why you got the upgrade.

[Leo Jay]

Dear Leo,

 

Thank you for contacting Carnival Cruise Lines. We appreciate the opportunity to assist you.

 

Please be advised that Carnival Cruise Lines does not move a guest from their assigned cabin without consulting with the guest first.

 

Regards,

 

Carnival Online Community

 

Hmm, this official statement is interesting, given the rumors I've heard about people being involuntarily bumped from their aft wraps. Though it doesn't actually say "without permission from the guest first"... Anyway, I've taken my reasonable precautions; no use worrying.