Bad Information On Upsells

[ubdkjrb]

It seems that there is bad information out there on upsells. On another post I asked why the OP didn't just call the upsell desk and ask about availability. Several posters (TA's I think) responded that passengers or TA's can't call about upsells, they have to call you.

 

This isn't true. I call them all the time and have successfully negotiated several good upsells the past several years. I don't know why there would be this incorrect information out there. The only negatives I can think of would be that the TA's would be afraid that those holding group space would be upset once they found out they aren't eligible for upsells or that most people would want to negotiate their own upsell deals and not want their travel agent doing it for them.

 

Folks, you can call the reaccomodation (upsell) desk ten to twenty days before your sailing date and inquire about available upsells. You don't have to hold your breath and hope they call you. Now, once again, if you booked via TA, your TA would have to call - you are not allowed. Those booked direct, call away.

 

Peter

[OceanDreaming2]

As Beachchick pointed out to you, you have been calling the Reaccomodation desk **NOT** the upsell desk - two entirely different departments.

[Toyz711]

we hear, all the time, that people can call (or have the TA call) and ask for a "upsell". this is totally different then waiting for the upsell fairy to call and a great bargain. yes, you can call and ask for prices on a better cabin...yes, you MAY get a deal.

BUT you aren't talking to the upsell fairy...they call who they want, when they want and don't take phone calls.

i think that using the same word (upsell) for both, the mystic call from NCL and for passengers calling, confuses people.

[terrymtex01]

It seems that there is bad information out there on upsells. On another post I asked why the OP didn't just call the upsell desk and ask about availability. Several posters (TA's I think) responded that passengers or TA's can't call about upsells, they have to call you.

 

This isn't true. I call them all the time and have successfully negotiated several good upsells the past several years. I don't know why there would be this incorrect information out there. The only negatives I can think of would be that the TA's would be afraid that those holding group space would be upset once they found out they aren't eligible for upsells or that most people would want to negotiate their own upsell deals and not want their travel agent doing it for them.

 

Folks, you can call the reaccomodation (upsell) desk ten to twenty days before your sailing date and inquire about available upsells. You don't have to hold your breath and hope they call you. Now, once again, if you booked via TA, your TA would have to call - you are not allowed. Those booked direct, call away.

 

Peter

 

Would you post the telephone number of the department you are talking about? I just called NCL's main reservation number and was advised by a rep and her supervisor that upsells at a discount are only done via outbound offers and that to reach that department you have to have the telephone number they leave you if they contact you via voicemail. The supervisor said that the only reaccomodation desk they have is for when an entire cruise is canceled. Please give us more info so every one can use this department.

[Cruise_More_Often]

Peter, a few years ago the telephone number for the Upsell Fairy was given out quite liberally here, and the department (I believe this is a 1-2 person department) was inundated with telephone calls. That's when they completely cut off all incoming calls and changed their number. Now, if you were lucky enough or sneaky enough to get the real Upsell Fairy's direct line, good for you. But if it's true and enough people call and bother these nice women, I'm sure they'll cut you off, too.

[newmexicoNita]

I think the difference is "upsell" versus "upgrade"

 

Nita

[CruisnGram]

I think the difference is "upsell" versus "upgrade"

 

Nita

 

Exactly Nita.

 

OP: Anyone can call their TA or NCL and see what is available to upgrade to. On our last cruise, the price of my brothers inside cabin was equal to what OV's were going for (after final payment) so we called and UPGRADED him to the OV. He could have paid more and UPGRADED to a balcony or a suite, or whatever.

 

A true upsell is when NCL calls you and makes you a great offer (not what the cabin is listed for) and you cannot call them (as everyone else has said) to get those deals.

 

CG

[newmexicoNita]

Exactly Nita.

 

OP: Anyone can call their TA or NCL and see what is available to upgrade to. On our last cruise, the price of my brothers inside cabin was equal to what OV's were going for (after final payment) so we called and UPGRADED him to the OV. He could have paid more and UPGRADED to a balcony or a suite, or whatever.

 

A true upsell is when NCL calls you and makes you a great offer (not what the cabin is listed for) and you cannot call them (as everyone else has said) to get those deals.

 

CG

 

yes, I have upgraded many clients after final payment and myself as well. This is not the same as an upsell. The one time calling for an upsell will work is during huge promos and after final payment. SOmetimes deals can be worked out.

 

Nita

[garycarla]

Peter:

 

Please clarify a few things for folks here, so that we are better informed.

 

first - are you a high level or special customer with NCL?

 

When you call, do you get deals that would we well under what a normal paid upgrade might cost?

 

Some examples?

[ubdkjrb]

Peter:

 

Please clarify a few things for folks here, so that we are better informed.

 

first - are you a high level or special customer with NCL?

 

When you call, do you get deals that would we well under what a normal paid upgrade might cost?

 

Some examples?

 

I am not a special NCL customer; I will have sailed with them three times after my next cruise.

 

My first cruise was a few years ago on the Star and that's when I first received the number that I keep referring to. At that time, the process was to call just after final payment. I called about an upsell from a balcony to a suite. Their offer was $600 for the cabin. I negotiated them down to $300. My second cruise was in late 2007. I called the same number (both times answered as the reaccomodation desk) just after final payment. This time I was too early and they asked me to call back, I think, in a month. I called back, asked about an upsell again from a balcony to a suite and they offered $400 for the cabin. They were a little more difficult to negotiate with that time and I wound up at $350. Neither of these were upgrades.

 

My most recent contact with them (same number and answered the same: reaccomodation desk) was twice within the last sixty days. The first time I asked if there were any upsells available and they asked me what my sailing was. I told them and they said that it was too early yet and that sailing "wasn't on their radar yet". They told me to call back somewhere between 10 and 20 days prior to sail date. I called them back and asked if they had any upsells available. They asked what category I was in and what I wanted to upsell to and I told them balcony to suite. They said they didn't have any of those available but they did have insides to outsides and outsides to balconies. They were very pleasant, didn't appear to be doing me any special favors and I thanked them for the information.

 

You are all catching me way offguard here with the information you are giving me. I've simply been doing what I've always done with NCL - calling the same number and taking advantage of booking direct with NCL. I know that if you are booked thru a TA in one of their group cabins that upsells are not available to you. My brother was in that situation not too long ago and I gave him the number to call. He called his TA to have them contact NCL and they told him that he wasn't eligible for an upsell because his cabin was in a group and they would let him out of it after final payment.

 

With all this flack, I'm a little reluctant to post the number here.

 

Peter

[watchdiva]

Hi Peter - your brother may have been misinformed. I've booked before through an internet TA who processed my booking as part of a group and later contacted for an upsell so I'm not sure why my case would be different from your brother's.......

 

We always book the level suite that we'll be happy in - if the upsell department calls and makes an offer fine, if they don't call we're not disappointed because we're already in a suite that we love.

 

BTW, I wouldn't say you're getting flack at all. Just honest questions by pax that are trying to understand what your experiences have been.

[calmac]

I am not a special NCL customer; I will have sailed with them three times after my next cruise.

 

My first cruise was a few years ago on the Star and that's when I first received the number that I keep referring to. At that time, the process was to call just after final payment. I called about an upsell from a balcony to a suite. Their offer was $600 for the cabin. I negotiated them down to $300. My second cruise was in late 2007. I called the same number (both times answered as the reaccomodation desk) just after final payment. This time I was too early and they asked me to call back, I think, in a month. I called back, asked about an upsell again from a balcony to a suite and they offered $400 for the cabin. They were a little more difficult to negotiate with that time and I wound up at $350. Neither of these were upgrades.

 

 

Just as a further piece of information - how did these "prices" compare to the difference in price between what you originally paid for the balcony and what the suite was advertised for when you got the "deal"?

[angeljt]

I have a little bit of experience with upsells and I'm still not sure how they work. :confused:

On our last five NCL cruises, we have been offered three upsells. The first time, I booked through a TA and she called me with the offer after she turned down their first offer the previous week and told us she thought it was too high. Shouldn't that be my decision? It all worked out though, and she ended up saving us money since they called back.

The second time, I booked directly with NCL and I called them, but that was in 2005 when they were taking the calls.

I read over and over on the boards that they weren't taking calls after that, and no upsell for our fourth. I booked the OS on the Majesty for our third since it was cheaper than the AB's, so no upsell available.

The third was for our April 2008, Gem cruise and I received an email to call them. I turned down the first two offers they made and accepted the third. I booked an AE Aft Penthouse and really wanted to try cruising aft from all I had heard about how wonderful it is. I'm still waiting to find out...

Why do they call me? Is it because my last name begins with A and we're on top of the alpha list? I sure wish I knew, but I'm not complaining. I hope all of you get those calls for your cruise.

[*Wink*]

Why do they call me? Is it because my last name begins with A and we're on top of the alpha list?

 

Oh great.. "W"... I'm screwed. ;)

[Toyz711]

never called me when i was a "W" or now that i am a "L".

[reggie50]

hey peter do you know if they upsell or reaccommate cas customers??

[angeljt]

Oh great.. "W"... I'm screwed. ;)

 

never called me when i was a "W" or now that i am a "L".

 

I used to be an 'S'... :eek:

I don't know if it has anything to do with it, I'm just guessing it could be possible. Wish we could figure it out though, then we would always get those offers, but we'd be broke!!!

What a way to go broke though. ;)

[runner26.2]

I'm changing my name to Adam Aaadams:D

[Suni99]

I'm changing my name to Adam Aaadams:D

 

LoL

[terrymtex01]

hey peter do you know if they upsell or reaccommate cas customers??

 

I can tell you what CAS told me. Once you get your deal with CAS for a cruise.. be it a discount or a comp'ed cruise, you will never get an upsell offer. You can upgrade and pay the published difference between what you have and what you want, but they will never reach out to you to make the offer. CAS told me that NCL's thoughts are you already got a good deal going though CAS and enough is enough. That isn't their exact wording, but it is what they meant. Of course as with anything I am sure someone will post they booked through CAS and got an upsell offer.. there are always ones that "slip through the cracks". But in general those of us who go through CAS will never get the calls. If you call NCL to get an offer they are going to refer you to CAS as CAS really is like having a TA, when it comes to making changes to your booking.

[ubdkjrb]

Just as a further piece of information - how did these "prices" compare to the difference in price between what you originally paid for the balcony and what the suite was advertised for when you got the "deal"?

 

The two that I did were for a small fraction of the difference between what I paid for the balconies and what the current suite prices were.

 

Peter

[johnql]

With all this flack, I'm a little reluctant to post the number here.

I'm sorry but I don't understand why not. Please clarify.

[CC Help Michell]

I am not a special NCL customer; I will have sailed with them three times after my next cruise.

 

My first cruise was a few years ago on the Star and that's when I first received the number that I keep referring to. At that time, the process was to call just after final payment. I called about an upsell from a balcony to a suite. Their offer was $600 for the cabin. I negotiated them down to $300. My second cruise was in late 2007. I called the same number (both times answered as the reaccomodation desk) just after final payment. This time I was too early and they asked me to call back, I think, in a month. I called back, asked about an upsell again from a balcony to a suite and they offered $400 for the cabin. They were a little more difficult to negotiate with that time and I wound up at $350. Neither of these were upgrades.

 

My most recent contact with them (same number and answered the same: reaccomodation desk) was twice within the last sixty days. The first time I asked if there were any upsells available and they asked me what my sailing was. I told them and they said that it was too early yet and that sailing "wasn't on their radar yet". They told me to call back somewhere between 10 and 20 days prior to sail date. I called them back and asked if they had any upsells available. They asked what category I was in and what I wanted to upsell to and I told them balcony to suite. They said they didn't have any of those available but they did have insides to outsides and outsides to balconies. They were very pleasant, didn't appear to be doing me any special favors and I thanked them for the information.

 

You are all catching me way offguard here with the information you are giving me. I've simply been doing what I've always done with NCL - calling the same number and taking advantage of booking direct with NCL. I know that if you are booked thru a TA in one of their group cabins that upsells are not available to you. My brother was in that situation not too long ago and I gave him the number to call. He called his TA to have them contact NCL and they told him that he wasn't eligible for an upsell because his cabin was in a group and they would let him out of it after final payment.

 

With all this flack, I'm a little reluctant to post the number here.

Peter

Perhaps the reason for your perception of "flack," and your being caught offguard has to do with the title and the content of your original post? Many folks (and VERY consistently) have posted, based on their personal experience, that the "upsell" office works on a "don't call us, we'll call you" basis. Using some fairly confusing and vague terms, you have basically said "hey, that's baloney."

 

What the others on this thread have tried to explain is that there really is a difference between an upsell (Hey, passenger -- we need to move this cabin -- want to take it for X$?) and an upgrade (Hey, cruiseline, I need a different cabin -- what will you charge me for it?).

 

Most of what you've posted makes sense if we are discussing an upgrade -- but that's really irrelevant to the "upsell" question.

[ubdkjrb]

Perhaps the reason for your perception of "flack," and your being caught offguard has to do with the title and the content of your original post? Many folks (and VERY consistently) have posted, based on their personal experience, that the "upsell" office works on a "don't call us, we'll call you" basis. Using some fairly confusing and vague terms, you have basically said "hey, that's baloney."

 

What the others on this thread have tried to explain is that there really is a difference between an upsell (Hey, passenger -- we need to move this cabin -- want to take it for X$?) and an upgrade (Hey, cruiseline, I need a different cabin -- what will you charge me for it?).

 

Most of what you've posted makes sense if we are discussing an upgrade -- but that's really irrelevant to the "upsell" question.

 

I am not an inexperienced cruiser; I have been around the block. I'm pushing twenty cruises starting in 1998. I have sailed the caribbean, mexican riviera, hawaii and the mediteranean. I know what the difference is between an upgrade and an upsell. Years ago, an upgrade meant a "free" upgrade. These were granted by the "upgrade fairy" and that's how that term originated. What you are referring to with your "hey, cruiseline...." statement is simply purchasing a higher class cabin; no upgrade at all. Back a few years ago when NCL was pushing into competition with the big three (Carnival, RCCL and Princess), they came up with the term upsell. It was a play on the word "upgrade" obviously keeping the word "up" but adding "sell" because the difference was they were selling it not giving it away. You were able to call for an upsell in those days. I'm not totally sure but pretty sure that they didn't even call you back then. You either called or you didn't get an upsell. It was discussed quite heavily on CC which is probably where I got the original phone number, now that I think about it.

 

That's what upsells were and are and how they started. Has absolutely nothing to do with who calls who first. Like I said, I have been away from this specific board for a few years now. I found it somewhat amusing (given my experience with upsells) that everyone was sitting, waiting for the "upsell fairy" (borrowed from upgrade fairy) to call them and bestow these wonderful deals on them. I posted "why not just call".

 

So I guess, in closing, why not just call?

 

Peter

[AuntieBarb]

That's what upsells were and are and how they started. Has absolutely nothing to do with who calls who first. Like I said, I have been away from this specific board for a few years now. I found it somewhat amusing (given my experience with upsells) that everyone was sitting, waiting for the "upsell fairy" (borrowed from upgrade fairy) to call them and bestow these wonderful deals on them. I posted "why not just call".

 

So I guess, in closing, why not just call?

 

Peter

 

Peter, although your descriptions indeed sound like upsells, I'm not buying your story. We've received a couple of very nice upsells, thanks to calls from the Upsell Fairy. However, we've also asked our PCC about the possibility of an upsell. We were told emphatically that the Upsell Desk makes the initial contact; not visa versa. We were also told that to so much as notate our profile that we'd be interested in an upsell might cause them to pass us by.

 

It's merely my opinion, but I think you're just trying to stir up some controversy here.