Upgrade offers

[jascarb]

I know there has been discussions on this subject in one form or another.

 

This week, which was one day after final payment deadline for our upcoming cruise in July, I got call from my TA for an offer for half price upgrade up to next level. I could care less that it is just moving midship but took it in the event that we would be one level away from a balcony. I am really having second thoughts that I made a big mistake thinking I am going to be okay in a little itty bitty room for 2 weeks. Anything would be better...even a balcony it would be helpful to not feel so cramped.

 

I wonder if they come back again to offer additional "up sells"? If they don't, I'm not out but a couple hundred bucks and midship is a bit better. Truth is that if I was offered any of the ph suites, regular verandah at a discount I would upgrade. It is not about the money, but about the value (i.e. I want a deal!).

 

Wonder if my thought process is totally "off" here....and if upgrading one level did me any good for being offered any additional upgrades at a discount in the future or is it a one shot deal and they only upgrade one level?

 

I booked the cruise only a month ago and got a gaurantee cabin so I had thought upgrades would be less and would be going to people who booked earlier. Is there any consistency at all in this process?

 

I talked myself into a cheapo c category cabin and thinking I made a big mistake and should have just paid for something roomy. oh well

[LHT28]

What did you upgrade to ?

You mention a cheapo C ...do you mean you upgraded to a C2 & from what?

 

All the cabins A, B & C Cat are all the same size approx 165 sq ft (with the exception of 6005, 6004, 7006, 7007) which do not have a balcony but have slightly more space

 

Lyn

[Bruin Steve]

Well, I guess I'll respond...even though last time I discussed it on this board, it seem to have inspired the wrath of certain posters who, for some reason, didn't like the idea of it I guess...

 

But here goes:

 

Check out how your cruise is selling...try to make another reservation and see how many cabins they may still have to sell in the categories you would like to move to...

 

If there are a lot of open cabins, Oceania is likely making offers to others to move up to those cabins...

 

Call your TA...ask your TA to approach Oceania with the idea that you would be interested in moving up...for the right price...

 

Probably should have done this when they first made the initial upsell offer to you...but, no reason you can't negotiate it now...

 

If you don't have your TA call, they will likely think you are very happy with the cabin you've moved to...and they may not come back with a further offer...

 

But, if you ask, all they can do is give you a price...if it's a price you are willing to pay, go ahead...

 

If not, my personal opinion is that even the INSIDE cabins are nice...160 sf and nicely laid out...The itineraries are generally port intensive...How much time do you really spend in your cabin? ...and... you are never really "stuck" in your cabin...You have the entire ship to use as your "home"...

 

But, yes, the balconies are nicer...and it is a personal decision as to how much more you should be willing to pay for one...

 

Good luck...

[jascarb]

What did you upgrade to ?

You mention a cheapo C ...do you mean you upgraded to a C2 & from what?

 

All the cabins A, B & C Cat are all the same size approx 165 sq ft (with the exception of 6005, 6004, 7006, 7007) which do not have a balcony but have slightly more space

 

Lyn

 

To answer your question, we went from a C2 to a C1. I realize that the size of the room doesn't change and that is why I really don't care if we are in a c1 or 2....it would be more preferable for a balcony just because eventhough the room is the same, I can have the door open and get some air from outside to open the place up a bit. I agreed to upgrade because it was only $200 and hoping that maybe another offer would come along for another jump up a category. After a balcony, the next jump up is only a higher level balcony or concierge which doesn't excite me but having a suite with more room does-I started looking and realized that a PH suite is more along the lines of a small hotel room and that would really be better.

 

I talked myself into the whole "I won't be in my room much" scenario but the truth is that I will be sleepinig in there for 14 days and I would hate to walk in and regret my decision. I am looking at this cruise as ONLY as a means to get from point A to B easily but I still want to enjoy it as much as I can. I am thinking that waiting for some magical upgrade offer fairy might not come and I should just ask my TA if I can waitlist for a better room and pony up and pay. Or, wait till a little closer and see if they would be willing to discount a better room.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

If you were and are still happy with your original choice of a C cabin, then the C1 will be more midship, as you point out, and thus more stable. So if fears of seasickness is an issue, you have probably upgraded wisely.

 

If you are having second thoughts about the size of a C, then I would proceed as Steve suggested, but then be prepared to pay the freight for a PH.

 

If claustrophobia is an issue, having a balcony does give you a sense of space, so going up to a B might be a good compromise.

[LHT28]

I talked myself into the whole "I won't be in my room much" scenario but the truth is that I will be sleepinig in there for 14 days and I would hate to walk in and regret my decision. I am looking at this cruise as ONLY as a means to get from point A to B easily but I still want to enjoy it as much as I can. I am thinking that waiting for some magical upgrade offer fairy might not come and I should just ask my TA if I can waitlist for a better room and pony up and pay. Or, wait till a little closer and see if they would be willing to discount a better room.

Thanks it was unclear in your original post.

I guess only you can answer the question if you will be happy in a C Cat

The upgrade fairy has been very busy lately so it is possible to do better but then again if the cruise is popular you may not get better.

 

Enjoy the cruise

 

Lyn

[lcand1923]

Not sure I followed what happened, but here goes ...

If you were in a C2 Guarantee, the move to a C1 is not really that big of a "hit" to the upsell fairy. HOWEVER, Oceania probably thinks you are very happy and won't readily come back to you.

 

Decide what category of cabin you REALLY want.

Follow Steve's advice and investigate how well your cruise if selling.

Then contact your Travel Agent and give him/her the OK to negotiate with Oceania.

 

If you know what is available (and final payment date is usually a good time to investigate how well the cruise is selling), you can get an idea as to how readily you can get what you consider a "good price" on a cabin.

 

Enjoy the cruise!

[suec12]

I'd talk to your TA - it seems there can be multiple upgrade offers - last week we got an offer to upgrade from a porthole to a balcony - which I gladly accepted. This morning we got the offer to upgrade to a PH but I'm happy enough with my balcony. This is for a May 12 sailing. I was glad to get the earlier offer for the balcony as ours was not a discounted sailing. The upgrade prices were not super, but certainly we are getting a balcony for much less than the original booking price.

[jascarb]

All good advice and info to think about. I've left message for TA to discuss.

 

For those that have had offers, are we talking about a big range of %discounts. The one level up on a "c" was given at 1/2 price but it was only $200 bucks a person to begin with. Next jump up is balcony at somewhere around $500 person-do you think that bump would be 50% off as well?

 

Oceania shows the balcony all the way up to concierge wait listed at the moment but all PH open and available-and that jump from where I am at is showing another $2100/pp online to go to a PH. Quite a jump but if that was half off I'd certainly go for it.

[wripro]

If you want a larger cabin with more space and a balcony you should not rely on the possibility of a cheap upgrade just because you want a deal. Who doesn't? It's either important enough to pay for or not, in which case you will be getting what you did pay for.

[suec12]

Wripro - Well part of the issue has to be cruise / cabin prices always seem to be a litte "soft". Even without the current economy one could always wonder how much the passengers in the next cabin paid for their cruise. It seems in the past Oceania had filled up their ships on alot of sailings so if you booked a certain cabin, that was it - price fixed - you should book the cabin you wanted. But this year, after I booked, I see all these promotions for further discounts on many sailings. So while I had booked a cabin I could "live with", of course I wished for reasonable upgrade. When the economy firms up again, I figure I'll either have to pay the price or be content with what I originally booked.

[Gulf coast]

My travel agent, whom I booked through the internet, notified me by email of a wonderful upgrade offer from a porthole cabin to a balcony for my upcoming cruise. Unfortunately, even though I expressively voiced an interest in an ungrade and being personally notified by phone, by the time I checked my email, the offer was no longer available. I am writing this so that others out there do not make the same mistake as I feel I made in going with a travel agent not personally known by me.