Upgrades

[Starbright]

Just as a matter of interest, is there anyone out there from the UK who has ever been upgraded?

We've been with Princess several times, and now looking forward to our first HAL cruise, and have never heard of anyone booking through a UK TA being upgraded. Do they have something against us? We seem to pay a premium for being in the UK anyway - none of the great bargains our friends in the USA seem to be able to buy ever come our way.
Is this discrimination? :confused:

[Oceanwench]

We get Florida resident rates for Walt Disney World ... is that discrimination?
I think it's just the way business is done.

[Paul123]

Just as a matter of interest, is there anyone out there from the UK who has ever been upgraded?

We've been with Princess several times, and now looking forward to our first HAL cruise, and have never heard of anyone booking through a UK TA being upgraded. Do they have something against us? We seem to pay a premium for being in the UK anyway - none of the great bargains our friends in the USA seem to be able to buy ever come our way.
Is this discrimination? :confused:

Suggest you use a USA TA. At the current exchange rates I bet you will get a better deal than you can get in the UK. I'm from the UK and always use American TA's and always get fantastic deals including quite often on- board credits. Another advantage is that they don't charge you a booking fee and you can get ALL your money back if you cancel or change your booking up to a certain date before the cruise starts. It's the law in the USA unlike the Uk where you can loose your deposit.

Yes it's a much more competive business in the USA and if yopu know where to go you can do very nicely. Don't know about the upgrade though!!

[Buxton72]

We booked last year for an Alaska cruise on Volendam from the UK. Booked flights on line with Zoom and the cruise through *************.com and paid for it when the US dollar was at its highest against the GBP. Worked out that the cruise was under £500 each (we were just in a normal outside cabin). No upgrade though.

[Starbright]

We have seriously thought about booking through a USA TA. Might have to start doing that as I'm retiring from work this summer, so we won't have as much disposable income as we do now!

[sail7seas]

Just as a matter of interest, is there anyone out there from the UK who has ever been upgraded?

We've been with Princess several times, and now looking forward to our first HAL cruise, and have never heard of anyone booking through a UK TA being upgraded. Do they have something against us? We seem to pay a premium for being in the UK anyway - none of the great bargains our friends in the USA seem to be able to buy ever come our way.
Is this discrimination? :confused:

There aren't nearly the wonderful bargains available anymore.
The ships are going out full and are booking far in advance. No need for HAL to offer great bargains to anyone these days.

I'm sure the percentage of U.S. cruisers, who have booked through U.S. TA's, who have gotten fantastic upgrades is a very small number. You may think it sounds like loads of people are being upgraded for free but it is not the case.

Frankly I like it that way. Why should someone get for free what someone else has paid their hard earned money to buy? While I know it happens and in a few cases applaud it. In some cases I do not.

[Randyk47]

I agree that the occurence of "upgrades" is a bit overblown. Sure it happens but the percentage of folks getting an upgrade is very, very low. The other problem is the definition of "upgrade". There are the oft mentioned and sought after "free upgrade", the almost as good but not quite as good as free "discounted price upgrade" and the least attractive but sometimes used "full difference upgrade". Point is that when somebody says they were upgraded or they upgraded you're really not too sure which "upgrade" happened. I guess the ultimate upgrade would be to buy an inside and wind up in the penthouse at no additional cost. :) Personally I'm not counting on that happening to me. :rolleyes: We don't go the guarantee route and pretty much purchase the specific category and cabin we want and will be happy with. We've never been upgraded.

[RedmondCruiser]

Uk -- Don't feel bad. Ive been on 26 HAL cruises and have never been afforded an upgrade. Im from Washington State which is the home of Holland America and that does not seem to provide any benefit. The only thing about upgrades is that they tend to provide them to first time HAL customers. Once your hooked - your no longer on their Christmas card list. Oh well.