Upgrade Tips/Secrets

[dippy]

Are there any :confused:

[tindiver]

We booked a VF cabin it turned out to be an ajoining cabin. Three days later we got a call we were bumped up to VC no charge plus shipboard credit:):). I guess they needed the cabin for someone else. You could try looking that way.
Tom

[hammybee]

Criteria for upgrades is proprietary information.

I always book the lowest guarantee in any category and I have yet to get an upgrade. That's OK. I think those who book the highest level within category, may do better.

So much is dependent upon which categories are selling, versus not. And that's something we have no control over.

I have heard references to Mariner status, date of booking, amount paid and so on, being potential factors, but no one really knows.

And I am sure there are plenty of sailings where everyone gets what they paid for. I never even hope for an upgrade and have never been disappointed.

[DKNYC]

Well, I booked a guarantee balcony (essentially VF) and I got a VA cabin up on the highest passenger deck on Oosterdam (Navagation) for 1/20/07. So if you don't mind the suspense I would say book a guarantee category that you could live with and hope for the best.

[hammybee]

Well, I booked a guarantee balcony (essentially VF) and I got a VA cabin up on the highest passenger deck on Oosterdam (Navagation) for 1/20/07. So if you don't mind the suspense I would say book a guarantee category that you could live with and hope for the best.

DKNYC,
You raised a good point here. When is an upgrade an upgrade? The cruise lines would like us to believe there is value to being in the same size cabin, on a higher deck. The reality is often that it is a better ride, down below.
Going from an inside to an outside to a balcony to a suite are real upgrades. Going from the same size cabin to another, usually higher location, is not always so, beyond bragging rights and getting caught up in the cruiseline hoopla.

[kryos]

So much is dependent upon which categories are selling, versus not. And that's something we have no control over.

It also depends on the individual sailing. Is the sailing itself selling? And, if it is not, can HAL entice a large group (perhaps from one of the larger travel agencie) into booking? If so, then any upgrades will go to the group first. If not, and there are loads of empty cabins, obviously your chances for an upgrade are much better. But if the sailing is jammed ... very popular ... HAL will have no problem getting cold hard cash for those better cabins, and very little will be available as a free upgrade.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[jtl513]

I have heard references to Mariner status, date of booking, amount paid and so on, being potential factors, but no one really knows.
I've also heard that the amount of business that your TA does with HAL is a factor ... yet we got an upgrade on our very first HAL cruise which we booked through a small, local agency.

It sure would be interesting to find out some day how the selections are made! :D

[billfish]

I booked a VF for Feb 11th on the Westerdam in November. At that time there were plenty Verandas available . At this time they Sold Out. I have been upgraded to Categoy VC The worst that could have happened is I got what I paid for.

[Randyk47]

I come down on the side that there is no surefire, absolute formula for an upgrade. The experiences posted on this, and many other, threads really don't reveal any consistent pattern or methodology. Of course it doesn't help that there are different "upgrades", ranging from no cost to paying some amount to be upgraded. Certainly booking a guarantee category in one of the lower categories seems to be better as there are simply more cabins above the lower category for upgrades. Personally we've never been upgraded but we book specific cabins in B category or above and that really doesn't leave many options or opportunities for upgrade.

As for guarantees, just be happy with your choice. Odds are you'll probably not get upgraded. Too often we've seen folks post here who were disappointed because they didn't get upgraded and, in essence, got what they paid for. The most ridiculous "guarantee" I've ever seen was a PH guarantee on a ship, I don't recall which line, where there were only 2 cabins in the category and one was shown as booked. There was no higher category.

[1cruiselvr]

As others have pointed out in this thread, the definition of an upgrade varies on this board. An upgrade to me is a change of complete category - inside to outside, outside to balcony, balcony to suite, etc. We have sailed with most of the big cruiselines, at least 10 with HAL, all categories and NEVER repeat NEVER have received an upgrade. Once we booked a guarantee category and got EXACTLY the category we paid for in the WORST location (no lie, first cabin front). Reading all the conversations on these boards about upgrades tends to mislead folks that upgrades (my definition kind) happen alot. They don't.....the best advice is often given here - book the category you will be happy with either as a specific cabin or guarantee (it's not a guaranteed upgrade, just a guaranteed cabin of at least that category) and be happy. I think many get upgrade fairy dust in their eyes after reading these boards, so they book foolishly and then blame the cruiseline when they are unhappy with the cabin they receive. Happy Sailing!

[hammybee]

As for guarantees, just be happy with your choice. Odds are you'll probably not get upgraded. Too often we've seen folks post here who were disappointed because they didn't get upgraded and, in essence, got what they paid for.

As Icruiselvr said, a real upgrade is from inside to outside to balcony to suite. All the rest tends to be cruise line hype. Too often, we read on these boards how dissappointed a pax is because he/she did not get upgraded and sometimes it seems to impact their perception of their entire cruise and even the cruise line.

Assume you will get what you paid for and you can't go wrong.

[jtl513]

An upgrade to me is a change of complete category - inside to outside, outside to balcony, balcony to suite, etc.

Well, that's not my definition. If I pay for an FF and get an F, which costs more, that's an upgrade to me. Not one to be very pleased with to be sure, but nonetheless an upgrade. :)

[OceanLiner]

My secret is to never ASK for an upgrade. When you ask you are in the same league as every passenger on the ship, all of whom wish to get an upgrade.

We always approach the registration desk and say "we would like to inquire about PURCHASING an upgrade". No one ever asks to purchase an upgrade and this question stops every agent right in their tracks.

It has never failed us. Sometimes the upgrade is free, sometimes it's a nominal fee, but it works very well.

Our best yet was a 7 night Disney cruise. Upgrade from Cat 4 to Cat 3 had a retail value of $5000.00 for just the upgrade alone, we did it for $650.00.

[c4me]

anyone have an educated guess as to what percent of a chance my d.h. and I have in obtaining a balcony room ?, we are booked in a guarantee F, only 149 balconies available, and all booked, travel agent says we have an excellent chance???? tells us we are 22nd on list.

D.H. gets very claustraphobic.. has to get outside and receive air immeadiatley when attacks occur..

[hammybee]

anyone have an educated guess as to what percent of a chance my d.h. and I have in obtaining a balcony room ?, we are booked in a guarantee F, only 149 balconies available, and all booked, travel agent says we have an excellent chance???? tells us we are 22nd on list.

D.H. gets very claustraphobic.. has to get outside and receive air immeadiatley when attacks occur..

Which ship?
What date?

[jtl513]

anyone have an educated guess as to what percent of a chance my d.h. and I have in obtaining a balcony room ?, we are booked in a guarantee F, only 149 balconies available, and all booked, travel agent says we have an excellent chance???? tells us we are 22nd on list.

D.H. gets very claustraphobic.. has to get outside and receive air immeadiatley when attacks occur..
You must be talking about an S or R ship? :confused: My guess is that the chance of 22 verandah cabin bookings cancelling are pretty slim. What about guaranteeing something on the Lower Promenade deck near an exit to the outside deck?

[JDRMYS]

c4me,

If having a balcony is critical for your husband, I would suggest that you choose another cruise. Your TA seems to be too optimistic to me. INMHO, being 22nd on a waitlist for one of 149 cabins gives you pretty long odds. In any case it is never a good idea to book a guarantee for any cabin grade that you would not be comfortable ending up with.

[kryos]

I've also heard that the amount of business that your TA does with HAL is a factor ... yet we got an upgrade on our very first HAL cruise which we booked through a small, local agency.

It sure would be interesting to find out some day how the selections are made! :D
I don't know about that. I've dealt with HAL through a couple of their "premier" agents and haven't gotten upgraded. Of course, to be fair, this could be because I've generally traveled solo in the past and maybe solos don't get upgraded as often as two or more in the cabin.

I have a feeling a lot of the secret to upgrades is that they are simply random. If after HAL upgrades passengers who've earned upgrades; i.e., maybe they took advantage of a last minute booking deal that entitled them to an upgrade ... and HAL still has ten cabins empty, they will figure out which passenger groups would qualify for them based upon what they booked, and then they literally pull names out of the hat. I have a feeling it is nothing more complicated than that.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[kryos]

D.H. gets very claustraphobic.. has to get outside and receive air immeadiatley when attacks occur..
Then I honestly wouldn't book him into any cabin that didn't have a balcony. You can't necessarily count on one becoming available, and then what do you do?

I would just have my TA switch my booking to a sailing where I could book right into a balcony stateroom ... if having that balcony is so critical to your husband's comfort.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[kryos]

c4me,

If having a balcony is critical for your husband, I would suggest that you choose another cruise. Your TA seems to be too optimistic to me.
I've heard that any travel agent who promises a free upgrade to a client is full of crap ... and the client should run, not walk, to another agent because if they're being dishonest about the chances of an upgrade, God only knows what else the agent is lying about.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Randyk47]

C4Me - Anything is possible but I'd have to honestly say your chances don't seem very good. Maybe your TA is just being pleasant and doesn't want you to be concerned but their outlook seems very, very optimistic to me. I'd agree with OceanLiner that offering to pay your way up is the best way to go right now. While we've never gotten an upgrade we'd love to move from our booked cabin for our next cruise and have had our TA put us on a waiting list for a paid upgrade. We're just inside, by a couple of weeks, of the final payment date and the phone hasn't exactly been ringing off the hook so maybe it isn't going to happen. Sometimes there just isn't enough movement in categories above you (i.e., canceled reservations) to make upgrades, be they paid, free, or otherwise, possible. I'd also agree that any agent that "guarantees" an upgrade ought to get out of the business. There's just no way any agent can honestly make such a promise. Of course, sometimes people hear what they want to hear and a "you might get upgraded" translates into "you'll get upgraded".

[Canne12]

I have a feeling my Mom and I may be moved.

We are on the Noordam on 3/31/06. Our current cabin (J category inside) has beds for 3 - and it is an adjoining cabin.

Word (mentioned in our roll call) has it that they are planning for 300 children as it is school break for many NJ schools. I'm thinking our cabin will be needed for these families?

[Randyk47]

Canne12 - Certainly your situation is better than some but understand that there's a big "if" out there. The cabins above you have to become available and nobody on the waiting list for them.

[Canne12]

No problem if we stay where we are- My Mom picked the cabin due to it's location (close to the elevators for her- and the stairs for me!!!)