Question - How Does One Get An Upgrade?

[CRUISING ROMANTICS!]

I keep hearing everyone on these boards excited about getting an upgrade and they seem to have known where they were going to be before the upgrade. How do you do that? We booked thru Vacations to Go and was given a room number at that time. So does that mean we probably won't get an upgrade? Do I have to call and ask my on line TA? We got our docs already. Thanks for your help!:)

[ekerr19]

PRAY!!! (oops, that's a different thread :) )

Just kidding - usually if you have a cabin assignment, you will get that cabin. If your TA indicated you would be willing to take an upgrade, you may still, but our experience has been otherwise - once the cabin is assigned - that's usually it. If you have a quad or handicapped cabin and they need it - you might have luck.

[Randyk47]

Prayer and blind luck are probably good answers. There's absolutely no rhyme or reason to getting or not getting an upgrade. Seems since most ships are sailing pretty full nowadays the upgrade fairy is not seen as often though so I wouldn't hold out much hope for an upgrade.

[stillfrantic]

In all seriousness, give them your credit card number! That is the only sure fire way to get an upgrade. Anything short of that is Russian Roulette if you are really counting on an upgrade. Our Septmeber, lowest season, cruise is already full. Thankfully i followed my own advice and gave them my credit card for a nice suite.:)

[sail7seas]

While some folks do get upgrades from time to time, do not believe everything you read on every bulletin board. I do not think there quite as many free upgrades given as sometimes it sounds like.

Best way to get the cabin you want is to book and pay for it IMO

[RuthC]

There's two ways folks here use the word "upgrade"---the paid or the unpaid variety. I don't consider it an upgrade if you shell out money, just a better price for a better cabin.

Now in the unpaid variety there's two ways to get an upgrade:
if you book a specific cabin there is little chance of being upgraded as HAL presumes you know what you want and asked for it. Your TA can note your record that you will accept an upgrade, and this will improve your chances.
If you book a "guarantee" category you very well may get an upgrade. The lower category you guarantee the more room for advancement.

Kind of a cruising version of the food pyramid.
No one knows the ways of the upgrade fairy; only that she does exist.

Good luck.

[lipoppop]

.
If you book a "guarantee" category you very well may get an upgrade. The lower category you guarantee the more room for advancement.


No one knows the ways of the upgrade fairy; only that she does exist.

Good luck.

I agree with Ruth that a guarantee increases the probability of an upgrade.

I disagree that the upgrade fairy is a she.

[Randyk47]

Just one caution to any newbie reading this thread. Booking a guarantee category cabin DOES NOT mean you are guaranteed an upgrade. We had some poor soul post here awhile ago that seemed to think that was what they had booked and had been told. (OK....that's assuming the post wasn't a joke.) They were all ripped that they got the cabin category they booked and not a better one. Again, just a word of caution. And I should add that if you do go the guaranteed category route make sure whatever you book is what you'll be happy with. Personally we don't do guaranteed category but we only cruise once a year right now and specifically pick the cabin we want.

[Cruiseoften]

In all seriousness, give them your credit card number! That is the only sure fire way to get an upgrade. Anything short of that is Russian Roulette if you are really counting on an upgrade. Our Septmeber, lowest season, cruise is already full. Thankfully i followed my own advice and gave them my credit card for a nice suite.:)


As Ruth says, giving your CC is hardly an upgrade - you're getting what you're paying for!

Select where you want to be and be happy - booking the lowest guarantee is not to my mind the best bet either and I doubt that a TA's request holds much water unless she/he is regularly selling many cabins. :D You just have to trust that the 'fairy' finds you!

[RuthC]

I disagree that the upgrade fairy is a she.I could be wrong about the "she". I based it on the clothes, hairdo, and make-up.
All dressed up for formal night! ;) But let's not go there.

[Krazy Kruizers]

PRAY - and hold hands if you wish. ;)

VERY, VERY few people get upgrades.

Especially on popular cruises and certain months of the year. Most of the upgrades you are reading about are on cruises that are in the "off" season for a particular ship.

[DFD1]

Now, don't everybody take out after me....but I have booked a guarantee on the last four cruises and the upgrade fairy (it was always a "she") moved me to a better cabin three times. Never in the summer. Always in the shoulder seasons, either spring or fall. I have guarantees booked now on two cruises. Hope the luck holds. Next time I'll probably end up in the engine room!

[jazzsea]

I have been a cruise consultant for 25 years. Once when I had a small group on Veendam, Holland America Inventory Control called me and asked if I would trade 8 category "C" cabins for 8 category "B" cabins. I did not consult my clients, I just accepted the upgrades. There was another group on Veendam that wanted all of their people in the same category. I later found out that it was an incentive group and the sponsoring corporation did not want one winner of the incentive to have a better cabin than the other winners. So they all got category "C".

The real winners were my clients. They were thrilled.

Does this happen often. No, it doesn't.

More and more ships are sailing full and very few promotions offer upgrades as they did a few years ago. I agree that booking a guarantee cabin can sometimes lead to an upgrade. Not always, though and sometimes the upgrade just isn't in a location that you might want.

I agree with the other posters. Book a category that will work for you and if you want a verandah, book a verandah. Don't expect to end up with a balcony when you didn't pay for it.

[Esme]

Now, don't everybody take out after me....but I have booked a guarantee on the last four cruises and the upgrade fairy (it was always a "she") moved me to a better cabin three times. Never in the summer. Always in the shoulder seasons, either spring or fall. I have guarantees booked now on two cruises. Hope the luck holds. Next time I'll probably end up in the engine room!

We met a couple on one of our cruises on the old Westerdam (actually had met them before on one of the other ships). They always booked a Guarantee and were always upgraded. Well, not this time. They were on the lowest deck at the very bow of the ship. They said every time they dropped the bow anchor they thought it was going to come through their cabin. I think that was the last time they booked a Guarantee. :D

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. We always book a specific cabin and only once were moved from a B to an A which was just along the hall.

[CRUISING ROMANTICS!]

Thanks everyone! I am glad now that we picked the room we wanted and paid for it. I was afraid for a balcony guarantee that it might be an obstructed balcony. We only go once a year so we want to be happy with our cabin. For us, we fell in love with a balcony!!! Thanks again.

[bombcat9]

I have only been on 2 cruises and am going on my 3rd tomorrow. The first two when we booked, we booked specific cabins and got our cabin numbers at that time. This time we told our TA we wanted an upgrade if available. She left our cabin number open (meaning we didn't get a cabin assignment right away). We paid for the cheapest cabin (inside no porthole) and were upgraded to an outside cabin with a window. As usual we were hoping for a verandah but I think that takes an act of god. We plan to the port at 11:30 tomorrow to try to see if there are any verandah upgrades at good prices. Right now they are running an extra $400+ per person. So, my advice, tell your TA to leave your cabin assignment open and hopefully you will get an upgrade. Get to the port early and check on any upgrades available. When you get on the ship go to the purser's desk and tell them you want to be put on the list for a cabin upgrade (if you haven't already gotten the one you wish for). Keep in mind, the list at the Purser's Desk is first come first served so the sooner you get there the better. Also, if you do get chosen after the ship sails, you will have to pack up your stuff and move to the new cabin. Keep this in mind. Hope you have a great cruise.

Anyone leaving on the Zuiderdam tomorrow, I will be there! Have fun!:o

[stillfrantic]

A gentleman on the 9/4 Roll Call posted he was quite upset as he had booked a guaranteed outside and was put in an inside cabin. Several of us asked more about this, as it sounds as if HAL has made an error, but he hasn't been back to the thread yet. Hope it all turns out okay for him.