Upgrade after check-in?

Hey! I know this is a long shot and we will be very happy with the stateroom we have, but a guy can dream right. Have you ever been able to upgrade after getting to the pier? I have heard you have to go to guest relations and likely be put on a waiting list. Has this ever worked for you? Got a great story? (again just looking to dream :-) )

Never tried it, but many here would be interested in finding out what happens...keep us posted, and good luck!

Years ago these things happened but no more :(

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Years ago these things happened but no more :(

 

Agree. For a few years they put up signs at Guest relations on the first day saying something like "The ship is sailing full. No upgrades are available."

Now, they don't bother as it's just not done anymore. They issue any - rare as they are - upgrades in advance, or before boarding and don't sell onboard.

Been many years since post-check-in upgrades were pretty widely available.

Good story? We went to the port coordinator (who handled--and may still handle if available--upgrades, not guest relations) and upgraded to a Royal Suite from a CC verandah.

For $35 per day. Total.

But, alas, that was before suite mania set in. Now it would be more than $35 per hour. For each pax.

Every cruise I've sailed on has been full at least the past few years. Even people that need a room change due to cabin issues aren't able to change cabins most of the time. There was a poor guy down the hall from us on our Feb Summit cruise that experienced a flood in his cabin. For days, they had those huge fans blowing (with cabin door open) and in the hallway. He had to stay in the cabin because nothing else was available. So forget this idea. It's a fantasy and not reality of cruising in today's world.

The chances are slim to none. And Slim just left town;)

I think they just leave the empty rooms empty as a matter of routine these days. Last winter, I overheard the person in the port area who checked us in tell a coworker that there were 150 no-shows because of the weather (big snowstorm in the northeast). I asked him if there were upgrades available, and he said that we'd have to go to Guest Relations, but the GR people pretended there was nothing available.

I think they just leave the empty rooms empty as a matter of routine these days. Last winter, I overheard the person in the port area who checked us in tell a coworker that there were 150 no-shows because of the weather (big snowstorm in the northeast). I asked him if there were upgrades available, and he said that we'd have to go to Guest Relations, but the GR people pretended there was nothing available.

I guess with no-shows, except possibly for those flying with Cruise Air, Celebrity still gets to keep their full fare. If they resell it at a lower fare, that might set them up for a legal challenge to reimburse the no-show customer. Basically, no incentive for them to resell.

I guess with no-shows, except possibly for those flying with Cruise Air, Celebrity still gets to keep their full fare. If they resell it at a lower fare, that might set them up for a legal challenge to reimburse the no-show customer. Basically, no incentive for them to resell.

But they don't have any problem auctioning off the suites, and garnering way more than they would if they had sold it at rack rate. That was my feeling, whether or not my insurance paid for my no-show, I would want myself, or the insurance company reimbursed.

I think they just leave the empty rooms empty as a matter of routine these days. Last winter, I overheard the person in the port area who checked us in tell a coworker that there were 150 no-shows because of the weather (big snowstorm in the northeast). I asked him if there were upgrades available, and he said that we'd have to go to Guest Relations, but the GR people pretended there was nothing available.

Depending on the cruise, a no-show might be able to join the cruise at another port on the itinerary. Can you imagine the nightmare having to move the upgraded passengers back to their original cabins when the no-shows did in fact show up a few days later?:eek:

Depending on the cruise, a no-show might be able to join the cruise at another port on the itinerary. Can you imagine the nightmare having to move the upgraded passengers back to their original cabins when the no-shows did in fact show up a few days later?:eek:

Exactly. It's one thing if it's a no show because they cancelled for some reason.

But with a weather event there's a fair likelihood they'll join at next port. Pretty unreasonable to expect them to onsell.

We were on a cruise recently and a guest we know on a B2B2B were not in a Suite on the last leg. Not sure what happened but they said they were able to work an upgrade on about the 3rd day.

Last month we sailed in a category FV stateroom on the Silhouette Transatlantic. Our stateroom was on deck 7, however the staterooms on deck 8 in this category have a balcony double the size as deck 7. I checked daily for any cancellations on deck 8 which never appeared. Not surprising, though, since there are only 4 staterooms in this category on the entire ship.

But then late Friday before Sunday's sailing a cat FV on deck 8 popped up on the website. Our East Coast TA was now closed so I called the Captain's Club to see if anything could be done. Unfortunately, the manifest had already been sent to the ship, so their hands were tied, too. They said to check on board on Sunday.

But rather than stopping there, I put the deck 8 stateroom on a 24 hold on the website. I called the TA on Saturday, they called Celebrity, but same answer that the sailing was now out of their hands.

When we checked in for the cruise the next day, I went to the Pier Coordinator in the terminal who looked into his computer, and from his vantage point, the deck 8 stateroom looked to still be unoccupied. But he told me I'd have to take it up with Guest Relations onboard, which I did immediately upon boarding. The employee at Guest Relations gave me the standard "all staterooms are fully occupied" schpeel. But when I stressed that I had placed the stateroom on a 24 hour hold that didn't expire until late the previous evening, only then did she decide maybe she should check into it. She left to speak with a Supervisor and 5 minutes later handed me new keys for the deck 8 stateroom.

Although this wasn't an upgrade, but rather switching to a different stateroom within the same category, I've had similar luck in the past with true upgrades when asking for specific stateroom/suite numbers I with knew or suspected were vacant. Once I was looking to upgrade from a Sky Suite to a Royal Suite and I first verified with the Butler that the suite was vacant, then headed to Guest Relations with my request and inquiry.

Last month we sailed in a category FV stateroom on the Silhouette Transatlantic. Our stateroom was on deck 7, however the staterooms on deck 8 in this category have a balcony double the size as deck 7. I checked daily for any cancellations on deck 8 which never appeared. Not surprising, though, since there are only 4 staterooms in this category on the entire ship.

 

But then late Friday before Sunday's sailing a cat FV on deck 8 popped up on the website. Our East Coast TA was now closed so I called the Captain's Club to see if anything could be done. Unfortunately, the manifest had already been sent to the ship, so their hands were tied, too. They said to check on board on Sunday.

 

But rather than stopping there, I put the deck 8 stateroom on a 24 hold on the website. I called the TA on Saturday, they called Celebrity, but same answer that the sailing was now out of their hands.

 

When we checked in for the cruise the next day, I went to the Pier Coordinator in the terminal who looked into his computer, and from his vantage point, the deck 8 stateroom looked to still be unoccupied. But he told me I'd have to take it up with Guest Relations onboard, which I did immediately upon boarding. The employee at Guest Relations gave me the standard "all staterooms are fully occupied" schpeel. But when I stressed that I had placed the stateroom on a 24 hour hold that didn't expire until late the previous evening, only then did she decide maybe she should check into it. She left to speak with a Supervisor and 5 minutes later handed me new keys for the deck 8 stateroom.

 

Although this wasn't an upgrade, but rather switching to a different stateroom within the same category, I've had similar luck in the past with true upgrades when asking for specific stateroom/suite numbers I with knew or suspected were vacant. Once I was looking to upgrade from a Sky Suite to a Royal Suite and I first verified with the Butler that the suite was vacant, then headed to Guest Relations with my request and inquiry.

Very rare, and totally dependent on how cooperative Guest Relations wants to be. I have found them less then helpful.

On the March cruise this year on the Summit, friend of ours were upgraded from oceanview to C2. All done after muster

Agree. For a few years they put up signs at Guest relations on the first day saying something like "The ship is sailing full. No upgrades are available."

 

Now, they don't bother as it's just not done anymore. They issue any - rare as they are - upgrades in advance, or before boarding and don't sell onboard.

Actually, the sign is put there to "free" up the staff's time. Just politely inquire & give your name/cabin #. Don't linger around. Most of all, be sincere. Nothing is more annoying than pax who just like to "check it out". If you WANT an upgrade, be willing & able to pay for it. Very few are given out as free upgrades. You'll find that more often on Carnival Corp. lines..Princess/HAL/Cunard. It also works better if you choose a guarantee when booking, rather than choosing an exact cabin #.

Actually, the sign is put there to "free" up the staff's time. Just politely inquire & give your name/cabin #. Don't linger around. Most of all, be sincere. Nothing is more annoying than pax who just like to "check it out". If you WANT an upgrade, be willing & able to pay for it. Very few are given out as free upgrades. You'll find that more often on Carnival Corp. lines..Princess/HAL/Cunard. It also works better if you choose a guarantee when booking, rather than choosing an exact cabin #.

Of course, no point spending time queuing just to give the answer that they have no upgrades when they can put a sign up.

Actually, the sign is put there to "free" up the staff's time. Just politely inquire & give your name/cabin #. Don't linger around. Most of all, be sincere. Nothing is more annoying than pax who just like to "check it out". If you WANT an upgrade, be willing & able to pay for it. Very few are given out as free upgrades. You'll find that more often on Carnival Corp. lines..Princess/HAL/Cunard. It also works better if you choose a guarantee when booking, rather than choosing an exact cabin #.

I found this not to be true on X. As I stated, when we sailed in February on Summit, the poor people down the hall had to suffer thru a flooded cabin because there was nothing available for them to both to. And how you book has nothing to do with whether or not there is a cabin available and pricing. IF there is a cabin available there is no price deal to be had. The days of open cabins to be gotten for a 'deal' are long gone. Cruise lines just don't operate like that anymore. If they ever did. I never experienced it in my 20 yrs of cruising over various different lines both booking specific cabins and gty bookings.

I wish people would just be satisfied with what they booked, the fact that they are able to enjoy a fabulous cruise vacation and quit trying to 'score' a deal. It gets old reading all these threads on how to get a better cabin for free or almost free. Ok, that's my soapbox 2 cents, I'm done venting. And it was not aimed at anyone in particular, just the subject in general.