Upgrade Question

I know that getting a free upgrade is well, like winning the lottery, but I'm just curious on how they would decide? Captains Club points? Random?

Also, if there are higher level cabins in your category that are not used will they "bump" you up a category for a fee or up a stateroom class? And if so what have you been charged to move up a category class.

Yes, not too many, if any, free upgrades available anymore. They will usually ask you 'are you willing to pay?'. Guess it all just depends on how much they want you to pay.

I know that getting a free upgrade is well, like winning the lottery, but I'm just curious on how they would decide? Captains Club points? Random?

 

Also, if there are higher level cabins in your category that are not used will they "bump" you up a category for a fee or up a stateroom class? And if so what have you been charged to move up a category class.

All of the above,

Sometimes we have been bumped up for free for who knows why, sometimes we have been offered an upgrade for a cost, and sometimes we have asked to be upgraded and have done so for free and also for a small cost.:D

Ah yes... The Celebrity Upgrade Fairy Godmother... Who arrives unexpectedly and makes all your dreams come true

Lots of Posters here on CC say she is alive & well... But in truth few have seen her

It does appear to be a random thing... With very rhyme or reason

Although some claim at the most rewarded are first time cruisers on Celebrity

From typeset have read, other types of Upgrades are more attainable. Especially when it comes to Guarantee Cabins... This past summer a lot of dreams came true with this gamble evidently.

Veranda Guarantees that turned into Concierge or Aqua Class.

Suite Guarantees that leaped from Sky possibilities to Celebrity or even Royal Suites.

Generally speaking Celebrity does not "negotiate" on their currently listed prices... But I have heard on occasion they have been last minute adjustments.

Best advice...

1- If your cruise offers a Gurantee Rate and you can afford it, and most importantly are sure you would be ok with the WORST possible outcome least desireable cabin in the Category... Then jump on it

Personally, I am watching prices & availability of Guarantees / Suites on an upcoming cruise... I have a price in mind, and if Celebrity meets that price thru price drops then I will upgrade

2- Know what are current Celebrity prices when you board for the category you are interested in. When checking in, ask what it would cost to upgrade to the category you are interested in... You never know they might have received an ok from Mgmt to sell upgrades at less than the advertised price. Worth asking.

3- in the same vein... If you are interested in the "Family Cabins" which have the space of some Suites but with Standard Amenities, inquire if they are available before you cruise. They usually go fast once they are available for booking for 2 Pax... But you never know... There could be an empty one.

Hope this helps,

Cheers!

The upgrade fairy visited us for our 22 March 2014 Eclipse Caribbean cruise.

We like our deck 3 ocean view close to the Passport Bar; the fairy moved us to a Concierge on deck 9. Not a bar in sight!

I prefered the cabin location that we chose, but there is no going back with the upgrade fairy.

No idea why we were upgraded.

Next cruise we have booked a Concierge on the Century. It is close to the aft outside staircase 1 flight away from the sunset bar.

I hope we are not moved again otherwise I will start getting paranoid; a free bev pkg, but moved further from the bar.

Cheers, h

Good advice Sloop-JohnB.

middlehaitch, don't be paranoid, but do remember that not all upgrades (for the cruise line) are better for the passenger. If you want a certain cabin choose it and do not accept the upgrade, if not go guarantee and get pot luck.:D

MicCanberra, as soon as we realised that we had had the fairy visit we went and checked out our new cabin then went down to our original. There were people in it already.

We didn't insist on getting our cabin back but did let Celebrity know we weren't too pleased.

We also decided that we wouldn't have paid the extra that cabin would have cost, the added extras were lost on us as we only use oir cabin to sleep and change clothes, and we really didn't like being in the middle of nowhere.

This time we have booked a concierge, not for the extras, but because it is just below the bar. hehehe.

The paranoia was only tongue in cheek.

Cheers, h.

The upgrade fairy visited us for our 22 March 2014 Eclipse Caribbean cruise.

We like our deck 3 ocean view close to the Passport Bar; the fairy moved us to a Concierge on deck 9. Not a bar in sight!

I prefered the cabin location that we chose, but there is no going back with the upgrade fairy.

No idea why we were upgraded.

Next cruise we have booked a Concierge on the Century. It is close to the aft outside staircase 1 flight away from the sunset bar.

I hope we are not moved again otherwise I will start getting paranoid; a free bev pkg, but moved further from the bar.

 

Cheers, h

Hi MIDDLEHAITCH,

Read your story with interest.

Here is a little known fact / tip...

Find a cabin you LOVE and don't want to risk losing it ?

Then contact Celebrity and have DO NOT UPGRADE added to your Booking.

Cause as you discovered not all Upgrades are always welcome... Especially if one has done their homework and picked out a truly AWESOME cabin.

And sadly once upgraded / moved you might not be able to get your original choice back :(

So why risk it ?

Hope this helps,

Cheers!

Hi MIDDLEHAITCH,

 

Read your story with interest.

 

Here is a little known fact / tip...

 

Find a cabin you LOVE and don't want to risk losing it ?

 

Then contact Celebrity and have DO NOT UPGRADE added to your Booking.

 

Cause as you discovered not all Upgrades are always welcome... Especially if one has done their homework and picked out a truly AWESOME cabin.

 

And sadly once upgraded / moved you might not be able to get your original choice back :(

 

So why risk it ?

 

Hope this helps,

 

Cheers!

This is what we have done on two occasions, another cruise company has a button you can press (when booking) to activate this feature. With X's website issues, it probably would be far too much to have this added.

We have been very fortunate to have been visited by the upgrade fairy on five different lines. One time I was in charge of a group booking. One time it was our first onboard sailing with family and friends and all five cabins were upgraded. Once a staff person upgraded us so that we would encourage her significant other to "pop the question." We once accepted a move to a JS on an RCI sailing in lieu of a rate drop back in the day. The other upgrades were serendipity.

But as Sloop John B said you can add a Do Not Upgrade clause to your booking.

We're sailing in a little over a week and since our TA is on a cruise now we know we won't be getting that fairy dust call. But we're just glad we can sail the high seas again.

We've been upgraded a couple of times [not with X] but just within a category and then once because the Steward took pity on us having to dismantle my wheelchair to get it into the room and offered us a suite but because it was a short cruise and we'd unpacked we stayed where we were.

We've been upgraded a couple of times [not with X] but just within a category and then once because the Steward took pity on us having to dismantle my wheelchair to get it into the room and offered us a suite but because it was a short cruise and we'd unpacked we stayed where we were.

Perhaps you should have tried the suite.;)

Perhaps you should have tried the suite.;)

No perhaps about it, as far as I was concerned, but you know about happy wives.

No perhaps about it, as far as I was concerned, but you know about happy wives.

Yeah, I do my best anyway.:rolleyes:

Many times upgrades are like the Trojan Horse. They appear to be an upgrade, but you are given a room in a higher category but in a less desirable location on the ship. As per the saying, "You Get What You Pay For," if you are offered an upgrade, make sure it is indeed the room or class that you want.

Many times the unexpected "upgrade" from a preferred cabin to a higher category cabin comes when a family with small children need 2 cabins. X rules require the cabins to be adjacent (not necessarily adjoined) to each other with minor children involved.

So they may have had to displace a cabin to allow for the child's cabin to be near the parents (as but one reason such things happen).

Cabin swaps can happen at any time for anyone per the T&C when booking, but cruise lines very, very rarely take advantage of that other than special circumstances, but it can and does happen.

Many times the unexpected "upgrade" from a preferred cabin to a higher category cabin comes when a family with small children need 2 cabins. X rules require the cabins to be adjacent (not necessarily adjoined) to each other with minor children involved.

 

So they may have had to displace a cabin to allow for the child's cabin to be near the parents (as but one reason such things happen).

 

Cabin swaps can happen at any time for anyone per the T&C when booking, but cruise lines very, very rarely take advantage of that other than special circumstances, but it can and does happen.

My brother and his spouse had a cabin (OV) next to mine and was asked to relocate in order for another family to be adjacent. He declined saying that would split his family, so they offered him a suite and $100 OBC. I told him to take it and the drinks were on him.:D

My brother and his spouse had a cabin (OV) next to mine and was asked to relocate in order for another family to be adjacent. He declined saying that would split his family, so they offered him a suite and $100 OBC. I told him to take it and the drinks were on him.:D

Amazing how the family suddenly becomes so much less significant with $100 and a suite LOL :D

Amazing how the family suddenly becomes so much less significant with $100 and a suite LOL :D

Yes, we had booked to be connecting rooms for our respective families and we were both in our 30s at the time. Walking up a deck or two was no big thing, and if they had asked me with that offer, I would have gone straight away without consultation.:D