Do those of you who get a lot of UPGRADES book thru Princess??

[DebfromTampa]

We have never gotten an upgrade, and usually book a Gty. On our last cruise, we got the worste cabin in the gty cat. and if we saw this assignment again, we both agreed we would consider forgoing the money and not boarding the ship. Between the noise from the crew deck, right on the other side of our wall at the extreme aft of the ship, not to mention engine and anchor noises, and the maximized rolling in all directions, we had a miserable time in our cabin and one night, could not stay in the cabin until we were both basically passed out, after sleeping in the public areas for several hours.

 

For this reason, I am not certain I would be willing to book a gty again.

[TessM]

Deb - that's horrible. sorry you had such a crummy room. What ship? What room?

 

Did you really save a lot by booking guarantee? --I have no idea how much cheaper a guarantee would be.

[D4]

It also depends on when you're cruising. Summer is peak season and ships fill up quicker even though they're more expensive. You probably have more of a chance for an upgrade in the off-season.

[diesel]

I notice some posts where people mention that in planning for their cruise they "watch" or keep track of which cabins are assigned and which cabins are still available. How/where do they do this? Is there a specific sight?

 

I am certainly learning a lot from Cruise Critic members and appreciate it.

[riteonglor]

Hi Wasup,

 

Question for you. Where do you go that you can see what cabins are still available on a cruise ship? I would like to be able to do this. Help!

 

Riteon

[creed205]

Hi Wasup,

 

Question for you. Where do you go that you can see what cabins are still available on a cruise ship? I would like to be able to do this. Help!

 

Riteon

 

This is something I would love to know as well. Is there a secret website :D

[fntsysprtswidow]

We got an upgrade from interior to window, as we paid 300 more then the outside was going for now. So we had the TA call Princess and they upgraded us to an outside, window, we are now waiting to see if they will allow us to upgrade to a balcony. We didnot pay for this upgrade.

 

I have been watching three or four cabns on Aloha deck that are balconies that are still not taken, I check every day and see if they are still out there and with the prices of the one way Alaska cruises going down to 499 on the Sun for the date we are going, I am hoping they will upgrade us. We are willing to pay for the upgrade. Just not 250 a person right now.

 

anyone pay for an upgrade from a window to a balcony?

 

Thanks

 

How are you able to tell which cabins are still open?

[inaspin]

Princess promised me they were trying to find me the same cabin for all 4 sectors of my up coming cruise ...........like heck they have ......i have 4 different pretty awful cabins all over the ship

 

I too would pay for an upgrade at a sensible price but the current ones are balconies and all "flash promotions " and reserved for new bookings only

if i could book them it would be an extra $900 which i would be happy to pay

 

But Princess want to charge the prices in opearation 6 months ago and that would be $2000 !!!!!!!!

 

I can now find several inside cabins that are vacant for all 4 sectors but Princess wont budge

 

Its a disgraceful way to treat passengers

[ssbeagle]

Excellent, thoughtful question

 

I HAVE heard also that upgrades depend on how early they booked and number of previous sailings.

Not true. We book our cruises months in advance, sometimes as much as a year. We have been on 17 cruises with Princess and upgraded only twice. Once from a low outside cabin to a mini suite and once from one deck to another but basically the same type of cabin. So it doesn't matter how many cruises you have had with Princess. It's just the luck of the draw.

[sunflwr]

I booked through a travel agent with Princess a couple years ago and got two upgrades. We are going again next year (booked in Dec) and as yet haven't gotten any but it is early and we have 14 people going

[aaannnthony]

Quite honestly, I haven't read every word of every post on this thread, but, I feel Princess is easily the most accommodating of all cruise lines regarding complimentary upgrades.....many cruise lines do NONE.

 

We have been most fortunate as we have received several "true" upgrades, not just the higher category in a group, as has been mentioned. We now approach 15 cruises with Princess, not yet ELITE, but, we've had five true upgrades, three times from balcony to mini, and, twice, from mini to a suite, once on the Pacific Princess in Tahiti, a seven day cruise, and, today, when we learned our "mini" booking on our 14 day Golden transatlantic sailing was upgraded to a PS, premier suite, an "aft"/"wake" cabin, from our booked mini-suite.

 

We'll make another on-board booking, maybe two!

[margeg]

We got an upgrade from interior to window, as we paid 300 more then the outside was going for now. So we had the TA call Princess and they upgraded us to an outside, window, we are now waiting to see if they will allow us to upgrade to a balcony. We didnot pay for this upgrade.

 

I have been watching three or four cabns on Aloha deck that are balconies that are still not taken, I check every day and see if they are still out there and with the prices of the one way Alaska cruises going down to 499 on the Sun for the date we are going, I am hoping they will upgrade us. We are willing to pay for the upgrade. Just not 250 a person right now.

 

anyone pay for an upgrade from a window to a balcony?

 

Thanks

 

How do you watch the cabins??? Where do you find that info??? I looked at several sites and still can not figure out how to see exactly which cabins are booked????

[Toto2Kansas]

There is no ONE site to check for cabin availability, but a process of looking at many sites on the internet to see which are showing up as vacant. Sorry!

[SchoolBob]

My wife and I went on our first cruise last May on the Caribbean Princess. We just booked the cheapest (Cat. M) just to see how we liked it. We were upgraded to an outside obstructed (Cat. FF). It was nice. The lifeboat only covered about have the window. We only booked 90 days in advance with a TA.

[inaspin]

" Princess is the most accomodating"

 

Sadly thats not my current experience ........in fact instead of the promised

" we are doing our best to find you the same cabin for all 4 sectors"

 

We have received totally the opposite .........even more galling when since final payment/TA throwback/flash sales there have been a string of cabins available for all 4 sectors

[Tania]

Seven cruises...one upgrade...inside to best outside available...

 

This Holy Land cruise operated during low season and was preceeded by an outbreak of war four months prior. I think that had a lot to do with it.

 

I've never seriously expected to be upgraded as we always have travelled during peak times when the ships are full: Christmas, March break and summer.

 

When I retire next year though, I do expect to get some serious upgrades and will be looking for empty ships to book...:)

[aaannnthony]

Just a "footnote" to my previous post, but. four of our five upgrades were on b-2-b cruises, we almost always do b-2-b's....maybe that's the primary reason!

[inaspin]

Well you must have been very lucky if 4 of your 5 upgrades were on B2b cruises

 

We cant even get the same cabin never mind upgrades

[spongerob]

Never mind.

[inaspin]

Spongerob

 

But I do mind one hell of a lot because I have been lied to by both the TA and by Princess

 

That is not excusable especially when theres been ample chances to sort things out and put things right

 

Theres too many postings saying Princess are the most accomodating cruise line

 

Well sorry but they are not

[noboat4u]

I found the opposite to be true. I checked out online services and then called princess and they not only beat the price but we were upgraded to a full suite (not a mini-suite either) so since then I always book through the cruiseline, check your prices first online then give them a call, could not hurt.

[cruisetmc]

Last November on the Caribbean Princess we purchased lowest priced inside and were upgraded to an outside on the Plaza deck. Booked thru our local travel agency. Regardless of the upgrade, we had a wonderful cruise and would have still had a great vacation in an inside room.

[ssbeagle]

I always like to choose my cabin so we almost always book early. This way, if we don't get an upgrade I am happy with our cabin. If we do get an upgrade we can either take it or not if we don't like where the upgraded cabin is. I still say it's the luck of the draw as to whether or not you get an upgrade.

[momentintime]

Last November on the Caribbean Princess we purchased lowest priced inside and were upgraded to an outside on the Plaza deck. Booked thru our local travel agency. Regardless of the upgrade, we had a wonderful cruise and would have still had a great vacation in an inside room.

 

when did you find out about the upgrade?

[kfoster56]

I would like to see what cabins are already taken on the cruise Im book on. How or where are you finding this information.

 

Thanks kim