How do upgrades work?

[matward]

Hey everyone!! Taking my second cruise this July on Caribbean Princess. Could some of you experienced cruisers tell me how upgrades work?

 

Thanks in advance.:)

 

Matward.......

Lubbock, Tx.

[coiran]

Only the Shadow knows!!!!

 

Ron

[LARGIN]

So far no one has correctly figured it out... Many urban legends out there including rubbing the belly of the upgrade fairy.. :D

Remember that a true upgrade is inside to outside, outside to balcony, balcony to mini-suite and mini-suite to full suite..

[CruiseFever]

Hey everyone!! Taking my second cruise this July on Caribbean Princess. Could some of you experienced cruisers tell me how upgrades work?

 

Thanks in advance.:)

 

Matward.......

Lubbock, Tx.

 

I can think of five factors that might be considered:

1. When you booked
   
2. What you paid
   
3. Number of past cruises
   
4. Inventory adjustments
   
5. They want your cabin
   

When you booked is considered in so much as those who booked long ago may be offered an upgrade in lieu of a lower price if the price dropped on that sailing or as a reward for booking so far in advance (they really like that and often offer "early booking" discounts up front)

 

What you paid is considered for much the same reason. If say (and this happens less and less all the time) you paid one price and after you'd made final payment the price went down, you might be offered an upgrade (better value) at the same price

 

Number of past cruises makes an upgrade a reward for your loyalty to the cruise line

 

Inventory adjustments refers to if, say, they're sold out of inside cabins, have a demand for them and lots of outside cabins they might upgrade some passengers in outside cabins in order to have "inventory" available for those wanting inside cabins

 

They want your cabin means just that. This one happened to me once: We were in an aft category BB cabin and were offered an upgrade to give up that cabin. There was a potential passenger who would sail only if they could have a BB cabin. They might have given it up when they had to cancel for financial reasons then their fortunes improved and they wanted it back but in the mean time I'd snagged it.

 

There's another one but it escapes me right now. Baically it is a tool the cruise line can use for a number of reasons.

 

Remember though, there's no guarantee that anybody gets upgraded so be happy with the category you're in (it won't be anything lower) and be extra special happy if it happens.

[Toto2Kansas]

But don't loose hope. I have known many a Princess passenger that was upgraded on their first or second sailing.

It is all up to the computers choice and the category you have booked whether you end up with an upgrade or not. If the ship is not selling well, that also will come into play. They would much rather have happy upgraded passengers then passengers in inside categories while they have better cabins higher sitting empty.

Best of Luck!

[spongerob]

Of course, the most basic prerequisite is that there are upgradable cabins available. No one knows the formula of course (and if they do, they're not telling :D ). There are really only two reasons to give upgrades. One is to entice newer passengers to book higher categories of cabins. The other is to free cabins that will sell more easily.

[dcruisers]

We are a group of 8 couples. Can all of us get upgraded?

[Toto2Kansas]

It is possible, but I sure wouldn't count on it. If one of the couples is actually upgraded, consider it a gift from the computer fairy. Upgrades are just that, a gift and you can never count on them.