Is this theory true?

[Love.II.Cruise]

Never heard that. The only thing that's guaranteed is a BG category cabin. Upgrades are based on supply and demand, and are different for every cruise. It's a gamble.

 

I can't stand waiting for an upgrade. It would drive me crazy. My theory is book the cabin you want and you will never be unhappy!

 

Completely agree x2

[Earthworm Jim]

Theory is fruitless. There is really no rhyme or reason to upgrades.

 

I highly doubt that. Princess is a big, sophisticated, company, and they don't do anything without a reason. I'm sure there is some kind of system behind who gets upgraded. We just don't know what it is, or have enough information, such as when people booked or how much they paid, to figure out how it would turn out even if we did know what their system is. Which we don't.

[fishin' musician]

It is likely just supply and demand. To me it looks like they intentionally oversell guarantees in certain limited categories as these are used primarily as "come-ons" and they'll just bump them along into subsequent categories. A BG may be advertised at a lower price, but to Princess it is really the same as any other balcony. I'm guessing they sell hundreds of BG guarantees, even though there may be only 4 on the ship. It is reversed/legitimized bait & switch with all switches being "upgrades".

 

When the balconies are sold-out and someone wants to purchases a balcony, it then becomes time to upgrade those currently in balconies (if there are higher categories remaining).

 

Smart marketting IMO... fill the ship and please the customer in one feld swoop.

[Earthworm Jim]

It is likely just supply and demand. To me it looks like they intentionally oversell guarantees in certain limited categories as these are used primarily as "come-ons" and they'll just bump them along into subsequent categories.

 

Well, yeah. Of course they oversell and bump people up. The question at hand though is how they determine which people are the ones to get bumped up and which ones will just get what they paid for.

 

Actually, I think the original OP's question was just whether not being assigned a cabin closer and closer to the cruise is a good sign.

[Pam in CA]

Well, yeah. Of course they oversell and bump people up. The question at hand though is how they determine which people are the ones to get bumped up and which ones will just get what they paid for.

 

Actually, I think the original OP's question was just whether not being assigned a cabin closer and closer to the cruise is a good sign.

The computer does the upgrades and assignments based on what is probably a sophisticated algorithm. It's supply and demand but also takes into account capacity (number of people in a cabin, number of people in a fire section), cabin category, cabins marked "Do not upgrade", cabins linked to other nearby cabins, etc. So far as I know, there's no human shuffling markers on a board and deciding who gets what.