Upgrade Fairy - When and Why Will She Call?

[cruisexlife]

Hello,

 

So, almost everyday, I get on here, and I see a thread "Upsell Fairy Called Today!" or "Accepted my Fairy Offer" or in a review, someone will say "I had an interior, but the upsell fairy bumped me up to a balcony". So I was wondering...

 

What are some ramifications that you have to follow to get the Upsell call? About how close to the cruise will they call? If you have an inside room, will you be offered an oceanview, a balcony, or a suite, or all three? Usually, hoe much are the upgrades?

 

I would imagine that the Upsell fairy cannot bump people up to nicer rooms if there are no rooms available, so obviously the cruise has to not be selling well in order to receive the call. But how do they determine what is and what isn't selling well? I know that when prices drop a couple hundred or they have your cruise on a sale list often, then it's probably in need of some filling. But when will they make this decision? We are 7 weeks out from our 4 night on Splendor, and I am secretly hoping for an upsell call to a balcony. We booked 7242, a standard inside room, and there are many balconies left. Actually, a strange amount.

 

Also, what are some typical upsell offers? Are they really specific, like "would you like to upgrade to balcony room 8360 for $30 per person?", or will they offer a few room numbers to you where you can choose? Has anyone ever been offered a suite?

 

Have you ever accepted an upsell offer? Were you happy with the turnout? Has anyone ever declined an offer? Why?

 

Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

Happy Cruising! :D

[KatRat416]

We got our first upsell call on our last cruise a year ago. We booked a balcony and they offered us a suite....for $600 extra. She said she "might" be able to do better, and husband said to tell her if she could do $400 we'd do it. We didn't get far enough into it for her to tell us what deck or room number it was, just that she had 1 suite and 1 ocean suite (ocean suite would have been another 100 or so). Kinda hope to get the call again, (we're 39 days away now) and hope it's a good enough deal that husband will pay the upgrade fee lol Just so we can say we've stayed in a suite before.

[Tortoiselvr]

I sail May 31 (Magic). I got the call April 10. I was in an interior/obstructed view (4J). We had two cabins, 2 people in each.

 

We were offered balcony for $110pp ($220 per cabin). I asked what decks and if they could place us near one another. She found us cabins next door to each other and gave me cabin numbers. I got her number so I could call her back after I talked to the others.

 

I checked deck location, ran the numbers (the balcony was going for $400-500 more pp than what we had paid for our inside, so $110 was a good deal). I called her back and took the offer.

 

On another thread, someone had posted the number so I had programmed it into my phone so I knew it was the upset fairy.

 

On my first cruise, I had an interior and was offered balcony for $250 more pp. We declined.

Edited May 8, 2015 by Tortoiselvr

[cruiser fanatic]

I have received the upsell call 3 times in my cruises. I have never accepted the offer.

[arpie05]

I've had upsell emails and phone calls. My closest call was two days before sail date.

 

 

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[lizardhowson]

Hello,

 

So, almost everyday, I get on here, and I see a thread "Upsell Fairy Called Today!" or "Accepted my Fairy Offer" or in a review, someone will say "I had an interior, but the upsell fairy bumped me up to a balcony". So I was wondering...

 

What are some ramifications that you have to follow to get the Upsell call? About how close to the cruise will they call? If you have an inside room, will you be offered an oceanview, a balcony, or a suite, or all three? Usually, hoe much are the upgrades?

 

I would imagine that the Upsell fairy cannot bump people up to nicer rooms if there are no rooms available, so obviously the cruise has to not be selling well in order to receive the call. But how do they determine what is and what isn't selling well? I know that when prices drop a couple hundred or they have your cruise on a sale list often, then it's probably in need of some filling. But when will they make this decision? We are 7 weeks out from our 4 night on Splendor, and I am secretly hoping for an upsell call to a balcony. We booked 7242, a standard inside room, and there are many balconies left. Actually, a strange amount.

 

Also, what are some typical upsell offers? Are they really specific, like "would you like to upgrade to balcony room 8360 for $30 per person?", or will they offer a few room numbers to you where you can choose? Has anyone ever been offered a suite?

 

Have you ever accepted an upsell offer? Were you happy with the turnout? Has anyone ever declined an offer? Why?

 

Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

Happy Cruising! :D

 

Multiple answers to most of the questions you've asked are already recorded in the multiple threads you've already read.

 

And you always have the option to call Carnival and inquire about upgrading your cabin if you see a rate that interests you.

Edited May 8, 2015 by lizardhowson

[cruisexlife]

Multiple answers to most of the questions you've asked are already recorded in the multiple threads you've already read.

 

And if I remember reading them, don't you think you would've been commenting on another thread, as this one would be non-existent? :D

 

Exactly, how can you tell which threads I've "read"? I said that I've seen titles of threads or read a review and seen the Upsell Fairy mentioned. Doesn't mean that I opened the thread, or the reviewer went into a lot of detail on the Upsell. ;)

 

Do you have any answers?

[loxley]

And if I remember reading them, don't you think you would've been commenting on another thread, as this one would be non-existent? :D

 

Exactly, how can you tell which threads I've "read"? I said that I've seen titles of threads or read a review and seen the Upsell Fairy mentioned. Doesn't mean that I opened the thread, or the reviewer went into a lot of detail on the Upsell. ;)

 

Do you have any answers?

 

The real answer is nobody knows.

 

Some people cruise 20 times and have never gotten a call others get a call every time they cruise. Some people get one on their 10th cruise, some on their first cruise. I think it is like winning the lottery, you have a chance, but it is a small one.

 

You can not go by how many rooms you think are open. A lot of those could be guarantee cabins that have not been assigned yet.

 

If it happens, it would help to sort of know current pricing, sometimes the upgrade offer is not good. I book what I want. I am not interested in paying for an upgrade. The only way I would move is if it was free, which it rarely is these days.

[eponym]

Hello,

 

So, almost everyday, I get on here, and I see a thread "Upsell Fairy Called Today!" or "Accepted my Fairy Offer" or in a review, someone will say "I had an interior, but the upsell fairy bumped me up to a balcony". So I was wondering...

 

What are some ramifications that you have to follow to get the Upsell call? About how close to the cruise will they call? If you have an inside room, will you be offered an oceanview, a balcony, or a suite, or all three? Usually, hoe much are the upgrades?

 

I would imagine that the Upsell fairy cannot bump people up to nicer rooms if there are no rooms available, so obviously the cruise has to not be selling well in order to receive the call. But how do they determine what is and what isn't selling well? I know that when prices drop a couple hundred or they have your cruise on a sale list often, then it's probably in need of some filling. But when will they make this decision? We are 7 weeks out from our 4 night on Splendor, and I am secretly hoping for an upsell call to a balcony. We booked 7242, a standard inside room, and there are many balconies left. Actually, a strange amount.

 

Also, what are some typical upsell offers? Are they really specific, like "would you like to upgrade to balcony room 8360 for $30 per person?", or will they offer a few room numbers to you where you can choose? Has anyone ever been offered a suite?

 

Have you ever accepted an upsell offer? Were you happy with the turnout? Has anyone ever declined an offer? Why?

 

Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

Happy Cruising! :D

 

Wow that is a lot of questions from one post. Must be quite a survey your putting together.

 

We book the cheapest inside cabin that is connected, and have gotten upgrade calls every time. They always seem to need those cabins back because they are connected and make us sweet deals. We have never declined an offer, and that's why.

 

Be willing and able to accept the fairy call. Have credit card ready. They are often upsell and not free upgrade unless you are sitting on a connected cabin.

 

Hope that helps and shapes your future success with the upgrade fairies from all cruise lines.

[cruisexlife]

Wow that is a lot of questions from one post. Must be quite a survey your putting together.

 

 

 

We book the cheapest inside cabin that is connected, and have gotten upgrade calls every time. They always seem to need those cabins back because they are connected and make us sweet deals. We have never declined an offer, and that's why.

 

 

 

Be willing and able to accept the fairy call. Have credit card ready. They are often upsell and not free upgrade unless you are sitting on a connected cabin.

 

 

 

Hope that helps and shapes your future success with the upgrade fairies from all cruise lines.

 

 

Thanks so much!

[cruisexlife]

The real answer is nobody knows.

 

Some people cruise 20 times and have never gotten a call others get a call every time they cruise. Some people get one on their 10th cruise, some on their first cruise. I think it is like winning the lottery, you have a chance, but it is a small one.

 

You can not go by how many rooms you think are open. A lot of those could be guarantee cabins that have not been assigned yet.

 

If it happens, it would help to sort of know current pricing, sometimes the upgrade offer is not good. I book what I want. I am not interested in paying for an upgrade. The only way I would move is if it was free, which it rarely is these days.

 

 

Thanks for your help. I didn't know it was such a gamble, im constantly seeing threads about it. Thanks for your help, I will continue to check prices!

[Hawaiifrank]

I've been called 2 times. Once CCL called about 5 weeks out and offered the Owners Suite for $2500 flat additional price plus what we'd already paid. We were 3 adults in an Obstructed Balcony on the Ecstasy (sp) on a 5 - day. Nice room, but I wouldn't do it again.

 

The next time was on NCL (I'm pretty sure) and we got an email offering us the very front corner cabin with a window on the walkway around the front of the ship deck 11. For $30 total we went from a low # deck inside to deck 11 OV (and walkway view). I enjoyed the extra sq. ft. and the (public) balcony just steps from my door. Very windy when underway.

[jiggs]

As others have said, it is based on a lot of variables. I've got the call several times and really chatted up the rep that calls with the offers.

 

Here is what I know...there are upsell agents, thats all they do, and they are assigned certain ships. This is not based on 'luck' Carnival knows exactly what they are doing and use experience to determine how the lists are generated - one for email the other phone calls.

 

Emails are sent earlier than phone calls, but timing depends on how much upselling they need to do based on the availability of cabins closer to departure.

 

In the rare event that a ship isn't sailing full, this tactic is used to ensure that the cheapest cabin sail empty. In other cases, a class of cabins is 'oversold' and some lucky passenger could end up in a suite instead of their 'we will pick your room' cabin.

 

The agent gets a price list from revenue control. These are the prices that they can sell the cabins for. This will usually be a different (lower) price that you'll see online. Your offer is the difference between the new price and what you paid. If you paid $2000 for a balcony and they can sell the OS for $2500 your upgrade price offer will be $500. This is the reason rates are all over the board. They do not haggle, the price is the price. If you turn it down they call the next person on the list. They have great success upselling, it is just a matter of how many phone calls they need to make and how much money they make from the upsell. They don't need to haggle.

 

They also get a passenger manifest of who to start calling. From what I was told this is quite a process to establish this list. It is based on price paid, past cruise history, cabin types they may need, and other factors. The list is based on an algorithm run against the passenger manifest at a given time before sailing based on occupancy.

 

Now comes the fun part...assuming the cabin that they just upsold is not needed for a guaranty cabin, they will now start upselling those cabins. So, if they get someone booked in an OS to move to a GS they upsell that OS to someone else until they are down to the last IS cabins on the lower decks.

 

Usually people will get a call of one or two cabins above what they booked. I think it is rare for someone with an IS cabin to get an offer for an OS. I know there are probably times it does happen and someone will respond that in "1986 their cousin's best friend was upgraded from the morgue to a cabin so elaborate it isn't even bookable by a common person", but for the most part, I would anticipate only a class or two offer.

 

If you really have too much time on your hands, you can tell when the upsell calls start occurring because cabins will quickly start disappearing from the list if you do a trial booking for your sailing.

 

If you're lucky enough to get the call, then you have to come out here and post it and get beat up by people or get praised for the deal you get...responses will vary to how unfair it is I didn't get a call, how crazy you were to spend your own money, you got the best deal eva, I'd rather spend that money on 12 extra Dods, why didn't you just book the class you wanted and so on...again and again every day...then about once a week we get a posting asking how it works, and for some reason unknown to me, people like myself continue to respond.

 

So with all that being said, don't expect the call, but if it comes, consider the offer based on your situation.

 

Godspeed.

[kublaieod]

My cruise next week has been sold out for some time so I haven't expected any calls..

 

For those that do.. awesome.. enjoy.

[misstiffany]

I posted about mine a few days ago - I got an "Upgrade" email offer from Carnival. For $30 they would move us from a midship balcony room on deck 6 to a midship balcony room on the Lido deck (deck 9). No difference in room or balcony size. I got to see the room assignment before I paid for the upgrade. Also, if it matters...this was 19 days before sailing. I don't have an assigned PVP so this may be why I didn't get the phone call from an upgrade fairy? She's never called me before!

[dave_k58]

I sail May 31 (Magic). I got the call April 10. I was in an interior/obstructed view (4J). We had two cabins, 2 people in each.

 

We were offered balcony for $110pp ($220 per cabin). I asked what decks and if they could place us near one another. She found us cabins next door to each other and gave me cabin numbers. I got her number so I could call her back after I talked to the others.

 

I checked deck location, ran the numbers (the balcony was going for $400-500 more pp than what we had paid for our inside, so $110 was a good deal). I called her back and took the offer.

 

On another thread, someone had posted the number so I had programmed it into my phone so I knew it was the upset fairy.

 

On my first cruise, I had an interior and was offered balcony for $250 more pp. We declined.

 

 

I wish you could give me the number so I can watch for it - I would like the fairy to offer to upgrade my balcony to a suite

[misstiffany]

I wish you could give me the number so I can watch for it - I would like the fairy to offer to upgrade my balcony to a suite

 

I would think that the area code is 305 (Miami). Even with me living in N.Fl, almost all 305 area code calls I get are cruise lines, with the occasional for-profit college.

[dave_k58]

I sail May 31 (Magic). I got the call April 10. I was in an interior/obstructed view (4J). We had two cabins, 2 people in each.

 

We were offered balcony for $110pp ($220 per cabin). I asked what decks and if they could place us near one another. She found us cabins next door to each other and gave me cabin numbers. I got her number so I could call her back after I talked to the others.

 

I checked deck location, ran the numbers (the balcony was going for $400-500 more pp than what we had paid for our inside, so $110 was a good deal). I called her back and took the offer.

 

On another thread, someone had posted the number so I had programmed it into my phone so I knew it was the upset fairy.

 

On my first cruise, I had an interior and was offered balcony for $250 more pp. We declined.

 

 

I wish you could give me the number so I can watch for it - I would like the fairy to offer to upgrade my balcony to a suite

[Tortoiselvr]

I had to track it down, I recently switched phones:

 

305 599 2600

[dave_k58]

I had to track it down, I recently switched phones:

 

305 599 2600

 

THanks very much!!!

[lylone]

We got a call 4 week before we sailed on the Legend in April last year. We went from an OC to a GS for $600 total. "Its the largest room on the ship" blah blah blah. It was more room but for two of us it wasn't worth it. If we were sailing with family and friends it may have been worth it. It was the first time I used a bidet. But still not worth the money.

[nicolelarios]

I had to track it down, I recently switched phones:

 

305 599 2600

 

 

Awe I missed a call from this number 2 weeks ago. Do they leave messages or do you have to answer, I just never answer.

[Elaine5715]

Hello,

 

So, almost everyday, I get on here, and I see a thread "Upsell Fairy Called Today!" or "Accepted my Fairy Offer" or in a review, someone will say "I had an interior, but the upsell fairy bumped me up to a balcony". So I was wondering...

 

What are some ramifications that you have to follow to get the Upsell call? About how close to the cruise will they call? If you have an inside room, will you be offered an oceanview, a balcony, or a suite, or all three? Usually, hoe much are the upgrades?

 

I would imagine that the Upsell fairy cannot bump people up to nicer rooms if there are no rooms available, so obviously the cruise has to not be selling well in order to receive the call. But how do they determine what is and what isn't selling well? I know that when prices drop a couple hundred or they have your cruise on a sale list often, then it's probably in need of some filling. But when will they make this decision? We are 7 weeks out from our 4 night on Splendor, and I am secretly hoping for an upsell call to a balcony. We booked 7242, a standard inside room, and there are many balconies left. Actually, a strange amount.

 

Also, what are some typical upsell offers? Are they really specific, like "would you like to upgrade to balcony room 8360 for $30 per person?", or will they offer a few room numbers to you where you can choose? Has anyone ever been offered a suite?

 

Have you ever accepted an upsell offer? Were you happy with the turnout? Has anyone ever declined an offer? Why?

 

Thanks to anyone who can help!

 

Happy Cruising! :D

I truly believe most of the upsell calls are people who are telling a fib because they booked the higher cost cabin and are covering so cheapo spouse doesn't find out. Then cheapo spouse starts telling everyone "we got upgrades for $1.00"!

[Techycruiser]

I got an email last week from a cove balcony to a balcony on level 9 for only 56.00. Our cruise is 130 days out. I went to Carnival’s website to check if there was a price drop and every balcony was sold out except 3 cabins on level 2. They are probably coves.

 

 

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[RWolver672]

We have cruise number 11 coming up on Carnival in February, 2019. In April of this year, we got an upsell e-mail to move down from a balcony cabin on deck 11 on the Horizon to an Ocean Suite on deck 7 for $460. We turned it down for three reasons: We like deck 11, the Ocean Suite isn't that much bigger than a balcony cabin and the price was only $60 less that what we could have booked the suite for originally.

 

That is something that you should check in to before accepting an upsell. How much did that cabin go for originally. Is it really a deal?