Cabin Upgrade Onboard - How do you do it?

[lbryant]

We sail in just over 3 weeks and I can see about 30 suites open to book. The price difference to change to a suite is about $7,500 per cabin. The Sky Suite Move Up min bid was $3k per cabin and I need to pay for 2 cabins ). I currently have a balcony cabin and have bid to Move Up to Aqua (which I think I'm going to get since I can't make any changes to the Move Up bid but it says it's pending... CC has not been charged yet and my room has not changed as of this AM). 

 

Anyway, I've read where some people are successful getting lower cost upgrades when they board the ship.  Can you share how you went about doing that? Do we ask at the pier (check in)? Guest Services onboard?  Assuming there are still Sky Suites available at that time, I would like to at least try once more.  My TA is working it on her end as well so maybe I'll get lucky before we sail.

 

Of course we will be extremely happy with Aqua; I've just read how incredible the suite life is, I'm trying to see if we can give it a try just once.  Any advice would be appreciated.   A quick and dirty cabin count looks like Balcony/Concierge, Aqua and Sky Suites are about 50%-60% sold with 3.5 weeks to go.

[canderson]

All you can do is go in wearing your "Let's Make a Deal" smile and see.  Some have scored discounted upgrades, and some have only been offered the upgrade at the full prevailing difference in price.

 

The folks at check-in are contract employees and not really in a position to get you where you want to go.  Success, if any, will best be found aboard at Guest Services as your first contact.

[Cruise a holic]

We sailed on the Edge and I noticed before the sailing that a few sky suites were available.  We were in an infinite balcony.  I immediately went on the customer service line and asked for an upgrade.  We were 2nd on line!

 

They told me "a cabin might be available" so I shouldn't unpack  yet.  The price was very reasonable for the upgrade!  The agent said the price was good because we were  elite plus members

 

We did get an S1 and the butler helped move our luggage to the new cabin.  Was that a treat!  We didn't like the infinite balcony.  Found it small and were so glad that we got the move.  The suite class was excellent.

[Panzano]

We were on Edge last month in a C1 cabin.  Second time on Edge (first was in a SV) and we hated the infinite veranda.  I saw that there were over 25 sky suites available on our sailing so as soon as we got onboard we went to guest services to see if we could upgrade.  The person we spoke with said we could upgrade for an additional $2600 ($1300/pp).  We would get use of the Retreat & Luminae but would have to keep our AI benefits from our original booking (we upgraded to stream wifi & premium drink pkg) and pay additional money for suite gratuities.  I countered and said we'd pay $2000.  She said she'd speak with the Retreat Manager & her supervisor & get back to us after we set sail.   We didn't unpack.

 

We got a call around 7:30 PM and were told that our offer was accepted.  The Retreat Host showed us our Sky Suite and moved our luggage.    We still had time for dinner in Luminae the first evening.  

 

It was a terrific week and worth the addl. money for us.

[bikerunner]

I think I might try this on my cruise on Nov 22.  Im in a reg balcony and just want to go to AQ.  Plenty left Would do the upgrade with the bidding if it was an S class for the Persian Gardens but on the Connie so I would use it still but just not as good overall.  If I dont move no loss ship is half full it looks like at this point so no concerns on food in MDR at all.  

[jagoffee]

3 hours ago, lbryant said:

We sail in just over 3 weeks and I can see about 30 suites open to book. The price difference to change to a suite is about $7,500 per cabin. The Sky Suite Move Up min bid was $3k per cabin and I need to pay for 2 cabins ). I currently have a balcony cabin and have bid to Move Up to Aqua (which I think I'm going to get since I can't make any changes to the Move Up bid but it says it's pending... CC has not been charged yet and my room has not changed as of this AM). 

 

Anyway, I've read where some people are successful getting lower cost upgrades when they board the ship.  Can you share how you went about doing that? Do we ask at the pier (check in)? Guest Services onboard?  Assuming there are still Sky Suites available at that time, I would like to at least try once more.  My TA is working it on her end as well so maybe I'll get lucky before we sail.

 

Of course we will be extremely happy with Aqua; I've just read how incredible the suite life is, I'm trying to see if we can give it a try just once.  Any advice would be appreciated.   A quick and dirty cabin count looks like Balcony/Concierge, Aqua and Sky Suites are about 50%-60% sold with 3.5 weeks to go.

Are both your cabins still showing pending and not allowing you to modify or cancel your bid.

When I wind a bid, I always find out from my CC charge notification.

 

Good luck.  
 

I am a little surprised that Celebrity is allowing upgrades on the ship.  It seems like it would be undercutting the Move Up objective and process.  But then again, I am surprised that there were not Move Up bids for all the Suites.  Maybe a last minute cancellation.

 

The irony today is that ships are sailing with a smaller number of passengers.  The only crowded part of the ship are the areas unique to the Retreat areas. 

[lbryant]

Thank you all for the advice.  Our boarding time is 11:30am, so I'll go right to Guest Services to see if they have anything to offer.

For our Move Up bid: both cabins show Aqua offer status: pending.  There is a button that says "Get Upgraded" but when I click it, it says I am not eligible for an upgrade. I also cannot cancel or change my upgrade bid. From what I read, that is a strong indication that the Aqua Move Up bid is in the process of being accepted. Min. bid to upgrade to Aqua was $400 per person, which was still high but less than the current published rate. Min bid to upgrade to Sky Suite was $1500 per person. When I look at available cabins, there were 66 available Aqua cabins (out of 130 total AQ cabins). There were 27 Sky Suites available (out of 44 total) and a few higher suite categories as well.  Crossing my fingers that some magic will happen once we're onboard. But if it doesn't, we still have Blu...

[Catclaws]

2 hours ago, jagoffee said:

Are both your cabins still showing pending and not allowing you to modify or cancel your bid.

When I wind a bid, I always find out from my CC charge notification.

 

Good luck.  
 

I am a little surprised that Celebrity is allowing upgrades on the ship.  It seems like it would be undercutting the Move Up objective and process.  But then again, I am surprised that there were not Move Up bids for all the Suites.  Maybe a last minute cancellation.

 

The irony today is that ships are sailing with a smaller number of passengers.  The only crowded part of the ship are the areas unique to the Retreat areas. 

On my recent cruise the move up to the sky suite was way more expense than the difference in the fare I purchased for my cabin.  It would have made more sense to asked for the upgrade at the pier than use the move up route.  Or, cancel my original reservation and rebook at the sky suite rate prior to sailing.

Edited October 27, 2021 by Catclaws
typo

[miched]

We tried upgrading to a SS on a B2B for the second cruise while on board during the first one.   The price was  more than what the move up was and the move up was more than we felt was worth the cost.     On the next cruise we asked and they said they would get back to us.  On the second day of that cruise they gave us a price.   It was the same as before but 2 days were now gone 

 

Things  change.  That was our experience and I am sure others may have had different.   I can’t vouch for them 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Edited October 28, 2021 by miched

[crusinthrough]

12 hours ago, Panzano said:

The person we spoke with said we could upgrade for an additional $2600 ($1300/pp).

What was the Move Up bid min/max offer?  $1300 pp seems inline with the bidding process and not a discount. 

[Cruise a holic]

We paid much, much  less on board- but that was the third week the Edge sailed.   Times have changed and the cruise lines lost so much money during this pandemic and perhaps aren't as generous now. 

 

 

[Panzano]

7 hours ago, crusinthrough said:

What was the Move Up bid min/max offer?  $1300 pp seems inline with the bidding process and not a discount. 

I don't know what the move up bid min/max was because I wasn't really interested until I boarded and was totally dissatisfied  with the infinite veranda in my C1 cabin.  I check pricing often and do remember that they were selling the same sky suite 4 days before the cruise for around $5700 with everything included.  My total cost was 5k with everything included (I had the AI on my original cabin & upgraded to premium drinks and streaming wifi with OBC from TA).   I didn't pay an add'l $1300/pp but an add'l $1000/pp. ($2000/total) over what I had paid for my C1 cabin.

I wasn't looking for a bargain basement price, but just didn't want to stay in the infinite veranda and fortunately could afford to upgrade.   It's a personal preference, but if I can't get a SV on Edge class, or afford a suite on that class of ship, I'll chose either the M or S class if I want to sail on Celebrity.

[swjumbo]

23 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

We sailed on the Edge and I noticed before the sailing that a few sky suites were available.  We were in an infinite balcony.  I immediately went on the customer service line and asked for an upgrade.  We were 2nd on line!

 

They told me "a cabin might be available" so I shouldn't unpack  yet.  The price was very reasonable for the upgrade!  The agent said the price was good because we were  elite plus members

 

We did get an S1 and the butler helped move our luggage to the new cabin.  Was that a treat!  We didn't like the infinite balcony.  Found it small and were so glad that we got the move.  The suite class was excellent.

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