Princess upgrades

[Jean C]

Hi all, when offered for a cruise a few months away, we're considering putting in a low bid for a cabin upgrade. We're fussy about location so when we originally booked we specified a particular cabin number and ticked the "no upgrade" box.

 

As I understand it from CC, you bid for specific cabin categories, ie MB or ME (rather than randomly from balcony to mini) - is that correct? We'll be on a ship that has the new-fangled skywalk so definitely wouldn't want a cabin by or under the skywalk, which would be a different category code anyway.

 

Because successful bids are final, do you think we can safely be confident that we wouldn't be given a mini in a category code that we hadn't bid for?

 

Just out of interest, and slightly off topic, while searching CC for any helpful information, I came across a thread, by mostly Americans, who on their original booking had all ticked the "no upgrade" box, yet had at various times, including up to a day before departure, got an email saying they'd been upgraded,  Where they weren't happy with the new cabin or location they swiftly got onto Princess and were able to get their original cabin back. 

 

Has this happened to any of the readers here? Something else I likely wouldn't want!

 

Thanks in advance for any helpful responses 😊

[cruiser3775]

I got my cabin changed on my last cruise at the point of check in. It was very badly handled. I wasn't told I'd been upgraded. I just noticed that my cabin was a different number when I went to check in. Being very particular about location, I had chosen carefully and had ticked the 'no upgrade' box. So I objected at the initial check in. I was told in no uncertain terms I would have to live with the cabin change, and to just get on board and then I could talk to guest services. I stood in a long queue at Guest Services and eventually got the same response. "Your cabin has been changed. No, we can't change it back, someone is already in your original cabin."   After some fairly pointed words, the officer finally thought to tell me my cabin had not just been changed, I had been upgraded to a suite.  Fortunately, the location was acceptable to me.  While I did appreciate the amenities in the suite, I would have been fairly angry if the location had been worse than my original choice.

[Jean C]

50 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said:

I got my cabin changed on my last cruise at the point of check in. It was very badly handled. I wasn't told I'd been upgraded. I just noticed that my cabin was a different number when I went to check in. Being very particular about location, I had chosen carefully and had ticked the 'no upgrade' box. So I objected at the initial check in. I was told in no uncertain terms I would have to live with the cabin change, and to just get on board and then I could talk to guest services. I stood in a long queue at Guest Services and eventually got the same response. "Your cabin has been changed. No, we can't change it back, someone is already in your original cabin."   After some fairly pointed words, the officer finally thought to tell me my cabin had not just been changed, I had been upgraded to a suite.  Fortunately, the location was acceptable to me.  While I did appreciate the amenities in the suite, I would have been fairly angry if the location had been worse than my original choice.

Thanks for your response. It's good that as it turned out you got a "better" upgrade. I can understand if your original cabin is uninhabitable for some reason, but they shouldn't "upgrade" those who specifically indicate not to be. One of the USA posters went to Guest Services who allowed them one phone call to Princess USA to sort it out, but in the end someone more senior came along and got them back into their original cabin.

 

We always choose our cabin number in our favourite section and on the decks we're happy with, as there are so very many areas we specifically don't want to be in. 

 

I can't make my mind up yet whether bidding for an upgrade is going to be more trouble than it's worth! I've checked Princess and another site's Princess deck plans to see exactly where each category code is located and whether or not there are interconnecting cabins (none found) and four berths, and have made a note of the category codes we'd be happy with. We're very happy with our original choice so it's a tough decision, especially if it doesn't go to plan for some reason 😯 

[mum and son]

I've enjoyed successful upgrade bids on two Princess cruises this year, one earlier this month on the Royal with the Seawalk thing. I was bidding for an upgrade from an obstructed deluxe balcony to a mini suite. The only bidding options were for a minisuite or a Reserve (Club Class) mini. I didn't have the option to bid by specific category, and even if I had, they can always give you a cabin in a class higher than you bid for. I fully expected (if successful) to get a cabin under the Seawalk, which I think are MC category. I ended up in MC category but just forward of the forward elevators on Marina deck.

 

I usually choose to be aft of midship but actually quite enjoyed our location. We were lucky to be below the few Lido deck cabins so no noise from above. We moved to another mini on Marina for the second cruise of our B2B which was between forward and mid and was a lot noisier due to being under the Lido pool area.

 

I have plenty of photos if you need any.

Edited April 16 by mum and son

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Jean C said:

Hi all, when offered for a cruise a few months away, we're considering putting in a low bid for a cabin upgrade. We're fussy about location so when we originally booked we specified a particular cabin number and ticked the "no upgrade" box.

 

As I understand it from CC, you bid for specific cabin categories, ie MB or ME (rather than randomly from balcony to mini) - is that correct? We'll be on a ship that has the new-fangled skywalk so definitely wouldn't want a cabin by or under the skywalk, which would be a different category code anyway.

 

Because successful bids are final, do you think we can safely be confident that we wouldn't be given a mini in a category code that we hadn't bid for?

 

Just out of interest, and slightly off topic, while searching CC for any helpful information, I came across a thread, by mostly Americans, who on their original booking had all ticked the "no upgrade" box, yet had at various times, including up to a day before departure, got an email saying they'd been upgraded,  Where they weren't happy with the new cabin or location they swiftly got onto Princess and were able to get their original cabin back. 

 

Has this happened to any of the readers here? Something else I likely wouldn't want!

 

Thanks in advance for any helpful responses 😊

When you get a chance to bid you don't get to bid for an exact category, eg MB, just the class. So if you are in a balcony cabin you might be offered the opportunity to bid for one or more of the following classes:

Deluxe or Premium Balcony 

Mini-Suite

Reserve Collection Mini-Suite

Suites of varying types

 

If you win the bid you will be allocated a cabin, your credit card will be charged  and you will lose your original cabin. You don't get the option to refuse the upgrade. By putting in a bid you are indicating that you will accept an upgrade if your bid succeeds. This is quite different to leaving the No Upgrade box unchecked as that only implies that you might like an upgrade. 

 

However if there are cabins of that class still available to book you might be able to get Princess to swap but it's more likely that there are no other options. 

 

 

[MicCanberra]

I would think if you have deliberately picked a cabin, you are both unlikely to want an upgrade and or bid for an upgrade.

[arxcards]

You don't get to bid for grades except for suite categories, but get to bid for cabin types. Eg,

Balcony

Premium Balcony

Mini Suite 

Reserve Collection mini suite

Premium suite

Penthouse suite

 

If you bid for a mini-suite, it could be for anything from MB down to ME, including those below the seawalk.

 

As for the "no upgrade" upgrade, these do rarely happen, but are possible when they stuff-up on bookings and the jigsaw has run out of pieces. Ideally, they should hold to their word and at very least you shouldn't be bounced to a cabin with known issues (noise, location, obstructions). Some OBC or future credits should also be offered due to them not holding-up to their part of the bargain.

 

For what it is worth, I am on the "never upgrade this person" list. We have never received an upgrade to our booked cruise cabin, not even a category, despite varied selection methods and decent loyalty status across several brands. These days though, we would rather pick and stick unless it takes us from a generic mini suite to reserve collection or better. As for upgrade bids, I can only be bothered if the higher cabins were unavailable when we booked.

 

[Muffinz]

We've booked our first Princess Cruise and ticked the 'no upgrade' box when booking, because as we've read here on cruise critic sometiumes the upgrade can be in a location or deck you don't want to be in.

Lets hope Princess don't upgrade us by accident!

[Jean C]

Thanks all for the clarification. We definitely won't bid to upgrade then.  Cruise Critic posters deliver again 💕 

[arxcards]

Just now, Jean C said:

Thanks all for the clarification. We definitely won't bid to upgrade then.  Cruise Critic posters deliver again 💕 

If you have the budget to have a crack at a reserve collection mini, they are all well located and have the dining perk. Otherwise, it is like shifting from a selected cabin to a mini guarantee.

[phoenixx]

On 4/16/2024 at 8:42 PM, arxcards said:

You don't get to bid for grades except for suite categories, but get to bid for cabin types. Eg,

Balcony

Premium Balcony

Mini Suite 

Reserve Collection mini suite

Premium suite

Penthouse suite

 

If you bid for a mini-suite, it could be for anything from MB down to ME, including those below the seawalk.

 

As for the "no upgrade" upgrade, these do rarely happen, but are possible when they stuff-up on bookings and the jigsaw has run out of pieces. Ideally, they should hold to their word and at very least you shouldn't be bounced to a cabin with known issues (noise, location, obstructions). Some OBC or future credits should also be offered due to them not holding-up to their part of the bargain.

 

For what it is worth, I am on the "never upgrade this person" list. We have never received an upgrade to our booked cruise cabin, not even a category, despite varied selection methods and decent loyalty status across several brands. These days though, we would rather pick and stick unless it takes us from a generic mini suite to reserve collection or better. As for upgrade bids, I can only be bothered if the higher cabins were unavailable when we booked.

 

How do you get onto the "never upgrade this person" list? Thanks

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, phoenixx said:

How do you get onto the "never upgrade this person" list? Thanks

I don't know. It wasn't by design. Perhaps by upsetting someone at Princess.

[OzKiwiJJ]

55 minutes ago, arxcards said:

I don't know. It wasn't by design. Perhaps by upsetting someone at Princess.

Maybe just bad luck. Perhaps you book cabin categories that they don't need to do the upgrade thing on, or ones where there are no better cabins to upgrade you to. The only time we ever got an "upgrade" was when we booked a guarantee inside cabin on Rhapsody of the Seas. The only cabins still available were a couple of categories above the lowest so we got one of those at guarantee price. We've never had a free upgrade on any other cruise line. 

[MicCanberra]

We have been visited by the upgrade fairy many many years ago, however I think Covid killed it.

[ceeceeDee]

20 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

We have been visited by the upgrade fairy many many years ago, however I think Covid killed it.

Yes, I think the days of a free upgrade are, if not dead at the very least moribund now that a lot of cruise lines have adopted the bid for an upgrade routine.

[OzKiwiJJ]

35 minutes ago, ceeceeDee said:

Yes, I think the days of a free upgrade are, if not dead at the very least moribund now that a lot of cruise lines have adopted the bid for an upgrade routine.

Yes, the upgrade bid killed it although it may still be a possibility for those who booked guarantee cabins as what they get allocated may depend on what hasn't sold 

[OzKiwiJJ]

At least the upgrade bid system gives you a chance to try for a cabin that might be outside your normal price range. We did and got a mini-suite for our upcoming world cruise at a very good price. The full price of that cabin was more that we could afford. 

[Bubbeh]

I don't bid for an upgrade and I don't want an upgrade.  I always choose a balcony cabin, mid ships between two decks of cabins.  I would be horrified if I was unwillingly upgraded to a mini-suite, I see these somewhat the same way that I see flying business class.  Once you go there how on earth do you go back to what was previously your preference?  In 2015 a travel agent convinced me to book BC flights from Heathrow to Perth (via Singapore), never traveled anything other than economy before that but, sadly from that day to this every time I fly cattle class I feel unsatisfied.  

[Yaya_in_Oz]

I much prefer a balcony to a mini-suite. I like to be cozy. I was in a mini-suite once and if there was a knock at the door, the person would have knocked twice by the time I got off the couch and answered. Didn't like the bath. Didn't like the open balcony although I would just go out in my nightie if I wanted to look. I did like the champagne on arrival and the Chivas Regal whisky in the minibar! But there is only one of me so I don't need as much space.

I doubt if anyone is ever satisfied with cattle class but the entertainment options make it bearable compared to the old days of a couple of TV's dotted around the cabin which you usually couldn't see, but I liked the music back then.

[Jean C]

10 minutes ago, Yaya_in_Oz said:

I much prefer a balcony to a mini-suite. I like to be cozy. I was in a mini-suite once and if there was a knock at the door, the person would have knocked twice by the time I got off the couch and answered. Didn't like the bath. Didn't like the open balcony although I would just go out in my nightie if I wanted to look. I did like the champagne on arrival and the Chivas Regal whisky in the minibar! But there is only one of me so I don't need as much space.

I doubt if anyone is ever satisfied with cattle class but the entertainment options make it bearable compared to the old days of a couple of TV's dotted around the cabin which you usually couldn't see, but I liked the music back then.

We always do our research and select a balcony/mini suite cabin with a covered balcony. I've only had a balcony mini suite once when travelling with grandkids. I liked the extra room on the balcony to put your feet up  and the couch, however I didn't like the bath.

 

I'll stick with a selected balcony cabin for the upcoming cruise rather than take pot luck bidding for an upgrade.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Since Princess removed the chairs from balcony cabins, leaving only a single desk chair for seating for two people, mini-suites have become more attractive for long cruises. Also I prefer the shower over the bath than some of the extremely tiny shower cubicles on some Princess ships - the ones on Coral are a joke! So we heaved a sigh of great relief when we got the "upgrade bid accepted" email for our upcoming world cruise.

[phoenixx]

24 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Since Princess removed the chairs from balcony cabins, leaving only a single desk chair for seating for two people, mini-suites have become more attractive for long cruises. Also I prefer the shower over the bath than some of the extremely tiny shower cubicles on some Princess ships - the ones on Coral are a joke! So we heaved a sigh of great relief when we got the "upgrade bid accepted" email for our upcoming world cruise.

Had 2 balcony chairs on my January cruise.

[MicCanberra]

We had 2 on our Coral cruises.

[Jean C]

Two chairs out on the balcony are standard, @OzKiwiJJ was referring to seating inside the cabin.

[MicCanberra]

We have had a bed in ours as well.