UPGRADES ---HOW COMMON ARE THEY?

We never expect an upgrade and are thrilled if we get one. It rarely happen to us. After 47 cruises maybe we received upgrades 5 or six times.

Never received an upgrade, but now, because we book accessible cabins, we don't expect one.

You have a better chance of a fare reduction / refund, or OBC. We just got $256 back on our October cruise due to a fare reduction.

I've never had one! How does it work? Do they just tell you when you check into the ship?

Great advice WeCruiseToo!

I had no idea about groups potentially working against your chances of an upgrade..but makes sense.

Thanks for the info, We have booked an inside cabin on the NCL Dawn for next year.

I will be perfectly happy with that cabin regardless as it is right where I want to be.

Like it has been stated, I don't expect an upgrade and consider it a bonus if and when itt happens.

Something we think can work AGAINST you if you want an upgrade is if the cruise line knows you’re travelling with others. If you’re part of a group or even if your cabin is cross referenced with another it seems the cruise line may be more likely to pass you over rather than risk upsetting your traveling companions by upgrading you but not them.

We’ve found the secret to upgrades is to never, EVER expect them. Always book the category you want to sail in. If you happen to get upgraded it’s simply a pleasant surprise.

We know people who’ve booked a cabin and then been upset that they had to cruise in that cabin! They were so sure they “deserved” an upgrade that they worked themselves up to the point where they really didn’t enjoy the cruise.

A few things to consider:

Many cruise lines now try to sell upgrades rather than give them away. They’ll most likely contact your travel agent (anywhere from a few weeks to a few days before sailing) to see if you’re interested. We have a friend who gets these offers from Oceania and Holland America a lot. He always tries to offer less than they ask; he has never once had an offer accepted and he ends up sailing in the cabin he booked. I guess the cruise lines won’t “haggle” over the price (nor should they).

The cruise line may be more likely to offer an upgrade to someone who cruises on their line often. Some folks think you’re more likely to get an upgrade if you tell them you’re celebrating something.

Booking an unassigned, guarantee cabin certainly can help get you an upgrade (sometimes there are very few cabins in a specific category to begin with) as long as you’re sure you’ll be just as happy no matter where they put you on the ship.

Beware the “automatic upgrade”. We booked the exact cabin we wanted on Princess once and got upgraded to a cabin we didn’t want (it was in a better location, but we had reasons for wanting the cabin we picked). We learned that you had to specifically tell them when you DON’T want an upgrade!

I do book a lot of Guarantee Cabins , when I cruise solo

GTVCRUISER - do you recommend always booking a "guarantee" cabin?

I have been on many cruises, and I have had a lot of upgrades. The best upgrade was on the Carnival Spirit , inside cabin to a balcony. You never know when the upgrade fairy will show up .