I always book the cheapest cabin in the most expensive cruise line I can afford. That usually means a guaranteed (unassigned) inside cabin on a luxury line like Oceania. So ANY upgrade will be a good upgrade.
I really enjoy your channel. Thank you for not making us sit through a jingle at the beginning like other cruise channels and getting right to the point!. ❤️ from Canada
This video is chock full of a ton of useful information to help you decide on whether or not you should accept an upgrade on your next cruise. Before watching Gary’s video I never would have thought that there could be a downside to accepting an upgrade. Now I know the various reasons why upgrades may not be all that they are made out to be. Bottom line: Gary does a great job of presenting a lot of useful information. Well worth watching this video in its entirety. Great job, Gary!
Ed F you are so right! This video really hit the points. I love learning anything about having a wonderful cruise vacation (especially by taking them!). What really impressed me with this video is the beautiful camera work! O for the love of high definition! Beautiful views! Even all the inside coverage was sharp and beautiful! I enjoyed trying to guess which cruise line interiors were shown! I can spot HAL right off 'cause that's my most familiar. It was neat to see their new ship's bathroom and staterooms! Happy sailing!
Still planning for a bucket list cruise in the future when the kids are older. But for now. Enjoying your vids with my sick 3yo kid on my lap. Love the clear simple information without drama or fuss :)
These are all very good points. I was offered an upgrade recently, when I looked it up on the web site it was not a perk. It was the actual cost to upgrade to that category. And no, I didn't take the "upgrade", lol.
Outstanding! I have learned quite a bit from this video. Had no idea of the various pros/cons of an upgrade. Thanks for presenting such an informative and well thought out program. This should be required viewing for all those considering a cruise. Keep up the excellent and professional work!
We lucked out on a cruise we took. Our original cabin was down in the bowels of the ship and when we got to our room we weren't able to get in. We hunted someone down to help us and when they opened the door the room was already occupied by one of the performers. We were taken up to the front desk and after about an hour of just standing around waiting, they gave us a room that was next to an elevator on a floor higher up. As we started to walk away we got called back and they apologized for the wait and the inconvenience that we had experienced and instead gave us an outside mini-suite. We were very happy. It paid to not be angry or impatient and to just roll with the punches. These things happen from time to time.
sydney4911 OMG that must've been awful but thankfully it turned out great! Dare I ask what the cruise company was? On our last cruise, on P&O Arcadia, we arrived at our cabin only to find we were just across the corridor from a service door to the whole ship's air conditioning unit and a nasty machinery noise drumming all the time. I went down and asked if they had anything else available as I just cannot sleep with that sort of noise. They kindly offered us two other cabins which for varying reasons I didn't find suitable. In the end I stuck it out pushing my earplugs down as far as they would go which blanked out everything. They also offered a free meal in the Asian Restaurant with free wine which we gratefully accepted. It was a bit of an annoyance but I managed the fortnight with the ear plugs. BTW we would not ask for any upgrade.
@@suebradford890 It was on Royal Caribbean out of England for it's maiden voyage (Southampton - 2 berths over from where the Titanic left from on the same calendar day) headed to north coast of Spain, then Lisbon, Gibraltar, and then finally Barcelona. It was a wonderful cruise. It also included a full lunar eclipse while we were sailing out in the Atlantic from Spain to Portugal.
In my experience, upgrade offers on Carnival are for specific cabins, and there's often more than one choice. Download the deck plans to know exactly where you'll be.
Really excellent, informative review. Our upgradeable booking took us from our preferred high forward balcony (excellent for photography and views) to a low midships location with much reduced views and obtrusive lifeboats. The "upgrade" was a "downgrade" in fact! Complaints fell on deaf ears. We think upgradability can be pernicious, based on greed.
Absolutely true and extremely valuable information - dead on target. I'm extremely picky about choosing my cabin simply to ensure I have peace and quiet and don't have my cabin floor and bed vibrating with the giant disco speakers from the floor just below or above...at 2:00AM. It happened to me on a 14-day cruise. (UGH!) I also try to be as far away from elevators and other places people (possibly drunken) may be congregating, being loud or causing a commotion. Choosing a cabin for me is just as fun as choosing the cruise itself. If I can't get a good cabin, I'll find another cruise. And you're absolutely right about the Cruise Line's definition of an upgrade, might not be in your favor or even save you money. GREAT ADVICE, as always. Thanks, Gary!
Gary, what a great topic. I am going on a cruise in May and was offered an upgrade to a suite from a balcony for 150 dollars per person. I didn't take it because they weren't offering me the double points that came with the Suite, and the gratuities were much higher. I also am with a group and all our rooms are together. Gary another great video as always, greetings from Chicago.
We were given an 'upgrade' on our Holland America Cruise from Montreal to Boston. The cabin we had originally was mid-ship and our upgrade initially seemed better until morning when we arrived at our first port and realized we were quite close to the anchor and it was insanely loud. Suffice to say we were not pleased and were stuck with the 'better' room
Only upgrade I've ever been offered was not specific to us, just posted in the elevators on a Pullmintor ship. The main benefit was it gave us the Wave Club with free internet and extra club area to hang in. Also priority disembarkation at ports which was nice. Well worth the extra few dollars on a transatlantic.
We were offered an upgrade to a balcony on our third Princess Cruise and once you've had a balcony it's hard to go back! Don't even want to risk trying a Suite!
Thanks Gary, great tips as always. We were lucky to be upgraded from Britannia Balcony to a Queens Suite when crossing the Atlantic on QM2 a few years back and I agree that after having that experience, going back to Balcony was certainly an issue for us. But Queens was AMAZING and the experience well worth any downside it brought.
Carnival keeps offering me an upgrade and I know that my price is locked in and if I take their upgrade then I get there new taxes they've just added this year
Excellent points. We're in an Aqua Veranda midship on the hump, facing the Hawaiian Islands, on Celebrity Eclipse next month. For $250 each, we could have upgraded to Sky Suite. We passed, since we likely would lose our view, and be placed aft (seasick), lose our free tips and drink package. We're used to Blu, and wanted to keep the spa access.
@@tonewheel1773 I've learned to turn down that sort of upgrade when it's offered to me. Not only do I feel like the room should stay available if someone who actually needs that stuff needs a room on short notice but also I don't like those accessible bathrooms myself, I prefer a regular walk in shower with a door to keep water in rather than a curtain that allows water to splash out and all over the floor, creating a slipping hazard. I also don't like "accessible" tubs as often they're just a regular tub with a bunch of hand bars installed that I just end up bumping into while trying to take my shower.
I love this man's videos. Keep them coming, sir! On this particular one, I'd ask myself What's in it for them (the cruise company)? Just a bit more money? Fine. No additional fees? There's a reason then. They don't act out of love.
Thanks. Good to hear you enjoy the videos. You are right, The cruise lines upgrade as it frees up the lower and cheaper cabins that they can sell easier. If they have empty cabins at higher grades they are harder to sell so upgrade people who already have paid.
I got a great upgrade on my upcoming Carnival Magic group. For only $58 each room, I moved from an ocean view on deck 2 to connecting balconies on deck 8. I have 2 rooms for my family so that works out great. Deck 8 is sandwiched by two all-cabin decks.
We are leaving for our next cruise in two days. I'm glad I saw this. If we see if we can get an upgrade, we will know what to ask them before taking it. Thanks so much!!!
Thanks so much Gary! Wonderful explanation of the differences in upgrades. I definitely understand about the balcony and being spoiled now, as I am. :-)
Excellent point about not being able to go back once you've experienced the upgrade. My wife and I upgraded to a concierge suite with Disney several cruises back, and we haven't been able to go back to our usual veranda room... much to the chagrin of our pocket book. It's a terrible problem to have... 😉 Thank you for the content and fantastic information!
I'm on the Carnival Imagination 8/30 sailing and I've gotten two upgrades so far. First, when I initially booked and was assigned a cabin right underneath the aft dining room with an upper/lower. Then just last week, the customer service representative offered me an interior with two king beds with $25 onboard credit, I took it. Then the price dropped again last on in the week, windows finally costed less than my cabin without windows, last night I finally got in and took the windows. I lost the $25 OBC, but let's face it, OBC as a solo 25 year old man cruising wasn't the best feature of cruising. The joke is, book no windows then add you get closer, upgrade to having windows, for me, my rate dropped $76 for upgrading to windows.
True. I was given a free upgrade from ocean to balcony at time of embarkation. And yes, I’ve been spoiled ever since. Somewhat tough now to travel in an ocean cabin.
Don't do it unless you can pick the location. NCL upgraded me from what would have been a quiet inside cabin to an oceanview on the lowest deck. It was noisy and I didn't get good sleep
Well, I'm going for my 1st cruise on Ruby Princess in 2 days. I'm sure I won't get an upgrade as going solo but I have to say as a new "Cruiser" I have found your videos very informative and positive. So very looking foward to cruise and thank you for your informative uploads.
I always share a twin outside cabin with my sister when we go on a cruise and we say that we are open to being upgraded at the time we make the booking, but it never usually comes to anything. The one time it did we were shown to a really swish cabin, butler service and everything, no extra charge, the only problem being that it was a double not a twin and there was no way we were going to share a bed. Of course by then some one else was in our original cabin and we were hanging around while the butler brought us pots of tea until they managed to fix us up in a cabin more or less identical to the one we'd originally booked but with a lot of faffing around that we knew nothing about till we arrived on board and which meant we ended up on the other side of the ship from which we really wanted to be.
OMGosh Gary, what’s up with that carpet pattern?! 3:55. Is that supposed to be artful and/or camouflage actual stains? Thanks for another great video Gary! Well done!
I was upgraded Last February from a balcony to a mini suite. They needed a quad share and my balcony was a quad but there were only two of us. Very happy with the mini suite which had a very large balcony.
I agree; cabin upgrades may not be better. I get seasick so I like a cabin on the lower levels near the middle of the ship. As they say, "The more you pay, the more you sway." They could offer me a balcony or suite and I'd say no.
We have been upgraded twice to a suite on NCL. The first time was fantastic. The last time which was 3 weeks ago was a different story. We won a bid that we submitted and paid slightly more for our cruise. We loved the larger space. In fact we had a little party with butler service one day with friends which was fantastic! Everything was great until the Bliss Lounge opened its doors and the party lasted through the night until 2-3am...We could not only feel the bass from the music but also could hear the singing of the songs...Way too loud! Not sure if we will ever do it again...It was still a great cruise, but many many sleepless nights.
Great information and I love your channel. I booked two connecting rooms for Alaska and specified no upgrades - I don't want to lose the ease of access to help my parents that have health problems.
All of your videos are so informative, as is this one. Many years ago, we booked a Mediterranean cruise on Queen Mary 2. At that time, they had Britannia class, Princess Grill & Queen's Grill. We booked a Britannia verandah cabin. Three weeks before our sailing, we received a 'surprise' upgrade to Queen's Grill. Don't know how this happened but we graciously accepted. Big mistake! The cabin was amazing, our Butler was fantastic and Queen's Grill staff, the best. The passengers in this category had unrealistic expectations. They were extremely rude and demanding of the staff. This is not who we are and to see this constant abuse was very disturbing to us. We felt that if affluent people acted in this manner and because they felt it was owed to them because they were 1st class passengers, we decided that these were not the people we would want to sail with again. Consequently, we are hesitant to ever receive an upgrade at this level. There were times with our tablemates that we had to mediate their complaints or come to the defence of the staff. In fact, we were invited to remain on the ship in Southampton and do the Transatlantic cruise to New York - at no charge but seeing we had business class tickets from Southampton to Vancouver, BC, our home, we declined the invitation but primarily because we couldn't imagine sailing another 7 days with these passengers. While sailing on Cunard may be different today, feeling somewhat confined to the formality of Queen's Grill dining and separate lounge facilities, just didn't make this the memorable cruise that we envisioned.
you are correct regarding being upgraded to a suite. we were upgraded to a suite when we went on my first cruise for 25 years in 2014 and i wouldnt go in anything other than a suite now
I would think that a disabled person needing a handicapped accessible cabin and getting upgraded to a non accessible cabin would be a rare instance where the cruise line would be required to allow them to reject the proposed upgrade and stay in the original cabin... are you quite sure about that one? Doing authorize would have “lawsuit” written all over it...
I was offered an upgrade on the Allure of the Seas R.C.I, for only 50$ pp. We were upgraded from an outside to a balcony. On big ships, this is more of a possibility, given that there are more balconies in comparison to outsides and insides. Sometimes cruise companies prefer to free these to keep promoting offers or because there is a demand for adjoining / connecting door cabins, (which was our case.) We got a nice location, so it worked out great. It was a Mediterranean cruise, which was why we originally hadn't wanted a balcony (prefer balconies in the Carribean). So the upgrade was nice!
Love your videos, Gary. Thank you. One important item you did not mention is moving to a cabin that is above a smoking area like the sports bars on many ships. Is there anything you can do to smarten-up cruise lines with respect to banning smoking entirely? Many years ago, which was the last time we cruised, we wrote to every Royal Caribbean Board member about smoking concerns. For example, on one ship we were on, the ice cream machine frequented by families and their children had been foolishly located in the smoking side of the ship. A few months later, RC banned smoking in cabins and most ship areas. But, you still had the inconvenience of avoiding the casino floor, where smoking was allowed as well as the bar areas where smoking was allowed. Isn't it time to ban smoking completely? Cruise lines are scared of fires as many passengers could be harmed or die. Why don't they simply ban smoking entirely to eliminate this possibility? Can you please help those of us who are seriously allergic to smoke? Thank you !
Carnival sent us an email asking if we would upgrade to a view cabin. We would be going from deck 6 to deck 2. We turned it down and they told us that we would be asked again about an upgrade. My husband and I did not want go from deck 6 to deck 3. Also it was going to cost us almost $300.00 to take the upgrade.
Frivolous aside....we started going FIVE star to Mexican All Inclusives...nope...can't go back to 4 star...you are right! We get used to....what we get used to!
It depends on the line. If you have ticked or agreed to accept an upgrade you have no say as if they doing it then you are upgraded no matter what you think of the new cabin. If they call and offer then usually you have to decide there and then....
I was part of a select group that was offered an upgrade. It was first come first serve, someone else may take it first. However sometimes they will offer again with a lower price if nobody takes it in the first round. You have to decide how much you want it and if you are willing to risk losing the offer.
My husband surprised me with a cruise and we were "upgraded" to an oceanview right next to the atrium and right under the teen club. It was an accessible oceanview (we didn't need an accessible room) the shower water soaked everything since there was no barrier to keep the water in the shower and the air conditioner broke so it was 90 degrees all week. It was horrible!!
I hate that about accessible rooms in general, it's the same thing with the showers in hotels. Give me a regular room with a glass door that keeps the water inside the shower.
richard c Hey Richard, May I ask to what you are referring too ..auction? Like the bid thing to upgrade on Norwegian Cruise Lines? Love to understand.mahalo..You sound really clever...tell me more sweety pie!
My wife and I have never benn on a cruise and we may take one in the near future. Which UA-cam episodes should we watch so we can get the most enjoyment out of it.
I’ve been cruising for about 10 years and have never been offered an upgrade. Last year we got a fantastic deal on NCL Getaway balcony cabin asked NCL if there were any upgrades available. We were told that because we booked through a discounted company, we weren’t qualified for any upgrade.
I have been on one cruise and have been looking at videos about cruises. I don’t think I will go. This is too complicated and I doubt that I would get a cabin that would be to my liking. The cruise I took ended with engine failure and late disembarking where they locked us out of our cabins and made us wait for hours on the deck and hallways until we finally reached port.
I’m sitting here now debating on going from a balcony room on deck 8 of carnival sunshine to a cloud 9 spa balcony room on deck 12 😭 it’s a $44 upgrade and it looks like it would be an ocean suite
If you lose your perks for upgrading to a better cabin, you're on the wrong cruiseline. NCL perks are dependent on cabin size. A inside cabin will get you 1 perk, if you upgrade to a balcony, you'll get the 2 perks that cabin offers.
However some perks are part of the promo package that was available when you booked. I considered rebooking when I saw room prices dropped but then I would be getting the perks in the current promo, which were not as many as those I already had and it looked like the loss of those perks would cause me to merely break even at best if I now had to pay for those things out of pocket.
I appreciate this video. I'm sailing Celebrity after many years of not. When I booked, they chose (suggested) our cabin for us which is a Family Veranda aft ship with a very large balcony (Summit, deck 7). This cabin accommodates 5 people. There are only 2 of us. I did inquire about Aqua Class initially but was not happy that the cabin would be smaller AND it would have cost more, ....however, I do like the benefits of the Aqua class access to the spa amenities (not so much the dining room benefit). Would you accept an upgrade? I'm sort of suspicious it will be offered based on my inquiry and that they might want to sell our cabin to a larger family.
Possibly so they’ll be able to free up & continue selling the more popular staterooms which judging from the number of these rooms on most cruise ships are the outside and non-suite balcony cabins. Which is also probably why they offer upgrades only to cruisers who have already paid for their cabins, not to mention often upgrade people to harder-to-sell/less desirable rooms (obstructed view, inconvenient location, etc).
To make more money and sell more expensive cabins. They may make the upgrade to people who before wouldn't be willing to spend that amount of money upfront, but then fall in love with the grade of cabin and start cruising more expensively.
Q- I am traveling with my adult son. Can I get a room with two twin beds instead of one double or queen bed? Also, I do want an interior room, low and in the middle as I am prone to motion sickness.
Gary, can you please tell me which cruise ships are featured at 6:18 - 6:30 on this video. I am searching for really nice cabins on ships and my husband and I are extremely new to cruising. We will actually start cruising next year 2020. Much appreciated. BTW I truly enjoy your honesty.
Not sure about the others, but I'm pretty sure the one at 6:17 is a Crown Loft Suite. I know they're featured on all 4 oasis class ships by royal caribbean, but I don't know if they're in any other cruises. Hope this helps!
What happens if you wanted to book a cruise on the month of your birthday do you get any extra perks or something I’ve been with royal Caribbean twice and a CAS member and extremely curious
I did an inside cabin and I did not mind at all. Actually in Alaska during the solstice the days can be too long. With an inside cabin you decide when you want it dark.
I would look for single cabins like Norwegian has. When traveling in normal inside cabin say carnvial or royal Caribbean you would end up paying for 2 people even if was just you they book it with intention of 2 people to a room. Norwegian acually have single traveler rooms
@@tipsfortravellers Rats, shes going on the GM2 next year (its her dream trip). What is the size? I found one online thats 60x80cm www.pecheurdimages.com/en/stand-by-queen-mary-2.html#.XVCFMehKgdU
Thank you for your insightful information. What I would like to know is if you’ve opted for a free upgrade, and if or when the opportunity arises, can you look at the upgraded cabin before making a decision? Or is it that once you’ve ticked for an upgrade you have no choice to back out of the deal?
I always book the cheapest cabin in the most expensive cruise line I can afford. That usually means a guaranteed (unassigned) inside cabin on a luxury line like Oceania. So ANY upgrade will be a good upgrade.
Thanks for the tips! I love that it’s straight info and no bs, or clickbait.
I really enjoy your channel. Thank you for not making us sit through a jingle at the beginning like other cruise channels and getting right to the point!. ❤️ from Canada
This video is chock full of a ton of useful information to help you decide on whether or not you should accept an upgrade on your next cruise. Before watching Gary’s video I never would have thought that there could be a downside to accepting an upgrade. Now I know the various reasons why upgrades may not be all that they are made out to be. Bottom line: Gary does a great job of presenting a lot of useful information. Well worth watching this video in its entirety. Great job, Gary!
Thanks :-) Much appreciate you watching and for adding these comments.
Ed F you are so right! This video really hit the points. I love learning anything about having a wonderful cruise vacation (especially by taking them!). What really impressed me with this video is the beautiful camera work! O for the love of high definition! Beautiful views! Even all the inside coverage was sharp and beautiful! I enjoyed trying to guess which cruise line interiors were shown! I can spot HAL right off 'cause that's my most familiar. It was neat to see their new ship's bathroom and staterooms! Happy sailing!
Yep this makes sense. Whenever someone calls you offering something for free - look out!
Still planning for a bucket list cruise in the future when the kids are older. But for now. Enjoying your vids with my sick 3yo kid on my lap. Love the clear simple information without drama or fuss :)
Hope that cruise comes soon! Hope your kid is better fast. Thanks for watching
@@tipsfortravellers thanks. will do and hope so too. Keep posting those nice vids:)
These are all very good points. I was offered an upgrade recently, when I looked it up on the web site it was not a perk. It was the actual cost to upgrade to that category. And no, I didn't take the "upgrade", lol.
Seven Saturdays Travels i usually don’t either because if I have to pay extra to upgrade... I don’t really consider that an upgrade.
Gary, you have outdone yourself with the level of detail in this presentation. Thanks for your well thought-out scripts.
Thanks! Great to hear 😀😀 appreciate you watching!
Outstanding! I have learned quite a bit from this video. Had no idea of the various pros/cons of an upgrade. Thanks for presenting such an informative and well thought out program. This should be required viewing for all those considering a cruise. Keep up the excellent and professional work!
We lucked out on a cruise we took. Our original cabin was down in the bowels of the ship and when we got to our room we weren't able to get in. We hunted someone down to help us and when they opened the door the room was already occupied by one of the performers. We were taken up to the front desk and after about an hour of just standing around waiting, they gave us a room that was next to an elevator on a floor higher up. As we started to walk away we got called back and they apologized for the wait and the inconvenience that we had experienced and instead gave us an outside mini-suite. We were very happy. It paid to not be angry or impatient and to just roll with the punches. These things happen from time to time.
sydney4911 OMG that must've been awful but thankfully it turned out great! Dare I ask what the cruise company was? On our last cruise, on P&O Arcadia, we arrived at our cabin only to find we were just across the corridor from a service door to the whole ship's air conditioning unit and a nasty machinery noise drumming all the time. I went down and asked if they had anything else available as I just cannot sleep with that sort of noise. They kindly offered us two other cabins which for varying reasons I didn't find suitable. In the end I stuck it out pushing my earplugs down as far as they would go which blanked out everything. They also offered a free meal in the Asian Restaurant with free wine which we gratefully accepted. It was a bit of an annoyance but I managed the fortnight with the ear plugs. BTW we would not ask for any upgrade.
Bowels of the ship 😂😂😂😂
Steerage. For the unwashed masses.
@@suebradford890 It was on Royal Caribbean out of England for it's maiden voyage (Southampton - 2 berths over from where the Titanic left from on the same calendar day) headed to north coast of Spain, then Lisbon, Gibraltar, and then finally Barcelona. It was a wonderful cruise. It also included a full lunar eclipse while we were sailing out in the Atlantic from Spain to Portugal.
In my experience, upgrade offers on Carnival are for specific cabins, and there's often more than one choice. Download the deck plans to know exactly where you'll be.
Really excellent, informative review. Our upgradeable booking took us from our preferred high forward balcony (excellent for photography and views) to a low midships location with much reduced views and obtrusive lifeboats. The "upgrade" was a "downgrade" in fact! Complaints fell on deaf ears. We think upgradability can be pernicious, based on greed.
Been preparing to go on a cruise so these videos started being suggested to me. So glad they were! These are super helpful!
Absolutely true and extremely valuable information - dead on target. I'm extremely picky about choosing my cabin simply to ensure I have peace and quiet and don't have my cabin floor and bed vibrating with the giant disco speakers from the floor just below or above...at 2:00AM. It happened to me on a 14-day cruise. (UGH!) I also try to be as far away from elevators and other places people (possibly drunken) may be congregating, being loud or causing a commotion. Choosing a cabin for me is just as fun as choosing the cruise itself. If I can't get a good cabin, I'll find another cruise. And you're absolutely right about the Cruise Line's definition of an upgrade, might not be in your favor or even save you money. GREAT ADVICE, as always. Thanks, Gary!
Thanks! Good to hear someone is as fussy and particular about cabin choice :-)
Gary, what a great topic. I am going on a cruise in May and was offered an upgrade to a suite from a balcony for 150 dollars per person. I didn't take it because they weren't offering me the double points that came with the Suite, and the gratuities were much higher. I also am with a group and all our rooms are together. Gary another great video as always, greetings from Chicago.
Thanks. Great to hear your feedback. Sounds like a good choice not to upgrade. Have a great cruise.
We were given an 'upgrade' on our Holland America Cruise from Montreal to Boston. The cabin we had originally was mid-ship and our upgrade initially seemed better until morning when we arrived at our first port and realized we were quite close to the anchor and it was insanely loud. Suffice to say we were not pleased and were stuck with the 'better' room
Only upgrade I've ever been offered was not specific to us, just posted in the elevators on a Pullmintor ship. The main benefit was it gave us the Wave Club with free internet and extra club area to hang in. Also priority disembarkation at ports which was nice. Well worth the extra few dollars on a transatlantic.
We were offered an upgrade to a balcony on our third Princess Cruise and once you've had a balcony it's hard to go back! Don't even want to risk trying a Suite!
Thank you Gary !! I learn so much from your videos !!! I’m on celebrity silhouette in early March. My 24th cruise
Thanks Gary, great tips as always. We were lucky to be upgraded from Britannia Balcony to a Queens Suite when crossing the Atlantic on QM2 a few years back and I agree that after having that experience, going back to Balcony was certainly an issue for us. But Queens was AMAZING and the experience well worth any downside it brought.
Carnival keeps offering me an upgrade and I know that my price is locked in and if I take their upgrade then I get there new taxes they've just added this year
Excellent points. We're in an Aqua Veranda midship on the hump, facing the Hawaiian Islands, on Celebrity Eclipse next month. For $250 each, we could have upgraded to Sky Suite. We passed, since we likely would lose our view, and be placed aft (seasick), lose our free tips and drink package. We're used to Blu, and wanted to keep the spa access.
This is great info, never thought about losing perks with upgrade.
@@tonewheel1773 I've learned to turn down that sort of upgrade when it's offered to me. Not only do I feel like the room should stay available if someone who actually needs that stuff needs a room on short notice but also I don't like those accessible bathrooms myself, I prefer a regular walk in shower with a door to keep water in rather than a curtain that allows water to splash out and all over the floor, creating a slipping hazard. I also don't like "accessible" tubs as often they're just a regular tub with a bunch of hand bars installed that I just end up bumping into while trying to take my shower.
I love this man's videos. Keep them coming, sir! On this particular one, I'd ask myself What's in it for them (the cruise company)? Just a bit more money? Fine. No additional fees? There's a reason then. They don't act out of love.
Thanks. Good to hear you enjoy the videos. You are right, The cruise lines upgrade as it frees up the lower and cheaper cabins that they can sell easier. If they have empty cabins at higher grades they are harder to sell so upgrade people who already have paid.
I got a great upgrade on my upcoming Carnival Magic group. For only $58 each room, I moved from an ocean view on deck 2 to connecting balconies on deck 8. I have 2 rooms for my family so that works out great. Deck 8 is sandwiched by two all-cabin decks.
Very nice!!! Fab 👍🏻👍🏻
We are leaving for our next cruise in two days. I'm glad I saw this. If we see if we can get an upgrade, we will know what to ask them before taking it. Thanks so much!!!
Have a fabulous cruise. Fingers crossed 🤞
Thank you, Gary!!
I like to choose mid ship balcony so I prefer to keep to my choice. Thanks for info. Gary
Wasn't sure if handicapped would be taken into consideration with upgrades. Now I know. Thanks
Great Tips!!!
We chose NOT to upgrade because we need the inner connecting doors. We book 2 cabins and Balconies so Grandkids have their own room.
Love the context of your videos!
Thanks so much Gary! Wonderful explanation of the differences in upgrades. I definitely understand about the balcony and being spoiled now, as I am. :-)
Awesome thanks. appreciate you watching. Thanks for leaving your comment.
Excellent point about not being able to go back once you've experienced the upgrade. My wife and I upgraded to a concierge suite with Disney several cruises back, and we haven't been able to go back to our usual veranda room... much to the chagrin of our pocket book. It's a terrible problem to have... 😉 Thank you for the content and fantastic information!
Thanks for watching and leaving your comment - and experience. I know and feel your pain.... I am the same....
A well thought out video on state rooms. I have two cruises this year and put a lot of time into room section.
I am like you and take time on cabin choice. Some people think I am crazy. Glad you do the same :-)
I love your videos! Just the information, and no time wasted on fluff.
I'm on the Carnival Imagination 8/30 sailing and I've gotten two upgrades so far. First, when I initially booked and was assigned a cabin right underneath the aft dining room with an upper/lower. Then just last week, the customer service representative offered me an interior with two king beds with $25 onboard credit, I took it. Then the price dropped again last on in the week, windows finally costed less than my cabin without windows, last night I finally got in and took the windows. I lost the $25 OBC, but let's face it, OBC as a solo 25 year old man cruising wasn't the best feature of cruising. The joke is, book no windows then add you get closer, upgrade to having windows, for me, my rate dropped $76 for upgrading to windows.
True. I was given a free upgrade from ocean to balcony at time of embarkation. And yes, I’ve been spoiled ever since. Somewhat tough now to travel in an ocean cabin.
Don't do it unless you can pick the location. NCL upgraded me from what would have been a quiet inside cabin to an oceanview on the lowest deck. It was noisy and I didn't get good sleep
Well, I'm going for my 1st cruise on Ruby Princess in 2 days. I'm sure I won't get an upgrade as going solo but I have to say as a new "Cruiser" I have found your videos very informative and positive. So very looking foward to cruise and thank you for your informative uploads.
I always share a twin outside cabin with my sister when we go on a cruise and we say that we are open to being upgraded at the time we make the booking, but it never usually comes to anything. The one time it did we were shown to a really swish cabin, butler service and everything, no extra charge, the only problem being that it was a double not a twin and there was no way we were going to share a bed. Of course by then some one else was in our original cabin and we were hanging around while the butler brought us pots of tea until they managed to fix us up in a cabin more or less identical to the one we'd originally booked but with a lot of faffing around that we knew nothing about till we arrived on board and which meant we ended up on the other side of the ship from which we really wanted to be.
OMGosh Gary, what’s up with that carpet pattern?! 3:55.
Is that supposed to be artful and/or camouflage actual stains?
Thanks for another great video Gary! Well done!
Agree it is quite a strange choice. Thanks for watching and glad you found it interesting
I found that room gorgeous... until I noticed the carpet and now I can’t unsee
m h I thought the same thing. Black strategically placed.
I was upgraded Last February from a balcony to a mini suite. They needed a quad share and my balcony was a quad but there were only two of us. Very happy with the mini suite which had a very large balcony.
I agree; cabin upgrades may not be better. I get seasick so I like a cabin on the lower levels near the middle of the ship. As they say, "The more you pay, the more you sway." They could offer me a balcony or suite and I'd say no.
Great tips! Definitely something to think about. Must always remember the grass isnt greener.
He is always straight to the point andere helpfull!
Very helpful. Thank you. And yes the suite is like 1st class on a plane. I got a free upgrade and my friend warned me it's hard to go back :)
It is so hard to go back!!!!
If it makes you feel any better First Class on an airplane has the least chance of survival in a crash.
@@imzadi83fanvids7 yikes
@@imzadi83fanvids7
Lol. Duly noted.
We have been upgraded twice to a suite on NCL. The first time was fantastic. The last time which was 3 weeks ago was a different story. We won a bid that we submitted and paid slightly more for our cruise. We loved the larger space. In fact we had a little party with butler service one day with friends which was fantastic! Everything was great until the Bliss Lounge opened its doors and the party lasted through the night until 2-3am...We could not only feel the bass from the music but also could hear the singing of the songs...Way too loud! Not sure if we will ever do it again...It was still a great cruise, but many many sleepless nights.
Yikes, that would be my idea of hell for sure! Good to hear you still managed to have a great cruise
I would have got up n joined them
Great information and I love your channel. I booked two connecting rooms for Alaska and specified no upgrades - I don't want to lose the ease of access to help my parents that have health problems.
Thanks so much. Have a great Alaska cruise.
Tips For Travellers your videos on Alaska and the Royal Princess was a huge help in planning our Alaska trip. Thanks!
All of your videos are so informative, as is this one. Many years ago, we booked a Mediterranean cruise on Queen Mary 2. At that time, they had Britannia class, Princess Grill & Queen's Grill. We booked a Britannia verandah cabin. Three weeks before our sailing, we received a 'surprise' upgrade to Queen's Grill. Don't know how this happened but we graciously accepted. Big mistake! The cabin was amazing, our Butler was fantastic and Queen's Grill staff, the best. The passengers in this category had unrealistic expectations. They were extremely rude and demanding of the staff. This is not who we are and to see this constant abuse was very disturbing to us. We felt that if affluent people acted in this manner and because they felt it was owed to them because they were 1st class passengers, we decided that these were not the people we would want to sail with again. Consequently, we are hesitant to ever receive an upgrade at this level. There were times with our tablemates that we had to mediate their complaints or come to the defence of the staff. In fact, we were invited to remain on the ship in Southampton and do the Transatlantic cruise to New York - at no charge but seeing we had business class tickets from Southampton to Vancouver, BC, our home, we declined the invitation but primarily because we couldn't imagine sailing another 7 days with these passengers. While sailing on Cunard may be different today, feeling somewhat confined to the formality of Queen's Grill dining and separate lounge facilities, just didn't make this the memorable cruise that we envisioned.
Very nice comment, I can certainly believe it.
You are so right about going to a better cabin and then you're disappointed with cheaper cabins
Very good points. We were upgraded once and did not like it. So next cruise we paid for what we wanted and enjoyed it much more.
you are correct regarding being upgraded to a suite. we were upgraded to a suite when we went on my first cruise for 25 years in 2014 and i wouldnt go in anything other than a suite now
I got an upgrade when I booked through a travel agent. Went from inside to an outside view cabin
Always very well thought through tips of real value.
I would think that a disabled person needing a handicapped accessible cabin and getting upgraded to a non accessible cabin would be a rare instance where the cruise line would be required to allow them to reject the proposed upgrade and stay in the original cabin... are you quite sure about that one? Doing authorize would have “lawsuit” written all over it...
Another great video Gary keep up the good work
Thanks. Much appreciated!
I was offered an upgrade on the Allure of the Seas R.C.I, for only 50$ pp. We were upgraded from an outside to a balcony. On big ships, this is more of a possibility, given that there are more balconies in comparison to outsides and insides. Sometimes cruise companies prefer to free these to keep promoting offers or because there is a demand for adjoining / connecting door cabins, (which was our case.) We got a nice location, so it worked out great. It was a Mediterranean cruise, which was why we originally hadn't wanted a balcony (prefer balconies in the Carribean). So the upgrade was nice!
Love your videos, Gary. Thank you.
One important item you did not mention is moving to a cabin that is above a smoking area like the sports bars on many ships. Is there anything you can do to smarten-up cruise lines with respect to banning smoking entirely? Many years ago, which was the last time we cruised, we wrote to every Royal Caribbean Board member about smoking concerns. For example, on one ship we were on, the ice cream machine frequented by families and their children had been foolishly located in the smoking side of the ship. A few months later, RC banned smoking in cabins and most ship areas.
But, you still had the inconvenience of avoiding the casino floor, where smoking was allowed as well as the bar areas where smoking was allowed. Isn't it time to ban smoking completely? Cruise lines are scared of fires as many passengers could be harmed or die. Why don't they simply ban smoking entirely to eliminate this possibility?
Can you please help those of us who are seriously allergic to smoke? Thank you !
Great upgrade tips...thank you!
Pleasure. Thanks for watching, and great to hear you found it interesting
I take time researching my cabin for location etc. so I never tick the upgrade box. Your video has confirmed that I've made the right choice for me.
I’m very much like you too.
Thank you for the information!
Who doesn't want an upgrade? Maybe not! Thanks for the video.
Carnival sent us an email asking if we would upgrade to a view cabin. We would be going from deck 6 to deck 2. We turned it down and they told us that we would be asked again about an upgrade. My husband and I did not want go from deck 6 to deck 3. Also it was going to cost us almost $300.00 to take the upgrade.
Frivolous aside....we started going FIVE star to Mexican All Inclusives...nope...can't go back to 4 star...you are right! We get used to....what we get used to!
excellent information Gary. How much time does one have to accept/reject an upgrade offer? Thanks!
It depends on the line. If you have ticked or agreed to accept an upgrade you have no say as if they doing it then you are upgraded no matter what you think of the new cabin. If they call and offer then usually you have to decide there and then....
@@tipsfortravellers thanks for the feedback. I wonder how fast I can pull up the ship diagram!
I was part of a select group that was offered an upgrade. It was first come first serve, someone else may take it first. However sometimes they will offer again with a lower price if nobody takes it in the first round. You have to decide how much you want it and if you are willing to risk losing the offer.
Excellent info. Thank you!
Great to hear thanks :-)
Where is the location at 2:08??😮😮😮
An Upgrade also means paying a higher gratuity per person as well which needs to be taken into consideration.
My husband surprised me with a cruise and we were "upgraded" to an oceanview right next to the atrium and right under the teen club. It was an accessible oceanview (we didn't need an accessible room) the shower water soaked everything since there was no barrier to keep the water in the shower and the air conditioner broke so it was 90 degrees all week. It was horrible!!
Sounds like u have such a caring and loving husband. I guess it's the thought that counts. Congrats.
I hate that about accessible rooms in general, it's the same thing with the showers in hotels. Give me a regular room with a glass door that keeps the water inside the shower.
Thank you for this perspective. Good things to consider.
I always buy inside and hit the auction hard and get a balcony or a suite. Works 100% of the time, pay bid high in the auction.
richard c Hey Richard, May I ask to what you are referring too ..auction? Like the bid thing to upgrade on Norwegian Cruise Lines? Love to understand.mahalo..You sound really clever...tell me more sweety pie!
We love our AFT cabins on a specific deck :)
I was offered an aft cabin and did not take it. Why is it appealing?
@@YayAgain9545 Large private decks and beautiful views!
Thank you, excellent information.
Yes, upgrading to a balcony has spoiled me. I am finding it hard to go back to an inside cabin.
My wife and I have never benn on a cruise and we may take one in the near future. Which UA-cam episodes should we watch so we can get the most enjoyment out of it.
This was very informative. Thank you! :)
I’ve been cruising for about 10 years and have never been offered an upgrade. Last year we got a fantastic deal on NCL Getaway balcony cabin asked NCL if there were any upgrades available. We were told that because we booked through a discounted company, we weren’t qualified for any upgrade.
Interesting to hear their feedback about where you booked affecting upgrades.
Drinking game, drink every time he says upgrade.
I have been on one cruise and have been looking at videos about cruises. I don’t think I will go. This is too complicated and I doubt that I would get a cabin that would be to my liking. The cruise I took ended with engine failure and late disembarking where they locked us out of our cabins and made us wait for hours on the deck and hallways until we finally reached port.
I’m sitting here now debating on going from a balcony room on deck 8 of carnival sunshine to a cloud 9 spa balcony room on deck 12 😭 it’s a $44 upgrade and it looks like it would be an ocean suite
9 cruises so far in 12 years. Only had a balcony one time. I didn't like it. Give me an interior cabin on Riviera deck anytime.
Thanks
If you lose your perks for upgrading to a better cabin, you're on the wrong cruiseline. NCL perks are dependent on cabin size. A inside cabin will get you 1 perk, if you upgrade to a balcony, you'll get the 2 perks that cabin offers.
However some perks are part of the promo package that was available when you booked. I considered rebooking when I saw room prices dropped but then I would be getting the perks in the current promo, which were not as many as those I already had and it looked like the loss of those perks would cause me to merely break even at best if I now had to pay for those things out of pocket.
Totally agree
Thanks
I appreciate this video. I'm sailing Celebrity after many years of not. When I booked, they chose (suggested) our cabin for us which is a Family Veranda aft ship with a very large balcony (Summit, deck 7). This cabin accommodates 5 people. There are only 2 of us. I did inquire about Aqua Class initially but was not happy that the cabin would be smaller AND it would have cost more, ....however, I do like the benefits of the Aqua class access to the spa amenities (not so much the dining room benefit). Would you accept an upgrade? I'm sort of suspicious it will be offered based on my inquiry and that they might want to sell our cabin to a larger family.
What is the cruise line's motivation in offering the upgrade in the first place?
Possibly so they’ll be able to free up & continue selling the more popular staterooms which judging from the number of these rooms on most cruise ships are the outside and non-suite balcony cabins. Which is also probably why they offer upgrades only to cruisers who have already paid for their cabins, not to mention often upgrade people to harder-to-sell/less desirable rooms (obstructed view, inconvenient location, etc).
To make more money and sell more expensive cabins. They may make the upgrade to people who before wouldn't be willing to spend that amount of money upfront, but then fall in love with the grade of cabin and start cruising more expensively.
And I thought my head was spinning before I watch this video LOL lot of good information a lot to think about
Q- I am traveling with my adult son. Can I get a room with two twin beds instead of one double or queen bed? Also, I do want an interior room, low and in the middle as I am prone to motion sickness.
You can ask for and get all that when you book.
Gary, can you please tell me which cruise ships are featured at 6:18 - 6:30 on this video. I am searching for really nice cabins on ships and my husband and I are extremely new to cruising. We will actually start cruising next year 2020. Much appreciated. BTW I truly enjoy your honesty.
Not sure about the others, but I'm pretty sure the one at 6:17 is a Crown Loft Suite. I know they're featured on all 4 oasis class ships by royal caribbean, but I don't know if they're in any other cruises. Hope this helps!
You should also check out suite class on celebrity and by far the best food on non-luxury cruise lines.
Cunard has really nice cabins in their Princess and Queen grills.
Great tips.
Thank you
All the cabins in this ideology are way better than any cabin I have had on my 4 cruises, so they would be an upgrade to me !
Tricky stuff. Thx.
What happens if you wanted to book a cruise on the month of your birthday do you get any extra perks or something I’ve been with royal Caribbean twice and a CAS member and extremely curious
I am a new at cruising it’s my dream go to see Alaska what your thoughts about cheap cruise inside cabins travel a long single 55
I did an inside cabin and I did not mind at all. Actually in Alaska during the solstice the days can be too long. With an inside cabin you decide when you want it dark.
I would look for single cabins like Norwegian has. When traveling in normal inside cabin say carnvial or royal Caribbean you would end up paying for 2 people even if was just you they book it with intention of 2 people to a room. Norwegian acually have single traveler rooms
Sometimes an upgrade might not be in a WCA room
Hope you respond, where did you get that picture behind you? It would make a great gift for my mothers xmas
It’s a great picture, I agree ! I got it on board Queen Mary 2 . I think that’s only place they sell it
@@tipsfortravellers Rats, shes going on the GM2 next year (its her dream trip). What is the size? I found one online thats 60x80cm
www.pecheurdimages.com/en/stand-by-queen-mary-2.html#.XVCFMehKgdU
Do you get better deals using a travel agent or booking it on your own?
Excellent! Thank you.
Thank you for your insightful information. What I would like to know is if you’ve opted for a free upgrade, and if or when the opportunity arises, can you look at the upgraded cabin before making a decision? Or is it that once you’ve ticked for an upgrade you have no choice to back out of the deal?
You have no choice. If you’ve ticked the box and they upgrade you they decide to what cabin and you are stuck with it
Thank you for letting me know. I’ve just phoned the travel agent and asked them to untick that option. I will stick with my selected balcony.
My first cruise I fell for the cheap upgrade to a balcony. I found out I was right over the Piano bar. Piano fights anyone?
Sorry to hear about that. Upgrades definitely can be rubbish!