How to Pay for Port Upgrade

[tup1830]

Hello All,

How do you pay for a port upgrade?

Is it:
charged to on-board account?
cash?
CC?
disney gift card?

Is there any form of payment not accepted?

 

[Majordis]

Ours was charged to the onboard account in May 2014.

 

[Lisa Lisa]

Same here. The one time we upgraded at port, the cost was charged to our onboard account.

 

[ILovePixieDust]

Our onboard account was also charged when we upgraded this past August.

 

[iambrink]

So, yes, it will be charged to your onboard account...then if you want to use Disney gift cards to pay whatever is charged to your onboard account, you just go to guest services and apply those cards to your account.

 

[malson]

What is the success rate for upgrades? I know it depends on how much of the ship is sold but didn't know if they held certain cabins or categories to make available for upgrades.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What is the success rate for upgrades? I know it depends on how much of the ship is sold but didn't know if they held certain cabins or categories to make available for upgrades.

They don't hold any rooms back. They want to sell them at the highest price they can get. If there are any rooms still unsold, those are the ones available for upgrades. If you have a room that's a lower category than what's available.

 

[over50visits]

What is the success rate for upgrades? I know it depends on how much of the ship is sold but didn't know if they held certain cabins or categories to make available for upgrades.

No one here knows whether they hold any back (unless we have a Disney manager lurking here!). For example, there may be holdbacks to solve last minute maintenance, or rooms held back for a special passenger expected at the last minute.

My guess is they probably won't hold any for port upgrades.

It makes economic sense to not have holdbacks without a good reason because missing a sale at full price isn't worth having an upgrade available at half price (or so), and Disney acts rationally in their business decisions. So I wouldn't depend on there being an upgrade available, but hope for the best. I believe chances are better the earlier you check in, chances might be better on cruises that had to resort to guarantee room availability, chances might be better for upgrade from inside to oceanview. Luck of the draw. We have had upgrades offered to us every time we asked.

 

[Trera]

we were successful getting a port upgrade once. We ended up going from a FLR rate verandah to a 1 bedroom suite on the Magic for a 7 day Western and it was wonderful. We saved thousands over what the booking rate on the room was just 3 days before the cruise.

 

[katds10]

What is the success rate for upgrades? I know it depends on how much of the ship is sold but didn't know if they held certain cabins or categories to make available for upgrades.

Out of 6 cruises in the last 4 years - all different itineraries, out of Los Angeles, Vancouver and Port Canaveral, port upgrades were only available once. I was surprised because on a few of them, it showed plenty of rooms still available a couple of weeks prior to sailing. They do keep some rooms empty on purpose for maintenance problems. I know because we were on a particularly full sailing, the no upgrades sign was out and then we had a problem and were offered a bunch of empty rooms to choose from (2 different categories).

 

[Bear3412]

One of the first things I learned here, reading and lurking, was to book the cabin you will be comfortable with from the outset. Do not count on upgrades. Especially don't find your self yearning for an upgrade later after the cabins are sold out, expecting something at the port, even in the off season.

Trust me. Upgrades in the off season to higher categories are rarely available, and stressful.
Check for yourself. The first cabins to sell on any vessel are to most, and least expensive.

Book what you are comfortable with from the outset.
And be permanently satisfied with that decision. It's peaceful.
Best info gained here. It did cost us though, throughout the years , lol, but ....
So valuable.... No regrets. A VISA moment, perhaps.

OH! The other priceless bit of info garnered from these boards.

Book and sail DCL while your kids are still young! ! !

That is why I will thank all these, and past board members now.

Thank you for convincing me (us) indirectly, through your posts/threads to sail DCL, and create wonderful family memories on a wonderful cruise line. We are completely satisfied with our cruise line choice at that time for our young family.

We and our kids have the best service and aggressive hospitality sailing DCL.
There is something different aboard DCL vessels, ... is it magic ? ? ? I don't know? ? ? as a non Disney fan.
I have always felt it's the clientele ... perhaps emitting that magic.
All the folks aboard are happy and are mostly families. That's huge to me. That's my magic, .. just that, creates a magical environment and atmosphere.

Oh, plus everything is G rated. That made me happy with the young ones. Although that time may have slipped passed already for us. Oh my.
Sail while they are young! ! !

Even though we are currently winding down our DCL sailings unfortunately and things are changing aboard, I'm still comfortable stating DCL rocks for young ones.

Port upgrade what? ? ?

What's that?