? about upgrade secret porthole

[tink1663]

Helllo everyone! I booked my December 2004 cruise last year. My question is this, I was able to get a secret porthole room but it was an adjoining room which we do not need. I have recently found out that the cruise we are taking is going to be a very popular one because it is going to be a Mousefest cruise. I was wondering if because of the popularity of this cruise that they will be needing more adjoining rooms and if I will be moved to a room without a secret porthole. I realize that the secret porthole room is a cat 10 and the rates are the same for inside rooms. I am willing to be moved but I don't want to lose the porthole even though the view is partially blocked. Will they call me first and ask if they need my room or will they just move me to another cat 10 because after all that is what I paid for? I'm sorry if this question has already been asked, I did look back at other threads but found nothing quite like it.

 

[westjones]

I don't know how upgrades are handled, but the DCL seems to just pick people to upgrade with no particular reasoning. I have been on 4 cruises and never been upgraded.

Which cruise are you on? We are on the 4 night Dec. 19th cruise and I have been watching it and boy is it going fast! We booked in Dec. 2002 and already our room is up by $1100! So glad we booked early!

They are already sold out of the Cat. 11s & 12s!

We have a Secret Porthole Room too, but not a connecting. I would LOVE to be upgraded to a veranda, but doubt that it happens (things like that don't seem to happen for us).

If anyone knows of a 'way' to up your chances of an upgrade I would love to know!

Thanks!
DJ

 

[willow]

how do you look to see how many are on your cruise? I've been wondering how full ours is going to be.

willow

 

[westjones]

I just looked up our cruise on the Disney.com website to get a 'quote' and they no longer list Cat. 11s or 12s. Last weekend they listed 12s, but no 11s, but now both are gone and the price has gone up a lot.

I am 'watching' it because in Dec. 2002, my sister and I agreed to go on this cruise together for Christmas 2004. I booked, she didn't and still hasn't. I have told her and told her the prices are going up, but she still hasn't booked. Now the price has doubled, and I am beginning to think she will probably not go (but we are going with or without her).

Anyway, just go to http://www.disney.com and then go to the Disney Cruise site and get a quote for a reservation. It will list which catagories are available and the cost.

DJ

 

[tink1663]

We are going on the 4 night cruise December 5-9. Too bad we are not same cruise because it would be nice to meet up on the cruise. I have posted a thread under cruise meets but so far no replies. I just checked the prices for our cruise and wow am I sure glad we booked early because the prices have certainly gone up. I didn't have any idea that they increase that much for the same exact catagory. My family thinks I'm a little nuts because I like to plan out vacations many, many months in advance. Just goes to show that planning ahead is well worth it not, only do I learn alot of ins and outs but also save a whole bundle of money.

 

[minniemouse1]

when we were booking our next vacation on the ship in oct 03 the agent said that upgrades are handled by the need of the cabins. So if DCL needs cat 10 ajoining rooms then you may have the chance at an upgrade also if they sell alot of cat 10 guarantees then they may upgrade older reservations is the info we got from her. She also said that sometimes it is also just totally random like ours was on our Oct . We booked late in a cat 10 guarantee then upgraded to a cat 9 guarantee before the departure day and when we boarded we were in a cat 8 on the 5th floor which besides all the noise from the walt disney theatre was wonderful. The agent said it was probably because they over sold the cat 9's.
We booked our next vacation on the 5th floor in a SPH room because we love the location close to the kids clubs and nursery. I also really liked that when you left your room on the 5th floor there was about 20 rooms or so but on our 1st time on DCL we were in a verandah room on the 7th floor and when you left your room esp for dinner it was like a cattle call in the hall with hundreds of people and difficult for us to navigate down the hall with our stroller.
Good luck with your upgrade!

 

[mickeymom30]

What are the secret porthole rooms?

 

[makaylee]

A secret porthole room or sph is a cat. 10 cabin that still has a porthole. It is obstructed somewhat but it is still better than no porthole especially if you are on a budget. There are only 6 on each ship and 4 of them a adjoining so if you want to try and get one you have to book very early.

 

[Miss Eeyore]

As I read the original post, I did not have the same answer/reaction as those posted. I believe the poster was asking if it were possible to be moved to a different cat.10 room if DCL really needed her room. That lateral move would leave her in an inside cabin. I don't think she was asking about the possibility of an upgrade, but rather worried that she would lose her porthole.

I think the most logical answer to here concern would not to worry about the loss of porthole. If Disney really needs her adjoining room, I would imagine that any move would have to be a higher category. I don't know this for sure, but it is the prevailing trend in the travel industry.

Marilee

 

[Mjasp]

In my opinion, I don't think they would use the SPR, if they needed a connector, I think they would use a regular cat. 10 and upgrade someone that had a regular cat. 10 booked. Or they would expose the fact that it is truly a porthole room.

I don't think I have read with all the upgrade threads that anyone in a SPR has ever been given an upgrade.

Maybe I'm wrong, and I sure hope I am as I have a SPR booked, but I don't think I am.

Joanna

 

[tink1663]

I wanted to say thank you for undestanding my question about my sph room. You are right in saying that I was not looking for an upgrade but didn't want to lose my porthole view. Sorry if the way I worded my question was a bit confusing. Thank you to everyone who took the time out to respond. Any info I read helps me better understand and prepare for out first cruise. You are all so very helpful!

 

[minniemouse1]

I think it is possible for a move to another cat 10.
When we cruised in Oct I was at guest services to get a stroller when a VERY angry woman was at the counter complaining that she reserved a SPH over a year ago, checked her reservation "a few days ago" to comfirm her room and when she checked in on the boat in the morning she had been moved to a regular cat 10. She was told to board the ship and someone in GS would help her. She was telling GS that she would of paid for a Cat 9 if she would of known she was going to be in an inside room but a SPH was available at her time of booking so she took that. Our ship was full to capacity and there were signs everywhere saying that no upgrades were available. When I left the counter they were basically still telling her that there was nothing they could do for her and that she got the catagory that she paid for and had no explanation of why her room was changed. She was not giving up so I'm not sure what else happened. If she's on the boards I'd love to know.
Maybe DCL needed ajoining cat 10 rooms and bumped her, who knows but from what I over heard its possible. Sorry I didn't answer your question the first time.

 

[wide awake]

Did you do the Oct 11 Western ? That was the cruise after drydock and I read somewhere that not all the cabins were ready in time...something about carpet ? It may have been that her SPH room was one of those.

 

[Hygiene99]

Just to comment , on the Sph room switch
Was told that the room was not ready so they switched her room
to another cat 10 ... then she found out that there was another family in the cabin...... even got the name of the family....
she did end up getting a refund from Dcl

I think they realise that people Ask for SECRET porthole rooms at the time of booking and try not to switch them around....

 

[minniemouse1]

wide awake
yes we were on the oct 11 after drydock. We were in 5000 and I saw that every SPH on that side was full not sure about the others. We also had a flood in the hall near the first SPH maybe room 5022 but not absolutely sure of the # and that family was not moved. I had also heard people were told rooms were not done yet but as Hygiene99 said some people found out that there was another family in their room.
The woman received a very much deserved refund!

 

[Doodlebug939]

So when I call Disney do I ask for a secret port hole room? I dont want to sound like I have lost my mind is all. It is a catagory 10 then?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by Doodlebug939
So when I call Disney do I ask for a secret port hole room? I dont want to sound like I have lost my mind is all. It is a catagory 10 then?

Travel agencies that specialize in Disney cruises, like Dreams Unlimited, know what an SPH or secret porthole room is.

Otherwise, ask by room number. There are six SPH rooms: 5020, 5022, 5024, 5520, 5522, and 5524. All are category 10, which normally means a deluxe inside stateroom. But the six SPH rooms have "free" portholes with obstructed views.

The rooms are up on deck 5 near the category 8 rooms. It's almost like getting category 8 for a category 10 price (except that real category 8 rooms have unobstructed views).

5022 has a connecting door to 5024. 5522 has a connecting door to 5524. That's a great way to a very low cost "suite" -- but if you only need one room, 5020 and 5520 would be your first choice.

Each SPH room holds up to 4 passengers.

 

[BWVPam]

When I called the castaway number and requested a SPH room, the castmember called is one of the "Magic" rooms.

Pam