For those who upgraded at the Port

[StuartMI]

I'm curious as to how this works.

From what I've searched/read on, instead of checking in at the usual desk, you visit some desk down at the end of the terminal and check in there, is this correct? Or, do you check in, and then visit this "other desk" to see about an upgrade?

Now, for those that have been successful in paying for an upgrade at the port, how did you pay for it? I mean, obviously they would say something like "Okay, you're in a cat 'x' now, and we have a cat 'y' available for 'z' dollars". If you say, "Sounds good, do it!" do they take your credit card and charge it right then and there? The reason Im asking is that I like to pay off my credit card every month. For mine, the statement rolls over on the 25th of each month which means since we aren't cruising till 10/23, if they charge it that day, it could be on the statement printed 10/25 and due 11/25. If they put it on the stateroom account and charged it at the end of the cruise, then it would be on my 11/25 bill due on 12/25(ish). I'm guessing that one of the following will be the case: a) they'll charge it right then and there (makes sense, want to make sure I have the funds available) and it may or may not post until after 10/25 so its a crapshoot. Or, b) they'll add it to my stateroom account which will automatically cause a charge to my card since it will be "over the limit" that DCL lets you run before your card is charged.

I hate running a CC balance and have been pretty successful not doing so, so I'm just trying to guess what will be happening here. Maybe I just answered myself. Maybe I should just carry a big wad of cash and not use plastic at all. Maybe I should just be quiet.

Lastly, how do they intercept your luggage and route it to the new stateroom?

 

[grlzmom]

Not sure if it goes this way all the time, but for us it was:

Check in, then move to the end where they take care of the upgrades. The CM there told us what was available, pulled out a laminated chart with different categories (going from X to X) and that showed the price increase. We then paid that amount with credit card and it was charged immediately.

Once, there was even a sign up indicating "no upgrades available" but we asked anyway and there was a category 3 available. We were originally booked in an 8, already upgraded by the DCL upgrade fairy to a 5, and then paid 1000 to go to a 3. Now that was Magic. Another time we were offered upgrade from a 4 to a 3 for 800, but we didnt do it.

I suggest getting to port early if you are hoping there might be a chance to do this.

 

[grlzmom]

Oops, forgot to comment on the luggage. This seemed to be an area of weakness. Both times, dh had to eventually go and find our luggage himself in the area of our original room assignment.

Also, stuff that had been sent to us was delivered to our original room (family gifts/food and castaway towels, etc.) and consumed by the new occupants (who had upgraded to our room after we upgraded to someone elses room) and I still get mad thinking about how I would never do that to someone else. DCL was very apologetic and spent the week giving us little surprises (ex choco covered strawberries) to make up for the mess.

Last cruise we went on we had to sign for the castaway club stuff, so maybe they are tracking it a little better.

 

[Ariel&Flounder'sMom]

okay, this may be a silly question, but:

Is it less expensive to wait and try to upgrade at the port than it is to just book it that way in the first place?

Why did you wait until the port to try and upgrade?

 

[jrabbit]

okay, this may be a silly question, but:

Is it less expensive to wait and try to upgrade at the port than it is to just book it that way in the first place?

Why did you wait until the port to try and upgrade?

Yes it gennerally is less expensive doing it this way - but on most cruises it is NOT available.

 

[grlzmom]

We have never planned to upgrade at port. We always book the category we expect to get and are very happy with it. I would hate to book a category I didn't really want and then hope up until the day of sailing to be upgraded either by DCL or at port. That would just not be my way to plan a vacation.

However, of course if there is an opportunity to upgrade at port, and we can afford it at the time, we usually (not always) do it.

We have usually been at the port early to board early and make all our ressies. But, now that you can do that online ahead of time we probably won't ever be there early enough to think about upgrading again.

 

[MandyMommytoReaghan]

I was sitting here thinking the same questions, how ironic. DH and I were discussing upgrading to a cat 3....we are booked as of now in cat.4 . Should I call AAA and ask for a price this soon or should I wait till we get to the port? When questioning about it a couple months ago, she mentioned the price difference would be $1,000. The decisions, decisions, decisions

 

[SpoonfulofSugar]

Does anyone know if you are a DVC memeber and booked a cruise with points, or if you used a TA, if you can upgrade at check-in, if avail.??? (Before your cruise you must do all your changes through the TA or DVC member services)