Have you gotten a free cabin upgrade?

[cruisecrasher]

First cruise we slept in that category.
Third cruise booked 11C again, no room selected.
Got assigned a 10A instead.
Whoop!
Free split bath! And yay!
It was upgraded when we got our room assigned several months before sail right before they released IGT/OGT/VGT for our sailing.
Basically, we were thrilled even though we spent very little time in the room since it was a four night couples cruise, it was nice pixie dust anyway.

As always, only book a category you will be fully happy sailing in, because the vast majority of the time, that is what will be happening.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

The only one I've ever gotten was on the 2007 Transatlantic cruise from a cat 9 to a cat 6. From what I was told then DCL usually only gives free upgrades when they have a large demand on a certain cabin type.

 

[april1401]

I am about to sail on my 7th cruise and have been very lucky! I've gotten 3 upgrades from Oceanview to Verandah.

The first time it was at the port upon check in in 2008. Second time was in 2010, when I used my DVC points to book the cruise and the last time was last year on the Fantasy when I paid cash.

I just found out that my 2nd upgrade was done by DVC. And when they (DVC) gives an upgrade you will know months before the ship sails. Back then I said in June and I knew in March what my upgrade was and my room#. They called me at home.

However my cruise has not left and I would like to change to a higher category and was told by DVC that I am locked in and cannot upgrade or change my room even if I want to pay for it. I was told by DVC customer service that once you are fully paid and locked in on the cruise, you cannot make changes, not even an upgrade, not even at the port. DVC usually locks in passenger on points a few months before sailing and that is the only time you can upgrade. At least that's what customer service told me.

Not happy about that!

In addition, as a person who has a DVC membership and sailed Disney Cruise Line several times, I'm so sick and tired that each of entity being so separate from the other. Once DVC takes over my cruise reservation the cruise line will have nothing to do with it. Even when I use points for one us and pay cash for the other

 

[Huggups]

Really? I've cruised DCL 4 times and have been upgraded 3 times. After taking that first cruise, every cruise after that, I was upgraded depending on my booked accommodation. I never did find out though until I was checking in. Don't know how much that has changed though since it's been a while since I've cruised.

 

[TLPL]

We are sailing 9/1 - originally had two Cat 9D GTY rooms, then paid $100 extra per room and upgraded ourselves to a Cat 7 GTY. Just found out this week BOTH rooms were upgraded to a Cat 5 ADJOINING rooms!!!!! So happy!!!!

Question for you PatricenPete, how did they calculate the upgrade charge from Cat 9D to Cat 7? was it $100 different when you first booked the 9D? or the gap narrowed as the sail date got closer?

 

[trickiwoo]

On our first cruise, we booked a 7A GTY room. We were assigned a 7A room... so no upgrade.

On our 2nd cruise we booked another 7A GTY room. This time we were upgraded to a 5D room! We are traveling with my parents who booked an 11C GTY room. They didn't get an upgrade and were assigned an 11C room.

Upgrades can be common if you book a GTY room... but they don't always happen...

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Question for you PatricenPete, how did they calculate the upgrade charge from Cat 9D to Cat 7? was it $100 different when you first booked the 9D? or the gap narrowed as the sail date got closer?

This doesn't answer your question but just wanted to mention, when you book, you lock in pricing in all categories. So if all cats go up a lot in price as your date nears, and you decide to upgrade, you won't pay pricing that you then see online. You would pay what you locked in that first day.

 

[Monty1381]

Great info.

 

[lbgraves]

...Upgrades can be common if you book a GTY room... but they don't always happen...

You don't increase your chances of being upgraded by booking a GTY at all. It is just as possible to get one if you select your stateroom. That happened to us both times we were upgraded.

 

[woody73]

You don't increase your chances of being upgraded by booking a GTY at all. It is just as possible to get one if you select your stateroom. That happened to us both times we were upgraded.

Agreed. We've never booked a GTY. Yet we received free upgrades on three sailings where we originally selected our stateroom.

Woody

 

[sparky309442]

My wife and I booked the Dream for our honeymoon in 2011. We booked an inside stateroom. When we received our cruise documents, we were still an inside. The next year we booked for our one year anniversary, but had to book the Dream again, because the Fantasy was so expensive. We were still extremely happy with the Dream. About 6 weeks later, my wife conveniently was on the DCL website, and they had a IGT booking available for the Fantasy. I called, cancelled the 5 nights on the Dream , and rebooked on the Fantasy for 7nights on EC. We checked in online a few days before our cruise, and the upgraded us for FREE to DELUXE OCEANVIEW with VERANDA ! It was amazing!(wouldn't pay out of pocket though) Our cruise this past March, on the Wonder, was another inside stateroom, but no upgrade. We'll just keep booking and hoping We're happy no matter where we sleep!

 

[chrisrunty]

In 2007 we booked an inside stateroom for our Mediterranean cruise to save some $$. When we checked in we were surprised to have a verandah stateroom.