Payoff

[maktrk96]

Is it good to pay off your cruise atleast 8 months in advance?
Has anyone got upgraded when they had connecting rooms?

 

[frdeb1999]

We rarely pay ours off that early. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing it that way though. And it's a wonderful feeling to have it paid in full...so if possible...go for it!

 

[mmouse37]

As stated it is a great feeling to have your cruise paid off, but don't do it just in the hopes of getting an upgrade....

Upgrades are only based on DCL's inventory requirements. Yes, people have gotten connecting cabins upgraded but it is all based on what DCL needs at the time they finalize cabin assignments.

 

[ljm23]

Just wishful thinking but is it still possible to get upgraded if you have an assigned cabin?

 

[kcashner]

Upgrades are totally random. It doesn't matter how many times you've sailed before (we've been on the Magic 17 times...free upgrade twice, paid upgrade once). It doesn't matter whether you use points or cash, how soon you made or paid off your trip, etc.

Yes, you can get an upgrade if you have an assigned room. You may discover at the port when you check in that you have been given pixie dust. On one of our upgrades, we got a call from a TA that we had been offered the upgrade and had 24 hours to accept or decline it. In the other case, we found out at the port when we checked in--I remember that one because I was concerned about the luggage--the CM said that it would be handled, and it was.

 

[ljm23]

Thanks, that's great. This will be our 3'rd cruise, let's hope the third time's the charm!

 

[mmouse37]

Here is a blurb I post when trying to explain upgrades.....

If you called DCL and "asked" for an upgrade DCL would assume you are willing to pay for that upgrade....but when DCL upgrades you on their own there is no cost to you.

DCL really does not upgrade out of the kindness in their hearts well, maybe sometimes they do!!!.... but in reality they upgrade based on their inventory requirements at any given time. There is really no rhyme or reason or set pattern....it does not matter if you booked your cruise early or last minute, are a return cruiser or first timer, had a TA book it or booked on your own, paid off cruise early or at the due date, had 1 stateroom booked or many, had adjoinging cabins or connecting cabins, booked onboard or from home, booked via phone or on the web, booked directly at the DCL site or with DCL on the phone, used DVC points or cash or reward dollars, yadda, yadda, yadda, etc.....none of these things matter in regards to DCL upgrading a cabin. Believe me, if there was a secret formula, the people on this board would have figured it out already!!! LOL!!!

The only "sure" upgrade right now is if you book 4 people in a Cat 12 then you will at least be upgraded to a Cat 11 since the Cat 12's only hold 3 people. This is the only category that DCL sometimes will allow booking more people than a cabin can accommodate. Again, this may change with the new ships. There is rumor that DCL is outfitting the Cat 12's to now hold 4 people....that would eliminate any "automatic" upgrade from that category. We will have to wait and see what happens!!

 

[tomspixie]

Great job on paying it off early! It is a great feeling!

Congrats to all those that have gotten upgrades...free or paid for. We only tried a couple of times....and none were available. We have sailed 15 times on Disney, and have never been upgraded...we do pray for pixie dust though!

 

[mmouse37]

Great job on paying it off early! It is a great feeling!

Congrats to all those that have gotten upgrades...free or paid for. We only tried a couple of times....and none were available. We have sailed 15 times on Disney, and have never been upgraded...we do pray for pixie dust though!

I feel your pain....in 16 DCL cruises we have only been upgraded once....when it was hubby's and my 20th anniversary. There was also a bottle of champagne in the stateroom from DCL. We were upgraded from a Cat 9 to a Cat 6 (hence why I posted they sometimes upgrade out of the kindness of their hearts...LOL!!!)

We sailed again at our 25th and no upgrade and again on our 29th and no upgrade so who knows!!!!

 

[tomspixie]

Thanks! It is good to see that their upgrades are there...but also it came at a beautiful time for you and your hubby! We are getting ready to celebrate our 19th...congrats on 29! Feel almost like an endagered species these days!
By the way, have to say your posts are always uplifting and fun to read!

 

[mmouse37]

Thanks! It is good to see that their upgrades are there...but also it came at a beautiful time for you and your hubby! We are getting ready to celebrate our 19th...congrats on 29! Feel almost like an endagered species these days!
By the way, have to say your posts are always uplifting and fun to read!

And congrats to you on your 19th!!!! Thanks so much about the posts...I try to stay fair and balanced....LOL!!!

 

[NancyIL]

I'm a firm believer in hanging onto my money as long as possible. Therefore, I personally would NOT pay off a cruise 8 months in advance.

 

[mkmommy]

I am glad I paid mine off early. Being Canadian I paid when the Canadian dollar was at par, now the exchange on a credit card would be about 1.26 so I saved over $1300.

 

[NancyIL]

I am glad I paid mine off early. Being Canadian I paid when the Canadian dollar was at par, now the exchange on a credit card would be about 1.26 so I saved over $1300.

I'd make an exception to my "don't pay early" rule if I were paying in a foreign currency!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Well my 2009 cruise was paid off in full over a year in advance, and thats a Cat 3, - Mad! I hear you say from this side of the pond, -well it was paid off at $2 to the £1, now the exchange rate is $1.47 a drop of 30%.

So I am happy with my 30% saving, but.......

didnt pay off 2010 in time, will have to sit that out and hope our exchange rate goes back up by January 2010.

 

[mr.b]

Several years ago, a friend put me on to paying the cruise off early. I get paid every 2 weeks, so I send money to the DCL (Disney Cruise Vacations), and it gets paid off. I tell people that I don't have a Christmas club... I have a Disney cruise club! It sure beats having to put out a big chunk of money all at once, or worse; putting it on a credit card.

As far as upgrades go, in 7 cruises, we have been upgraded 4 times. Twice to a category 6, and twice to a category 9. Hope you get an upgrade.

 

[maktrk96]

Thank you all for all your information. We will be hoping for some of that when we arrive.. 7K is enough for a family of 5 for a 1st time trip to WDW/DCL.. I need some spending $$$$$$ Which we have already started saving for. Now the waiting process is killing me .

 

[Maza]

we booked next years cruise last year...and i nagged my DB...who is coming with us..into paying his cruise portion of our holiday whilst the £ was strong...which he did at $2 for £1. i wish i had taken my own advice! we paid about half....then the £ started to bottom out! i am now hanging onto my money hoping the £ will rally a little before the cruise needs to be paid..or the date my advance reservations can be made...ahhhh on a good note though, we had a lot of $ left when we came back from the Us last time...which i didnt exchange...so atleast we ave some spendies....and out stateroom credit is technically worth more than it was when we booked small compensation, but i suppose i should be grateful we can still go on holiday....so many cant...

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

we booked next years cruise last year...and i nagged my DB...who is coming with us..into paying his cruise portion of our holiday whilst the £ was strong...which he did at $2 for £1. i wish i had taken my own advice! we paid about half....then the £ started to bottom out! i am now hanging onto my money hoping the £ will rally a little before the cruise needs to be paid..or the date my advance reservations can be made...ahhhh on a good note though, we had a lot of $ left when we came back from the Us last time...which i didnt exchange...so atleast we ave some spendies....and out stateroom credit is technically worth more than it was when we booked small compensation, but i suppose i should be grateful we can still go on holiday....so many cant...

Yes £ against the $ is in freefall at the moment, I paid off DCL August 09 at $2 to the £1, so I am ok to August with $ expenditure, its 2010 that is important to me so I will delay paying that off as long as possible.

 

[Maza]

kinda hoping the dollar gets devalued before the pound...although it is not looking good if my daily newspaper is to be beleived! ah well...