upgrade costs at port?

[challada]

Experienced cruisers...how much is the typical cost for upgrading your room when you are at the port? I know it tends to be cheaper at the port than if you do it thru your travel agent...but I don't have any idea what that would mean....

I'm currently in a cat 9 and know there are about 7 open cat5 on my boat Saturday (plus some cat4s are open, but I didn't check how many).

OK...now I'm wondering about Cat9 to Cat6 upgrade as there are connecting cat6 available and we have two cabins already (not connecting) so would rather upgrade to the connecting.
TIA
Chris

 

[challada]

Does anyone know?
THANKS
Chris

 

[FreeTime]

When we sailed last week, I was under the impression that we could get it for free, it available. The check in clerk searched and searched for something to "get us into," but the ship was pretty full. We were willing to pay, but he acted like it wouldn't cost anything. Not trying to get your hopes up, I am really not sure.

 

[challada]

Oh...I will keep every finger and toe crossed if that's the case! We now have 2 cat9 rooms that are next to eachother but not connected, but I saw that there are connecting cat6 rooms, both available! I would LOVE to get those...not so much for the verandahs as the fact that I want to connecting door!

 

[mommasita]

When there is availability, which is not that often, it is at a cost, but a fraction of what it would have been had you booked it in advance...

We were in a cat..11, and to upgrade to a verandah was something like 550$, which was very very inexpensive...We did not do it, as we are TOO CHEAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have never heard of it being free, that would be a shock, and cause quite the commotion for everyone to get there early..

 

[cmctammyg]

In 2003 my brother upgraded from a Category 11 to a Category 5 for $500. Last year, we really wanted to upgrade from Category 5 to Category 2 or 3, but there were none available. An upgrade to Category 4 was available for $500. There just wasn't enough room difference to justify the cost, so we didn't.

 

[AnnaS]

Of course it varies with number of nights of your cruise.

Does it vary with dates of your travel also? Perhaps - probably.

Does it matter # of people in cabin?

Reasons for these questions would probably determine price? Again, not sure.

We upgraded in July of 03 for our 7 night cruise - we had two adults and one child in cabin - cat. 11 to a cat. 6 - We paid something like $675. It was great - we did not spend as much time as we would of liked since we were traveling with another family and we did want to spend our time with them also.

 

[jmcdonnell04]

In Sept. 2003, I paid $ 250 to go from cat 11 to cat 8 for a week long cruise.
This was our second cruise which I only booked two weeks before departure but this would have been $ 750+ added expense if booked directly.
In Sept 2004, we booked a cat 10 and were upgraded to category 5 for
a week long cruise. We are again booked for Sept 2005 cruise in category 10 and we are hoping for more Disney magic for a upgrade especially since last year's cruise had hurricane problems.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Just wondering how can you tell what rooms are still available on a particular cruise? Anyone have a link? Thanks!

 

[challada]

expedia booking let's you choose your room number once you choose a category so it shows you which room numbers are available thru them for your given cruise.

 

[Lisa F]

We upgraded at the port once a couple of years ago and although I don't remember actual prices, I remember the prodecure.

They have a chart that has number of days in the cruise (3, 4 and 7) and number of people in the stateroom that they read the upgrade prices from. When they upgrade you it's by room "type" and not so much category. You can upgrade from an inside (cat 10, 11, 12) to an outside (cat 8, 9) for one price depending on cruise length and number of people. You can upgrade from an outside (cat 8, 9) to a verandah (cat 4, 5, 6) for a different price depending on cruise length and number of people. If you want to upgrade from an inside to verandah you pay the first upgrade level + the second upgrade level (ditto if you want to go to suites though those are priced separately by category).

I seem to remember the price being a bit less than 1/2 of what it would have cost to book the higher category outright. I think for us it was about a $2000 difference and we paid $700 to upgrade at the port from a cat 11 to a cat 6 with two adults (but that difference is also because they were running a special rate on cat 11's for our sailing, $599/person or something). So our base cruise cost a bit over $1200, we paid $700 to upgrade at the port and the whole thing came out to $2000 vs our $3300 reservation that we booked outright before we downgraded to th cat 11 for the special rate. I'm not 100% sure of those numbers but that seems to be coming back to me now.

 

[StuartMI]

I'd love get into a verandah for our 4-day this coming October. Right now we have a Cat 10 Room: SPH 5520. I'd gladly fork over $500 to get into a verandah room. I guess I just need to cross my fingers and hope the magic visits us. Either that, or get an upgrade automatically.

Gosh, I love the sound of the water and sleeping with the verandah door open. So relaxing and peaceful.

Oh well, regardless, being on the ship is better than being at work REGARDLESS where we are!