upgrade info

[MBD1215]

if someone was curious I figured I would post it,we just returned from four day wonder. we had booked cat 4, asked about upgrade to cat 3 at port, it was available, charged me $598.,in my opinion it was money well spent, checked with DCL a couple of days before cruise, if I had upgraded before we left for cruise it would have been $2100.but now I'm spoiled...

 

[maryisme]

Thanks for posting this info. I have always wondered what others have been able to snare once at the port. I will defnitely ask when we cruise in June 03.

Mary

 

[AnnMorin]

I just give up!!!
It seems they rarely-if ever- happen on the magic. And even on the wonder there seems to be no rhyme or reason. I have resigned myself to just being happy with what I can afford at the time I book.. much less stress!

 

[dianedisney]

I will be cruising on the Disney Magic, Januaryh 11, 2003. I just might have to see if upgrade is available, thanks.

Have a Disney Day !!

 

[Pryd]

We did it again:

We booked a cat 9 on the ship last year and upgraded to a Cat 5 for $358.00. For a Cat 4 the cost would be doubled to Over $700.00.

We went for the Cat 5 on deck #7 Great view and saved lots of $$$ that we would have been charged for the original booking.

 

[OhioTony]

We have been upgraded on every cruise we have ever been on,including last sept on the Wonder.The trick is "BOOK EARLY".It also is more likely if you're going in the off season.When they see the ship is not going to sell out all cruise lines will move people out of the less expensive rooms in the order of earliest reservations to make those rooms available for last minute cruise deals and promotional "give aways"..They want people on the ships spending money and will do anything to leave with a full ship!We plan our cruises at least a full year in advance and treat it like we're trying to reserve a table @ Cinderelles' Castle by calling the first day they will accept reservation for that particular sailing date.With a little planning this method should work with every cruise you take............Sorry to you procrastinators, earlybird catches the worm every time!

 

[MBD1215]

at first we booked cat 5 back in feb., emailed nicely to ask about upgrades. was told they don't happen, went to WDW for july 4th, had some problems, emailed DCL agian asked about upgrades due to the problems in July, again told upgrades don't happen. paid for the cat 4 upgrade and held out hope for a upgrade to cat 3. once it didn't happen I asked at port. DCL's stance is they don't upgrade out of fairness to other cruisers. you either have to book what you want and pay the price, or try at the port, but it seems if you luck out at the port it is much less expensive.my boys are older, 13 and 17, so the extra room was nice. I think next time I will have to book cat 3 from the start and bite the bullet.

 

[4nana]

OhioTony...
LOL.....If early booking has anything to do with it, this early bird should have a big fat worm waiting as we booked 26 mos in advance!! We're not going to hold our breath and will be very happy with our cat 9 if there is no surprise

 

[SueEllen]

I just give up!!! It seems they rarely-if ever- happen on the magic. And even on the wonder there seems to be no rhyme or reason.

Actually all you have to do is ask at the port. It is NOT a complimentary upgrade, you do have to pay for it. There is a separate line for asking about upgrades. We upgraded on our cruise last week from a Cat. 9 to a Cat. 4. Well worth it with our toddler and pre-teen!

Sue Ellen

 

[TChrist05]

MBD1215....what would you say is the major difference from a category 4 to a category 3? We booked last year before we left the ship...actually we booked on 11/30/01....for a cruise on the magic going out on 11/30/02....got a good early booking allowance and decided to move from a category 10 inside to a category 8 with a porthole. Just so we could see out and have some sunshine in the morning....Contacted DCL two weeks ago to ask how much it would cost to go to a category 6...which was not available..we could go to a category 5 for $800.00 more...so we said thanks...but no thanks....and decided we would check at the port to see if it was any different. Anyway...we just figured we would have to be happy with our category 8....and last Friday DCL called and upgraded us to a category 5 no charge...asking why they did this...they said about a month before they check there inventory and if there are cabins available...they check when people booked and if they had sailed with them...we booked a year in advance and sailed the last two years...first on the Wonder and last year on the Magic...so we are estatic to say the least...but I wonder how much they would charge me to move to a 4 or 3......I think I am asking too much...but if you could tell me the difference...and you seem to be pleased with your choice...
Thanks...
Tom

 

[Ashley24]

How do you know where the line is for possible upgrades?
Ann

 

[AnnMorin]

Originally posted by TChrist05
MBD1215....and last Friday DCL called and upgraded us to a category 5 no charge...asking why they did this...they said about a month before they check there inventory and if there are cabins available...they check when people booked and if they had sailed with them...we booked a year in advance and sailed the last two years...first on the Wonder and last year on the Magic...so we are estatic to say the least
Thanks...
Tom

Well I don't know about that- i am happy for you but if the case was how early you book and how often you cruise I should have been upgraded on trip number one (our anniversory we booked it well over a year in advance) trip number two took that cruise eight months after the last one and on trip number three a week less than a year after cruise number two. Tom I think you are just a VERY lucky person!!

 

[Lisa F]

If you ask about upgrading when you check in, they will point you to the line. It's basically the supervisor's line, all the way at the end of the counter (closest to where you wait on line to get on the ship).

On our $99 wonder cruise we asked about upgrading, just to see how much it would cost. We were booked in cat 8, just asked for an upgrade to a verandah (not sure if that was cat 7, 6 or 5) and it was I think $300 for the two of us. Didn't seem worth it since it was more than the cost of the original cruise for the upgrade. We may try upgrading at the port on our January cruise but are currently in a cat 10 secret porthole room so it might be kind of tough to pay the difference from a cat 10 to a cat 5 or 6, but we'll see I guess. I might even ask if they have any cat 3's. Has anyone been able to upgrade from a REALLY low category to a cat 3? (and pay for it, of course) Seems like a difference of even $1,000 for two people would be a bargain compared to the cost to book in advance.

I also agree that someone who gets upgraded for free is very lucky. Someone who gets upgraded on EVERY cruise must have their own personal supply of pixie dust. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to why people get upgraded, though it does seem to happen a lot more on the wonder than on the magic. Like many others, I have been holding my current reservation for over 2 years and that doesn't seem to mean anything (except it did save me a bunch of $$ in early booking savings!)


Lisa

 

[bartoscowabunga]

What rooms have secret portholes? Also, I just got my cruise docs and so did another family member. They booked us on separate floors and total oposite sides of the ship. Seems strange they wouldn't have tried to get us closer together. We are in the same category. We are going off season in early December.

 

[peagreenid]

Do you mind if I ask what you paid to upgrade from a 9 to a 4?

smiles Patty

 

[Wishing on a star]

Sounds like there is very little rhyme or reason to upgrades! Hey, if Barb and Tony haven't been upgraded!!! We will be traveling on the Wonder, off season, so I do have my fingers crossed...

Like one person said, It looks like Disney does NOT automatically give upgrades simply because there are higher category cabins available... They are making $$$ selling these upgrades at embarkation!!

I think maybe they give upgrades if they need YOUR cabin in your category... Let's say they decide to do a special, offering a low rate on these categories, and all of the sudden, they have more requests than rooms... Or lets say a large group incentive, travel agency, family reunion, etc.. calls and request a bunch of a certain category staterooms... To make that booking, they may find it necessary to bump somebody UP... Me please!!

I will so happy with my Secret Porthole room!!! But, if they want to upgrade me to a nice verandah, I'll take it!!


Bartos, Have you called to see if you could get rooms together? Did you all request adjoining, or connecting, rooms?? If you made your booking closer to the sailing date, then maybe the ship was getting full, and that was the best they could do? Good luck getting closer cabins!

 

[TChrist05]

There is a method to the Disney maddness sometimes....see...if they have a lot of category 6's and 5's available....and a month before the cruise the see they are available...most people don't book the upper priced cabins at off peak times and short notice...so if they clear out the lower categories....category 8-10 and move some of those people up...there opens up some cheaper priced cabins...they make the people they upgrade happy and they have a good chance of filling the lower cabins with specials they have running...especially at off peak times....and on a personal note...I do consider myself very lucky that they did this....but in all honesty we do Disney a lot...twice a year..sometimes 3 times and plan on cruising each year...this being the 3rd in a row....we do spend a lot of money there...and don't kid yourself...they know how much each family spends on rooms....cruises...etc. Last time I called to book a reservation they ask for your phone number...and the cast member marveled at how many times we have come down to Disney World...so even though they gave us the upgrade....in a way I kind of paid for it...I hope you can understand what I am saying....
24 days to the Magic...almost 23.....
Tom

 

[AnnMorin]

If that was the case then why don't they upgrae the people who have spent even more money buying the cat 5 and 6's each year to cat. 4's they have spent thousands more each year than the folks who get cat 11's and 9's.
Whatever the case I think it is GREAT for you that you got the upgrade! Have a fantastic trip!

 

[TChrist05]

AnnMorin.....as much as we are estatic about the upgrade...and we realize they rarely if ever do it unless they need it.....it is kind of like when we started going to Disney World....we first started staying off property....so after a few trips we decided to try a Disney hotel.....and from that point on would NEVER stay outside of the World again....so now....we decided last year to "treat" ourselves to a cabin with a porthole...just to have some sunshine and not have the cabin so dark all the time....so now...we will have an outside verandah....which we have already planned on our first breakfast on Sunday morning 12/1 on the verandah from room service...we have also decided we will book next year's before we leave the ship...so after being spoiled do you think we will want to move back down to a category 8...I don't think so....so ofcourse we will have to make a decision...take a chance they will upgrade us next year(not likely) and book an 8 again or just go for it and book the 5 at more money....decisions...decisions...decisions. They do seem to be more reasonable for upgrades at the port when you are checking onto the ship....so maybe that will be a way to go....ofcourse another cruise for $99. would be nice...I never had the pleasure of having it offered to us....but thanks all...I know we were lucky to get it....just gonna sit back and just relax...Everyone have a good trip...ours is just 23 short days away to the "MAGIC"!
Tom

 

[AnnMorin]

We sailed on other lines without a veranda and got a veranda on our first Disney cruise (April 2001) after that we were hooked and booked a veranda for our Dec 2001 and Dec 2002 cruises. So I agree with you there Tom I could not imagine sailing without one now. Although I guess if I had to choose between no cruise and or no veranda I would take an inside room just to be able to still cruise.