Upgrades, staterooms & guarantees

[DMS_cruisers04]

Does DCL automatically upgrade staterooms as categories become full? I know, from past experience on CCL, you didn't have to specify a room when booking, just request a category guarantee and then if that category became full, they would upgrade your room assignment. Curious if DCL has done this for anyone and if it would be worthwhile for us. Right now we have a category 10 on deck 7.

 

[Favorite Auntie]

No one on this forum has been able to figure out the rhyme or reason to DCL upgrades. We booked a cat 11 for 11/29 and we were given a cat 11 gty. When we made our final payment we realized that we had been upgraded to a cat 8 ( room 5000 ). Not sure why....

 

[DMS_cruisers04]

Auntie Fav, was your cruise paid for early, or by the date required?
There must be some reasoning, we will figure this out
Or not.

 

[starmouse]

Note that you can't request guarantees on Disney like you can with Carnival.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

In my experience, having a category GTY hasn't been a sure way to get an updgrade on DCL. Nor has paying in full upon booking rather than 60 days prior to departure. They try to keep it as random as possible. They may upgrade someone with a confirmed room and then give that room to someone holding a GTY reservation. Also, I believe the previous poster is correct, and you can't request a GTY. They make this type of reservation available as the ship, or a specific category, fills up, so it may not always be an option.

If you do figure it out, please let us know, and we will all be greatly indebted to you...

 

[debm]

Have they ever upgraded someone that "paid" with their DVC points? Just curious....and always hoping!

 

[DMS_cruisers04]

Note that you can't request guarantees on Disney like you can with Carnival.

starmouse, what type of guarantees are you referring to? CCL calls it a guaranteed booking, meaning you get the room you're paying for, but may not get upgraded. If I'm paying a quoted price for a quoted category, I expect to get that category, DSL or not.

 

[4blinkies]

We just got back 10/18 Eastern cruise. We paid for a "guarantee cat 11" in March. Never got our doc until 2 weeks prior to trip. Got upgraded to cat 8. The ship was 75% full. We feel it's because Oct is a slow season and they had room to upgrade. Similar experiences?

 

[DMS_cruisers04]

For everyone that has responded so far, and said that they have received upgrades for free, according to the nasty _____ (insert your favorite bad word here) CM that I spoke with at DCL reservations, no - you didn't. Because DCL doesn't "upgrade for free. The room you are assigned is your room" and all of you "must have been with a large family group we were trying to place together".
I know, I know, it was one person just having a bad day, but when I can call CCL and have the nicest person spend 20 minutes checking on all sorts of stupid stuff for me, I expect much better from DCL, ESPECIALLY since I'm paying a $725 more.

Okay, I'm off my soapbox now, thanks for letting me vent everybody.

AND THANKS FOR ALL THE INFO SO FAR. Yep, apparently no rhythm or reason. Just pure luck I suppose. Well, one can hope.

 

[Favorite Auntie]

We did pay in full early, but only a little... I don't think that is it...

 

[Mjasp]

I just bumped up a thread where I did a poll of the questions you are asking. Check it out.

 

[AnnMorin]

There really seems to be no rhyme or reason with upgrades on DCL.. it may be a special occaion, it may not be, it may be a lower cabin, it may not be,, it may be off season or not.. the only true static thing is they are very rare. It sometimes sounds like there are a lot of upgrades but that is maybe a handfull of posters on a ship filled with thousands of people. The best thing you can do is book the cabin you will be happy with and if you are blessed with extra enjoy it, if not you will still love your cruise!

 

[smchan]

The only pattern I've seen is size of party in the room. My wife and I booked a cat 11 last March, had a specific room assignment, but were moved to room 6000, a cat 8 handicap room. I noticed the room could really only sleep 2 (maybe 3 with a rollaway), so I figured our cat 11 went to a family who booked late with 3 or 4 people in their party. I meant to peek in on 'em and see but never did.

My perceived pattern is probably just circumstantional.

Sam

 

[gonna go cruising]

I also bluntly asked the DCL representative why we got a complimentary upgrade. He quickly said something like "for being a good Disney family" but in truth, I think they were not full and moved the earlier ones on up to make room for the lower levels. We had booked and paid for cat nine and were upgraded to six. There doesn't seem to be a pattern unless it is how full the ship is.

 

[smchan]

Forgot to add that, in my case, I booked last minute - within a month of sailing - and received an upgrade from a specific room assignment.

Same thing happened to a buddy of mine. He booked a few weeks before sailing, had a GTY 11, but got a cat 8 upgrade.

Sam

 

[DMS_cruisers04]

Thanks everybody, we'll be happy with the room we've booked, it was the room we picked. I was really just wondering because on CCL, if you pick your room you don't get upgraded, even with a full ship. They assume you wanted that room specifically. Doesn't matter one way or the other, *sings joyously* we'll still be on the Magic, it'll still be Halloween, phooey on the nasty CM

Mjasp, I'll check out that other thread, thanks.