Cabin Upgrade

[Iggy]

How high up can a cabin upgrade go. Is it possible to be bumped from an interior cabin to an outside one. Although it's our first cruise and everybody is telling me that the cabin location need not necessarily be important, I wouldn't mind having my own balcony or at least a window.

....sailing...takes me away.....

[DaCruzNut]

Upgrades can be 'tricky.' The cruise lines use their own "secret formulas" when giving out cabins!

I have been lucky enough, on one occasion, to have been bumped from a "cheapie" outside (semi-obstructed view) to a mini-suite. Othewr times, same line, no upgrade at all....

It's all in the luck of the draw

[JohnG]

A number of times we booked inside guarantees and were upgraded to outside. Once on RCL and at least once on Carnival

[ErnieMCC]

Of course, the only sure way to get an upgrade is to pay for it... in other words, never book a stateroom in a category in which you will not be happy to sail, should no upgrade occur. If you have no special cabin location needs (such as being near an elevator, or wanting to sail near another passengers cabin), then chose your minimum satisfactory cabin category and book a guarantee in it.

Luck may smile upon you. Over the years, I've seen a few remarkable upgrades, but folks win the lottery too. There are many factors at play, including but not limited to your t/a's volume and status with the cruise line, the availability of cabin inventory on the sailing in question (as the sailing date gets closer, it becomes more difficult to sell high priced accommodations... most of those people tend to book well in advance...) so the line may keep re-selling Inside & Low level outside inventory and move the occupants up to a higher grade.

As with an empty airline seat, where once the plane takes off revenue for that seat on that flight is lost forever, so too a cruise stateroom's revenue is lost forever if the ship departs with it empty. So the cruise line will attempt to fill empty cabins to capture the revenue... and if you are strategically placed you may well be upgraded. So you see, upgrading basically is not done to reward a guest... it generally is a cold revenue decision.

Again... best bet... book where you'll be happy and, if lightening strikes, so much the better.