How do you score an upgrade?

bakersuzie · March 29, 2012

I was wondering how you go about getting an upgrade? Does the travel agent offer them or does that come Carnival?

rogue · March 30, 2012

My last cruise with Carnival, we had a balcony cabin. About 3 weeks before the cruiise, we got a call from Carnival offering us an upgrade to an Ocean suite for a pretty inexpensive fee. We took it and didn't regret it. We originally booked thru the Carnival site online. I don't think that there is any way to actually do something to get an upgrade short of rebooking a higher catagory. Maybe someone else knows a way, but I never heard of one.

KeithnRita · March 30, 2012

Of our 23 cruises we've only been upgraded once. Mainly when we book we choose a specific cabin in a specific area of the ship.

CaliTraveler77 · April 30, 2012

We got lucky, our first cruise was a few years back on the Carnival Spirit, and we didn't really know what kind of room we wanted, other than we needed a balcony because my wife gets a little claustrophobic, so we booked a Guarantee Balcony, not knowing where we'd end up. This was back when they'd give you a room above your booked class, which apparently is no more, but we ended up with a category 9A, which totally blew us away. We gambled and got lucky, but that's been the only time we've managed any sort of upgrade.

Stivo · May 9, 2012

Carnival often gives cabin upgrades - there are so many ships, especially to Caribbean.

ametrinel · May 12, 2012

I pick my own cabin specifically due to location, so an upgrade would have to be my choosing the cabin, which is not likely to happen.

downtime · July 31, 2012

It is still possible to book a GTY cabin (you select the class and carnival picks the cabin) and be upgraded to a higher cabin, though it is ususally a cabin in the same class. It's the luck of the drawer. If the cruiseline needs your cabin for any reason they may upgrade you for free or offer an upgrade for a nominal fee. But short of paying for one, there's not much else you can do to score an upgrade. If you're adventurous and aren't set on a particular cabin, the GTY is the way to go. I did this on six cruises and I was never given an undesirable cabin.

popsec · August 11, 2012

42 cruises and only upgraded once....porthole to a large window. I never get the upsell calls :sad2:

ChrisMorgan · August 12, 2012

On the 10 cruises we have been on I have always heard stories from people about these huge upgrades and free stuff and all these perks. But have never actually seen any on our end. Only 1 time did the place we book thru, send us a bottle of wine that was in our room when we got there.

Virago6 · September 21, 2012

Seems to me that the upgrade fairy is related to gambling fairy in Vegas. Lots of folks say they've benefited, and if this was true, both the cruise lines and Vegas would be bankrupt.

For us, we receive excellent service as we tip our cabin steward/ess once we meet them, ask for what we think we might need in addition to their usual service. And we really do have a wonderful time.

As for my breaking Vegas story, once i actually bet as much as I won and lost, so that was a tie..or a push in Vegas lingo. One other time, I was actually sixteen (16) dollars after a weekend with a comped show and free drinks...that made me feel like Mr. Vegas. All other times, they;ve welcomed me and my money. That money remained when we left.