Receiving an upgrade on a cruise can be accomplished with our tips.
Is there anyone who wouldn’t like to get a cabin upgrade? First, let’s be realistic about upgrades. If you believe you can book the cheapest cabin and get a magical upgrade to a suite at the last minute, you will be sadly disappointed. Cabin upgrades are not the norm, although they do happen. If you know how to get upgraded on a cruise, you’ll have a better chance of making it happen. Your best chance for getting an upgraded cruise cabin after purchase is to watch for price drops. We’ve put together some of the possible ways you might be able to get a cabin upgrade. There are no guarantees, but you’ll have a better chance of getting one if you follow these tips.
Special Promotions
Sometimes a cruise line will run a special promotion. It may be for a special ship, itinerary, or a particular destination. There may be special discounts on staterooms for how to get upgraded on a cruise. You could potentially book an ocean view cabin for the price of an inside room or a balcony for the price of an ocean view. Sometimes cabin upgrades are combined with drink packages, onboard credits, or free gratuities. These deals can be real money savers and frequently show up from February through April (wave season). How do you find these special deals?
You could go online every day and look for how to get upgraded on a cruise until you find one or you could call us at 1.888.804.CRUISE (2784) and let us locate the deals for you. This is what we do at CruiseExperts.com, and we do it for free. Cruise lines are always changing and updating their special deals, and it can be hard for people to navigate through everything to be sure they are getting what they want, but we do it every day and we do it for you.
Click here to view a complete guide on cruise line drink packages.
Book Guaranteed Cabin
You may be able to upgrade a cruise cabin after purchase. When you book a “guarantee” cabin it means you will receive the category you requested (such as ocean view), but you will not be assigned a cabin until shortly before departure. If the category becomes full, you may be upgraded for free. There is no guarantee so only book a guaranteed cabin you would be comfortable with.
Be a Frequent Cruiser
Cruise lines have loyalty programs and reward their more active members. There is also no guarantee that just cruising often will result in an upgrade, but the odds are higher. Complimentary upgrades are generally reserved for those in the high levels of the loyalty program.
Sail in Off-Peak Periods
Although cruise ships tend to sell out during peak cruising periods, they often will have some unsold cabins during off-peak times. Those unsold cabins can be available for low-cost or free upgrades if the cruise line decreases fares to increase their bookings. These have to be made prior to you making your last payment.
Looking for these deals is what we can for you at CruiseExperts.com. If there is a deal or discount for your cruise, we’ll find it for you. Off-peak periods vary depending on your destination. Generally speaking, there are fewer bookings during the time between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, but there are specific off-peak periods for specific areas.
Call us at 1.888.804.CRUISE (2784), and talk to one of our specialists. Tell us where you want to cruise to, and we can tell you off-peak times. If there’s a great deal out there, you can be sure we know about it and will get it for you.