Can I upgrade my Carnival cruise room online?

You have made a reservation Festival cruise vacation and now you’re reconsidering the type of cabin you chose. Perhaps you’ve changed your mind and are willing to pay more for a room with a window or balcony – or maybe you’re curious whether you can get a nicer room without paying full price. Are not. Can you upgrade your Carnival cruise room online or through a phone representative?

The most obvious method to upgrade your cabin is to call your cruise line or travel agent and ask to change your reservation to a more expensive room. Before final payment, you can even do it yourself online by canceling your old room and rebooking a new one. You will be charged the outgoing price for the new cabin and possibly a change fee, depending on the restrictions of the promotion you booked.

After the final payment, things get much more complicated (and expensive) because of the cruise line’s tiered cancellation fees. In that case, you’ll have a better chance of getting those fees waived by dealing with a travel agent or phone representative.

But what if you want a nicer cabin for less than the original price? See how you can upgrade your Carnival cruise line online and over the phone.

Why do cruise lines like Carnival offer discounted upgrades?

Today’s competitive cruise market means cruise ships are operating near capacity. As a result, cruise lines are leaning toward strategic management of upgrades using computer algorithms to fill the last remaining cabins in the most profitable way.

the The key to scoring upgrades offered through these complex systems is not who you are or who you know but what room you will give up when you upgrade. The computers are looking for rooms that are easier to sell than those that remain vacant.

The following is an example to help you understand how cruise lines arrange rooms to get higher profits. Let’s say you’ve booked a good spot inside the cabin a year ago at a great price on Black Friday. Two months before your cruise departs, windowless rooms like yours are being sold for double what you paid.

If the cruise line can get you out of the room you booked, they will make more money from it. They get what they want by offering you a paid upgrade to a laggard – which can be like a room with a balcony with an obstructed view. As long as you’re happy to pay to upgrade from non-viewing to partial viewing, it’s a win for both you and the cruise line.

Related: Why pay to upgrade your cruise ship cabin

The elusive offer lets you upgrade your Carnival cruise room online

So how do you find offers to upgrade your cabin before you depart? Carnival hints at potential upgrade offers with this statement on its FAQ page: “Opportunities to purchase upgrades available before your cruise, subject to availability.” Unfortunately, there’s no further explanation on how to access those opportunities.

With a little digging, I discovered some of the methods Carnival uses to offer online room upgrades. My aunt recently received an upgrade offer in an email that she initially skimmed over. A few days later, when she realized what it was, she used the link in the email to try to claim her offer. What she got instead was “This offer is no longer available.” It turns out anyone who makes a reservation can access this link (festival.com/PostBookingSales) whenever they want, enter their information and hope the upgrade fairy will be kind.

I tried and got the same message my aunt got from her email offer. A quick online check of the number of unsold rooms on my trip showed that there were only a dozen rooms left 35 days before departure. Because I have one balcony cabin already, it’s unlikely I would upgrade to the last remaining suite (currently selling for over $3,000 apiece) even if it were offered.

The lesson here is that if you know that higher class cabins are still available on your cruise, pay attention to your email and keep trying the link above.

The other possibility I discovered is to navigate to Cruise Manager, where you purchased Coastal excursion and onboard extras like Wi-Fi and beverage packages for your pre-booked cruise. On the left side of the page, you’ll find a header labeled “My To-Do List.” Typically, this list includes things like your online check-in date and a link to print the document (which, by the way, is where your baggage tags are). If you have upgrade offers to request, they may appear there as well.

I saw a video online of a Carnival cruiser using the to-do list link to request an upgrade from an interior cabin to a midship balcony for a total of $374 (for two passengers) on a six-night cruise. The video is a bit old, but recent social media posts say upgrades are out there. Some Carnival cruises say they show up exactly 45 days before departure. Others swear by weekly testing.

Related: 5 reasons to refuse a cruise ship cabin upgrade

Does the festival allow guests to bid on room upgrades?

Not the same Virgin trip, Royal Caribbean And CelebrityCarnival does not use third-party agencies to manage unsold rooms through the bidding process. In those systems, passengers booked in cabins that are considered hot last-minute sellers may have the opportunity to bid on one of the last remaining “better” rooms.

Instead of bidding, Carnival offers a variety of specific cabin options, each with a fixed upgrade price that you’re free to accept (or decline). If you accept, your booking will change immediately. No more waiting or wondering if you won the bid.

Remember that in any upgrade system, including the Carnival system, “upgrade” is a relative term. For example, you may be offered an upgrade from a balcony cabin on Level 6 to a cabin on Level 8. If you want to stay on a deck between two cabin levels to avoid restaurant, pool and bar noise bar above or below, you may not consider this an upgrade on each ship. However, cruise lines almost always view higher decks as upgrades within each category.

The key to deciding the value of an online room upgrade is a quick study of the ship’s deck plan, followed by a math check to make sure it’s a deal you’re willing to make. The consensus among cruisers who have made the upgrade online is that you have to act quickly. Someone else might be out there looking at similar offers and ready to click.

Related: The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship

Other ways to upgrade your Carnival cruise

The Festival’s website states that upgrade requests cannot be accommodated on the day of departure, “when we operate at full capacity.” That means the days of queuing up at the onboard guest services counter in the hope of getting a last-minute upgrade may be over.

The festival has long offered travel agency with upgrades they can use to grant higher level cabins to their best customers. Over time, establishing a relationship with a travel advisor can help you get a free or discounted upgrade. Even if you’re not in the “best customer” category, if you’re serious about upgrading to a better room, the agent can at least waive change or cancellation fees.

Loyalty to the cruise line can also help you get a nicer room. Cruisers in the festival have achieved the Diamond level of Very Important Fun People Club (VIFP) Receive a one-time upgrade per category, excluding balconies to suites.

Sometimes the best method is to look for integrated cabin upgrade deals, so you upgrade at the time of booking rather than after making a deposit. I found a deal for VIFP members of all levels that includes three-category upgrades across cabin types. This is an automatic upgrade at the time of booking, allowing you to choose a better room within your chosen cabin class. In other words, you won’t be upgraded from an interior cabin to a balcony, but from a basic interior room to a significantly better interior cabin.

Who will get the last remaining rooms if the automatic online upgrade system doesn’t fill them?

You can always call customer services, your travel agent, or your Carnival Personal Vacation Planner (PVP) to request an upgrade. The worst that can happen is that they will offer you a better room at the current price. One must assume that there is a fair bit of human salesmanship involved in filling the last rooms on a ship. Travel agents and PVPs may even keep waiting lists for popular cabins on popular sailings, always hoping for a call that generates an available room that they know they can sell if convincing you move up.

Status in the VIFP Club and Festival Players Club for casino players last minute upgrades can also play a role, so who you are matters a little.

Also, keep in mind that cruise lines almost always reserve some room for each cabin type in case of emergency. I have been on many cruises where passengers were moved to another room on a supposedly sold-out ship when a burst water pipe flooded the cabin or the thermostat failed.

Related: I won a ‘free’ cruise at the ship’s casino — here’s how much it costs, plus tips for getting a commission

Bottom line

Carnival uses online upgrade offers to shuffle last-minute availability. These offers allow passengers to purchase an upgrade to a better or higher room category within the same category at a reduced fare. There is no bidding. You can accept or decline any of your cabin change offers, but not every room on every cruise is eligible for these upgrades. Upgrades are based on availability and demand as departure date approaches.

Carnival makes it clear on its website that it’s best to choose the cabin that’s right for you and your budget in advance. It’s not always possible to upgrade your Carnival cruise cabin online or over the phone – but it sure is surprising when you can get an upgrade deal and get a better room at a discounted rate. stage.

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