Is it a good idea to turn down a cabin upgrade? You all think I'm crazy. I will happily accept a free suite on a cruise ship.
Free upgrades are rare. The days of surprise improvements from your inside cabin to a spacious balcony room are over.
Cruise lines want you to pay for cabin improvements. When it's offered, free upgrades are usually from one room to another within the same cabin category.
If you think your new digs are better than the old one, you should pay for an upgrade. Tell the cruise line they don't have a deal if they're not. There are five reasons to decline a cabin upgrade.
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A guarantee cabin is a type of room where your cabin category is guaranteed but your specific room location is not. If you agree to let the cruise line pick your cabin, they will give you a discount on that room. You don't have the right to decide where your cabin is located on the ship.
If you prefer a midship cabin on a lower deck, you don't want an upgrade that will land you at the back of the ship where it's rockier.
If you choose a room far away from the elevators and the Lido Deck, you will want to say no to a cabin upgrade that can't guarantee a quiet place.
Travel groups that booked rooms near each other should not accept upgraded rooms.
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The cabin locations you should avoid are listed.
Think about how you feel about where your cabin is located when you get the cabin upgrade offer. You should turn down the upgrade offer if location is important to you.
Some cruise cabin improvements are free. The cruise line will usually offer the upgrade at a discount, meaning you will pay less for the upgraded room than if you book it on your own.
Don't take the upgrade if you can't afford it. You can save your vacation budget for shoreside fun, like date-night restaurants and fun cocktails.
If you don't have a budget, you won't have as much fun as if you do.
There are a number of ways that ships waste money.
Travelers need specific cabins. There are cabins with roll-in showers and wider doorways that can be booked by cruisers who use a wheelchair. It is possible for families to book cabins with an extra bathroom or rooms that can sleep five or six people. Spa cabins have Zen-like décor and thermal suites.
Don't accept an upgrade offer if you have booked a specific type of cabin. The cruise line can't guarantee that they will upgrade you to a nicer cabin. The upgrade offers do not apply to a pair of connecting rooms.
You will lose amenities when you accept the upgrade. You don't want to pay more for a room that isn't right for you.
A number of cruise lines offer complimentary perks. Depending on the cabin you book, you can get onboard credit or other perks, such as a drinks package or shore excursion credit.
You won't get the booking perks associated with the higher category room if you accept an upgrade offer. If you lose the perks you have, it will be worse.
The cabins on any cruise ship are the most desirable.
What is the way? You can upgrade to a nicer cabin if you notice that prices have fallen after booking a cruise. You will lose your booking perks and be ineligible for the current promotion if you do this.
If you book a promotion that offers free wi-fi and a $100 onboard credit, but the current offer focuses on low prices and a $50 onboard credit, you will lose the internet package and half the onboard credit.
Do you think the trade-off between a nicer cabin and booking perks is worth it? Don't upgrade to the cabin if you don't want to.
If the upgrade will get you a nicer cabin, then you should agree to it. It's possible that a better cabin isn't worth as much as you think.
Cruise lines divide the cabins into subcategories based on location, layout, size and perks. A midship inside cabin on an upper deck is more desirable than an inside cabin on a lower deck.
You might be able to upgrade to a better balcony cabin on a cruise line. The cabin upgrade should not be taken if you don't care about cabin location. You will pay more for a room that is essentially the same as the one you booked.
If the upgrade is free, or if the new cabin comes with extras, you should consider it. If the upgrade isn't worth it, decline it.
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