Can Ticking The Automatic Upgrade Box Be a Mistake?

When booking a cruise whether that is online or in person there will be a box to tick for any cabin upgrades. Tell your travel agent your preference clearly.

You might be wondering “how can a cabin which is better than I paid for be a mistake?” but they could come with problems which you might not know about.

If cruise lines haven’t sold their higher-grade cabins then often those who are in the lower-grade cabins can be moved if they haven’t declined auto upgrades. This allows the cheaper cabins to become available and more likely to sell.

Getting an automatic upgrade can be a gamble. You could end up with a balcony cabin instead of an inside cabin like when I went on a cruise in July 2021. I booked an inside cabin, to which I received an email a few weeks prior to embarkation advising I have been upgraded to a balcony cabin. I was happy with this upgrade.

Bad Location =

You could be moved from the center of the ship to the very front or back, which could be a distance from any main public areas and from the lifts causing issues if you have reduced mobility. Cruise lines don’t consider where the cabin is other than its just a higher-category cabin, such as under night clubs, restaurants, theatres etc.

The location of the cabin might be important to you if you suffer from sea sickness, so having a cabin which isn’t low or central may cause you to feel the movement more.

Lose Specific Cabin Features =

If you are travelling solo you might be moved to a standard cabin or if you booked an accessible cabin you may be moved to a cabin which doesn’t have accessible features. When I book a cabin I always pay extra to be on decks 10 or 12 aft so, I don’t want the cruise line to move me to a “Better” cabin . Once you are moved then there isn’t anything you can do, that is now your cabin.

Mess With Plans =

If travelling as a group with either friends or family, you might have chosen cabins that are all next to each other or close, you could be moved to cabins all over the ship. If you don’t have the Wi-Fi whilst onboard then you might be spending most of your time trying to find each other. You will have to rely on communicating through the phones in each cabin or making prior arrangements.

You might also lose and perks which are included to your original cabin category. If you are moved from the front to back of the ship and your group stays where they are, you might be placed in a different dining room which is closer to your cabin.

It is a gamble if you have chosen a cabin for any specific reason. Always remember the upgrade box and if you are happy with gambling your chosen cabin. If I book a cruise last minute and the only cabins available are inside cabins, I will then be happy with an upgrade incase I get a balcony or sea view.

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