3 Reasons Why Ticking the Automatic Upgrade Box on a Cruise May Be a Mistake

When you book your cruise online, look out for the box to tick to agree to – or decline an upgrade.

If you book through a travel agent, make it clear if you don’t want an auto upgrade.

While that may seem to make no sense (after all, who doesn’t want a cabin better than they paid for) but automatic cabin upgrades can come with their own set of problems.

Auto-upgrades work well for the cruise lines, or they wouldn’t do it!

If they have unsold higher-grade cabins, often those in poor locations like under the buffet or close to the theatre, they can move guests to those if they haven’t declined auto upgrades.

Then, the easier-to-sell, cheaper cabins will become available, and they will have no problems selling them off.

Getting an automatic upgrade is very much a gamble. You might end up with a “better cabin” – an oceanview, instead of an inside, for example.

Remember that what the cruise line considers an upgrade might not seem like one to you!

#1. You Might End Up in a Bad Location

You might end up with a cabin right at the front or right at the back of the ship.

This might be far away from the public areas and from the lifts/elevators, which could be a real problem if you have reduced mobility.

You could find yourself under a noisy area, such as nightclub or directly under the buffet.

Cruise lines don’t consider where the cabin is, just that it’s a higher category.

Cabin location is particularly important if you worry that you might suffer from seasickness. If you book a cabin that is low down and central, you will feel the movement of the ship less.

When I took a transatlantic crossing on the last Ocean Liner at sea, Queen Mary 2, I booked myself an unusual “atrium view” cabin for this very reason.

I knew that rough seas were a probability in the Atlantic Ocean in January, and I know that I get seasick easily.

My parents had been assigned an obstructed balcony cabin in the middle of deck 8. They had thought that, although it would be nice to get some light and fresh air, the only view would be of miles and miles of sea.

A week or so later, they checked into their Cunard account online and realised their cabin had been moved. They were now in an unobstructed balcony cabin right at the front of deck 11, very close to the bridge.

Little did they know what they had let themselves in for! Find out all about that cabin here:

Why This Cruise Cabin “Upgrade” Was Worse (Don’t Let This Happen to You)!

Find out about my unusual “atrium view” cabin in the video below. It was perfect for those who might be prone to seasickness:

#2. You Might Lose the Cabin Features You Wanted

You might have chosen an inside cabin, as you sleep best with no natural light, and then find yourself in an ocean view.

You might really like the views from an ocean-view cabin, but you have been upgraded to an obstructed balcony, and much of your ocean view isn’t actually visible.

If you are travelling alone, your solo cabin could be swapped for a standard cabin. It is possible you booked an accessible cabin for a reason and now find you have been moved elsewhere without the accessibility features.

The problem I have is that I book an unusual or quirky cabin and sometimes pay extra to secure it, then find the cruise line has moved me to something they consider “better.”

It might be a higher grade, but it isn’t as interesting to me!

This happened to me on MSC World Europa. I had chosen an interesting-shaped cabin overlooking the street in the centre of the ship.

At the last minute, I found myself moved to a standard balcony cabin overlooking the sea.

For most people, this would have been a good upgrade, but for me, it wasn’t. I did manage to get swapped back, but it certainly wasn’t easy…

Find out more about that MSC quirky cabin here:

#3 It Can Mess With Your Plans

If you are travelling with a family or as a group, you might have spent ages choosing and booking cabins close together.

You could then find yourself moved to “better cabins” all over the ship!

This can be particularly problematic if the ship you are travelling on doesn’t have a free messaging service in its app – you might spend the whole cruise trying to find each other!

You will have to rely on ringing each other on the cabin phones, or making set arrangements to meet at a certain time at a certain place.

I find it far more convenient to just go across the corridor or next door and knock at their door!

You also might lose included perks tied to your original cabin category.

MSC, for instance, has different cabin grades. You might have booked a “Fantastica” inside cabin, which may offer more flexibility. Fantastica offers more dining options, are often on higher, more desirable decks, and has free room service included.

You might find yourself moved to a “Bella” ocean view cabin with none of those perks.

If you have chosen a particular cabin for a reason, don’t forget to tick the don’t auto upgrade box, would be my advice. You don’t know what you might end up with!

When I sailed on P&O’s Iona, I was moved to one of the most controversial cabins onboard.

I was sharing a room with my parents, and actually, it suited us very well for that particular journey. Lots of people hate this cabin and its location though.

Find out about that controversial cabin here:

Before You Go

Find out where you should book your cabin, if seasickness might be an issue for you, below:

What is The Best Cabin Location on a Cruise For Avoiding Seasickness? (I’ve Tried Them All!)

If you do decide to book the cheapest, inside cabin, find out how to avoid any problems that might arise here:

How to Avoid the Most Common Inside Cabin Problems on Your Cruise