Lots of people believe that if they are loyal to a cruiseline, very lucky, or extra polite, they might get a free cabin upgrade.
Unfortunately, more and more upgrades aren’t random acts of kindness, they’re business decisions.
Understanding this can actually help you book smarter in the first place, rather than just hoping for the best.
Cruise Lines Are Businesses First
Mainstream cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, MSC Cruises, etc., aim to maximise revenue from every cabin.
If they have lots of empty cabins, they’re losing money.
Upgrades are used strategically – they don’t upgrade people just to be nice!
Why They Move People Up
Cruise lines move people up to a higher cabin grade when it suits them.
The reasons for this include:
- To free up the cheaper cabins.
- To optimise pricing tiers to attract more passengers.
- To fill ships efficiently.
Why You’re Unlikely To Get A Surprise Upgrade
Most cabins are already sold and allocated long before the cruise sails.
Cruise lines have taken to using “upgrade offers” – where you bid more money for an upgrade.
The person who puts in the highest bid gets the upgrade.
This is a great way for the cruise lines to get the most money for every cabin.
Free upgrades do happen – but they’re not common and not random.
When Upgrades Do Happen
You are more likely to get an upgrade on a repositioning cruise or sailings that, for some reason, are less popular.
If there’s a category imbalance, for example, lots of empty balconies but sold-out inside cabins, they may upgrade some passengers.
They might have overbooked a certain cabin category. They can’t give guests a lower category than they booked, so as a result, you might get an upgrade.
Don’t ever rely on getting a free upgrade – think of it as a bonus if you do.
I booked a really cheap MSC cruise to the Caribbean, just after the Covid pandemic.
The ship was sailing at vastly reduced capacity, and there where hundreds of free cabins – MSC still didn’t give me an upgrade, even though i have good loyalty club status with them.
Have a look at that interesting cruise here:
The “Upgrade Fairy” Myth
Some people think they can achieve an upgrade by being polite, making it clear you are celebrating a special occasion, or being well-dressed.
In my experience, none of these things actually work!
While I would always suggest being polite, it’s not a strategy for upgrades
What To Do Instead
Instead I would recommend you:
- Book the cabin you’re happy with.
- Watch for upgrade bids or offers closer to the sailing, in case you can secure a good value upgrade.
- Check prices after booking. Sometimes you can upgrade cheaply later on, if the sailing isn’t popular.
- Focus on value rather than hoping for luck.
I was recently successful in bidding for an upgrade (for the first time ever!) on Ambassador Ambience. I had booked a balcony cabin and bid for an upgrade to a suite.
Find out more about that here:
Why This Actually Works In Your Favour
Cheaper cabins are in demand, and they’re often discounted at the last minute
This is why budget cruisers can get great deals. If you don’t mind the type of cabin you stay in or where on the ship it is, there are deals to be had.
Understanding the way cruise lines allocate their cabins can help you save money.
Agreeing To An Upgrade
When you book, you can tick the upgrade box (or leave it ticked, it is often the default setting).
This means you agree to an automatic, complimentary upgrade to a higher-grade cabin if one becomes available.
You might move from an inside cabin to an outside, from an oceanview to a balcony, or from a standard balcony to a better-positioned or larger one for free.
There are some risks attached to that. You lose all control over your cabin location. You could be moved from a quiet, perfectly situated room you selected to one under a noisy, high-traffic area like a buffet deck or right next to the lifts/elevators.
This happened to my parents when we took a transatlantic crossing.
They had booked an obstructed balcony cabin, at the centre of deck eight. That would have been perfect for a transatlantic trip, low-down and central cabins feel less movement.
My parents were “upgraded” at the last minute to a balcony which didn’t have an obstructed view. Unfortunately, it was in a very bad position – right at the top of the ship, just behind the bridge.
It was a very rough sailing, and the noise and the movement in their cabin was really bad. It made my dad very seasick, and he often came to lie down in my lower, centrally positioned cabin during the daytime to get away from it!
Find out more about that here:
Why This Cruise Cabin “Upgrade” Was Worse (Don’t Let This Happen to You)!
Have a look at that transatlantic cruise on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 in the video below. I won’t be booking another transatlantic cruise any time soon…
Before You Go
Find out more about bidding for a cabin upgrade here:
Bidding for a Cruise Upgrade: Scam or Success?
I was once upgraded mid cruise – that is very unusual! Find out all about that here:
I Was Upgraded Mid Cruise, What Happened to The Original Guests?!
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