The days of stepping onto a cruise ship and requesting a free cabin upgrade are a thing of the past. Most major cruise lines—including Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line—now operate on a bidding system, where cabin upgrades are auctioned off. Passengers can either put their name in for the minimum bid or increase their bid amount, with priority often given to loyalty members. If this all sounds like too much of a headache, or if you put in a bid and lost, there’s still one secret way to get a cruise upgrade.
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Saying these 2 words can get you a free cruise upgrade.
Going on your honeymoon? Ringing in an anniversary? According to travel insiders, telling a cruise line that you’re celebrating a “special occasion” is the best way to score a free cabin upgrade.
In a TikTok video, travel influencer @wheresadiegoes tells her followers that she scored a ton of cruise and hotel upgrades with this trick. When she books her reservation, she writes in the special request box that she’s celebrating a birthday or anniversary. If this isn’t available, she emails the reservation department directly.
According to a recent Reddit thread about MSC Cruises, you may have the best luck with this hack on their ships.
“First of all on your ‘manage reservation’ page on your cruise planer, there is a space for special occasions and requests,” advised one traveller. “Make sure that’s filled in. I would also call and speak with a person and get what u want to do notated on your account.”
Travel + Leisure notes that this often works if it’s a repeat booking for you. For example, your “special occasion” is that it’s your 10th time on a given cruise line.
If you’re given an upgrade ahead of time, The Points Guy notes that you’ll likely be surprised with the news when you arrive at the port. If this fails, wait until your second day aboard and ask again.
“On day one, the staff doesn’t have a full read on the vacancy rate, which is usually determined after the first port of call,” explains Travel + Leisure. “Waiting a day or two also allows the staff to identify staterooms vacated by those who may have already upgraded due to cabin issues.”
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You also might be offered a discounted upgrade.
Unfortunately, many cruise ships are filled to capacity these days, so they don’t have as much incentive (or space!) to upgrade you for free. However, sharing your special occasion could still get you a heavily discounted cabin upgrade.
“These days, many travelers choose a cruise to celebrate a special event so it’s more likely you’ll be offered the opportunity to pay an upcharge for an upgrade,” Rob Clabbers, founder and president of Q Cruise + Travel, a Virtuoso agency, told Travel + Leisure.
At the very least, TikTok traveler @kilianakay says most cruise ships will give you a free bottle of champagne or other treat in your room to celebrate your special occasion.
“We got a complimentary bottle of champagne, red wine, and chocolate covered strawberries!” she shared of her recent cruise.
Content shared from bestlifeonline.com.