We've Been Upgraded - What Do You Think?

[tarzan_rocks]

I got a message from Disney Cruise Line. They say they upgraded our staterooms from Deck 5, Category 8 Deluxe Oceanview Staterooms to Deck 7, Category 5 Deluxe Staterooms with Verandas.

Here are some of my thoughts.

I find it odd that they didn’t give us the option to keep our rooms or our category. I don’t know why they upgraded us, but I would have thought they would have given us a choice. Don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted with the opportunity. I’ve never been offered a free upgrade before. I just think it would have made sense to give us the chance to say no thank you.

If it was just me and my wife I would be all over the veranda. I’d be sitting out there when I wasn’t at the beach, eating at a restaurant or watching a show. Based on what everyone has described here, it sounds quite enjoyable. The thought of sleeping with the door open and hearing the ocean and feeling the breeze is very appealing to me. However, we have two little ones with whom we won’t be taking any chances. We probably won’t make it out on the veranda except when they are asleep.

We also chose deck 5 because it was close to the Oceaneers club. We figured it would be easy to pop over there for an activity or two. It’s also closer to the theaters and restaurants where we will be spending most of our on ship time.

They say to hand write our new state room number on the luggage tags. We don’t yet have any luggage tags. Hand writing them has me worried that they may end up in the wrong place. Hopefully when they do come, they’ll have the right room number on them already.


What do you think?

tr

[Tinkermom]

Upgrades happen quite frequently and while most people are very happy with it some wish to remain in the cabin/category they chose.If you do not want the upgrade just give DCL a call and let them know ASAP so that they can put you back in your category and offer the upgrade to someone else.

Now, as for my opinion...I do not know how old your children are or if you have been on a Disney cruise before but the verandahs are very safe.* I admit I was a bit leary at first but the railing is quite high (the top of the rail was at the middle of my ribcage) and there is a plexiglass shield over the bars so it is not possible to climb.* I know this is not the best photo but it will give you an idea:verandahWe told our kids (ages 6, 11 and 13) that they could not be on the verandah alone.* It was so wonderful for DH and I to enjoy our coffee in the mornings out there while the kids slept in or watched cartoons.* In the evenings we all enjoyed looking at the stars or the occasional passing of another cruise ship.* We did not sleep with the door open and made sure it was tightly locked each night.

As far as the luggage tags...If you do choose to keep the upgrade it is not a big deal to hand write the new stateroom number on the luggage tag.* DCL is used to this and your luggage should make it to your new stateroom without difficulty.

Have fun no matter what you choose!

[TammiMcMan]

I find it odd that they didn’t give us the option to keep our rooms or our category. I don’t know why they upgraded us, but I would have thought they would have given us a choice.

I think the reason for upgrades is two-fold. First of all, they are most likely sold out of the lower priced category, so moving some existing customers opens those up for sales. It can also get the upgraded guests "hooked" on the higher level for future cruises.

The thought of sleeping with the door open and hearing the ocean and feeling the breeze is very appealing to me. However, we have two little ones with whom we won’t be taking any chances. We probably won’t make it out on the veranda except when they are asleep.

I definitely understand your concern and would never allow children out on the verandah unsupervised. Provided you keep it locked, the chances are almost zero that they would ever get out there. I'm an adult and on our couple of cruises, I have had trouble every time opening the sliding door. It takes a bit of muscle and it honestly feels like it's vacuum sealed.

We also chose deck 5 because it was close to the Oceaneers club. We figured it would be easy to pop over there for an activity or two. It’s also closer to the theaters and restaurants where we will be spending most of our on ship time.

If you really don't want the upgrade, they can't force it on you. I would give them a call back and explain your concerns. You could always ask about the availability of a category 6 stateroom on deck 5. They are exactly the same setup as a category 5 but can be found on the deck you want.

They say to hand write our new state room number on the luggage tags. We don’t yet have any luggage tags. Hand writing them has me worried that they may end up in the wrong place.

It's quite common for upgrades to come at the last minute. I'm sure the DCL luggage folks are quite used to it.

What is your new stateroom number? I can look it up and see if there are any pro's and/or con's listed.

[ElenitaB]

Just to throw this in to help you with the worry about the verandah... it took this college grad a good few minutes to figure out how to open the door to the verandah.

I can understand you're wanting deck 5 to be closer to things, but just the floor to ceiling windows (even if you never go out on the verandah) would be a nice trade-off.

[tarzan_rocks]

Thanks for all the feedback. Our kids are 2 and 5 and my nephews are 3 and 6. Our new staterooms are 7020, 7022, and 7024. They are near the elevator and stairs. That could be good for convenience, but will it be loud from traffic?

Thanks for the info about the verandah door. I'm glad it's difficult to open. They won't mess with it if we don't show them that it opens. If we do chose to let them out there with us sometime, you better believe they will try to figure out how to get back out there.

I think it's Ellen's point that has us convinced to keep the upgrade. The floor to ceiling windows as opposed to just the porthole is more appealing. Even if we only get out on the verandah when the kids are asleep, we'll get a chance to enjoy it. In fact, it gives us a place to go talk without worry of waking the kids. I also plan on making many a trip to deck 9 for beverage refills. This can save me a couple of flights each time.

Are these staterooms really 54 sq. ft. larger (268 vs. 214) or is that taking the verandah into account? That could be a plus.

I'm just suspicious of the whole luggage handling process. That's probably just a me thing. I'm uncomfortable separating from my luggage. So the thought of giving it to someone with a hand written note concerns me. The idea of leaving it unattended outside the room upon arrival and prior to debarkation is quite unsettling to me. I'll just have to trust everything will work out. When should we be getting these luggage tags anyway? We sail on June 1.

I'm not sure we would be able to keep our old staterooms unless they haven't given them away to someone else yet. We immediately checked our online account and it already reflected the new staterooms.

Thanks again.

tr

[Flower]

Oh my gosh - take the upgrade and enjoy it! I too would be concerned with my kids (close to your childrens' ages), but I am sure there would be a way to secure it to ensure it stays closed.

I feel your pain about separating from your luggage, I have issues with flying and I think it is just for that reason, I have no control over my possessions. In October we flew from Buffalo to Orlando, our Magical Express tags never arrived , so when we got to Orlando we just claimed our bags and hopped on the bus to the resort with them.

When we left the resort we took full advantaged of the luggage feature and it was SO nice to get to the airport and just be with the kids instead of having to lug bags and worry about checking them. They arrived in buffalo with us and without incident - we were very happy with the service.

I am sure Disney will take care of your stuff and that it will arrive in order - I might suggest you use a Sharpie or a good marker to ensure the new room numbers are legible!

[TammiMcMan]

One of our staterooms was close by the elevator. We didn't really notice any hallway noise out of the ordinary and every once in a while you could hear the humming of the machinery. Definitely nothing that I would be concerned about. You do have the luxury of your own "private" deck on 7 as well. It's on the opposite end and it's not really private, but very few people seem to know about it, or use it.

If you aren't sailing until June 1st, chances are your luggage tags will be correct when they arrive. You should get them a week or two before you sail. If you're really concerned about the luggage, I would just make sure you set aside a day bag with everything you might need for that first afternoon/night. DCL really does seem to have a handle on the whole luggage situation and it's probably one of the smoothest operations that I've ever seen.

[ElenitaB]

Tammi's suggestion to pack a day bag with your immediate needs is great advice for ANY trip. We're flying down tomorrow to WDW and I'll have our roll-on bag with what we need tomorrow night and Friday morning. Everything else will go in the bag we are checking and will let DME handle.

As for noise in the halls, our first cruise we were very, very close to the mid-ship elevators and I can honestly say that I never heard noise from the halls. I think having the bathrooms closer to the doors really does help keep things quiet.

[Mulan]

Wow! I'd love an upgrade. I can see a parents worry about small children and verandahs. I have a very active DD5 and she is none stop from the moment she wakes to the moments she crashes in bed. But she is good about following rules. If the doors are hard to open than I wouldn't worry too much about that.

We've been on deck 7 before and enjoyed it. It's very easy to get around. Plus you are close to the forward elevators and those aren't used as heavily as the mid ship ones. So foot traffic noise should not be a problem.