A cabin upgrade can make all the difference on cruise holidays, whether you're opting for a balcony with views or even going all out with a luxury suite to celebrate a milestone.
However when you're on a budget, it's not always possible to splash the cash to opt for a higher tier of accommodation - but the good news is that there are easy ways to get free cabin upgrades.
Luckily for holidaymakers, cruise ship insiders have been sharing plenty of secrets and tips for bagging the coveted freebie.
Jay Herring, a former cruise ship officer, previously revealed that sometimes it's worth asking for an upgrade once the ship has set off, reports the Express.
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In his 2011 book The Truth About Cruise Ships, Jay explained that there can be free cabins up for grabs due to no-shows.
He said: "Any time the ship was fully booked, the only way to get an upgrade was if there were no shows. As in passengers that paid for the cruise but didn’t show up to take it, and the pursers didn’t know if there were any no-shows until the ship sailed."
Still, hoping someone doesn't show up isn't the only way to get an upgrade.
The experts at Cruise Critic have previously shared some of their top tips for bagging free cabin upgrades, which includes booking a 'guarantee' cabin.
They explained: "A "guarantee" means you're assured a cabin in the category you requested, but are not assigned a specific cabin until a short time before departure - usually, a week, give or take.
"If you book a guarantee in a certain category and it's full, you might get upgraded for free. On the other hand, someone else (perhaps a member of the cruise line’s loyalty programme with higher status) might nab the upgrade, and you'd get their cabin in your category. There's no way to know."
If you are planning to book a cruise holiday, it's worth keeping an eye out during peak sale seasons, such as Black Friday or the January sales. This is because most cruise lines offer tempting deals around these periods, such as free upgrades and all-inclusive offers to help stretch your budget that little bit further.
You may also want to keep an eye on our holiday deals guide which we regularly update with the latest offers and discounts that we think you'll love.
Have you got any good tips for someone booking their first cruise? Let us know in the comments below.
