What if you book the cheapest cruise cabin, but receive a balcony upgrade for free?
That’s exactly what happened to Cruise.Blog reader Jackie and her husband Joe, who recently took a 4-night cruise on MSC Seashore, one of MSC Cruises’ newest and most modern ships.
Looking to escape Ohio’s chilly winter, the couple booked a last-minute getaway to The Bahamas. They reserved a guarantee oceanview cabin for the sailing, which cost just $470 per person, including taxes, fees, and gratuities.
The cruise fare offered an excellent value, but the guarantee rate meant Jackie and Joe could not select their stateroom location upon booking. They would be assigned a stateroom at a later date from a limited number of available cabins.
Although guarantee cabins are cheaper, they’re not without risk. You could be assigned a cabin in an unfavorable location, such as below a noisy nightclub, or in the very front of the ship, which is more prone to motion.
Occasionally, though, guarantee cabins result in unexpected upgrades. If you book a guarantee interior cabin, for instance, but all interior cabins sell out before you’re assigned a room, you might be upgraded to an oceanview or balcony cabin.
Jackie and Joe were the lucky passengers to receive such an upgrade. When completing online check-in before the cruise, the couple was pleased to discover they had been upgraded to a Deluxe Balcony cabin. The unexpected upgrade turned out to be a highlight of their short getaway.
Let’s take a look inside their “free” balcony upgrade on MSC Cruises.
At first glance, the cabin was spacious and bright
Prior to cruising on MSC Seashore, Jackie and Joe had only cruised in interior cabins. So, when they entered their stateroom for the first time, they were impressed by the cabin’s size and layout. Their cabin, room 14012, was 172 square feet with a 54 square foot balcony.
Related: MSC Cruises Cabin Overview - what you need to know
A bed was near the cabin’s door, with a sizable living area closer to the balcony in the back of the cabin. It was hard to ignore the sunlight radiating from the balcony, too—a major upgrade from the couples’ typical interior cabins.
The bed could be separated into two twin beds upon request. There were two nightstands in the room, but a USB charging outlet was only available on the right side of the bed.
The stateroom’s closet included five shelves, three drawers, the cabin’s safe, and an area to hang clothes.
Jackie and Joe found storage sufficient in the room, and they were also able to place their suitcases under the bed to save room.
At the foot of the bed was a full-length mirror, which helped make the room feel even bigger.
The living area included a cozy couch, TV, and dresser
Many smaller cabins on cruise ships, like interior and oceanview rooms, lack room for a couch. Instead, they offer a single chair, and this makes it more challenging to relax in the cabin. Balcony rooms, on the other hand, usually include a more spacious living area.
MSC Seashore’s Deluxe Balcony cabin featured a large couch, which made the room more functional and comfortable.
Across from the couch was the stateroom’s TV, which had a swivel feature, allowing guests to watch movies and shows from either the couch or bed.
In addition to a closet, the cabin also had a desk for extra storage space. The dresser had four drawers along with shelving units on either end. The cabin’s mini-fridge was found here, too.
Above the desk were three shelves along with another mirror. This is also where you’ll find the majority of the cabin’s outlets along with the room's telephone.
At the desk were two American-style outlets, two European-style outlets, two USB charging ports, and a wireless phone charger.
The balcony was a perfect hangout space during the cruise
Because this was the first time Jackie and Joe cruised in a balcony cabin, they couldn’t wait to spend time on their private outdoor deck.
The balcony featured two upright chairs along with a small footrest.
Throughout the 4-night cruise, the couple loved having access to the balcony. It provided a private, tranquil place to watch the ship sail from port to port—quite a contrast from the loud, crowded pool decks above.
The cabin’s bathroom provided all the essentials in a compact space
Cruise ship bathrooms are anything but spacious, and the bathroom in MSC Seashore’s Deluxe Balcony cabin was no exception. Yet despite the compact size, the bathroom provided all the necessary amenities.
The shower featured a wand showerhead, and both body wash and shampoo were provided. A single shelf in the shower gave limited space for toiletries brought from home.
Additional storage was in the bathroom, including two shelves near the sink. Two toothbrush holders were provided, too.
Speaking of the sink, MSC Cruises stocks cabins with liquid hand soap, which is a nice upgrade compared to the bar soap provided on other cruise lines.
Overall, the balcony upgrade was an amazing surprise for Jackie and Joe, and they had few complaints about the cabin
When Jackie and Joe decided to book their last-minute MSC Seashore cruise, they never expected to receive a balcony upgrade. Compared to their usual interior cabins, every day spent in the balcony room felt like luxury.
The couple had few complaints about the cabin during their short stay, and they appreciated how MSC Cruises still services cabins in the morning and evening. Cruise lines like Royal Caribbean and Carnival have recently cut back on twice-a-day service, so this was a nice perk on MSC Seashore.
Jackie found it slightly inconvenient having a USB outlet on just one side of the bed, and she wished there were USB-C outlets in the cabin instead of just USB-A. Speaking of charging electronics, she also noted how the desk’s wireless charger didn’t appear to work, but there were enough other outlets in the cabin to use.
Despite these very minor complaints, the cabin exceeded their expectations. For $470 per person, it was hard to beat the fantastic value of their brief winter getaway.
Jenna DeLaurentis
Jenna DeLaurentis enjoys exploring new ports of call around the world on a cruise ship, learning about new cultures, discovering beautiful landscapes, and trying diverse cuisine. She loves to get active while in port, whether cycling through mountains in the Caribbean or scuba diving under the sea.
