Kissed by the Upgrade Faerie

I've heard of it happening. Someone books an inside cabin, and wonder of wonders, they are miraculously upgraded to a mini-suite before they set sail. 

I figured it was usually because the passengers had lots of days at sea with the particular line. We have 127 days on Princess, 106 on Holland America, 21 days each on Cunard and Norwegian, 12 on Carnival, and a few more weeks on American Hawaiian and Dolphin (two now defunct cruise lines). We have never been upgraded. 

Until now.

The 2022 Viking World Horizons is our very first Viking cruise. And yet, the lovely and gracious upgrade faerie has seen fit to lift us from our lowly V2 cabin (the most economical stateroom on the Star) to a Deluxe Verandah! 

Okay, before I get too excited, let me explain that the V2s and the Deluxe Verandahs are exactly the same size--270 square feet. (By way of contrast, our balcony cabin on the Pacific Princess on the 2018 WC was 210 square feet.) Both V2s and Deluxe verandahs have the same floorplan, complete with lovely balconies. Both feature luxury linens, heated floors in the bathroom, and free Wi-Fi. But the Deluxe Verandahs offer the following extra perks:

• Room access one hour earlier on embarkation day (I know. Big Whoop!)
• Priority shore excursion reservations 67 days before departure (a week earlier than V2s)
• 1 guaranteed reservation at each alternative dining venue 60 days before departure (V2s are not able to reserve specialty dining before embarkation)
• In-suite mini-bar replenished with water, soft drinks and snacks daily
• In-suite binoculars, coffee machine, and a cashmere throw for chilly days 

The thing I'm most excited about is being able to reserve our excursions a little sooner. There is an included excursion in each port which is guaranteed, but we still need to reserve them. And if we want to do an alternate excursion, all the higher category staterooms get first pick. There are a few ports where we know we'll want to do something other than, or in addition to, the included tour. 

Plus our new home on the Star is Cabin 4008, a deck with passenger cabins both above and below it. We would have been on Deck 3 in a V2, with either the main dining room or the theatre below us, both of which might be noisy at times. 

I've been assured that once we're all on board there's a lovely equality among all the passengers on Viking. There are no areas reserved only for suite passengers, as there is on Cunard or the Norwegian "Haven" ship-within-a-ship areas. Even Princess has started the silliness of selling "Club Class" staterooms, which offer a sectioned-off portion of the regular dining room to provide "anytime dining" with a reserved table within a traditional two-sitting restaurant.   

Guess the cruise lines have discovered it's human nature to want to feel like we've one-upped our fellows. As I write this, I realize I've fallen into the same self-centered trap. I'm tickled to pieces to be able to jump the queue a little.

Color me embarrassed. Mea culpa.

But still, I can't find it in me to wish our good fortune away. I'm pleased as I can be to have been bumped up to a higher category. Thank you, Viking!