Is it possible to pay for an upgrade this close to sailing?

DH and I sail on our first cruise on August 5th on the Getaway. We are in a spa balcony room with an angled balcony. We bid on the Haven Spa Suite but not looking like we got it (only bid the minimum). There are many Spa Minisuites still available, however. Would NCL allow us to pay to upgrade to one this close to sailing?

Forgive me if this is a stupid question!

They likely would if ones are available, however you really don’t get anything with a mini suite. Personally I’d stick with what you have.

How do you know you didn't get upgrade? They usually notify you 2 days before the cruise. Is upgrade offers still open on your NCL website? It should be. Mini suites aren't worth the upgrade in my opinion. We booked one and it sure seemed same size as the balcony cabin to me.

DH and I sail on our first cruise on August 5th on the Getaway. We are in a spa balcony room with an angled balcony. We bid on the Haven Spa Suite but not looking like we got it (only bid the minimum). There are many Spa Minisuites still available, however. Would NCL allow us to pay to upgrade to one this close to sailing?

 

Forgive me if this is a stupid question!

The only difference between a balcony room and a mini suite is a bigger bathroom. And likely a smaller balcony. Save your money.

And yes. If you made a minimum bid, there are hundreds that made more than a minimum bid. Haven upgrades are made the Monday-Thursday before your departure date.

DH and I sail on our first cruise on August 5th on the Getaway. We are in a spa balcony room with an angled balcony. We bid on the Haven Spa Suite but not looking like we got it (only bid the minimum). There are many Spa Minisuites still available, however. Would NCL allow us to pay to upgrade to one this close to sailing?

If you only bid the minimum, you did NOT get the upgrade. On the other hand, yes you can pay to upgrade at any time up until the day before you sail. Simply call NCL and tell them what you want. If you went thru a travel agent, tell your TA what you want and they will contact NCL and get it done.

Mini’s aren’t really worth it. I’d stick with what you have on a small chance that you win a bid. We bid $100 pp over minimum and got 2 cabins upgraded to Haven suites on last year’s New Years cruise on the Epic, so it’s possible! Try adding a little to your bid to set it apart from the minimum, if you can.

How do you know you didn't get upgrade? They usually notify you 2 days before the cruise. Is upgrade offers still open on your NCL website? It should be. Mini suites aren't worth the upgrade in my opinion. We booked one and it sure seemed same size as the balcony cabin to me.

Mini’s aren’t really worth it. I’d stick with what you have on a small chance that you win a bid. We bid $100 pp over minimum and got 2 cabins upgraded to Haven suites on last year’s New Years cruise on the Epic, so it’s possible! Try adding a little to your bid to set it apart from the minimum, if you can.

We are assuming we didn't get the upgrade for two reasons: a. The Haven Spa Suite is now showing as sold out and b. Upgrade Advantage is no longer showing on My NCL. We like the idea of a mini-suite for having the larger shower as DH and I are both "fluffy" people. It doesn't hurt that NCL has greatly reduced prices on our sailing and a spa mini-suite with all four "free" offers is currently selling for less than what we paid for our Spa Balcony. I shall call later today and see what they say.

yes, you can always upgrade but you will get today's promos which may be different from when you booked.

OP: Of course they will let you pay to upgrade if a cabin is available, but most people would consider the upgrade that you are mentioning to be a downgrade.

How do you know you didn't get upgrade? They usually notify you 2 days before the cruise. Is upgrade offers still open on your NCL website? It should be. Mini suites aren't worth the upgrade in my opinion. We booked one and it sure seemed same size as the balcony cabin to me.

This is not accurate. There is no usual time for notification. Some people are notified weeks before sailing that they have won a bid, and others at the last minute. You are right about mini-suites, they should be called cabins with enhanced bathrooms.

The only difference between the balcony cabin and a mini suite is the size of the bathroom. If you get the mini, it will likely not have an angled balcony. It comes down to whether you want the larger bathroom or a larger balcony.

The larger bathroom is very nice, but I would personally prefer the larger balcony.