Worth it to call NCL for an Upgrade "Deal" ?

[tgloersen]

Hi,

 

Just wondering if any of my fellow CC users still try to call NCL for an upgrade deal. Do they specifically just use the bidding system or is it worth to call and try to deal with them?

 

Many Thanks

TG

[JC5240]

I tried a few weeks ago. They told me that my ship uses the bidding system, and that there's nothing that they can do (for the Breakaway).

 

I always think that it doesn't hurt to try, though. The worst that can happen is that they say "no."

 

Good luck!

[MellyMel612]

Depends on the ship and whether or not they are on the bidding system. We are on the Sun in June. Not on the bidding system yet. When I called the upgrade line last week I got a less than friendly rep who said I was calling "much much too early" (we were at 41 days and she said it needed to be within 30 - we've never sailed NCL before so I had no idea) and "don't call this number back, if there's anything available we'll call or email you"

 

:o:confused:

[JC5240]

That was nasty of her. Ignore the last thing that she said to you. I'd start calling again within thirty days, and then once a week until you get a deal you want.

 

Depends on the ship and whether or not they are on the bidding system. We are on the Sun in June. Not on the bidding system yet. When I called the upgrade line last week I got a less than friendly rep who said I was calling "much much too early" (we were at 41 days and she said it needed to be within 30 - we've never sailed NCL before so I had no idea) and "don't call this number back, if there's anything available we'll call or email you"

 

:o:confused:

[corley05]

Depends on the ship and whether or not they are on the bidding system. We are on the Sun in June. Not on the bidding system yet. When I called the upgrade line last week I got a less than friendly rep who said I was calling "much much too early" (we were at 41 days and she said it needed to be within 30 - we've never sailed NCL before so I had no idea) and "don't call this number back, if there's anything available we'll call or email you"

 

:o:confused:

 

 

We must have gotten the same rude person. I called yesterday about the Sky (sailing monday) and got the same response. She could have just said no.

[MTB25]

What's a "bidding system"

[ExpatBride]

What's a "bidding system"

 

They send you an email asking you to bid for an upgrade. Based on availability, you can bid up to 2 categories higher than your current booking. However after a steep price drop, I paid less than the recommended bid to upgrade from an inside guarantee to a balcony and picked up some perks in the process.

[MTB25]

They send you an email asking you to bid for an upgrade. Based on availability, you can bid up to 2 categories higher than your current booking. However after a steep price drop, I paid less than the recommended bid to upgrade from an inside guarantee to a balcony and picked up some perks in the process.

 

So they email you? Someone said they called too. Curious how it all works lol

[ExpatBride]

So they email you? Someone said they called too. Curious how it all works lol

 

Yes. they used to call with a specific offer. Now they email and ask you to bid. Must be more money in the bidding method of upgrading...

[sanger727]

Here is my understanding.

 

Let's say you paid $600 for an inside and there have been price drops and now an oceanview is $650 and a balcony is $850.

 

You have always been able to, and still can, call and offer to pay the difference for an upgrade - so $50 to go to oceanview or $250 to go to a balcony. They seem to get funny sometimes if you want to go from an assigned category to a guarantee - but outside of that you should be able to upgrade and just pay the difference.

 

If you want to hold out and pay less than the difference they used to call selected people and offer to upgrade them at a cost, but usually less than face value.

 

Now they do a bidding system where they try to get people to compete with bids for these 'less than face value' upgrades

 

 

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[MellyMel612]

We must have gotten the same rude person. I called yesterday about the Sky (sailing monday) and got the same response. She could have just said no.

 

Exactly. My rude woman had an accent I didn't quite recognize - maybe Caribbean Island? Would be interesting to find it was the same person.

[MellyMel612]

That was nasty of her. Ignore the last thing that she said to you. I'd start calling again within thirty days, and then once a week until you get a deal you want.

 

Thanks. I will definitely try again.

[corley05]

Exactly. My rude woman had an accent I didn't quite recognize - maybe Caribbean Island? Would be interesting to find it was the same person.

I want paying attention to the accent. I was shocked that she was that rude.

 

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[jskinsd]

Hi,

 

Just wondering if any of my fellow CC users still try to call NCL for an upgrade deal. Do they specifically just use the bidding system or is it worth to call and try to deal with them?

 

Many Thanks

TG

If you think that an upgrade will make your cruising experience better, then do it. Do not procrastinate and then again know when to pull the trigger. I usually book an IX just to get on the ship. I monitor prices everyday until the cruise. Usually the price drops with in fours weeks of the cruise. I have upgraded from an inside to every other category except to suite for my last 10 cruises with NCL. My system has worked 9 out of 10 times. The one time the price didn't drop I did received, one would say, not a favorable cabin. Did not affect the cruise.:) But it is a gamble and I like paying this game. I like to think that I am getting more bang for my buck:D

[Vitamin_Sea]

of course a call is worth it.

Call everyday to and twice on Sunday:cool:

[frangig]

So you can still call the upsell number for he Breakaway?

[ps4125]

There's a special upgrade phone number? I don't recall hearing the option for an upgrade extension when I've called the main number.

 

 

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[gizfish]

So you can still call the upsell number for he Breakaway?

You can call, but it will get you nowhere. As soon as you say you are interested in an upsell, they will ask what ship. If it is a ship that has the upgrade advantage program (as Breakaway does) they will tell you that you should have gotten an email or seen the offer at the NCL site and that is the only way you can upsell on that ship. They will not even bother asking you the sail date, reservation number, name, etc,.

[cruisinmeme]

They send you an email asking you to bid for an upgrade. Based on availability, you can bid up to 2 categories higher than your current booking. However after a steep price drop, I paid less than the recommended bid to upgrade from an inside guarantee to a balcony and picked up some perks in the process.

 

That is what a lot of people don't really understand. If you watch your prices you will more than likely be better off without the bidding process. The prices usually go up just before that process starts.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

FYI. I was chatting with my PVP yesterday and the new bidding process came up. She said under the old system (phone calls for upsell ) that was done I house by NCL employees. The new bid program is done by a third party. She said the reps are not given any real information and said I was her first customer who had won a bid, so she picked my brain about it.

 

She also said her office had gotten emails from their manager that balcony bookings were down, although bookings as a whole were normal. Well, duh... If you give people the option to gamble on getting an upsell many will do that.

[fonrouge82]

I have booked the Escape through an agency that does not participate in the bidding process; therefore, I will not be receiving an email from NCL. :( I am 70 days from sailing. Has anyone attempted calling the Upsell department and having any luck in this situation?

[HowardK]

Has anyone had a good experience upgrading from a studio lately? I did read they were excluded from the bidding process. In looking at a few last minute bookings as well to get a gauge for the margin, it appears the BX for example is reasonable, but anything above that is significantly higher. My fewer times I was able to upgrade for $100-$200, but that was 2014.

[Loonbeam]

If you are on a bidding ship and your agency does not participate, you are out of luck. There is no manual upsell process for those ships without a LOT of hoop jumping.

 

There basically is no upsell department anymore. Most of the associates from that team have been moved to other positions, and the ones that are left covering the few ships not on the program are basically waiting for their jobs to end, so not particular inclined to go through said hoops.

 

That said, I have yet to figure out why some agencies have chosen to not be included. Their commission doesn't change (not sure if the upsell bid is commissionable)

 

I have booked the Escape through an agency that does not participate in the bidding process; therefore, I will not be receiving an email from NCL. :( I am 70 days from sailing. Has anyone attempted calling the Upsell department and having any luck in this situation?

[fonrouge82]

Thank you Loonbeam for the information. Guess we will just be happy with the large balcony cabin that we originally booked. :)

[MagnoliaBlossom]

I suppose you could transfer your booking to Ncl and then be in the bidding process.