Strange minimum bid for upgrade

[eynsteinp]

I find this very strange...I am currently booked with my wife in a 2 bedroom haven suite on the Epic. Today I received an upgrade offer to upgrade to the Deluxe Owner's Suite and the minimum bid is $750 per person. The strange part is that when I looked at the cost difference of the 2 bedroom and owners suites on the website the difference in price is only $700 per person ($2799 vs $3499). So I could just call and pay $700 per person to upgrade vs going through the upgrade process and making a minimum bid of $750 per person with a poor chance of getting the upgrade. I think NCL better look at their algorithm :D.

[casofilia]

That certainly looks strange. Have you phoned NCL to talk about it?

[eynsteinp]

I haven't yet. I just received it today and thought that it made no sense whatsoever. I wondered if anyone else has had that happen. I will try to give them a call and see what they say and report back.

[don't-use-real-name]

While you are in a suite haven garden and stepping up to the DOS all the promos perks and bennies may

stay the same - WAIT - changing horses midstream what about the OBC - well maybe you had a lot but

now maybe none at all.

Some kind of strange "bait & switch" - careful if bidding a different package from what was set-up as a

Latitudes Insider Offer - OR - just maybe NCL just flat out GOOFED and they have you confused with

someone else. Check it out - just what is going on here ?

[eynsteinp]

It definitely made me think that everyone better really do their homework prior to bidding. I don't know if it is a computer glitch or if someone screwed up but it really makes zero sense.

[theriac]

I had a similar situation about a month ago. I'm booked in a balcony on the breakaway and got the upgrade list. The minimum to bid to upgrade to a minisuite was $50 per person. I looked to see if that was a good price and sure enough I could just call NCL and upgrade for $25 per person and get to pick the cabin I wanted. Naturally I just called them to upgrade and when I mentioned it to the agent they said it happens from time to time and I was lucky I caught that.

 

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[eynsteinp]

That's interesting that it happened to you as well. I guess it serves as a warning to everyone that if you are not careful your invite to "upgrade" can be a way to get ripped off. I guess like is the case with so many other things, buyer beware!! NCL really should not do this to people. It really is abusing their customers trust by making you believe that you are getting a deal when you are actually getting ripped off by paying more than you would if you just went on the website or called them to pay to move up a room category.

[theriac]

It almost seems as they have found an upgrade price point that they just stick with. The prices have now gone up a lot since I upgraded but the bid prices have all stayed the same.

 

I didn't take it as NCL trying to cheat me in anyway. If someone bids more than the room is valued at good for NCL. Everything is worth what someone is willing to pay for it so if they can get higher than the asking price I don't see any problem. Like with everything people should do research and pay what they are comfortable with.

 

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[eynsteinp]

I get your buyer beware theory but I really feel like they are misleading their own customers with the way it is presented. They make it seem like you were lucky enough to be allowed to bid when you could just go and upgrade without the "special" bidding procedure. I get that it is ultimately the responsibility of the customer but It really is misleading and I feel a bit underhanded on their part. I fortunately did my homework on the pricing but I bet many people trust NCL when they are told that they are getting a special deal.

[theriac]

I get your buyer beware theory but I really feel like they are misleading their own customers with the way it is presented. They make it seem like you were lucky enough to be allowed to bid when you could just go and upgrade without the "special" bidding procedure. I get that it is ultimately the responsibility of the customer but It really is misleading and I feel a bit underhanded on their part. I fortunately did my homework on the pricing but I bet many people trust NCL when they are told that they are getting a special deal.

 

I get the presentation may seem misleading, but for all I know in my experience I would have gotten the minisuite with the large balcony had I bid the minimum $50 per person. I chose not to take the gamble and go with the known. Would it still be misleading then since the minisuite with a large balcony was $250 more per person to directly book? Of course not since you're bidding on anything in that category.

 

If those people choose not to call and ask questions or do a price comparison, it is on them. They chose to make an offer they were comfortable with.

 

Would you feel misled if the offer was hundreds cheaper and the bid got accepted 2 weeks later only to find the price of the cruise dropped a week later? Most likely not. You may be upset you over paid, but in no way would it be misleading and I'd be willing to bet you'd think you came out in top at first.

 

Moral of the story is people need to do their homework, and if you're comfortable with the price to upgrade, do it, hope you win, and forget about checking on the cost of the cruise cause it will most likely make you resentful when it inevitably drops in price.

 

Edit- Sorry for any typos or grammatical mistakes. It's late and I'm on mobile with fat fingers.

 

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[zqvol]

I find this very strange...I am currently booked with my wife in a 2 bedroom haven suite on the Epic. Today I received an upgrade offer to upgrade to the Deluxe Owner's Suite and the minimum bid is $750 per person. The strange part is that when I looked at the cost difference of the 2 bedroom and owners suites on the website the difference in price is only $700 per person ($2799 vs $3499). So I could just call and pay $700 per person to upgrade vs going through the upgrade process and making a minimum bid of $750 per person with a poor chance of getting the upgrade. I think NCL better look at their algorithm :D.

 

It makes perfectly logical sense. Why? Too many people do not bother to keep track of the prices, and actually make offers based on that minimum bid. NCL comes out ahead. It is also possible that the minimum bid id set per cabin and not based on the category that you are currently booked in. It is possible that someone in a lower category got the same offer, but they paid less than you did originally.

 

 

If you can get a better deal by calling and upgrading then you should do it, but remember that your perks may change if you call and upgrade. If you bid and get the upgrade, your perks may stay the same.

[dexddd]

This is nothing new. On the long bidding thread there were reports of it.

[mftinvermont]

We didn't do the bidding process on NCL. We were afraid of losing our nicely placed mid-ship balcony cabin for a cabin under or above a public area or a less desirable location so we called our TA and she upgraded us to a mini suite for $195.00 for the 3 of us and we were able to pick our own room.

[garycarla]

Actually, based on the longer thread, this happens quite often. Many folks have suggested that you check the current price before bidding and then call and ask to PAY to move up.

 

BUT - sometimes they say you can not do that without cancelling the original reservation and starting over.

[eynsteinp]

I'm sorry but I still don't get it. How is it not misleading when the total amount that I would pay for the room through the upgrade process is higher than the total amount that I can book the room for directly with NCL? This is not only a bad deal, its misleading. I truly find it to be an example of a corporation that does not care if it is taking advantage of its less educated customers. I am usually a defender of NCL on the whole but in this case I think it is very wrong to mislead your customers and trick the less educated customer into thinking that they are getting a special opportunity to upgrade when the cost of the upgrade that they are asking is higher than the full list price of the same room on their site. Just my opinion but the buyer beware attitude of companies and people who defend them really lack compassion for the people who are being taken advantage of.

[sanger727]

My question is, did everyone who had a 2 bedroom suite receive an minimum bid of $750 for an owner's suite? Or are those emails customized by what you paid? Not everyone who has a 2 bedroom suite paid the same amount for it, so if someone booked at a lower rate, that $750 may be a better deal than it is for you. Now if they are customized by what you paid then yes, clearly a negative business move towards the customer.

 

 

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[Cashsmoney]

My question is, did everyone who had a 2 bedroom suite receive an minimum bid of $750 for an owner's suite? Or are those emails customized by what you paid? Not everyone who has a 2 bedroom suite paid the same amount for it, so if someone booked at a lower rate, that $750 may be a better deal than it is for you. Now if they are customized by what you paid then yes, clearly a negative business move towards the customer.

 

 

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No I don’t think they are customized based on what someone paid. For example I’m booked in a mini suite and my inlaws are booked a balcony room, but the cost to upgrade to any Haven room is the same for the both of us.

 

 

 

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[garycarla]

I'm sorry but I still don't get it. How is it not misleading when the total amount that I would pay for the room through the upgrade process is higher than the total amount that I can book the room for directly with NCL? This is not only a bad deal, its misleading. I truly find it to be an example of a corporation that does not care if it is taking advantage of its less educated customers. I am usually a defender of NCL on the whole but in this case I think it is very wrong to mislead your customers and trick the less educated customer into thinking that they are getting a special opportunity to upgrade when the cost of the upgrade that they are asking is higher than the full list price of the same room on their site. Just my opinion but the buyer beware attitude of companies and people who defend them really lack compassion for the people who are being taken advantage of.

 

You have some good points. I may agree with you. Sort of.

 

When folks buy any room upfront, there is no misleading. They quote a price and people either buy it, or not. The next person buying that room may pay less or more, especially when close to sailing time and they do a sale to move the last few cabins. Or they raise rates due to demand. Some call that misleading, cheating, etc. Others call it supply and demand pricing.

 

In reality, people pay many different prices for the same room, based on when and how they buy it. I am sure there are cases where people paid more than what the room currently cost. And others less. Just the way it is. Like airlines, hotels, even the new car I bought last month.

 

AS TO UPGRADE:

 

When they send out upgrade notices, the minimum bid may be a insult to some people, and great deal to others. I really do not think they care or look at what each person paid. They have some cabins left and are offering folks a chance to get them. He with the highest bid gets it.

 

Nobody has to even consider the offer or take action. They can keep exactly what they originally booked.

 

Any rational buyer should always look to see what the current pricing is for something and make their own decision.

 

Want to see crazy? Look at Ebay and see how much they are the selling the new phone for hundreds more than what you can get by walking into the store and buying it yourself. Go figure.

[AndyCapn]

I'm sorry but I still don't get it. How is it not misleading when the total amount that I would pay for the room through the upgrade process is higher than the total amount that I can book the room for directly with NCL? This is not only a bad deal, its misleading. I truly find it to be an example of a corporation that does not care if it is taking advantage of its less educated customers. I am usually a defender of NCL on the whole but in this case I think it is very wrong to mislead your customers and trick the less educated customer into thinking that they are getting a special opportunity to upgrade when the cost of the upgrade that they are asking is higher than the full list price of the same room on their site. Just my opinion but the buyer beware attitude of companies and people who defend them really lack compassion for the people who are being taken advantage of.

 

What's not to get? If you purchase something without doing any research into other prices, that's not the fault of the travel agent, the website, the airline, the car rental counter staff or the cruise line.

[eynsteinp]

What's not to get? If you purchase something without doing any research into other prices, that's not the fault of the travel agent, the website, the airline, the car rental counter staff or the cruise line.

 

While this did not effect me in any way since I did not bid on the upgrade, I disagree with you on your premises. I do not believe that just because you can screw over less educated customers that you should screw them over. The people who are getting these special offers are already customers paying thousands of dollars to travel with NCL. As a business owner myself, not taking advantage of the less educated people seems like the right thing to do to me. Just my take.

[Vinegarjoe10]

While this did not effect me in any way since I did not bid on the upgrade, I disagree with you on your premises. I do not believe that just because you can screw over less educated customers that you should screw them over. The people who are getting these special offers are already customers paying thousands of dollars to travel with NCL. As a business owner myself, not taking advantage of the less educated people seems like the right thing to do to me. Just my take.

 

 

Eynsteinp,

 

we are also in a 2 bedroom villa on the Epic (sail date 12/9/17). I received the'advantage upgrade' email yesterday, where the minimum bid they would accept was $750.00 per person to upgrade to an H2.

 

I originally booked through CAS. They offered us a balcony category comp, which I then upgraded to the H4 category.

 

For comparison purposes, I logged onto the NCL website and did a mock booking for an H4, and the box popped up offering me the ability to upgrade to the H2 for $50.00 per day per person, which works out the minimum bid they would accept in the email offer.

 

We are happy with the H4 and won't be bidding, as there are 4 of us cruising together, and like the 2nd bedroom with full bathroom. Another reason would be when you bid you don't get to select which H2 you are bidding on and although they may all be the same, there may be a specific cabin a person wants or likes to know in advance what they are paying for.

 

Regards,

 

Vinegarjoe

[don't-use-real-name]

Eynsteinp,

 

we are also in a 2 bedroom villa on the Epic (sail date 12/9/17). I received the'advantage upgrade' email yesterday, where the minimum bid they would accept was $750.00 per person to upgrade to an H2.

 

I originally booked through CAS. They offered us a balcony category comp, which I then upgraded to the H4 category.

 

For comparison purposes, I logged onto the NCL website and did a mock booking for an H4, and the box popped up offering me the ability to upgrade to the H2 for $50.00 per day per person, which works out the minimum bid they would accept in the email offer.

 

We are happy with the H4 and won't be bidding, as there are 4 of us cruising together, and like the 2nd bedroom with full bathroom. Another reason would be when you bid you don't get to select which H2 you are bidding on and although they may all be the same, there may be a specific cabin a person wants or likes to know in advance what they are paying for.

 

Regards,

 

Vinegarjoe

 

XXX

 

Since you are already in Haven (suite) and get the UBP SDP WiFi SX and other perks and bennies - BUT -

What about the OBC - in some cases upgrading and you lose some or all of the OBC or on the plus side

retain what you have or do better (unlikely). When one starts to meddle with the cruise contract NCL is very

quick to erase all the previous perks and bennies and present a plain jane contract bare bones. There is a

limit to the perks and bennies that can be removed from a suite - but - the OBC is always vulnerable.

Since you did not opt up everything should have remained the same - would have been interesting to see

how much OBC would have been removed if you did.

[dexddd]

Eynsteinp,

 

we are also in a 2 bedroom villa on the Epic (sail date 12/9/17). I received the'advantage upgrade' email yesterday, where the minimum bid they would accept was $750.00 per person to upgrade to an H2.

 

I originally booked through CAS. They offered us a balcony category comp, which I then upgraded to the H4 category.

 

For comparison purposes, I logged onto the NCL website and did a mock booking for an H4, and the box popped up offering me the ability to upgrade to the H2 for $50.00 per day per person, which works out the minimum bid they would accept in the email offer.

 

We are happy with the H4 and won't be bidding, as there are 4 of us cruising together, and like the 2nd bedroom with full bathroom. Another reason would be when you bid you don't get to select which H2 you are bidding on and although they may all be the same, there may be a specific cabin a person wants or likes to know in advance what they are paying for.

 

Regards,

 

Vinegarjoe

 

The Epic actually has one of the most different versions of the H2.

 

If the online was $50 pp pd wouldn't it actually be cheaper than the bid or maybe I mis-read that?

[Vinegarjoe10]

The Epic actually has one of the most different versions of the H2.

 

If the online was $50 pp pd wouldn't it actually be cheaper than the bid or maybe I mis-read that?

 

 

duplicate post.

Edited September 22, 2017 by Vinegarjoe10

[Vinegarjoe10]

The Epic actually has one of the most different versions of the H2.

 

If the online was $50 pp pd wouldn't it actually be cheaper than the bid or maybe I mis-read that?

 

 

dexddd,

 

You are correct. The upgrade amount during my mock booking was $350.00 per person, not $750.00 per person.

 

To test out if CAS bookings are upgraded differently, I called them this morning. I spoke with a CAS representative, and when I offered to pay $700.00 total to upgrade from the H4 to the H2, my offer was accepted.

 

This is in stark contrast to the Advantage Upgrade email that wanted $750.00 per person (minimum bid they would accept) to upgrade from H4-H2.

 

I was allowed to keep all the perks and the OBC that I was received when I originally booked in December of 2016.

 

All in all, I think the cost of the upgrade was worth it. My wife ( who is not a CC member) will be in for a nice surprise.

 

Regards,

 

Vinegarjoe