Upgrade Advantage Poor/Fair offer

[maritaysa]

bid the minimum and got upgraded from an inside to an ocean view on a greek isles cruise last june. still waiting on an alaskan cruise for this june. bid slightly above minimum to upgrade to a balcony or mini suite from an ocean view.

[Jenjohncourt]

How do you bid? I’m on the Breakaway this summer out of Copenhagen and would love to do this!

 

 

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[TJTRIPS]

How do you bid? I’m on the Breakaway this summer out of Copenhagen and would love to do this!

 

 

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You have to receive an invitation to bid on an upgrade. The cruisline sends it to you by email. You can always call and upgrade, but to bid is by invitation only.

 

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[fridaythe13th]

Hello, I'm in the same boat as you (pun intended) trying to go from an inside to a balcony on the April 1 Getaway sailing. What was the exact dollar amount (per person) that you bid??? Just wondering. Thanks.

 

So did you bid and did you get it?

[fridaythe13th]

How do you bid? I’m on the Breakaway this summer out of Copenhagen and would love to do this!

 

 

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If they send you an invitation, you will receive it about 80 days out. Good luck!

[arthurkma]

I just got off from NCL Escape on Dec 9, 2018, from 14-day Western Caribean.  I placed a bid of $51 pp (for 2) and received an upgrade from a balcony room to a mini suite. So, I think it was a great deal!

 

[Birdy9003]

Our first cruise is coming up in August of 2019 on the epic.  I am new to this bidding thing.  Would I be more likely to be offered a chance to bid if I called or emailed norwegian? Can I tell them I am interested in this option?  I only have an inside cabin and a chance to upgrade to a balcony would be amazing.  I chose not to do so when booking due to the cost.  Any advice or tips would be amazing.

[misguy]

Make sure you have MyNCL account set up, and usually if you are going to get a chance to bid it will show up the on the home page, and it will stay there till you sail.  

[ray98]

Yes....I had a very low bid in the poor range and it was accepted moving us from an OV to a balcony.

[JamieLogical]

10 hours ago, Birdy9003 said:

Our first cruise is coming up in August of 2019 on the epic.  I am new to this bidding thing.  Would I be more likely to be offered a chance to bid if I called or emailed norwegian? Can I tell them I am interested in this option?  I only have an inside cabin and a chance to upgrade to a balcony would be amazing.  I chose not to do so when booking due to the cost.  Any advice or tips would be amazing.

 

You should receive an email invitation to bid at about 80 days out. If you don't get an invitation after that, log into your My NCL account and check your Message Center as well as the banner that shows up on the main screen when you go into your trip. If you still don't have any option to bid at that point, you can call the old upgrade number and ask for an invitation and they may be able to send you one. This is all as long as you didn't book through a TA that does not participate in the program.

[happy cruzer]

So does anyone care to share their experiences of making bids that were not accepted?  That would be helpful too.  Thanks for sharing.

[Nola26]

2017 Thanksgiving Dawn Southern Caribbean from San Juan minimum bid accepted to move from inside to balcony. Feedback was quick, like 2 or 3 days and I knew at least a few weeks prior to sailing. 

 

2018  Christmas Pearl Western bid a little over minimum for balcony, it was not accepted, stayed with my inside.

 

Both of those were as a solo traveler, bid is still paid at 2X rate.

 

2/23/19 Awaiting decision on bids for Balcony and Spa Balcony from Inside. Bids are Poor, but not minimum. This is the first time I classify the upgrade as a need as we are traveling as a family of 3, including a long skinny teenage boy. 

 

All trips booked with a casino certificate from a land based casino. My offers are always Inside so I cannot just book a balcony. Upgrade fees are significant and sometimes not even available. 

[firstimecruiseronncl]

34 minutes ago, Nola26 said:

2017 Thanksgiving Dawn Southern Caribbean from San Juan minimum bid accepted to move from inside to balcony. Feedback was quick, like 2 or 3 days and I knew at least a few weeks prior to sailing. 

 

2018  Christmas Pearl Western bid a little over minimum for balcony, it was not accepted, stayed with my inside.

 

Both of those were as a solo traveler, bid is still paid at 2X rate.

 

2/23/19 Awaiting decision on bids for Balcony and Spa Balcony from Inside. Bids are Poor, but not minimum. This is the first time I classify the upgrade as a need as we are traveling as a family of 3, including a long skinny teenage boy. 

 

All trips booked with a casino certificate from a land based casino. My offers are always Inside so I cannot just book a balcony. Upgrade fees are significant and sometimes not even available. 

 

Have you asked how much it will cost to upgrade to a balcony from your "free" inside cabin? We are always offered a free inside cabin and have always been able to upgrade. The cost is definitely cheaper than what is offered on the NCL site because you are being credited for the inside cabin rate. 

[cyndyga]

5 hours ago, firstimecruiseronncl said:

 

Have you asked how much it will cost to upgrade to a balcony from your "free" inside cabin? We are always offered a free inside cabin and have always been able to upgrade. The cost is definitely cheaper than what is offered on the NCL site because you are being credited for the inside cabin rate. 

Moving from my "free" inside through casino this time was significantly higher $ 500 a person and Oceanview $200 a person ...I have taken a chance on bidding. Both of my bids are high yellow cheaper than direct upgrade if I win...Last year on Escape it was alot less.

Edited February 6, 2019 by cyndyga

[Nola26]

6 hours ago, firstimecruiseronncl said:

 

Have you asked how much it will cost to upgrade to a balcony from your "free" inside cabin? We are always offered a free inside cabin and have always been able to upgrade. The cost is definitely cheaper than what is offered on the NCL site because you are being credited for the inside cabin rate. 

As noted upgrade fees are significant. The last time I requested a quote I could not get one, no cabins available. However, 800 has been quoted on other cruises and $1000 was posted here, I won't do that. If a bid isn't accepted we will have our first family experience in an inside.

[Gypsy Nurse]

On 2/6/2019 at 4:14 PM, cyndyga said:

Moving from my "free" inside through casino this time was significantly higher $ 500 a person and Oceanview $200 a person ...I have taken a chance on bidding. Both of my bids are high yellow cheaper than direct upgrade if I win...Last year on Escape it was alot less.

I'm in the same boat (pun intended) as you. I have the casino offer and it will be $500/each to upgrade to a balcony. I would do it, but I don't get any of the added perks like others get for the balcony. Got my bid in also and have my fingers crossed that my bid is accepted. I'll be celebrating my birthday/anniversary during the cruise and am very hopeful. 😎

[cyndyga]

6 hours ago, Gypsy Nurse said:

I'm in the same boat (pun intended) as you. I have the casino offer and it will be $500/each to upgrade to a balcony. I would do it, but I don't get any of the added perks like others get for the balcony. Got my bid in also and have my fingers crossed that my bid is accepted. I'll be celebrating my birthday/anniversary during the cruise and am very hopeful. 😎

I chickened out and upped my bid for spa balcony to mid light green and regular balcony just 1 5.00 increment into light green and got a email this afternoon awarding me a regular balcony so I am happy!

[Gypsy Nurse]

52 minutes ago, cyndyga said:

I chickened out and upped my bid for spa balcony to mid light green and regular balcony just 1 5.00 increment into light green and got a email this afternoon awarding me a regular balcony so I am happy!

 

 

Yay! When is your sailing?

[don't-use-real-name]

On ‎1‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 10:30 PM, misguy said:

Make sure you have MyNCL account set up, and usually if you are going to get a chance to bid it will show up the on the home page, and it will stay there till you sail.  

 

If you have cruised NCL before you have a MyNCL account - if you have made a booking you have a MyNCL account.

Your Latitudes Rewards number is the same as your MyNCL account number.

 

You do have to set up the account with a user name and password to access your MyNCL account.

 

Then bookmark it so you can check on it frequently and easily. (ONLY on a secure computer)

 

Now about that bidding - Hummm - The best of luck !

Read on here - to learn more - - -

[davy jones]

On 3/23/2018 at 6:44 AM, drb247 said:

The words poor and fair mean nothing. They are simply there to encourage you to offer more.

That is true.  

Whether or a poor bid is accepted is dependent on the sailing and how it is selling.  Minimum upgrade bids are accepted on some sailings.  It's all about supply, demand, and revenue maximization for NCL.

[Bulldogsoc]

We bid $25 above the min bid and were successful for our bid on a 2bdrm Haven on the Getaway.  We originally booked a mini suite. This was for the Jan 27th 2019 sailing.  We heard back about 8 or 9 days prior to sailing and about 5 days after putting on our bid.  There were about 16 unsold cabins in that category at the time.

 

Mark

[Alegeeter]

I have bid the minimum 3x now and received the upgrade each time.

[Nclgetawaymenhoney]

2 hours ago, davy jones said:

That is true.  

Whether or a poor bid is accepted is dependent on the sailing and how it is selling.  Minimum upgrade bids are accepted on some sailings.  It's all about supply, demand, and revenue maximization for NCL.

Well put Davy Jones.  It's all about supply and demand.  You cannot compare a spring break almost sold out cruise with a early December not full ship.  It's like comparing apples and pizza, completely different.  Been successfully all three times, but always travel fairly off season.

[mking8288]

Ditto on what poster directly above said, and we don't - frugually - book nor cruise during school breaks, holidays, or themed cruises, newest ship in port/itinerary, etc. 

 

$125 p/p bid to Bermuda, late season 7 nights on Escape from Inside was NOT accepted.  But, we won a last minute upgrade bid (3 days to sailing) to Oceanview - lots of extra room for 2 of us, as it was a designated accessible cabin for 2, huge - felt like being in a suite, minus the butler & concierge.  Ship was full & sold out but had about 4,500 onboard & solo cruisers that got into a balcony without the "penalty" and others that bid up from their studio cabin. 

 

$125 p/p bid to West Caribbean, early January, 14 nights on Escape was ACCEPTED coming from Inside - more than a week out.  "BB" category, almost mid ship, deck 13, cabin that sleep up to 4.  Just like 7 nighters, we bid for a Spa Balcony at a higher amount, but never felt we're within range.  Had a bid for Oceanview in place & of course it expired.  Ship was "sold out" and sailed full, but - it was nowhere near lifeboat capacity, quite a few solo cruisers that booked last minute. 

 

We know our onboard spending patterns & history, and IMHO - can conclude with a fair degree of confidence that, it played little to nothing in scoring or rating us for the upgrade bid.  

 

Like our early winning bids on the Breakaway and Gem - we've yet to totally missed getting a better cabin, and, these half dozens successful ones were never beyond the poor/fair pointer on the "scale" ... but higher than the bare minimum of $25 for OV or $50 for a Balcony.   Other possible "paths" to getting an upgrade would all be much more.  

[Krisco]

On 2/6/2019 at 4:14 PM, cyndyga said:

Moving from my "free" inside through casino this time was significantly higher $ 500 a person and Oceanview $200 a person ...I have taken a chance on bidding. Both of my bids are high yellow cheaper than direct upgrade if I win...Last year on Escape it was alot less.

 

Same here.  Upgrading when booking from a land based "free" inside cabin is really high.  I have a bid out for April and was even surprised to get an upgrade email to try.  Good luck