What was your upgrade offer and what did you bid

[Momma Rene]

On 4/12/2019 at 8:00 AM, drvmywifecrzy said:

 

 

What did you bid?

So if you are in a H7, are upgrade offers offered?

[aeroo777]

4 hours ago, Momma Rene said:

So if you are in a H7, are upgrade offers offered?

Yes. You’ll be able to bid on an H6, H5, H4, H3 (if available on your ship) and H2. Provided your TA participates in Upgrade Advantage.

Edited April 14, 2019 by aeroo777

[Newleno]

we are platinum does that "status" have any impact on our bid?

[3catnight]

None.  We’re also platinum and have won our bid once and lost twice. It’s all about the $$. 😊

[dexddd]

19 hours ago, Animalgirl27 said:

Had a bid for a balcony at $100 per person and mini suite at $125 per person and both were declined for NCL Sun April 15th. As far as I could tell, the ship was definitely not sold out. We are in an oceanview room category OD. We did pay very little for the oceanview and booked during a big price drop. The balcony bid was in the fair range and the mini suite was in the poor range. 

Too bad about the mini as  the Sun has the best minis in the fleet.

[warcon]

hi  never done ncl before    does bidding max mean you get it ?? im thinking not :):)

[Ella2]

1 hour ago, warcon said:

hi  never done ncl before    does bidding max mean you get it ?? im thinking not :):)

 

Nope.  I bid the maximum on a spa mini-suite on the Bliss and did not get it, but did get a spa balcony (with a way less than maximum bid).  It's not a guarantee.  Bidding maximum on the HAVEN, however, if there is availability, is a different story.  However, bidding the maximum may very well be overkill...base your bid on availability for the stateroom type you are bidding on and your comfort level with the price. 

[alisonslp]

12 minutes ago, Ella2 said:

 

Nope.  I bid the maximum on a spa mini-suite on the Bliss and did not get it, but did get a spa balcony (with a way less than maximum bid).  It's not a guarantee.  Bidding maximum on the HAVEN, however, if there is availability, is a different story.  However, bidding the maximum may very well be overkill...base your bid on availability for the stateroom type you are bidding on and your comfort level with the price. 

I wondered about this. So it is not like a silent auction, where you bid based on the highest you are willing to pay but you only pay where the bidding stops (for instance if someone bid $150 and you bid $200, you would win and only pay $155 (or whatever the increments are)?

[ceilidh1]

Is there any way of knowing which big box/online agencies participate in this (if any do?) I'm hesitant to book through one without knowing if bidding is a possibility.....I'm thinking, primarily, of the one that begins with an E!!!

[Ella2]

20 minutes ago, alisonslp said:

I wondered about this. So it is not like a silent auction, where you bid based on the highest you are willing to pay but you only pay where the bidding stops (for instance if someone bid $150 and you bid $200, you would win and only pay $155 (or whatever the increments are)?

 

No, it's definitely not like a silent auction.  With those, you can SEE what others are bidding and bid appropriately.  You are blind bidding for the upgrades.  If your bid is accepted, you will pay the per person price based on your bid, and pay that full amount...it's immediately charged to your credit card.

 

[tropicallie]

I've had a couple successful bids and a lot of unsuccessful bids.  Sometimes we have booked a BX and sometimes a Spa Balcony.  Does anyone know if the minimum and maximum bids would be the same across all balcony catagories or do they take into consideration that the spa balcony people have paid quite a bit more already and adjust the bid range accordingly?

[deefer]

Star Panama Canal - March 30/19

 

Originally booked a Aft Penthouse Suite.

 

Put in bids in poor range on both the Owners Suite ($305pp) & Deluxe Owners Suite ($650pp).   

 

All suites were sold out when bidding opened so not surprised when did not get the upgrade.  

 

The ship seemed close to sold out on the website in all categories but we did meet a couple who won their upgrade bid from an inside to a balcony.  Did not ask them what their winning bid was.  

 

 

[GINNY L]

We have eleven cabins booked in different categories.  My husband and I have an Aft cabin which is more expensive then some of the suite cabins for the Alaskan cruise.  My son has one of the cheaper balconies that I paid about $1200 less a person.  For the bidding process for the Haven Aft Cabin, I thought since we paid more for our Aft cabin the price will be lower for the starting bid for this Haven Aft.  Well that was not the case.  For our cabin and my son's cabin both of our starting bids for that Haven Aft cabin was $750 pp.  I just don't get how this could be fair and what they really based it on.

[cartman3132]

1 hour ago, GINNY L said:

We have eleven cabins booked in different categories.  My husband and I have an Aft cabin which is more expensive then some of the suite cabins for the Alaskan cruise.  My son has one of the cheaper balconies that I paid about $1200 less a person.  For the bidding process for the Haven Aft Cabin, I thought since we paid more for our Aft cabin the price will be lower for the starting bid for this Haven Aft.  Well that was not the case.  For our cabin and my son's cabin both of our starting bids for that Haven Aft cabin was $750 pp.  I just don't get how this could be fair and what they really based it on.

It's not meant to be fair, it's meant to generate the most money for the cruise line.  Unfortunately. 

[GINNY L]

4 minutes ago, cartman3132 said:

It's not meant to be fair, it's meant to generate the most money for the cruise line.  Unfortunately. 

Yes but very frustrating.  I should have said we paid more than some of  the mini suite cabins not the suite cabins..

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, GINNY L said:

We have eleven cabins booked in different categories.  My husband and I have an Aft cabin which is more expensive then some of the suite cabins for the Alaskan cruise.  My son has one of the cheaper balconies that I paid about $1200 less a person.  For the bidding process for the Haven Aft Cabin, I thought since we paid more for our Aft cabin the price will be lower for the starting bid for this Haven Aft.  Well that was not the case.  For our cabin and my son's cabin both of our starting bids for that Haven Aft cabin was $750 pp.  I just don't get how this could be fair and what they really based it on.

 

"Fair" has nothing at all to do with it. This is a program by which NCL makes additional money. Why would they care what you paid for your original cabin? They already have that money. From a business perspective, it doesn't make sense for them to factor in your original price.

[cartman3132]

6 minutes ago, GINNY L said:

Yes but very frustrating.  I should have said we paid more than some of  the mini suite cabins not the suite cabins..

Keep an eye on pricing.  When it drops call them directly and ask about an upgrade thus skipping the bidding.  I got lucky doing this and it was cheaper than what I bid plus I got another promo added.

[Laszlo]

On 4/14/2019 at 1:14 PM, warcon said:

hi  never done ncl before    does bidding max mean you get it ?? im thinking not :):)

Max bidding will sometime have you paying MORE for a cabin than if you booked it directly first😉

 

I put in a couple of bids for my next cruise. We have a Spa Mini Suite, if I were to bid the max on the Havens being offered on all but one cabin I would be paying the same if not $100-$200 more for the cabin than the going rate if I had booked the Haven cabin in the first place

Edited April 15, 2019 by Laszlo

[raycox2019]

$1000, 2-bedroom Family Villa in the Haven

NYC to Bermuda 4/28-5/5
Was the minimum.  Didn't think it had a chance.  I was wrong.

[sulala]

1 hour ago, GINNY L said:

We have eleven cabins booked in different categories.  My husband and I have an Aft cabin which is more expensive then some of the suite cabins for the Alaskan cruise.  My son has one of the cheaper balconies that I paid about $1200 less a person.  For the bidding process for the Haven Aft Cabin, I thought since we paid more for our Aft cabin the price will be lower for the starting bid for this Haven Aft.  Well that was not the case.  For our cabin and my son's cabin both of our starting bids for that Haven Aft cabin was $750 pp.  I just don't get how this could be fair and what they really based it on.

I agree it’s frustrating that it doesn’t seem to take into account that an Aft Balcony costs way more than a regular one.  I recently questioned why the minimum bids are similar for a 4 day, 7 day, and 11 day cruise (all with same starting room BA).  How is it the algorithm calculates one is willing to bid, for example, $300 for a PH for 11 days and $300 for 4 days!  I found it seems better bargains are to be had on longer cruises than short ones.  Lesson learned.  I think as long as we book what we are happy with keeping and bid only what we are willing, we can be grateful for information from each other.  Thank you for sharing your experience.  Enjoy the amazing views from your Aft Balcony!

[Laszlo]

I have a question for those that have won. It seems like most winners are told within the last two weeks. Do you just reprint out your boarding docs, and luggage tags? I can't imagine NCL sending you tags if you win with a few days to go before the cruise. Did you have time to email ncl concierge service?

[GINNY L]

51 minutes ago, cartman3132 said:

Keep an eye on pricing.  When it drops call them directly and ask about an upgrade thus skipping the bidding.  I got lucky doing this and it was cheaper than what I bid plus I got another promo added.

I always keep an eye out.  I was able to move people in our who had the inside cabins to balcony cabins for the price they paid for the inside or just for $50 more.  However now it is all cheaper plus still with two perks.  People who had the balconies moved up to the mini suites for the cost they paid for the balcony.  However, some paid about $600pp for their balcony then what the mini suites dropped to.  At least they were able to get the mini suites before they were all gone.

10 minutes ago, sulala said:

I agree it’s frustrating that it doesn’t seem to take into account that an Aft Balcony costs way more than a regular one.  I recently questioned why the minimum bids are similar for a 4 day, 7 day, and 11 day cruise (all with same starting room BA).  How is it the algorithm calculates one is willing to bid, for example, $300 for a PH for 11 days and $300 for 4 days!  I found it seems better bargains are to be had on longer cruises than short ones.  Lesson learned.  I think as long as we book what we are happy with keeping and bid only what we are willing, we can be grateful for information from each other.  Thank you for sharing your experience.  Enjoy the amazing views from your Aft Balcony!

Did not know that the minimum bids are all the same.  I guess it does not matter what your cabin is or how long the cruise is, it is all the same bidding price.  Sometimes the price of what they want you to bid on is more expensive then what the price of what the cabin is going for.  People just go and bid without looking at what the price is going for, for that particular cabin.  

[Voelfgar]

Just got my email last night to upgrade to Haven. When i look at availability there was only 2 x H6 cabins available everything else is sold out. Oh well, maybe next time.

[JamieLogical]

58 minutes ago, raycox2019 said:

$1000, 2-bedroom Family Villa in the Haven

NYC to Bermuda 4/28-5/5
Was the minimum.  Didn't think it had a chance.  I was wrong.

 

Congrats! What room type were you in originally?

[vacation44]

1 hour ago, raycox2019 said:

$1000, 2-bedroom Family Villa in the Haven

NYC to Bermuda 4/28-5/5
Was the minimum.  Didn't think it had a chance.  I was wrong.

Congratulations!!!