Newbie looking for a rather fast answer!

[neilkear]

80 days from sailing on the Breakaway out of NYC and just got a bid notice. Offer starts at owners suite for top of $3000, down through Haven categories @$2000 to a mini suite topping @ $400. Right now I have a starboard aft family balcony on 12 and I'm a solo cruiser so all the stated prices are times 2. I'm looking at the mini because I'm a big guy and the larger bathroom and shower appeal to me also the probability of a mid ship location would be a smoother ride. I'm considering a bid of $200 (times 2 =$400 out of pocket). Do you folks think it could be a good deal and also if it was accepted how long before NCL tells me the new stateroom number? Last cruise I took was 13 years ago and the last boat I was on was a ferry so I bow to the assembled wisdom of the CR boards. Thank you.

[keywest1]

My advice would be to check prices for directly upgrading as well as bidding. I have done this twice now on our Sept Escape cruise and for a grand total of $442 out of pocket, I have gone from an 02 family oceanview on deck 13 to an angled balcony on deck 10, then to a spa balcony on deck 15, each time being able to choose my cabin in a location I will be happy in. Doesn't work out this way every time, but it's worth checking IMO.

If you bid, just be sure you would be happy with the worst possible stateroom in the category you are upgrading to.

Good luck and enjoy your cruise!! After eleven cruises on Carnival and RCI, this is our first time on NCL so I'm looking forward to new adventures!!

[neilkear]

Thank you keywest1 but I don't want to start all over again. Keeping in mind when you quote $442 out of pocket, for me that translates to $884 being a solo. Not taking the economics into the question I ask again would bidding on this mini make sense for a larger bathroom basically, and how long from acceptance do you get a new cabin number. It wouldn't be like 'sail away' would it, where you get your cabin when you show up at the pier?

[poohdreaming]

Thank you keywest1 but I don't want to start all over again. Keeping in mind when you quote $442 out of pocket, for me that translates to $884 being a solo. Not taking the economics into the question I ask again would bidding on this mini make sense for a larger bathroom basically, and how long from acceptance do you get a new cabin number. It wouldn't be like 'sail away' would it, where you get your cabin when you show up at the pier?

 

If you think the cabin that you are in right now would be able to work, then keep it. Check/Find out how much bigger the bathroom in term of sizes. Is it just the shower/tub or is it bigger because of the sink? I am a solo traveler too and only did 2 cruises so far. One in a studio room and the other one was in a inside room. The studio was okay in term of size, but I did not like the fact that the shower was in the room.

 

The bid process - you would have to bid and as for learning the new room assignment or if your bid got accepted - I heard it can be as close to 1-2 days before the actual cruise take off depending on what type of bid/upgrade you are bidding from.

[YVRBassElectric]

I was upgraded 60 days out. Most upgrades happen week of cruise, final decisions are made 48 hours in advance of sailing.

 

Once you are upgraded you can't reject your new cabin - look at deck plans and make sure the mini-suite will be bigger than your current cabin. Look on Youtube and see if you can find video of the bathroom of your current cabin - some of the showers are VERY small