Travel Agent and Bid process

[oracer]

If you purchased the cruise from a Travel Agent, will I be able to get the email to 'bid' on a room upgrade?   I just booked the Breakaway for a 1.19.19 sail date for 10 days out of New Orleans.   I have a NCL account, so just finished up all of the check in documents.   I was just wondering does the bid come in my email or does it come in my NCL Account Messages or am I SOL since I purchased this through a Travel Agent.  We got an inside room and want to bid on a balcony or a SPA balcony.   Appreciate anyone giving me there thoughts if we are able to bid or not.  Thanks, John

[OBSESSIVEWORLDTRAVELER]

I booked my cruise through a travel agent and received an email to bid. Also when I logged into my NCL account there was a banner to bid. I made a bid and three weeks before leaving (I leave tomorrow) my travel agent called me and said I won my bid.

[Granny DI]

We are booked in an aft Haven penthouse suite on the Breakaway for Jan 6. Three days ago a banner appeared after I signed into my NCL account. It invited me to upgrade. This has never happened before. The invite was for all the Haven cabins above the aft Haven penthouse. We were interested in the Owners Suite but the starting bid was $800+ to $2500 pp. There are 5 two bedroom Haven Suites available. The starting bid for the two bedroom was $300 pp.... The aft Haven penthouses have been sold out for a long time. 

[Granny DI]

We booked our cruise through a travel agent.

[roger001]

Always book through a TA.  Always get emails to upgrade bid.  

[Granny DI]

Oops.....starting bid for 2 bedroom suite is $600+. The starting bid for the Haven spa is $300+.

None of the offers are a good deal for us.

[phoenix1181]

I book with a TA & have never received an email but it has always shown on My NCL.  Good luck!

[xcell]

Some TA do not subscribe to the upgrade bidding -- specifically the big box store one.

 

 

[gmbhardy]

A couple years ago my TA received the invite and then forworded it on to me. More recently the invites have been sent to me directly.

[terry&mike]

If you booked through a travel agent, and your email is attached to your cruise reservation (ie. you've done your online check in and provided this information, or it is already on file with NCL), then both you and your travel agent will receive an email inviting you to bid on an upgrade. You can bid for yourself, or instruct your travel agent to bid on your behalf.

If you booked through a travel agent, and your email is not yet attached to your cruise reservation (ie. you haven't provided it to NCL yet), then your travel agent will receive an email saying that you are eligible to bid on upgrades. Your travel agent should then forward this email on to you. You can bid for yourself, or instruct your travel agent to bid on your behalf. 

There are a few times when this may not happen:

1. You purchased from a travel agent who has opted out of the upgrade program; not many have opted out, but a few of the giant big box type have to not be burdened with the extra administrative work.

2. Your sailing doesn't have any upgrade options available for the category you are sailing in, or for the ship you are sailing in. Doesn't happen much, but some sailings are very heavily sold.

3. You are booked at a rate that does not qualify for the upgrade program. The general public will rarely see this, it is mostly internal rates, promotional sailings, free cruise sailings. 

[oracer]

It took two days, but the upgrade banner came onto my account this morning.  So yeah, have the ability to select 2-3 options to bid (Oceanview, balcony and Spa).  Will be on the last two.  Now to figure out how much.