Upgrade bid experiences

[RW75]

Appears upgrade bidding is live and back in operation.  
 

The minimum bid pricing is around the same as difference in price between N1 and the above listed options at the time of booking. 
 

Quite happy where I am, will not be bidding. 

[marinaro44]

23 minutes ago, RW75 said:

Appears upgrade bidding is live and back in operation.  
 

The minimum bid pricing is around the same as difference in price between N1 and the above listed options at the time of booking. 
 

Quite happy where I am, will not be bidding. 

Yes, just received the same bid opportunity.  Azamara website says the cruise is sold out.🙄

Edited December 1, 2023 by marinaro44

[RW75]

33 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

Yes, just received the same bid opportunity.  Azamara website says the cruise is sold out.🙄

I count 109 staterooms and suites available on a different site that still shows choice of accommodation. Although the Spa Suites were not showing available despite the email offering a bid option. 

Who knows!  Rather feels nothing is quite a certainty recently. 

 

[marinaro44]

4 hours ago, RW75 said:

I count 109 staterooms and suites available on a different site that still shows choice of accommodation. Although the Spa Suites were not showing available despite the email offering a bid option. 

Who knows!  Rather feels nothing is quite a certainty recently. 

 

Same upgrade invitation, different cruise...that's sold out.

[RW75]

8 minutes ago, marinaro44 said:

Same upgrade invitation, different cruise...that's sold out.

Apologies, I should have clarified.  Made an assumption based on seeing  sold out only to see pricing again a short time later. Assumably an inventory update. 

[java spot]

I was offered an upgrade bid starting at $225 for my oceanview cabin.  The trouble is, balcony cabins are now being offered for a couple thousand less than I paid for the oceanview.  So paying an extraa $450 is a bit infuriating.  This is the case on both legs of a B2B.  Has anyone had any luck with a situation like this. I brought it to the attention of my TA who I hope will get me a "free" upgrade.   I feel disincentived to ever book before the final payment window now.  

[Grandma Cruising]

Just had an invitation to bid for our forth coming Cape Town to Canaries cruise on Pursuit. We’re in an Oceanview which we’re happy with so have put in a weak bid for a Verandah. Happy with what we’ve offered as prices are now higher than they were when we booked (despite the fact that when I did a mock booking, there seemed to be plenty of empty cabins.

I’ll come back & report how we got on.

[Lookyboy]

1 hour ago, Grandma Cruising said:

Just had an invitation to bid for our forth coming Cape Town to Canaries cruise on Pursuit. We’re in an Oceanview which we’re happy with so have put in a weak bid for a Verandah. Happy with what we’ve offered as prices are now higher than they were when we booked (despite the fact that when I did a mock booking, there seemed to be plenty of empty cabins.

I’ll come back & report how we got on.

We have just had the same for the cruise prior to your one. Is it just my imagination or is this a slightly different style of bid....giving us time to pay and if not, we retain our original booking? (Thus giving that element of choice which was missing before??)

[Grandma Cruising]

30 minutes ago, Lookyboy said:

We have just had the same for the cruise prior to your one. Is it just my imagination or is this a slightly different style of bid....giving us time to pay and if not, we retain our original booking? (Thus giving that element of choice which was missing before??)

No, ours was the same as before, make your bid, pay & submit your bid, agreeing that you can only have the cabin you’re allocated.

[Mercruiser]

Here is the upgrade offer received for Quest, Jan 22 (Santiago Chile to Buenos Aries Argentina).

[Mercruiser]

Here is the email notice I received yesterday

 

I called the number. They told me the cabin I had been assigned. It was a good cabin so I went ahead and paid for the upgrade. I like that you know the cabin number before agreeing to go through with the upgrade. There are some really bad noisy Oceanview cabins on R-class ships (Deck 4 front).

 

 

[uktog]

13 hours ago, Grandma Cruising said:

No, ours was the same as before, make your bid, pay & submit your bid, agreeing that you can only have the cabin you’re allocated.

Ours in the terms and conditions on the front page is as you say but if I click through to make a bid (I won’t be prices not worth it) I get these terms 

[Grandma Cruising]

2 hours ago, uktog said:

Ours in the terms and conditions on the front page is as you say but if I click through to make a bid (I won’t be prices not worth it) I get these terms 

I missed that bit, seems very strange tho’ that you have to fill in all your credit card details when you make the bid!

[uktog]

If I did make a bid on my April trip if that set of conditions is still there I’d hold them to it if I got a room with a tub 

[killaypirate]

Just had my upgrade offer , from verandah to suite Pursuit March 16 , accepted for £10 over the minimum bid. Total paid still much less than 50% of today's price. Received email, replied with my tel number and return call all settled within 60 minutes. Very pleased with outcome.

[MaximusG]

These upgrade opportunities are coming through email?  Or on the website?  I don't have any upgrade email for an April sailing and don't see where to bid on the website.  I assume it's email and there are no upgrade opportunities being offered on my cruise - safe assumption?

[uktog]

13 minutes ago, MaximusG said:

These upgrade opportunities are coming through email?  Or on the website?  I don't have any upgrade email for an April sailing and don't see where to bid on the website.  I assume it's email and there are no upgrade opportunities being offered on my cruise - safe assumption?

Yes you are correct. I’ve not had the email for my April cruise but it’s almost sold out so not surprised. 

[Grandma Cruising]

We got the upgrade offer on 9 January for our 20 February Pursuit cruise - exactly 6 weeks before it. Made a low offer & still haven’t heard whether successful or not.

[killaypirate]

Our upgrade invite came Jan 6 for Mar 16 cruise (10 weeks prior), acceptance came Jan29, 47 days prior.

[excitedofharpenden]

On 1/31/2024 at 8:19 AM, MaximusG said:

These upgrade opportunities are coming through email?  Or on the website?  I don't have any upgrade email for an April sailing and don't see where to bid on the website.  I assume it's email and there are no upgrade opportunities being offered on my cruise - safe assumption?

My upgrade offer for March cruise came in January via email. My understanding is that they aren't offered to everyone. What the criteria is I'm guessing is based on your loyalty level and cabin availability on a particular cruise. You might still get one so hang tight. 

 

Phil 

[Grandma Cruising]

Our cruise starts on Monday 20 Feb and the email saying our upgrade bid was successful was sent on Friday 17Feb. Unfortunately we didn't receive it until Friday afternoon in Cape Town (having left home 24 hours earlier). The wording was as follows: 

''Congratulations on getting your bid approved on the Pursuit 02/20/24 sailing.  

 

If you are still interested with upgrading to the Club Veranda stateroom, please call in directly to Azamara at 855-292-6272 and ask for me, Miricia, Gnapp, or Rina Favreault so that we can process the move-up.  Please do so as soon as possible as space is limited''

 

As you will see, despite us being UK passengers, the number to ring was a US number! We rang it from Cape Town only to hear a message that said the office was closed until Monday, despite the email encouraging us to contact them asap!

We then tried the UK number and the agent was able to help us, although she had to put us on hold for quite a while as the only person who could deal with it was already dealing with another customer. We rang through the hotel switchboard (a lot cheaper per minute than using our mobiles).

What was great was that she was able to tell us which cabins were available so we could decide which was OK for us.

[tgg]

1 hour ago, Grandma Cruising said:

As you will see, despite us being UK passengers, the number to ring was a US number! We rang it from Cape Town only to hear a message that said the office was closed until Monday, despite the email encouraging us to contact them asap!

We then tried the UK number and the agent was able to help us.

Glad that it all worked out for you. I hope you were able to choose a veranda cabin that you like. Azamara certainly put you through a lot to get this done.

[excitedofharpenden]

On 2/18/2024 at 2:27 PM, Grandma Cruising said:

Our cruise starts on Monday 20 Feb and the email saying our upgrade bid was successful was sent on Friday 17Feb. Unfortunately we didn't receive it until Friday afternoon in Cape Town (having left home 24 hours earlier). The wording was as follows: 

''Congratulations on getting your bid approved on the Pursuit 02/20/24 sailing.  

 

If you are still interested with upgrading to the Club Veranda stateroom, please call in directly to Azamara at 855-292-6272 and ask for me, Miricia, Gnapp, or Rina Favreault so that we can process the move-up.  Please do so as soon as possible as space is limited''

 

As you will see, despite us being UK passengers, the number to ring was a US number! We rang it from Cape Town only to hear a message that said the office was closed until Monday, despite the email encouraging us to contact them asap!

We then tried the UK number and the agent was able to help us, although she had to put us on hold for quite a while as the only person who could deal with it was already dealing with another customer. We rang through the hotel switchboard (a lot cheaper per minute than using our mobiles).

What was great was that she was able to tell us which cabins were available so we could decide which was OK for us.

Just out of interest, what was the price offer and what did you actually bid to be successful (you said you made a low bid, but can't actually see a figure)?  I hope you were successful and have a great cruise regardless of cabin!

 

Phil 

[excitedofharpenden]

On 2/18/2024 at 3:34 PM, tgg said:

Glad that it all worked out for you. I hope you were able to choose a veranda cabin that you like. Azamara certainly put you through a lot to get this done.

It should be easier for us. Really does not help to be given a US number if you are in the UK. Silly. 
 

Phil 

[Grandma Cruising]

15 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

Just out of interest, what was the price offer and what did you actually bid to be successful (you said you made a low bid, but can't actually see a figure)?  I hope you were successful and have a great cruise regardless of cabin!

 

Phil 

We bid £500 to go from OV 7006 to a verandah. I think the minimum was about £440 or so.