No upgrade advantage

[cruisencrazy]

Pass by if you like, I am going to rant. We are sailing the Baltic this month and we paid full price ( no reduction because mini w large balcony sold out). We did not receive upgrade email. NCL said who receives this email is totally random and no reason why we didn’t receive it, other than random...  Of course I can pay another 2,000 and upgrade to Haven for another full price cabin, but to be honest, I just don’t want to pay NCL another penny. Why would you make upgrades totally random and not just offer to everyone who is eligible?  Well, we ended up with all kinds of extra time to vacation, so contemplated booking the cruise before ours and doing back to back. Well, it would have been a hassle as we would have to change cabins in between and they were not helpful at all. The funny thing is, if I had been able to upgrade to Haven, I would have booked Haven outright for the additional cruise. We have sailed Haven before, just to clarify, and we have never used the upgrade program to cruise Haven. So, we have planned a wonderful extended trip, but not with NCL.   We are avid cruisers and are Platinum with NCL.  Icing on the cake...it’s my birthday trip🎂

[cruiseinfoseeker]

Are you under the impression that the upgrade email is a sure thing? It's a bidding process and you may not have gotten it anyway.

Plus, you wouldn't know until a couple days before the cruise, so there is no way you could have booked the prior cruise based on that.

I understand you are disappointed, but I don't agree that you should be angry or feel slighted.

 

I hope you have time to put this in perspective a little better before your trip.  

 

 

[PelicanBill]

Although NCL says it's random, I doubt it.  The program is designed to maximize revenue and I would bet they send the upgrade opportunities to those who paid lower amounts for their cabins first, to get them to spend more.  After a bit, if not enough action, they send to others.  On my last cruise we had more than 300 people online before the cruise talking and we identified 3 distinct waves of mailings and 2 waves of bidding awards well before the sailing... very few awards at sailing so they filled the ship ahead.

[MotownVoice]

Not that your history here says anything about your cruise history but it appears on the surface that you are new to cruising.  Chalk this up to experience and do more research next time.  Virtually every one of us who has cruised more than two or three times has been disappointed by something at some point but we always come back to the same conclusion.  Even if the cruise line is offering something that it is an out and out rip off ... the onus is on me to get what I need out of my vacation choices.

But you're right ... you're entitled to your rant.

Edited August 5, 2019 by MotownVoice

[phillyguy31]

The first question did you book with NCL directly or thru a TA. Some TA's opt out of the upgrade advantage program so you won't an offer.  Even if the PCC's know what the real process is in determining who gets the offer, I really doubt they will tell you.

[cruisencrazy]

1 hour ago, MotownVoice said:

Not that your history here says anything about your cruise history but it appears on the surface that you are new to cruising.  Chalk this up to experience and do more research next time.  Virtually every one of us who has cruised more than two or three times has been disappointed by something at some point but we always come back to the same conclusion.  Even if the cruise line is offering something that it is an out and out rip off ... the onus is on me to get what I need out of my vacation choices.

But you're right ... you're entitled to your rant.

Over 50 cruises.  Not new.  I have been cruising for over 30 years.  I know how it goes; fair or not.  Also, my husband is an international airline captain....I know how to travel.  All I am saying is, I think everyone should get the option to bid.  I'm not special and I booked what we would be happy with.  If my other Haven experiences had been remarkable, I might be singing a different tune.  

 

[laurabegorrah]

While I know they say 'Not everyone gets a chance to bid', I really don't understand why.  You'd think the more people they have bidding, the more higher end bids they will get for rooms.  Just look at the missed opportunity with the OP.  

 

The only thing I can think of is that their servers can't handle the traffic of 2-4k passengers across 17 ships all bidding each week.  

[StolidCruiser]

2 hours ago, cruisencrazy said:

Over 50 cruises.  Not new.  I have been cruising for over 30 years.  I know how it goes; fair or not.  Also, my husband is an international airline captain....I know how to travel.  All I am saying is, I think everyone should get the option to bid. (1) I'm not special and  (2) I booked what we would be happy with.  If my other Haven experiences had been remarkable, I might be singing a different tune.  

 

 

But apparently (1) you think you are and (2) you're really not.

 

You think everyone should get the option to bid.  NCL doesn't (and for very good reason).

 

As post #4 and #2 said, you're entitled to your rant and I hope you have time to put this in perspective a little better before your trip.  

[cruisencrazy]

3 minutes ago, StolidCruiser said:

 

But apparently (1) you think you are and (2) you're really not.

 

You think everyone should get the option to bid.  NCL doesn't (and for very good reason).

 

As post #4 and #2 said, you're entitled to your rant and I hope you have time to put this in perspective a little better before your trip.  

You do not know anything about me or what I go through in my life.  You are lucky that people on this page will not be judging you in the end.  Prayers for you!!  Wish you only the best!!

[iamaqt2]

2 hours ago, cruisencrazy said:

Over 50 cruises.  Not new.  I have been cruising for over 30 years.  I know how it goes; fair or not.  Also, my husband is an international airline captain....I know how to travel.  All I am saying is, I think everyone should get the option to bid.  I'm not special and I booked what we would be happy with.  If my other Haven experiences had been remarkable, I might be singing a different tune.  

 

If your husband is an international airline captain I have no idea why you're paying full price for anything on a cruise.  You should be well aware of how to use interline travel to book your cruises at a very steep discount.

[cruisencrazy]

2 minutes ago, iamaqt2 said:

If your husband is an international airline captain I have no idea why you're paying full price for anything on a cruise.  You should be well aware of how to use interline travel to book your cruises at a very steep discount.

You are 100% correct.  I wish that had been available for this cruise.  Also, if you are booking for a special occasion and book early, often those rates are not available.  Right now the interline Haven rate is higher than what is posted on NCL.  

[MotownVoice]

15 minutes ago, cruisencrazy said:

Prayers for you!!  Wish you only the best!!

 

 

[zqvol]

First world problems.

[Two Wheels Only]

7 hours ago, cruisencrazy said:

Of course I can pay another 2,000 and upgrade to Haven for another full price cabin, but to be honest, I just don’t want to pay NCL another penny.

 

It's possible that NCL will get more than that amount from someone else's bid. 

 

7 hours ago, cruisencrazy said:

...contemplated booking the cruise before ours and doing back to back. Well, it would have been a hassle as we would have to change cabins in between and they were not helpful at all.

 

How could NCL help if there are other people booked in your stateroom the week before?

 

7 hours ago, cruisencrazy said:

The funny thing is, if I had been able to upgrade to Haven, I would have booked Haven outright for the additional cruise.

 

Again, even if you booked the Haven stateroom for the 2nd week, there is no guarantee that the same stateroom is empty the week before. 

 

If I was going to be  sailing for a special occasion, I'd book the Haven suite that I wanted and wouldn't bother with the bid process. Even if you were given a chance to bid, there's no guarantee that you would win. You were given the chance to pay the upgrade but chose to not take it (which is fine) but I don't see why the anger is being aimed at NCL. 

 

[cruisencrazy]

3 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

It's possible that NCL will get more than that amount from someone else's bid. 

 

 

How could NCL help if there are other people booked in your stateroom the week before?

 

 

Again, even if you booked the Haven stateroom for the 2nd week, there is no guarantee that the same stateroom is empty the week before. 

 

If I was going to be  sailing for a special occasion, I'd book the Haven suite that I wanted and wouldn't bother with the bid process. Even if you were given a chance to bid, there's no guarantee that you would win. You were given the chance to pay the upgrade but chose to not take it (which is fine) but I don't see why the anger is being aimed at NCL. 

 

I agree with everything you stated.  The reason we didn't go for Haven is the lowest category was over $10,000 when we booked, even reduced it's $7000 now.   I'm just disappointed, and I know this is real life, that we are not treated the same when we purchase the same cruise.  I know everyone does it, but I don't have to like it.  I'm having a bad couple of weeks healthwise and ....sorry to vent.  

[monl765]

8 hours ago, cruisencrazy said:

I agree with everything you stated.  The reason we didn't go for Haven is the lowest category was over $10,000 when we booked, even reduced it's $7000 now.   I'm just disappointed, and I know this is real life, that we are not treated the same when we purchase the same cruise.  I know everyone does it, but I don't have to like it.  I'm having a bad couple of weeks healthwise and ....sorry to vent.  

 

It's quite nice to have an OP that isn't full of themselves, and knows how to be civil.  Hope you have a great vacation !

 

BTW, I love going on a cruise for my Birthday!  Enjoy your birthday, and your birthday cake on board.

Edited August 6, 2019 by monl765