Upgrade? No thanks

[Rjh8842]

So I booked an inside bella on magnifica last year. Early this year I was assigned to a fantastica balcony. This was before they started the upgrade program. My cruise is coming up soon and I was offered to bid on the upgrade to a suite aurea. The starting bid is $240 per person. However it is my understanding that even with the paid upgrade I do not recieve the benefits of aurea just the suite. Am I missing something why would I pay around $500+ for just a slightly larger room?

[George C]

Interesting with most lines you get the perks that come with the suite 

[Host Jazzbeau]

There is a long thread here with the [wrong] heading Beware of the MSC Upgrade bid program – based on the OP's mis-information [from an MSC phone rep] that an upgrade to the Yacht Club didn't include the YC benefits.  After much hand-wringing and threats to quit MSC by various posters, it turned out OP got the full YC benefits with their upgrade.  So I would ask my TA for clarification about the deal you have been offered.  [If you didn't use a TA, this is a reason why you should next time.  The people who answer cruise line phones rarely know much of anything.]

[frank808]

Maybe with a complimentary upgrade you do not get the benefits.  But with a paid upgrade, you get the benefits of the level you upgraded to?

[CruisingFox27]

3 hours ago, frank808 said:

Maybe with a complimentary upgrade you do not get the benefits.  But with a paid upgrade, you get the benefits of the level you upgraded to?

 

With a complimentary non YC upgrade you do not receive the benefits, if you receive a complimentary upgrade to YC sometimes you receive the benefits and sometimes you don't.

 

Has anyone reported if you've paid to upgrade for a non YC experience how the experience has worked? On the other thread above, the OP did receive the YC experience when paying to upgrade to YC. 

 

I can understand the experience not being included if it's complimentary but if you've paid to upgrade, it does seem unfair given some of the figures quoted to upgrade.

[Rjh8842]

On msc’s website it says that you keep the experience you originally booked. It sounds like it maybe different with yaht club because once you are in you’re in. However that is not the case with aurea. 

[sidari]

On our Divina Xmas cruise last year one of the guests on our roll call was upgraded to an Aurea suite and also got the be benefits. The website info has likely not been changed.

[Até]

I recently posted an upgrade offer I saw in the "Beware" thread because even though that OP did end up getting a great price and the YC benefits it is still relevant.  I've now seen several recent offers on the US based ships and have come to the conclusion that the MSC upgrade system is designed to take advantage of the unsavvy customer.  Beware of misleading wording on the upgrade cabin categories, nowhere have I seen what this OP has described as an "Aurea Suite", it usually only says "Suite" and like wise it always just says "Balcony" or "Ocean View", it never mentions experience level except for YC.  I did post that Plusgrade now says YC bids will get the full YC experience, but with all other cabin types it totally leaves the experience out.  I also noted the YC bids only look good because MSC inflated the YC prices prior to bidding.  The minimum bids for YC were the same as if the cabin had been purchased outright before the prices were inflated.  Someone looking at current YC prices thinks it's a deal, someone who has watched the prices or booked early thinks the minimum bis is too much.

 

The FAQ still has the part about keeping the "promotions" you booked under, I fully expect for non-YC cabins this means keeping the experience booked.  The only exception I see would be My Choice dining for those placed in Aurea cabins, I highly doubt they are getting Easy drinks, massages and thermal spa passes....  If they were it would say that like it now does on the YC bids.  So even if you know the "Whirlpool Suite" is an Aurea level cabin the Plusgrade site removes all mention of Aurea and I highly doubt anyone will get all the Aurea benefits.  Likewise on the newer ships the bid category can be just "Suite", that could be any number of Fantastica or Aurea suite cabins, there's no telling.  The same for "Balcony", it could be a Bella in a poor location or one of the extended Aurea balconies.  The vagueness and minimum bid amount leaves people to think they might get the better,  some people are going to be disappointed.  And again the minimum bids I've been seeing are the same as what you could get by calling an paying full price.  At least that way you would guarantee the cabin and experience level.

 

So my opinion in the OP's case is a bid for a Suite on Magnifica will get one of those larger "suite" cabins, My Choice dining and I can't see why not Top 16 access, but the other Aurea perks seem unlikely.   Most of the upgrade offers I've seen have been pretty poor deals, even at the minimum bids.  OP's post is the first I've heard from Magnifica and personally a $250pp bid from a Bella inside to a large balcony cabin with some perks is the first good deal I've heard of.  I notice the Aurea cabins on Magnifica are usually some of the last to sell so perhaps like with the OP of the "Beware" thread MSC/Plusgrade is making some pricing mistakes on implementing the program to a new ship.  For that price I'd chance it.

Edited September 19, 2019 by Até

[Até]

I just re-read the OP's post and saw they were placed in a Fantastica balcony, which makes more sense to me about the low minimum bid amount.  I find it interesting because posts I've read about other cruise line's bidding systems seem to be confirmed here.  There was discussion as to whether price paid has any effect on the chances of winning a bid.  Meaning if someone paid $300 more than someone else for the same initial cabin and they both put in the same bid amount on the same upgrade cabin, would the person who initially paid more stand a better chance of winning the bid?  The answer decided upon was no.  Once the cruise line has the cabins filled that money is in the bank and they don't look back, any future profits by bidding are a separate matter.  In the OP's case that actually seems to have worked in their favor.  MSC took a Bella GTY and assigned a Fantastica balcony, done deal.  Now with the bidding upgrade they've apparently been offered bids with a starting point as if they booked the balcony in the first place. 

 

The $500 minimum offer is more in line with what I've been seeing to move from a balcony to suite, which really isn't a good deal.  If you already started in a Fantastica Balcony moving to that Suite really offers very little, a few more square feet, My Choice dining and a possibility of Top 16.  So, now that I understand the OP is already in a balcony, even with Bella experience, I will change my opinion and say to me it would really not be worth the $500 extra.  You already won the lottery.

Edited September 19, 2019 by Até