How is the bidding system doing? Any comments?

[1cruiselvr]

2 hours ago, PRINCESS Sweet Pea said:

I would love to see about an upgrade at the bididng price they sent, when we board.

Our cruise has tons of empty cabins.   But, I would only want to upgrade if one of the ones we might like are still available.   They are all still open right now, a few weeks before sailing.

 

With a ship that is not getting full, I wonder if they would still do the cheaper upgrades when we board.  If anybody here has any experience, then I hope they can post here!

 

We called to ask if we could go ahead and upgrade, but they said it would be full asking price, like rebooking, many times what the bid price we were sent!

Why didn’t you bid when you had the chance? I don’t understand. Your chances of getting the same onboard is slim.  I don’t think guest services has any idea what bids were sent to people. 

[PRINCESS Sweet Pea]

For us, the reason we have not made a bid, even thought it is cheap, is that you can be given a room anywhere on the ship.   It can be far forward, it can have noise, that kind of thing.

For us, this sailing is like only half full.   So, we decided to wait until boarding so that we can chosse one of the few cabins that we would really want to move to.  We would have re-booked to get the cabin at the current price,  but that wasn't going to be possible.   A whole 'nother problem!

 

Princess just won't let two passengers book and choose a deluxe balcony.   And that is a huge problem.  That is just not right.   If we had wanted a wake view cabin, Princess will not let us get one.  Even though when we booked, they all were available.   So, getting one at boarding, since half of them are still available right now, would be the only real option.   I have NO respect left for Princess.

 

 

[Jemnibabe]

Was just offered a bid option but not sure if it is a good figure to go from an Oceanview to a balcony for $1035. pp.  We have 4 months until cruise and there are a ton of rooms available.  First question:  if I wait a month (or more) is there a chance that the price will come down?  Also:  has anyone got a room location that was really bad and your TA had success moving you to a better room?  Thanks for any info.

 

Judy from SW Florida

[bobrxlex]

I think you travel agent can change the cabin if the exact same category.  I just upgraded from obstructed balcony to mini suite for 255 pp.  The only problem is that it is over the theater.  I just hope that the noise is not too bad.  Cruise is almost sold out so I cannot change to another mini suite. 1035 is definitely too much may price will come down

[paradiselivin1]

4 hours ago, PRINCESS Sweet Pea said:

Princess just won't let two passengers book and choose a deluxe balcony.

Confused by that as we are in one on the Enchanted in two weeks. It's just the two of us.

[Steelers36]

43 minutes ago, Jemnibabe said:

Was just offered a bid option but not sure if it is a good figure to go from an Oceanview to a balcony for $1035. pp.  We have 4 months until cruise and there are a ton of rooms available.  First question:  if I wait a month (or more) is there a chance that the price will come down?  Also:  has anyone got a room location that was really bad and your TA had success moving you to a better room?  Thanks for any info.

 

Judy from SW Florida

I suspect your mentioned price is on the high side, but you posted insufficient info in order for the members here to form an opinion.  Which Category of OV are you in?  Which Category of Balcony are you bidding on?  Most important - how long is your entire voyage so that the cost is relevant to the cruise length?

[Jemnibabe]

38 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

I suspect your mentioned price is on the high side, but you posted insufficient info in order for the members here to form an opinion.  Which Category of OV are you in?  Which Category of Balcony are you bidding on?  Most important - how long is your entire voyage so that the cost is relevant to the cruise length?

It is a 28 day to Hawaii/South Pacific.  An obstructed oceanview to a reg. balcony

[candy4040]

1 hour ago, Jemnibabe said:

It is a 28 day to Hawaii/South Pacific.  An obstructed oceanview to a reg. balcony

I'd probably do it.  Works out to 500 more each week or 2000 for entire cruise.  I don't think I'd make it if I didn't have a balcony for a full month.

[phred119s]

Booked in an inside. Bid on standard balcony (over minimum bid) and premium balcony (minimum bid). Got declined email earlier today on standard balcony and accepted premium balcony email this evening. 
 

At one point we were booked in a premium balcony and decided to down grade — they assigned us to the cabin we had previously booked. 😂😂😂

[suzyed]

11 hours ago, PRINCESS Sweet Pea said:

For us, the reason we have not made a bid, even thought it is cheap, is that you can be given a room anywhere on the ship.   It can be far forward, it can have noise, that kind of thing.

For us, this sailing is like only half full.   So, we decided to wait until boarding so that we can chosse one of the few cabins that we would really want to move to.  We would have re-booked to get the cabin at the current price,  but that wasn't going to be possible.   A whole 'nother problem!

 

Princess just won't let two passengers book and choose a deluxe balcony.   And that is a huge problem.  That is just not right.   If we had wanted a wake view cabin, Princess will not let us get one.  Even though when we booked, they all were available.   So, getting one at boarding, since half of them are still available right now, would be the only real option.   I have NO respect left for Princess.

 

 

Why do you say they won't let you choose a deluxe balcony?  What am I missing?

[thehowlingroad]

I placed 5 test bids on our upcoming Discovery cruise next month, just to see what would happen. 4 of the 5 were rejected an hour after I placed them, but the premium deluxe balcony bid is still pending. $200 total, but there's 3 of us in an interior room, so any kind of upgrade would be worth it, tbh.

[always smiling]

Can we bid on an upgrade if we are still waiting for a room assignment?  Today is the first day we should be able to bid (85 days until sailing).

[cruisequeen4ever]

I am pleased to share the the bid prices for our upcoming cruise finally hit Earth, for some categories at least. Based on my experience, it seems like they start out high, and the closer you get to sailing, the lower the bid prices MAY become. 

[Jemnibabe]

3 hours ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

I am pleased to share the the bid prices for our upcoming cruise finally hit Earth, for some categories at least. Based on my experience, it seems like they start out high, and the closer you get to sailing, the lower the bid prices MAY become. 

Did you bid at the higher price or just wait until they came down?  Did they send you another invitation to bid with lower prices?

 

[1cruiselvr]

I don't think it's a given that they send lower bids as the cruise gets closer. We only got one bid email for our cruise. If you are interested in bidding I would do it when your cruise opens up so you don't miss the opportunity hoping prices will come down. 

 

[cruisequeen4ever]

23 hours ago, Jemnibabe said:

Did you bid at the higher price or just wait until they came down?  Did they send you another invitation to bid with lower prices?

 

I have not bid. I have just kept checking the bidding page. 

[Shelly97060]

On 11/23/2022 at 5:28 AM, always smiling said:

Can we bid on an upgrade if we are still waiting for a room assignment?  Today is the first day we should be able to bid (85 days until sailing).

If your ship is offering upgrades from the category you booked then yes.  Visit this link to see if you are eligible https://upg.plusgrade.com/marketing/partner/RNo2BO4VPCL

[suzyed]

4 hours ago, Shelly97060 said:

If your ship is offering upgrades from the category you booked then yes.  Visit this link to see if you are eligible https://upg.plusgrade.com/marketing/partner/RNo2BO4VPCL

You can't always go by that to find out if your eligible.  I checked it for our up coming sailing and it said  "not eligible at this time".  The very next day I got the offer to bid!

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by suzyed

[toofewcruises]

On 11/22/2022 at 12:16 PM, Jemnibabe said:

Was just offered a bid option but not sure if it is a good figure to go from an Oceanview to a balcony for $1035. pp.  We have 4 months until cruise and there are a ton of rooms available.  First question:  if I wait a month (or more) is there a chance that the price will come down?  Also:  has anyone got a room location that was really bad and your TA had success moving you to a better room?  Thanks for any info.

 

Judy from SW Florida

$1035 per person? No way, no how!

[pmallen]

On 11/18/2022 at 12:31 PM, Cruise Raider said:

There are no deluxe balconies on the Ruby.  

Not true. Category B4 is andeluxe balcony. It's the stern cabins that are the deluxes on Ruby.

[caribill]

4 hours ago, toofewcruises said:

$1035 per person? No way, no how!

 

It is a 28 day cruise.

 

So that is about $37/night/person.

 

Some people may find that reasonable.

[Cruise Raider]

9 hours ago, pmallen said:

Not true. Category B4 is andeluxe balcony. It's the stern cabins that are the deluxes on Ruby.

They are premium cabins on the Ruby.  The Royal class are the only ships that have the deluxe balcony cabins, as well as premium deluxe balconies, indicating there is a small sofa in the cabin.  
I am typing this from an aft facing premium balcony on the Ruby at this very moment … no couch but the most fantastic balcony!  

[suzyed]

On 10/13/2022 at 5:07 PM, 1cruiselvr said:

I don’t think so. By the time you get your rejection emails, the bidding will more than likely be closed for you. Not to mention bids on the suites will have been received and accepted. 

Right!  You would think not...but who knows?

[toeloop]

So, technically it isn't an upgrade.  Those days are gone.  It's really an upsell.  I will have fond memories of the upgrade fairy. 

[always smiling]

On 11/24/2022 at 5:39 PM, Shelly97060 said:

If your ship is offering upgrades from the category you booked then yes.  Visit this link to see if you are eligible https://upg.plusgrade.com/marketing/partner/RNo2BO4VPCL

Thanks, I had already went to the personalizer to try the link which still states "Not eligible" but I'll keep trying.