How is the bidding system doing? Any comments?

[poindexter]

12 days before our 11 day, Nov. 4 Emerald cruise, we received an upgrade for inside to balcony, $500 total. This was after receiving an email 4 weeks prior telling me that we wouldn’t get our balcony, but making us a counter offer for an obstructed ocean view for $100 total. Didn’t accept it.

[Cruisintimer]

1 hour ago, photomikey said:

We have not seen a report of someone winning an upgrade in days, possibly weeks.  Did they go out of business over there??

We won a bid this month on the Discovery balcony to mini.  Amazing cruise and cabin.  Bid again for next month same ship, not looking good lol, full ship. 

[deja moo]

2 hours ago, poindexter said:

12 days before our 11 day, Nov. 4 Emerald cruise, we received an upgrade for inside to balcony, $500 total. This was after receiving an email 4 weeks prior telling me that we wouldn’t get our balcony, but making us a counter offer for an obstructed ocean view for $100 total. Didn’t accept it.

I will be on the Emerald for 14 days, Nov. 25. I am in an inside bidding $500 for a balcony, so good to hear of your success. I originally bid $420 (the minimum was $400) and got an email last week saying that I had been outbid but was welcome to bid a higher amount to improve my chances. So I bumped it up to $500. Fingers crossed.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[vakamalua]

Will be on the Discovery in 5 days; first experience placing a bid.  Will be happy with the cabin we booked but very disappointed that Princess never let us know that the bid wasn't accepted.

[1cruiselvr]

30 minutes ago, vakamalua said:

Will be on the Discovery in 5 days; first experience placing a bid.  Will be happy with the cabin we booked but very disappointed that Princess never let us know that the bid wasn't accepted.

They will let you know a week after you come home. 😆 

[Cruisintimer]

1 hour ago, vakamalua said:

Will be on the Discovery in 5 days; first experience placing a bid.  Will be happy with the cabin we booked but very disappointed that Princess never let us know that the bid wasn't accepted.

We are on the cruise after you sail and we have not heard either.  The bid form says they will let you know at least two days before sailing but maybe that applies if you are upgraded?  I am certain someone will have the answer here, standby. 😂

[HiCCCs]

6 hours ago, Cruisintimer said:

We are on the cruise after you sail and we have not heard either.  The bid form says they will let you know at least two days before sailing but maybe that applies if you are upgraded?  I am certain someone will have the answer here, standby. 😂

Your credit card charge will most likely alert you before Princess!! 🤣

[Cruisintimer]

9 minutes ago, HiCCCs said:

Your credit card charge will most likely alert you before Princess!! 🤣

Truth 👍 

[rome2009]

It would seem pretty obvious that Princess’ only concern is to make as much money as possible. The bidding system is a way to generate more income by making the purchaser gamble on a bid. Granted, if you lose the bid there is no cost to you, but by telling you that you have been outbid and then suggesting that you increase your bid to better your chances is simply wanting to take more money away from you. I’m pretty sure that if I were to up my bid in a way to put me in the lead, an email would immediately go out to my rivals to suggest they up their bid. Only way to defeat this is if everyone bids the minimum and lets Princess choose randomly who wins. 

[HiCCCs]

3 hours ago, rome2009 said:

It would seem pretty obvious that Princess’ only concern is to make as much money as possible. The bidding system is a way to generate more income by making the purchaser gamble on a bid. Granted, if you lose the bid there is no cost to you, but by telling you that you have been outbid and then suggesting that you increase your bid to better your chances is simply wanting to take more money away from you. I’m pretty sure that if I were to up my bid in a way to put me in the lead, an email would immediately go out to my rivals to suggest they up their bid. Only way to defeat this is if everyone bids the minimum and lets Princess choose randomly who wins. 

"Princess: Come Feel The Love" 🤣

[Coleman41]

I bid $130 and got an upgrade from interior to spacious panorama ocean view for 11-30-23 sailing. I was notified of the bid acceptance about 1 week after bidding started 

[photomikey]

From mini suite to aft penthouse. Bid $100 over minimum. Was awarded with 17 days to go.

 

Word on the roll call is if you got outbid, many people got the option to up their bid. 

[sunviking90]

I’ve only bid twice and won both with minimum bids. This was when I could clearly see the ship was a slow seller and knew my chances were good. I don’t think I’d bid more than the minimum and I certainly wouldn’t bite on the news I was “outbid” with an invite to up my bid. This sounds like a new game. I won’t play.

[SKCruiser007]

My bid from balcony to mini suite was accepted tonight with about 29 days to go. The bid was in the "fair" category, and ended up being about one third of the cost to upgrade outright. I didn't get an email that I was outbid and offering a chance to counter-bid. So, I probably bid too much, but I'm happy to get the mini suite 

[Womble99]

No idea how the bid to upgrades are going on this side of the planet but we have received 4 emails so far (still 60 days out) and the min bid has increased on each one.

 

Offers going from a Vista suite are no cheaper than what it would have cost us to book it direct, maybe someone will bite????

[PammyMouse]

I got e-mail last night for CB Dec 3rd that said I was outbid (Reserve mini to Suites).  I could probably afford it but the perks weren't worth the increase in cost for me. 

PM

[IndyKid]

I bid in what was deemed "fair" range, just a small amount over the minimum, balcony to CC Mini Suite, for CB on December 10th. We'll see what happens....

[happy42cruise]

On 10/30/2023 at 12:43 PM, vakamalua said:

Will be on the Discovery in 5 days; first experience placing a bid.  Will be happy with the cabin we booked but very disappointed that Princess never let us know that the bid wasn't accepted.

You can be upgraded up to embarkation.  Have you looked recently at your bid to see if it says pending or cancelled?

[Amy G]

Bidding should have opened 70 days before our 4-day cruise, but it didn't.  Just yesterday I finally received an email telling me that I could bid to upgrade (42 days before the cruise).  I bid yesterday and got my upgrade today!

[Cruisintimer]

1 hour ago, Amy G said:

Bidding should have opened 70 days before our 4-day cruise, but it didn't.  Just yesterday I finally received an email telling me that I could bid to upgrade (42 days before the cruise).  I bid yesterday and got my upgrade today!

Congrats that was great you were upgraded so swiftly. 

[Cruisintimer]

On 11/4/2023 at 2:30 AM, happy42cruise said:

You can be upgraded up to embarkation.  Have you looked recently at your bid to see if it says pending or cancelled?

At princess.com under bids it now says up to 2 days before boarding you will be notified if bid is accepted, mine still says bid received but I board in two days...not looking good lol.  

[Cruisintimer]

Sail in two days and just got notified bid accepted for mini suite (upgraded from obstructed premium balcony booked).

 

Insert happy dance. 😁

[IndyKid]

1 hour ago, Cruisintimer said:

Sail in two days and just got notified bid accepted for mini suite (upgraded from obstructed premium balcony booked).

 

Insert happy dance. 😁

If you don't mind me asking, how much did you bid? We're on a 7-day Eastern Caribbean, leaving 1 month from tomorrow, and I also bid to upgrade from a balcony to a mini-suite. 

[Cruisintimer]

43 minutes ago, IndyKid said:

If you don't mind me asking, how much did you bid? We're on a 7-day Eastern Caribbean, leaving 1 month from tomorrow, and I also bid to upgrade from a balcony to a mini-suite. 

150pp,  hope you win an upgrade (how much did you bid?)  I upgraded our bid two days ago from 125/pp.

Edited November 9, 2023 by Cruisintimer

[IndyKid]

5 minutes ago, Cruisintimer said:

150pp,  hope you win an upgrade (how much did you bid?)  I upgraded our bid two days ago from 125/pp.

Thanks! I bid $350 (minimum was $250). We'll see what happens..