How is the bidding system doing? Any comments?

[vjmatty]

6 minutes ago, RKSue said:

You need to call Princess then to get this fixed. The latest software upgrade Princess did has a lot of issues. So many people are now being marked for no marketing promotions or emails, therefore, they aren’t getting upgrade offers. Sometimes fixing software breaks a lot of other areas. I can’t see anything to do with suites on our cruise. It just says something went wrong. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please call Princess for help. And the CSR at Princess get the same messages. 

 

I will call later today when I get out of work.... I have been getting the other emails though and my husband has also, just not the Bidding email which makes me think there is some kind of eligibility selection process.  Also no one on our sold-out sailing has received it either, although our roll call is very small and there is no dedicated FB page.

[RKSue]

8 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

 

I will call later today when I get out of work.... I have been getting the other emails though and my husband has also, just not the Bidding email which makes me think there is some kind of eligibility selection process.  Also no one on our sold-out sailing has received it either, although our roll call is very small and there is no dedicated FB page.

It could simply be because it’s sold out but I personally doubt it. Usually Princess has extra cabins. They sell blocks to large travel companies as well and they don’t always get sold either. I’ll cross my fingers for you. I liked the old ways. You either got the upgrade fairy or an email offering you an upgraded cabin for a special price. Mostly less than $100 pp. 😞

[suzyed]

On 9/11/2022 at 3:35 AM, caribill said:

 

If I remember correctly, the rules basically say if your bid is accepted, you cannot switch cabins to another location in that category.

 

Even if you could, chances are they accepted a bunch of bids and there will be no other cabins available in your new category.

As mentioned previously, those of us on our sailing can't even see what is available...since it is marked unavailable for booking.  It's a shot in the dark.  I wouldn't do it for an "upgraded" balcony since we already have a Caribe deck balcony.

[caribill]

From the Princess rules on the bidding:

 

• Most guests will receive an invitation email after all eligibility requirements have been met

 

• Guests can also access the bidding site via a link on Princess.com or the Cruise Personalizer with the guests last name and booking number

 

Helpful Information The main reason guests do not receive an email invitation is because they have Opted-Out of Princess Marketing emails

 

• Upgrades do not include any additional perks

 

• Stateroom location and amenities depend on availability, we cannot guarantee a specific stateroom location within the upgrade category

 

• We can’t guarantee that all (or any) reservations traveling together will be upgraded. And even if all reservations are upgraded, we can’t promise that all the upgraded staterooms will be close together.

[dreaminofcruisin]

27 minutes ago, caribill said:

From the Princess rules on the bidding:

 

• Most guests will receive an invitation email after all eligibility requirements have been met

 

• Guests can also access the bidding site via a link on Princess.com or the Cruise Personalizer with the guests last name and booking number

 

Curious where you are getting these rules?

I see this in the FAQ on my cruise personalizer and it no longer says you can log in:

 

1. How do I check whether my cruise is eligible for Princess Upgrade?
   You should receive an email invitation after all eligibility requirements are met and have opted-in to receive marketing emails from Princess. If you meet all the eligibility requirements but still cannot access the bidding site, please check with your travel advisor as a small number of travel agencies have elected to limit access partially or fully to this program.

 

I was quite surprised yesterday when I logged into my account and saw that Emails were set to "No" even though they have always been set to "Yes" and I did just get a (not very good) upgrade offer last spring. So, good to check.

 

I couldn't see anywhere that you could log in to access Upgrades? Do you know where that is?

 

[caribill]

24 minutes ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

 

Curious where you are getting these rules?

 

 

It was from a TA flyer that someone posted the other day.

 

24 minutes ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

 

 

I couldn't see anywhere that you could log in to access Upgrades? Do you know where that is?

 

 

No.

 

Here is more from the Princess web site:

 

Program is not open to general public and is only open to guests that PCL has selected to participate.

 

The Program is only available to PCL guests ("Eligible Program Guest" or "Guest"), which guests will be determined by PCL in its sole discretion.

 

Some Guests will also receive a Program email invitation from PCL. Invitation and eligibility as a Guest may not be transferred or shared. Selection of Guests will be in PCL's sole discretion

 

Individuals deemed Eligible Program Guests for one cruise does not guarantee that such guests will also be Eligible Program Guests for future PCL cruises, if any.

 

In addition to the official Program email, guests can check to see if they are Eligible Program Guests by accessing the Program landing page website (the "site") via links on princess.com or via the Cruise Personalizer on princess.com to see if they are able to submit a bid. If the Program does not show as available on such page or the guest is not able to submit a Bid, then such guest is not eligible for this Program.

 

PCL will select the exact cruises, dates, and stateroom categories that will be available for the Program, all in its sole discretion (each eligible cruise, an "Eligible Cruise" or "Cruise"). Not all cruises, stateroom categories, or bookings will be selected for participation, regardless of availability.

 

PCL shall determine, in its sole and absolute discretion, the Eligible Cruises that will be available for the Program. For each Eligible Cruise, upgrade Bidding will be available for Guests starting five (5) days after such Cruise's final payment date and ending three (3) day before the Cruise's departure date (the "Bidding Period").

 

Throughout and after the conclusion of the Bidding Period, PCL will compile all then-existing Bids for the various stateroom categories for the Cruise and may accept a Bid from a Guest for each available upgrade room (the "successful Bidder"), taking into consideration multiple factors and items. PCL will review Bids based on highest positive revenue impact, but reserve the right to consider and review other and different factors. All Bids will be converted to USD at the time they are considered. All determinations as to which Bid (if any) is accepted, who the Successful Bidder is (if any), and what is considered in accepting a Bid shall all be determined by PCL in its sole and absolute discretion. Successful Bidders are subject to verification. The highest Bid may not be accepted and Guest that places the highest Bid for a stateroom category is not guaranteed to be the Successful Bidder.

 

Once a Bid is accepted, the Guest is legally bound to complete payment for the price stated in the Bid. If a Guest's credit card does not go through, is declined, or cannot otherwise be charged, PCL may (but is not required to) reach out to the Guest for an alternate method of payment or may disqualify the Successful Bidder and return the Guest to their original category, all in its sole discretion. No changes, refunds, or cancellations will be permitted after payment is made, PCL cannot guarantee a specific cabin number within the upgraded category and the cabin position will depend on space availability and are at the sole discretion of PCL.

 

PCL reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to decide whether or not to accept a Bid, and PCL makes no representation or guarantee that any Guest will be upgraded regardless of whether or not cabins are available in the category for which a Bid is made.

 

[jc foster]

6 hours ago, caribill said:

From the Princess rules on the bidding:

 

• Most guests will receive an invitation email after all eligibility requirements have been met

 

• Guests can also access the bidding site via a link on Princess.com or the Cruise Personalizer with the guests last name and booking number

 

Helpful Information The main reason guests do not receive an email invitation is because they have Opted-Out of Princess Marketing emails

 

• Upgrades do not include any additional perks

 

• Stateroom location and amenities depend on availability, we cannot guarantee a specific stateroom location within the upgrade category

 

• We can’t guarantee that all (or any) reservations traveling together will be upgraded. And even if all reservations are upgraded, we can’t promise that all the upgraded staterooms will be close together.

      So if I were to upgrade from say a preminium balcony to an owners suite would I receive the same perks as any other suite guest  and would I get to keep my current perks such as paid gratuties, drink package, and internet ?   thanks

[suzyed]

5 hours ago, caribill said:

 

It was from a TA flyer that someone posted the other day.

 

 

No.

 

Here is more from the Princess web site:

 

Program is not open to general public and is only open to guests that PCL has selected to participate.

 

The Program is only available to PCL guests ("Eligible Program Guest" or "Guest"), which guests will be determined by PCL in its sole discretion.

 

Some Guests will also receive a Program email invitation from PCL. Invitation and eligibility as a Guest may not be transferred or shared. Selection of Guests will be in PCL's sole discretion

 

Individuals deemed Eligible Program Guests for one cruise does not guarantee that such guests will also be Eligible Program Guests for future PCL cruises, if any.

 

In addition to the official Program email, guests can check to see if they are Eligible Program Guests by accessing the Program landing page website (the "site") via links on princess.com or via the Cruise Personalizer on princess.com to see if they are able to submit a bid. If the Program does not show as available on such page or the guest is not able to submit a Bid, then such guest is not eligible for this Program.

 

PCL will select the exact cruises, dates, and stateroom categories that will be available for the Program, all in its sole discretion (each eligible cruise, an "Eligible Cruise" or "Cruise"). Not all cruises, stateroom categories, or bookings will be selected for participation, regardless of availability.

 

PCL shall determine, in its sole and absolute discretion, the Eligible Cruises that will be available for the Program. For each Eligible Cruise, upgrade Bidding will be available for Guests starting five (5) days after such Cruise's final payment date and ending three (3) day before the Cruise's departure date (the "Bidding Period").

 

Throughout and after the conclusion of the Bidding Period, PCL will compile all then-existing Bids for the various stateroom categories for the Cruise and may accept a Bid from a Guest for each available upgrade room (the "successful Bidder"), taking into consideration multiple factors and items. PCL will review Bids based on highest positive revenue impact, but reserve the right to consider and review other and different factors. All Bids will be converted to USD at the time they are considered. All determinations as to which Bid (if any) is accepted, who the Successful Bidder is (if any), and what is considered in accepting a Bid shall all be determined by PCL in its sole and absolute discretion. Successful Bidders are subject to verification. The highest Bid may not be accepted and Guest that places the highest Bid for a stateroom category is not guaranteed to be the Successful Bidder.

 

Once a Bid is accepted, the Guest is legally bound to complete payment for the price stated in the Bid. If a Guest's credit card does not go through, is declined, or cannot otherwise be charged, PCL may (but is not required to) reach out to the Guest for an alternate method of payment or may disqualify the Successful Bidder and return the Guest to their original category, all in its sole discretion. No changes, refunds, or cancellations will be permitted after payment is made, PCL cannot guarantee a specific cabin number within the upgraded category and the cabin position will depend on space availability and are at the sole discretion of PCL.

 

PCL reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to decide whether or not to accept a Bid, and PCL makes no representation or guarantee that any Guest will be upgraded regardless of whether or not cabins are available in the category for which a Bid is made.

 

In other words be happy with what you currently have because you may or may not get the upgrade.

Edited September 12, 2022 by suzyed

[Cruise Raider]

6 minutes ago, jc foster said:

      So if I were to upgrade from say a preminium balcony to an owners suite would I receive the same perks as any other suite guest  and would I get to keep my current perks such as paid gratuties, drink package, and internet ?   thanks

This is how I understand and it to work:  if you won the bid for a suite, you would probably not get the double cruise credits for booking a suite but you would receive whatever other benefits that come with being in a suite, eg:  the specialty restaurant breakfast and club class dining.  I have no idea about the complimentary mini bar or free laundry but I imagine you might receive those as well.  What you probably won’t get is more obc if you used a FCD and went from an inside or OV cabin to a suite or even a balcony.  
But, you’d be able to keep your current perks that you booked under.  
 

Just of note, we are booked on a cruise with some friends for November.  We booked in an obstructed OV and friends are booked in balcony cabins.  Their offers were for mini suites, club class minis, and premium balconies,  while our offers were for non obstructed OV cabins, standard balconies or premium balcony cabins.  I’m sure the offers are tailored to the cabin in which you are currently booked .. just based on what I’ve observed.  
 

[dreaminofcruisin]

Just got the upgrade email for Ruby on October 1st--7 day California Coastal.

Yesterday I discovered that my email communcation was set to "NO" even though I am 100% sure it used to be "YES". So, it took about 24 hours from the time I changed it until I got the email.....pretty sure that's related, but I guess I don't know for certain.

 

I am in a Standard Balcony cabin. I was offered Premium Balcony (from $30 pp ), Mini-Suite (from $200 pp) or Club Class Mini-Suite ($270 pp). These amounts are the minimum amounts you could bid. There is a slider, but these numbers reflect the minimum offers you are able to make.

 

I was NOT offered the Penthouse Suite nor the Owners Suite even though both appear to be available for booking on the website.

 

I won't be bidding since I am pretty particular about my cabin location, but I wanted to see what this looks like and if I thought something might be a 'screaming deal', I might consider it. Thought I would post my situation, just in case that is helpful to anyone.

 

 

[cruzin4us]

On 9/11/2022 at 7:05 AM, cruzsnooze said:

Has anyone gotten an offer to bid if they have a GTY ? 

I have 3 GTY's booked on the Discovery (B2B2B)....All three rooms are in different categories.   I was a late booker due to the Diamond cancellations.   Sailing Oct 1-22.

 

I only bid on one of the 3 offers, and I have yet to hear anything and my GTY rooms have still not been assigned.

 

Since I don't have a clue what rooms I'm in, I bid to hopefully get out of an inside cabin. 

[1cruiselvr]

On 9/11/2022 at 7:05 AM, cruzsnooze said:

Has anyone gotten an offer to bid if they have a GTY ? 

Yes,  we have a gty. Booking on Discovery and still got the upgrade email. I’m confused by people saying they got an offer to upgrade for xx dollars. I hope they are not referring to the upgrade email with prices on it. Because those amounts are examples. When you click on the link you get the cabin categories bidding is being accepted and a meter rating your bid. 

Edited September 12, 2022 by 1cruiselvr

[PacnGoNow]

12 minutes ago, 1cruiselvr said:

Yes,  we have a gty. Booking on Discovery and still got the upgrade email. I’m confused by people saying they got an offer to upgrade for xx dollars. I hope they are not referring to the upgrade email with prices on it. Because those amounts are examples. When you click on the link you get the cabin categories bidding is being accepted and a meter rating your bid. 

So, you don’t see the minimum amounts to bid for the categories?

[1cruiselvr]

1 hour ago, PacnGoNow said:

So, you don’t see the minimum amounts to bid for the categories?

Not on the actual upgrade page if I remember correctly. $$ go up as you move the bidding slider.  

[dreaminofcruisin]

1 hour ago, 1cruiselvr said:

Not on the actual upgrade page if I remember correctly. $$ go up as you move the bidding slider.  

 

Right, but the minimum amount you could bid was the amount in the original email part. The slider wouldn't go lower.

[RKSue]

2 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

So, you don’t see the minimum amounts to bid for the categories?

Yes. And no. So when I go to the link it shows the upgrades they will allow me to bid on. None of the upgrades had the slide at the lowest price. Most were midpoint however you could slide it back as far as Princess would allow. For me to go to a Vista suite the starting point was around $680 pp.more. However the slide was at $1100 pp more. I just would have had to move it back to the lowest fair pp Princess would have accepted. On an interesting note I saw another Penthouse rear suite which originally had a lower price slide locked at a much higher price saying something about price accepted. The next day that category was back with a slide you could move lower. I’m guessing that Princess took that offer because it met their criteria for price increase. While it might seem high to some it was still below market value. 

[Shelly97060]

On 9/11/2022 at 7:27 AM, PacnGoNow said:

If you’re on a TA rate, that’s probably why.

The VP of Sales said in recent webinar that TA rate cruises and Casino rate cruises would not be excluded.  

[1cruiselvr]

48 minutes ago, RKSue said:

Yes. And no. So when I go to the link it shows the upgrades they will allow me to bid on. None of the upgrades had the slide at the lowest price. Most were midpoint however you could slide it back as far as Princess would allow. For me to go to a Vista suite the starting point was around $680 pp.more. However the slide was at $1100 pp more. I just would have had to move it back to the lowest fair pp Princess would have accepted. On an interesting note I saw another Penthouse rear suite which originally had a lower price slide locked at a much higher price saying something about price accepted. The next day that category was back with a slide you could move lower. I’m guessing that Princess took that offer because it met their criteria for price increase. While it might seem high to some it was still below market value. 

Good description of the process thx. 

[cruzsnooze]

In the FAQ'S this is question number one

 

1. How do I check whether my cruise is eligible for Princess Upgrade?
   You should receive an email invitation after all eligibility requirements are met and have opted-in to receive marketing emails from Princess. If you meet all the eligibility requirements but still cannot access the bidding site, please check with your travel advisor as a small number of travel agencies have elected to limit access partially or fully to this program.

 

I have a booking with a big box agency and wonder if they will have access. They never passed on upgrade offers in the past so I wonder about passing this along. 

[kiwimum]

15 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

In the FAQ'S this is question number one

 

1. How do I check whether my cruise is eligible for Princess Upgrade?
   You should receive an email invitation after all eligibility requirements are met and have opted-in to receive marketing emails from Princess. If you meet all the eligibility requirements but still cannot access the bidding site, please check with your travel advisor as a small number of travel agencies have elected to limit access partially or fully to this program.

 

I have a booking with a big box agency and wonder if they will have access. They never passed on upgrade offers in the past so I wonder about passing this along.

[kiwimum]

4 minutes ago, kiwimum said:

20 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

In the FAQ'S this is question number one

 

1. How do I check whether my cruise is eligible for Princess Upgrade?
   You should receive an email invitation after all eligibility requirements are met and have opted-in to receive marketing emails from Princess. If you meet all the eligibility requirements but still cannot access the bidding site, please check with your travel advisor as a small number of travel agencies have elected to limit access partially or fully to this program.

 

I have a booking with a big box agency and wonder if they will have access. They never passed on upgrade offers in the past so I wonder about passing this along.

Expand  

Deleted

[caribill]

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

In the FAQ'S this is question number one

 

1. How do I check whether my cruise is eligible for Princess Upgrade?
   You should receive an email invitation after all eligibility requirements are met and have opted-in to receive marketing emails from Princess. If you meet all the eligibility requirements but still cannot access the bidding site, please check with your travel advisor as a small number of travel agencies have elected to limit access partially or fully to this program.

 

I have a booking with a big box agency and wonder if they will have access. They never passed on upgrade offers in the past so I wonder about passing this along. 

 

a) It says you should normally receive the invitation to bid directly, so usually no need for the big box agency to forward anything to you.

 

b) If eligible, you should also be able to see it in the Personalizer even you do not get an e-mail invitation

[caribill]

Before the bidding, before the offers that arrived to upgrade for a fee, Princess often gave out free upgrades.

 

For some reason, many customers decided random "free" is not good enough and practically begged for Princess to offer upgrades for a fee. This of course ended up with Princess giving out significantly less free upgrades.

 

And now, with the bidding system, customers are in a frenzy to want to pay Princess even more $$$ to upgrade, likely at pricing higher than when Princess sent out the upgrade for $$$ E-mails. (Possibly in some cases higher than if the customer had booked that upgraded cabin in the first place.) This should mean even fewer free upgrades.

 

I do not understand the thinking that paying more $$$ to Princess is better than getting the random free upgrades that used to be given.

 

But as long as customers insist on paying more $$$ to upgrade, Princess has less reason to give out what used to be free.

[PacnGoNow]

8 hours ago, RKSue said:

Yes. And no. So when I go to the link it shows the upgrades they will allow me to bid on. None of the upgrades had the slide at the lowest price. Most were midpoint however you could slide it back as far as Princess would allow. For me to go to a Vista suite the starting point was around $680 pp.more. However the slide was at $1100 pp more. I just would have had to move it back to the lowest fair pp Princess would have accepted. On an interesting note I saw another Penthouse rear suite which originally had a lower price slide locked at a much higher price saying something about price accepted. The next day that category was back with a slide you could move lower. I’m guessing that Princess took that offer because it met their criteria for price increase. While it might seem high to some it was still below market value. 

Well done, Thank you for that explanation.

[AZjohn]

4 hours ago, caribill said:

b) If eligible, you should also be able to see it in the Personalizer even you do not get an e-mail invitation

This was not true for us. No way to access our chance to bid without the specific link in the e-mail.