Bidding on an upgrade

[Chart Room Princess]

54 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

 

How do these compare to the normal fare difference,  my minimums were 2/3rds of normal fare difference, so not a bargain. 

Our total fare for each stateroom is a little over $6900. The base bid price seems reasonable. However as we have 2 staterooms  next to each other we won’t be bidding. Our 2 rooms need to be next to each others and won’t be guaranteed that they would or that both rooms would be upgraded.

[Windsurfboy]

14 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

 

How do these compare to the normal fare difference,  my minimums were 2/3rds of normal fare difference, so not a bargain. 

 

13 hours ago, Chart Room Princess said:

Our total fare for each stateroom is a little over $6900. The base bid price seems reasonable. However as we have 2 staterooms  next to each other we won’t be bidding. Our 2 rooms need to be next to each others and won’t be guaranteed that they would or that both rooms would be upgraded.

 

19 hours ago, Chart Room Princess said:

For my June 6 QV departure I am seeing from $490 pp for BC and from $1080 pp for PG. No offers for QG.

These seem much more reasonable minimums , compared to my minimum quotes to upgrade from a Q5  which we're almost the full difference no discount. 

[Host Hattie]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

 

These seem much more reasonable minimums , compared to my minimum quotes to upgrade from a Q5  which we're almost the full difference no discount. 

Which prices are you using for comparison? Q1 is showing sold out, is the 2/3rd for the move from Q5 to Q4 ?

Our current cabin grade and Britannia Club are both shown as sold out so I can't compare but there was certainly a much bigger difference when I originally booked. 

 

[Windsurfboy]

You're right it's more like half

 

I'm not in UK so Cunard won't show prices took off a travel agent in Euros , Grand duplex 24000 Euro pp , say £21500. So that's £13000 more than we paid. So the £6600 minimum bid per person on my email for q5 to q1 is more like half price difference. Not a snip , certainly no room for cheeky bid.

 

A few years ago offered a Q2 in Q.V.  for £2000 pp upgrade from Q5 that is type of price difference expect as a starting point, not £6600pp.

Edited March 31, 2023 by Windsurfboy

[Windsurfboy]

My out take is Cunard want to get people to bid early and higher, rather than offer last minute bargins a few weeks before sailing. If it works good business. 

[alc13]

Definitely good business.  Okay with me.  Maybe they'll use some of the profits to provide better and cheaper wifi.

[sandjango]

On 3/30/2023 at 9:34 AM, babs135 said:

Does this new policy mean an end to free upgrades?  We've been upgraded twice now and always dream of being moved to a cabin we couldn't normally afford.

Yes i reckon this is the end of free upgrades ..another perk gone.... all seems a bit messy to me....

[Victoria2]

43 minutes ago, sandjango said:

Yes i reckon this is the end of free upgrades ..another perk gone.... all seems a bit messy to me....

Conversely, as one who books at rack rates then hears of tremendous free upgrades, it's slightly comforting to know the company might be getting more income. 👍

[D&N]

I think we once travelled in a reduced rate cabin on Superfast Ferries between Rosyth and Zeebrugge by placing a bid online back in the dial-up internet era.

 

We would aim for our TA to book us an A1 on release day and clearly select no upgrades. The most likely would be a P2 and we're not interested in any of the perceived benefits. The walk in wardrobe and larger bathroom might be nice, but dressing table mirror position looks cramped and further from natural light. And we don't need the extra space.

We only use the cabin for sleeping and preparing to go out. We don't eat or drink in the cabin. We're more than happy with all our meals and the ambience in BC, which is handy for Queens Room, G32 and Chart Room. I don't think we'd welcome any upgrade.

 

Perhaps if we were 100% guaranteed Grand Marnier as a nightcap! 😂

 

So no fears of us inflating the bidding.

[Host Hattie]

Well I've been successful with train and plane upgrades this way so now we're trying cruises !

I'll let you know the outcome. In the meantime this is the small print on the acknowledgement email. There's also an Amend/Cancel button in case you change your mind I guess.

 

"What happens if I'm successful?

If your offer is successful, you will receive an email to inform you as well as a new booking confirmation to reflect the upgrade.

 

To secure your upgrade, you'll have 72 hours to make your upgrade offer payment.

What happens if I'm not upgraded?

You'll keep your existing stateroom.

 

Please note, while you can make offers for multiple stateroom grades, each offer will be considered independently and only one of your offers will be accepted. If you do not make your payment within 72 hours, you will no longer be eligible for the upgrade offered, and it may not be possible to reassign you your original stateroom."

 

[Windsurfboy]

As you have no choice on upgraded cabin it's like going fton cunard fare to a saver fare. 

 

Thus someone booking a Cunard fare and choosing their cabin, could have booked a higher grade cabin using a saver fare for not much more in the first place.  Interesting to see if anyone can show statistics for

 

Select price plus upgrade minimum bid   vs   saver fare for  the higher grade.

 

Is their a significant saving?

 

Yes I  know there are no saver fares in grills, 

 

 

[Bedruthen]

Are these upgrade bid offers been sent to everyone? I was wondering if you have ticked no upgrade box at time of booking whether they would send you an upgrade offer to an unknown cabin. Which is kind of what you were trying to avoid in the first place by going select fare! 

[Windsurfboy]

7 minutes ago, Bedruthen said:

Are these upgrade bid offers been sent to everyone? I was wondering if you have ticked no upgrade box at time of booking whether they would send you an upgrade offer to an unknown cabin. Which is kind of what you were trying to avoid in the first place by going select fare! 

 

I ticked no upgrade but got email

[Chart Room Princess]

27 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

 

I ticked no upgrade but got email

Ditto

[Altrincham Charter]

I’m happy with the cabin that I’ve booked and I won’t be bidding. 
 

There’s also another reason why I won’t be bidding:
 

If you are sailing solo, you will be charged 200% of your offer amount. 

[LB_NJ]

On 3/31/2023 at 12:37 PM, sandjango said:

Yes i reckon this is the end of free upgrades ..another perk gone.... all seems a bit messy to me....

Almost guaranteed no more free upgrades.

[fourmile.ranch]

Does anyone have any insight into the TA side of this? It almost seems a way to reduce amounts paid as commission to TA's by creating an incentive to not use them. Just wondering.

[Host Hattie]

On 4/2/2023 at 4:06 PM, fourmile.ranch said:

Does anyone have any insight into the TA side of this? It almost seems a way to reduce amounts paid as commission to TA's by creating an incentive to not use them. Just wondering.

Possibly, but judging by the lukewarm reaction here I don't think Travel Agents need to worry too much yet !

[LB_NJ]

Two other cruise lines that I have traveled on do this (Celebrity and Royal) and allow upgrade bidding even if you used a travel agent (except a US big box store that does travel, begins with a C, doesn't participate).

 

 

[techteach]

I received our upgrade offer today. We are booked for Q5, got offers for Q1, Q2, Q4. We sail on June 30. Has anyone heard if their offers were received?

[roscoe39]

On 4/3/2023 at 1:43 AM, Altrincham Charter said:

I’m happy with the cabin that I’ve booked and I won’t be bidding. 
 

There’s also another reason why I won’t be bidding:
 

If you are sailing solo, you will be charged 200% of your offer amount. 

GOOD TO KNOW!!!! Not that I have received a letter or email but that is something worth bearing in mind!

[Host Hattie]

9 hours ago, techteach said:

I received our upgrade offer today. We are booked for Q5, got offers for Q1, Q2, Q4. We sail on June 30. Has anyone heard if their offers were received?

I had an acknowledgement email when our bids were submitted. 

[techteach]

@Host Hattie I received the bid received acknowledgement almost immediately. When we did a fake booking there were still Q1 and Q2 available but Q4 said sold out. I put in a bid for a Q4 and we’ll see what happens.

[Host Hattie]

Good luck 🤞

[LB_NJ]

Has there been any hints that they might extend this to those who booked through Travel Agents?