Upgrade bids??

[Carnevale]

For those who are familiar with O, can you please tell me if they offer the opportunity to do an upgrade bid?  We have experienced this on other lines but so far for our April cruise on Vista we haven’t seen any references to it.

[firsttimers68]

i've never had one from Oceania, but do occasionally receive from Seabourn via TA.

[AMHuntFerry]

No bidding, but sometimes O will offer a higher level cabin for a flat fee which is first come, first served. Sometimes it's a deal, and other times it's just the regular price difference.

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, AMHuntFerry said:

No bidding, but sometimes O will offer a higher level cabin for a flat fee which is first come, first served. Sometimes it's a deal, and other times it's just the regular price difference.

Add to that that O Connoisseurs Club TAs are the first to know about the upgrade availability and you can inform your TA if you’re interested and what would be your OK price.

[rbtan]

Basically, there is no bidding system.They may offer an upgrade. This is usually for those in lesser accommodations & they want to totally fill the ship.The upgrade will not be free, but will be a decent price. Another item is to immediately visit guest services upon boarding & let them know you're interested in any upgrades that might be available. If the ship is full you'll be staying where you booked.

[AMHuntFerry]

18 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Add to that that O Connoisseurs Club TAs are the first to know about the upgrade availability and you can inform your TA if you’re interested and what would be your OK price.

Hold the presses...you're saying that having a TA can reap benefits? Who knew. (sarcasm font applied)

[MEFIowa]

13 hours ago, AMHuntFerry said:

Hold the presses...you're saying that having a TA can reap benefits? Who knew. (sarcasm font applied)

Are you following the current thread titled "TA made $4500 Mistake"? Saying that their TA cost them a fortune. Who knew? (sarcasm font applied)

[basor]

1 hour ago, MEFIowa said:

Are you following the current thread titled "TA made $4500 Mistake"? Saying that their TA cost them a fortune. Who knew? (sarcasm font applied)

Got it - you haven't ever used a TA but are very vocal about the reasons to never use one ( citing an incident that appears to be incompetence by the OP ) and VISTA is terrible and a terrible money waste (but have never sailed on her)!    Also, very quick to note a post that supports your opinion and ignore the 100's of post that don't.

If you called O direct to cancel your cruise, would you expect to receive confirmation that your cruise had been canceled or wait until after you O representative had made final payment and then state you had instructed your O representative to cancel?

 

[MEFIowa]

3 hours ago, basor said:

Got it - you haven't ever used a TA but are very vocal about the reasons to never use one ... and VISTA is terrible and a terrible money waste....

 

Really, I point out how EASY it is to contact O and book and rebook your own cruises. Have 4 cruises done with O since 12/2021 (booked 1/2021) and 2 more scheduled for later in 2024. BUT it is people like you who are so vocal that one really must use a TA. That state or imply that essentially only fools don't use the unicorn TAs that are out there in the aether to be discovered in the magic forest. But that just isn't true. So people should DO what works for them! Simple as that. I neither need nor want a TA. And if you do, fine. Just don't denigrate or imply denigration for those who don't use a TA.

 

And it is NOT me whining daily about noise issues on Vista. Or complaining about site lines and other issues in the theatre. BUT I can enjoy the laugh as I read "Vista cheerleaders" saying how wonderful their Applebee's (aka Ember) is and equally how nice the Pizza Hut (aka pizza station at Waves at night). So superior to Jacques, though I doubt anyone in the real world really so views dumbed down American food. Wonder what they'll call the eventual Denny's that will be available for breakfast. I can't even get anyone to tell me if Ember has tablecloths. O pictures say yes, but reviews and comments say no. Can we get crayons and pages to color, too?

[WildWanderers]

Hi All,

 

Upgrading, Downgrading and Bidding, o my!

 

We started cruising with Oceania in 2014, and in the following 4-5 years used to receive offers of upgrades and downgrades, for various costs and benefits, and sometimes several offers on a given cruise.  Since then, crickets.

 

We did ask our Oceania representative before an August 2023 cruise what the cost of an upgrade from a concierge level room to a penthouse would be.  The price he quoted was pretty much what was posted, but he suggested I contact him a week before sailing and he would check what kind of a deal he could get then.  We did and his offer was still beyond our comfort level.  

 

When we boarded and asked the executive concierge for an upgrade on the second of our then two back-to-backs, she said she would put us on the list, and warned me that if we got an offer, it was a fixed amount, non-negotiable.  The next day we got a letter from her on our door with an offer far too good to refuse.

 

As a result, for the second of the two cruises we had a shower in which we not only fit, but could turn around.

 

This Spring we are taking a transatlantic Oceania cruise, and eventually returning on the Queen Mary 2 - our first time trying this.  We noticed that the cost was the same to do this as two business class fares, so why not.  A couple of weeks ago we received an offer to bid on an upgrade.  I looked online to see if there was advice on how to play the game to get what you want, and found little.  

 

We bid on what is called a Princess suite (we would dine in a different dining room - with presumably a more special menu) and are currently in a Britannia suite that looks like an Oceania concierge level suite.  The bid was good for three days and at the end of the three days we heard nothing.  

 

I now know (had to contact Cunard on another matter) that they kept the bid alive and we may hear that we got the upgrade up to three days before sailing.  This will complicate the printing of their luggage tags for us, but this too is solvable.  

 

In case any of this helps,

 

Cheers from Greg of the WildWanderers

 

 

 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Whether you might get a call asking if you'd like to upgrade (for a price) depends a lot on how full the cruise is, plus how full those upper category rooms are..  We often get upgrade calls when we book lower priced rooms (inside and oceanview).  However, on our last cruise (late Jan.) there was no offer. But the ship was almost entirely full (and had been listed as sold out for months) plus I had booked (for once, unusual for me) a veranda room.  So my guess is that there just weren't many rooms available a week or two pre-sail, and especially not suites, which is why we received no offer.  

 

But if you hope to get an offer, and use a travel agent, I'd make sure your travel agent knows your cell phone number, and that you pay attention to your cell phone in the weeks pre-cruise! The offers don't last forever.

[mauibabes]

We have accepted a Downgrade from A to B Veranda, remained on the cruise and received $2600, We were in an A level stateroom in Alaska and gave up our room and were given a PH the following year in the Med AND $2000 cash. We also Have a friend who was on a 30 day cruise to Capetown and accepted a Downgrade and a Credit of $12,000.  We have also accepted Upgrades to Penthouses, Oceania Suite and an Owners Suite so when the Price is Right, it can be GREAT. We have never received one however by asking about availability when we were boarding but have seen people ask but unsuccessful. 
I would say we are Up/Down Grade proponents and we definitely keep our TA in the loop, especially when we have some travel flexibility.

i must say however those were all done several years before Covid changed the Oceania cruises world. 
Mauibabes

[rbtan]

On 3/14/2024 at 11:15 AM, WildWanderers said:

Hi All,

 

Upgrading, Downgrading and Bidding, o my!

 

We started cruising with Oceania in 2014, and in the following 4-5 years used to receive offers of upgrades and downgrades, for various costs and benefits, and sometimes several offers on a given cruise.  Since then, crickets.

 

We did ask our Oceania representative before an August 2023 cruise what the cost of an upgrade from a concierge level room to a penthouse would be.  The price he quoted was pretty much what was posted, but he suggested I contact him a week before sailing and he would check what kind of a deal he could get then.  We did and his offer was still beyond our comfort level.  

 

When we boarded and asked the executive concierge for an upgrade on the second of our then two back-to-backs, she said she would put us on the list, and warned me that if we got an offer, it was a fixed amount, non-negotiable.  The next day we got a letter from her on our door with an offer far too good to refuse.

 

As a result, for the second of the two cruises we had a shower in which we not only fit, but could turn around.

 

This Spring we are taking a transatlantic Oceania cruise, and eventually returning on the Queen Mary 2 - our first time trying this.  We noticed that the cost was the same to do this as two business class fares, so why not.  A couple of weeks ago we received an offer to bid on an upgrade.  I looked online to see if there was advice on how to play the game to get what you want, and found little.  

 

We bid on what is called a Princess suite (we would dine in a different dining room - with presumably a more special menu) and are currently in a Britannia suite that looks like an Oceania concierge level suite.  The bid was good for three days and at the end of the three days we heard nothing.  

 

I now know (had to contact Cunard on another matter) that they kept the bid alive and we may hear that we got the upgrade up to three days before sailing.  This will complicate the printing of their luggage tags for us, but this too is solvable.  

 

In case any of this helps,

 

Cheers from Greg of the WildWanderers

 

 

 

There is NO Britannia suite.It is a stateroom with considerably less room than any standard Oceania cabin(Exception the smaller O ships)Their Britannia club is simply a cabin located in a better part of the ship with upgraded food amenities. You need to be in Princess or Queens Grill suites to really get the better amenities.

[ronrick1943]

Why be disappointed, just book the suite you really want at the price you are willing to pay.  Pretty simple and no stress waiting to see what suite you get.

[mauibabes]

@ronrick1943

That is how we make our decisions, pick where we want to go, pick a room the DW likes and let the chips fall where they may.  Life is too short to worry about saving that last nickel on a “Deal” or worrying about getting an upgrade from a “Black Hole, aka Inside Stateroom” to a room with a window and in hopes for one with a Balcony. If we get an offer my DW can’t refuse 😇 just 👍💰 and make it happen. Happy Wife, Happy Life!  
Enjoy, whatever floats “Your” boat, Just Do It. 

Mauibabes

[ronrick1943]

1 hour ago, mauibabes said:

@ronrick1943

That is how we make our decisions, pick where we want to go, pick a room the DW likes and let the chips fall where they may.  Life is too short to worry about saving that last nickel on a “Deal” or worrying about getting an upgrade from a “Black Hole, aka Inside Stateroom” to a room with a window and in hopes for one with a Balcony. If we get an offer my DW can’t refuse 😇 just 👍💰 and make it happen. Happy Wife, Happy Life!  
Enjoy, whatever floats “Your” boat, Just Do It. 

Mauibabes

😀100% right !  No other way to travel, plus you won't be disappointed once on the ship.