Ncl's "invitation to bid program" is a joke!

Let me first say I have been on over 11 cruise's in the last 9 years and have enjoyed them all. Recently booked a ncl getaway in july 2016 and had a great time.wonderful ship very impressed. We booked another cruise for feb 2017 and we have heard about there "invitation to bid program" .seen on forums here where people were bidding and getting fantastic upgrades for a nominal fair. I had not received any word so called out travel agent who said she did not know anything about it and would check it out. Well I just took the matter on myself and contacted NCL today to be told that the travel agencys are not part of that program and was told in a round about way we should have booked directly thru them. VERY DISAPPOINTED!

I have booked cruises with competitors and always got a call at some point to upgrade if cabins were available even though I booked thru travel agency.I guess they dont think that the travel agents are thier friends anymore and I hope the agencies start recommending other linee. I know I sure will so much for my Latitudes points thats a JOKE.

Its a shame that my money is not the same as someone elses and this is the last time we book with NCL. Back to Royal and carnival for us.:mad:

The way I understand it, it's your TA that decided not to participate in the program. NCL would love to take more money from you, and give your TA a cut, but your TA doesn't want to deal with the extra effort (even though it looks like the process involves approximately zero extra effort from the TA).

Direct your anger at your TA and book with someone else next time. You don't have to book direct, you can find a different TA that is actually willing to work for your best interests.

Some travel agencies are a part of the program and some choose to not be a part. It isn't NCL's choice, it is the choice of the travel agent.

You're directing your anger at the wrong people.....don't worry, there are plenty of other reasons to be angry with NCL. :p

Don't feel bad. In over 30 cruises we have only gotten one upsell call, (Carnival) and we always book directly with the cruise line we are sailing on. And that price was so inflated I literally laughed out loud at the person's offer.

So because you didn't get a call for an upgrade, you decide to tell the world you're done with NCL. Why didn't you just book the cabin you wanted in the 1st place?:rolleyes:

You have every right to depart NCL over not getting the so-called nominal upsell bid (which isnt so nominal as may be purported) due to lack of your TA's participation.

Just don't expect others to jump ship along with you.

Like someone else mentioned, we have been on over 30 cruises and never gotten that magic phone call. In fact we have only known one person that did. I can remember being on the elevator on a HAL cruise and hearing a little old,, I mean old lady mention she was upgraded from an inside to a balcony. The same with a guarantee cabin, I have rarely heard anyone ay they got a great upgrade. Just remember it is the whole overall cruise that makes a difference, not just the cabin.

Anyone who would leave a cruiseline for the reason OP is, good luck.

We are going on our first NCL cruise in March. We booked through a travel agency and we did receive the invitation to bid on an upgrade. Sounds like it is at the discretion of your travel agent. We chose not to bid on the upgrade as the minimum bid was $500 per person. I can spend that extra money on excursions etc.

Let me first say I have been on over 11 cruise's in the last 9 years and have enjoyed them all. Recently booked a ncl getaway in july 2016 and had a great time.wonderful ship very impressed. We booked another cruise for feb 2017 and we have heard about there "invitation to bid program" .seen on forums here where people were bidding and getting fantastic upgrades for a nominal fair. I had not received any word so called out travel agent who said she did not know anything about it and would check it out. Well I just took the matter on myself and contacted NCL today to be told that the travel agencys are not part of that program and was told in a round about way we should have booked directly thru them. VERY DISAPPOINTED!

 

I have booked cruises with competitors and always got a call at some point to upgrade if cabins were available even though I booked thru travel agency.I guess they dont think that the travel agents are thier friends anymore and I hope the agencies start recommending other linee. I know I sure will so much for my Latitudes points thats a JOKE.

 

Its a shame that my money is not the same as someone elses and this is the last time we book with NCL. Back to Royal and carnival for us.:mad:

We booked through a TA for our NCL cruise we took in December. I received the email about bidding and kindly refused because I thought it was a cheesy gesture from NCL. However, our daughter got the same email and elected to bid $100+ for their upgrade. The went from interior on 14th floor to a window on the 5th aft. Restaurants above and engines below. They loved it. I would have hated it

Also, we will always book with our TA except for carnival cruises. You get better deals plus you normally have a bottle of wine waiting in your room when you board. They can also look and find those free perks.

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Actually the bidding process seems fairer than waiting for a phone call. Everyone who either books directly or with a TA that didn't option out can decide what the upgrade is worth to them and that is your max bid. If you don't get it at least you were given a chance.

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Let it go.

I've cruised NCL many times, Platinum, and in the last 5 years only in the Haven suites. I've only gotten one upsell call. Let me tell you how it went.

I was booked already in a Haven 2 bedroom suite probably around 9k I'd already paid them in full. I get the upsell call....."Oh we want to give you this great opportunity to upsell into the Garden Villa". I get really excited because I've been on this message board for a decade I know about the Garden villa and upsells! She tells me that for $10k I can upsell into the Garden Villa. I say....."So I've already paid 9k, you want me to pay another 10k (19k total) for this upsell.........what?

OK, no. That is no deal. And February is a tricky month. There are a couple weeks in February (the last 2 weeks) that the New England schools have off school for February break all week and the cruise ships run full capacity. It's actually a very popular time to cruise and the upsell opportunities aren't as available.

You need a new travel agent, not a new cruise line.

Let me first say I have been on over 11 cruise's in the last 9 years and have enjoyed them all. Recently booked a ncl getaway in july 2016 and had a great time.wonderful ship very impressed. We booked another cruise for feb 2017 and we have heard about there "invitation to bid program" .seen on forums here where people were bidding and getting fantastic upgrades for a nominal fair. I had not received any word so called out travel agent who said she did not know anything about it and would check it out. Well I just took the matter on myself and contacted NCL today to be told that the travel agencys are not part of that program and was told in a round about way we should have booked directly thru them. VERY DISAPPOINTED!

I have booked cruises with competitors and always got a call at some point to upgrade if cabins were available even though I booked thru travel agency.I guess they dont think that the travel agents are thier friends anymore and I hope the agencies start recommending other linee. I know I sure will so much for my Latitudes points thats a JOKE.

Its a shame that my money is not the same as someone elses and this is the last time we book with NCL. Back to Royal and carnival for us.:mad:

You do not have to book through NCL. That is incorrect information. Whether you book through a TA or NCL, the invitation to bid comes directly to your email address.

Always amazes me the issues that cause people to slam their fists on their keyboards while yelling from the top of their lungs "I'M DONE", despite the fact they have enjoyed every single cruise.

Now, maybe if it was a broken hot tub... :rolleyes:

Always amazes me the issues that cause people to slam their fists on their keyboards while yelling from the top of their lungs "I'M DONE", despite the fact they have enjoyed every single cruise.

 

Now, maybe if it was a broken hot tub... :rolleyes:

Heehee. Then I would have to cancel the Dawn......;)

Let me first say I have been on over 11 cruise's in the last 9 years and have enjoyed them all. Recently booked a ncl getaway in july 2016 and had a great time.wonderful ship very impressed. We booked another cruise for feb 2017 and we have heard about there "invitation to bid program" .seen on forums here where people were bidding and getting fantastic upgrades for a nominal fair. I had not received any word so called out travel agent who said she did not know anything about it and would check it out. Well I just took the matter on myself and contacted NCL today to be told that the travel agencys are not part of that program and was told in a round about way we should have booked directly thru them. VERY DISAPPOINTED!

I have booked cruises with competitors and always got a call at some point to upgrade if cabins were available even though I booked thru travel agency.I guess they dont think that the travel agents are thier friends anymore and I hope the agencies start recommending other linee. I know I sure will so much for my Latitudes points thats a JOKE.

Its a shame that my money is not the same as someone elses and this is the last time we book with NCL. Back to Royal and carnival for us.:mad:

I too am new to NCL, and I keep hearing about this new bidding for upgrades program. I Googled " bidding for upgrades on norwegian cruise ships," and found a handful of articles about the program. I also found the NCL's TERMS AND CONDITIONS of the bidding upgrades program. Reading these, gave me a better understanding of the program.

Partially correct. As noted, your TA has to participate in the program or you will not get an email ever.

The issue is that the new system required changes to the commissioning system, which some agencies accepted, some chose not to (it's not only a matter of effort, initial commissions dropped a bit, but commission is now paid on the upbids if the pax wins albeit at a lower rate. So its more variable) Upsells prior were non commissionable charges.

Obviously the lines want you to book direct so they don't have to pay commissions (or at least not the same amount depending on any bonus system in play)

You do not have to book through NCL. That is incorrect information. Whether you book through a TA or NCL, the invitation to bid comes directly to your email address.

The issue is that the new system required changes to the commissioning system, which some agencies accepted, some chose not to (it's not only a matter of effort, initial commissions dropped a bit, but commission is now paid on the upbids if the pax wins albeit at a lower rate.

Let me first say I have been on over 11 cruise's in the last 9 years and have enjoyed them all. Recently booked a ncl getaway in july 2016 and had a great time.wonderful ship very impressed. We booked another cruise for feb 2017 and we have heard about there "invitation to bid program" .seen on forums here where people were bidding and getting fantastic upgrades for a nominal fair. I had not received any word so called out travel agent who said she did not know anything about it and would check it out. Well I just took the matter on myself and contacted NCL today to be told that the travel agencys are not part of that program and was told in a round about way we should have booked directly thru them. VERY DISAPPOINTED!

I have booked cruises with competitors and always got a call at some point to upgrade if cabins were available even though I booked thru travel agency.I guess they dont think that the travel agents are thier friends anymore and I hope the agencies start recommending other linee. I know I sure will so much for my Latitudes points thats a JOKE.

Its a shame that my money is not the same as someone elses and this is the last time we book with NCL. Back to Royal and carnival for us.:mad:

Not sure why I can't quote the post, but to the above, it depends. The volume agencies won't see much of a hit overall, possibly some upside, but smaller ones that don't have a preferred relationship with NCL (like the one I use) will see a drop in most cases.

In some ways that sucks, but it also makes sense for NCL to drive business internally and to their preferred partners financially.

So because you didn't get a call for an upgrade, you decide to tell the world you're done with NCL. Why didn't you just book the cabin you wanted in the 1st place?:rolleyes:

$$$. People always want what they feel is a deal. Look at most of the Away ships in the program you see a lot of haven rooms left up to the point of the bids then they all go.

NCL inflates the price of the room and everyone feels like they got a great deal. They know 99% of the folks sailing will not pay $16,000 for a owners sweet for a week. Or $8000 for a Aft Haven room.

This may be of some help to understand this NEW program.

Norwegian Cruise Line will kick off the new year with a cruise industry first... an upgrade program that allows passengers who have paid for a cruise to bid for an upgrade to a higher-category stateroom.

The Norwegian Upgrade Advantage program has the blessing of a group of top travel agents after a 60-day beta test in advance of its February 8 launch. Their feedback was all positive, including the fact that the entire system is automated and requires no travel agent intervention, keeps them in the communication loop at all times, and pays commissions on the enhanced fare.

Once guests’ bids are accepted, they are assigned to an available cabin at a higher level—inside to outside, outside to balcony, balcony to a suite or The Haven......but cannot choose the exact stateroom to which they are assigned.

Travel professionals were always top of mind as the program was put together, and their feedback was solicited and incorporated in the final product.

We wanted to make sure we had all the commission together and that it worked, that it would benefit the guest and the agent in every way.

While of course Norwegian is "encouraging everyone to participate," any agency that does not want to offer it to customers can simply opt out.

Upgrade Advantage will launch on the large ships (Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway and Norwegian Epic) and Pride of America on February 8, followed by the remainder of the fleet by the end of the second quarter.

I used a TA and I got 2 emails (a week apart) if I wanted to bid for an upgrade for our cruise on the getaway at the end of March. We're in an angled balcony and the min bid was $25/pp for a suite and $400/pp for a Haven balcony and more and more for the other haven categories. We chose not to bid, we like the location of our angled balcony.

Hey Bakerman. I feel your pain. I'm on the same cruise with you. I booked through a TA (Big Three Credit Card Co that begins with an A). I checked with them and they said they have not opted out of the program and do get upgrade advantage emails for NCL for some of their customers but also noted it is more the exception vs the rule. I called NCL and they tried to play it off on the TA. Oddly, they could not tell me if my TA was opted in or out nor could they transfer me to a department that could. Big red flag that NCL customer service really doesn't know what is going on. Called second time, and got a whole different story about it being more randomly selected. But at least the friendly customer service agent admitted it is new to them as well and they are now sure either.

I do know is NCL outsources the whole thing and the NCL customer service seems as lost as we are on the process. There is no customer service for the outsource company or the upgrade program (upsell # does not handle). I tried to post a similar question on here specifically to see if anyone had sucess with my TA and of course someone just sent me the T&Cs and did not answer the question posted.

NCL T&Cs which basically say you must get an invite and they will send it to whoever they chose. What is not clear is how they determine who gets the right to bid.

I have a few guesses on what is going on:

1) It might be for those who book directly with them vs TA. Like the airlines, this may be a way to get people to book directly with them and reduce commissions paid to the TA. More $$ for their bottom line. They seem to like to play the TA against the customer. Why the TA is even involved in this post sale opportunity is beyond me. The rest of their precruise sales is TA free (excursions, food, drink, internet, etc) As the actual customer, NCL has not realized they are doing harm to their relationship with the customer. It is possible that this is part of their agreement with the TA but none of us are privy to that relationship. (Side note - I dont think the previous upsell # was based on TA participation).

2) It might be if you are latitude (post first cruise) you get preference to bid for upgrades. However, this is not listed as a Latitude benefit but does make some sense from a business perspective (incentive for return cruisers).

3) It might be based on available inventory and those who "could" upgrade into the available inventory. This may also be based on what inventory that might be freed up and and is easier to sell closer to sail date. In other words, I did not get an invite because the class I could upgrade to is not available the class I'm in would not sell quickly. For me this does not appear to be the case - my class has one room left and there are 12 rooms available for the class above me.

4) Pragmatic view - This is new to NCL and they are simply learning along the way. They are using a new vendor, changing staff roles (upsell dept) and there is a lot of disinformation out there. Certainly the T&Cs clearly show that they are committing to nothing so the NCL agents cant use it to help answer questions.

Thoughts for NCL:

1) Stop blaming this on the TAs. Last time I checked, my credit card was charged by NCL for the cruise and I'm agreeing to the NCL "Guest Ticket Contract". This contract states the choice to use a TA is mine but I'm bound to NCL contract, terms and for payment. No where does it state I must continue future transactions with a TA that made the original booking. The idea that they are protection commission for the TA makes no sense as all the other things I have purchased from NCL pre cruise is commission free. If the TA made more $$ fine, but I'm ok if the upgrade was commission free too if I did the bidding.

2) Br transparent. I don't think ANYONE on this board has been able to provide concrete information on "how" NCL determines who is eligible to bid and how the process is executed. (please please please don't refer me to the T&Cs again). NCL should look to the airlines. They provide a really clear understanding of who is eligible, when you can upgrade, the pecking order, how many are in front of you in the upgrade list (to get upgrade) and even options to boost your chances (by following the clear information provided). They provide clear numbers or seats available etc.

3) Communicate clearly. They should add this feature to MyNCL. They should add ALL communications to the MyNCL. I would love to know if I'm eligible to upgrade or my status. Many people have reported that these emails end up in spam. I have also realized the lack of communications from NCL on my upcoming cruise (19 days out). The one or two emails I did get are not in my message center in the portal.

In the end, we are all seeking information and advice on this board. On this one I decided it was not worth my time to place another call. Did it make me have a little bit of a negative impression of NCL - sure a little. Decided to not let it bother me or ruin my vacation. I'm keeping the money in my pocket and will spend it other ways on the vacation (maybe with NCL maybe not). I'm just happy that I have a vacation starting in a few weeks! This will be my first NCL cruise. Hopeful NCL will win me over and keep me coming back to their line vs others.

See you in a few weeks Bakerman. 19 days from now you will have something cold and frosty in your hand and the warmth of the Florida and Caribbean sun - all will be forgotten. :-)

If I had a nickel for every time someone complains about NCL because of an issue with their own choice of TA, I'd be able to bid on a higher cabin choice.