Advice needed on cabin upgrade advantage program

Hello, my family have booked two side-by-side family inside cabins for the Alaska cruise departing on July 1st, 2018 (2 adults & 2 children of 6 & 11 years old in one cabin and 2 adults & 1 child of 6 years old in the other cabin). Since I tried booking the cabins just a few days ago and most cabins had already been sold out at that time, it was not easy to find side-by-side cabins. But I luckily could book them, which I feel so happy.

But I’ve just received an email regarding the upgrade advantage program which gives me an opportunity to bid on upgrade to oceanview or balcony. While I think that it’s really worthwile to try bidding, I’m a little concered of a situation where the two rooms may get located in the very opposite side of the ship. I think I need to consider some factors for decision, like whether the distance between the cabins would matter given that the children would want to play together in any of the cabins, whether a family inside would be okay for 2 adults & 2 children. Could anyone advise me on these factors? In addition, would you just bid on balcony or on both balcony and oceanview? I’m a first cruiser, so it’s not easy to assess just with the ship size and deck plan. Thank you very much in advance!!

Your rooms could be seperated if bids are accepted. If you want your rooms together, dont bid.

Any accepted bid is likely to put you no longer together. Plus a prime mid-summer sailing I'd say chances of upgrade slim unless you bid high on the meter.

4 in an inside cabin isn't the end of the world. Which ship as some have double pullmens and other ships you have the wall to wall beds.

Your rooms could be seperated if bids are accepted. If you want your rooms together, dont bid.

Thank you for the reply. That’s the reason why I can’t decide - i.e. which would matter more, distance between cabins vs. space & view of a cabin.

Any accepted bid is likely to put you no longer together. Plus a prime mid-summer sailing I'd say chances of upgrade slim unless you bid high on the meter.

 

4 in an inside cabin isn't the end of the world. Which ship as some have double pullmens and other ships you have the wall to wall beds.

Thank you for the reply. Yes, it seems that end June & early July is the peak season, so I agree to your comment on the possibility of successful bidding. By the way, how can I check the bedroom configuration? And which is better, pullman vs pull-out? I’ll be on Pearl. Thanks!

My reservations were linked for an upcoming Sky cruise and we have been separated to two different floors. Both were booked as guarantees.

Thank you for the reply. Yes, it seems that end June & early July is the peak season, so I agree to your comment on the possibility of successful bidding. By the way, how can I check the bedroom configuration? And which is better, pullman vs pull-out? I’ll be on Pearl. Thanks!

The double pullman are better since you get the two beds hanging off the wall and not having 3 beds across the width of the room so the people on the outer two beds basically have to exit the bed by the foot of the bed.

The Jewel class (of which the Pearl belongs) I don't believe any of the insides or OV have two pullmens as an option. It there are some, they are rare. In a balcony cabin you would have one pullman and a foldout couch for pax 3 and 4.

Thanks to all responders!!

I received an upgrade offer to a haven spa suite with balcony/H9 category for $400 per person, so that would be $800 to upgrade, correct? We currently have a mini suite with large balcony and I just added last week the thermal spa passes for both of us for $249 each, so a total of $498 I just spent in thermal spa passes.

Is that $800 room upgrade offer considering the fact that I just paid $498 for spa passes? Or if I bid on the H9 room upgrade, would I get the $498 refunded since the H9 room comes with access to the thermal suite?

This is our first cruise with NCL, so I am confused. :)

I received an upgrade offer to a haven spa suite with balcony/H9 category for $400 per person, so that would be $800 to upgrade, correct? We currently have a mini suite with large balcony and I just added last week the thermal spa passes for both of us for $249 each, so a total of $498 I just spent in thermal spa passes. Is that $800 room upgrade offer considering the fact that I just paid $498 for spa passes? Or if I bid on the H9 room upgrade, would I get the $498 refunded since the H9 room comes with access to the thermal suite? This is our first cruise with NCL, so I am confused. :)

If you win a Spa room, you would immediately request a refund of your purchased spa passes.

Remember, you are given a range of prices to bid. $400 is likely the bottom of the "Poor" bids and would have a very low probability of being accepted. You would likely have to bid [much] more than the $400 to win an upgrade bid.

If you win a Spa room, you would immediately request a refund of your purchased spa passes.

 

Remember, you are given a range of prices to bid. $400 is likely the bottom of the "Poor" bids and would have a very low probability of being accepted. You would likely have to bid [much] more than the $400 to win an upgrade bid.

Thank you. That makes sense.

I think we will just stick with our mini suite with large balcony because I really like the location.

Thank you. That makes sense.

I think we will just stick with our mini suite with large balcony because I really like the location.

As the saying goes..............."A bird in the hand...