Is there that much savings with a bid?

[Peachypooh]

I recently cancelled a cruise to Canada out of NY. It was a 10 day with an overnight in Quebec if that would make a difference. I booked an Owner's Suite a year in advance, got all 5 offers plus I think it was a distinctive voyage. All in all I think the perks were significant (thousands of dollars) Anyway, I don't have the paperwork in front of me but I think it was going to be around $6,000 per person which if you deduct off the OBC, value of all the perks, etc. probably was in the $4,000 per person range. My question is this. I have always just purchased the cabin I wanted and did not mess around with the bidding as to be honest I really didn't know how it worked and also didn't know if the uncertainty was worth the $$$. I read through a lot of threads and still could not get a feel for what an OS would go for if I upgraded from another cabin. Can the savings be very significant? I recently saw a thread where someone said that for $500 pp ($1,000) total they were offered an upgrade to an owner's suite from a penthouse (one of the ones next to the OS). When I priced it out when I booked the owner's suite I think the penthouse was around $1500 less?? So a savings of probably $500 if I won a bid? So confusing!! What am I missing? Sorry I am sure this has been discussed a lot but I am still confused.

[smplybcause]

The biggest thing is that you're not guaranteed to get a bid. Yes you might save money, but you might be stuck in whatever room you originally booked. There's not a way to guarantee that your bid will win.

 

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[littlelulu01]

I don’t think it’s set up to typically save much over an early booking unless the sailing is really undersold or something happens ie a hurricane. But it can be a good chunk for those who booked a cabin a little later in the game when pricing on suites has gone up. Seems like they typically have initial list pricing set pretty reasonable. As time goes on and suites sell, the remaining suites get higher and higher. My two bedroom Haven was initially booked at a rate I found reasonable. I canceled and then found out we were able to go but by that time the same suite had nearly doubled in cost. I ended up settling for a mini suite and upgrade advantaged at the end, I think mid fair bid range, for about the same as I had initially paid on the suite I had canceled. So I saved, but only in comparison to what the h4 was selling for at the time I rebooked. The early booking was a little lower cost and I lost out on perks. Of course there are a few here and there who will save more but I think they have it down to a pretty good pattern now so as make their nut on the suites for most sailings.

Edited January 4, 2018 by littlelulu01

[BirdTravels]

On a recent cruise on the Breakaway, the cost of a Poor bid from a balcony to a Havens room was going to be higher than just paying the difference (and getting all of the perks with a "full price" booking). So we just paid for the Havens room. No hassle and waiting.

[Ella2]

It depends on the ship and sailing date. I'm currently in an amazing Courtyard Penthouse Suite (H5) in the Haven on the Escape, which I successfully bid on as an upgrade from a BF Balcony. The cost of the bid was VASTLY lower than the pricing on this cabin...several thousand dollars less. Of course, this is a holiday sailing, so that factors in to the pricing. But overall, it was a STEAL to get this amazing Haven experience for the price we paid with a very low "good" bid. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[jakesnana]

I had friends go from a cat. BB balcony to a cat. SC 2 bed suite on the Dawn for $600 pp ($1200 total). I'm pretty sure that was substantially lower than the cat. SC cabins were going for (when they were available).

[Something fun!]

I recently saw the thread where someone said that for $500 pp ($1,000) total they were offered an upgrade to an owner's suite from a penthouse (one of the ones next to the OS). I think they had a casino history if I recall. I am wondering if casino at sea and highrollers are more likely to win the upgrade even if they bid lower. It would be better from a business perspective since no customer really knows what people bid.

[JerseyMom]

I am currently booked in a 2 bedroom non-Haven suite (SC) on my upcoming cruise on the Gem. Other than the Garden Villa (sold out, so unlikely), the only other suite I would be interested in is the Haven 2 bedroom suite. Minimum bid for the Haven 2 bedroom is $600 pp (or $1200 total). It would cost me $1100 total to just directly upgrade. At least for me, it would actually be more money to bid. It pays to do the math.

[ray98]

It all depends on supply and demand. There is not set formula. One cruise might find $500pp upgrades, the next $1000pp when moving between the same 2 cabins.

[billslowsky]

I am currently booked in a 2 bedroom non-Haven suite (SC) on my upcoming cruise on the Gem. Other than the Garden Villa (sold out, so unlikely), the only other suite I would be interested in is the Haven 2 bedroom suite. Minimum bid for the Haven 2 bedroom is $600 pp (or $1200 total). It would cost me $1100 total to just directly upgrade. At least for me, it would actually be more money to bid. It pays to do the math.

 

Exactly. Bidding for an upgrade ought to be done to get a good deal, so you need to compare to alternative prices.

 

And be careful bidding where you might end up in bad locations - minisuites on the jewel class, for example. Know the ship layout.

[vince_g]

I am currently booked in a 2 bedroom non-Haven suite (SC) on my upcoming cruise on the Gem. Other than the Garden Villa (sold out, so unlikely), the only other suite I would be interested in is the Haven 2 bedroom suite. Minimum bid for the Haven 2 bedroom is $600 pp (or $1200 total). It would cost me $1100 total to just directly upgrade. At least for me, it would actually be more money to bid. It pays to do the math.

 

But if you ever tried to upgrade AFTER FINAL PAYMENT, you would know you are not entitled to the current price. The dollar amount for your upgrade will be much more than simply the difference between the going price and what you paid. Once your booking is under penalty it is not even reasonable to think you can just get that room for today's price. NCL is not that nice.

[Vyhanek]

A few years ago I had booked my family in a 2 bedroom Haven suite. I think the total was around 8 Thousand. I got a call from the "upsell Desk" this was back in the days you were forbidden from calling the desk yourself asking about the upsell. You had to just sit around and wait for the magic call and hope you were home when the call came because they wouldn't hold the deal for you to just talk it over with your husband. You had to decide in that call. So this one time I get the call......They ask me....."would you like to upsell from your 2 bedroom Haven suite to the Garden Villa?! OMG, I was so excited! "How much?"................Wait for it.............For an additional $11,000 I could upsell to the Garden Villa!!

 

I go to look at how much the Garden Villa was priced out normally......$19k. To think they'd call me and I'd just spend another 11k with no break what so ever on the price. Not a deal. That would be called a scam of a call. I was very disappointed in NCL for presenting that as a deal!

 

My motto has always been, life is short and vacation is important. You get the cabin you will be happy with. If you can upsell into something even better fine but don't start your vacation off disappointed IN YOURSELF that you didn't book a cabin you will be happy with.

[April42749]

But if you ever tried to upgrade AFTER FINAL PAYMENT, you would know you are not entitled to the current price. The dollar amount for your upgrade will be much more than simply the difference between the going price and what you paid. Once your booking is under penalty it is not even reasonable to think you can just get that room for today's price. NCL is not that nice.

 

Are you sure about that? Last April I had an obstructed view OV-X on the Gem. About 10 days before the cruise the price of a BX went to about $30/pp more than I paid for my oceanview and I had not problem upgrading myself.

[littlelulu01]

But if you ever tried to upgrade AFTER FINAL PAYMENT, you would know you are not entitled to the current price. The dollar amount for your upgrade will be much more than simply the difference between the going price and what you paid. Once your booking is under penalty it is not even reasonable to think you can just get that room for today's price. NCL is not that nice.

 

I’ve never experienced this and almost certain it’s not true. When booking with Ncl and with ta, it’s simply paying the difference. You can’t downgrade but ive yet to be told there’s a penalty to upgrade after final payment. It has nothing to do with Ncl being, “nice” and everything to do with simply making more money. If they have a customer who is willing to pay going rate it only makes sense to sell them the room.

 

You can even upgrade after an upsell. Say you are wanting a Haven but you were awarded a sf suite. They will happily move you to the Haven suite retail price difference as long as it’s available. You just can’t enter the upgrade advantage plan again. They credit the upgrade advantage and original stateroom price $ you have paid and then you just pay the going rate they have advertised.

[JerseyMom]

Are you sure about that? Last April I had an obstructed view OV-X on the Gem. About 10 days before the cruise the price of a BX went to about $30/pp more than I paid for my oceanview and I had not problem upgrading myself.

 

Your experience is consistent with what I have read elsewhere and what my PCC has indicated.

[janice2348]

We successfully upgraded from an aft balcony to a suite on POA last year for just the difference in price. And it was after final payment.

[BostonGal35]

We successfully upgraded from an aft balcony to a suite on POA last year for just the difference in price. And it was after final payment.

 

i just did this for my upcoming jade sail.

you have to run teh numbers because in my case, the minimum bid was twice what i paid to simply call and upgrade.

[vince_g]

Are you sure about that? Last April I had an obstructed view OV-X on the Gem. About 10 days before the cruise the price of a BX went to about $30/pp more than I paid for my oceanview and I had not problem upgrading myself.

 

Yes I am absolutely certain about this. The amount they quoted me for the upgrade was a lot more than the difference. Maybe because I was looking to upgrade to the Haven. I ended up calling the upsell department, and managed to get the aft suite I wanted.

[iatag]

We are currently book in an Oceanview (OK category) which was the minimum cabin to get the pick all 5 perks when we booked. I assume when I consider upgrade vs. bid I need to look at the current minimum balcony or mini-suite prices which also include perks (not the "sail away" pricing). Is that correct?

In my case, the current minimum perk inclusive pricing for a balcony is over $400 more per person than my OK booking. BX category is about $150 cheaper per person. I assume NCL would require around $400 pp for me to do a direct upsell. Is that the correct thinking?

Edited January 6, 2018 by iatag

[European_CruiseGirl]

We were on Jade a while ago. Paid $4200 for a mini suite (included UBP and SDP). Upgraded to a SE forward penthouse with a bid of $550/pp so $1100. Thus the overall price we paid was $5300. We got accepted already 60 days out.

 

I priced the SE penthouse immediately after being accepted (so at 60 days out). There were still 2 SE's available to book at that point. The price for booking a SE would have been $10800 [emoji15] So we saved $10800-$5300 = $5500.

 

Ok of course if we had booked a suite originally we had received the other perks for free too so excursion perk and the wifi perk. Still our savings were over $5000.

 

 

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[drvmywifecrzy]

It is worth the risk to bid for me but I am a gambler

[goldmom]

It really is the luck of the draw.  We were recently on the Dawn.  We had booked an SD suite on deck 12, which we were perfectly happy with. We put in a low ball bid on the OS of $350 pp.  There was only one left and there were still plenty of SD suites still available.  We were totally shocked when we got the upgrade.  If we had tried to book it ourselves it would have been around $1000 pp to upgrade.

We've been on other ships where we bid a lot more and never got an upgrade.  I think you just book what you'd be happy with, bid an amount you'd be comfortable with and just let fate take it's course and enjoy your cruise whatever happens.

[ziggyuk]

The savings can be significant. It's a sealed envelope bidding system so:

 

1, Bid low and make a significant saving but your chance of winning is low.

2, Bid high with slim savings but more chance of winning.

 

Some people bid so high, they could have paid less to upgrade over the phone instead.

 

I call NCL or TA and ask what an upgrade would cost and then bid based on what I think is a reasonable saving over a traditional upgrade.

[Starry Eyes]

Obviously it depends on the pricing pattern on your specific cruise when you book and if prices rise or fall thereafter.  Your fall cruise is probably not so representative of the average pattern, so be cautious trying to draw firm conclusions from it.  Certainly  if one absolutely wants a suite, one should just booked a suite rather than bid.  And certainly there are times when people find the price differential leads them to upgrade rather than bid.

 

Just so you can understand why others might do the math quite different from you, let’s review the value of those perks.  Clearly, they are valuable to you, and plenty of others agree.  But not all of us are value them so highly.   For non drinkers or very light drinkers (like us) the beverage package is not even worth the gratuities.  NCL shore excursions are over priced, and we prefer to go private, so no value there.  As Platinum Plus, we get enough slow internet to do the basics; we would not buy more.  We also get a couple specialty meals as Platinum Plus, but we’d be happy to take more as perks.  We travel as a couple, so the offer the bring 3/4 is worthless to us. So, while you value the perks highly for that cruise, we might have valued them perhaps $200 (if we could decline the drink package to avoid those gratuities; if not, the perks would be a negative).  Just to illustrate how differently people might see the perks.

 

So, you can see that I might be sort who could book a sailaway balcony and bid on a suite.   If my bid is declined, we will happy enough in the balcony cabin.  If my bid is accepted (as happened last fall), we will enjoy the suite and haven. Our total cost will be lower than those who booked suites straight up...they will love their perks; we won’t miss them.

[cliffd64]

Here's a strategy that I and others have tried and results can vary but have been mostly successful...  Lots of variables to consider as every cruise and date are different. 

 

First off... by the cabin you want first.  This way, regardless of any upgrade bidding,  you should already be satisfied.  

 

If you are offered the chance to upgrade, do some research, both when you get the e-mail around 80 days out, and also as time goes on,  to check the price difference between your existing cabin and the one(s) you are bidding on.  Typically when shooting for the moon and going for a much higher category (like mid-ship balcony going to a Haven) , I try to bid such that I attempt to meet them half way to any difference in cabin prices.  This usually puts me somewhere in the middle of fair range.

 

If you're bidding within the same meta category (scnearios like balcony to spa balcony or spa mini-suite), the difference over time might be much lower, so I generally look at what I'm adding and try to estimate what would be a good deal for both.  For example, to buy spa passes outright will cost 199 pp or 400 a cabin, so a bid of 125 to 150 would be decent maybe to go from balcony to spa balcony...  In that case, the only real difference would be access to the spa, so always consider what your actual cost to get the same experience by paying for it  would be when determining your bid.

 

Sometimes the cabin prices themselves can trickle down so that your bid is closer to the difference.  You can adjust it if it hasn't been accepted to be certain you're not overpaying for what you could purchase outright.    

 

Best advice is to have fun and remember, if you booked what you can be happy in,  you can't lose.  If you win an upgrade it's icing on the cake 🙂