Upgrade bid experiences

[kent4489]

Sailing date: Nov. 20

Ship: Onward. 11 night Trans Atlantic

Booked: Club Continent Suite

Loyalty: Explorer

 

Received upgrade offer on Nov. 2 (we only booked Oct. 31)

Club World Owners Suite: starting at $2,000 per person

Club Ocean Suite: starting at $1,700 per person

Club Spa Suite: starting at $1,300 per person

 

We are not bidding.

 

[Grandma Cruising]

6 hours ago, kent4489 said:

Sailing date: Nov. 20

Ship: Onward. 11 night Trans Atlantic

Booked: Club Continent Suite

Loyalty: Explorer

 

Received upgrade offer on Nov. 2 (we only booked Oct. 31)

Club World Owners Suite: starting at $2,000 per person

Club Ocean Suite: starting at $1,700 per person

Club Spa Suite: starting at $1,300 per person

 

We are not bidding.

 

Thanks, all added

[Cruiser Nonna]

Grandma Cruising - hoping you are having a great cruise - we sail Quest on November 15 - 11 nights

 

Submitted for upgrade on 10/22/22 - Discover Plus - V1 booked - options as follows - USD

Veranda Plus - $100-$400 per person

Club Continent - $400-$1700 per person

Club Spa - $2100-$3600 per person

Club Ocean - $2250-$4600 per person

Club Owners - $2820-$5100 per person

 

Bid $550 per person and received upgrade 11/3/22 to a N1 although there were N2 - so pleased with location not great about the tub/shower but will see.

 

I had asked the question about Pending and it was about a week that it said Pending and then received the upgrade still not sure if Pending meant pretty sure or just goes to Pending once submitted although did notice two days before upgrade - no longer could I bid on the Club Ocean or Owners Suite

 

Hope this helps with the spreadsheet - Enjoy your cruises - stay well and safe!

[lisiamc]

I am excited to report that for the first time ever, we’ve been successful in our bid for an upgrade! The upgrade is from V3 to Club Continent suite. I think the lowest bid I could have submitted was $400/person, and I bid $500, (which qualified as “weak”) for a total of $1000. We are sailing on Onward on 12 November, 8 nights.

[Grandma Cruising]

9 hours ago, Cruiser Nonna said:

Grandma Cruising - hoping you are having a great cruise - we sail Quest on November 15 - 11 nights

 

Submitted for upgrade on 10/22/22 - Discover Plus - V1 booked - options as follows - USD

Veranda Plus - $100-$400 per person

Club Continent - $400-$1700 per person

Club Spa - $2100-$3600 per person

Club Ocean - $2250-$4600 per person

Club Owners - $2820-$5100 per person

 

Bid $550 per person and received upgrade 11/3/22 to a N1 although there were N2 - so pleased with location not great about the tub/shower but will see.

 

I had asked the question about Pending and it was about a week that it said Pending and then received the upgrade still not sure if Pending meant pretty sure or just goes to Pending once submitted although did notice two days before upgrade - no longer could I bid on the Club Ocean or Owners Suite

 

Hope this helps with the spreadsheet - Enjoy your cruises - stay well and safe!

We ‘re having a great cruise thanks Cruiser Nonna. Azamara is just as good as ever! Thanks for the information, it’s all added.

[Port Power]

I have received a reminder to bid for an upgrade on the 14 night Azamara Quest on December 21. Discoverer.  From V2 to CC from $600pp.  As a solo traveler, $1200 is an unnecessary outlay, so I am not bidding.   It is an excellent price, and I would bid the minimum if a couple. Others on this cruise in V2 have not received upgrade offer emails.  I'll save my money for future business class airfares!

[Jancruz]

Personally I think bidding is tacky...and surprised Azamara does it..more like NCL..

Jancruz1

[iata]

7 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

Personally I think bidding is tacky...and surprised Azamara does it..more like NCL..

Jancruz1

You don’t have to bid.  What is tacky about bidding.  The rooms are not sold they try to sell it for less that you will have to pay if you had choose that category at the beginning. You take a chance if not you stay in the room you choose to book at the beginning.

[Host Jazzbeau]

42 minutes ago, Jancruz said:

Personally I think bidding is tacky...and surprised Azamara does it..more like NCL..

Jancruz1

 

29 minutes ago, iata said:

You don’t have to bid.  What is tacky about bidding.  The rooms are not sold they try to sell it for less that you will have to pay if you had choose that category at the beginning. You take a chance if not you stay in the room you choose to book at the beginning.

Personally I think it's a much better approach than the 'upgrade fairy' – which lacks transparency and seems very unfair.  

 

Azamara's previous approach [offering upgrades at a fixed price, take it or leave it] may have been less 'tacky' but may have garnered too many acceptances and therefore favored those 'in the know' to ask early.  

 

Or this may be simply Azamara's way to maximize revenue for a scarce resource – which, given Azamara's low profit margins in the past is probably something we Azamara fans should be happy about.  If Sycamore's present approach of building up the brand doesn't pay off, they will switch to their other MO of bleeding it and then discarding the empty hull.  Now that would be tacky!

[federalexpress]

From a commercial perspective, the upgrade model is basic yield optimisation. Same that airlines use. The price is low if low demand, high if high demand and the pricing is dynamic. Some long haul airlines even do their own upgrade offers, from Economy to Business.

 

The one drawback is that it can result in bad feeling, where someone is paying a lot less than you are, if for example you booked yourself in business class to begin with. Or in this case, someone getting the same CC suite as you but paying much less by a lowish upgrade bid from a Verandah.

 

I can see therefore how some may not like it, but for better or worse, I think dynamic pricing and yield management are not going to go away. To the extent I need to console myself where someone gets and upgrade at a basically lower price than I've paid, I could argue that the fare I paid gave me a guarantee, not a possibility, and that carries a value in itself. Certainly when it comes to late cruise deals when they are long haul, the money you might save on the cruise will almost certainly be more than counterbalanced by the higher flight costs you'll face with a last minute booking. The only truly attractive late fare deals would be ones in my case that left from my home port, in the UK, or somewhere almost as cheap to get to. I suspect Azamara don't do many of those, in fact the few ex UK cruises they do seem prohibitively priced.

[tgg]

11 minutes ago, federalexpress said:

From a commercial perspective, the upgrade model is basic yield optimisation. Same that airlines use. The price is low if low demand, high if high demand and the pricing is dynamic. Some long haul airlines even do their own upgrade offers, from Economy to Business.

 

The one drawback is that it can result in bad feeling, where someone is paying a lot less than you are, if for example you booked yourself in business class to begin with. Or in this case, someone getting the same CC suite as you but paying much less by a lowish upgrade bid from a Verandah.

 

I can see therefore how some may not like it, but for better or worse, I think dynamic pricing and yield management are not going to go away. To the extent I need to console myself where someone gets and upgrade at a basically lower price than I've paid, I could argue that the fare I paid gave me a guarantee, not a possibility, and that carries a value in itself. Certainly when it comes to late cruise deals when they are long haul, the money you might save on the cruise will almost certainly be more than counterbalanced by the higher flight costs you'll face with a last minute booking. The only truly attractive late fare deals would be ones in my case that left from my home port, in the UK, or somewhere almost as cheap to get to. I suspect Azamara don't do many of those, in fact the few ex UK cruises they do seem prohibitively priced.

 

It would be better for everyone if people who bid on and get an upgrade keep quiet about it. Nobody needs to know how brilliant your bid was. 😇

 

And let's not forget:  when your bid is accepted, you are assigned a stateroom. It may not be one that you would have chosen because of noise, vibration, or other annoyances. When you book a CC suite, you choose the stateroom you want. For many people, that's worth paying for.

[federalexpress]

5 minutes ago, tgg said:

 

It would be better for everyone if people who bid on and get an upgrade keep quiet about it. Nobody needs to know how brilliant your bid was. 😇

 

And let's not forget:  when your bid is accepted, you are assigned a stateroom. It may not be one that you would have chosen because of noise, vibration, or other annoyances. When you book a CC suite, you choose the stateroom you want. For many people, that's worth paying for.

 True but I guess this whole thread is about the thrill of the chase, people wanting to know what others have paid for what.

 

Fair point on the cabin choice and of course with AZ, that can be significant since the least popular CC's, thus the ones more likely to be available, seem to be the ones with a bath, no shower, and I much, much prefer the latter. Looking at it from CC upwards, I was not greatly attracted by my upgrade offers because the spa and Club Ocean suites are at the front of the ship and we are sailing in potentially rough waters but also the cost was eye wateringly high.

[tgg]

37 minutes ago, federalexpress said:

 True but I guess this whole thread is about the thrill of the chase, people wanting to know what others have paid for what.

 

Fair point on the cabin choice and of course with AZ, that can be significant since the least popular CC's, thus the ones more likely to be available, seem to be the ones with a bath, no shower, and I much, much prefer the latter. Looking at it from CC upwards, I was not greatly attracted by my upgrade offers because the spa and Club Ocean suites are at the front of the ship and we are sailing in potentially rough waters but also the cost was eye wateringly high.

 

I should have been more clear.  I was suggesting that people not talk about their upgrade once they're on the ship. For people who want to bid on an upgrade, this thread gives them valuable information.

[federalexpress]

5 hours ago, tgg said:

 

I should have been more clear.  I was suggesting that people not talk about their upgrade once they're on the ship. For people who want to bid on an upgrade, this thread gives them valuable information.

Ah I see what you mean.

[kml246]

I understand you don't have control over the cabin assigned, but if your bid is accepted can you request to have the cabin changed if you want a different location? If so, who would you contact before boarding, or do you need to wait until you're on board?

 

Thanks,

Kevin

[Port Power]

19 minutes ago, kml246 said:

I understand you don't have control over the cabin assigned, but if your bid is accepted can you request to have the cabin changed if you want a different location? If so, who would you contact before boarding, or do you need to wait until you're on board?

 

Thanks,

Kevin

No.  By lodging your bid with credit card authorised, you have accepted the cabin you “win”.  If you think you might not like the location, do not bid.

[kml246]

16 hours ago, Port Power said:

No.  By lodging your bid with credit card authorised, you have accepted the cabin you “win”.  If you think you might not like the location, do not bid.

 

I understand the way bidding works and what the rules are. But then there's actual experience. Has anyone been able to move their cabin assignment, either before or after boarding? If there is another location that's empty, why wouldn't Azamara oblige a request? This is our first AZ cruise, so trying to learn their ways.

 

Thank you,

Kevin

[Host Jazzbeau]

4 hours ago, kml246 said:

 

I understand the way bidding works and what the rules are. But then there's actual experience. Has anyone been able to move their cabin assignment, either before or after boarding? If there is another location that's empty, why wouldn't Azamara oblige a request? This is our first AZ cruise, so trying to learn their ways.

 

Thank you,

Kevin

It can't hurt to ask.  The only complication I can see is if the upgrade process is managed by a computer, it may send out all the notifications simultaneously – so by the time you see your new cabin all the others have already been assigned.  But I don't know this.  If I got an upgraded cabin that I didn't like, I would certainly call and ask about options.

[KevintheIrishDJ]

Got an upgrade from Inside to Club Veranda!!!  $2,260 total. Trying to find out what is included. The website keeps giving me error messages.

[Port Power]

1 minute ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

Got an upgrade from Inside to Club Veranda!!!  $2,260 total. Trying to find out what is included. The website keeps giving me error messages.

A balcony!

 

"Club Veranda" is just Azamara's terminology for a normal balcony cabin.  As opposed to "Verandah Plus" which includes internet, laundry and something or other else.

[KevintheIrishDJ]

30 minutes ago, Port Power said:

A balcony!

 

"Club Veranda" is just Azamara's terminology for a normal balcony cabin.  As opposed to "Verandah Plus" which includes internet, laundry and something or other else.

It is a 1V category.

[Port Power]

Just now, KevintheIrishDJ said:

It is a 1V category.

V1, V2, V3 and VX denote where on the ship the cabins are located.  Look at the deck plan.  V1 are midships on several decks (and possibly also deck 8 IIRM); V2 are deck 7 fore and aft near midships; V3 are forward and aft. 

[iata]

8 hours ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

Got an upgrade from Inside to Club Veranda!!!  $2,260 total. Trying to find out what is included. The website keeps giving me error messages.

On what ship? What date?

[uktog]

8 hours ago, Port Power said:

A balcony!

 

"Club Veranda" is just Azamara's terminology for a normal balcony cabin.  As opposed to "Verandah Plus" which includes internet, laundry and something or other else.

And as he’s coming from an inside don’t forget daylight!! 

[KevintheIrishDJ]

23 minutes ago, iata said:

On what ship? What date?

Onward Dec. 22