Upgrade bid experiences

[Lookyboy]

1 hour ago, grayjay said:

The system is somewhat "murky" to say the least. We were deemed ineligible even when our travel agency has not opted out of the programme and we paid the full price for the cruise. At the time when I tried to bid, there were still at least 15 suites available.

We're happy enough with our chosen balcony but still it's a disappointment because you can't figure out the rules. And loyalty counts nothing, obviously.

We are also happy with our carefully selected balcony for our next cruise...but would still be keen to test the system.......we must be MAD!

[LuAnn]

OK..let me be "frank"...as a YANK...I'm not sure that this "system" is working????

 

Is there a "system"??? I'm not sure?...and are we unsure?...YES...so...

 

AZ...my dear AZ...I do love sailing with you...but somehow...in the "minds of me...and I think other CCers" this "system" is broken!!! "

 

Can our dear CC rep...and/or others fix this?  PLEASE!! I don't know who "dreamed" this up...but I don't think it's working!!! ???? Your thoughts??? I think we all love AZ...but this "system" is broke? Yes?? LuAnn

 

[Lookyboy]

Just now, aussie travel bird said:

Audrey, we're the opposite, we get an email offer to bid, offer a bid and get a confirmation we've placed a bid and then nothing more.  Others seem to get an email at least saying they've been successful or not prior to cruising, we get nothing and usually no upgrade... can't figure the system out, disappointed and ......

It is so disappointing, Jenny. On the one hand, it is good to take part and 'have a go', but on the other hand, the process appears to undermine so much of what we respect and admire about Azamara. I do hope you get good news soon...although I read on CC, some bidders have had no word until a couple of days before departure. What doesn't help is, as we (and you) booked these cruises when they were announced,  (July 2018), we are paying a significant amount more than more recent prices being offered. UUGGHH!! That................ is another story, as we know! (Just occurred to me - early purchasers could have first bids?????)

 

[hubofhockey]

On 11/16/2019 at 12:21 PM, LuAnn said:

Has anyone yet been able to figure out ...so far...any pattern to those accepted verses rejected bids? LuAnn

 

If you look at the spreadsheet, you can see a price range of winning bids and losing bids at each cabin category upgrade.  Obviously, it is is still fairly early on in the program to go on much more, but some itineraries, over time, will show to be more popular and more expensive to upgrade.  I used the spreadsheet and had a fairly good idea what it would cost to upgrade from veranda to cc suite on a price by day bid.  I thought $80 per day (per cabin - not per person) had a good chance of getting it done.  I hadn't seen any rejected at that price point.  Maybe $70 would have gotten it done, but that $10 per day difference on a 15-night cruise was $150 and it wasn't worth the risk of losing out over $150 for us.  I guess what I don't understand is why some aren't given the chance to place a bid, unless they purchased AFTER final payment.  

[Xcelsior]

Another one for the bid sheet:  Did not receive an email to bid, used link on website.  Originally booked a verandah guarantee on a Last Minute Savings offer (actually we switched to this offer and forfeited onboard credit from a previous onboard booking as the price drop was so substantial we were ahead of the game by doing it).  Assigned a forward facing VX cabin.  Bid $500 per person for the 11 night voyage to upgrade to a CC Suite. Considered high end of a weak bid.  Today (15 days before sailing) assigned a Club Continent Accessible Suite on Deck 6.  Sail Date Dec 17, 2019. Bid date 85 days prior to sailing.  Notified 15 days prior.  Of interest, 10 CC suites have been available for weeks - now only 3 are available today - so 7 suites went to upgrades.  4 VX category cabins suddenly opened up today as well (category had been sold out for 3 months prior to today).  We are Discoverer Level of LCV program, about to reach Plus.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Xcelsior

[Grandma Cruising]

6 hours ago, Xcelsior said:

Another one for the bid sheet:  Did not receive an email to bid, used link on website.  Originally booked a verandah guarantee on a Last Minute Savings offer (actually we switched to this offer and forfeited onboard credit from a previous onboard booking as the price drop was so substantial we were ahead of the game by doing it).  Assigned a forward facing VX cabin.  Bid $500 per person for the 11 night voyage to upgrade to a CC Suite. Considered high end of a weak bid.  Today (15 days before sailing) assigned a Club Continent Accessible Suite on Deck 6.  Sail Date Dec 17, 2019. Bid date 85 days prior to sailing.  Notified 15 days prior.  Of interest, 10 CC suites have been available for weeks - now only 3 are available today - so 7 suites went to upgrades.  4 VX category cabins suddenly opened up today as well (category had been sold out for 3 months prior to today).  We are Discoverer Level of LCV program, about to reach Plus.

Thanks for the information - added it to the spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pEoojQ5-EPmD4cI3gw1dVcYfYTXfZePdDXxU09l0H3M

Can you remember what the minimum bid was?

[Xcelsior]

12 hours ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

Thanks for the information - added it to the spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pEoojQ5-EPmD4cI3gw1dVcYfYTXfZePdDXxU09l0H3M

Can you remember what the minimum bid was?

I believe it was $200 pp

[Grandma Cruising]

33 minutes ago, Xcelsior said:

I believe it was $200 pp

Thanks - added that.

[NeverStopLearning]

Hi, just received notification of a successful bid on the Journey for Dec 19th cruise. 17 Day Panama Canal cruise.

 

Originally booked a Club Continent Suite.

Minimum bid on a Spa Suite was accepted. $4000 for the cruise or about $118ppd.

Current loyalty level is discoverer. This will be our 4th cruise with Azamara.

 

Will know if it was worth it after the cruise. This was going to be the first cruise in a suite. All other cruises were in a veranda cabin.

[Grandma Cruising]

2 hours ago, NeverStopLearning said:

Hi, just received notification of a successful bid on the Journey for Dec 19th cruise. 17 Day Panama Canal cruise.

 

Originally booked a Club Continent Suite.

Minimum bid on a Spa Suite was accepted. $4000 for the cruise or about $118ppd.

Current loyalty level is discoverer. This will be our 4th cruise with Azamara.

 

Will know if it was worth it after the cruise. This was going to be the first cruise in a suite. All other cruises were in a veranda cabin.

Thanks for the information. I’ve added it to the spreadsheet.  It would be helpful if you could also let me know when you originally bid, what the minimum required bid was and whether your bid was deemed to be weak or strong.

[NeverStopLearning]

Bid placed on Oct 3rd. The minimum bid was $4k and I assumed that it was a weak bid as I bid the absolute minimum.

[Grandma Cruising]

4 minutes ago, NeverStopLearning said:

Bid placed on Oct 3rd. The minimum bid was $4k and I assumed that it was a weak bid as I bid the absolute minimum.

Thanks.

[DaveA]

Not invited to bid but used website link. Placed bid on 14Nov19 for 21Dec19 15 night cruise. Discover loyalty. Upgrade from OV to Verandah. Bid weak $260. Successful (notified 2 weeks prior to departure).

[DaveA]

27 minutes ago, DaveA said:

Not invited to bid but used website link. Placed bid on 14Nov19 for 21Dec19 15 night cruise. Discover loyalty. Upgrade from OV to Verandah. Bid weak $260. Successful (notified 2 weeks prior to departure).

Apologies. It was $260 each, so $520 total.

[Grandma Cruising]

4 hours ago, DaveA said:

Apologies. It was $260 each, so $520 total.

Thanks for the information. I’ve added it to the spreadsheet. Can you remember what the minimum bid was?

[DaveA]

31 minutes ago, Host Grandma Cruising said:

Thanks for the information. I’ve added it to the spreadsheet. Can you remember what the minimum bid was?

I believe it was $400.

[Grandma Cruising]

10 hours ago, DaveA said:

I believe it was $400.

Thanks.

[Living.the.life]

Discoverer Plus

Cruise date 12/28/2019

24 nights

Upgrade offer made 11/19/2019
CC SUITE TO CLUB WORLD

Weak bid

$7100

Notified 12/9

Successful
$295/night

[Living.the.life]

Just now, Living.the.life said:

Discoverer Plus

Cruise date 12/28/2019

24 nights

Upgrade offer made 11/19/2019
CC SUITE TO CLUB WORLD

Weak bid

$7100

Notified 12/9

Successful
$295/night

Minimum bid $7000

[Grandma Cruising]

6 hours ago, Living.the.life said:

Minimum bid $7000

Thanks for the information - I’ve added it to the spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pEoojQ5-EPmD4cI3gw1dVcYfYTXfZePdDXxU09l0H3M

 

If anyone can’t see the spreadsheet, let me know and I’ll post the link to a PDF version.

[Hmane]

Bid date: 2nd of December

Cruise date: 17th of December

Cruise length: 11 nights

Loyalty level: Adventurer

Minimum bid per Stateroom: 3700NOK (~400 USD)

Amount bid per Stateroom: 3900NOK (~430USD)

Cabin type booked: Oceanview

Bidded for cabin: Veranda

Bid strength: Weak

Outcome: successful ( approved on 13th of December)

 

 

[Grandma Cruising]

1 hour ago, Hmane said:

Bid date: 2nd of December

Cruise date: 17th of December

Cruise length: 11 nights

Loyalty level: Adventurer

Minimum bid per Stateroom: 3700NOK (~400 USD)

Amount bid per Stateroom: 3900NOK (~430USD)

Cabin type booked: Oceanview

Bidded for cabin: Veranda

Bid strength: Weak

Outcome: successful ( approved on 13th of December)

 

 

Thanks, that’s all added to the spreadsheet.

[hubofhockey]

HGC, as this starts to populate, it's really becoming more and more useful.

 

Is it too late to put in a feature which indicates where cruise is - such as Med, Northern Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, Japan, China, South Africa, Australia, etc.?   

 

I'm thinking Med cruises would be the easiest and cheapest to upgrade.  My cruise is in Japan in late April and I'm hoping to upgrade from Cat 6 OV to Veranda.  My guess is that it would cost me more than $50 per night.  

[Grandma Cruising]

10 hours ago, hubofhockey said:

HGC, as this starts to populate, it's really becoming more and more useful.

 

Is it too late to put in a feature which indicates where cruise is - such as Med, Northern Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, Japan, China, South Africa, Australia, etc.?   

 

I'm thinking Med cruises would be the easiest and cheapest to upgrade.  My cruise is in Japan in late April and I'm hoping to upgrade from Cat 6 OV to Veranda.  My guess is that it would cost me more than $50 per night.  

I can have a look at that, but it might be difficult to do it retrospectively. It will take me a while.
Meanwhile if anyone has any upgrades to post here can you put where your cruise is so I can add it, if it proves feasible.

[hamrag]

A slightly different context to  an upgrade offer, but following the B2B cruise information meeting held 2 days before our second Caribbean cruise I approached the officer who led it to see if there was any availability for a suite. He said he would check and advise by the following night (i.e. final night of first cruise) but, unfortunately he didn't call until at about 7.45pm on the first night offering an accessible CC on deck 6. His price started at $1200 (from our inside cabin on deck 7) and he said the lowest he could go was $1100.

 

We had settled in our minds by then that no offer was forthcoming and we were just about to go to MDR so we declined on the basis we would really only get 6 days benefit. We enjoyed the evenings so much on board that we just didn't want that evening to revolve around a move. I think the offer was fair, but I do regret not making a counter offer to see if he would accept less....but I was caught totally off guard when he called!