Any Upgrade Bids Accepted Recently?

[epanchenko]

1 hour ago, Nclgetawaymenhoney said:

Yes but only if you booked direct with ncl or with a ta that participates because a lot of the big box TA’s do not remember just because you get the offer up to 110 days out 95 percent or more are not upgraded until 2 to 5 days before sailing. good luck!

I will book direct with NCL just to be sure.  The TA discounts I am finding online only give me a discount of $100 off the total fare. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

3 hours ago, epanchenko said:

I don't think the ship is selling well, as the prices have gone done. 

Have you checked the prices to just do a direct upgrade?

[bundtkate]

7 hours ago, AnitaVacation said:

We got our upgrade bid offers about 2 weeks ago... as of today, we are 86 days out...

I just did a quick inventory of available Haven suites...there appears to be 48 available Haven cabins...(which is funny because if you do a google search, it says that the Getaway only has 42 suites)... we have bids on all but the 2bdrm and Deluxe OS...

I really thought that once they opened the doors for everyone, that these rooms would book up... 

Anyway,..I'll be keeping an eye on the inventory... fingers crossed!! (I would really love an aft suite)

We are currently 92 days out from our Joy cruise and there are 41 Haven rooms left, down from 55 at 110ish days out. It does seem they are selling at a decent clip, but 41 still seems like a lot given how popular folks here say the Haven is (I'm an NCL noob so no idea what's "normal"). I, too, am hoping for an aft suite and bid in the fair range with 4 of them left at present and a 5th popping up from time to time (TA reserves releasing, I guess?). I know it's unlikely moving up from an aft balcony with folks in cheaper Haven rooms probably bidding as well, but a girl can dream.

[mscdivina2016]

27 minutes ago, bundtkate said:

We are currently 92 days out from our Joy cruise and there are 41 Haven rooms left, down from 55 at 110ish days out. It does seem they are selling at a decent clip, but 41 still seems like a lot given how popular folks here say the Haven is (I'm an NCL noob so no idea what's "normal"). I, too, am hoping for an aft suite and bid in the fair range with 4 of them left at present and a 5th popping up from time to time (TA reserves releasing, I guess?). I know it's unlikely moving up from an aft balcony with folks in cheaper Haven rooms probably bidding as well, but a girl can dream.

Aft suites are sought after. Highly prizes so you are probably right, those already in Haven will be bidding too.

[julig22]

4 hours ago, epanchenko said:

If I purchase an inside cabin on a cruise that will leave in a month, is it possible for me to get an upgrade email, or is it too late?  I don't think the ship is selling well, as the prices have gone done. 

Probably, as long as you book through NCL or a TA that participates.  But check the prices carefully - I just paid $100 to upgrade OV to balcony on a cruise leaving in 6 weeks.  Minimum bid would have been $250, partially because you pay 2x for a bid, I got a solo discount with the upgrade.

[epanchenko]

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Have you checked the prices to just do a direct upgrade?

Balcony room is $600 more.  I am perfectly content with an inside, Canada/NE has only one sea day at the end of the cruise, and I never spend much time in the room anyway.

[RosieRoo]

2 hours ago, julig22 said:

But check the prices carefully - I just paid $100 to upgrade OV to balcony on a cruise leaving in 6 weeks.  Minimum bid would have been $250, partially because you pay 2x for a bid, I got a solo discount with the upgrade.

I agree. Cruise in December, got the offer to bid from an aft suite to a 2 bedroom haven suite, minimum bid was $500 pp. I upgraded directly thru NCL for $143. 

[epanchenko]

6 hours ago, epanchenko said:

Balcony room is $600 more.  I am perfectly content with an inside, Canada/NE has only one sea day at the end of the cruise, and I never spend much time in the room anyway.

I will try calling them for a direct upgrade as well...

[Linsuesue]

I just called NCL directly to see if I could upgrade our large balcony room to something bigger on the Pride of America cruise next month. He told me that there was nothing showing for me to upgrade any higher than where I was at already, and I should try the bidding form. I am sure, from comments on this board, that the POA is not sailing near capacity. I figure NCL makes more money through the bidding process. I was sent an upgrade page and it has 7 different offerings ranging in price from $225 pp to $1,700 pp for the starting bids. 

[julig22]

8 minutes ago, Linsuesue said:

I just called NCL directly to see if I could upgrade our large balcony room to something bigger on the Pride of America cruise next month. He told me that there was nothing showing for me to upgrade any higher than where I was at already, and I should try the bidding form. I am sure, from comments on this board, that the POA is not sailing near capacity. I figure NCL makes more money through the bidding process. I was sent an upgrade page and it has 7 different offerings ranging in price from $225 pp to $1,700 pp for the starting bids. 

Just because they accept bids doesn't mean something is available and with the staffing issues they are having, there may be limitations on what rooms can be occupied.  Did you do a mock booking to see if what you want is available?  If there is, and the cost is more than what you paid, then call back and ask for the specific room.

NCL doesn't do the bidding themselves and I've never seen any indication that they hold out on for a possible bid over a paid upgrade.

[Linsuesue]

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

Just because they accept bids doesn't mean something is available and with the staffing issues they are having, there may be limitations on what rooms can be occupied.  Did you do a mock booking to see if what you want is available?  If there is, and the cost is more than what you paid, then call back and ask for the specific room.

NCL doesn't do the bidding themselves and I've never seen any indication that they hold out on for a possible bid over a paid upgrade.

There is no way to do a mock booking for our cruise, because it has not even shown up for weeks on the calendar. I guess they reached the capacity to staff ratio a while ago. It makes sense that accepting bids for upgrades is a revenue stream to help compensate for the lower percentage of guests. I believe someone on these boards said the capacity is in the 40-50% for this ship. Some people in the September cruises had their reservations cancelled, presumably because of the issues with staffing. I would think with that lesser amount of guests on the ship that there are unfilled suites and penthouses. 

[mscdivina2016]

4 hours ago, Linsuesue said:

 I would think with that lesser amount of guests on the ship that there are unfilled suites and penthouses. 

That's a lousy business model then.

Why sell an inside cabin for $1000 when you can sell a suite for $5000.

Seems like they would sell the higher price cabins first.

[Linsuesue]

2 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

That's a lousy business model then.

Why sell an inside cabin for $1000 when you can sell a suite for $5000.

Seems like they would sell the higher price cabins first.

Very true, but Hawaii is more expensive anyway. I would think the less expensive cabins would sell better at first. Once you cap your guest percentage limit then throw out the bidding process to many of them. Highest bids win, and you just made more money from people going on the cruise anyway. 

[mscdivina2016]

27 minutes ago, Linsuesue said:

Very true, but Hawaii is more expensive anyway. I would think the less expensive cabins would sell better at first. Once you cap your guest percentage limit then throw out the bidding process to many of them. Highest bids win, and you just made more money from people going on the cruise anyway. 

That's true, they need to reach the cap and selling big ticket cabins is probably not the best way.

[ChiefMateJRK]

26 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

That's true, they need to reach the cap and selling big ticket cabins is probably not the best way.

If you can't staff the ship over a certain artificial "cap," then selling the big ticket cabins is absolutely the best way to maximize revenue.

[roomba920]

I'm concerned that my upgrade bid may have disappeared. I have the email confirming my bid, but the NCL app and their website both prompt me to submit for an upgrade even when I'm logged in. Why don't their app and website recognize that I've already submitted an upgrade bid?

[julig22]

15 minutes ago, roomba920 said:

I'm concerned that my upgrade bid may have disappeared. I have the email confirming my bid, but the NCL app and their website both prompt me to submit for an upgrade even when I'm logged in. Why don't their app and website recognize that I've already submitted an upgrade bid?

Because the bids are processed by a 3rd party, not NCL.

[spanishguy1970]

I have a question about bid upgrades. We currently purchase the Spa passes on the NCL Escape. We are currently bidding on 3 categories including a Haven Spa penthouse suite. If we win the Haven suite, we are willing to forfeit the spa passes, how do you go about asking for a refund for the spa passes? specially if upgrades bids are given days before the cruise, and we may be traveling by then, anyone know anything about this? Do you ask for the refund for the spa passes on board?  in the past we have never gotten the upgrade, but we are curious on how to go about it, if it does happen. Thank you.

[Snickers22]

Booked on  the joy for Halloween 2022. prices dropped a bit last night for Haven aft. I called ncl this morning and upgraded from hg to hc for $400pp which was less than my bid of $500. Cancelled all my bids and am really happy with this cabin!

[Snickers22]

The rep said I got the last available hc and online sire now says sold out.

[wolft927]

19 minutes ago, Snickers22 said:

The rep said I got the last available hc and online sire now says sold out.

I did the same thing for my September 29th cruise on Getaway....got the upgrade for what I was willing to bid from balcony to Haven Courtyard. 22 more days 

[diathoney]

On 9/6/2022 at 8:37 AM, spanishguy1970 said:

I have a question about bid upgrades. We currently purchase the Spa passes on the NCL Escape. We are currently bidding on 3 categories including a Haven Spa penthouse suite. If we win the Haven suite, we are willing to forfeit the spa passes, how do you go about asking for a refund for the spa passes? specially if upgrades bids are given days before the cruise, and we may be traveling by then, anyone know anything about this? Do you ask for the refund for the spa passes on board?  in the past we have never gotten the upgrade, but we are curious on how to go about it, if it does happen. Thank you.

You call the spa representatives.  I had originally booked a spa pass, but my cruise is very port intensive, so decided to cancel. I tried the chat and was told to I had to call and cancel.  The money was refunded in bits and pieces about $36 at a time over 3 months 🙂

[Thunderbird19]

"The money was refunded in bits and pieces about $36 at a time over 3 months"

 

That is crazy.  I don't think they do that if you cancel a shore excursion. They should refund full amount they charged promptly in one transaction. 

Edited September 9, 2022 by Thunderbird19

[ChiefMateJRK]

4 minutes ago, Thunderbird19 said:

That is crazy.

Yes.  Bordering on unbelievable.

[spanishguy1970]

8 minutes ago, Thunderbird19 said:

"The money was refunded in bits and pieces about $36 at a time over 3 months"

 

That is crazy.  I don't think they do that if you cancel a shore excursion. They should refund full amount they charged promptly in one transaction. 

that's ridiculous that they refunded over 3 months considering we don't pay for it in installments but right up front. 😏