How is the bidding system doing? Any comments?

[drwbrt]

9 hours ago, drwbrt said:

Sailing on Discovery on Saturday (3 days) in an interior. I only bid on Premium Oceanview, but there are only 6 of those staterooms on the ship. Countered for a Deluxe Obstructed Balcony for $150pp.  There are 70 of these staterooms, most on Deck 8.  I count about 18 of the 70 that are not "actually" obstructed, some with much larger balconies.  I accepted the counter offer for a 25% chance at an interesting stateroom and a 100% chance of a window if accepted.  We'll see what happens.

The counter was accepted, we scored a forward facing Deluxe "Obstructed" Balcony.  The obstruction here is the bow of the ship, some lights and some antennas.  Balcony is at least 2x the size of a normal balcony.  We're pretty pleased with the outcome. Can't wait to review the stateroom.

[New2cruise2022]

21 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

The counter was accepted, we scored a forward facing Deluxe "Obstructed" Balcony.  The obstruction here is the bow of the ship, some lights and some antennas.  Balcony is at least 2x the size of a normal balcony.  We're pretty pleased with the outcome. Can't wait to review the stateroom.

I am @drwbrt brother and sharing a stateroom with you. We both do well on the sea, so the high and forward cabin isn’t a worry for us. We also don’t need to use the balcony and are aware that the forward position means there will be sea days at a time that we can’t use it, but we will enjoy it in port and the view out the window. 
 

Might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we are very pleased with the upgrade on a sailing that looks to be sold out and pretty crowded. 

[karatemom2]

11 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

I am @drwbrt brother and sharing a stateroom with you. We both do well on the sea, so the high and forward cabin isn’t a worry for us. We also don’t need to use the balcony and are aware that the forward position means there will be sea days at a time that we can’t use it, but we will enjoy it in port and the view out the window. 
 

Might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we are very pleased with the upgrade on a sailing that looks to be sold out and pretty crowded. 

Congrats! We love those forward facing balcony cabins in the Royal class ships - they are so roomy and the expansive views are amazing. That was a good score and I’m sure you will enjoy it!

[rheathslc]

On 2/16/2024 at 8:16 PM, trbarton said:

I have a bid for an April 3 cruise on the Discovery, $220 from a balcony to a mini suite. How many days before your cruise were you notified?

 

Thanks!

 

Tom😀

Thats a great upgrade price for that 10 day cruise! Since that cruise is sold out I think at this point the only time an upgrade bid would be accepted is if (when) someone cancels. So for that one you may hear back as late as a day or two before the cruise. We had to cancel that one unfortunately but did so before final payment but there will almost surely be other late cancelations.

 

I'm in the same situation for the March 31st cruise on Discovery. We're in a Mini-suite and bid on two Reserve Class mini-suite options and a Vista Suite but those are all sold out so we would only get it if someone has to cancel in the next 38 days.

 

I draw hope from my experience last May on a sold out Alaska cruise. Placed a low end bid for interior to balcony upgrade but the cruise showed sold out. Got the upgrade notification about two weeks out. 🤞

[no1racefan1]

I posted this in my Alaska thread but wanted to share it here too. I've never been through the upgrade process. Today is exactly 85 days out from our cruise. I haven't received any email notification about upgrades but I logged in and checked and they were available. Just sharing here for more data points 🙂

 

Upgrade choices offered to me are:

Standard Balcony, starting bid $620pp. Balconies are currently selling for $901pp more than Interiors, so a decent bargain, but still too rich for me.

Premium Oceanview, starting bid $330pp. Current selling price is $396pp more than an Interior. I guess this is a deal if you really want a Premium OV, but I'm not interested.

Oceanview, starting bid $275pp. Current selling price is $351pp more than an Interior. A better deal, but still more than what I'm willing/able to spend. If this was the balcony price, I might go for it 😄

Obstructed Oceanview, starting bid $20pp. There are no obstructed OVs currently available for sale, so I don't know the selling price. However, I'm gonna guess it's at least $200 more than an Interior, so this is a really great deal if you can get it for the minimum bid amount. Now the question is whether I should go for it..... 

 

I need to do some more research into where the obstructed OV cabins are on Sapphire Princess. Anybody have any insight to share?

[rheathslc]

15 minutes ago, no1racefan1 said:

 🙂

😄

 

I need to do some more research into where the obstructed OV cabins are on Sapphire Princess. Anybody have any insight to share?

Okay, on my phone it won't let me delete those emojois in my quote.

I use cruise deck plans dot com extensively for looking at specific cabins and seeing general layout but one of their super valuable tools imo is they have of list of obstructed view cabins with pics. It's really great if you are wanting to book an OV cabin directly. Since you won't get to choose one with an upgrade bid, the list will give you a good idea of the range of views you might get. I'd say that minimum bid is worth it. Even if the OV are currently sold out. If others bid for a balcony that are currently in an OV then they may accept your bid. 

[kamelia]

25 minutes ago, no1racefan1 said:

I posted this in my Alaska thread but wanted to share it here too. I've never been through the upgrade process. Today is exactly 85 days out from our cruise. I haven't received any email notification about upgrades but I logged in and checked and they were available. Just sharing here for more data points 🙂

 

Upgrade choices offered to me are:

Standard Balcony, starting bid $620pp. Balconies are currently selling for $901pp more than Interiors, so a decent bargain, but still too rich for me.

Premium Oceanview, starting bid $330pp. Current selling price is $396pp more than an Interior. I guess this is a deal if you really want a Premium OV, but I'm not interested.

Oceanview, starting bid $275pp. Current selling price is $351pp more than an Interior. A better deal, but still more than what I'm willing/able to spend. If this was the balcony price, I might go for it 😄

Obstructed Oceanview, starting bid $20pp. There are no obstructed OVs currently available for sale, so I don't know the selling price. However, I'm gonna guess it's at least $200 more than an Interior, so this is a really great deal if you can get it for the minimum bid amount. Now the question is whether I should go for it..... 

 

I need to do some more research into where the obstructed OV cabins are on Sapphire Princess. Anybody have any insight to share?

We frequently choose obstructed OV on Emerald Deck (8) on Sapphire Princess.

[elaine5]

On 2/23/2024 at 8:44 PM, no1racefan1 said:

I need to do some more research into where the obstructed OV cabins are on Sapphire Princess. Anybody have any insight to share?

I use this when picking OB OV. Views vary greatly--assume you'll not get one of the good ones. But, for $20PP, I'd certainly go for that and bid over--maybe $32-$52 range. For July 2025, OB OV is $100PP over Inside regular pricing.

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/ships/ov.php?ship=Sapphire-Princess&cabins=C106-C109

Edited February 25 by elaine5

[trbarton]

On 2/21/2024 at 10:01 PM, rheathslc said:

Thats a great upgrade price for that 10 day cruise! Since that cruise is sold out I think at this point the only time an upgrade bid would be accepted is if (when) someone cancels. So for that one you may hear back as late as a day or two before the cruise. We had to cancel that one unfortunately but did so before final payment but there will almost surely be other late cancelations.

 

I'm in the same situation for the March 31st cruise on Discovery. We're in a Mini-suite and bid on two Reserve Class mini-suite options and a Vista Suite but those are all sold out so we would only get it if someone has to cancel in the next 38 days.

 

I draw hope from my experience last May on a sold out Alaska cruise. Placed a low end bid for interior to balcony upgrade but the cruise showed sold out. Got the upgrade notification about two weeks out. 🤞

My T/A says that even it shows sold out that Princess will hold some staterooms back so you will never see those rooms listed. I’m looking forward to see if I get my upgrade. 
 

Tom😀👍

[Cruiser Nonna]

On 2/23/2024 at 5:44 PM, no1racefan1 said:

I posted this in my Alaska thread but wanted to share it here too. I've never been through the upgrade process. Today is exactly 85 days out from our cruise. I haven't received any email notification about upgrades but I logged in and checked and they were available. Just sharing here for more data points 🙂

 

Upgrade choices offered to me are:

Standard Balcony, starting bid $620pp. Balconies are currently selling for $901pp more than Interiors, so a decent bargain, but still too rich for me.

Premium Oceanview, starting bid $330pp. Current selling price is $396pp more than an Interior. I guess this is a deal if you really want a Premium OV, but I'm not interested.

Oceanview, starting bid $275pp. Current selling price is $351pp more than an Interior. A better deal, but still more than what I'm willing/able to spend. If this was the balcony price, I might go for it 😄

Obstructed Oceanview, starting bid $20pp. There are no obstructed OVs currently available for sale, so I don't know the selling price. However, I'm gonna guess it's at least $200 more than an Interior, so this is a really great deal if you can get it for the minimum bid amount. Now the question is whether I should go for it..... 

 

I need to do some more research into where the obstructed OV cabins are on Sapphire Princess. Anybody have any insight to share?

 

[Cruiser Nonna]

In regard to obstructed oceanview on Sapphire - please know that the obstructed window is behind the bed - so unlike a normal oceanview where you could at least walk up to the window you would have to stand on the bed to see out - they are all on Emerald deck 8 and there are varying degrees of obstruction and when bidding no guarantee as to where you would end up - yes you would have light coming through the window and maybe some slight view of the water but have to be okay with looking out at lifeboats, or the other obstructions - for an Alaska cruise so sad not to be able to have a true view - just my opinion - Enjoy and good luck!

[rheathslc]

28 minutes ago, trbarton said:

My T/A says that even it shows sold out that Princess will hold some staterooms back so you will never see those rooms listed. I’m looking forward to see if I get my upgrade. 
 

Tom😀👍

Good to know. Thanks. 🙂

I'll keep your fingers crossed for you! I'm really hoping I get mine too.

[dlp1000]

After reading hundreds of posts, I am still not clear on whether the bidding amount is based on my cruise (without port and taxes) or if it is a universal total for all passengers on my cruise. For example, if I bid an inside cabin on Black Friday 400 days from the cruise and somehow manage to get $99 for each person when the regular price is $500 for each person, will my upgrade option be $430 while everyone else will get offered $30 upgrade? Does Princess use upgrades to normalize fares?

 

Also, I read a bunch of posts comparing the current price with the upgrade price. Does this typically include what the person originally paid (it is not mentioned)? One person wrote that they could get a balcony for $600 through upgrade and that it was a good deal because current price is $900. Does that $600 include the fare they already paid? I would hope so, but it is unclear.

 

Does past passenger status (Gold, Platinum, etc) factor into bidding?

 

Do the plus packages factor into bidding?

 

Thanks for the feedback!

 

 

Edited March 11 by dlp1000

[Mud_Shark]

dlp 1000 - I am not an expert on all this, but from my limited experience, no matter what you initially paid for the category you booked, I think the upgrade minimum bid for the next level will be the same as everyone else in your current category.  And no - your loyalty status does not factor into the biding, nor do the packages.

[ChristopherTracy]

For my trip in May (Northern Europe) I have just bid £130pp on a sideways interior to oceanview room. Just FYI. I actually normally prefer oceanview to balcony as I'm a bit weird before you all come at me. 

[20165]

7 hours ago, Mud_Shark said:

dlp 1000 - I am not an expert on all this, but from my limited experience, no matter what you initially paid for the category you booked, I think the upgrade minimum bid for the next level will be the same as everyone else in your current category.  And no - your loyalty status does not factor into the biding, nor do the packages.

I would tend to agree, but we arent bidding to save money but rather trying to get the cabin we really wanted.  When we book, its usually a few months from the sailing because we really cant plan out our vacation schedule any longer than that, at least not without it changing.  So when we booked this last cruise the highest cabin category we could get was a S5 premium suite and we would prefer the owners suite or Aft penthouse. 

[dlp1000]

Does anyone know what time of day bidding opens? Today is 85 days from sailing day (June 4). 7-Day cruise is fully paid. Booked through Princess Web. I am trying to see if they have an error or if it opens late in the day (like 5pm). Thanks

[JeffM1]

3 minutes ago, dlp1000 said:

Does anyone know what time of day bidding opens? Today is 85 days from sailing day (June 4). 7-Day cruise is fully paid. Booked through Princess Web. I am trying to see if they have an error or if it opens late in the day (like 5pm). Thanks

It really doesn't matter.  They are trying to make the most money for Princess they can.  They don't accept the first bid that comes in, they wait to see what comes in over time, and even then they sometimes counter offer trying to get it up more.  My last cruise we did not hear back on our bid until 24 hours before the cruise.

[Mud_Shark]

They are not always exact on the opening for bidding.  Sometimes it is right on the day.  Other times it is a day or two later before it actually opens.  Some have reported even longer delays before the bidding opens, but for the six cruises we have tracked (only bid on 3, and only successfully on 2) they were all open within 2 days of the stated date.

[dlp1000]

Bidding opened 85 days at 9:16am Pacific and I immediately received an email. For my interior room, I was given 3 options - Standard Balcony, Ocean View, Obstructed Ocean View. Knowing that I might be given a counter bid, I submitted $345/pp (minimum was $295/pp) for a Standard Balcony and the minimum for Oceanview ($105/pp). Thanks to all who shared and responded on this thread.

 

Edited March 11 by dlp1000

[jagoffee]

10 hours ago, dlp1000 said:

After reading hundreds of posts, I am still not clear on whether the bidding amount is based on my cruise (without port and taxes) or if it is a universal total for all passengers on my cruise. For example, if I bid an inside cabin on Black Friday 400 days from the cruise and somehow manage to get $99 for each person when the regular price is $500 for each person, will my upgrade option be $430 while everyone else will get offered $30 upgrade? Does Princess use upgrades to normalize fares?

 

Also, I read a bunch of posts comparing the current price with the upgrade price. Does this typically include what the person originally paid (it is not mentioned)? One person wrote that they could get a balcony for $600 through upgrade and that it was a good deal because current price is $900. Does that $600 include the fare they already paid? I would hope so, but it is unclear.

 

Does past passenger status (Gold, Platinum, etc) factor into bidding?

 

Do the plus packages factor into bidding?

 

Thanks for the feedback!

 

 

I am not sure that anyone can answer with 100% certainty what process they use to determine the winning bid.  There have been some comparison reports in the past with a similar bidding process on Princess and other cruise lines.  I am fairly confident that the actual dollars bid is the not the most significant factor.  The value of your starting cabin/category would most likely be a major factor, because of the resale value of the vacated cabin.  For instances a $300 bid for an S2 cabin from an S4 would have a very significant advantage over a $300 bid for an S2 cabin from an inside cabin.

 

Always important to compare the cost to do a full upgrade using the bidding process factoring in the cost you paid for your current cabin.

 

Good luck.

 

P.S.  I see we posted at the same time.  In your example guests in higher level cabins may have received the opportunity to bid on higher level suites.  
I do wonder if someone already booked in an Oceanview cabin would have the same bidding range.  You might try asking in your roll call.

 

Best of luck

Edited March 11 by jagoffee

[LT Hambone]

My experience -

 

 

Received and placed an offer to place a bid to upgrade from Balcony to Premium Balcony on our 15 night Panama Canal Cruise 78 days before sailing. My bid was in the middle - not too strong, but not too weak. 46 days later (and 32 days before sailing), my bid was accepted. Woot!

 

However - our new cabin was the dreaded connecting stateroom. I called Princess and was told yes, I can switch to another cabin in the same category IF there was an open cabin. Fortunately, there was, and we were able to move a few cabins down the hall.

 

Overall, I am very happy with the process.

 

Just some comments -

 

• If you have a cabin that is unique/in a very desirable location, I would think long and hard about bidding for an upgrade. If your bid is accepted, there is a very real possibility the new cabin might not be as good as the one you started with!
• If your bid is accepted, check your new cabin out ASAP (I use Cruise Deck Plans) !! If the new cabin is not a good one (like what happen to me), call Princess ASAP to see if you can change.
• Yes, you can go back to your old cabin if it is still available, but this is a hit or miss situation.
• I did give serious thought to adjusting my bid, but after checking on available Premium Balcony cabins, I decided not to. Good call on my part!

 

 

Best of luck to anyone who does place a bid!

[fishmom]

Here is my experience sailing on the new Sun Princess in April.  Originally booked in a CB guarantee.  (Cabana Suite).  Received an offer to upgrade at just about the 60 day mark. Placed weak offer on Signature Suite.  Received notification today that offer was accepted! Love the location based upon deck plan, but will confirm once on board.  I lost the cabana but, in my opinion, gained a lot in its place!  Saved several hundred dollars. Possibly a lot of factors involved, given what has occurred with this inaugural season.   Some have reported free upgrades during the first few sails, but I'm ok.  I still got a really good deal.  

[TAW1963]

Here is an experience I am going through currently regarding a bid and a counter offer.   I have an upcoming sailing to Hawaii on the Discovery Princess, for 15-days, that leaves this Saturday (3 days from now).  We have been booked in a forward-facing Mini-Suite, which we are happy with.   A couple months ago, I put in a bid for one of the 4 forward-facing Reserve Class Mini-Suites.  I put in the maximum bid, for we really wanted to get one even though the chances were slim.   Yesterday afternoon I get an email saying that they could not accept my bid, but they gave me a counter offer for a Window Suite, which there are only two of them, that was even less than I had bid previously for the Reserve Class Mini-Suite.   I had seen some videos of these cabins, but hadn't looked at them much.  We needed to get home, from running errands, and investigate these Window Suites before we accepted.  We did accept their counter offer after about 1.5 hours from receiving the email with the offer.  I get acknowledgement that the counter bid was accepted and it shows up online as being pending.   So from late afternoon yesterday, until this morning, we have not heard back from Princess (or the sub-contractor doing the bidding).  We have probably gotten our hopes up too high, but after reading some of this thread, the few discussing counter offers many had received their upgrade acceptance email.  Does anybody have any experience on how long it takes to hear back?  Should I lowered our hopes?  Again, we sail on Saturday and this is Wednesday morning.   Thanks in advance.

[shakuyi]

On 3/11/2024 at 3:59 PM, fishmom said:

Placed weak offer on Signature Suite.

by "weak offer" do you mean less than the "from" price listed in the email? or slightly above it? I noticed the slider does not start at the "from" value.