Bid to upgrade being rolled out

[Cathygh]

I have just seen on another site that people who booked direct with P&O are being offered the chance to bid for an upgrade on certain cruises on Iona and will most likely be rolled out to other cruises later in the year. I am rushing off to work so I can't post more info just now.

Has anyone had this offer yet?

[Interestedcruisefan]

Just now, Cathygh said:

I have just seen on another site that people who booked direct with P&O are being offered the chance to bid for an upgrade on certain cruises on Iona and will most likely be rolled out to other cruises later in the year. I am rushing off to work so I can't post more info just now.

Has anyone had this offer yet?

Love this sort of thing

 

Once got first class on flights to New York for next to nothing doing something like this

 

Sadly I've not booked with P and O direct

 

Does provide a reason to book with them direct in their future though

[molecrochip]

This was announced yesterday.

 

It will be on cruises with available cabin space.

 

It’s being rolled out ship by ship across 2023.

 

You choose your bid price - per person, first two in cabin.

 

You’ll get notification to bid anytime from 12 weeks out, with winning bids announced anytime from 4 weeks out.

 

Had been really popular on other brands.

[Selbourne]

How much would you have to bid to make sure that you weren’t ‘upgraded’ to a Conservatory Min-Suite on the Promenade deck? 🤔

[wowzz]

10 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Had been really popular on other brands.

Popular on Princess, but UK customers are excluded from the bidding process. Seems very discriminatory to me.

[paulatsea]

29 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

This was announced yesterday.

 

It will be on cruises with available cabin space.

 

It’s being rolled out ship by ship across 2023.

 

You choose your bid price - per person, first two in cabin.

 

You’ll get notification to bid anytime from 12 weeks out, with winning bids announced anytime from 4 weeks out.

 

Had been really popular on other brands.

Where was it announced ? On the website ?

Did you get an email ?

Great idea .

[Cynthia Darch]

33 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

This was announced yesterday.

 

It will be on cruises with available cabin space.

 

It’s being rolled out ship by ship across 2023.

 

You choose your bid price - per person, first two in cabin.

 

You’ll get notification to bid anytime from 12 weeks out, with winning bids announced anytime from 4 weeks out.

 

Had been really popular on other brands.

Interesting, but what about B4 suite (top grade) passengers on Iona that book direct, maybe a discount ummm 

 

Edited March 29, 2023 by Cynthia Darch

[Waju]

1 minute ago, paulatsea said:

Where was it announced ? On the website ?

Did you get an email ?

Great idea .

It does sound interesting.  It could mean a little bit more revenue for P&O with the only extra cost being a little bit of admin.  It costs the same to have the cabin cleaned whether it be an inside or a balcony and maybe just a bit more for a suite.

[Interestedcruisefan]

It's a clever way to add revenue. And those customers who must have certain cabins or locations prepared to pay in advance still will do so. And aren't impacted.

 

Those who would only consider more expensive cabins at bargain prices prepared to take a gamble (like me) and take a chance can't complain if don't win or get a badly located cabin as a result.

 

 

[tring]

44 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

This was announced yesterday.

 

It will be on cruises with available cabin space.

 

It’s being rolled out ship by ship across 2023.

 

You choose your bid price - per person, first two in cabin.

 

You’ll get notification to bid anytime from 12 weeks out, with winning bids announced anytime from 4 weeks out.

 

Had been really popular on other brands.

 

Will there be any say on where you are moved to though?  We have bid for an upgrade on Azamara and did well going from an outside to a balcony, but we were aware that the rules stated you cannot return to your old cabin if you are not happy with the cabin you have been allocated, so a risky action,  since most of us would tick "no automatic upgrade" on booking in case we get a badly placed cabin. 

 

[mrsgoggins]

35 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Popular on Princess, but UK customers are excluded from the bidding process. Seems very discriminatory to me.

 

Been working on Celebrity for some years and there it is open to UK customers. I have considered it but never done it because of the location issue. I want to guarantee midship and that isn't possible. You already provide your cc details when you bid and so no negotiation over cabin as I understand it.

[paulatsea]

Just now, tring said:

 

Will there be any say on where you are moved to though?  We have bid for an upgrade on Azamara and did well going from an outside to a balcony, but we were aware that the rules stated you cannot return to your old cabin if you are not happy with the cabin you have been allocated, so a risky action,  since most of us would tick "no automatic upgrade" on booking in case we get a badly placed cabin. 

 

Probably only worth doing if you are saver price or inside cabin ?

I always book select and carefully choose the cabin so I wouldn’t want moving unless I knew where to.

[molecrochip]

41 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Popular on Princess, but UK customers are excluded from the bidding process. Seems very discriminatory to me.

Booking conditions inside/outside U.K. are different so not so simple to implement. Started with US but should rollout.

45 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

How much would you have to bid to make sure that you weren’t ‘upgraded’ to a Conservatory Min-Suite on the Promenade deck? 🤔

Can choose the grade you bid for. If you’re in a balcony and bid for a suite, you either get a suite or stay where you are - you don’t find yourself in a mini-suite.

22 minutes ago, paulatsea said:

Where was it announced ? On the website ?

Did you get an email ?

Great idea .

Yesterday internally. First emails went to customers yesterday too.

19 minutes ago, Cynthia Darch said:

Interesting, but what about B4 suite (top grade) passengers on Iona that book direct, maybe a discount ummm 

 

You can pay upfront the list price to guarantee a certain cabin. This is about bidding to fill empty cabins.

4 minutes ago, tring said:

 

Will there be any say on where you are moved to though?  We have bid for an upgrade on Azamara and did well going from an outside to a balcony, but we were aware that the rules stated you cannot return to your old cabin if you are not happy with the cabin you have been allocated, so a risky action,  since most of us would tick "no automatic upgrade" on booking in case we get a badly placed cabin. 

 

I don’t believe so. I think it’s done on cabin type not cabin grade.

2 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

Been working on Celebrity for some years and there it is open to UK customers. I have considered it but never done it because of the location issue. I want to guarantee midship and that isn't possible. You already provide your cc details when you bid and so no negotiation over cabin as I understand it.

Correct. It won’t suit everyone.

[Selbourne]

58 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

This was announced yesterday.

 

It will be on cruises with available cabin space.

 

It’s being rolled out ship by ship across 2023.

 

You choose your bid price - per person, first two in cabin.

 

You’ll get notification to bid anytime from 12 weeks out, with winning bids announced anytime from 4 weeks out.

 

Had been really popular on other brands.

Would this facility only be open to those booking a Select fare (as an additional benefit of paying the premium) or available to those booking Saver fares as well?

 

It’s an interesting (and sensible) concept and if only available to those booking direct with P&O could well pull some business away from TAs, especially as discounts are very low these days. 

[Interestedcruisefan]

19 minutes ago, paulatsea said:

Probably only worth doing if you are saver price or inside cabin ?

I always book select and carefully choose the cabin so I wouldn’t want moving unless I knew where to.

Agreed

 

People who like to choose exact cabin and location won't like this risk

 

Those who already go for bargain deals and don't care about location will

[yorkshirephil]

6 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Would this facility only be open to those booking a Select fare (as an additional benefit of paying the premium) or available to those booking Saver fares as well?

 

It’s an interesting (and sensible) concept and if only available to those booking direct with P&O could well pull some business away from TAs, especially as discounts are very low these days. 

According to the email it will be rolled out to TA's if successful, MSC have been doing this for a while, it is very popular with our American cousins.

[crompton21]

4 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

According to the email it will be rolled out to TA's if successful, MSC have been doing this for a while, it is very popular with our American cousins.

 

But is it more popular than the fact that if the price of your cruise goes down then you receive a reduction?  

Why not introduce another part of the American booking process?  (I think I know the answer btw)

[molecrochip]

All that is being done is moving upgrades from day 1 at reception to online.

 

I don’t know re Select v Early Saver. Due to timing, I don’t think Saver fares will be eligible.

 

I also don’t know if it’s too bid wins. An inside cabin could be £1k to upgrade to a suite but that may be out played by a mini-suite who bids £400, if a balcony bid can then upgrade for £400 to spare mini-suite, if an inside can then upgrade for £400 to spare balcony. I suspect the algorithm is commercially sensitive and a dark art!

[molecrochip]

2 minutes ago, crompton21 said:

 

But is it more popular than the fact that if the price of your cruise goes down then you receive a reduction?  

Why not introduce another part of the American booking process?  (I think I know the answer btw)

Shall we do away with the ABTA/ATOL wrap around protections too, as the Americans don’t have these or similar.

[Interestedcruisefan]

On Royal Caribbean once on board you could also make bids for massage and spa treatments on port days and win for a fraction of normal prices

 

That used to be fun as well

[CruiseMark]

Is this available only if you book direct with P&O or will it be available to those who use a TA as well

[crompton21]

6 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Shall we do away with the ABTA/ATOL wrap around protections too, as the Americans don’t have these or similar.

There's a number of threads on here where you appear to have done that already.

[mrsgoggins]

4 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

Shall we do away with the ABTA/ATOL wrap around protections too, as the Americans don’t have these or similar.

 

The standard UK travel industry's response of course. However as someone who has cruised extensively over the past 6 years, and a keen reader of CCs Princess and Celebrity boards,(as I travel with them more frequently than P&O), I don't recall any instances where I thought 'you would have done better with UK consumer protection' when things have gone wrong! 

 

Those protections didn't serve us any better during the pandemic when US customers faired in a similar way to us, ie all in good time.

 

However, I do thank you for the insightful responses you make to these boards and the time you give, 👍

 

[Cathygh]

Now I have a bit more time I can give an example 

Upgrade to a  suite is up to £1470

Family suite up to £1390

Conservatory suite upto £1080

Deluxe balcony up to £280

 

There is a minimum bid for each. I think the deluxe balcony is £120. I can't see the others. So I think you would pick a price you are willing to pay and hope for the best.

 

I guess this will be the end of free upgrades.

[Denarius]

57 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Agreed

 

People who like to choose exact cabin and location won't like this risk

 

Those who already go for bargain deals and don't care about location will

Very true. I suspect that some (many?) of the unsold cabins will be in less favoured locations, and that you could well end up paying your extra money for a better cabin in a worse location. It all comes down to how important location is to you.