About upgrades

[Ottawa_Cruiser]

For those asking when upgrade bids go out, we are 75 days from sailing and we received the e-mail last Thursday. We have not yet completed the online check in.

[Rhea98]

We cruise on Oct. 28 and received upgrade email on Aug 8. (We weren't interested so beyond that, I have no idea.) Strangely, we had checked in and even received tickets, etc. on Feb. 22. However, we still cannot buy Specialty Dining on the website. 

[gizfish]

We got our offer before we checked in but after final payment.  Make sure your MSC profile is checked off to allow third party emails.

[Saving Up To Be Eccentric]

On 9/21/2023 at 7:54 AM, JamieLogical said:

 

My husband and I have gone back and forth on this a LOT, because we currently have a YCI bid in for our cruise this Sunday and I keep debating canceling it. 

Total noob question that I shouldn't have needed to ask: How do you cancel a bid? (Sorry, ya'll I filed the bid acceptance email without reading it. *facepalm*)

I put in a bid for a Aurea balcony on an upcoming cruise. If it's not accepted getting down to the week-of, I'm thinking of cancelling and keeping my perfectly good non-Aurea balcony room and instead buying spa passes. 

 

Edited September 26, 2023 by Saving Up To Be Eccentric
Failing at mastering the obvious

[JamieLogical]

5 hours ago, Saving Up To Be Eccentric said:

Total noob question that I shouldn't have needed to ask: How do you cancel a bid? (Sorry, ya'll I filed the bid acceptance email without reading it. *facepalm*)

I put in a bid for a Aurea balcony on an upcoming cruise. If it's not accepted getting down to the week-of, I'm thinking of cancelling and keeping my perfectly good non-Aurea balcony room and instead buying spa passes. 

 

 

You should be able to click the link in your bid confirmation email to get back to the bidding site and then cancel your bid from there.

[Anastas617]

18 hours ago, gizfish said:

We got our offer before we checked in but after final payment.  Make sure your MSC profile is checked off to allow third party emails.

Ahh! The "I'm happy to share info with third parties" box? That would be the most likely reason I have never seen anything. Thanks for the tip!

[Saving Up To Be Eccentric]

2 hours ago, Anastas617 said:

Ahh! The "I'm happy to share info with third parties" box? That would be the most likely reason I have never seen anything. Thanks for the tip!

I don't have the 'third parties' box and I got an upgrade email. I did have the show me offers from MSC cruises box ticked, though.

[BeeeJay]

On 9/21/2023 at 7:54 AM, JamieLogical said:

 

My husband and I have gone back and forth on this a LOT, because we currently have a YCI bid in for our cruise this Sunday and I keep debating canceling it. We are booked in a nice balcony on Deck 8 of the Meraviglia... one of the ones that is a deeper balcony on the bump out and is not obstructed by the lifeboats. It's a 10-day cruise and we have never done an interior before. I am apprehensive about the lack of storage, lack of space generally, and the lack of natural light. But, it does seem like a good opportunity to try out the YC benefits without paying a fortune. Ultimately, we decided to keep our bid in and leave it up to fate. I am sure we will have a wonderful cruise either way.

 

Myself and another CC poster recently received YC Deluxe Balcony upgrades after bidding on ONLY the YC Interior Upgrade, so maybe you'll get the best of both worlds!  My bid was just over the minimum, so ended up paying a fraction of the cost of booking YC Deluxe balcony room directly from the start.

[FiggyWig]

Regarding the issue of 'bidding' for upgrades - am I right in thinking this would only be if I had booked directly through MSC ?  Since I booked with a TA I presume I wont have the opportunity to bid ?

 

Also - if I have booked selecting a specific cabin (inside midship) what are the chances of still being upgraded to an improved cabin / location ?

[Até]

36 minutes ago, FiggyWig said:

Regarding the issue of 'bidding' for upgrades - am I right in thinking this would only be if I had booked directly through MSC ?  Since I booked with a TA I presume I wont have the opportunity to bid ?

Some travel agents do allow you to use the upgrade bidding program,  some do not.  It's possible you may need to have an MSC account profile with the "Allow offers from MSC" box checked.

36 minutes ago, FiggyWig said:

Also - if I have booked selecting a specific cabin (inside midship) what are the chances of still being upgraded to an improved cabin / location ?

Bidding is for the cabin type,  not a specific cabin or location (and evidently you may even get a higher category than you bid on).  Usually the better cabin locations are booked directly, leaving the less desirable open.  But if someone else gets upgraded they may vacate a desirable location. 

Edited October 4, 2023 by Até

[dexddd]

Right, certain TAs don't participate.  Ours does.  We got offer.  $2,000 more in total than current  prices. 

[bphman]

I, too, just got a second email to bid on a YC upgrade.  We are already booked in a YC Deluxe and the offer is for a Duplex or Royal.  The minimum bid for the Duplex is twice what I would have paid to book it at $1275pp and the Royal is about the same at $2985pp.  Not what I would call a deal.

[BeeeJay]

10 hours ago, Até said:

(and evidently you may even get a higher category than you bid on).  

 

Can personally confirm, bid on YC Interior, upgraded to YC Deluxe Balcony, and for just over the minimum bid for that lower category, far below the minimum bid for the room assigned.  Overall cost was approx 40% of amount for directly booking YC.

[BeeeJay]

@Morpheous maybe you know the answer to this question, I am doing multiple B-2-B, and I can see YC availability for all but one leg.  Specifically I have already received upgrade for weeks 1 & 2, I have max bid in on weeks 3 thru 6.  If I search for rooms by week I see YC availability on weeks 3, 5, 6 but week 4 doesn't show any YC rooms at all.  My question is if it is possible to upgrade 1 leg of a 2 week cruise?  My bookings are done 3 two-week cruises, weeks 1-2, 3-4, 5-6.

Edited October 5, 2023 by BeeeJay

[JAGR]

4 hours ago, BeeeJay said:

@Morpheous maybe you know the answer to this question, I am doing multiple B-2-B, and I can see YC availability for all but one leg.  Specifically I have already received upgrade for weeks 1 & 2, I have max bid in on weeks 3 thru 6.  If I search for rooms by week I see YC availability on weeks 3, 5, 6 but week 4 doesn't show any YC rooms at all.  My question is if it is possible to upgrade 1 leg of a 2 week cruise?  My bookings are done 3 two-week cruises, weeks 1-2, 3-4, 5-6.

Not, Morpheus here, but the good thing is you are already YC for the first two weeks.  If your bids don't go through, early in week one approach the concierge desk and ask about getting on a list for upgrades (don't do it on the first night!  Give them time to settle pressing issues on embarkation days!).  They probably won't give them right away, but will put you on the upgrade lists for each subsequent week.  You'll be on the top of the list, ahead of those who are boarding afterwards and are looking to upgrade. We did this on a smaller scale.  In YC on week one of a two week trip.  On day two, went to the concierge and asked about upgrading.  Again, they couldn't guarantee it, but about noon on the next embarkation, it went through (cost was about a total of $540 or so for us for the room upgrade).  Best thing was, we didn't even have to change rooms!

 

It's not a guarantee, but gives you the best shot if your bids don't work.

Edited October 5, 2023 by JAGR

[BeeeJay]

7 hours ago, JAGR said:

Not, Morpheus here, but the good thing is you are already YC for the first two weeks.  If your bids don't go through, early in week one approach the concierge desk and ask about getting on a list for upgrades (don't do it on the first night!  Give them time to settle pressing issues on embarkation days!).  They probably won't give them right away, but will put you on the upgrade lists for each subsequent week.  You'll be on the top of the list, ahead of those who are boarding afterwards and are looking to upgrade. We did this on a smaller scale.  In YC on week one of a two week trip.  On day two, went to the concierge and asked about upgrading.  Again, they couldn't guarantee it, but about noon on the next embarkation, it went through (cost was about a total of $540 or so for us for the room upgrade).  Best thing was, we didn't even have to change rooms!

 

It's not a guarantee, but gives you the best shot if your bids don't work.

 

Thanks so much for this advice, that makes a lot of sense, and I will follow that plan if my bids aren't accepted!  It does appear now there is much more availability than I was seeing previously so I'm hopeful they will take more of my money! 🙂

[awatt]

I recieved 2 upgrade emails after final payment. Didn't opt to bid as I am solo and is double the price to uograde.

 

So now I am rethinking it and can't find the emails despite searching. Ugh 🤦‍♀️

[JAGR]

12 hours ago, BeeeJay said:

 

Thanks so much for this advice, that makes a lot of sense, and I will follow that plan if my bids aren't accepted!  It does appear now there is much more availability than I was seeing previously so I'm hopeful they will take more of my money! 🙂

YW!  I'm jealous!  I'm a few years away from being able to have the time off to do five weeks in a row!  I'm sure MSC will be willing to take some money from you!

[BeeeJay]

35 minutes ago, JAGR said:

YW!  I'm jealous!  I'm a few years away from being able to have the time off to do five weeks in a row!  I'm sure MSC will be willing to take some money from you!

I suspect as much as well.   This portion is a drop in the bucket of the overall trip.   I’m doing a Princess southern itin after the 3 B-2-B on MSC, so 8 weeks (less a day) on the seas.  There is also a week in Vegas before and a winter in Scottsdale after with side trips to Vegas and Augusta.  Made possible by remote/seasonal work.    

 

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by BeeeJay