What to know about Cruise Line Stateroom Upgrade Bid Offers

Categories

 

If you have been cruising for many years you may be able to remember the days when an unexpected free stateroom upgrade might surprise you as you wait for your sail date.  Those days are gone. Today upgrade offers are rare and typically you will need to pay for an upgrade.  So how does that option happen?  Cruise lines are using an Upgrade Offer system now emailed directly to the client.  This is often confusing and can create expectations that are not realistic.

The main reason being cruise ships like to sail at capacity if possible.  It makes sense that the more guests onboard, the more spending on additional services. Cruise lines stay competitive by keeping fares affordable for more guests.  As a result, they’ve had to become more inventive at ways to increase revenue. As the sail date gets close, there may be higher priced staterooms still available and those cruisers looking for a last minute deal are often not prepared to pay the price for those suites.  So the cruise lines can create goodwill with their currently booked passengers by offering them a chance to upgrade to a higher category stateroom or suite at a reasonable cost. They will then use the lower category staterooms for new last minute bookings.

Sometimes passengers will get a phone call, but usually an email, from the cruise line asking if they would like to upgrade to the next category cabin for say $200 or whatever amount the line thought they could get.  It would still be cheaper than if the passenger had booked the higher category to start with.  The cruise line makes a little more money with the upgrade and has the opportunity to still fill the lower category cabin. However, keeping up with today’s business practices, the cruise lines are now letting the market decide the value of upgrades. Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruises have moved to a system where passengers now bid online for upgrades.  We expect more cruise lines will follow.

Norwegian’s program is the Norwegian Upgrade Advantage, Royal Caribbean calls it, RoyalUp, and Celebrity has named theirs Celebrity MoveUp.  Regardless of the name, each cruise line’s program works quite similarly. At some point after the final payment date, you might receive an email letting you know you are eligible to bid for an upgrade. This will only happen of course if you have signed up for cruise line marketing email.

Norwegian sends out email offers approximately 80 days before the sailing.  Unfortunately, not everyone receives an invite.  Eligible reservations need to be made directly with Norwegian or through a participating travel agent.  If you didn’t opt for marketing emails, you may also see the banner “Let’s Get You Upgraded!” when you log in to your booking on ncl.com.  In addition to email notifications, both Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruise Lines have a handy tool on their website that allows you to check online to see is your reservation is eligible.   Celebrity Cruises begins its MoveUp upgrade bidding program 30 days before the sailing date. 

When you open the bidding page, you’ll find a list of staterooms you are eligible to bid on.  Generally, you’ll only be allowed to bid on staterooms that are two major categories higher than the one you are booked in.  Major stateroom categories are Inside, Oceanview, Balcony, Mini-Suite, and Suite.  The bids do not allow you to select a category by deck, ship location, or obstructed views.  This list has three columns.  In the first column is the stateroom category you can bid on, which includes a stateroom description and photo.

In the second column is a slider bar where you can set your bid.  The cruise line sets the minimum and maximum range you can bid.  The slider may start at $25 for moving up from an Inside to an Oceanview, while upgrades from Balcony to a Suite may start at $1000. As you move the slider from left to right increasing your bid, in the third column, a meter reflects the “strength” of your bid, stating where it stands along the spectrum of weak/poor to strong. A common confusion when clients receive this email offer is that they can upgrade for $25 and do not realize this is a bidding process starting at $25 minimum.

 

You may bid on as many different categories as are in your list, but as soon as the cruise line accepts one of them, all your other bids are canceled. Be aware that the amount you are bidding is per person, double occupancy bid.  Whatever your slider bar says your bid is - that amount will be doubled when accepted.  If you are a single cruiser, it’s still doubled.  If traveling with 5 in a stateroom, the bid amount only applies to the first and second passenger, the other 3 in your cabin upgrade for free!

 

If your original booking included any promotions, like a beverage package or onboard credit, you get to keep those.  However, you won’t be eligible for any new promotions unless it is a specific perk of the stateroom you upgraded to.  For instance, if you were eligible for a Norwegian Pick One perk with your Inside stateroom booking, upgrading to a balcony by bidding does not make you eligible for the Pick Two promo. However, if you bid on a spa room, the spa perk is something that goes along with the specific stateroom, so you would receive that perk.   Conversely, if you had a spa room and bid on a suite that does not include spa room perks; you will lose it with an upgrade and must purchase spa access separately.

 

Remember when upgrading to a higher category where a higher daily gratuity is charged, you will be responsible for the associated increase.  Also, if you’ve purchased travel insurance you will need to increase your coverage if your upgrade bid is accepted and the increase in cruise fare is significant.  Another important fact about this bidding system involves families traveling together in multiple staterooms.  If one bid is accepted, the other stateroom keeps its original location.  If both bids are accepted, both are upgraded, but may not be located near each other.  Therefore, for those who want to have staterooms close together, bidding for an upgrade is probably not a good idea.

 

Upgrades are non-refundable.  Once your bid is selected and accepted by the cruise line there are no changes or cancellation of the bid.  Your bid can be accepted at any time, from as soon as you submit your bid, right up until days before sailing. If you change your mind about your bid, log in to rescind or modify bids you have submitted before they are accepted.

Keep in mind that stateroom location depends entirely upon availability and this close to sailing date any available staterooms may be the least desirable on the ship. You could end up in a noisy location or far from the elevator and you’re stuck with it. Therefore, bidding for upgrades is not for cruisers who are particular about their stateroom location.

Hopefully this helps you understand the details of this bidding process better.  Remember however that if you booked with a professional Travel Advisor, they will guide you through this process.

 

www.saltybreezecruiseplanners.com