cruiser1955a

Nobody should request a refund for a free service they didn’t like. It makes no sense.

It all depends on the specific Butler you get.

We sailed in a Garden Villa this year. We had friends onboard who were in an aft Penthouse suite. We happened to be in their suite when their butler came to introduce himself, and spend time showing showing & explaining the layout & amenities of the suite (the smallest suite available). He spent 15-20 minutes explaining everything, and asking what he could do to make their cruise more enjoyable. He was so kind & informative!

Flash forward 20 minutes. We arrived at our Garden Villa and unpacked after looking around. Our butler arrived to introduce herself after about 45 minutes (not an issue). She then proceeded to show us the bank of light switches in the living/dining area (many of which no longer work), and asked us if we had any questions, then departed. The Garden Villa is a 5000 sq ft suite, vs maybe 200 sq ft in the aft Penthouse. She spent less than 5 minutes with us, without even a smile on her face. We didn’t know what to ask her when she wanted to know if we had any questions because we’ve never sailed in a Garden Villa. There was no tour. There was no explanation of how to operate any of the amenities (hot tub, stereo, coffee machine, power window shades, etc) and no explanation of the things we could have requested from her. Thankfully, our steward was always nearby to help us with questions that came up.

note: This is not meant to be a “poor us” story. We loved the suite. This was a once in a lifetime adventure which we thoroughly enjoyed. I’m just pointing out that it doesn’t make any difference what size suite you are in (other than the added perks of dos & Garden Villa’s), it matters which Butler you get.

Also note: Our freind’s butler told us he was the Garden Villa butler the previous week. Butlers rotate weekly through various blocks of suites. It’s just the luck of the draw. We’ve always had wonderful butlers in the 7 suites we’ve previously sailed. This butler didn’t ruin our trip. She just wasn’t anything close to our past butler experiences, and didn’t seem to have the friendly, warm demeanor of a butler, or the proper training to give us a guided tour of the suite. The few (simple) questions we did have for her during the cruise required her to call someone, then get back to us later with an answer.

Binoculars 

22 minutes ago, phd1003 said:

Agreed - That and I have asked people what they bid and they Ignore it multiple times...

Not everyone wants to share that info, especially prior to cruise. I thought you said “if you don’t mind sharing”. I didn’t know it was a demand.

27 minutes ago, gmbhardy said:

I really think this thread should be retired. It’s pretty clear after all this time and all these posts offering contradictory information, there is no magic formula or secret logarithm. Check the inventory, take  a guess and submit your bid. Trying to make the bidding process an analytical exercise takes the fun out of it.

Every situation is different. But the more you learn from threads like this, the more you can determine what to be aware of in the process.

example:

If you’re bidding up from an ocean view, to a mini-suite, you have to keep in mind that people who booked a balcony may be bidding too. Typically they’ve paid more up-front than you for their balcony. I assume that NCL is going to favor their bid (if they bid the same as you) because they’ve offered more “total dollars”, and because NCL can now get more money re-selling their vacant balcony, than they can re-selling your ocean view.

This is just one example of the many factors they probably use. It is, after all, about getting the most profit out of every cabin. 

4 hours ago, MotownVoice said:

A lot of people don't leave the "goo" on their hands long enough for the alcohol to kill anything anyway.  
 

Don’t most, if not all people leave it on their hands? If they head to the nearest sink to wash off “the goo”, that’s even better for sanitation.

6 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Can you site a source for this info? Our conclusions on this thread have been quite different based on info people have posted. It makes zero business sense for NCL to factor in what you paid for your original cabin. They already have that money. If I paid $1200 per person for my Balcony and someone else only paid $1000, but they bid $200 to upgrade and I only bid $100, why in the world would NCL accept my $100 offer instead of the other bidder's $200?

NCL’s goal is to make money. They are not choosing upgrades at random, they are looking to maximize profit for each sailing. Naturally, they’re going to choose the person who’s spent more “total”. 

If you mean Aft Penthouse (not Haven Penthouse) it will sleep 3. 1 king bed, one fold-out (couch/chair) single bed. The benefit of the penthouse is that you’ll have more space in the cabin, even with the fold-out open. You’ll get a full table & 4 chairs, more storage, bigger balcony, more walking space, and of course...suite perks (breakfast and lunch at Moderno/Cagney’s can’t be beat).

suggestion:

search utube for penthouse and mini-suite videos. It will help you make the decision if the extra perks for penthouse aren’t enough to make up your mind.

suite perks:

Priority boarding/disembarking

Butler & Concierge

Sparkling wine

Breakfast/Lunch in specialty restaurant

Reserved theater seating

etc.

Not to mention, the aft view is so peaceful, with no wind while sailing. And your balcony will have cushioned loungers.

if you’re referring to a Haven Penthouse, I don’t know how many they sleep, but in addition to the suite perks listed above, you get the Haven Courtyard. VERY SPECIAL

2 hours ago, dpavid said:

I'm a newbie. Everyone seems like the expert here. What's a fair bid for a decent chance to upgrade.

 

NCL Joy, Jun1, 2019 Alaska. 3 staterooms. 2 inside and 1 balcony.

 

Insides to Balcony from $75pp.

 

Balcony to mini-suite from $50pp.

 

Please suggest best guesses. If we win, we win. If not, I'm going to blow it on excursions, dining, and entertainment for my kids anyway. Nice to have, no need to have. Thanks in advance!

I can’t answer your question, but keep in mind that NCL considers your “total dollars spent”. People who pay top price for their original booking may not have to bid as much to win, and those who book sail-away or any discounted cabin might have to bid higher to win.

Other than that, your chances increase if there’s lots of vacancies in the category you’re upgrading to. You are getting close to your sail date. If there’s lots of vacancies, your chances are good with a medium bid. No guarantees.

4 minutes ago, Ivy drive said:

Can the bed be separated?

No

11 hours ago, nikechic23 said:

How far out from your cruise did you find out you were awarded the upgrade?

Notified Monday, before Friday cruise.

15 minutes ago, Rileyz said:

Pretty sure this was just a brag post.  They never provided any useful info on their upgrade process, even in the upgrade thread.

Read post 3

2 minutes ago, fridaythe13th said:

Wondering if it has one bed and what size is it?

Aft penthouse has 1 king bed, and a fold out single.

34 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

And yet another thread gets derailed.  

Let me understand this....Somebody did something thoughtful for someone, and somebody else is criticizing them for it. Do I have that right ? 

13 minutes ago, BingoSlots said:

 

Im sailing out the following cruise 5/17. May I ask what you bid and for what stateroom?

It was the Garden Villa. They are sold out for the season now. This was a once in a lifetime, last minute opportunity. 

Thanks for the advice, and description. We’ll plan to ask the butler upon boarding. We don’t mind waiting a while for it. We’ll probably be in shock, with our mouths hanging open for the first few hours anyway.

2 minutes ago, GrabMyWrist said:

Awesome upgrade! Enjoy your cruise.

Thanks, I guess we’re in for a totally different cruise experience. Like being in a house on a ship.

Thank you

We were notified today, leaving Friday. 

If your upgrade bid is accepted for Garden Villa, do they still provide the 6 bottles of liquor and unlimited sodas? 

Because it’s a standard perk for the Garden Villa (and maybe the owners suites too), I wasn’t sure if it’s a perk that they take away in the upgrade bid process.

25 minutes ago, SherRay6840 said:

Anyone get upgraded for the 5/26 Escape to Bermuda yet? 

We were just notified this morning for our Gem Bermuda cruise this Friday (5/10) that our bid was accepted.

10 hours ago, BxHx561 said:

Aside from the free ferry, are there other ferries that go to the same place more frequently??  

Yes. Walk towards the Clock Tower Mall and you’ll pass the Bermuda Ferry Terminal. Ferries to Hamilton and St George’s run all day. It’s only a slightly longer walk than the free ferry. I’m sure that the schedule is available on-line.

You can buy a combo bus/ferry ticket if you plan to use both during your stay (i.e. going to Horseshoe Bay Beach by bus).

17 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Yep, a hero to some (shareholders) for nickel and diming people to death ........

Who died ?

They provide a product. Their goal is to make a profit, otherwise their product doesn’t sell. Your only choice is to buy the product from them, or not. Once you are onboard you don’t HAVE to buy anything else. You get exactly what you agreed to in the contract. If you fail to read what you agreed to, then complain about paying for something you thought was free, that’s your issue, not NCL’s.

33 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

We've sailed on the Gem three times, with our fourth cruise on her coming up in January; we've also sailed on two of her sister ships: the Jewel (twice) and the Jade.  The Jewel-class ships are a very comfortable size, with some terrific public spaces, including the Spinnaker Lounge and the Great Outdoors.

 

We have very little interest in NCL's larger ships.

Ditto on Spinnaker Lounge & Great Outdoors ! 2 great areas that you won’t find on the big ships. The spinnaker was removed from the Dawn class ships to make room for suites. Didn’t realize how much I’d miss it, til it was gone.

12 minutes ago, Birdie And Sue said:

 

NCL created the supply.  Consumers create the demand.  As we all know, the consumer sets the price for any product or service in the standard marketplace. 

And all of this dilemma over what used to be wasted space...at least when a helicopter wasn’t landing on it. Kudos to NCL for generating income from it.

1 hour ago, Ron the Rev said:

Some would call that a bribe on day one, so as to get better service but there again that's what we do. Green back hand shake !!

Some would say...”you get what you pay for”.

“Extra” money has a way of incentivizing people. There’s no incentive to work harder for their DSC because it’s automatic. That’s not to say they don’t work hard, or do a good job. It’s just human nature for people to appreciate being acknowledged “monetarily”, and return the favor the only way they can, by going an extra step for you.