Mixed responses regarding comped CAS cabin and upgrade for (1) person

[riddle]

I often travel solo through CAS (comped, usually inside or oceanview). I have received different answers from NCL and through here as to if I must pay (2) times the amount I bid if I wish to upgrade. I have as yet not won an upgrade. CAS told me they never charge for the second person at all in a comped cabin if it is a solo. Folks on here say that with the bidding process (since it is X2) that you pay double what you bid if you are solo in a comped cabin. Has anyone done this and know for sure?

[pcakes122]

I have done this many times via the upsell/bid process. The upsell/bid amount is charged double. If I bid $750, I paid $1500. (Was still worth it every time :))

 

That said, if you actually UPGRADE your cabin via CAS at the casino upgrade rate, there is only one charge.

[NLH Arizona]

My guess would be that CAS and the department that does the upgrade bidding works under different rules.

 

I've always upgraded my cabin to a suite through CAS when making the reservation and have always gotten a great deal and haven't noticed paying X2.

[disneygirl10]

I paid a flat fee to upgrade to an aft balcony from my comped balcony room.. are CAS cruisers allowed to bid for an upgrade to a suite? Has anyone been successful in doing so?

 

 

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[pcakes122]

I paid a flat fee to upgrade to an aft balcony from my comped balcony room.. are CAS cruisers allowed to bid for an upgrade to a suite? Has anyone been successful in doing so?

As I noted in my post above, I've done UPSELLS from my solo CAS comp many times. The per person "bid" is doubled.

 

This is not the same thing as UPGRADING via CAS.

 

For example, on my recent March cruise, I called CAS for a price to upgrade to a suite from my mini-suite comp. I was given an UPGRADE price of $3000. However, a few days later I was given an offer from NCL (NOT from CAS) to UPSELL to the same suite for $750 per person. I accepted the offer and was charged $1500.

 

Much better deal than CAS! :)

[BirdTravels]

I paid a flat fee to upgrade to an aft balcony from my comped balcony room.. are CAS cruisers allowed to bid for an upgrade to a suite? Has anyone been successful in doing so?

 

Yes, you are allowed to bid and upgrade CAS reservations.

 

If you bid, you pay double as a solo.

 

If you do your upgrade through CAS, you pay 1x the upgrade price.

[disneygirl10]

As I noted in my post above, I've done UPSELLS from my solo CAS comp many times. The per person "bid" is doubled.

 

 

 

This is not the same thing as UPGRADING via CAS.

 

 

 

For example, on my recent March cruise, I called CAS for a price to upgrade to a suite from my mini-suite comp. I was given an UPGRADE price of $3000. However, a few days later I was given an offer from NCL (NOT from CAS) to UPSELL to the same suite for $750 per person. I accepted the offer and was charged $1500.

 

 

 

Much better deal than CAS! :)

 

 

 

Wow that's great! So did you call NCL, or did you receive a call?

 

 

 

 

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[disneygirl10]

Yes, you are allowed to bid and upgrade CAS reservations.

 

 

 

If you bid, you pay double as a solo.

 

 

 

If you do your upgrade through CAS, you pay 1x the upgrade price.

 

 

Ok thanks!

 

 

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[boopsahoy]

I paid a flat fee to upgrade to an aft balcony from my comped balcony room.. are CAS cruisers allowed to bid for an upgrade to a suite? Has anyone been successful in doing so?

 

 

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I have a comped balcony-I bid on a few haven rooms.

[disneygirl10]

I have a comped balcony-I bid on a few haven rooms.

 

 

I paid a $200 per person fee to upgrade from comped balcony to a B1- not included in my comps.

If I bid on a Haven cabin, then is my price the $400+$bid for the cabin? Or will the bid replace the $400?

 

 

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[garycarla]

re: Solo paying double. You are looking at it wrong. Nothing to do with solo pricing.

 

Lets take this example.

 

They have a Haven cabin open. They get lots of bids.

 

A) $500 x2 = $1000

B) $450 x 2 = $900

C) $500 x1 = $500

D) $610 x 2 = $1,200

 

 

Which bid do you think they are going to take? Nothing unfair about it. They take the person(s) that are going to pay the most money. It is a bidding process. Highest bid wins. Simple business. Am I missing something here?

[nanabananna]

What is CAS?

 

 

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[Journey11]

Casinos at Sea

[Casino Comp Chick]

re: Solo paying double. You are looking at it wrong. Nothing to do with solo pricing.

 

Lets take this example.

 

They have a Haven cabin open. They get lots of bids.

 

A) $500 x2 = $1000

B) $450 x 2 = $900

C) $500 x1 = $500

D) $610 x 2 = $1,200

 

 

Which bid do you think they are going to take? Nothing unfair about it. They take the person(s) that are going to pay the most money. It is a bidding process. Highest bid wins. Simple business. Am I missing something here?

 

Yes, actually you are.....while that is how it should be, it is not. I run a page that has been tracking bids since its inception and have seen lower bids accepted on upgrades from and to the same category. It looks like NCL is also looking at initial price paid, latitude tiers and whether someone has previously sailed in a suite.

[Casino Comp Chick]

I paid a $200 per person fee to upgrade from comped balcony to a B1- not included in my comps.

If I bid on a Haven cabin, then is my price the $400+$bid for the cabin? Or will the bid replace the $400?

 

 

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Your bid price is on top of whatever you have paid. If you bid $100 per person and you win the bid you will be charged $200 immediately. It does not matter what you previously paid.

[Casino Comp Chick]

I often travel solo through CAS (comped, usually inside or oceanview). I have received different answers from NCL and through here as to if I must pay (2) times the amount I bid if I wish to upgrade. I have as yet not won an upgrade. CAS told me they never charge for the second person at all in a comped cabin if it is a solo. Folks on here say that with the bidding process (since it is X2) that you pay double what you bid if you are solo in a comped cabin. Has anyone done this and know for sure?

 

You should track pricing on your own and when you see a drop call CAS and see if your offer drops, I would do this up until 3-4 days before your cruise (Bids are finalized 2 business days before sailing) and see if your CAS offer goes lower then your bid amount. I have seen it happen quite a few times.

[garycarla]

Yes, actually you are (missing something).....while that is how it should be, it is not. I run a page that has been tracking bids since its inception and have seen lower bids accepted on upgrades from and to the same category. It looks like NCL is also looking at initial price paid, latitude tiers and whether someone has previously sailed in a suite.

 

 

I think you are making a big assumption. Have you tracked both winning and losing bids on the very same cruise?

 

Are you saying that NCL has denied someone bidding higher and given it to someone bidding lower on the same upgrade combination on the same cruise/week? And both the winners and loser posted for the same cruise with their bids and past status,etc?

 

I am sure that sometimes there are people that pay half of what somebody else did the week before. And even in the same week, some people win with a much lower bid than others. Simple logic since all the bids are secret.

[Alegeeter]

You also have to look at what type of cabin will open up when accepting a bid. If customers in a BA bid $550 for a Haven and customers in a MA bid $500, it may make sense to award the Haven to the MA guests even though the bid was lower. Why? Because it opens up additional cabins, which NCL will get more money for in upgrading guests in lower categories.

 

For example:

 

1) Upgrading the BA guests for $550:

 

BA to Haven = $550x2

OA to BA = $75x2

IA to OA = $50x2

 

NCL is getting $1350 in this situation

 

2) Upgrading the MA for $500

MA to Haven = $500 x 2

BA to MA = $100 x 2

OA to BA = $75x2

IA to OA = $50x2

 

NCL is getting $1450 in this situation, plus additional customers feel as if they "won" something, will likely celebrate on social media and that kind of positive publicity is priceless!

[Casino Comp Chick]

I think you are making a big assumption. Have you tracked both winning and losing bids on the very same cruise?

 

Are you saying that NCL has denied someone bidding higher and given it to someone bidding lower on the same upgrade combination on the same cruise/week? And both the winners and loser posted for the same cruise with their bids and past status,etc?

 

I am sure that sometimes there are people that pay half of what somebody else did the week before. And even in the same week, some people win with a much lower bid than others. Simple logic since all the bids are secret.

 

Yes I am saying exactly that. NCL took a lower bid on the same cruise from the same category. I spoke to both members and one was a new cruiser and the other was not.

As an FYI I was also able to confirm that CAS bookings do not receive higher starting bids then a person that booked NCL direct. The bids were exactly the same and this was based on 2 different level of comps vs 1 direct booking from the same category. All 3 bookings were lower latitude tiers with different levels of CAS comps.

[garycarla]

Yes I am saying exactly that. NCL took a lower bid on the same cruise from the same category. I spoke to both members and one was a new cruiser and the other was not. ...

 

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

 

In this case you say they did not take the higher bid, but instead took the lower bid? I would love to see some of the data points you have collected to see how often they do that.

 

Thanks again for sharing.

[Casino Comp Chick]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

 

In this case you say they did not take the higher bid, but instead took the lower bid? I would love to see some of the data points you have collected to see how often they do that.

 

Thanks again for sharing.

 

It is buried in a "not nameable" page that i have dedicated to ncl bidding.