What was your upgrade offer and what did you bid

[JAYNECOBB]

 

Probably sharing too much info, but oh well.  We booked our cruise last June. Paid $4,500 per person, so 9k total for 2 people in a midship balcony room on the Star for a 12 day Mediterranean. It leaves from Terragona on May 12th, 2019, ending in Venice. The day we got the email to upgrade we put the maximum bid on 4 suites. S1, SB, SC and SG. The S1 was $5000 per person. So that would have been a total of $19,000 (9k+ 10k for the upgrade bid) for the S1. We watched the price of the S1 drop from $14,459 to 13,459 per person where it stayed for several weeks. Last week most everything showed sold out. We are 3 days from sailing and still no word. Our bids show pending and everything but a few inside rooms are sold out now. So someone must have booked those suites last minute for full price or we tied with someone on the max bid and some other factor, such as status, was considered in selecting the upgrade. We still have a great room, but finally had the money to put in an “excellent” bid and still didn’t get it 😕 We fully expect to get the “thanks, but no thanks” email tomorrow morning at the 48 hour mark. 

 

Thoughts? 

Edited May 9, 2019 by JAYNECOBB
Spelling

[gmbhardy]

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.

[Newleno]

3 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.

Well "bidding" is not fun for me, it is about getting the best cabin for the lowest price.  The more information the better.

[gmbhardy]

2 minutes ago, Newleno said:

Well "bidding" is not fun for me, it is about getting the best cabin for the lowest price.  The more information the better.

If you think that will increase your chances - good luck!

 

 

[NY1sttimers]

8 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.

 

You could also just unfollow the thread. People define “fun” differently. There are clearly people that are enjoying this and are passionate about it. Just because you don’t enjoy something doesn’t mean it should be shut down. 

[kayteecat]

18 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.

Actually I think making it an analytical exercise is the fun, at least for me. Not that I think I'm ever going to crack the code, but I like to theorize. If it doesn't help you, unfollowing may be the best way to go.

[Greenpea2]

7 minutes ago, NY1sttimers said:

 

You could also just unfollow the thread. People define “fun” differently. There are clearly people that are enjoying this and are passionate about it. Just because you don’t enjoy something doesn’t mean it should be shut down. 

Agree. Part of the fun (both original and current) of thus thread is hearing that people won bids and what they won them for. It’s exciting! This is not just about statistics and data.

[vacation44]

26 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.

I actually like to read about other people's success stories.     

[cruiser1955a]

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. 

[gmbhardy]

21 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

I actually like to read about other people's success stories.     

 

That’s true. I love reading about someone who snagged a Haven suite with a minimum bid from a sail away balcony, when I paid full freight for my suite on the same sailing. I laugh so much it brings tears to my eyes! 

[Guest phd1003]

58 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.

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

[cruiser1955a]

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.

[All-ready2cruise]

14 minutes ago, phd1003 said:

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

 

I understand your frustation, however, it's really more important to know the "level" the bid than the money they bid.  Different cruises, different costs; on 1 cruise you might get upgraded with a poor  bid which could just be $50/pp but on another cruise, you might not get upgraded even with a high bid of 2K... no one knows for sure. Is it a crap shoot, yes and anyone who goes into thinking they will get what they bid on everytime, is likely in for a different result. 

 

JamieLogical has been following this thread for a long time so she's got a lot of it figured out, however, there are times when even she can't come up with a guarantee win! 

 

I followed it for a while too but now I'm solo, there's probably no way I'll use the bidding tool. 

It's all up to you! If you don't like it, don't do it, don't follow the thread just book the cabin you want and forget about it. 

 

Enjoy your cruising. 

 

 

[Guest phd1003]

17 minutes ago, cruiser1955a said:

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.

I thought this forum was called "What was your upgrade offer and what did you bid?" - Sorry for being presumptuous about the info that would be shared here. The quote your referring to was on another board

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, kayteecat said:

Actually I think making it an analytical exercise is the fun, at least for me. Not that I think I'm ever going to crack the code, but I like to theorize. If it doesn't help you, unfollowing may be the best way to go.

 

Obviously I find the analysis fun! Otherwise I wouldn't be here. I love picking apart all of this info and adding it to knowledge. Like the example today where two couples in the same original category, having paid the same amount initially on the same day both put in bids and the lower bid was accepted. I find that fascinating and love trying to dig into WHY that happened.

 

I think the real problem with this thread is that people show up here, provide some very basic information (sometimes not even ship or sail date) and want us to be able to tell them how much they need to bid to win. In order for us to give them a reasonable guess, we would have to do a lot of leg work to identify how much inventory is remaining, the rate at which that inventory is selling, etc. And even with all that information, we are still just guessing, because NCL hasn't made the specifics of the criteria they use to evaluate bids available to us. All we can do is speculate based on the history of bids that we know of from these forums and our own experiences, which is only a teeny tiny fraction of the total bids that are processed.

 

For my own sailings, I think I can make good guesses about what a winning bid would look like or if one is even possible. My main problem is I am usually unwilling to bid that high!

[Greenpea2]

So now some people are adding to this thread because they want to discuss why this thread needs to be retired, making it longer and less useful. LOL. If you don't find it useful, don't read it! If you think its silly, feel that way but leave the people alone that DO like it. Jeez. 

 

Not being comfortable telling people what they bid before bidding is over is totally understandable. It's those that have had their bids accepted that don't divulge it that is a little frustrating, mainly because that's half of what this thread asks. Having said that, I'd personally be satisfied just knowing if it was Low/Medium/High.

[Son of a son of a ...]

If Latitudes level is a factor, then the amount of the bid is only but a factor and not determinant.  Hence, no incentive to max bid or even bid high if there are unknowns.  What an odd practice from a profit maximization perspective.

[mking8288]

Releasing the "precise" bidding amount ...  $50 from IF booked - IB assigned to OD upgraded, $75 (ID booked) bids expired.  That isn't the entire story, feel free to read on or skim over.   Part 1 of this here - 

 

 

All bids on this Saturday's Dawn sailing (Canad & New England, 7 days RT out of NY, ship currenty repo - empty - en route from Miami) are now closed, either expired or upgraded - even the 2 Br Family Suite, still available this morning ... now sold out (most likely, upgraded & awarded to the highest bidder) 

 

Looking at NY-based cruises for the past several years - this has to be among the top rank one with true last minute, fire sale deals and fairly good promotions (no tax-free sales, LOL) - given the ports, weather & itinerary ... and the available prices at steep SailAway discounts within the last 10 days, actually last 5 to 7 days - especially for solo, it is a steal - i.e. a Mini "s"uite, all inclusive for under $1,000 (before applying 2 CruiseNext Certicate and/or NCLH stockholder's benefits) including DSC.  That's a real Deal ... FDR said, otherwise, years ago - maybe true for most sailings, but not this one.   

 

As prices dropped & even for recent SailAway GTY rate bookings, fellow cruisers had been able to call into NCL to change, upgrade & pay a nominal difference (one lucky couple got moved into a SC (AFT Penhouse corner suite at no extra costs).  Point is that, do the research or homework, keep track & be prepared to do the happy dance and also not to win always - just be happy to be on a cruise.  IMO, there isn't a simple formula or matrix or else, rather it is a Calculus of complicated factors in play.  

 

We never expected the $70 and $75 (middle of) poor bids to score an upgrade from I/S @ SailAway booking last week to a Balcony, but just for the fun of doing it ... actually ignored the daily email reminders for 2 days before we added the bid for the 3rd cabin in our group.  The $50 winning bid for the Oceanview was borderline Poor, near Fair - could've gone either way (suffice to say, there're 200+ unsold cabins just 2 weeks ago in all categories) ... If we bump our bid higher for the balcony, pretty sure we would get one - given the weather forecast & busy itinerary for the 5 ports, not worth it ... banking that $$ to look for our next last minute deal, probably sometime this Fall again. 

 

Dawn isn't sold out yet, Insides now @ $279 p/p and OV @ $299 p/p - "Free" At Sea rates too, at higher rates.  If you can pack & go for a week this weekend, I say book it ... Latitude Insider's perks (OBC & double cruise points, if it matter to reach Ambassador status.)  

 

Maybe, just maybe, a new 2019 Continuation Thread should be done - the original one started 2 years ago, was closed as referenced on Page 1 ... scrolling thru 100+ screen pages to skim, isn't exactly easy on a tablet or phablet.  

 

[Hockeydad1972]

28 minutes ago, Son of a son of a ... said:

If Latitudes level is a factor, then the amount of the bid is only but a factor and not determinant.  Hence, no incentive to max bid or even bid high if there are unknowns.  What an odd practice from a profit maximization perspective.

Not when you consider how many time Platinums cruise. Could be an untold perk to Platinum member..

 

More to ponder.. LOL

[graphicguy]

A lot of us follow the trends pretty closely.  We more or less know when the cheapest cruise fares happen (e.g. winter sailing out of NY/NJ), on which ships (seems like Escape and Breakaway are showing pretty good deal the last couple of months), etc.

 

I don't think there's a "magic formula" that any of us have figured out that is tried and true.

 

I have yet been able to upgrade via the bid process.  That said, I've never bid anything but in the "poor" range, either.

 

Only advice I can give is book the cabin you'd be happy with, and bid on the one that would be "icing on the cake", with an amount you feel comfortable with.  You might win it, or you might never be upgraded.  Either way,  you're never disappointed.

[racephoto]

This is my first cruise on NCL since they started this. I booked this cruise about a week ago as an inside guarantee. (All that was available except for the Haven LOL) I sail on Saturday out of Amsterdam. I bid pretty low for both an oceanview and balcony. My question is, shouldn't I have heard something by now? It's inside of 48 hours and I haven't gotten either a rejection or acceptance. Just curious. 

[tallnthensome]

Highest bid wins - there is no other magic formula

 

AFTER  - You win or lose a bid simply state which ship, date, length of cruise, and what you bid. Do not disclose your bid before sailing. I did this when I won my upgrade on my 15 day Bliss Panama Canal cruise last month. Too many people are overthinking this and believing there is some secret advantage besides money talking and bullshi+ walking .......... 

 

[Newleno]

41 minutes ago, racephoto said:

This is my first cruise on NCL since they started this. I booked this cruise about a week ago as an inside guarantee. (All that was available except for the Haven LOL) I sail on Saturday out of Amsterdam. I bid pretty low for both an oceanview and balcony. My question is, shouldn't I have heard something by now? It's inside of 48 hours and I haven't gotten either a rejection or acceptance. Just curious. 

that is such a great cruise, I am semi retired I could not get anyone  to work for me may 23, 24, 25.  You got such a great deal, all those great ports and fjords.  Check your credit card sometimes that will be your indication.  Either way you should hearpretty soon, yes usually by 48 hour mark.  have a great time 

Edited May 9, 2019 by Newleno

[nikechic23]

If the last room in a category is claimed, or awarded a bid, do the others who lost out get notified? Will your bid still say pending even if there are no rooms of that type left? 

[All-ready2cruise]

If you've won a bid, you'll receive notice by email, likely noticed first by a charge to your CC and then by an email congratulating you regarding your upgrade, however, this could be reversed.  If you didn't receive an upgrade, you'll receive an email thanking you for participating within 48 hrs of boarding. 

Edited May 10, 2019 by All-ready2cruise