'Free' casino cruises now costs 2x to upgrade room category for solos

[fstuff1]

i have a 'free' inside room certificate from my land casino.

upgrading from inside to balcony is anywhere between $200-$600 per person, depending on cruise.

it used to be if going solo, you only pay the upgrade price for yourself.

 

that changed recently. (beginning of the new year?)

now if you upgrade as a solo, you pay 2x just like when you win a bid for a room upgrade.

so if the balcony upgrade is $500, you're paying 2 x $500. 

😞

[Shidah]

Wow, guess I will always have to find someone to go with me then.  Is this only on the land based offers or on the ones directly from CAS as well?  Usually when I travel with family we book the Haven, so the certificate value is taken off the cost of the room.  Usually saves me around 2,000 on the room which is still a good deal.  But when I go solo, I upgrade my ocean view to a balcony every time.

[fstuff1]

2 hours ago, Shidah said:

Wow, guess I will always have to find someone to go with me then.  Is this only on the land based offers or on the ones directly from CAS as well?  Usually when I travel with family we book the Haven, so the certificate value is taken off the cost of the room.  Usually saves me around 2,000 on the room which is still a good deal.  But when I go solo, I upgrade my ocean view to a balcony every time.

whats the trade in value of the certificate for OV?

(for inside, it's $550)

 

[Shidah]

I’ve never been told a specific value, they always say it depends on the cruise I select etc.  But 2 times I used one and upgraded to the Haven it took about $2000 off the listed NCL site price.  

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

i have a 'free' inside room certificate from my land casino.

upgrading from inside to balcony is anywhere between $200-$600 per person, depending on cruise.

it used to be if going solo, you only pay the upgrade price for yourself.

 

that changed recently. (beginning of the new year?)

now if you upgrade as a solo, you pay 2x just like when you win a bid for a room upgrade.

so if the balcony upgrade is $500, you're paying 2 x $500. 

😞

If you are a sapphire member, not sure why you would be using land based certificates vs. booking direct with CAS. And probably getting a better comp.

 

Just call CAS with the date and ship you want to cruise on and they will offer the best comp based on your most recent play. 

Edited January 22, 2019 by BirdTravels

[Nola26]

I have never been quoted a per person price to upgrade, just a flat rate. Usually $600 or 800 which I think I've paid once because my family was with me. As a solo I usually stay with my comped inside. Once I was awarded a balcony via the new bid process. I'm hoping my bid is accepted for a balcony on my next cruise as there will be 3 of us this time so the space will be appreciated.

 

My CAS status is basic Jade, but I'll be a taking a second cruise in the "evaluation" period, so I'll have a chance to improve it and hopefully be eligible for better NCL direct offers. Currently I get % off with CAS and comp inside from my land based casino. Either way we get the beverage card which is nice for us because we don't take the UBP perk.

[NLH Arizona]

When I went to make a new cruise reservation.  I was told that they were not waiving the single supplement for those upgrading to suites anymore.  This drastically changed what I would pay.  For example, my 10 day December cruise in an aft penthouse suite cost $1,800, the same cruise, except it would be 7 days instead of 10 days, would cost me $4,400.  BTW, I called prior to my December cruise.

Edited January 22, 2019 by NLH Arizona

[I need a vaca]

Don't forget that using the bidding process it is usually still somewhat cheap to upgrade from insides to balconies.  Although then you play the waiting game