Upgrade bid question

[PostcardJar]

Sorry if this has been discussed...I can't find anything on it after a quick search except items buried deep in other threads.

We received an upgrade offer today. We're interested. I'm wondering if the minimum bid would work, or fi there is a certain amount over the minimum bid we should do? Any thoughts/tips/suggestions? Is it worth it? We'd be moving to a Celebrity, Royal or Penthouse suite--this might be our chance to try one of those staterooms at a more affordable rate.

 

Thanks!

[BEAV]

On a recent cruise we spoke with two different parties who had won bids to Celebrity Suites. One had bid the minimum, the other $10 over minimum. I’m not suggesting that will always be a winning formula, but rather a couple of data points. 

 

If it were me, I would check on the current price difference between the category booked and the 3 categories you’re looking to bid on and compare. You obviously don’t want to bid more than you could upgrade directly. 

 

On our our recent cruise, we upgraded directly from a Sky Suite to Celebrity Suite because it was only a small amount over the minimum bid amount to do so. Going that route netted us the extra Captain’s Club points and additional OBC from our TA. 

 

I’m sure others will have additional ideas/strategies. Good luck to you! 

[PostcardJar]

Thanks for the suggestions, BEAV. We're in a Sky Suite and were offered for CS, RS, and PS with the CS minimum bid being $300. When I went to the website to see what the cost difference is, it said the suites were "sold out" so I don't know that any bid would work. (This is X we're talking about and I'm sure their system is glitchy at all kinds of levels.)

 

Anyway, with nothing to gauge, we submitted a bid for slightly over the minimum to beat out anyone doing the minimum. Now we wait. My guess is that we won't move.

[Jack Staff]

I have just had an offer to upgrade my cabin/stateroom however there are 4 of us in the current cabin and the upgrade is only for two although the cabin can sleep 4.   Any advice available as I obviously need somewhere for the 4 of us.?

 

[PostcardJar]

3 minutes ago, Jack Staff said:

I have just had an offer to upgrade my cabin/stateroom however there are 4 of us in the current cabin and the upgrade is only for two although the cabin can sleep 4.   Any advice available as I obviously need somewhere for the 4 of us.?

 

I just saw on X's website that the upgrade fee only applies to the first two people. Any extras move free of charge.

Do a search of how upgrades work and read the details there.

[BEAV]

28 minutes ago, PostcardJar said:

Thanks for the suggestions, BEAV. We're in a Sky Suite and were offered for CS, RS, and PS with the CS minimum bid being $300. When I went to the website to see what the cost difference is, it said the suites were "sold out" so I don't know that any bid would work. (This is X we're talking about and I'm sure their system is glitchy at all kinds of levels.)

 

Anyway, with nothing to gauge, we submitted a bid for slightly over the minimum to beat out anyone doing the minimum. Now we wait. My guess is that we won't move.

 

Good luck with your bid! 

 

Don't let the "sold out" aspect of the suites you bid on throw you. On the cruise we just completed, all the suites displayed "sold out" for weeks prior to departure, yet the people we spoke with who had won upgrade bids were notified 5 days before departure. Celebrity solicits bids on sold out categories to quickly fill them if/when last minute cancellations come through. In the case of our specific sailing, there were 5 vacant CS for the longest time. Then one day, all of a sudden, they were ALL gone. Because our cruise required long-distance flying (Tokyo-Vancouver), my own personal theory of that sailing was that since they weren't selling, Celebrity removed them from inventory with the intent of liquidating them through the MoveUp bid program. 

 

Never say never!

Edited May 16, 2019 by BEAV

[mommyoftwins]

Same thing happened with us as it did w/ Beav. I saw five Royal Suites empty for weeks and watched the price drop. One day they were all gone. I knew what the price they were going for and then bid when I rec'd the Move Up Offer. I won my bid.  It was fun!

[Cruizen Susan]

1 hour ago, mommyoftwins said:

Same thing happened with us as it did w/ Beav. I saw five Royal Suites empty for weeks and watched the price drop. One day they were all gone. I knew what the price they were going for and then bid when I rec'd the Move Up Offer. I won my bid.  It was fun!

 

Congrats!!   How did you know what price they were going for,  and did you bid the minimum?

 

Thanks!!

 

[mommyoftwins]

19 minutes ago, Cruisen'Susan said:

 

Congrats!!   How did you know what price they were going for,  and did you bid the minimum?

 

Thanks!!

 

I did. I bid middle of the road. They wanted between $1200 - $2000 and I bid $1500.  :-)

[Cruizen Susan]

4 hours ago, mommyoftwins said:

I did. I bid middle of the road. They wanted between $1200 - $2000 and I bid $1500.  :-)

 

"Mommy" did you bid 1500pp or total?  thanks again

[mommyoftwins]

On 5/17/2019 at 5:34 PM, Cruisen'Susan said:

 

"Mommy" did you bid 1500pp or total?  thanks again

$1500 each. You only live once. LOL!

[Cruise it or lose it]

I think if you want the Royal or Penthouse you need to bid the max. I got the Royal at the max and if was a fair deal. Not a great one. I saw the PH open one day and went in and bid the max and then thought better of it and took back the bid. It was another grand over what I bid on the Royal but I have to wonder if we would have gotten  it. I checked everyday to see what was available from the day I booked.

 

I am happy with getting the Royal. When I did the math I may have saved less than $2000 from the prices when I booked a Sky guarantee with 4 perks. But not any where near the prices after final.

 

I don't get to sail often since it is not my husband of 46 years favorite vacation.  I am just praying that nothing happens between today and next Sunday.  When I was young , people would say to me  "Don't get old". And I would say "What's the alternative?". Well , fellow cruisers, don't get old.😘 just kidding.

[Cruizen Susan]

22 hours ago, mommyoftwins said:

$1500 each. You only live once. LOL!

 

Thanks what I thought!   I feel the same way,  and bid in the weak area first, but raised it to "fair."  I figured why not go for it!!  Waiting to hear!!

[Jim_Iain]

22 hours ago, Cruise it or lose it said:

I think if you want the Royal or Penthouse you need to bid the max. I got the Royal at the max and if was a fair deal. Not a great one. I saw the PH open one day and went in and bid the max and then thought better of it and took back the bid. It was another grand over what I bid on the Royal but I have to wonder if we would have gotten  it. I checked everyday to see what was available from the day I booked.

 

I am happy with getting the Royal. When I did the math I may have saved less than $2000 from the prices when I booked a Sky guarantee with 4 perks. But not any where near the prices after final.

 

I don't get to sail often since it is not my husband of 46 years favorite vacation.  I am just praying that nothing happens between today and next Sunday.  When I was young , people would say to me  "Don't get old". And I would say "What's the alternative?". Well , fellow cruisers, don't get old.😘 just kidding.

 

Not necessarily.     I recently bid $50 over minimum for an upgrade from SS Guarantee to Royal and won.    In my experience I checked everyday for a week before I won and there were no RS available but one Penthouse.  Possibly they accepted the Penthouse and then accepted my offer. 

[LINGBER]

Keeping an eye on this thread. Hoping for a successful bid 🙂