MSC "BID UP" program launch

[Até]

8 minutes ago, gadaboutgal said:

I believe that they are only offering the bid opportunity to certain customers via email at this time.

Well from conversations I've had that's kind of what they have been doing all along, although I couldn't get a definitive answer whether it was mainly paid or gratis upgrades.  Maybe it's just being more formalized as the staff complaints I heard was it was all being done by home office in a secretive manner.  As long as they keep pricing at levels where the vast majority of cabins sell normally I have no problem with a few occasional letters going out like NCL used to have with the "upgrade fairy".

[MrMike45]

Ate - first let me compliment you on a very intelligent and well written reply.  I still respectively disagree with you, but very respectively.  I did some quick research (under 5 minutes, so very quick):

 

- NCL's bid program seems to have gone into effect ~ Feb 2017.....as my first cruise with them was 7 years prior, I can 100% attest to the fact that prices were on the rise a great deal prior to the bidding beginning

 

- RCI's bid program seems to have gone into effect ~ Nov 2018....never been on an RCI cruise, but in what I have heard and read, their prices were all increasing quite a bit before then.

 

I do not agree that the bidding is the cause of the top end rooms being more expensive.  I still believe that it is due to the newer/larger ships, with newer/more expensive attractions that is causing the costs to rise across the board.  Even NCL ships which do not have a Haven are significantly more expensive than they were only a few years ago.  Same as lines like Carnival who do not have a bidding system.  It is a product of increased interest, new ships, and supply and demand...if we can charge that much and people pay/why wouldn't we?  

 

I did a quick look at the next 8 MSC ships scheduled for departures over the next week or so.

Of the 10 cruises:

2 are completely sold out

2 only have Yacht Club Deluxe Suites available

2 have Balcony and Inside rooms

2 only have Inside or OV rooms available

 

So if MSC can take a bid on the 2 cruises with YC rooms, and fill those with people already booked in a lower level room, and make a few extra bucks while the passenger gets to upgrade at a cheaper rate...why is this not win-win?  Same with the balcony rooms if someone with an inside bids up.  

 

As you said, the holding back of rooms cannot be confirmed and is speculative.  IF they are doing that, I will agree with you 100%, but until someone can prove that, I do not have issue with the bidding system from either side, the company or the passenger.

 

I stand by my original post though.  There are quite a few replies in this thread that give off the vibe that people do not want "normal cruisers" in their yacht club at a discounted rate thru the bidding system.  Whether it be sour grapes that someone might get in their for cheaper than they pay, or it be that they are worried that the YC might turn into a less than prestigious area than it previously was (as some have claimed with the NCL Haven).  Not every response though, so not one think I am pointing the finger at them please.  

 

With that being said, I will drop out of this conversation as I don't want it to escalate and turn into a back and forth.  We can disagree on the economics and increase in pricing on cruises.  I am looking forward to my first MSC cruise in October, and hope we like the product, for the simple reason being that lately, the NCL product has no longer lived up to the cost.  It used to be much more bang for the buck.  But with a lot of their attractions and services turning into "pay-to-play" we decided to try another line.  Mind you, we are comped rooms thru the casino, and pay for upgrades only (not bidding, thru the casino when booking).  Even with those discounts, we have not been as happy with their product and pricing, so we are looking to try other lines, even at a more expensive rate.  And if I get the bid up email, I will bid on a Yacht Club room, even though they are listed as sold out, and hope we can score one.  They were sold out when we booked in May, so never had a chance to see how much they cost and if it was something we wanted to book.  

 

Happy cruising all, Mike 

[DCGuy64]

MrMike, I know you have bowed out of the convo so you might not see this, but you are quite the NCL cruiser, from looking at your signature. I appreciate your perspective. Since you brought it up, I thought I would say that when we were looking for a replacement for the MSC Armonia cruise we'd booked (due to the cancellation of the Cuba port of call), we considered NCL but, as you said, it seems you get charged individually for a lot of things. Doing an apples to apples comparison, we decided that MSC was the better value. Thanks again for your perspective!

[MrMike45]

4 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

MrMike, I know you have bowed out of the convo so you might not see this, but you are quite the NCL cruiser, from looking at your signature. I appreciate your perspective. Since you brought it up, I thought I would say that when we were looking for a replacement for the MSC Armonia cruise we'd booked (due to the cancellation of the Cuba port of call), we considered NCL but, as you said, it seems you get charged individually for a lot of things. Doing an apples to apples comparison, we decided that MSC was the better value. Thanks again for your perspective!

 

Got the notice of your reply...NCL really has changed their pricing over the years, for the worst IMO.  For example, it is such a minor charge in the grand scheme of how much we spent on the cruise, but for some reason, a month later, I am still super annoyed by it:

 

We are platinum plus with NCL so we get a few free specialty dinners ever cruise.  In addition, we always take the Specialty Dining perk as one of our selections.  So on a 7 day cruise we took in May, we wound up with 5 nights/dinners at one of their specialty restaurants.  Cagney's is their steakhouse.  It is ala carte pricing, but with the SDP, you are covered for 1 appetizer, 1 entree, 1 dessert per person.  We chose the SDP as a perk, and paid 18% gratuity on the cost of the package.  Fine.

 

So we go to Cagney's and my wife and I both order Shrimp Cocktail for an appetizer.  We are informed that there is an up charge, above the SDP package plus gratuity we already paid for of $3.99 for Shrimp Cocktail.  I ask when did this start and they say a few months ago.  Obviously we both say fine, it's $4 for what we want, who is going to say no on vacation.  The bill comes at the end, and the charge is for $9.44.  We are both charged the $3.99 plus an 18% gratuity on the shrimp cocktail.  So I ask why, and they say that is the standard pricing.  So let me get this straight...if we ordered any of the other 10 appetizers on the menu, no gratuity fee to deliver the plate from the kitchen to our table.  But because we ordered the one that was an upcharge of $4, you add in 18% tip on that one item?  Did it take any more work to bring it from the kitchen to our table?  Obviously, we paid the bill, added in a cash tip for our waiter who was just doing her job and following what she was told to do, and 100% not her fault.  But it annoyed the hell out of me.

 

And that is basically what NCL has become.  Any place they can squeeze a penny out of you, they will.  

[DCGuy64]

7 minutes ago, MrMike45 said:

 

Got the notice of your reply...NCL really has changed their pricing over the years, for the worst IMO.  For example, it is such a minor charge in the grand scheme of how much we spent on the cruise, but for some reason, a month later, I am still super annoyed by it:

 

We are platinum plus with NCL so we get a few free specialty dinners ever cruise.  In addition, we always take the Specialty Dining perk as one of our selections.  So on a 7 day cruise we took in May, we wound up with 5 nights/dinners at one of their specialty restaurants.  Cagney's is their steakhouse.  It is ala carte pricing, but with the SDP, you are covered for 1 appetizer, 1 entree, 1 dessert per person.  We chose the SDP as a perk, and paid 18% gratuity on the cost of the package.  Fine.

 

So we go to Cagney's and my wife and I both order Shrimp Cocktail for an appetizer.  We are informed that there is an up charge, above the SDP package plus gratuity we already paid for of $3.99 for Shrimp Cocktail.  I ask when did this start and they say a few months ago.  Obviously we both say fine, it's $4 for what we want, who is going to say no on vacation.  The bill comes at the end, and the charge is for $9.44.  We are both charged the $3.99 plus an 18% gratuity on the shrimp cocktail.  So I ask why, and they say that is the standard pricing.  So let me get this straight...if we ordered any of the other 10 appetizers on the menu, no gratuity fee to deliver the plate from the kitchen to our table.  But because we ordered the one that was an upcharge of $4, you add in 18% tip on that one item?  Did it take any more work to bring it from the kitchen to our table?  Obviously, we paid the bill, added in a cash tip for our waiter who was just doing her job and following what she was told to do, and 100% not her fault.  But it annoyed the hell out of me.

 

And that is basically what NCL has become.  Any place they can squeeze a penny out of you, they will.   

That's infuriating. I have no problem with cruise lines wanting to make a profit, but that was dishonest on their part, in my opinion. Those little things, even if they're not huge in the grand scheme of things, are what whittle away longtime cruisers' loyalty with the cruise lines. And it's a very competitive industry. Ultimately, they're going to sell the cabins to someone, but mistreating their loyal customers will eventually cost them money and reputation because those customers will spend their money elsewhere. So they pocket $9.44 today and lose $1,000s tomorrow. Not a good strategy. 

Edited June 19, 2019 by DCGuy64
Corrected a duplicate word

[ziggyuk]

For anyone who has been offered the option to bid, where did the link take you?

 

Most cruise lines and airlines use Plusgrade https://www.plusgrade.com/partners/ MSC are not listed as a partner here.

[lovemycruisetoo]

12 hours ago, MrMike45 said:

We are platinum plus with NCL so we get a few free specialty dinners ever cruise.  In addition, we always take the Specialty Dining perk as one of our selections.  So on a 7 day cruise we took in May, we wound up with 5 nights/dinners at one of their specialty restaurants.  Cagney's is their steakhouse.  It is ala carte pricing, but with the SDP, you are covered for 1 appetizer, 1 entree, 1 dessert per person.  We chose the SDP as a perk, and paid 18% gratuity on the cost of the package.  Fine.

 

So we go to Cagney's and my wife and I both order Shrimp Cocktail for an appetizer.  We are informed that there is an up charge, above the SDP package plus gratuity we already paid for of $3.99 for Shrimp Cocktail.  I ask when did this start and they say a few months ago.  Obviously we both say fine, it's $4 for what we want, who is going to say no on vacation.  The bill comes at the end, and the charge is for $9.44.  We are both charged the $3.99 plus an 18% gratuity on the shrimp cocktail.  So I ask why, and they say that is the standard pricing.  So let me get this straight...if we ordered any of the other 10 appetizers on the menu, no gratuity fee to deliver the plate from the kitchen to our table.  But because we ordered the one that was an upcharge of $4, you add in 18% tip on that one item?  Did it take any more work to bring it from the kitchen to our table?  Obviously, we paid the bill, added in a cash tip for our waiter who was just doing her job and following what she was told to do, and 100% not her fault.  But it annoyed the hell out of me.

 

And that is basically what NCL has become.  Any place they can squeeze a penny out of you, they will.  

We too are P+ (17 cruises) and have decided to leave NCL, the only line we have ever cruised on.  I have always ordered the shrimp cocktail whenever I ate at Cagney’s which was usually twice per cruise.  On my last cruise this past April, the upcharge was $4.99 plus a 20% gratuity which would bring it up to ~$6.00.  I didn’t order it because I felt that as P+ we should have been exempted from the charge and I refused to give them any more money than I already have. 

 

If three shrimp on a bed of lettuce with some cocktail sauce is worth more than a loyal customer’s repeat business (Haven the last 5 or 6), I guess it’s time to go.  I have booked MSC and Princess already and looking for more on Princess with their free drinks package, which by the way, includes their 18% gratuity unlike NCL where they make you pay 20% upfront. 

 

I’m with you MrMike45

[dexddd]

8 hours ago, lovemycruisetoo said:

We too are P+ (17 cruises) and have decided to leave NCL, the only line we have ever cruised on.  I have always ordered the shrimp cocktail whenever I ate at Cagney’s which was usually twice per cruise.  On my last cruise this past April, the upcharge was $4.99 plus a 20% gratuity which would bring it up to ~$6.00.  I didn’t order it because I felt that as P+ we should have been exempted from the charge and I refused to give them any more money than I already have. 

 

If three shrimp on a bed of lettuce with some cocktail sauce is worth more than a loyal customer’s repeat business (Haven the last 5 or 6), I guess it’s time to go.  I have booked MSC and Princess already and looking for more on Princess with their free drinks package, which by the way, includes their 18% gratuity unlike NCL where they make you pay 20% upfront. 

 

I’m with you MrMike45

We are PP too and NCL could care less.  It's all about the squeeze and 20% is the normal surcharge now.

 

I know some of the regular MSC folks have issues with things MSC does but it is more goofs IMO vs NCL is grab what they can.

[thetaro]

Platinum with NCL, I can tell you that NCL would try to nickel and dime you and squeeze every penny out of you. 

It wouldn't surprise me if they try to put a sensor on toilet and charge you 20% service charge for each flush.

 

It's not a good sign that MCS keeps picking up the talents from NCL.

 

NCL doesn't bother me too much only because I book Inside guarantee and don't take any of their "FREE" offers. I use the bidding system to get to the balcony. 

[dexddd]

15 hours ago, thetaro said:

Platinum with NCL, I can tell you that NCL would try to nickel and dime you and squeeze every penny out of you. 

It wouldn't surprise me if they try to put a sensor on toilet and charge you 20% service charge for each flush.

 

It's not a good sign that MCS keeps picking up the talents from NCL.

 

NCL doesn't bother me too much only because I book Inside guarantee and don't take any of their "FREE" offers. I use the bidding system to get to the balcony. 

that is funny but mostly true.  

[MrMike45]

I know I said I would back out, but this right here...this is why the bid system is good.  Clearly these people won something they will cherish by bidding (presumably unable to pay for it at advertised price).  And the excitement alone is awesome