Beware of the MSC Upgrade bid program

[goodoldan]

51 minutes ago, goodoldan said:

A couple of options for upgrades to YC, but only a "slider" to select a bid in a predetermined range... and the prices in the range weren't all that attractive.

 

I just found a different link in the upgrade offer e-mail that does at first appear to let you bid any price, along with a "meter" that shows the "relative strength" of your bid. But when you move the slider off $0 it immediately jumps to the pre-determined minimum bid. Different graphics, same thing.

Edited September 20, 2019 by goodoldan

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, goodoldan said:

 

I just found a different link in the upgrade offer e-mail that does actually let you bid any price, along with a "meter" that shows the "relative strength" of your bid. That's better, anyway...

Does anyone have a sense of how long it is before MSC accepts/rejects your bid? The email indicates that it may be up to 3 days prior to sailing date, so I'll assume that's accurate unless I hear otherwise. 

[goodoldan]

3 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Does anyone have a sense of how long it is before MSC accepts/rejects your bid? The email indicates that it may be up to 3 days prior to sailing date, so I'll assume that's accurate unless I hear otherwise. 

 

I read they can accept immediately or at any time up to two days before sailing.

Edited September 20, 2019 by goodoldan

[DCGuy64]

18 minutes ago, goodoldan said:

 

I read they can accept immediately or at any time up to two days before sailing.

My option didn't show a relative strength, and it wasn't accepted yet so maybe I'm too cheap. 🤣

[goodoldan]

12 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

My option didn't show a relative strength, and it wasn't accepted yet so maybe I'm too cheap. 🤣

 

That was the other link I tried first...  use the "Click here to get started" text link in your e-mail to see the page with the "strength meter".

[DCGuy64]

3 minutes ago, goodoldan said:

 

That was the other link I tried first...  use the "Click here to get started" text link in your e-mail to see the page with the "strength meter".

Thanks, tried it but same thing as before, just the slider w/o a strength indicator (unless you're referring to the blue line that's revealed as you slide to the right). No worries, we're already in Yacht Club (interior) so the worst thing that happens is we stay there. 😊

[goodoldan]

On 8/12/2019 at 12:20 PM, Beardface said:

the ridiculous prices on NCL is what drove my wife and I to MSC, and further to the YC.  For a sailing next summer in the Haven on the Encore, it was going to cost a minimum $4k pp for the cheapest room.  Within the YC, we were able to book an inside room at a lower rate than a bare bones balcony with no frills would have cost us on NCL.  Which is fine, it comes with more perks, I'm willing to pay a little more for it.

 

What I will not pay for is to be gouged up front for the opportunity to choose what I want.  I'm already paying multiple thousands on a vacation, I do not want to be nickel and dimed along with it.  And NCL doesn't even fill up the Haven in all of their sailings because of how high a price they set.  MSC has it right, set a reasonable price, people will buy it up, and it'll be a selling point in getting people within the brand.  For the prices that NCL charges, you're better off sailing on a smaller, actual luxury ship, and not a 'ship within a ship'.

 

I can't help but wonder if the "ship within a ship" concept (Yacht Club, Haven, etc) won't eventually reach a price point (and maybe already has?) where lines like Regent, Azamara (and maybe Virgin?) draw those customers away with a better experience and level of service.  It seems as though these premium classes on large ships eventually devolve into the same service and product quality level as the rest of the rest of the ship... with the drawbacks of a large ship (crowds, lower classes poaching on upper class perks, etc). Virgin may in fact be onto something... with a larger, premium-class ship concept?

[goodoldan]

1 hour ago, Até said:

That bid to an Aurea suite with sealed panoramic windows is a total joke, I'd consider it a outright downgrade.  In fact MSC will not give those suites to balconies as a free upgrade because people would have a fit.

 

Funny thing... in the description of that suite on the upgrade offer page, a picture is shown with the sealed window... and a diagram is also included showing a room with a sliding door and a balcony!  We know there's no balcony, but I wonder how "innocent" the error was to include a diagram of the balcony room?  MSC = Mistakes Seem Constant?

[muggo11]

Interesting thread. We were in an interior YC for upcoming Bellissima cruise in October. And got an upgrade bid offer for a YC balcony. We jumped on it (only $670 more for both of us), well below the cost if we had booked a YC balcony originally. We will find out if the bid was accepted a few days before the cruise, I guess. 

[Até]

6 hours ago, muggo11 said:

Interesting thread. We were in an interior YC for upcoming Bellissima cruise in October. And got an upgrade bid offer for a YC balcony. We jumped on it (only $670 more for both of us), well below the cost if we had booked a YC balcony originally. We will find out if the bid was accepted a few days before the cruise, I guess. 

What would have been your cost difference between the YC Interior and YC Deluxe, on one week sailings it is usually around $800 to $1000 total difference.  Several sailings did not have both cabin types available, but I found the Bellissima sailing on Oct 25th  that had both cabins available on the same sailing which had a $500pp difference and that seems to be the trend on later sailings with similar itineraries.  Did you get the email that tried to start you at $500pp bid and you were able to move to the $335pp lower bid?  So, if that minimum is accepted, you will save $330 by taking a guarantee cabin over picking the cabin in the first place?

[muggo11]

15 minutes ago, Até said:

What would have been your cost difference between the YC Interior and YC Deluxe, on one week sailings it is usually around $800 to $1000 total difference.  Several sailings did not have both cabin types available, but I found the Bellissima sailing on Oct 25th  that had both cabins available on the same sailing which had a $500pp difference and that seems to be the trend on later sailings with similar itineraries.  Did you get the email that tried to start you at $500pp bid and you were able to move to the $335pp lower bid?  So, if that minimum is accepted, you will save $330 by taking a guarantee cabin over picking the cabin in the first place?

Hmmm. . .interesting.  I got an email that STARTED the bid at $335–maybe a later email?  I also got a $1092 casino discount so I am still a tad ahead. And if others bid more, I am still content with a YC interior (for Oct 19 out of Marseilles). 

[DCGuy64]

44 minutes ago, Até said:

What would have been your cost difference between the YC Interior and YC Deluxe, on one week sailings it is usually around $800 to $1000 total difference.  Several sailings did not have both cabin types available, but I found the Bellissima sailing on Oct 25th  that had both cabins available on the same sailing which had a $500pp difference and that seems to be the trend on later sailings with similar itineraries.  Did you get the email that tried to start you at $500pp bid and you were able to move to the $335pp lower bid?  So, if that minimum is accepted, you will save $330 by taking a guarantee cabin over picking the cabin in the first place?

That’s very interesting. We’re in essentially that same spot. There’s $600 between what we paid for our YIN & the Deluxe Suite, so I’m not willing to bid $600 more pp since there’s no savings. I’ve made several bids but have had no response other than my bid was received and is pending. I’m not willing to wait nearly 3 months to see if it’s accepted so I may withdraw my offer. Would love to know what others’ experiences have been. We’ve never done an upgrade before. 

[Até]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

That’s very interesting. We’re in essentially that same spot. There’s $600 between what we paid for our YIN & the Deluxe Suite, so I’m not willing to bid $600 more pp since there’s no savings. I’ve made several bids but have had no response other than my bid was received and is pending. I’m not willing to wait nearly 3 months to see if it’s accepted so I may withdraw my offer. Would love to know what others’ experiences have been. We’ve never done an upgrade before. 

If that $600 difference is acceptable why don't you call your TA or MSC and upgrade and pick the cabin?  Is the problem that you're locked into a pricing structure that you booked under?

[DCGuy64]

14 minutes ago, Até said:

If that $600 difference is acceptable why don't you call your TA or MSC and upgrade and pick the cabin?  Is the problem that you're locked into a pricing structure that you booked under?

I guess it’s the idea that if I can simply ask my TA to book the Deluxe Cabin for the same price (or more) as the bid, why bid? I don’t know (since it’s past final payment) whether MSC would charge a fee to cancel and rebook. Does anyone know how that works? 

[Até]

56 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I guess it’s the idea that if I can simply ask my TA to book the Deluxe Cabin for the same price (or more) as the bid, why bid? I don’t know (since it’s past final payment) whether MSC would charge a fee to cancel and rebook. Does anyone know how that works? 

If you're after final payment you don't want to cancel.  I've upgraded after final payment, you are held to the prices as they were at the time of your booking.  Not good if prices went down, good if prices have gone up.  Historically once set YC prices fluctuate fairly little, more recently I've noticed they tend to increase as sail date approaches.  I don't know what the prices were when you booked, being in YC I really don't think your sailings prices have gone down.  With TA's there's a wide range in how willing they are to help you, but in this case you're trying to spend more money and that usually helps.  Can't hurt to call.

Edited September 21, 2019 by Até

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, Até said:

If you're after final payment you don't want to cancel.  I've upgraded after final payment, you are held to the prices as they were at the time of your booking.  Not good if prices went down, good if prices have gone up.  Historically once set YC prices fluctuate fairly little, more recently I've noticed they tend to increase as sail date approaches.  I don't know what the prices were when you booked, being in YC I really don't think your sailings prices have gone down.  With TA's there's a wide range in how willing they are to help you, but in this case you're trying to spend more money and that usually helps.  Can't hurt to call.

My TA is looking into it for us. Honestly we’re fine with our YC inside cabin. But if there’s a chance to score a Deluxe Suite, then great. But not at ANY price. Our TA is a friend who has been helping us for years. 

[SailBreakaway]

This is a vendor that NCL uses for upgrades. Same plugin and processing. For those that are familiar with Haven and pricing increases since 2015, and the bid program you probably cringed like I did when I opened my email link and found the guage and slider. I told DW that we should eat up as much YC as we can. The Haven product commanded ALOT of demand and that demand drove pricing way up and it has sustained those price increases, esp in NY kind of markets. Anyway Im in an inside for December and lowest bid is 340 each to deluxe. I’m just looking forward to a nicer Inside maybe opening up from this process, as our pricing for this was exceptional and is only reason we are taking it. 

[miaminautigal]

Does the YC upgrade include the Spa access?  It says that YC upgrade includes all perks:

 

[joebehr2011]

On 8/25/2019 at 7:33 PM, Valkyrie said:

 

 

Valkyre:

Did you have to do anything special at embarkation, to get the butler service?

 

 

Edited January 12, 2020 by joebehr2011
oops

[LasseKjus]

On 6/26/2019 at 6:27 PM, kodesthemoose said:

I am hopeful that this is a situation of MSC shoreside having no practical idea of what happens once you are on board, or even checking in. (not unheard of.)  I could be wrong, for sure.  But there would be zero reason to consider it an upgrade to go from a fantastica balcony to an inside room with no amenities.  The only reason that inside room is an upgrade is b/c it's in YC.  I suppose it's a few decks higher, but it's an inside room.  I would probably feign total ignorance, show up at the YC tent, get my YC luggage tags on, and enjoy the ride from there.  If someone said to me "Oh i'm sorry you don't get the perks" I would simply remind them that I paid to upgrade, not to downgrade my cruise.

 

Best of luck!! 

This is very true. We once booked a very last minute Costa Atlantica 7 days out from a Christmas Cruise. $399 per person, kids free, run of ship. We got assigned their top room, a balcony with spa treatments, a special dining room, priority embarkation. I called Costa and asked how we would get all of these perks. They said we would not get any of it since we got a special rate. Once on board, we got everything. It was like seaside had no idea what rate we booked at.

[vdh77]

Hey Everyone,

The topic has been quiet for a while, I was wondering if anyone else has gone on their cruise already with the bid upgrade. 

I got my offer on January 3rd and received the email on January 9th saying that I had won my bid.

I was in a Fantastica Balcony and now I am in a Yacht Club Deluxe Suite. 

 

I am 18 days away from my sailing and I wanted to get some clarity as to what to expect. 

Should I go directly to the Yacht club area at check in, or check in as if I my cabin isn't in Yacht club?

Will we be dining at the Yacht club restaurant, or main dinning room?

 

I've read through all of these pages and I see different opinions, but has anyone new actually been on board with an upgrade?

 

Thanks in advance,

[Cruisergal1208]

16 minutes ago, vdh77 said:

Hey Everyone,

The topic has been quiet for a while, I was wondering if anyone else has gone on their cruise already with the bid upgrade. 

I got my offer on January 3rd and received the email on January 9th saying that I had won my bid.

I was in a Fantastica Balcony and now I am in a Yacht Club Deluxe Suite. 

 

I am 18 days away from my sailing and I wanted to get some clarity as to what to expect. 

Should I go directly to the Yacht club area at check in, or check in as if I my cabin isn't in Yacht club?

Will we be dining at the Yacht club restaurant, or main dinning room?

 

I've read through all of these pages and I see different opinions, but has anyone new actually been on board with an upgrade?

 

Thanks in advance, 

 

[joebehr2011]

13 minutes ago, vdh77 said:

Hey Everyone,

The topic has been quiet for a while, I was wondering if anyone else has gone on their cruise already with the bid upgrade. 

I got my offer on January 3rd and received the email on January 9th saying that I had won my bid.

I was in a Fantastica Balcony and now I am in a Yacht Club Deluxe Suite. 

 

I am 18 days away from my sailing and I wanted to get some clarity as to what to expect. 

Should I go directly to the Yacht club area at check in, or check in as if I my cabin isn't in Yacht club?

Will we be dining at the Yacht club restaurant, or main dinning room?

 

I've read through all of these pages and I see different opinions, but has anyone new actually been on board with an upgrade?

 

Thanks in advance,

I had the exact same experience. We had a Bella Balcony and bid on an upgrade to the Yacht Club. We went right to the Yacht club tent and out butler and he had Yacht club luggage tags. He then escorted us pass security and all.tyebothers waiting, straight to the Yacht club lounge, and got us a drink. This is where we checked in and received our wrist bands and Yacht club cards. The only thing we did not get was drinks outside if the Yacht club. Inside the Yacht club it was anything we asked for. Outside the Yacht club we had to pay for our drinks, so we just got our drinks inside the Yacht club and walked out. The quote "experience" on our cruise card was Bella, seeing that is what we originally booked.

We are hooked now!! It is so worth the extra money.

 

When we were at Grand Cayman, there was a line at least 500 people long, to get onto the tender. Our butler spotted us at the end of the line and walked us around the block past everyone in the glaring sun, straight to the front of the line! That was worth it right there!!

Edited March 3, 2020 by joebehr2011

[Cruisergal1208]

I’ve not done the bid thing  But I do know from others that when you are upgraded you get the full benefits of the YC. Yes, go to the white YC tent to check in. You will be dining in the YC and will have the drinks package that comes with the YC booking.  Congratulations on your bid.  Enjoy the YC. It’s an awesome experience.  

[Cruisergal1208]

10 minutes ago, joebehr2011 said:

I had the exact same experience. We had a Bella Balcony and upgraded to the Yacht Club. We went right to the Yacht club tent and out butler and he had Yacht club luggage tags. He then escorted us pass security and all.tyebothers waiting, straight to the Yacht club lounge, and got us a drink. This is where we checked in and received our wrist bands and Yacht club cards. The only thing we did not get was drinks outside if the Yacht club. Inside the Yacht club it was anything we asked for. Outside the Yacht club we had to pay for our drinks, so we just got our drinks inside the Yacht club and walked out. The quote "experience" on our cruise card was Bella, seeing that is what we originally booked.

Did you check with the YC concierge about the drinks?