Arizona Wildcat Posted 23 hours ago #26 Share Posted 23 hours ago 14 minutes ago, Muffinz said: Thanks for the replies… I’ve just gone into Princess site to do a booking- to see how much a mini suite would be and the website says mini suite all sold out (as well as interior/ ocean view/ reserve mini suite) so that’s bizarre….. maybe Princess are holding back some staterooms to offer to some people to upgrade?? There are likely some mini suites held in TA inventories. They can be released back to.Princess until about 30 days before the cruise. People also have various reasons to cancel a cruise - some literally a day before; so you never know what can become available 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muffinz Posted 20 hours ago Author #27 Share Posted 20 hours ago Ok so I've discussed it with my dear wife and she is keen to bid on a reserve mini suite can someone who has stayed in one please tell me exactly what you get included? this is what it says on the upgrade screen. plus premier dining benefits and luxurious perks. Each night, enjoy Club Class Dining, an exclusive dining area featuring expedited seating with no wait, additional menu options, dedicated wait staff and tableside preparations. Other amenities include priority embarkation and disembarkation, a complimentary one-time wine set-up and so much more! Ok so some more questions We will be picking our medallions up at the port so how does priority boarding work if you don't yet have your medallion? what exactly is the 'one time wine set up'? do they bring a bottle of wine / glases / wine cooler with ice to your stateroom? The exclusive dining area - I believe this is an area of Divinci's MDR (excuse spelling) that's for reserve suite guests? I'm keen to know what the 'so much more' is they refer to - can someone please enlighten me what else is included? One last thing - I moved the slider to where the bid offer was 'good' but at the bottom of the screen it said 'review and pay' - does this mean you have to pay once you submit your bid? I would have thought you's only have to pay once your bid was accepted - can someone confirm? It's a fair bit of money to upgrade to a Reserve mini suite, so I want to make sure it's worth putting a bid in for it. thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCX22 Posted 17 hours ago #28 Share Posted 17 hours ago 1 hour ago, Muffinz said: what exactly is the 'one time wine set up'? do they bring a bottle of wine / glases / wine cooler with ice to your stateroom? Wouldn't get too excited about this because it's a half bottle of some cheap wine that's left in your cabin on embarkation day. 1 hour ago, Muffinz said: I'm keen to know what the 'so much more' is they refer to - can someone please enlighten me what else is included? You each get a flute of cheap champagne. Sometimes the steward chases after you. Sometimes the flutes will be left in your mini fridge. Most times the champagne is flat because they've been hanging around. IMO, you're paying for the Reserve Class Dining with Reserve Collection. All of the Reserve Collection Cabins are midship, so if you wanted that, just reserve an MA mini-suite. Priority boarding is a bit of a misnomer because the ship will start boarding shortly after they get to a zero count of disembarking passengers, so unless you get to the port super early like before 10:00 am, priority boarding is a moot point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BamaVol Posted 16 hours ago #29 Share Posted 16 hours ago 8 hours ago, 1KBAP said: I already bid about double the minimum. Could be nearly full. Might just be a game. Hard to tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WisCruiser2 Posted 15 hours ago #30 Share Posted 15 hours ago @Muffinz, you asked, "We will be picking our medallions up at the port so how does priority boarding work if you don't yet have your medallion?" You get the medallion before entering the boarding area. So if you get to the terminal and go through security and pick up your medallions before boarding begins, you should be shown to a special waiting area and allowed to be in the first group boarding. Not sure if you get to jump the boarding line if you arrive after it's begun, others would know better than I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peety3 Posted 14 hours ago #31 Share Posted 14 hours ago Reserve Collection dining is that "slice" of an MDR, usually starboard side by the windows. It's essentially "Anytime Dining" but with better capacity. Ordinarily, Anytime Dining can end up full by 5:45 and you're stuck waiting until 6:45. RC dining has enough tables that only in the most extreme situations would they run out of tables, so you're near guaranteed quick seating. Note that RC dining is open for any meal that an MDR is serving, so you get that premium service every dinner, every breakfast, and on sea days it's open for lunch as well. At dinner, there's usually one special RC dish available that the rest of the MDRs don't have. Also, the wait staff wear a different color uniform and have "front of the line" privileges in the galley so if the dish you chose has a long wait, the RC waitstaff can jump to the front and "steal" the first available. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reedprincess Posted 14 hours ago #32 Share Posted 14 hours ago 5 hours ago, Muffinz said: ? One last thing - I moved the slider to where the bid offer was 'good' but at the bottom of the screen it said 'review and pay' - does this mean you have to pay once you submit your bid? I would have thought you's only have to pay once your bid was accepted - can someone confirm? thanks again You're reviewing and giving authorization to pay, should your bid be accepted. You won't pay anything at all if your bid isn't accepted. You're not charged immediately and then refunded if your bid isn't accepted... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou33 Posted 10 hours ago #33 Share Posted 10 hours ago 20 hours ago, 1KBAP said: A couple of weeks later, I received an e-mail that I had been "out-bid" and I should up my bid amount. Huh? Several people have reported that they got these types of emails, and they ignored them, and then they got an upgrade with their original bid. They try to work you into a frenzy to get the most money out of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john watson Posted 10 hours ago #34 Share Posted 10 hours ago Under the Princess upgrade bidding system the cruise line seems to offer a range of cabin types above the type you have booked. Recently I booked a basic Cove Balcony and was offered bids on Standard Balcony, Deluxe Balcony, etc. up to a mini suite. The bid levels were given and I just added !0 to the minimum suggested levels but for mini-suite I bid the exact amount 200. In the end I won the mini-suite. So everyone should not be too worried about lack of success at minimum bid levels. The amount paid is bid price x2 for the whole cruise. Regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muffinz Posted 6 hours ago Author #35 Share Posted 6 hours ago thanks for all the replies - very helpful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1KBAP Posted 6 hours ago #36 Share Posted 6 hours ago 4 hours ago, Lou33 said: Several people have reported that they got these types of emails, and they ignored them, and then they got an upgrade with their original bid. They try to work you into a frenzy to get the most money out of you. That was my thought as well, but I did add $100 per person so it worked for them. Three days later, they hit me again with another e-mail and I ignored it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muffinz Posted 6 hours ago Author #37 Share Posted 6 hours ago I just relooked at the deck plans and it looks like the 16 mini suites at the back of Deck 8 are directly above club fusion on deck 7. Has anyone stayed in one of these mini-suites? would noise from the nightclub below be an issue? also has anyone put in a 'fair' bid or the lowest 'good' bid amount and got an upgrade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruise_critical Posted 6 hours ago #38 Share Posted 6 hours ago (edited) On my last reserved class mini suite on Royal Princess 10 months ago, we got a full size sparkling wine bottle waiting for us when we walked into our room. But yeah, the main reason we book it is for the reserved/club class dining experience. Edited 6 hours ago by cruise_critical Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou33 Posted 5 hours ago #39 Share Posted 5 hours ago 22 minutes ago, Muffinz said: also has anyone put in a 'fair' bid or the lowest 'good' bid amount and got an upgrade? Many, many people here have reported getting upgraded with the absolute minimum bid amount. Personally I've received an upgrade 3 out of the 4 times that I tried. My bids ranged from just a few $ above the minimum to no higher than the middle of the "fair" range. The bid scale that they use has nothing to do with your chances of winning. It all depends on how many cabins are available, how bad they want "your" cabin, and how much others are bidding. My strategy: First I book a category that I know we'll be happy with. When it comes time to bid, I consider that when I made my initial booking, how much extra would I have paid for that higher catagory so that "of course" we would have booked that instead. It would have been a no brainer. Then that's how much I bid, no more. That way we can't lose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1KBAP Posted 5 hours ago #40 Share Posted 5 hours ago I think that's right. I bid 10-15% over the minimum and am 4 for 5. That's for an upgrade from a balcony to a mini-suite. For the Majestic next month, I am trying to move from a mini-suite to a full suite. I am about 25% over the minimum bid. That's as high as I am willing to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OzKiwiJJ Posted 3 hours ago #41 Share Posted 3 hours ago 16 hours ago, Muffinz said: Ok so I've discussed it with my dear wife and she is keen to bid on a reserve mini suite can someone who has stayed in one please tell me exactly what you get included? this is what it says on the upgrade screen. plus premier dining benefits and luxurious perks. Each night, enjoy Club Class Dining, an exclusive dining area featuring expedited seating with no wait, additional menu options, dedicated wait staff and tableside preparations. Other amenities include priority embarkation and disembarkation, a complimentary one-time wine set-up and so much more! Ok so some more questions We will be picking our medallions up at the port so how does priority boarding work if you don't yet have your medallion? what exactly is the 'one time wine set up'? do they bring a bottle of wine / glases / wine cooler with ice to your stateroom? The exclusive dining area - I believe this is an area of Divinci's MDR (excuse spelling) that's for reserve suite guests? I'm keen to know what the 'so much more' is they refer to - can someone please enlighten me what else is included? One last thing - I moved the slider to where the bid offer was 'good' but at the bottom of the screen it said 'review and pay' - does this mean you have to pay once you submit your bid? I would have thought you's only have to pay once your bid was accepted - can someone confirm? It's a fair bit of money to upgrade to a Reserve mini suite, so I want to make sure it's worth putting a bid in for it. thanks again Are you embarking from an Australian port? If so which? At Sydney there has sometimes been a priority boarding line outside the terminal otherwise there is one just as you queue at the check-in area. If you arrive early it really doesn't make much difference but be aware you won't be able to enter the terminal until zero count is reached, especially if the previous cruise went to overseas ports. You get your medallion during the check-in process and also a card indicating which boarding group you are in - usually alpha is priority, a number is regular. They call the alpha groups first. Brisbane is probably similar but I'm not sure. It's a couple of years since we tried Reserve Collection so I can't recall what we got in our cabin that differed from that in regular minisuites. It's not a big deal IMHO. The main benefits are the location of the cabin if you really want a midships cabin and the Reserve Collection dining. The service is just that little bit better, the location is usually near the windows, you can arrive anytime you like during the opening times, and there are a few extra dishes available. You definitely don't get charged unless your bid is accepted, and don't fall for the "you've been outbid" trick to try to get you to increase your bid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muffinz Posted 3 hours ago Author #42 Share Posted 3 hours ago 13 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said: Are you embarking from an Australian port? If so which? At Sydney there has sometimes been a priority boarding line outside the terminal otherwise there is one just as you queue at the check-in area. If you arrive early it really doesn't make much difference but be aware you won't be able to enter the terminal until zero count is reached, especially if the previous cruise went to overseas ports. You get your medallion during the check-in process and also a card indicating which boarding group you are in - usually alpha is priority, a number is regular. They call the alpha groups first. Brisbane is probably similar but I'm not sure. It's a couple of years since we tried Reserve Collection so I can't recall what we got in our cabin that differed from that in regular minisuites. It's not a big deal IMHO. The main benefits are the location of the cabin if you really want a midships cabin and the Reserve Collection dining. The service is just that little bit better, the location is usually near the windows, you can arrive anytime you like during the opening times, and there are a few extra dishes available. You definitely don't get charged unless your bid is accepted, and don't fall for the "you've been outbid" trick to try to get you to increase your bid. thanks - yes we are boarding (and disembarking) in Sydney I'm mainly interested in the larger stateroom with a shower over bath - mid ship would be nice but not a deal breaker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OzKiwiJJ Posted 3 hours ago #43 Share Posted 3 hours ago (edited) 3 hours ago, Muffinz said: I just relooked at the deck plans and it looks like the 16 mini suites at the back of Deck 8 are directly above club fusion on deck 7. Has anyone stayed in one of these mini-suites? would noise from the nightclub below be an issue? also has anyone put in a 'fair' bid or the lowest 'good' bid amount and got an upgrade? There is likely to be noise at night from Club Fusion in those cabins. We bid just over the first low bid section on the diagram for our world cruise and got it. However even a low bid for that 110 night cruise was several thousand dollars so that's probably not a fair comparison - I recall seeing a few posts online saying it was too expensive to put in a bid. Edited 3 hours ago by OzKiwiJJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OzKiwiJJ Posted 3 hours ago #44 Share Posted 3 hours ago (edited) 8 minutes ago, Muffinz said: thanks - yes we are boarding (and disembarking) in Sydney I'm mainly interested in the larger stateroom with a shower over bath - mid ship would be nice but not a deal breaker You don't get priority boarding for regular minisuites and you will run the risk of ending up in a location that you don't like but if you're happy to take that risk then it will be worth it, as I know. 😊 All you can do is pack seasickness meds if you end up too far forward, and earplugs if you end up on deck 8. Edited 3 hours ago by OzKiwiJJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare OzKiwiJJ Posted 1 hour ago #45 Share Posted 1 hour ago We usually turn up at the OPT around 11am and almost always are able to go straight in. We've only had one cruise where we had to wait outside for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingsoon Posted 32 minutes ago #46 Share Posted 32 minutes ago (edited) One thought about the upgrade bidding process: The slider and bid offer likelihood estimates (poor-fair-good) are not designed to actually help you. They are a revenue maximizing tool for the cruise line. Don't expect any real correlation between those descriptions and the eventual outcome. Same for the e-mails telling you that you've been outbid. They're not helping you, they're squeezing you. Others have rightfully pointed out that the main benefit to Reserve group is the dining. It is nice. The rest of the stuff is of little import. "discussed it with my dear wife and she is keen to bid" Well, that makes the 'should I/shouldn't I' question really easy. I've gotten upgrades three times and was never really disappointed. Sometimes the bid doesn't take and I try not to be disappointed there either. One more thing to consider, depending on the prices and how bad you want it, is to contact your TA or your (or a random) CVP and see if you can just lock in the upgrade that way. Enjoy your cruise, Walkingsoon Edit to respond about Emerald deck. Although the conventional wisdom is to book with cabins both above and below, I enjoy Emerald deck and have never really minded the noise. It ends at a reasonable hour and I find it a fair trade off to be that much closer to the water. I do stay away from cabins below Lido. Edited 26 minutes ago by walkingsoon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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