Help for a Priceline Rookie

[suzym]

I have decided to do something definately outside the box for me. I am going to bid on rooms on Priceline. We are leaving Vancover on the Serenade on Sept. 5th. I am booking for the night before of course. I am also bidding on a room for friends that are going with us. I don't want to screw this up...

 

Questions......

Do I have the right to refuse the hotel once I see what it is?

Will I have a choice in a smoking/nonsmoking room?

How long does it usually take to see if your bid is excepted?

What percent do you usually start at?

Anything else I should know?

 

Thanks in advance. Sue

 

Serenade of the Seas Hubbard Glacier Cruise

 

[superjerryw]

You will know in a few minutes if your bid has been accepted. Once your bid is accepted your credit card will be charged immediately. If you do not like the hotel that accepted your bid your are out of luck. You cannot change your mind after the fact. Check this web site for great infomation on Priceline -

 

www.biddingfortravel.com

 

 

Donuts, is there anything they can't do....

[kimidz]

No, you can not refuse the hotel once your bid has been accepted.. You have bought the hotel. After the bid is accepted, I call the hotel a few days later and request smoking/non smoking. Make sure to request both rooms on the same request to make sure you are in the same hotel. Priceline will tell you the approximate $ you should bid. I always bid lower than that.. If your bid is not accepted, you can change the * level and rebid- or I think it has a time line of when you can bid again. You will have your answer about your hotel usually in 5-15 minutes.

[princesstori]

I second the referal to check out biddingfortravel.com. You can look up the hotels in that area there and know about what to bid according to what others have gotten the hotels for.

 

As far as getting non-smoking, I believe that is something you would have to call and request after your bid is accepted. Like the previous poster said, once the bid is accepted you can't change your mind.

 

Til Explorer

 

 

Navigator 12/03

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I've got a native tongue, from way down south. It sits in the cheek of my Gulf Coastal Mouth."

[suzym]

Thanks for the prompt answers... Let the bidding begin!!! Sue

 

Serenade of the Seas Hubbard Glacier Cruise

 

[caviargal]

I use Princeline a lot and just won a bid for Vancouver in high season at the Marriott Pinnacle for 75 US/nt. This a about a third of the price on their website.

 

The only negative I have is that I also have rooms in NY I booked thru Priceline at the Grand Hyatt. I called to request non smoking 2 beds and they said the price is for Executive Class rooms which have only one queen bed and they will not accept a request for anything.

 

As there are a bunch of ladies travelling together we now will have to pay for rollaways in the rooms. 2 people per room but they do not want to sleep together. Nor would I!

 

RCI(37),NCL(12),Princess(1),HAL(2),Celebrity(3), Carnival(2), Eastern (13),Radisson(2), Star Clippers(1),Home Lines(2), Costa(5),Big Red Boat (6), Dolphin (1), Commodore (2), Others (11)

 

[Family of 14]

caviargal - For the price of those roomws, why not bid for two more and each have your own room?

 

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Disney Wonder 3/2000 ~ Disney Magic 9/2000 ~ RCI Vision 2/2001 ~ Carnival Victory 12/2001 ~ Celebrity Millennium 3/2003 ~ RCI Adventure OTS 9/2003 ~ RCI Mariner OTS 7/18/2004 ~ RCI Serenade OTS 9/26/2004

[caviargal]

Family of 14:

 

There are nine of us travelling the first weekend in December, which is the busiest weekend of the year in NY. I am from NY and have made this trip the same weekend for the past 16 years as it is my mom's birthday and she loves to go after the tree is lit.

 

Average hotel price for that particular weekend is 300/nt and the nicer hotels - Hilton, Marriott - were selling at 400+ 3 months ago when I booked thru Priceline. I am a TA so I have access to all the good rates and researched everything very well before resorting to Priceline.

 

We are paying 150/nt plus taxes and have six rooms for nine ladies. Several are seniors on a budget. So it was a matter of trying to do the best for them at a premium time of the year.

 

Next year I will figure something else out.

 

RCI(37),NCL(12),Princess(1),HAL(2),Celebrity(3), Carnival(2), Eastern (13),Radisson(2), Star Clippers(1),Home Lines(2), Costa(5),Big Red Boat (6), Dolphin (1), Commodore (2), Others (11)

 

[ZZROX]

Don't worry about the Hyatt..stayed there last year and was given a non-smoking room, 2 double beds w/o any problems. All I did was ask, when we checked in.

[bigmacfan]

I think that priceline specifically says that all rooms are requested non smoking.

 

That said, I ALWAYS call and confirm my reservation and make any requests I have at that time (like side of hotel, facing pool, bed configuration, etc) and have never had a problem.

 

You should absolutely check out biddingfortravel.com as it has a wealth of information.

 

Sovereign of the Seas 06/00

Inspiration 06/02

Carnival Conquest 06/03

Carnival Conquest 05/04

 

 

 Until the Conquest sails!!!!!

 

[suzym]

Thanks to you all we have the Hyatt for $75.00. I don't think I would have been brave enough without all your help. Definately will call for nonsmoking rm. bigmacfan.... Thanks everyone. Sue

 

Serenade of the Seas Hubbard Glacier Cruise

 

[cujosmom]

suzym - We are on your cruise, too. I think you started a rollcall several months ago but cannot find the rollcall anymore. Should we start a new one?

 

We are wanting to do the Priceline thing for a pre-cruise night, too, for Sept 4. What was your initial bid on Priceline? $75? Was your first bid accepted? Or, did you have to wait and re-bid?

 

Until we set sail to Alaska on the Serenade of The Seas

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[suzym]

Hi Cujos mom, We haven't had good response to our roll call at all. Perhaps we're sailing alone. Yes let's start a new one I can't find the old one either. My openning bid was $75 and accepted.. Good Luck maybe we'll be at the same hotel. Sue

 

Serenade of the Seas Hubbard Glacier Cruise

 

[cujosmom]

Suzym - I'm going to try and wait until I've made final payment before I bid on Priceline and hopefully I will get a good rate.

 

I've booked the Fairmont Airport Hotel postcruise since we have a 7:30 AM flight the next morning and I wanted to have the Fairmont hotel since it's right in the airport. Otherwise, I would have tried a airport hotel through Priceline, too.

 

I'll start the new Roll Call soon.

 

Until we set sail to Alaska on the Serenade of The Seas

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[suzym]

Cujos mom, Hope you don't mind I posted a thread over on the meet and mingle board. I also posted a thread on this board to look over there for our roll call.

 

We are flying into Seattle on the 1st or 2nd of Sept. Flights on Frontier have gotten pretty reasonable. We were going to drive with our friends but our scheds. aren't coming together. Besides we are driving from Colo. to Montana 2 weeks before for my class reunion.

 

Now I guess it's time to book rooms in Seattle which should be easier since we used to live there... Sue

 

Serenade of the Seas Hubbard Glacier Cruise

 

[pkey]

Check with biddingfortravel to see what hotels are currently going for in Vancouver. We had the Hyatt last year for $45ish.