⚓️ NCL upgrade advantage | Should You Upgrade with Norwegian?

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Here is a link to the FAQ from Norwegian Cruise Lines about the Upgrade Advantage program for more additional information as well! www.ncl.com/ca/en/content/upgrade-advantage-faq

[@chaptertwotravelerbysharaj6583]

Thanks for the valuable information. Just received my offer to bid for an upgrade and had so many questions. Lots of great information here!

[@TravelingFlamingo]

We are so glad you found the video helpful. We hope you have a great cruise 🚢 ❤️

[@dianaclemons4316]

Hello I learned a lot from the information provided regarding the NCL Advantage Upgrade program. The lady on the scooter is me. Wow!

[@lisalister8002]

I was in a spa club balcony... I wanted to upgrade to a Haven courtyard with large balcony. The upgrade started at $400 per person... and then it was rated a "poor" bid. Interestingly.... I noticed that the price difference was only $300 per person.. So, I just called NCL and upgrade. It was done for only $600. Whereas, a "poor" bid was $400 per person, and "fair" bid was $800 per person. Needless to say, the upgrade advantage was not cheaper..

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Wow that is so interesting. Good for you to call and get the upgrade. Thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy the Haven. We have heard it’s amazing. Happy travels 🦩

[@n-da-bunka2650]

So you are saying that the PRICE ONLINE was less than the "upgrade" offer. Yes, that is fairly common for the lower demand cruises and others have replicated. We were hoping for something similar but an upgrade from a Club Balcony Suite to the lowest-end Haven suite is... $1,100 per person for the very lowest bid and the difference online is about $2,500 per person higher

[@TheKennedysTravelChannel]

Just a quick comment about paying for the upgrade. I have upgraded twice in the last couple of years with Norwegian and on each occasion the additional payment was taken the moment that our bid was accepted. I found out that we had been successful by getting a message from the bank to say that the payment had been taken. It is important to remember that they can accept your bid any time from the moment that you place it, so make sure that you have the money available on your card as, if you don't, you will lose the upgraded cabin.

[@TravelingFlamingo]

That is a really good point! Thanks for sharing.

[@dannomano2851]

We we had a midship balcony and bid the minimum for spa balcony and won it. Saved $200 on thermal spa that we were thinking about getting anyway. If I recall we had 3 choices to bid on. Spa balcony, balcony suite and a Haven room.

[@TravelingFlamingo]

That is awesome! What did you think of the spa? Thanks for watching and commenting 😊

[@dannomano2851]

@@TravelingFlamingo We thoroughly enjoyed it. We went all but one day on our 7 day cruise on the Breakaway.

[@rgruenhaus]

Was that $200 per person or total saved?

[@Jax16Jags]

@@rgruenhaus$200 total ($100pp each)

[@beverlybranch2319]

If I’ve already bid on a Haven suite from the upgrade email I received, can I call and ask how much it would be to upgrade over the phone?

[@Kimberly-oneminut]

Awesome tips and great explanation. I’ve done the upgrade a couple of times and it has been worth it.

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Happy travels 🦩

[@TheKennedysTravelChannel]

Remember also that you can only upgrade a maximum level of categories above your original booking, so you can't upgrade from a sea view cabin to The Haven. Our best was an upgrade from a balcony cabin to The Haven Owner's Suite on Norwegian Getaway and we saved over €10,000 on the cost!

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Wow that is a win! I bet that suite was amazing.

[@TheKennedysTravelChannel]

@@TravelingFlamingo It was fantastic, but it makes it very difficult to go back to smaller/non Haven cabins on future cruises.

[@donskorey4593]

If you do bid for an upgrade and it is accepted there is no backing out. I did not here you mention that. I am currently bidding on an upgrade to a balcony from an inside stateroom on the Sun. I too bid the minimum figuring that if it is accepted we will be fine with new stateroom whereever it is located. Smooth sailing!

[@TravelingFlamingo]

That is a really great point!! Thanks for watching and commenting. We hope you are successful in getting your upgrade. Happy travels 😊

[@ExploreTravelTV]

good feedback on this, I am booked for an NCL cruise to Alaska in June and I got the upgrade offer as well. I decided not to do it. we already booked a Balcony cabin and was expensive enough. we should be good.

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Oh yeah I’m sure it will be great especially if you picked the cabin you wanted. Have a great cruise! Alaska is amazing.

[@DCLayclerk]

Thanks for another great video! We booked a mini-suite for our next NCL cruise and might be interested in upgrading for the right price. Thanks again, glad I discovered your channel!

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Where are you going on your cruise? We are so glad you like our videos and our channel. Thanks for the support. Happy travels 🦩

[@groovygator1]

Another item to mention is that if you are on a ship that has the Single Studios and you booked a Single Studio cabin, you are not eligible for the upgrade program at all. Also, if you are single traveler and you participate in the upgrade advantage and win an upgrade, you will be charged based on double occupancy. I hope this helps.

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Thanks for adding that in. The single studio cabins make it much more affordable for people to travel alone but it does limit their cabin options. Thank you 😊

[@groovygator1]

@@TravelingFlamingo, thank you for the great vids and info!!!!

[@twixieshores]

I know this comment is 2 years old, but for anyone who comes across this, it appears that this is no longer the case. I'm booked in a studio on the Escape and just got an upgrade advantage email allowing me to bid on either an oceanview for $50/pp(×2) or a balcony for $75/pp(×2). Went ahead and threw $100 on a balcony, because why not

[@heathernusz1716]

​@twixieshores did you get the upgrade?

[@Star-Boarder]

Probably depends on the cruise and season, I recieved a bid offer on 8/30 for a 12/17 cruise. So just keep a watch.

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Yes its very variable and how they allocate updates will change over time. Thanks for the data tho, helps us track what they are doing :) Happy Travels Boarder! 🦩

[@heathernusz1716]

My upcoming cruise is December 17th and I just received my upgrade email today, August 29th.

[@shavedwookie699]

Really useful, thanks

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching and commenting 😊

[@brendaknits8751]

great information, thank you for this!

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Thanks for your comment and of course watching!

[@michelleeldridge6679]

If you do upgrade do you pay more taxes and gratuities?

[@trbarton743]

I’m traveling solo. Can I bid for an upgrade? Thanks for your information.

[@TravelingFlamingo]

You can bid but you will be charged based on double occupancy. Hope that helps :)

[@raven98031]

Sounds like a win to me

[@TravelingFlamingo]

yea it definitely was for us! Worked out very well.

[@pam7313]

you were very lucky. did you get any perks? we always book a mini suite bid on upgrade never got it always of course bid minimum.

[@pam7313]

I just listened you didnt get perks like drink package but thermal spa was good for you

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Yeah we were happy to have the thermal spa. It might have been a quieter cruise as we bid the minimum.

[@avlea2]

Thank you!

[@michaelnorris2338]

You mentioned that you bid to get the thermal pass. Was that a bid for room upgrade that included thermal pass or just a separate bid to get the thermal pass?

[@gretchenohar3083]

When/if you are offered an upgrade, is it only for a specific category based on your original booking? For instance, if I booked an inside stateroom can I bid on any available upgrades, or am I locked into only certain categories such as ocean view OR balcony OR whatever? Thanks for this very informative video.

[@TravelingFlamingo]

We had asked that of NCL but we didn’t get a reply, as we understand it from google it’s up to two classes so interior to balcony but not above that however this is only what we could find online and not verify ourself. Hope that helps!

[@gretchenohar3083]

@@TravelingFlamingo Thank you for checking!

[@rgruenhaus]

The one time I got an email for me to bid on an upgrade they listed categories and minimum bids for them!

[@TeachHiddenInTheLeaves]

Is it better to try to upgrade the way in advance for a different room or to wait until the bidding offer pops up?

[@TravelingFlamingo]

The risk with waiting is there is no guarantee you will get it. So you will have to decide if this is something you really want for your trip.

[@terryclouse3340]

Do you have to book with ncl or can you use a travel agent to get the upgrade bid

[@TravelingFlamingo]

You are able to bid to upgrade if you book on your own or with a travel agent. If you are booking with a travel agent be sure to let them know you are interested in bidding :)

[@terryclouse3340]

@@TravelingFlamingo Thank you

[@bigscottishmac572]

Do you have an opinion on wether or not I'm better to book through a travel agent or directly to negotiate for upgrades?

[@TravelingFlamingo]

In our experience it has not been cheaper to book through a travel agent, however they are able to stay on top of your booking. In terms of bidding for the upgrade you are able to do that on your own or through your travel agent. Hope that helps. Happy travels 😊

[@bigscottishmac572]

@@TravelingFlamingo Most helpful, thanks

[@suzstone]

REgarding the travel agent question, we used a friend as a travel agent and kind of wish we hadn't. While we could fill out the upgrade request ourselves it seemed like there were many things we couldn't do. I'm used to doing everything myself and didn't like having to go through a third party for payments, hotels, etc. We had the air package but hadn't decided whether to add on an early day until right before the 60 day time of completing our payments. When I called NCL to add on the day they couldn't help me - #1 - since I had a travel agent, only he could deal with reservations; #2 apparently flight changes couldn't be made once you were within 90 days of departure... which I didn't know since I wasn't handling things myself.

[@rgruenhaus]

the free at sea offers you had, do you keep what came with your original room? It sounds like you are saying that!

[@Jax16Jags]

Keep

[@dannygallant1984]

Hey I booked an indoor stateroom. There was an Free At Sea promotion of 2 free packages. I choosed the Ultimate Beverage Package. Do I lose this Beverage Package if my bid for an upgrade is accepted?

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Nope you will keep the offers that you have just have a more awesome room :). It just doesn't work the other way around (i.e. if you pick sail-away which has no offers, you won't get anything additional moving up). Hope that helps! Happy Travels

[@heatherordoyne1070]

@@TravelingFlamingo do we pay the difference in taxes and gratuities if bid is accepted? I recently got a free cruise for 2 but had to pay taxes on then I discounted price so I am skeptical

[@heatherordoyne1070]

To clarify… Are taxes and fees added to the upgrade based off the bid price or the original price?

[@TravelingFlamingo]

@@heatherordoyne1070you would pay for any increase in price including the gratuities.

[@felixcintron2863]

Do you have to wait for a email to upgrade or can you try and bid by yourself?

[@TravelingFlamingo]

I think you need to wait for the link, you can't sign in to upgrade like with Royal Caribbean.

[@jameshchetwyndjr9739]

According to KZbin video you only get obstructed room when specify ask for it

[@rgruenhaus]

Too bad they don't do like airplanes and show you taken rooms which will give you a heads up on which rooms they might have included in bidding!

[@kimberger9675]

So we purchased courtyard penthouse in the Haven and then bid on the owner suites. Does that mean we could end up out of the Haven? Thanks

[@ronaldstutes3998]

I'm sorry they didn't answer this for you. I know you were upset by the part around the 5:00 mark, when he says, "If you picked a guaranteed room ... and you bid to upgrade, you no longer have that specific room." That certainly sounds as if BIDDING makes you lose your room. Better wording would have been "... and your bid to upgrade is accepted, your new room might not have some of the features of your previous room, such as accessibility or an unobstructed view."

[@teams3345]

No but that is a long shot unless you bid about $7500 a piece. We just had the Owners Suite on the Joy. It was about $23,000 discounted for the two of us.

[@gregebner6267]

Any solos on McLean?

[@crystalswans4053]

So we have an inside room with the free at sea special (drink package, $50 off excursions, 30% off, free wifi, etc). If we bid to upgrade to a balcony would we keep our free at sea special?

[@TravelingFlamingo]

I wanted to be sure to give you the correct information. It is confirmed that you do get to keep your free at sea special when you bid to upgrade your room. Have a great cruise 🚢

[@crystalswans4053]

@@TravelingFlamingo thank you so much

[@sheilarhinefort1099]

Is the price per day?

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Good question, according to NCL: “The offer amount is per person for the entire duration of the cruise. Offers are based on two occupants per stateroom - only the first and second guest will be charged.”

[@crazybrickfamily]

Wondering if anyone has successfully upgraded into the Haven? And if so, how much did you bid?

[@user-dd1bb4tw4r]

My mom and aunt bid $3000. It was declined 😅

[@teams3345]

Haven $1500 and got it. $3000 total.

[@billrichardson2134]

I recently bidded for several Haven suites. My highest bid was $950 per person . I did not make it.

[@ghostbuff79]

Does everyone get the opportunity to bid?

[@gregebner6267]

Any solos on NCL?

[@TravelingFlamingo]

Yup NCL has solos, they are hard to book last minute however as they tend to go quick. Hope that helps Greg! Happy Travels 🦩

[@gregebner6267]

@@TravelingFlamingo Where are they?

[@cwazyman143]

is it per night or a one time price?

[@Jax16Jags]

One time price