How does bidding for a cruise cabin upgrade work? — featuring Life Well Cruised
In this video: HOW TO BID FOR A CABIN UPGRADE ON A CRUISE: Tips, Tricks & Must-Knows
Life Well Cruised · 2 years ago
When do I find out if my cabin upgrade bid was accepted?
You'll receive an email notification if your bid is accepted, which can happen anywhere from a few weeks before your cruise up until the day you sail. Most cruisers report being notified within a few days to weeks, depending on the cabin category and ship occupancy.
What this video answers
When do I find out if my cabin upgrade bid was accepted?
Can I place multiple bids for different cabin categories?
What happens if my bid is not accepted?
Does the upgrade bid cost apply to everyone in my cabin?
Can I use cruise credits or onboard credits to pay for an upgrade bid?
This video explains how to participate in cabin upgrade bidding programs offered by major cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and Princess Cruises. Rather than paying full price for a premium cabin upfront, you can book a cheaper cabin and place a bid for an upgrade—a strategy that appeals to cruisers hoping to save money while securing better accommodations. The video covers the mechanics of these programs, the mistakes that can derail your bid, and whether this approach is right for your cruise style.
The guide is suited for both first-time cruisers and experienced sailors who want to understand the ins and outs of cabin upgrade programs before placing a bid. If you're considering upgrading from an inside cabin to an ocean view, or from a balcony to a suite, this video walks through realistic budgeting, timing, and the rules that govern how the bidding process actually works—information that many cruisers overlook.
Key Moments
Key Moments in the Cabin Upgrade Bidding Process
Understanding how cruise lines send out upgrade invitations weeks or months before sailing, and how to bid if you don't receive an invitation
The importance of checking current cabin prices before you bid, so your offer doesn't exceed what you'd pay booking directly
How multiple bids work strategically—you can bid on several cabin categories at once and let the cruise line choose which upgrade, if any, to offer
The critical cost structure: your bid is added to what you've already paid per person, not a total replacement price
When your bid gets accepted—typically a few days to weeks before sailing, but potentially up until departure day
Who should avoid the cabin upgrade program: those needing a specific cabin location, connecting cabins with travel companions, accessible cabins, or anyone already satisfied with their booking
What to Know Before Placing Your Cabin Upgrade Bid
Timing matters: Bid as soon as you receive your invitation email; earlier bids have better chances of acceptance on competitive sailings
Price check first: Compare your bid amount against what that cabin category costs if booked today directly with the cruise line or travel agent
Budget realistically: Set a maximum bid you're genuinely comfortable paying; don't overbid just because an upgrade looks appealing
Use the sliding scale: The bid interface shows a "weak" to "strong" range; adjust based on sailing season and expected occupancy
Additive pricing: Your bid amount is added to your existing cabin price per person, not replacing it; read the terms and conditions carefully to avoid costly surprises
Credit card required: You must provide a credit card to bid; it will only be charged if your bid is accepted, but you cannot use onboard or cruise credits
No cabin location control: You won't choose which specific cabin you get if upgraded; you lose the ability to avoid noisy locations or secure connecting cabins
Cancellation impossible: Once your bid is accepted and your card is charged, you cannot reverse the upgrade
Common Questions About Cruise Cabin Upgrade Bids
When do I find out if my cabin upgrade bid was accepted?
You'll receive an email notification if your bid is accepted, which can happen anywhere from a few weeks before your cruise up until the day you sail. Most cruisers report being notified within a few days to weeks, depending on the cabin category and ship occupancy.
Can I place multiple bids for different cabin categories?
Yes, you can bid on multiple cabin upgrades at once—for example, bidding on both a balcony upgrade and a suite upgrade if you're starting in an ocean view cabin. The cruise line will accept whichever bid best matches availability, or none if none meet their criteria.
What happens if my bid is not accepted?
If your bid is not accepted, your credit card is not charged and you remain in the cabin you originally booked. There's no penalty or additional fee for an unsuccessful bid.
Does the upgrade bid cost apply to everyone in my cabin?
The upgrade price is per person, but it applies only to the first two passengers in your cabin. If you're traveling with three or four people, only the first two pay the upgrade fee.
Can I use cruise credits or onboard credits to pay for an upgrade bid?
No, you must use a credit card to pay for a cabin upgrade bid. Onboard credits, promotional credits, and other account balances cannot be applied to upgrade bids.
This video fills a genuine knowledge gap. Many cruisers don't realize that upgrade bids are non-refundable once accepted, that the cost stacks on top of your existing cabin price, or that you lose control over cabin location and connectivity when you participate. The video breaks down each rule clearly and includes a frank discussion of who should avoid bidding altogether—which is just as valuable as the how-to itself.
What stands out most is the emphasis on the price-check strategy and the real-world example of a viewer's costly mistake. The presenter doesn't just tell you the rules; she explains the financial risk and the trade-offs between saving money and surrendering control. If you're considering a cabin upgrade bid, watch this before you place one.
Years on the front lines of helicopter tour coordination — not as a travel blogger, but as the person responsible for making every guest experience go right. Managed 2,000+ cruise guests weekly as Shore Excursions staff aboard the Pride of America in Hawaii
Personally coordinated with helicopter tour operators to confirm age, weight, and safety requirements.
One of the best ways to save money on a cruise and get a better cruise experience is to bid for a cabin upgrade. Book a cheaper cabin & try to snag a room upgrade through the cruise line bidding process. However, there's a lot many cruisers don't know about how cabin upgrade bids work. While upgrading your room can work out great, for some people it can lead to potential problems & costly mistakes.
This video includes cruise cabin tips & cruise advice for both first timers & seasoned cruisers. If you're planning a cruise vacation, this cruise vlog is a must-watch.
RESOURCES I RECOMMEND
🛳 THE ULTIMATE CRUISE PLANNER 🛳
Get the Life Well Cruised ULTIMATE CRUISE PLANNER ($10 off for a limited time). The printable planner includes 47 pages of checklists, packing lists, shore excursion forms & more! here: https://lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-...
______
Please note that this video is not sponsored. The links in this description are affiliate links, meaning that I will make a commission on purchases you make through my links, at no extra cost to you.
As Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
**Level8 Luggage (save 20% with code L8SS): https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-1011505...
More Items we LOVE @ Life Well Cruised Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/3QaoV29
_______
FTC LEGAL DISCLOSURE - Some links found in the description box of my videos are affiliate links, meaning that I will make a commission on purchases you make through my links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services that I personally like and trust.
_______
*Business inquiries & media: please contact Ilana at lifewellcruised@gmail.com
Please note that I am unable to give personal cruise and travel advice. If you leave a comment I try my best to answer.
ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises, ideally to hot and sunny destinations! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!
Please note that I do not sell cruises on
Video transcript for “HOW TO BID FOR A CABIN UPGRADE ON A CRUISE: Tips, Tricks & Must-Knows” Accessibility
A full written transcript of this video, provided for accessibility. Select any timestamp to jump the video to that moment.
if you're going on a cruise you might be tempted to bid for a cabin upgrade as a way to save money and potentially have a better experience on your cruise however there are some important dos and don'ts to know as well as some mistakes that you'll want to avoid hi there I'm Elana from the
website lifewell cruise.com welcome or welcome back to my channel now have you ever thought of bidding for a cabin upgrade on a now something that I realized recently is that it isn't necessarily obvious exactly how this works and I recently did hear from a viewer who told me unfortunately of her situation and it
looks like she did make a very costly mistake now that being said bidding for a cabin upgrade is a popular way to save money on a cruise and potentially get a better cabin location and experience now in this video I'm going to share everything that you'll want to know about the cabin upgrade process so that
you can make sure that this works for you now before I get started I did want to mention that if you like this video if you find it helpful informative or enjoyable in any way then please do give this video a big thumbs up I really do appreciate it and please subscribe to the channel if you haven't done so
already let's get started understanding the basics of how bidding for a cruise ship cabin works now many different cruise lines from Royal Caribbean to Norwegian Cruise Line to MSC cruises to Princess Cruises have in recent years introduced cabin upgrade bidding systems now these programs allow passengers to
place a bid for a better cabin category which may be accepted if there is availability now it's essential to understand how these programs work and there specific rules before you bid now while all cruise lines have a lot of similarities to these programs there can be some differences so it really is
important when you do place your bid that you do take a look at the terms and conditions timing your bid now you might be wondering how do you bid for a cruise ship cabin upgrade well typically you're going to receive an email a few weeks or even sometimes a few months before your
cruise and it is going to be an invitation to bid for certain cabin categories now if you think that you do want to bid for a cabin upgrade it's a good idea to place your bid as soon as you do get that invitation now if you don't receive an invitation you can check as well on the cruise line website
setting a realistic budget for your cabin upgrade now one thing that you don't want to do is overbid on your upgrade it can be really exciting to see that perhaps you can get an upgrade for an inside to an Ocean View cabin or a balcony cabin or a balcony cabin to a suite but you do want to make sure that
you're bidding the amount that you feel comfortable with paying for that better cabin do a price check so here's a little bit of a tip before you place your bid for that cabin upgrade take a look at the time that you're making this bid what would that cabin cost you if you were booking that cabin right now in
this way you are not going to place a bid that is higher than you would pay if you simply called up the cruise line or your travel agent and you upgraded on your own can you under bid for a cabin now while some people have said that they've actually bid the lowest amount and they've still received a cabin
upgrade if you are booked on a cruise that is maybe during High season or you just know that that cruise ship will likely be sailing full then it's a good idea to a little bit higher than the lowest amount especially if you have calculated what the cabin would cost you if you were booking it now using the
sliding scale so when you are placing your bid you're going to see that there is a sliding scale from what is called a weak bid to a strong bid so you can use that as a little bit of a guide when you are placing your bid evaluating your cabin categories and the potential amenities that come with them so
something that you do want to calculate especially if you're going into those higher cabin categories is what kind of perks or amenities do come with that cabin so maybe you are paying an additional amount you are of course but you do want to see if there are some amenities that really have some value
you do want to take that into account when you are placing your bid placing multiple bids strategically now some people do Wonder can I place multiple bids and you definitely can so if you're in an Ocean View cabin you can place a bid for a b balcony cabin but if you also think you know what if I can get
that Suite or that mini Suite I want that as well you can bid on multiple cabins and then just see what happens how does the cost work when you are bidding for an upgrade now this is something really important to know and this is one area that some people can make some costly mistakes so first thing
that you want to know is that the price for the bid is going to be over and above the amount that you've already spent on your cabin so for instance if you've already paid $1,000 per person for your cabin and you bid an additional $800 for a cabin upgrade then if it does get accepted it is going to cost you
$1,800 per person for that cabin so that is something that you should know as well the price is for the first two passengers in the cabin so that could be good news if you're three or four people in the cabin you're only going to pay the upgrade fee for the first two two people now where this can get tricky and
it does trip some people up is for instance if you've booked a cabin that is for example $22,000 and then you see an upgrade for $2400 perhaps you might think that $2400 is inclusive of the 2000 but it is not so that is part of the terms and conditions and if you do read that you
will see it there but it really is something to be aware of when will your bid be accepted and how will you know well you can monitor your bid status and if your bid is accepted you will usually get an email now that can happen all the way up until the day of sailing so that does have the potential to happen but
typically a lot of people say that they do receive an email you know in the few days to even sometimes a few weeks before the cruise depending on the type of cabin that they are bidding for now if you've bid for a cabin before please let me know when you were informed that you did receive your bid now I am going
to answer some frequently asked questions and I do also want to share who I think should not take part in these cabin upgrade bidding programs so can you cancel your bid once it has been accepted so no once you make your bid you'll actually have to put in your credit card number and all of the
information for your cabin upgrade and if it is accepted your credit card will be charged automatically now the other thing to know as well is if you've already chosen a cabin well what happens when you do get a cabin upgrade is the cruise line is going to place you in that cabin but you are not going to have
a choice as to where that cabin is located what happens if your bid is not accepted and you put your credit card number in there well nothing happens at all your credit card will not be charged and you will still remain in the same cabin that you have chosen now some people ask if I have Cruise credits or
onboard credits can I just use that to bid for an upgrade well no typically you're not able to you do have to use your credit card to pay for that upgrade now personally I like the cabin upgrade programs but I also am somebody who does sometimes book a guaranteed cabin so I'm not particularly picky as to where my
cabin location is especially if I can get an upgrade but not everybody feels the same way so who is the cabin upgrade program not for well basically anybody who does really want a specific cabin or a specific cabin location so if something that might really annoy you is not being between two passenger decks so
in other words having potential noise from above or below you that is something that you just won't have control over if you do participate in the cabin upgrade program anybody who needs a joining or connecting cabin so if you are cruising with other people so for instance if you're cruising with
your children or even friends and you want to stay close together if you do get that upgrade it is not guaranteed that the other cabin will get that upgrade as well so then you're probably best off sticking with the cabins that you've booked with if you need an accessible cabin or you have a lot of
special requests if that's the case you're really better off having more control over your booking and choosing your cabin budget conscious Cruisers now this might go without saying but if you're cruising on a budget why not just use the money instead of for a cabin upgrade for excursions or for a drink
package AG or to have a special experience on the cruise anyone who is happy with their current cabin if you already have the cabin location that you like if you already have the cabin category that you like when you do participate in these cabin upgrade programs in a sense you're gambling and
if you're okay with that that is great but if you're going to be potentially unhappy with your cabin it probably just isn't worth it now please let me know if you have any other questions about this but as well if you have participated in in the cabin upgrade program please let me know your successes down in the
comments below any tips that you have and if you've had any negative experiences please share that as well because I know that that will help other people now I hope that you enjoyed this video if you did please do give it a big thumbs up I really do appreciate it and please subscribe to the channel if you
haven't done so already bye for now and happy cruising
Every video on Helicopter Tour Videos is hand-picked and reviewed by Justin — nothing is added automatically. Each one gets an original written guide and an honest rating: ⭐ 1 out of 2 means a good video worth your time, and ⭐⭐ 2 out of 2 means a great one we would recommend to anyone. The videos belong to their creators — every page links back to the original channel so you can subscribe and support them.
