Movin’ on Up: Princess Rolls Out Upgrade Bid Program | Travel Research Online

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Movin’ on Up: Princess Rolls Out Upgrade Bid Program

Princess Sky cruise ship on sunny day with blue sky

What’s a cruise line to do when it has a few empty suites lying around? Like many others, Princess is trying out a new program that offers them to the highest bidder—and pays commission to travel advisors too.

Launching first on September 6 on five ships in North America, the new Princess Upgrade program allows guests to bid on a higher-end stateroom than the one they booked, including oceanview, balcony, deluxe balcony, mini-suites and full suites.

It will first be available on Caribbean Princess, Discovery Princess, Enchanted Princess, Regal Princess and Ruby Princess, and then expanded to the rest of the fleet by the end of October. Once full payment is made, guests will be invited to submit a bid, which they can change or cancel at any time until it is accepted. No minimum bid is required—but once your bid is accepted, your credit card will immediately be charged (so you have to be sure you want to do it when you bid).

Bids are based on two guests; third and fourth guests in a room receive the upgrade at no additional cost.

There are three requirements for bidding:

  • You must be at least 21 years old.
  • The booking must be paid in full.
  • The voyage must be at least five days within final payment.Statistical Table

The program sounds like a win-win for all concerned. Customers asked for it: “Upgrading is a popular request from our guests and we’re pleased to deliver a process that lets them improve their stateroom category by making an offer that fits their budget and lifestyle,” said Princess president John Padgett.

And for travel advisors, it offers both an immediate and a long-term revenue opportunity. Personally, because I travel so often, I always book a balcony room, and I’ve always been content. But a couple of months ago my husband and I scored an upgrade on our bid on Norwegian’s Pride of America, to a Penthouse Suite with a butler for $1,300 more. When we sailed again last week and checked into our usual balcony room, we just looked at each other and said, “Wait, where’s the bathtub and the butler?”

“It makes perfect sense,” agrees Susan Shure at Susan Shure Travel in Wesley Chapel, NC. “I don’t see any issue with it.”

But while the additional commissionable cruise fare is a good thing, the upgrade will not work for those traveling in a group that wants to be together, noted Bryan Villella at Dream Vacations of Windermere, FL.

Still, here’s hoping all your clients take a chance on upgrading to the suite life and never go back!

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