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I think all the lines operate more or less the same way. Yes, you "might" get a bargain upgrade. Or, you'll get a cabin assigned by them that no one else wanted. You might have a great view of the underside of a lifeboat...or worse, be directly under a working venue. Either way, the cardinal rule with cruising is there's no free lunch... you might be tempted to think so, but one way or another, you'll pay for it...exercise caution!!!

Cheers for that, sound advise.

Yes - there's a range you can bid. In general - if you go the minimum bid, you aren't competitive. You'll need to bid mid - to higher range, which in effect is probably greater than the retail price of that room at the time that you booked your original cruise. Brilliant marketing strategy as they're maximizing higher rates on unsold rooms.

Bidding? Not a fan. Do not see the advantage in doing so.

Agreed...if there was a way to bid on what was left, and KNOW what exactly cabin you were bidding on I "might" consider it...that's like going to a storage auction and bidding on unknown contents... Yet folks do it...and if they get screwed in the process oh well...laff...not me podnuh!!!

Thanks, sound advice .

I bid on a concierge balcony cabin from a balcony cabin. I bid $200 each. We won the bid and I am glad we went for it. It was my birthday cruise. We had a sit down lunch on embarkation day and received canapes every afternoon. We asked for a fruit platter and a cheese and cracker platter and that is what we got every day. We loved the expanded breakfast room service menu. Loved having coffee and french toast in our room every morning. We like the special events and attended the sail away party on the heli deck. It was great. I would definitely do it again.

Usually not a good deal. Generally, when you book you choose a cabin type and location on the ship. When you get an upgrade whether it’s free or through a bid, the cruise line will assign the location which may not be desirable. We got a free upgrade from a balcony midship to a mini-sweet forward with a partially obstructed view. Room was fine but the view from the balcony was not good.

Thanks, what a wonderful treat for you, well done. Unfortunately we’d have had to bid over $600 for concierge class. So we bid $230 for either a family balcony or balcony suit, just to be able to have fresh air. Wish us luck.

Good luck and you will enjoy your cruise no matter where your cabin is located.