My upgrade bid suite experience on Princess Cruises - Was it worth it?
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- čas přidán 17. 06. 2024
- Welcome to Tim at Sea! I’ve recently returned from my Alaskan cruise on the Discovery Princess. Thanks to a successful bid using the Princess Upgrade program, I stayed in a penthouse suite on this cruise. In this follow up to my two prior videos about using the Princess Upgrade program to obtain discounted cruise cabin upgrades, I will talk about my suite experience on this cruise and let you know if I thought it was worth the extra money I spent.
Have you received a bid upgrade on a Princess cruise or other cruise line? Have you sailed in a suite on Princess? Let us know your experience in the comments! Please remember to like, comment, and subscribe to our channel for more exciting cruise content. Hit that notification bell to stay updated with our latest videos. Bon voyage!
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Video Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction
1:59 - Check in process
3:19 - Cabin
5:24 - Concierge
6:24 - Dining
10:19 - Other perks
11:35 - Was it worth it?
17:23 - Wrapping up
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Tim at Sea is a channel devoted to all things cruising. You’ll find ship and cabin tours, tips and tricks, cruise line comparisons, reviews of restaurants and excursions, and much more! I’m an introverted person who typically cruises solo, so my opinions and content will be geared a little more towards this audience, though anyone can benefit from the content of my videos. I have several more cruises planned on multiple different cruise lines over the next few months and I look forward to sharing information and my unbiased opinions on them. I’d be honored if you would subscribe to my channel. Thank you!
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Connect with me!
Facebook: / cruisewithtim
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Shipmate: timatsea
Email: hello@timatsea.com
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I would really appreciate it if you would like my video and subscribe!
Great very informative vlog. Thank you for taking the time to create informative content.
thanks for the info !! it is really helpful for planning my curise trip on 2024 !!
Thanks for the review. We did the same thing and upgraded to a penthouse suite as well. We’d enjoyed it. We didn’t save as much, since we had booked a large aft, balcony state room, which was at a premium cost .
Our favorite perk was the 360 dining experience!
For sure. The 360 experience was amazing. I hope they roll it out to other ships.
Good one Tim, thanks very much for that.
We watched your videos on the upgrade process you went through, so was great to watch how the end result played out.
Love your work, will keep an eye out for your future content.
That's so kind of you to say! Thanks so much!
On the CP you get full suite benefits for much less when you book a window suite. I do this all the time. I get the same benefits as someone who booked a PS but much cheaper. The room is very large, the bathroom has marble double vanity and a jacuzzi tub. Since there is no balcony (but has 2 large windows) the price is significantly cheaper than the Vista and Penthouse suites and you get ALL the benefits.
Very informative video! Would love to see some of your Alaskan cruise trip.
Thanks for the feedback! I'm going to try and include more scenery and location content in my videos from now on.
Thanks for your review. I’ve got 36 cruises on Princess + cruises on other cruise lines. I just bid for an upgrade to a mini suite on the Discovery Princess for $250 minimum & just saw a video of what my suite will look love, & if I’m selected I’m selected it will be my 1st time in a mini suite & I will feel like a KING just once in my cruising life. I’m on the April 3rd solar eclipse cruise on the Discovery Princess & have booked both the 360 experience + the chefs table just for the cruise critic group I’m in. Much thinks again.
Thanks for the review, Tim. I was in a vista suite in April 2022 for a transatlantic cruise on Enchanted. I did use the Sabatini's breakfast every day. I loved it. I really enjoyed the Reserve class dining (called Club Class then.) Mostly as a solo traveler and I also don't drink alcohol, it gave me the opportunity to meet quite a few couples that I then had dinners and lunch with. I traded my mini-bar for ginger ale. I loved the bathroom on the Vista Suite and actually had a much bigger and nicer balcony than you did. I agree though $2,200 dollar value it was not. My cruise was before the bid situation, so I called Princess a few weeks before sail date and did an upsell for less than $100 dollars for the entire cruise. So my suite upsell was totally worth it on a 16 day cruise. I like your channel. Yours is the first I have subscribed to. Thank you.
My husband & I want to book a cruise to Alaska, so I'm doing a lot of research. Your video contains loads of helpful info & tips, so thank you. I look forward to future content.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the honest review. I travel solo too and don’t drink so can relate! Going on my first cruise on Dec 1st and it is on Princess.
Hope you have a great time! I even had the drink package and didn't drink. They have lots of good mocktails though!
Thanks for this, very helpful. My partner and I are going on an Alaska cruise on the Sapphire Princess, had booked a (reserve) mini suite and was wondering if upgrading would be worth it. Thanks for saving us some $$! It will be our first cruise.
We upgraded to a reserve collection family suite and it was absolutely worth it. We are a family of 6 so the extra room was fantastic. Plus no need for reservations for meals save time and frustration. We took an eleven day cruise to Alaska.
I am going on my first cruise in 11 months and have been looking up so many questions. You answered my question about how to get coke cans for my in room drinks, lol. I don't mind paying, but the ease of just going to the lounge to grab a can than waiting for room service to bring or paying a possible high price of the in room fridge (done that after bars in hotels and have not always paid attention to listed pricing, lol) is a nice bit of knowledge. ( I know the fridge price is negligible compare the overall cost, but always feels good to not have "overpaid" for something when the alternative did not require any real effort.
edit: I'm actually booked under Reserve Mini Suite right now, but will bid on Penthouse suite once opens up. I'm sure I'll be happy with the mini, but I actually enjoy lots of space and don't really mind spending a little bit more on that, but since this is my first cruise, I'm still up in the air of what I really would enjoy.
I did once have NCL book at Haven, but canceled that to go to Cost Rica instead, lol. Did not regret. I'll look for your videos on NCL now.
Thanks for your insightful video. 😄
Anyone do a bid for Penthouse from Reserve Mini and what were successful bids?
------Western Caribbean, 6 night, 2 port (Cozumel, Roatan, Costa M / Yes, I do know that Roatan and Coz can cancel for high winds) and in mid February.
Also, wondering about 'stern' penthouse suites with large balconies?
Wish me luck Tim. I’m going on the Caribbean Princess this Sunday and did a bid for the Grand and Owners Suite. Should know in a day or two.
Were you successful?
As one that books way in advance I messed up. I get the offer to bid and cast a near minimum bid to go from a balcony to mini suite. Yes my wife likes the bathtub BUT I forgot that I booked a balcony I really wanted only to get a mini suite where I didn't. Stoopid me.
Some people say food is bor good. What did you think about the food in buffet and mdr
Tim, Do you believe you got Covid from that long line at embarkation to pick up your Medallion?
Haha...I doubt it since I wasn't sick on the cruise itself. At least it waited until a day or two after I got back.
Do they have "friends of Bill W?"
Having been on 4 Princess cruises on different ships in the last 3 years, yes each cruise had that “self led” published in the daily newsletter / schedule. 😊
Is that all stuite guess
You wasted your money!
Balcony room would have given him the same joy