Celebrity MoveUp is Celebrity Cruise’s invite-only cabin upgrade. If you get the email inviting you to upgrade, don’t delete it because you might just luck out and get a great deal on a cabin upgrade! So how does it work? Who gets invited? And more importantly, how do you get a cabin upgrade?
How It Works
In order to bid on an upgrade, you first have to be invited. You will get an email about the Celebrity MoveUp program, inviting you to upgrade. But, if you didn’t get that email, which I didn’t (my in-laws did!) Don’t give up just yet.
Do what I did: sign in to the Celebrity website and click on Manage Reservation. In the Manage Your Vacation page, scroll down. At the bottom, you will see information on Celebrity MoveUp. There is a banner inviting you to “Upgrade Your Vacation in a few simple clicks.” Click on that, and it will take you to the Celebrity MoveUp upgrade page.
From there, you will see all the different cabins you can bid to upgrade. I currently have a balcony cabin (Verandah) and was given the option to bid on upgrades to various suites and Concierge class staterooms. The bidding process was straightforward, with a minimum and maximum bid amount indicated. The bid price was per person.
The nice thing is that you only pay for 2 people; the third and fourth person in your cabin is free. I also like that there is a meter that tells you if your bid is weak, fair, or strong.
It’s really easy to bid on an upgrade. Just put an amount that you are willing to pay. Just be careful because the slider is a little tricky. I suggest using the keyboard arrow keys instead of the mouse for better control over the bidding amount.
Once you have entered your bid amount, hit continue, and it will ask for your credit card information. You enter that information and submit it. It was as simple as that!
I put in bids for 3 suites, and all my offers were close to the minimum bid. They were “weak” offers according to their meter. Now I’m eagerly waiting to see what happens!
Why Bid on an Upgrade?
The main reason you’d bid on an upgrade is if you think it’s a good deal. In my case, I honestly think it’s worth it because the minimum bid to upgrade from my Verandah cabin to the Sky Suite was just $500 per person for my 12-night cruise. Since I’m only paying for the first two people in my cabin, the total is $1000 for the entire cruise or $83.33 per night, which is essentially the price of a beverage package!
For just $83.33 per night, I’ll have access to all the suite benefits. It’s not just about the larger cabin; I’ll also have butler service and access to The Retreat Lounge, Pool, and the Suite-Only restaurant. Plus, I’ll get priority embarkation and disembarkation, along with many other perks, such as a welcome bottle of sparkling wine. The only downside is that I won’t get the unlimited beverage package and free WiFi that all suite passengers have, but I still believe it’s worth it, especially since I can still get drinks from the Retreat lounge, just not at the restaurant.
For my 12-night Baltic cruise, I could upgrade to the following cabins and suites.
- Sunset Veranda Stateroom. The bid starts at $100 per person to $350 per person.
- Concierge Class Stateroom. The bid starts at $100 per person to $350 per person.
- Sunset Concierge Class. The bid starts at $100 per person to $350 per person.
- Sky Suite: The bid starts at $500 per person to $2500 per person.
- Horizon Suite: The bid starts at $1000 per person to $5000 per person.
- Sunset Sky Suite. The bid starts at $800 per person to $4000 per person.
- Aqua Class Sky Suite. The bid starts at $500 per person to $2500 per person.
- Celebrity Suite. The bid starts at $600 per person to $3000 per person.
- Royal Suite. The bid starts at $1500 per person to $7500 per person.
Reasons Not to Bid on an Upgrade
There are two reasons not to bid on a cabin upgrade. The first is that you can’t choose your cabin location. If I win the bid, I won’t have the ability to choose the location of my cabin. Since many of the suites are not mid-ship, I’m a bit worried about the possibility of experiencing seasickness, especially because I tend to be prone to it. But I’m hopeful that since we’re sailing the Baltic Sea, it’s not going to be bad even if I’m at the back of the ship!
The second downside of bidding for an upgrade is the potential for my family to be split up if not all of our upgrade bids are successful. My mother and father-in-law have also put in bids for an upgrade, and if only one of our cabins is chosen for an upgrade, there’s a risk that we won’t be able to dine together since one of us will be dining at a restaurant exclusively for suite passengers. I really hope that doesn’t happen, and we all end up getting upgraded.
When Is an Upgrade Not Worth It?
You should do your homework and price out how much it would cost to upgrade outright without having to bid on one. If the cost is lower than the upgrade bid amount, then you’re better off just doing the upgrade directly. Also, by upgrading directly, you can choose your cabin location.
Can You Bid on More Than One Stateroom Upgrade?
Yes, you can bid on more than one stateroom. They say that the more offers you make, the higher your chances of getting upgraded. You will, in the end, only pay for one upgrade. I bid on 3 suite upgrades, I’m hopeful that will increase my chances of getting one!
How Will You Find Out If You Got the Upgrade?
They will send you an email to let you know if you got upgraded. You can also check your reservation details, if your room has changed then you got the upgrade!
When Will You Find Out If You Got the Upgrade?
The timing of when you will find out about your upgrade will vary. You can get the email right away, or they will keep you waiting until two days before your cruise departure date. As of publication, I am only 4 days away from the embarkation day, and I still haven’t received any communication from Celebrity regarding whether I have been granted the upgrade or not!
Do You Have to Pay for the 3rd and 4th Guest?
The nice thing about the Celebrity upgrade program is that you only have to pay for the first two guests in the cabin! So, the third and fourth guests get to upgrade for free!
What About Solo Travelers?
Solo travelers must pay for two people, even if they are just one person.
Can You Change Your Mind?
Once your bid has been accepted, they will charge your credit card. It’s non-refundable at that point.
Can You Choose the Location of the Cabin?
No, you can’t choose your cabin location. You will be assigned a cabin, and it may be in a location that is worse than your current cabin. For example, you might have a mid-ship balcony cabin and then upgrade to a suite that is not mid-ship.
Check out these free cruise printables
What to Pack in Your Cruise Carry On Bag (Free Packing List)