Is a cruise cabin upgrade worth it?
It is worth it when the extra amount, counted per person per night, buys a change you would actually use, and you can accept the line choosing your new room. Think twice if you picked your stateroom for its location.
Do upgrades cost money?
A line can move you up for free, but only at its own discretion and never guaranteed. Paid routes are a price quoted by the line or your agent, an upgrade bought onboard, or a bid.
How is a bid charged?
It depends on the line. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess and NCL charge a bid per person for the first two guests, and a solo guest pays double. MSC, Virgin Voyages and Azamara charge it per cabin. A $200 bid is $200 per person ($400 for two) on the first four, and $200 for the whole cabin on the last three.
What changes?
You get the higher category's room, and with MSC, Virgin and Princess sometimes its benefits too. You do not choose the room. Your original promotions stay, and on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity your loyalty points stay at the category you booked.
The kinds of upgrade
| Route | What it is and what to know |
|---|---|
| Free upgrade | The line moves you up at no extra cost. Holland America: "at Holland America Line's discretion and not guaranteed," and "cannot be requested or confirmed in advance." |
| Loyalty upgrade | A benefit of a loyalty tier. NCL: Latitudes Diamond members get a one-time complimentary upgrade of one category. It is not available for Suites or Haven, the highest category is Club Balcony, and it covers two guests. Claim it within a year and sail within two. |
| Promotional upgrade | A fare offer that advertises a higher category. Compare the real fare and the conditions with the lower category. |
| Quote from the line or your agent | A stated price to change category on your booking. Ask for the total extra cost before you look at any bid. |
| Onboard upgrade | Asked for at Guest Services after boarding. Holland America suggests asking on embarkation day or within the first 24 hours; it costs extra and is not guaranteed. |
| Bid | You name an amount and the line accepts or declines. By invitation, or an eligibility check where the line offers one; charged only if accepted, and you cannot choose the room. |
How bidding works
A bid is an offer you make for a higher category, and the line accepts or declines it.
Each line sends an email invitation with the categories you can bid on, and Virgin, Azamara and Princess also let you check eligibility on their websites with your last name and booking number. You name an amount and the line decides. If it accepts, your card is charged and you cannot get the amount back by changing your mind. Refunds are limited to cases such as the line cancelling the cruise, and Royal Caribbean also refunds it if you cancel the whole booking. If it declines, you keep the room you booked and pay nothing extra. Terms differ by market. This comparison uses the seven lines' U.S. upgrade terms.
- Get the invitation, or check eligibility where the line offers it.
- Pick a category and name an amount. Check whether it is per person or per cabin.
- Review the total charge, including any higher gratuity, then submit.
- Wait for the decision. You can change or cancel an unaccepted bid until the line's deadline; after acceptance you cannot get the amount back by changing your mind.
Royal Caribbean and Princess allow offers on several categories but only one per category, and Virgin allows several open offers on one cabin. Bid only on categories you would be happy to receive. On Virgin and Azamara the charge may appear on your card statement under the name Plusgrade.
Line by line
Terms as shown on each line's U.S. page, October 29, 2026.
| Royal Caribbean: RoyalUp | |
|---|---|
| Who is charged | Per person, first two guests; a solo guest pays double |
| Gratuity or service charge | If the new category's gratuity is higher, the difference is added for all guests |
| Loyalty points | Points stay at the category you booked |
| Other charges | None named |
| Change or cancel an unaccepted bid | Until 12 hours before departure |
| Celebrity: MoveUp | |
|---|---|
| Who is charged | Per person, first two guests; a solo guest pays double |
| Gratuity or service charge | If the new category's gratuity is higher, the difference is added for all guests |
| Loyalty points | Points stay at the category you booked |
| Other charges | None named |
| Change or cancel an unaccepted bid | Until 48 hours before departure |
| NCL: Upgrade Advantage | |
|---|---|
| Who is charged | Per person, first two guests; a solo guest pays double |
| Gratuity or service charge | Not mentioned in the terms |
| Loyalty points | Not mentioned in the terms |
| Other charges | Taxes can apply. With NCL's travel protection, the upgrade cost is added to it automatically |
| Change or cancel an unaccepted bid | Until 5 hours before departure |
| Princess: Princess Upgrade | |
|---|---|
| Who is charged | Per person, first two guests; a solo guest pays 200% of the bid |
| Gratuity or service charge | Not mentioned in the terms |
| Loyalty points | Not mentioned in the terms |
| Other charges | A higher Princess Vacation Protection cost if you bought it, added to your balance |
| Change or cancel an unaccepted bid | Until one day before departure |
| MSC: MSC UpGrade | |
|---|---|
| Who is charged | Per cabin, for the whole cruise |
| Gratuity or service charge | Higher hotel service charge, billed at the end of the cruise |
| Loyalty points | The terms say accepted offers earn points; they do not give the rate |
| Other charges | None named |
| Change or cancel an unaccepted bid | Until the line accepts and charges |
| Virgin Voyages: Level Upgrade | |
|---|---|
| Who is charged | Per cabin; one passenger bids for the whole booking |
| Gratuity or service charge | Not mentioned in the terms |
| Loyalty points | Not mentioned in the terms |
| Other charges | A higher Voyage Protection cost if you bought it from Virgin |
| Change or cancel an unaccepted bid | Until 72 hours before departure |
| Azamara: Azamara Upgrades | |
|---|---|
| Who is charged | Per stateroom |
| Gratuity or service charge | Not mentioned in the terms |
| Loyalty points | Not mentioned in the terms |
| Other charges | None named |
| Change or cancel an unaccepted bid | Not stated in the terms; Azamara may accept an offer any time up to the departure date and time |
None of the seven lets you choose the room. "Not mentioned in the terms" does not mean no extra charge applies: ask the line whether the new category changes your gratuity or service charge before you bid.
What a bid really costs
This example shows how a bid and the extra gratuity add up. The $200 bid is our assumption, not a price we have seen a line accept.
Royal Caribbean, balcony to suite, 7 nights, a $200 bid per person.
| Per person | For two | |
|---|---|---|
| The bid | $200 | $400 |
| Higher gratuity: $21 a day on a suite against $18.50 | $17.50 | $35 |
| Total added | $217.50 | $435 |
That is $435 in total for two: about $31 per person per night, or $62 a night for the cabin. Would you pay $31 a night each for this change, knowing you cannot pick the room? For what the gratuity difference is and who pays it, see cruise gratuities explained.
Put the same $200 on MSC, Virgin or Azamara and it is $200 for the whole cabin, whatever the number of guests. A per-person line and a per-cabin line can quote the same number and cost very different amounts.
How much should you bid?
There is no reliable figure.
The lines do not publish what wins, and traveler reports are self-selected, so they cannot show reliable winning amounts or success rates. Set your own ceiling instead:
- Get a direct quote first. Your agent or the line can tell you the total extra cost to move up on your booking. If a quote for the same category costs less than your bid, take the quote.
- Compare complete totals. Your bid plus the gratuity difference, against the quote, counting only charges the quote does not already include. On Royal Caribbean and Celebrity the gratuity difference applies to everyone in the cabin, not only the two guests the bid covers.
- Pick a ceiling you could live with. Bid no more than you would pay per person per night to move up with no say in the room, and only on categories you would be happy to receive. A bid you would regret winning is too high.
Before you bid: benefits, location and rules
- Be clear what you are buying. Benefits come with the new category, such as space, a better view or a suite's amenities. Promotions belong to the booking you already made, and the upgrade does not add those of the higher category. Check what the new category includes. Our suite versus balcony guide covers the suite side.
- Decide how much your location matters. Midships, a deck near the pool or a quiet end of the ship may be why you booked that room. Royal Caribbean says you may be given a lower deck, and Celebrity says you may get a lower deck and a slightly obstructed view.
- Check your line's rules. Whether the bid is per person or per cabin, any extra charges, and the last time you can change it are in the tables above.
When to keep the room you booked
- The extra per person per night buys a change you would use.
- You would be happy in any room of the higher category.
- A direct quote is not cheaper than the bid.
- You picked the room for its location, deck or neighbors, and that matters more to you than the upgrade's benefits.
- You need an accessible cabin. Do not bid unless the line confirms your required features carry over; NCL and Azamara say they cannot guarantee one.
- The category you want only adds a small change you will barely notice.
- You are traveling in several cabins and need to stay together.
- The price per person per night is more than you would have paid for the same change when booking.
If you booked a guarantee stateroom and have no room number yet, there is no location to lose. Once you have been assigned a room, the same trade-off applies.
Our own experience: Azamara
It was a 6-night Spain and Gibraltar round trip from Lisbon on Azamara Journey in March 2026, and our honeymoon.
We had booked a guaranteed balcony close to sailing and were given a midships Veranda. Azamara emailed an invitation to bid, and we placed a $100 bid online for our stateroom, for Veranda Plus. It was accepted, and we moved to a large aft balcony stateroom.
Veranda Plus came with two specialty dinners (one each), a bottle of spirits, laundry and priority boarding. We used the dinners, the spirits and the laundry; priority boarding made little difference in Lisbon. We gave up the midships position, and for us that was a fair trade.
It does not always work. On another sailing a bid was declined, and we heard on embarkation day. Some fares were not eligible to bid. More on the line in our Azamara review.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bid on a category that looks sold out?
Royal Caribbean says the category "may not be available today, but we keep your bid."
How does the line decide which bids to accept?
The lines do not publish a rule. Royal Caribbean says it may decide an offer regardless of stateroom availability, and NCL says it decides "in its sole discretion" and makes no promise that any guest will be upgraded.
Can a bid be accepted or declined on the day I sail?
Yes. NCL may accept a bid up to the day of sailing, and Azamara up to the departure date and time. One of our own bids was declined by an email on embarkation day.