TUI Cruises – Hapag-Lloyd Cruises - Version dated 06 August 2026

The Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Upgrade Programme

These terms and conditions govern the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Upgrade Programme (the “Programme”), which is offered on selected Hapag-Lloyd Cruises voyages. 
Where these terms and conditions refer to “we”, “us” or “our”, this means Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Where we refer to “you” or “your”, this means you as the guest and booking party. “Your Cruise” means the cruise element of the holiday you have booked with us.
“Your Cabin or Suite” means the individual cabin/suite and cabin/suite category that you originally booked for your Cruise or that was allocated to you by us.
If you choose to participate and are an eligible guest in accordance with Clause 2.1 below, these terms and conditions will apply to you.

1. How does the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Upgrade Programme work?

1.1. The Programme allows you to place a bid for an upgrade to a higher cabin or suite category on your Cruise. Information about the categories we offer can be found at www.hl-cruises.com/fleet.

1.2. We cannot confirm in advance which specific cabin or suite categories will be available for upgrades under the Programme. Any upgrade will always be to a category higher than the one originally booked. The location and features of the assigned cabin or suite may differ from those of your original cabin or suite.

IMPORTANT: If your upgrade bid is accepted, we will automatically assign the new cabin or suite to you. Once your upgrade bid has been accepted, the newly assigned cabin or suite cannot be declined. Furthermore, you will no longer have any entitlement to your originally booked cabin or suite. Your bid is legally binding. If you specifically selected your cabin or suite because of its location or any other criteria that are important to you, participating in the Programme and submitting an upgrade bid may not be suitable for you.

1.3. Participation in the Programme is voluntary. You are under no obligation to submit an upgrade bid. If you do submit a bid, we cannot guarantee that it will be accepted. Decisions regarding which cabins or suites are made available under the Programme, which bids are accepted and to which cabins or suites upgrades are allocated are entirely at our sole discretion.

1.4. Upgrade bids apply to the entire cabin or suite, irrespective of the number of guests travelling in that cabin or suite. If an upgrade is accepted and processed, the full bid amount will be charged to the first travelling guest in addition to the original cruise fare.

2. Who can participate?

2.1. The Programme is available on selected Cruises and exclusively to those guests whom we have invited to participate (“Eligible Guests”). We are free to determine which guests are eligible (see also Clause 5.3 of these terms and conditions). You must be at least 18 years of age to be eligible.

2.2. Eligible Guests may place upgrade bids for all displayed cabin or suite categories. However, only one upgrade bid per cabin or suite may be accepted by us. Where multiple bids exist, we reserve the right to determine, at our sole discretion, which bid will be accepted.

2.3. Bookings that include multiple cabins or suites on the same voyage, or multiple travel combinations within a single booking transaction, are currently excluded from submitting upgrade bids.

3. How do I participate?

3.1. Eligible Guests will be informed by email about the opportunity to participate in the Programme and submit an upgrade bid.

3.2. To submit an upgrade bid, you must visit our dedicated Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Upgrade website, which can be accessed via the link contained in the invitation email. You must enter your Cruise booking reference and your surname in order to view your available upgrade options.

3.3. Please follow the instructions and guidance provided on the bidding page to submit your upgrade bid.

4. What is an upgrade bid?

4.1. You may submit an upgrade bid to purchase an upgrade from your originally booked cabin or suite category to a higher category. The upgrade bid is the amount you are willing to pay for such an upgrade.

4.2. Your submitted upgrade bids are visible only to you and never to other guests on board. Only we have access to the value of your bids.

4.3. Upgrade bids are binding. If we accept your bid, you must pay the amount you offered for the upgrade.

4.4. If we do not accept your upgrade bid, you will not be required to make any additional payment to us.

4.5. A minimum bid amount will be displayed for each cabin or suite category on the bidding page. Upgrade bids may not be lower than the stated minimum amount.

4.6. Upgrade bids are always submitted for the entire cabin or suite, regardless of occupancy. Before submitting a binding bid, the final total amount of your bid will be displayed on the bidding page. If you have purchased travel insurance through us, the insured amount will be increased by the value of your upgrade bid and will automatically be included in the insurance coverage. As a result, your insurance premium may increase. Any increased insurance premium will only be charged after acceptance of your upgrade bid and the issuance of your revised booking confirmation/invoice.

4.7. Any onboard credit or other fare benefits included with your original cabin or suite category will remain unchanged. They will not increase as a result of an upgrade and are not taken into account when calculating your upgrade bid.

4.8. Upgrade bids must be submitted in whole amounts and in the currency of the original booking.

4.9. You must provide a valid credit card number when submitting an upgrade bid. These credit card details are required solely to validate your bid and are neither stored nor retained by us. If your upgrade bid is accepted, payment will not be automatically collected using these credit card details. Payment will instead be made in accordance with these terms and conditions (see in particular Clauses 7 and 8).

4.10. You may amend or withdraw your upgrade bid only before the latest bid date specified in Clause 5.2, and only if your bid has not yet been accepted by us. Please refer to the instructions on the bidding page regarding amendments or withdrawals of upgrade bids.

5. During which period can I submit an upgrade bid?

5.1. The period during which you may submit a bid is referred to as the “Bidding Period”. The Bidding Period generally begins one hundred and twenty-five (125) days prior to the departure date of your Cruise.

5.2. The “Latest Bid Date” is three (3) days before the departure date of your Cruise. The Bidding Period ends on the Latest Bid Date.

5.3. We alone determine which Cruises and cabin or suite categories are available for upgrade bids under the Programme. The Programme is not available on all Cruises operated by us. The selection of cabins and suites available for upgrades under the Programme is subject to onboard availability and may change during the Bidding Period.

5.4. Not all cabin or suite categories will be available for upgrade bids on every Cruise, regardless of availability.

5.5. We will continue to sell cabins and suites in the relevant categories through our sales channels during the Bidding Period. Submitting a bid does not guarantee an upgrade. Your upgrade bid must first be accepted by us. We make no guarantee that cabins or suites included in the Programme will still be available on the Latest Bid Date or on the date your upgrade bid is submitted.

6. What happens after I submit my upgrade bid?

6.1. If your upgrade bid is accepted, we will assign you a higher-category cabin or suite within the relevant category. This will be referred to as your “Upgrade Cabin/Suite”. We will notify you by email if your upgrade bid has been accepted. We will then send a revised booking confirmation to you or your travel agent by email.

Your new cabin or suite and the revised total holiday price payable will be shown in the updated booking confirmation. This amount includes the original cruise fare, the additional upgrade charge and, where applicable, any increased insurance premium resulting from travel insurance purchased through us.

6.2. We may accept upgrade bids at any time after submission, including before the Latest Bid Date defined in Clause 5.2. Following the end of the Bidding Period, we may continue to accept bids until no later than three days before the departure of your Cruise. In most cases, upgrade bids will be accepted shortly before the start of your Cruise, although we reserve the right to vary this. We do not provide interim updates regarding bid status, available Upgrade Cabins/Suites or the anticipated acceptance date.

6.3. If we accept your bid, you are required to pay the final holiday price shown in the booking confirmation in accordance with these terms and conditions.

6.4. We are only required to provide your upgraded cabin or suite once payment for the upgrade has been received in full within the deadlines set out in Clause 8 of these terms and conditions.

6.5. If we do not accept your upgrade bid, you will have no entitlement to a higher-category cabin or suite. In this case, no additional payment will be required.

6.6. Upgrade payments that have been made are non-refundable unless expressly stated otherwise in these terms and conditions. Please note that no statutory right of withdrawal applies to upgrade bids.

6.7. In most circumstances, we will accept the highest-value upgrade bids for the relevant cabin or suite categories. The criteria and procedures we use to evaluate upgrade bids are confidential in order to protect our commercial interests. The acceptance of upgrade bids and allocation of upgraded cabins or suites remain entirely at our sole discretion. In certain circumstances, we may decide not to accept the highest bid submitted for a particular category.

6.8. Your Upgrade Cabin/Suite includes all amenities and benefits available within the relevant category and under your originally booked fare.

7. How do I pay for my upgrade?

7.1. The cabin or suite upgrade charge will be shown separately on your updated booking confirmation/invoice in addition to your previously confirmed holiday price. Payment will be collected using the payment method stored against your booking. You may enter or update your credit card details at any time via the “My Travels” guest portal.

8. When do I have to pay for my upgrade?

Depending on when your upgrade bid is accepted, the cabin or suite upgrade charge will either be payable together with the balance payment or, if the balance payment has already been made, immediately upon receipt of our invoice.

9. What happens in the event of cancellation?

9.1. The cancellation provisions contained in our Travel Conditions, available at www.hl-cruises.com/legal/terms-conditions, also apply to upgrade bids.

9.2. If your Cruise is cancelled by you or by us after acceptance of your upgrade bid, the upgrade amount shall form part of the total holiday price payable by you. Any cancellation charges payable under our Travel Conditions will be calculated on the basis of this increased holiday price. If we cancel your Cruise, any refunds or credits to which you are entitled under our Travel Conditions will also be calculated on the basis of this increased holiday price.

10. Data Protection

10.1. Participation in the Programme and the processing of personal data are based on our legitimate interests pursuant to Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This interest arises from our assumption that guests may wish to obtain higher-category cabins or suites for their travel arrangements by paying a reasonable additional amount. Our interest is to inform you about this opportunity. If you no longer wish to receive information about upgrade cabins or suites, you may unsubscribe from such emails using the link contained within our communications.

For this purpose, we process personal data including your name and email address and, if you decide to participate in the Programme and submit a bid, booking-related information such as payment details and travel information. The legal basis for processing such data is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR, as the processing is necessary for the performance of the contract relating to the upgrade.

10.2. To operate the Programme, we use the services of Plusgrade Inc., based in Canada, which provides the underlying platform. We have entered into a data processing agreement with Plusgrade Inc. that complies with the requirements of Article 28 GDPR.

Please note that, as a result of using Plusgrade Inc., your data may also be transferred to Canada. Canada benefits from an adequacy decision by the European Commission, which confirms that Canada provides a level of data protection essentially equivalent to that of the European Union.

10.3. Further information regarding data protection at Hapag-Lloyd Cruises can be found in our Privacy Notice.

11. What else should I know about upgrade bids?

11.1. By submitting an upgrade bid, you confirm your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

11.2. Upgrade bids apply only to your cabin or suite. We cannot guarantee that, following an upgrade, your cabin or suite will remain located near the cabins or suites of other guests travelling with you.

11.3. We will evaluate upgrade bids in accordance with the carefully defined criteria referred to in Clause 6 of these terms and conditions. However, any decision to accept or reject an upgrade bid remains entirely at our sole discretion. If your upgrade bid has not been accepted, we will notify you no later than two days before the departure of your Cruise.

11.4. We do not make any promise, representation or guarantee that submitting a bid will result in an upgrade.

11.5. If circumstances beyond our reasonable control make it necessary, we reserve the right to amend these Programme Terms and Conditions and/or any Upgrade Cabin/Suite assigned to you, or to withdraw either entirely if required. This may occur at any time, including after your bid has been accepted. If, in such circumstances, we are unable to provide a cabin or suite within the same category as the upgrade awarded to you, any amounts already paid by you for the upgrade bid will be refunded in full. In this case, you will have no obligation to make any further payments. Except where such a refund is due, we shall not be liable for any costs or expenses incurred by you as a result of our amendment, suspension or withdrawal of the Programme.

11.6. The Travel Conditions that you accepted when booking your Cruise remain unaffected by participation in this Programme and continue to apply in full alongside these terms and conditions.

 

11.7. These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany.