RoyalUP? (Bid for stateroom upgrade)

[SRV FAN]

Can anyone explain why there are no Suite cabins listed as available for my sailing, yet I got the Royal Up email offering 2br GS, OS & RS..... I see others saying the same thing in prior posts...but no one knows why. Are they holding them for the Royal Up bidding? Are they REALLY available for upgrade? Maybe they are just trying to move people around last minute to fill all the cabins.... Ahhh..maybe they figure they can get people to upgrade & pay more.... opening up the lower category cabins which are more easily sold.... but that doesn't explain why they don't show availability online... ???? Anyone know?

[Biker19]

Just now, SRV FAN said:

Can anyone explain why there are no Suite cabins listed as available for my sailing, yet I got the Royal Up email offering 2br GS, OS & RS...... ???? Anyone know?

Free market research.

[molly361]

6 minutes ago, SRV FAN said:

Can anyone explain why there are no Suite cabins listed as available for my sailing, yet I got the Royal Up email offering 2br GS, OS & RS..... I see others saying the same thing in prior posts...but no one knows why. Are they holding them for the Royal Up bidding? Are they REALLY available for upgrade? Maybe they are just trying to move people around last minute to fill all the cabins.... Ahhh..maybe they figure they can get people to upgrade & pay more.... opening up the lower category cabins which are more easily sold.... but that doesn't explain why they don't show availability online... ???? Anyone know?

Market research like Biker said and also if there are any last minute cancellations they have people waiting willing to pay for the cabins

[LBumb]

Good point

[SRV FAN]

1 minute ago, molly361 said:

Market research like Biker said and also if there are any last minute cancellations they have people waiting willing to pay for the cabins

 

I am not sure what "Market Research" means.... 

 

But if I understand what you are saying is that there are NO suite cabins actually available at the moment. How "last minute" can one cancel & they fill the spot? I know they will notify you up to 24 hours if you do or don't win the bid... surely they can't actually "sell" a cabin that late in the game...

 

So, if everyone moves up the chain, then the only available cabins, that probably won't be sold, would be the cheaper cabins... so, the Royal Up bids pay for the lower category cabins that are left vacant last minute.

 

I think I get it! THANKS!

[Clarea]

1 minute ago, SRV FAN said:

 

I am not sure what "Market Research" means....

 

They seem to be gathering info on how much people are willing to pay for various categories.

[SRV FAN]

4 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

They seem to be gathering info on how much people are willing to pay for various categories.

Ok, but since I paid x$ for my original cabin (got a good deal) & someone else paid x$$ (didn't get a good deal) for same category... and I bid x$ and someone else bids x$$ ...I don't know how they could figure out "how much" a person is willing to pay for a category...I don't know how this would tell them anything... because if I paid less for my cabin to begin with, I might be more willing to bid higher to upgrade... but if I had paid a lot for my cabin, I may not want to pay even more for an upgrade. There are too many variables. IDK.

[Biker19]

7 minutes ago, SRV FAN said:

 There are too many variables. 

All those variables and inputs are probably valuable info to them - and you are providing it free.

[cruisernh]

Received the Royal Up email this morning for April 6 Rhapsody but Suites are sold out.  Assuming this is in case someone cancels at last minute.

[BrandFam4]

Has anyone had luck with the March 15th sailing of Navigator of the Seas? I made the mistake of googling my inside stateroom and now I’m having nightmares of the kids falling on top of my while we’re sleeping! LOL 🤣 So I’m hoping they accept my offer. 

[MikeBTN]

16 minutes ago, BrandFam4 said:

Has anyone had luck with the March 15th sailing of Navigator of the Seas? I made the mistake of googling my inside stateroom and now I’m having nightmares of the kids falling on top of my while we’re sleeping! LOL 🤣 So I’m hoping they accept my offer. 

 

You can always pay full price and upgrade yourself.  No need to fret about whether or not your bid was good enough.  

[crookedhalo]

47 minutes ago, BrandFam4 said:

Has anyone had luck with the March 15th sailing of Navigator of the Seas? I made the mistake of googling my inside stateroom and now I’m having nightmares of the kids falling on top of my while we’re sleeping! LOL 🤣 So I’m hoping they accept my offer. 

Seperate the king bed into twins and create two bunks - will be much easier to move around and valuable floor space will be created :).

 

[The_Big_M]

7 hours ago, SRV FAN said:

Ok, but since I paid x$ for my original cabin (got a good deal) & someone else paid x$$ (didn't get a good deal) for same category... and I bid x$ and someone else bids x$$ ...I don't know how they could figure out "how much" a person is willing to pay for a category...I don't know how this would tell them anything... because if I paid less for my cabin to begin with, I might be more willing to bid higher to upgrade... but if I had paid a lot for my cabin, I may not want to pay even more for an upgrade. There are too many variables. IDK.

 

Agreed.

 

It's not going to help them with sales prices. It can help with the bidding prices, but that's what the program is about anyway - a way to increase revenue.

[gerig]

On 2/19/2019 at 10:10 AM, GetToLivin said:

Received yet another Royal Up email in my inbox today, this makes 2 emails in 7 days for me. Prices have not moved at all since the last email:

 

Aqua Theatre - 1 Bedroom = $700/pp

Crown Loft Suite  = $600/pp

Owners Suite = $600/pp

Grand Suite = $300/pp

 

We're in a JS GTY right now, so I won't be bidding (I'm happy with the extra space as it is), but I am checking my reservation daily to see if an assignment has yet come, the anticipation is killer! 

those are good bid starts.  on my cruise i'm in a junior suite and the grand suite starts at 600 and the crown loft suite starts at 800.  Needless to say I'm not bidding.

 

[gerig]

Decided not to play this game.  This game only makes Royal richer as it gives them the names and amounts people are willing to pay if someone cannot go on their cruise.  In the past this was a benefit to pinnacle and diamond plus guests but that has been taken away with this new program.  As you can see cruises that are primarily sold out the bidding offers keep going higher and higher for a lot of empty cabins that don't exist.  However there is a small percentage of cruisers that must cancel due to various reasons at the last minute and with this new program Royal has a way of capitalizing on the last minute cancelled cruisers.  In the past they would upgrade based on seniority but that has completely changed.  

[dodgestang]

5 minutes ago, gerig said:

This game only makes Royal richer as it gives them the names and amounts people are willing to pay if someone cannot go on their cruise.  In the past this was a benefit to pinnacle and diamond plus guests but that has been taken away with this new program.  As you can see cruises that are primarily sold out the bidding offers keep going higher and higher for a lot of empty cabins that don't exist. ..... In the past they would upgrade based on seniority but that has completely changed.  

 

In the past an interior room cost an arm and a leg....today....not so much.  The total cost of cruising has plummented since the 90s and if you want to you can cruise very inexpensively.   There are some useful threads on this very board documenting the slide in prices 'then versus now'

for examplet

 

So I don't begrudge them having a program to dole out upgrades based on something more quantifiable and overly useful to EVERYONE on the ship....aka....MONEY.  Status in the various customer programs has other perks and benefits.

[Piperandleroy]

I was told by royal carribean vacation planner that they no longer do free upgrades. She said was saved for royal up program. However she did say there were no rooms available. That seems to me if someone cancels they will give the best bid in royal up the room and sell the other to a last minute deal. I agree it does seem like way to make more money.

[John&LaLa]

4 hours ago, BrandFam4 said:

Has anyone had luck with the March 15th sailing of Navigator of the Seas? I made the mistake of googling my inside stateroom and now I’m having nightmares of the kids falling on top of my while we’re sleeping! LOL 🤣 So I’m hoping they accept my offer. 

 

Do you want them to land on the floor 🤔

 

3 hours ago, crookedhalo said:

Seperate the king bed into twins and create two bunks - will be much easier to move around and valuable floor space will be created :).

 

 

The kids then have farther to fall 😉

[Dennis#1]

13 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Do you want them to land on the floor 🤔

 

 

The kids then have farther to fall 😉

 

[crookedhalo]

6 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Do you want them to land on the floor 🤔

 

 

The kids then have farther to fall 😉

 

LOL I was responding to her/his fear of crowding - my perception. I've done this before, but my kids were older - no clue how old these kiddos are 🙂

 

[BrandFam4]

9 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Do you want them to land on the floor 🤔

 

 

The kids then have farther to fall 😉

Hmmmm good point! 🤣 They are 9 and 11 and one has bunk beds already. I guess when I booked the room I had a different vision in my head having only done Disney inside with them before. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Being on vacation just makes everything better anyways. 

[carrie_106]

Just got an offer this morning on our 3/31 sailing on Allure, I am happy where I am but was shocked they had open suites on this cruise.

[TillieAgnes]

TI called RCL about whether the upgrade includes the perks that come with the room, for example, visits to the concierge room and the cocktails served during the cocktail hour.  I was assured that those perks were included in the upgrade.  I thing the rules you correctly quoted refer to “promotional offers” as opposed to room perks.     We received the offer on an almost full ship 30 days out .  We bid on an upgrade and yesterday, 2 days out learned that we were awarded an upgrade.  We bid the strongest bid 500 dollars total, for an upgrade from Jr Suite to a Grand Suite.  I guess someone canceled at last minute.  I hope they had travel insurance!

[TillieAgnes]

We bid 30 days out for an upgrade from a Junior Suite  to a grand suite. We submitted a strong bed of $500 total. Yesterday, two days out from the cruise, we learned that our bid was accepted  and we will be in a grand suite. I guess someone canceled; I hope they have travel insurance.  Sailing tomorrow on the Rhapsody of the Seas.

[marci22]

30 minutes ago, carrie_106 said:

Just got an offer this morning on our 3/31 sailing on Allure, I am happy where I am but was shocked they had open suites on this cruise.

Maybe they don't. All they're saying is, if we happen to have this room available in the future, how much extra would you pay for it?