Any Upgrade Bids Accepted Recently?

[julig22]

1 hour ago, mscdivina2016 said:

But if we use your example, not from a cabin point of view but from a revenue per guest it comes out different.

Payed nothing and then $100 bid versus paid $1000 and bid $100.

 Who is more valuable?

 

I have never won a bid with a double points upgrade to Haven and I must have close to 100 bids over the last couple years. (Several categories on each sailing)

 

Has anyone??  

 

I am on NCL next week and I just paid for Haven.

I am on Princess now and again paid for what I wanted.

There is no difference as far as actual revenue from the bid. Additional revenue from the bid is exactly the same. $100.  Just because someone paid more doesn't mean they are more valuable, nor would giving them a better cabin probably have a significant effect on their onboard spending.  That person with the free cabin might be "paying" for that free cabin in the casino.

But the cabin that is vacated by the upgrade is where there is a potential increase in revenue.  So upgrading from a cheap family inside that they can resell might be more valuable than a 2-person OV for example.

Haven upgrades are often less likely to win low bids simply because there are fewer available and more people bidding. But it depends on the itinerary and ship capacity. No reason to believe that latitudes promos have anything to do with upgrades.

[mscdivina2016]

3 hours ago, julig22 said:

There is no difference as far as actual revenue from the bid. Additional revenue from the bid is exactly the same. $100.  Just because someone paid more doesn't mean they are more valuable, nor would giving them a better cabin probably have a significant effect on their onboard spending.  That person with the free cabin might be "paying" for that free cabin in the casino.

But the cabin that is vacated by the upgrade is where there is a potential increase in revenue.  So upgrading from a cheap family inside that they can resell might be more valuable than a 2-person OV for example.

Haven upgrades are often less likely to win low bids simply because there are fewer available and more people bidding. But it depends on the itinerary and ship capacity. No reason to believe that latitudes promos have anything to do with upgrades.

You are correct, the revenue from the bid is identical.

But overall revenue is in fact larger for someone who paid rather than pointed up. But you make a great point on cruise next.

 

This is the exact reason why we all it out thoughts out here to try and reason why.

 

I will start a new thread to find out if anyone used points to double up then got a Haven other than live bidding.

 

[poindexter]

I cruise in 5 days. Today my bid went from Pending to Processing and my other 2 bids went to expired. So excited, I kept checking for my updated balcony assignment to no avail.  Two hours later, my bid was changed to Unable to Upgrade. Now there’s a new one!

[Sand and Seas]

11 minutes ago, poindexter said:

I cruise in 5 days. Today my bid went from Pending to Processing and my other 2 bids went to expired. So excited, I kept checking for my updated balcony assignment to no avail.  Two hours later, my bid was changed to Unable to Upgrade. Now there’s a new one!

Interesting... please let us know if anything else changes. Maybe that's a sign it's still processing?

Hopefully, you might be getting an upgrade🤞

[LUTim]

Hi All, Newbee here

 

Just had the chamce to bid for an upgrade on Mondays Viva sailing.

The thing is it gave us the choice to upgrade to a Spa balcony from an inside.

 

I've read that you can only upgrade 2 levels.

 

Does this mean my bid will be automatically rejected, or is a Spa balcony considered the same level as any other balcony cabin?

 

Thanks in advancw

 

[Russiamomm]

10 minutes ago, LUTim said:

Hi All, Newbee here

 

Just had the chamce to bid for an upgrade on Mondays Viva sailing.

The thing is it gave us the choice to upgrade to a Spa balcony from an inside.

 

I've read that you can only upgrade 2 levels.

 

Does this mean my bid will be automatically rejected, or is a Spa balcony considered the same level as any other balcony cabin?

 

Thanks in advancw

 

I believe it’s the same category as a regular balcony.  Either way, if they’re giving you the option to bid, you are eligible.  Good luck!

[mscdivina2016]

18 hours ago, poindexter said:

I cruise in 5 days. Today my bid went from Pending to Processing and my other 2 bids went to expired. So excited, I kept checking for my updated balcony assignment to no avail.  Two hours later, my bid was changed to Unable to Upgrade. Now there’s a new one!

Was your card charged?

[poindexter]

My card was not charged and now I am back to Pending.

[mscdivina2016]

12 hours ago, poindexter said:

My card was not charged and now I am back to Pending.

Well at least you are still in the running.

 

I would go back and see if you can bid on other categories as they cancelled the others when yours was....going to be accepted.

 

Good luck

[depplep]

Mine still says pending for our 10/22 Encore cruise but when I check the availability on The Haven on NCL is shows they are sold out.

[mscdivina2016]

13 hours ago, depplep said:

Mine still says pending for our 10/22 Encore cruise but when I check the availability on The Haven on NCL is shows they are sold out.

Stringing you along in the event of a last minute cancellation.  It does happen so don't give up hope.

[depplep]

I bid the minimum, didn't want it bad enough to go higher, so I won't be upset when it doesn't happen. Thought it would be fun to bid and see what happened. 

[Ashlynkat]

On 9/8/2023 at 8:21 PM, julig22 said:

There is no difference as far as actual revenue from the bid. Additional revenue from the bid is exactly the same. $100.  Just because someone paid more doesn't mean they are more valuable, nor would giving them a better cabin probably have a significant effect on their onboard spending.  That person with the free cabin might be "paying" for that free cabin in the casino.

But the cabin that is vacated by the upgrade is where there is a potential increase in revenue.  So upgrading from a cheap family inside that they can resell might be more valuable than a 2-person OV for example.

Haven upgrades are often less likely to win low bids simply because there are fewer available and more people bidding. But it depends on the itinerary and ship capacity. No reason to believe that latitudes promos have anything to do with upgrades.

If NCL has the same $100 bids from multiple guests, they're not going to flip a coin to see who gets it.  There are going to be some business decisions involved and it likely will be driven by what accounting line NCL values more.

Revenue per cabin? Then, yes, that will absolutely take into account what was paid before. When on board, there is no way to know who is going to spend money on the casino, shopping, excursions, etc. (Though I'm sure they have plenty of predictive models). So if this number is a KPI, you want to make sure it is as high as it can be before sailing. 

But another KPI that NCL could value highly is the margin of Operating Costs per cabin. There is a known fixed cost to running the ship  (fuel, staff, supplies, port fees, etc) that you can divide across the number of cabins sold for each cruise.  So here they may value more highly who is currently in a cabin class that they can resale more easily to have a fuller ship.

Of course, NCL wants to maximize both numbers (get the highest revenue they can per cabin while also selling the highest number of cabins they can) but they probably do have one number "weighted" more highly in their algorithm than the other--as well as perhaps other numbers that we aren't even aware of it. And it honestly may be something that changes with each different cruise sailings. 

But I think the only thing we can be certain of is that NCL is a business and they're not doing upgrades out of the goodness of their hearts. 

[vacation44]

For our Jewel Cruise two weeks ago, we bid the maximum amount for both a balcony cabin and club balcony suite cabin bidding up from our picture window oceanview cabin on deck 8.    About two weeks prior they had a combined total of 40 of these cabins available and started rewarding upgrades.    We were not upgraded.   Platinum status, four more on the books but only paid $1440 for our oceanview due to a FCC and the availability to use two CNCs.   

[julig22]

2 hours ago, Ashlynkat said:

Revenue per cabin? Then, yes, that will absolutely take into account what was paid before. When on board, there is no way to know who is going to spend money on the casino, shopping, excursions, etc. (Though I'm sure they have plenty of predictive models). So if this number is a KPI, you want to make sure it is as high as it can be before sailing.

What was paid before would not be a factor in assessing additional income from bidding. They already have the money you initially paid. Any bid that they accept only increases their income. So what was already paid would be irrelevant, when matching upgrade requests within the same category. Do they flip a coin when the bid amount is the same- not likely, since they have numerous other parameters that they can use to maximize the effects of bidding.

 

I might pay $1K for an OV and then upgrade onboard to a family OV worth $2K, based on double occupancy - been there, done that. And got my upgrade to a balcony, with a minimum bid, when the category sold out 3 months prior to the cruise.

If family of 4 pays $2K or more for that same OV, both bids would be on equal footing with respect to additional income from the bid. We both bid $100. As a solo, my bid might be accepted because I can move to a 2-person balcony which allows NCL to resell my family balcony, possibly bringing a family of 4 onboard. Or my $100 bid might also be accepted over a slightly higher bid because moving a solo passenger may also help with capacity restrictions, again allowing more passengers onboard.

 

And yes, you are correct. They aren't doing it out of the goodness of their hearts.

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, julig22 said:

What was paid before would not be a factor in assessing additional income from bidding. They already have the money you initially paid. Any bid that they accept only increases their income. So what was already paid would be irrelevant, when matching upgrade requests within the same category.

Not really. Because if you are in a lower end Balcony bidding on a large suite, your minimum and maximum bid is much much higher than if you were in already in a Penthouse suite bidding on an large suite. For example, I am in a Haven suite on an upcoming cruise and my minimum bid for an larger Haven cabin is $400, while others in my roll call are starting at $1500. So, your logic does not hold. 

[julig22]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Not really. Because if you are in a lower end Balcony bidding on a large suite, your minimum and maximum bid is much much higher than if you were in already in a Penthouse suite bidding on an large suite. For example, I am in a Haven suite on an upcoming cruise and my minimum bid for an larger Haven cabin is $400, while others in my roll call are starting at $1500. So, your logic does not hold. 

I guess you missed the part about same category. And the same bid amount.  All I'm saying is that a $100 bid, regardless of how NCL arrives at the bid range, is $100. And it makes sense that upgrade amounts might depend on the VALUE of the current cabin. But the current value isn't the same as what someone actually paid.

Now how they evaluate a $400 bid vs a $1500 when the current cabins aren't the same is where the algorithm comes into play. That $400 bid might be better if it frees up a cabin they can resell for $3K, especially if there are empty cabins in the category with $1500 bids.

[Michel D99]

8 minutes ago, julig22 said:

I guess you missed the part about same category. And the same bid amount.  All I'm saying is that a $100 bid, regardless of how NCL arrives at the bid range, is $100. And it makes sense that upgrade amounts might depend on the VALUE of the current cabin. But the current value isn't the same as what someone actually paid.

Now how they evaluate a $400 bid vs a $1500 when the current cabins aren't the same is where the algorithm comes into play. That $400 bid might be better if it frees up a cabin they can resell for $3K, especially if there are empty cabins in the category with $1500 bids.

I fully agree with your explanation. Plusgrade works for many cruise lines and airlines. They use an algoritme which is difficult to understand for outsiders. They simply create the highest possible profit. Plusgrade's own income depends on NCL's profit. 

[mscdivina2016]

8 hours ago, julig22 said:

I guess you missed the part about same category. And the same bid amount.  All I'm saying is that a $100 bid, regardless of how NCL arrives at the bid range, is $100. And it makes sense that upgrade amounts might depend on the VALUE of the current cabin. But the current value isn't the same as what someone actually paid.

Now how they evaluate a $400 bid vs a $1500 when the current cabins aren't the same is where the algorithm comes into play. That $400 bid might be better if it frees up a cabin they can resell for $3K, especially if there are empty cabins in the category with $1500 bids.

Let's throw another wrinkle into it which I know has happened.

 Someone in a guarantee category that is sold out that actually wins a bid.

 So there technically is no cabin to have resale value other than on paper.

 

[julig22]

14 minutes ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Let's throw another wrinkle into it which I know has happened.

 Someone in a guarantee category that is sold out that actually wins a bid.

 So there technically is no cabin to have resale value other than on paper.

 

 

I have no clue what you are trying to say. A person in a sold out category is in a perfect position to win an upgrade - been there, done that. As to gty, that is irrelevant- any cabin has a value, categories go from sold out to gty to buyers choice, depending on how NCL wants to market it. Once a cabin is vacant, it's once again available to sell.

[mscdivina2016]

4 minutes ago, julig22 said:

I have no clue what you are trying to say. A person in a sold out category is in a perfect position to win an upgrade - been there, done that. As to gty, that is irrelevant- any cabin has a value, categories go from sold out to gty to buyers choice, depending on how NCL wants to market it. Once a cabin is vacant, it's once again available to sell.

I see I was unclear, my bad. It's early here in Scotland:)

 

Yes I agree with you above.  What I should have said was, does someone in a guarantee have a better chance to win, as they have no cabin?

 

 

[Ashlynkat]

15 hours ago, julig22 said:

What was paid before would not be a factor in assessing additional income from bidding.

 "Assessing additional income" is likely not the KPI they're looking at--which was the point of my post. If it was purely about just "additional income," then NCL would not have a maximum bid threshold at all since why cap the amount of "additional income" you get? 

Instead, as I noted, the KPIs that they're looking at are far more likely to be TOTAL revenue per cabin with some weighted combination of operating costs per cabin and the likelihood of reselling the cabin class upgraded. 

Obviously there are more factors at play but unless someone from NCL or the 3rd party firm they partner with leaks some details, none of us can actually say for sure. But with the many, many, many examples of people bidding Max and not being upgraded, you can be certain that it's about more than just  "assessing additional income." 

[Mrsmeliger]

I don't know the answers, but factors seem to suggest that it is only about additional income.  

 

Consider why NCL has the upgrade process is done by a third party.  Obviously, there is a way to do this in house by NCL if the goal was to reward the latitudes or people who paid a lot for the cabin, etc.  

 

It would make sense in a business model to have an intermediary in the upgrade process so that NCL can have clean hands when it comes to those clients who didn't get an upgrade.

 

As for the wheel that determines the strength of the bid:  I would guess that more people are enticed to spend more with that pretty little wheel.  While I don't think that the "poor fair good" is accurate about the chances of winning, it has still affected my bidding.  I think that pretty little wheel has caused people like me to raise their bids from poor to fair or fair to good.  

 

If that wheel didn't up revenue, it would not exist.

 

From what I've read, the max bid situation seems to be the Haven cabins, which seem to work differently because of supply and demand.  Preventing people from bidding higher may create excitement and a more profitable live bidding situation for scarce cabins-  I haven't read that there is live bidding on general Balcony or Oceanview cabins

 

 

 

 

[Canadian1]

Anybody getting the message "502 Bad Gateway" when you try to access the web and see the status of your bid?

[depplep]

I can access it from the app.