Bidding on Unavailable Cabins

[Mike45LC]

I just received an email from Princess offering me the opportunity to bid on an upgrade to MiniSuite or Club Class.  Neither was available when I originally booked the cruise.  I checked and as of today, neither is available.

 

So my bid is an exercise in futility unless some cabins that are currently unavailable somehow open up.  
 

I wonder what Princess will do with the bidding data.  How will bidding data be used by Princess in setting prices in future cruises?

[Carla3]

I have the same situation. Got offer to bid for a full suite and they have been sold out for months. minimum bid price was very expensive so I am not participating wither way. perhaps it is for  cabins that might become available if guests have to cancel

[villauk]

Cabins become available right up to sailing and Princess do not know in advance which cabins they could be, hence them receiving bids on all cabin types. They want to maximise revenue, so they accept bids and wait to see who cancels - someone is already there, waiting for that open cabin/suite.

[voljeep]

20 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

I wonder what Princess will do with the bidding data.  How will bidding data be used by Princess in setting prices in future cruises?

Spot on ... very astute observation

[PrincessLuver]

I have noticed recently on a couple of the cruises we have for next Spring and finally payment is not due until the end of the year that the suites and mini-suites disappeared from the inventory when the bidding system began.  Is Princess just holding cabins now on many cruises and hoping to have people start bidding more because of scarcity?

[PacnGoNow]

10 minutes ago, PrincessLuver said:

I have noticed recently on a couple of the cruises we have for next Spring and finally payment is not due until the end of the year that the suites and mini-suites disappeared from the inventory when the bidding system began.  Is Princess just holding cabins now on many cruises and hoping to have people start bidding more because of scarcity?

I don’t see how that would be profitable for them, when they could actually book them ahead of time.  Bidding would not be offered until 5 days AFTER final payment.  But…who knows!

 

Those prices they are offering, on the low end are the same prices offered once OB, for those interested in a paid UG.

 

[Kay S]

It's possible there are cabins set aside by Princess just to use for bidding purposes.  

[Itchy&Scratchy]

I too got an offer to bid on a standard obstructed balcony - none are available and haven't been available for a while. But there is plenty of deluxe obstructed balconies - that'll be fine as well, but DS won't be happy without a pullman bed.

[MiddleagedM]

I think often times, people book the cruise and decide to cancel just prior to final payment, therefore opening up many new cabins.   Rather than put those right back on their website, they go through the upgrade process.   Also have heard that many cabins are consigned to travel agencies and the like.  If they don't sell them they turn them back to the cruise lines.

 

M

 

 

[minabruuke]

I am not understanding why people seem confused or suprised that they can bid for a cabin that does not appear to be currently available. Don't forget that those people occupying those cabins that you don't think are available may also be bidding and if they are moved up their currently unavailable cabin becomes available.  That's in addition to cabins that open up due to cancellations. 

[1cruiselvr]

1 hour ago, PrincessLuver said:

I have noticed recently on a couple of the cruises we have for next Spring and finally payment is not due until the end of the year that the suites and mini-suites disappeared from the inventory when the bidding system began.  Is Princess just holding cabins now on many cruises and hoping to have people start bidding more because of scarcity?

No. Bid offering doesn't event start yet for Spring cruises. 

[Mike45LC]

Minia, on my upcoming cruise, there are no cabins available (according to the Princess website) in Suite or Mini-Suite (including Club Class).  This was true when I booked the cruise and is still the case today.   

 

So cabins will not open up because Mini occupants are moving up to Suites -- there are no Suites available.  Only if there are cancellations (and we are after the Final Payment Date), or if some cabins have been blocked out as unavailable but which are really just being held for whatever reason.

 

Front Desk:  I'm sorry, sir, the hotel is sold out.

Guest:  Would you have a room for the President?

Front Desk:  Of course we would.

Guest:  Give me his room, he is not coming.

 

[villauk]

3 minutes ago, Mike45LC said:

So cabins will not open up because Mini occupants are moving up to Suites -- there are no Suites available. Only if there are cancellations (and we are after the Final Payment Date)

 

There will always be some who have to cancel after final payment, right up to embarkation day - it’s the nature of the beast - even more so in these COVID times.

[Wishing on a star]

it is Final Payment, right...  so I would not assume a lot of cancellations.

Others might not think this at all.  But, what I will guess is that there are indeed cabins available.  That Princess has been limiting ship capacity on these upcoming cruises, die to staffing and supply issues.

This would be a way for Princess to increase initial revenue on the ship with limited passengers.

If this were me, and I did want to hope for a deal on an upgrade, I would consider making a bid.

You never know!

[franktown]

2 hours ago, PrincessLuver said:

I have noticed recently on a couple of the cruises we have for next Spring and finally payment is not due until the end of the year that the suites and mini-suites disappeared from the inventory when the bidding system began.  Is Princess just holding cabins now on many cruises and hoping to have people start bidding more because of scarcity?

 

[Mike45LC]

1 hour ago, Wishing on a star said:

But, what I will guess is that there are indeed cabins available.  That Princess has been limiting ship capacity on these upcoming cruises, die to staffing and supply issues.

This would be a way for Princess to increase initial revenue on the ship with limited passengers.

Wishing, if I were Princess and I was concerned about inadequate crew for a full capacity ship, I would limit the number of lower priced cabins, not the suites and mini-suites.  3,000 passengers in high-end cabins bring in more $$$ than 3,000 in inside and ocean-view cabins.  

 

But I am hoping that President Biden doesn't need his cabin and that Princess will let me have it on my bid!

[rsquirrel]

1 hour ago, Wishing on a star said:

it is Final Payment, right...  so I would not assume a lot of cancellations.

Others might not think this at all.  But, what I will guess is that there are indeed cabins available.  That Princess has been limiting ship capacity on these upcoming cruises, die to staffing and supply issues.

This would be a way for Princess to increase initial revenue on the ship with limited passengers.

If this were me, and I did want to hope for a deal on an upgrade, I would consider making a bid.

You never know!

They may offer bids for each category to see if anyone cancels last minute because of Covid.  Then if you bid you might get that cabin.  Princess might want to get as much money as possible.  Leaving nicer cabins empty is not good for them.  I would bit if offered and I could afford the price.  I would be fine not knowing until we board if the bid cabin was mine.

[Wishing on a star]

A number of cabins available when the cruise reaches capacity does not mean that the best suites are available.  They usually book well in advance.  While limiting capacity nearer to sailing does leave the possibility of a better suite not being filled.  As mentioned, there is always the possibility that any cancellation might occur.   But, the odds of a ship reading their projected capacity while most of the better suites are unbooked is probably fairly low.

 

Notice that the offer to bid that was sent was only for up to Mini-Suite.  Not the "Presidential Suite".  Biden most likely hasn't cancelled!!! Hahaha!!!

 

I believe that Princess makes it clear in their info that not all sailings and not all categories or all cruisers who meet the basic requirements will be open for bid.  I would imagine that Princess knows just what they are doing and how to improve revenue by having people bid on cabins that are actually available.

Edited September 22, 2022 by Wishing on a star

[HBCcruiser]

It’s a domino effect. Assuming that all cabin levels are sold out on a cruise. This is what happens on other cruise lines: If a suite cancels, someone in a mini suite wins the suite bid which opens up the mini. A balcony wins the bid and moves into the mini and so on. 

[njkate]

18 hours ago, minabruuke said:

I am not understanding why people seem confused or suprised that they can bid for a cabin that does not appear to be currently available. Don't forget that those people occupying those cabins that you don't think are available may also be bidding and if they are moved up their currently unavailable cabin becomes available.  That's in addition to cabins that open up due to cancellations. 

This!! Also blocks of cabins being held by travel agents who don't fill all of them.

[Mike45LC]

2 hours ago, njkate said:

This!! Also blocks of cabins being held by travel agents who don't fill all of them.

When do travel agencies release their unsold “held” blocks vis-a-vis the final payment date?

[Wishing on a star]

I don't know when blocks are released.   I do very highly doubt that Princess would allow any person or company to hold cabins without payment after final payment date.   Also, I would guess  that by final payment date, most all people who might have to cancel. (thus opening up cabins) have probably cancelled in order to avoid losing money.  And, cancelations would definitely show up as available cabins in the system.   So, yes, bidding on ' no available' cabins would seem very confusing.  And I do wonder if the situation that has been mentioned is a part of this.

[Dunk]

Having worked as a manager in the hotel business for many years, this is Revenue  Management 101. The difference is that if a room goes unsold tonight in my hotel, I have the potential to sell it tomorrow-but once a ship has sailed, that’s lost revenue, and you can’t make it up until the next sailing. It’s why cruise lines are doing this-it’s a way to make some of that up. Hotels often offer up sells at the Front Desk, and my hotels would offer incentives to Front Desk clerks who would do the most of them. Human nature loves a bargain, and people often jump at the chance to get one. Like at hotels, sometimes these will be actual bargains, and other times not. 
And just like at a hotel, cruise lines oversell lower categories, then upgrade/upsell into unsold higher categories. The percentage is lower on a ship for obvious reasons, but hotels are often oversold by ~10%, based on historic no-show rates. And hotels DO sell out, and no, we don’t have a room for a celebrity. I’ve relocated many a guest to another hotel when that happens, and when it does, they are comped and get compensation. 

 

[Coral]

6 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

When do travel agencies release their unsold “held” blocks vis-a-vis the final payment date?

Cruise lines pull back the blocks before or by final payment.

[Mike45LC]

Thanks for the insights!

 

1.  My upcoming cruise shows all suites and mini-suites as unavailable.

 

2.  The Final Payment Date has passed, so I expect that very few (if any) of the suites and mini-suites will become available.  At this late date, it is not a question of travel agents holding onto blocks of cabins.   

 

3.  I certainly do NOT want to be hoping that booked guests come down with CoVid and have to cancel their booking so I can grab their cabin!!!   I will NOT wish disaster on others who were fortunate enough to book early enough to grab a Club Class mini!  I can endure Dine My Way, Alfredo's and specialty restaurants.