Jetdriver787

5 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Let’s try a different situation.  You want to buy a used car.  Two essentially identical ones are available.  As they equally nice, they are worth the same amount, right?  While chatting you learn one seller received that car A as a graduation gift while the other seller purchased his car B himself upon graduation.   Are they still worth the same amount, or do you think previous cost impacts the next transaction?

🤷‍♂️ I’m not sure it makes the blindest bit of difference but in any event there really isn’t any correlation. Plusgrade runs revenue enhancement programmes for a whole flotilla of hospitality and transport companies. The idea that they know or even care what somebody spends in the casino or how many cartons of Pringles they buy, is risible. Their mandate is to maximise revenue by creating chains of unsold and returned inventory. This enables them to write a cheque (check) to their client subscribers after they deduct their commission. That’s the basic business model.

2 hours ago, Airbear232 said:

If the total number of cabins sold is static, it doesn’t matter.  However, if the bidders cabins are resold, then the amount the cabins were initially sold at becomes a factor in maximizing revenue. 

Sorry, but I fail to see how? If 2 identical category cabins (A & B) bid on a higher category cabin (C).  A originally paid $1000 and B paid $0 (comp’) the maximisation will come from the simple higher bid. If B bids higher than A, then that is what maximises the revenue. 
 

You have to remember this isn’t the company selling its own product. It is a specialist company putting together revenue chains from unsold/returned stock to create ancillary revenue. In these days of “sold out” sailings, a lot of that stock is going to be late cancellations, which the company already has the money for, so this is just icing on the cake! Most “Royal up” bids are awarded around 2-3 days before departure, which is beyond the normal sales window in any event. Prior to that, the company would sell any available stock through its normal channels. 
 

The programme can also be used to help rebalance sales expectations where there is a clear underperformance. This would usually be in the “volume” lower half of the pyramid. The company can then rebalance its sales quota by releasing a block of specific rooms to be “Royaled up.” 

1 hour ago, Billy Baltic said:

It would be nice if there was an element of luck in it. I like the idea of someone bidding the minimum and going from an ocean view to a full suite. Someone with the money to book the suite in the beginning, can do it any time they want. 
 

I say that as someone who will only get to stay in an owners suite or above, if a minimum bid wins. 

If it’s any consolation, that does happen. Admittedly, it’s rare, but last year I had an upgrade (on a different cruise line, but same revenue generator,) from the equivalent of a balcony to the equivalent of an owners suite. Not only that, but the original booking was a highly discounted points only booking! In that case, the ship had a fair bit of unsold revenue right up until the closure of the normal sales window, so the prospects were better than you might normally expect. The upgrade bid was just off the floor as well. The only other successful bid I have placed was with RCI from a JS to a GS, again with plenty of unsold inventory up to the sales closure.

I think these programmes are often misunderstood and confused with regular sales programmes (such as GTY bookings.) Additionally, they are not competitions in the true sense that there is necessarily a prize! Frequent use of words like “win” often erroneously suggest otherwise. Likewise, they are not “auctions” in the same sense that there is a tangible product to bid on. The methodology and language employed might suggest otherwise, but there isn’t necessarily or indeed usually any actual product, just the prospect that one (or more) might become available at some future date. 
 

15 minutes ago, Airbear232 said:

If the goal of the program is revenue maximization, then the initial cost of each cabin would be a variable that you would want to consider.

Why? That money is already in the bank! You are now looking to maximise NEW additional ancillary revenue from unsold and returned inventory. One cabin at the top of a chain might potentially generate the “bid” revenue from 10 cabins further along that chain. 

31 minutes ago, Airbear232 said:

I agree, it makes sense in terms of Royal maximizing revenue.  However, it all seems very disingenuous.  For example, take two cabins same category that are side by side.  Hypothetically, if PAX in cabin A booked well in advance of sailing and had a cheaper rate than PAX in cabin B who booked much later.  Then, the company (algorithm) would potentially award an upgrade to PAX in cabin A even if it is substantially lower than the bid from PAX in cabin B because it would take into account being able to realize a much greater gain on selling Cabin A to someone else than it would in awarding the cabin to PAX in cabin B who bid more.  It would be interesting to know what percentage of “winners” comes from cabins that were sold at lower overall fees.  

It makes no difference. What anybody paid for their existing booking, as that is already money in the bank. The company running this (and other) programmes is called Plusgrade. They utilise chains of unsold/returned inventory to maximise ancillary revenue for their customer (the cruise line/hotel/airline.) They have no idea what you paid for your existing booking because it is irrelevant to them.

2 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

Do not start to get soft-shelled about it.

Sorry. I wasn’t trawling for compliments.

At a pinch maybe they should put a claws in the contract? People have shelled out good money for their vacation. Taking it out on the waiters seems a little unfair. The sight of so many crushed Asians over so few Crustaceans is just sad! Another sorry tail in the cruise industry!

Deja vu?

Wasn’t this last months news?

Personally, I found it quite amusing, which I think was the authors intent? This type of article is clearly a mix of fact, opinion and hyperbole and designed to be an entertaining piece of prose  rather than a surveyors report! 

2 hours ago, Fionat29 said:

Hi all. This is only our second real cruise and we are going on the Fjords cruise in June leaving from Southampton. 

Can anyone give me a rough idea what time the embarkation would begin? I need to book parking and don't know if we need to book a hotel for the night before, or whether we would have time to drive from home on the day?

Thanks in advance Fiona

These days you select an arrival slot (30 minutes wide) and plan to check-in within that slot. You can select an available slot on the app but be aware that the early ones are very popular and likely will be snapped up within hours, if not minutes, of being released. 

If you are in a suite you can also check-in up to an hour early on your booked arrival time, (although that will have no effect on the time boarding generally commences.)

Given that you are onboard for a week and need to plan your parking or accommodation plans to suit your own situation, I would just select a slot from those still available and come up with a relaxed plan that works for you. After 1pm the rooms are normally available and the only thing you have really missed is the scrum for the Windjammer.  
 

1 hour ago, fenton04 said:

This is the first thread I have encountered with a lot of references to underwear?

We will try to keep it “brief” then!

I spent some time in Brazil, and spent more time than was really healthy watching old re-runs of “Star Trek!” 
 

It always amazed me how many alien civilisations, across all quadrants of the known universe,  spoke fluent Portuguese! 🤷‍♂️

1 hour ago, fenton04 said:

Was that the Duke of Sussex episode.  Very sad episode and awful!

Yes, quite likely? 🤦🏻‍♂️🤣

1 hour ago, Tin can said:

 
A bit of both, why would you pin the badge right at the front in the ‘business’ area. Hey if your pinnacle you’ve earned it I guess so do as you want I just found it a bit unusual.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has sort of earned a cachet that places it with things like personal licence (number 🇬🇧) plates?

1 hour ago, island lady said:

 

That is why I never take tighty whities on a ship.   They come back as gray.  😉 😄 

50 shades? 🤣

51 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

Several years ago we cruised on Adventure with some friends. We had balcony cabins next to each other. One night they decided to leave their balcony door open so they could have fresh air and listen to the sound of the waves. In the middle of the night my wife and I woke up to screaming and other loud noises coming from our friends' stateroom. Apparently a bat had flown in through the open door. After a few minutes they were able to chase it back outside. Needless to say, the balcony door stayed closed for the rest of the cruise.

I was kind of hoping you were going to say there was a Pangolin on your balcony, and from that moment in January 2020, all hell broke loose!

But………I’m probably just making up my own stories? 🤷‍♂️

10 hours ago, fenton04 said:

Diamond plus next cruise.  What to do.  What to do?

Start making guesses what colour (Color) your free bag of laundered underwear will return as?

15 minutes ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

It also made quite the mess!

Reminds me of the song….

Guano ton of merde.
Guajira guano ton of merde
Guano ton of merde
Guajita guano ton of merde (Otra vez)

3 minutes ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

We actually had a large seagull on our balcony in the Med once, while in port.  Then it hopped to our neighbor's balcony.  We called customer service and a couple of guys came to remove it.  It was quite a process--it was big!

 

In port?

I guess it was a case of “Gulls & Bouys” (British pronunciation is “Boys”)

4 hours ago, RRTcruiser said:

We will become Diamond Plus on our next cruise in August, curious to know are they still doing lapel pins and is there one one for Diamond Plus?

Just wait until you get the whole set!

I think the one on the top left is some sort of Dinosaur?

My wife just said something about “it will be in good company then!” Not really sure what she means? 🤷‍♂️

I’ve reported 4 more today! Been invited to the bridge tomorrow. I expect it will be for some sort of commemorative medal? 
 

Those “Pinnies” will be eating their hearts out in the Suite lounge! 🤣

11 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

I once saw a very hairy animal getting out of the hottub with a large stomach, a mankini and a drink.  Forgot to report it.

I can only apologise! 🤦🏻‍♂️

Passenger was safely evacuated by Ponta Delgada pilot boat, a quarter of a mile South East of the harbour breakwater  this morning at 02:45 GMT. Best wishes to the person concerned and perhaps a reminder of the importance of having good travel insurance! 
 

Ship now resuming course for intended destination Funchal, Madeira, arriving as per schedule Sunday 05th at 07:00.

Just appeared on todays cruise compass:

”Occasionally animals may find their way onboard our ships. For your safety, if you encounter any animals onboard, it is prohibited to interact with or touch them. We ask that you please report any sightings or encounters to any of our Officers or Crew.”

I am absolutely outraged that only now do they tell us! All week I’ve been using them to dry myself! Not only that, but I suspect the “crew” have been leaving them?

Next booking.