RoyalUP? (Bid for stateroom upgrade)

[Tree_skier]

23 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

No code, pure wonderfully coded algorithms by a person in a basement who has no life. The airlines started this system, the hotels have followed suit, and now most vacation systems are trying to optimize the churn of seats, rooms, and suites for maximum profits.

 

As any gambler in a casino knows, "The house always wins in the end."

 

But every gambler that loses money to the house thinks, "Every time I lose, I am one gamble away from winning. One more gamble and I will win the big one."

 

The thought does not change probability. Probability stays the same in every gamble. The odds of losing or winning stays the same with each roll of the dice.

 

Casinos do not lose money. Royal Up does not lose money. Every step is calculated to maximize profits for RCI or it would not exist.

 

Capitalism at its best.

 

🤑

I'm not questioning capitalism or Royal making money.  🙂 I just want them to make a little more off of me and not someone else 💰💸

[Cruise a holic]

13 hours ago, JAMESCC said:

I was thinking that too and that would be ok. This on Liberty OTS. 

Then that would be fine.  We bid and got a Jr. Suite.  Since the Liberty doesn't have a coastal kitchen or true suite sun deck and lounge like the Oasis class ships a really nice large cabin.  Enjoy.

[goldfish65]

Funny I cannot ever remember why I put a bid in on an OS when I am perfectly happy with the GS I have. Must be a psychological thing, the chance to "win" (pay more for!) a bit more floorspace and a bidet, while the balconies are the same size and the bed is farther away. So when I "lose" it will be a win. 🤣 

[KKB]

17 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

No code, pure wonderfully coded algorithms by a person in a basement who has no life. The airlines started this system, the hotels have followed suit, and now most vacation systems are trying to optimize the churn of seats, rooms, and suites for maximum profits.

 

As any gambler in a casino knows, "The house always wins in the end."

 

But every gambler that loses money to the house thinks, "Every time I lose, I am one gamble away from winning. One more gamble and I will win the big one."

 

The thought does not change probability. Probability stays the same in every gamble. The odds of losing or winning stays the same with each roll of the dice.

 

Casinos do not lose money. Royal Up does not lose money. Every step is calculated to maximize profits for RCI or it would not exist.

 

Capitalism at its best.

 

🤑

Of course it's to make $--they would rather fill otherwise empty rooms with people willing to pay a bit more to get a nicer room.

 

BUT I am only bidding what is LESS than that room would have cost me in the first place.

 

IE: Friends paid $1500 more for a balcony than we did for an interior on the same cruise.

We bid $150 ($300 total) & got upgraded to balcony.

WIN for us (and win for RCCL--they got more $)

 

We are nearly always fine booking interior; if OV is $100pp initially  (or less) more then we book that. If balcony is $250pp more, we book that.

And that is our general limit from interior to balcony bid--$250pp.

(now if we booked balcony, our suite bid is higher)

 

Remember--there are more balconies than ANY OTHER cabin class on every ship.

You are generally MOST likely to be upgraded to a balcony.

(now last month we only got INT to OV, so it is no guarantee!)

 

I'd say on all the lines we sail, in the last 18 mos. we have gotten upgrades 7/14 times. 

Edited September 11, 2023 by KKB

[Ashland]

Just got our "Congratulations" for our UpBid on our Canada N/E sailing on Liberty Oct 5th

JS to the OS. Bid was $625 pp. 

[ShillyShally]

2 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Just got our "Congratulations" for our UpBid on our Canada N/E sailing on Liberty Oct 5th

JS to the OS. Bid was $625 pp. 

Congrats!  We're doing that sailing next year for 9 nights and have a suite guarantee for now.  I expect to land in a JS so will be trying to Royal Up too unless I see the fare drop between now and then to pick my own!

[Ashland]

6 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

Congrats!  We're doing that sailing next year for 9 nights and have a suite guarantee for now.  I expect to land in a JS so will be trying to Royal Up too unless I see the fare drop between now and then to pick my own!

 Thanks !! My bid was actually on the very low side for the OS as were my bids on a GS and 2 bdrm GS which were really low.

 

The fare on this one was and continued to be very high. OS was always pricing out at 18k.

So my 5k all in was a very good deal !!

 

Best of luck...you never know !!

[SilentHill]

Anyone here on the Oasis of the Seas NYC to Bahamas on 10/8/2023?

 

Patiently waiting royal to approve or decline my bid to upgrade from a Suite GTY to GS (1br). Wanted to see if anyone else on that sailing have heard anything.

[Ready2SailAway]

8 hours ago, SilentHill said:

Anyone here on the Oasis of the Seas NYC to Bahamas on 10/8/2023?

 

Patiently waiting royal to approve or decline my bid to upgrade from a Suite GTY to GS (1br). Wanted to see if anyone else on that sailing have heard anything.

 

While waiting patiently, suggest that you check daily for an opportunity to self-upgrade... An OS became available about a month before our cruise last month for the same price differential as our RU bid, so we self-upgraded from a Spacious OV Balcony.

 

[SilentHill]

So, we're 7 days out from sailing.

 

The sailing is gone from the site which means I should assume that the ship is 100% booked, right? 

 

My GTY Suite Cabin was officially assigned a week or so ago as a Junior Suite. Before it was assigned I did a RoyalUp for Grand Suite 1BR.

 

I was thinking about upping my bid, but this seems like I'm just wasting my time. Thoughts? 

Edited October 1, 2023 by SilentHill

[OCSC Mike]

18 minutes ago, SilentHill said:

was thinking about upping my bid, but this seems like I'm just wasting my time. Thoughts?

There’s no downside if you think it’s worth bidding more, people could cancel, but only bid what you think it’s worth.

 

The chances of winning are very low on most sailings anyway.

[travelberlin]

On 9/11/2023 at 12:57 PM, KKB said:

Of course it's to make $--they would rather fill otherwise empty rooms with people willing to pay a bit more to get a nicer room.

 

BUT I am only bidding what is LESS than that room would have cost me in the first place.

 

IE: Friends paid $1500 more for a balcony than we did for an interior on the same cruise.

We bid $150 ($300 total) & got upgraded to balcony.

WIN for us (and win for RCCL--they got more $)

 

We are nearly always fine booking interior; if OV is $100pp initially  (or less) more then we book that. If balcony is $250pp more, we book that.

And that is our general limit from interior to balcony bid--$250pp.

(now if we booked balcony, our suite bid is higher)

 

Remember--there are more balconies than ANY OTHER cabin class on every ship.

You are generally MOST likely to be upgraded to a balcony.

(now last month we only got INT to OV, so it is no guarantee!)

 

I'd say on all the lines we sail, in the last 18 mos. we have gotten upgrades 7/14 times. 

If you book an interior cabin, can you bid for a balcony or suite or do just bid for an ocean view?

[OCSC Mike]

56 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

If you book an interior cabin, can you bid for a balcony or suite or do just bid for an ocean view?

Everything up to a balcony… no suites (including JS).

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, travelberlin said:

If you book an interior cabin, can you bid for a balcony or suite or do just bid for an ocean view?

Usually, the offer to bid is limited to two major cabin categories above your existing cabin category.

[lovelife]

Our usual and next five Royal Up offers are for four, five, and seven major categories above our existing category.

Edited October 2, 2023 by lovelife

[Cruise a holic]

probably depends upon the sailing.  Perhaps during non-peak periods, more options available. 

[Biker19]

8 hours ago, lovelife said:

Our usual and next five Royal Up offers are for four, five, and seven major categories above our existing category.

Your definition of major categories must be a bit different- they usually are inside, OV, balconies and depending on the ship one or two categories of suites. 

[Engineroom Snipe]

@Biker19 Your answer is similar to my experiences.

 

Some may interpret the offering on an Oasis class ship as "multiple" tiers but they match your analysis.

 

I have had a "QTY" interior cabin or an assigned interior cabin. I have been offered the following:

 

1. Spacious interior,  still an interior.

 

2. Outside View.

 

3. Spacious Outside view, still an outside view.

 

4. Panoramic outside view, still an outside view.

 

5. Central Park view, still an outside view.

 

6. Promenade view, still an outside view.

 

7. Central Park and Boardwalk Balconies, regular balcony.

 

8. Outside Balcony, regular balcony.

 

While there are many offerings, I only get to go up two tiers from my original. Outside view or balcony, no suites.

 

 

[OCSC Mike]

31 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

5. Central Park view, still an outside view.

 

6. Promenade view, still an outside view.

 

Not correcting you to be a jerk, but these are considered interiors. Your general explanation is 100% correct though, as was Biker's.

 

It only jumped out at me because I have a Central Park view on Allure this month. I originally booked an interior GTY and the difference was very small (it was cheaper than regular or connecting interiors for some reason, dynamic pricing algorithm I guess) so my wife decided we should just lock in a location we like and not risk getting a connecting interior or deck 3 or whatever and hope to change cabins after assignment with how full the ship is.

 

Not sure I'll be looking out that window much but the room is a bit bigger than a standard interior, maybe I'll sit on the window bench, and if not... it was really to eliminate the gamble (and happy wife, happy life obviously).

[lovelife]

I didn't count the non-major upgrades from the current category. One of my current offers:

 

[Engineroom Snipe]

10 minutes ago, lovelife said:

I didn't count the non-major upgrades from the current category. One of my current offers:

 

Would not all of these offers would be categorized under the "suite" category and be available to any one who currently has a "balcony" category which is only one tier below suite?

[lovelife]

Understood. I have an offer that goes from balcony to sea class to sky class to star class. I thought that was pretty major but perhaps not. Thanks. All is good!!

[Cruise a holic]

4 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Not correcting you to be a jerk, but these are considered interiors. Your general explanation is 100% correct though, as was Biker's.

 

It only jumped out at me because I have a Central Park view on Allure this month. I originally booked an interior GTY and the difference was very small (it was cheaper than regular or connecting interiors for some reason, dynamic pricing algorithm I guess) so my wife decided we should just lock in a location we like and not risk getting a connecting interior or deck 3 or whatever and hope to change cabins after assignment with how full the ship is.

 

Not sure I'll be looking out that window much but the room is a bit bigger than a standard interior, maybe I'll sit on the window bench, and if not... it was really to eliminate the gamble (and happy wife, happy life obviously).

We had sailed on deck nine in a central park view stateroom. Loved them.  Yes you get a nice window seat.  Room great if you are on a budget 

[OCSC Mike]

10 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

We had sailed on deck nine in a central park view stateroom. Loved them.  Yes you get a nice window seat.  Room great if you are on a budget 

 

Good to hear. We fall into the "the cabin is for sleeping, showering, and changing" category so we pretty much always book interiors. When we have a balcony we never use it and my wife actually likes how dark and cold interiors get for sleeping and the occasional quick afternoon nap. Given all that, we'd rather use the savings elsewhere (like more cruises).

 

We like to be around deck 9 or 10 so it's not too bad of a walk to just about any deck, up or down (I'm not bothered by much but I avoid crowded elevators whenever possible). If the window/seat and slightly extra room add anything, that's just a nice bonus.

Edited October 2, 2023 by OCSC Mike

[molly361]

4 hours ago, lovelife said:

I didn't count the non-major upgrades from the current category. One of my current offers:

 

That's not too bad for a GS.  They want $625 minimum from an OV balcony  for a GS for BOTH my3 and 4 night Allure sailings.