NCL "RateGain" - last minute fire sale pricing ?? Upgrade (dis)Advantage

[mking8288]

Rather than piggying back on the current, long threads on Upgrade bids - which is often difficult to follow ... let's see if we can discuss this as a standalone.  NCL announced that they have been using RateGain to gain rate intelligence and revenue management, etc.  see/read this, if interested.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/norwegian-cruise-line-selects-rategain-to-lead-the-market-with-comprehensive-price-intelligence-300962031.html

 

This seemed to fit and/or possibly re-define a trending on our upcoming sailing - on whether one should rely/count on doing the Upgrade Advantage bidding to move up to higher categories.  Been following the inventory, pricing & availability when email invites to bid were issued around the 80 days mark - still a good chunk of overall stateroom, suite & Haven inventory avaiable then, as prices began to slide. Fast forward a little bit, Haven sold out entirely - days later, maybe a week - suites sold out; and, followed by days later ... mini-suites sold out, still 5 to 6+ weeks out (40+ days).  During this time, the price of a sail away balcony was lowered, same as sail away oceanviews ... inside sail away was priced the lowest.  

 

Luckily, some of the folks were able to call into NCL to get free upgrades ... based on what they paid (both before final payment and some just booked) when prices hit rock bottom - success getting into a balcony or mini-suite without paying anything extra, or a nominal amount.  Didn't work for "all" that tried, as expected for different reasons.  As the highest available categories sold out, prices for the next "top" pier actually going up, higher (logical - supply & demand factors as the inventory shrink).  At less than a month out, all the top tiers are gone, sold out - no more balconies available at 3+ weeks out.  Oceanviews & Insides was still available earlier this week, at higher prices than 4 to 6 weeks ago.  It appeared now, the cruise is fully sold out again (curise is before the holidays next month) at more than 3 weeks out. 

 

P.S.  Been scouting the Upgrade Advantage thread about recent success too ... Nobody on "my" upcoming Roll Call shared news/reported any success in getting Haven, suite or mini-suite upgrades, less than 3 weeks out (rather strange & unusual ... sailing is now sold out / no longer listed)

 

Odds for anyone with pending bids to get upgrade, low to impossible/none.  Overall speaking, few if anyone, reported or shared that they won an upgrade bid (to a higher category ... no Haven, no suites, no minis and not even balconies - 3+ weeks to go, doubtful that anyone will get their offers accepted).  

This seemed to be similar to several other recent threads about prices rising (instead of decreasing) as it get closer to the sailing ... expectations that last minute fire sale, might no longer be true across the fleet.  Might still be true for Florida ports with numerous ships and competition from other cruise lines.  

Edited November 23, 2019 by mking8288

[angalyse]

The article you attached is a press release and Im not sure from reading it what the strategy is going to be.  I just received NCL email concerning the 30% off sale and went to the Bermuda Cruise I wanted to book.   I found that NCL raised the price of the cruise by over 100% and then discounted it back to $800 plus.  It would have been cheaper for me to have booked the 7 day cruise prior to the sale.  I actually feel disappointed by NCL in allowing their image to be tainted by such a move.

[bonvoyagie]

Only the few people who post here and watch prices daily would even know about the raise the price to discount it later. Often times even stores raise prices then have a Black Friday sale.