I wouldn't have a problem with this considering the price gap between full suite and non-suites on all ships. It gets even crazier between Sea, Sky, and Star.
We won an Owner's Suite on our Serenade back in November. It was a little awkward meeting the daughter of the people who originally booked it when she informed us her father was diagnosed with cancer and needed to start treatments 10 days before the start of the cruise.
So yes, they are counting on last minute openings.
We did a Sunset Sky Suite on Apex for my wife's XXth 2 weeks ago. It was only 2 1/2 years after her actual milestone birthday but we celebrated anyway.
My son and I met these upstanding citizens while having cigars in the Connoisseur's Club on Freedom back in 2016.
https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/crime/2016/06/24/four-charged-smuggling-cocaine-cruise/86331940/
Just realized we were at the Boat Yard at the same time. We sailed Apex that week. We got there earlier when they were herding everyone off the deck for the private event. The food was great.
This is how we're looking at it. We're already at break even or more with just alcohol but we drink more bottled water than that so it's worth it for us.
My son and I were tenters. Every Summer on the St. Croix River in Maine with a bunch of yahoos. Wife and daughter were motorhomers. Once my wife booked our first cruise that was the end of motorhoming. The tenting ended shortly thereafter because of old weary backs and bones.
We were on Serenade last month without a reservation. If the lines were bad we went to the Jammer. We did 3 nights in specialties and 3 nights in the Jammer and 1 night in MTD. The one night in MTD was a surprise because we got right in at 6:45. It was at the end of the cruise so maybe people tired of standing in line all week.
I thought she was fair for someone who doesn't like cruising. Some of the comments at the end just show how people will pull any tidbit of information to justify their pro or non-pro position.
We're on Apex right now in a Sky Suite. Drinks, internet, and butler are all included and I believe every ship has Luminae which is the suite dining room. Almost forgot to mention the suite lounge and sundeck also. It's called the Retreat.
We’re D+ so we could always got to the D Lounge. It’s just that our last cruise was on Serenade in a GS and we still had to buy internet and a drink package. We’ve been full suite cruisers for years but some times we end up in the D Lounge anyway depending on the ship. We’d still sail full suite on the Oasis Class.