RoyalUP? (Bid for stateroom upgrade)

[John&LaLa]

4 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Correct, you would get a gold card if you are booked in a Grand Suite on Rhapsody.

 

However, they normally open the huge aft lounge for all Diamond and above on transatlantics.  It's actually quite a nice arrangement.

 

We never went to CL on our last Rhapsody TA, the Dance Lounge was much better.  We were usually there for trivia anyway.  Very convenient 

[Clarea]

2 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

We never went to CL on our last Rhapsody TA, the Dance Lounge was much better.  We were usually there for trivia anyway.  Very convenient 

 

Did they have different themes each night for the snacks?  On Vision, they had British, Mexican,  German, Italian, etc.

[FLACRUISER99]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

 

We never went to CL on our last Rhapsody TA, the Dance Lounge was much better.  We were usually there for trivia anyway.  Very convenient 

I'm just worried about getting cappuccino. Did the TA on Jewel last year and they opened the Safari Club the same way.

[John&LaLa]

4 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Did they have different themes each night for the snacks?  On Vision, they had British, Mexican,  German, Italian, etc.

 

I dont recall.  I know Laura has seen that on Brilliance and Vision

[Clarea]

6 minutes ago, FLACRUISER99 said:

I'm just worried about getting cappuccino. Did the TA on Jewel last year and they opened the Safari Club the same way.

 

On the Jewel TA last month, they allowed D and above to get free specialty coffee at Cafe Latte-Tudes.

[ownedbypets]

1 hour ago, topnole said:

I got the offer to bid with JR suite being the highest category a day or two ago.  Nothing sense.  I think the odds of winning any bid would be small anyhow.  Likely a waste of time and hope for almost everyone. 

 

I agree

[LB_NJ]

30 minutes ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Correct, you would get a gold card if you are booked in a Grand Suite on Rhapsody.

 

However, they normally open the huge aft lounge for all Diamond and above on transatlantics.  It's actually quite a nice arrangement.

 

 

Do you get any of these benefits if you upgrade through the bid process to a suite?

 

The terms and conditions are not super clear about this, all it says are:

"Upgrade will not be eligible to receive any promotions or benefits that are
applicable to the stateroom had it been originally booked at that stateroom
category."  I added the bold and underline.

[Clarea]

3 minutes ago, LB_NJ said:

 

 

Do you get any of these benefits if you upgrade through the bid process to a suite?

 

The terms and conditions are not super clear about this, all it says are:

"Upgrade will not be eligible to receive any promotions or benefits that are
applicable to the stateroom had it been originally booked at that stateroom
category."  I added the bold and underline.

 

Yes, you get all the onboard perks associated with the stateroom category to which you have been assigned.

 

What you don't get are extra C&A points associated with the new category, unless you were originally booked in a category that gave extra C&A points.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Yes, you get all the onboard perks associated with the stateroom category to which you have been assigned.

 

What you don't get are extra C&A points associated with the new category, unless you were originally booked in a category that gave extra C&A points.

If your original booking is a JS or above you get double points anyway.

If all the Suite benefits are afforded to your upgrade that would certainly make it worthwhile.

[John&LaLa]

20 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

 

 

Do you get any of these benefits if you upgrade through the bid process to a suite?

 

The terms and conditions are not super clear about this, all it says are:

"Upgrade will not be eligible to receive any promotions or benefits that are
applicable to the stateroom had it been originally booked at that stateroom
category."  I added the bold and underline.

 

I believe what you dont get is any promotions associated with a Full Suite booking.  Things like extra OBC.

[Otterman34]

On 11/26/2018 at 11:34 AM, Sobro said:

Will they take quatloos?

Now  that's funny!  Very rare to see a Gamesters of Triskellion reference.

 

Well played

[Lionesss]

This new bid gimic is similar to what we bought a few years back  (AKA Upsells).

 

The first time we sailed the Allure, I think it was about four years ago, we were booked in a GS.

RCI called the TA and offered us a CL2 for total cost of $600, we took it.

 

The next year we booked a GS and again the TA was called and we were offered an upsell to a CL1 for $700 or 750, (cannot remember exactly but it was one or the other), we took it.

 

So I wonder if this is RCI's way of changing the way  "Upsells" are done.

 

But I did not realize till reading this thread that you only get the perks of the category you originally booked.

And likewise since we were already in a suite, I wonder if the perks did not upgrade if different category at that time for those really moving up.

 

 

Sea Ya

[molly361]

19 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I believe what you dont get is any promotions associated with a Full Suite booking.  Things like extra OBC.

It will be nice to get confirmation of that once someone tests it

[Biker19]

6 minutes ago, Lionesss said:

So I wonder if this is RCI's way of changing the way  "Upsells" are done.

Was mentioned earlier in the thread, they can automate the upsell process , perhaps make even more money (one example of a successful bid was more than the list price) and save on staff costs who used to make the calls.

[ticketsunlimited]

46 minutes ago, molly361 said:

It will be nice to get confirmation of that once someone tests it

I can tell you that the day after my bid was accepted from JS (sea class) to the sky loft suite (sky class) I was able to book all of our Coastal Kitchen reservations for the duration of the cruise.  Something I was unable to do the day before.  I called to ask about details of the rest of the perks.  They told me to cancel my Surf and Stream for 2 devices as this will be included in the room upgrade. 239.88 was credited back to my card.  I was advised to take advantage of the concierge service and to be sure to use the Suite lounge when we wanted to. The Suite sundeck is now accessible to us as well as all the other perks in the SKY class.  We will get our 24 points as we were already booked in a JS.

The only thing that anybody can miss out on in this program with ANY upgrade is Crown and anchor double points going from a non suite category to a suite category.  The category you upgrade to will include all perks included in the class whether it be SEA, SKY, or STAR.

If you are bidding for the purpose of obtaining double points this program is not for you.

[Cinders411]

On 11/26/2018 at 12:31 PM, barbeyg said:

It would be nice if they just spent some time fixing their website before adding any more things to screw up.  

 

Could not agree with you more! Fix your website RCI!!!!!

[groveml]

On 12/5/2018 at 12:21 PM, Cinders411 said:

 

Could not agree with you more! Fix your website RCI!!!!!

PREACH!!!  They need to fire their entire IT team and start from scratch...

[sassy_mrsjay]

I got the email. I only bid $100 for inside to balcony. LOL

[smores]

22 days out from my cruise....went to check upgrade min/max and biding is done. (Independence of the sea 12/29)

[RFerrington]

4 minutes ago, smores said:

22 days out from my cruise....went to check upgrade min/max and biding is done. (Independence of the sea 12/29)

Do you mean that the bidding has closed ?

[jgoodm]

It would be interesting to see if it's possible to discover if a room that was offered for upgrade but not yet actually available, goes back on market prior to accepting upgrade offers.  

 

For example, if you were on Symphony in a Star Loft and were offered an upgrade bid on the RLS but the RLS was actually already booked and then the person actually booked in the RLS cancelled, does RC put the RLS back up for sale first or just immediately rely on the bidding for the upgrade...

[RFerrington]

2 minutes ago, jgoodm said:

It would be interesting to see if it's possible to discover if a room that was offered for upgrade but not yet actually available, goes back on market prior to accepting upgrade offers.  

 

For example, if you were on Symphony in a Star Loft and were offered an upgrade bid on the RLS but the RLS was actually already booked and then the person actually booked in the RLS cancelled, does RC put the RLS back up for sale first or just immediately rely on the bidding for the upgrade...

No one knows yet how that scenario would work, but my guess is that this scenario is exactly what the bidding program is meant to address.

[jgoodm]

2 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

No one knows yet how that scenario would work, but my guess is that this scenario is exactly what the bidding program is meant to address.

I would agree about the lower categories, but it seems on something that unique, they could just list it at a very high rate for a while and then if it doesn't sell, pull it and apply the upgrades automatically.  It could effect ones bid though if you had that kind of information.

[RFerrington]

10 minutes ago, jgoodm said:

I would agree about the lower categories, but it seems on something that unique, they could just list it at a very high rate for a while and then if it doesn't sell, pull it and apply the upgrades automatically.  It could effect ones bid though if you had that kind of information.

Perhaps....but think about the scenario that Twangster presented a while back.  With a single keystroke (dramatizing here...no idea how they actually execute the bids), everyone who has an acceptable bid moves up.  They have created a cascade of upsells from the bottom all the way to the top without making a phone call, sending an email or haggling about a price anywhere along the chain.  Even if they could sell the RLS for some slightly higher price on the "open market" they would not get the cascade of upsells that would result from taking a slightly lower automatic bid and allowing everyone from the bottom to move up (and PAY for the privilege).  Not only have they now maximized revenue from this otherwise unfortunate last minute cancellation, but they have made a whole BUNCH of people very happy when their upgrade bids are accepted and executed.

Edited December 7, 2018 by RFerrington

[boscobeans]

2 hours ago, RFerrington said:

 Not only have they now maximized revenue from this otherwise unfortunate last minute cancellation, but they have made a whole BUNCH of people very happy when their upgrade bids are accepted and executed.

 

Exactly..   And a lot more beneficial to the cruise line than just giving away the staterooms as the Upgrade Fairy did in the past.

Edited December 7, 2018 by boscobeans