RoyalUp - not for everyone

[little britain]

Our cruise is 50+ days away.

 

Some people have received emails inviting them to RoyalUp. 
Some people are able to access the website ( they have not received the email) and submit bids.

Some people cannot access the website and get the error message about trying within 30 days. 
 

I assume that the bean counters only look at those who offer to pay the most so early submissions don’t really have any advantages?
Otherwise this seems unfair?

[ramja96]

I figured out a long time ago not to try to figure out how RC justifies its reasoning for anything. I just accept things and go with the flow.  Life has been much happier since then.

Edited March 2, 2023 by ramja96

[robmtx]

5 minutes ago, little britain said:

Our cruise is 50+ days away.

 

Some people have received emails inviting them to RoyalUp. 
Some people are able to access the website ( they have not received the email) and submit bids.

Some people cannot access the website and get the error message about trying within 30 days. 
 

I assume that the bean counters only look at those who offer to pay the most so early submissions don’t really have any advantages?
Otherwise this seems unfair?

Bean counters don't manage this program. In fact, it's managed by an outside company altogether.

 

What seems unfair at this point? Whether you submit your bid now or at the 30 day mark they aren't awarding upgrades that far out. What is stopping an early submission from offering to pay the most?

 

If I have a box in my dining room, and someone offers me $20 while another offers me $25, then yeah I'm taking the $25 offer. 

[Sigyn]

it's supply and demand and this helps the cruise line determine demand and how much people are willing to pay. Economics 101. 

[little britain]

I’m wondering whether the early bidders push up the prices for the 30 dayers?

 

So say the guideline bids now for a balcony are $100-$300 and the early bidders all bid $300… when it opens for all at 30 days; will the guideline then be $300-$500 ? 
 

I’m not seeing any advantages to bidding early as cabins aren’t allocated until sailing and if my theory works, you’re only pushing prices up and you’ll be outbid! 

[The_Big_M]

 

  

16 minutes ago, njsmom said:

it's supply and demand and this helps the cruise line determine demand and how much people are willing to pay. Economics 101. 

 

Flowing from that, a larger potential market (which is limited due to the inability some get to make bids)  increases demand. Economics 101.

Edited March 2, 2023 by The_Big_M

[parrotfeathers]

I don't think it's based necessarily on the bid amount, but more on cabin levels the need to fill.  I got upgraded from a GS to an owner's suite for the $100 minimum bid.  I was very surprised.

[topnole]

55 minutes ago, little britain said:

Our cruise is 50+ days away.

 

Some people have received emails inviting them to RoyalUp. 
Some people are able to access the website ( they have not received the email) and submit bids.

Some people cannot access the website and get the error message about trying within 30 days. 
 

I assume that the bean counters only look at those who offer to pay the most so early submissions don’t really have any advantages?
Otherwise this seems unfair?

I don’t think the Royal Up program is about fairness in the sense you are thinking. It’s about determining how to maximize revenue by upgrading folks to unsold cabins under given a certain set of scenarios.  I’m not sure what fairness has to do with anything and I don’t think they communicate that.  

[topnole]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

Our cruise is 50+ days away.

 

Some people have received emails inviting them to RoyalUp. 
Some people are able to access the website ( they have not received the email) and submit bids.

Some people cannot access the website and get the error message about trying within 30 days. 
 

I assume that the bean counters only look at those who offer to pay the most so early submissions don’t really have any advantages?
Otherwise this seems unfair?

Never had a Royal up email and always (for several cruises) had the try later message when I enter my name and be reservation number.   If it wasn’t for reading about it quite a bit on CC and seeing the link on RC website, I would be quite certain it is a made up internet story.  No idea why I never have an opportunity, but I’m not losing any sleep over it.  There are very few cabin categories we would bid on.  Maybe that is why I don’t get offers.  

[smokeybandit]

The Royal Up program is not out to get you.

 

Its algorithms on who is able to bid is completely based on supply and demand for that particular cruise.

[robmtx]

33 minutes ago, parrotfeathers said:

I don't think it's based necessarily on the bid amount, but more on cabin levels the need to fill.  I got upgraded from a GS to an owner's suite for the $100 minimum bid.  I was very surprised.

 

Probably had a max bid for a GS and since they saw you had a bid for an OS, they bumped you up to collect that other passengers max bid? And that probably opened their cabin (maybe a balcony or JS) and gave it to someone who put in a solid bid. 

 

Domino affect!

[Boz575]

It is my understanding that some folks never receive an option to bid on Royal Up cabins based on the TA used to book the reservation. Some big box TA’s use group rates which from what I have read are ineligible for the Royal Up program. The website won’t tell you that…you just get the default “check back 30 days out” message. I’m not sure if this applies to your situation but we have received the option to bid for every reservation we’ve made since RU started and there is nothing special about us, lol. 

Edited March 2, 2023 by Boz575

[dunrobbin]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

Our cruise is 50+ days away.

 

Some people have received emails inviting them to RoyalUp. 
Some people are able to access the website ( they have not received the email) and submit bids.

Some people cannot access the website and get the error message about trying within 30 days. 
 

I assume that the bean counters only look at those who offer to pay the most so early submissions don’t really have any advantages?
Otherwise this seems unfair?

I think they possibly work from the top down, so the Suites get first offers, and they shuffle them up, so then the Balconies get the next offers so they can shuffle them into the now vacant suites.  Then the  ocean views shuffle up to the balconies and so on.

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, little britain said:

I’m wondering whether the early bidders push up the prices for the 30 dayers?

While it does happen, it's somewhat rare for RU min bids to move much during the selling cycle. 

 

For the folks that can't bid, it's unlikely that will change at 30 days out - it's something other than the 30-day limit that is causing them not being able to bid.

[Big_G]

3 hours ago, little britain said:

Our cruise is 50+ days away.

 

Some people have received emails inviting them to RoyalUp. 
Some people are able to access the website ( they have not received the email) and submit bids.

Some people cannot access the website and get the error message about trying within 30 days. 
 

I assume that the bean counters only look at those who offer to pay the most so early submissions don’t really have any advantages?
Otherwise this seems unfair?

 

I found out my ad blocker browser extension was causing this. Once I turned off the ad blocker for that site I was able to look at the offerings. Could be the problem or maybe not.

[Rusty_lock]

2 hours ago, little britain said:

I’m wondering whether the early bidders push up the prices for the 30 dayers?

 

So say the guideline bids now for a balcony are $100-$300 and the early bidders all bid $300… when it opens for all at 30 days; will the guideline then be $300-$500 ? 
 

I’m not seeing any advantages to bidding early as cabins aren’t allocated until sailing and if my theory works, you’re only pushing prices up and you’ll be outbid! 

I don't suspect it makes a dimes worth of difference when you bid.  At 3 or 4 days out, or whatever the time frame is they make the decisions, whatever your bids are is what is considered.  The algorithm will shuffle the deck in the most financially advantageous way for Royal. 

[robmtx]

Ok I'm bored today. Here's an example of how a RU decision might be made. I'm using the knowledge someone shared that they went from a GS to OS for $100. I'm also basing this on a similar scheme from another industry (not travel), that generates revenue in a familiar way.

 

It's all about revenue. So let's look at two Royal Up "Tree" scenarios, and why one scenario might get chosen over another, despite someone getting an OS for $100.

 

Accepted Bid Tree
1. Inside RU to > Balcony $200
2. Then Balcony RU to > JR Suite $400
3. Then Jr Suite RU to > GS = $700
4. Finally GS RU to > OS = $100
Total rev generated = $1,400

 

Rejected Bid Tree
1. Balcony RU to > OS = $700
2. Then Inside RU to > Balcony $200 (to fill the empty cabin created by step 1)
Total rev generated = $900

 

So, in this fictional example, the cruise line had an OS available. Rather than just giving it to someone who bid $700, they give it someone who bid $100 because that generated a better revenue stream overall.

[wreckem2013]

3 hours ago, little britain said:

I’m wondering whether the early bidders push up the prices for the 30 dayers?

 

So say the guideline bids now for a balcony are $100-$300 and the early bidders all bid $300… when it opens for all at 30 days; will the guideline then be $300-$500 ? 
 

I’m not seeing any advantages to bidding early as cabins aren’t allocated until sailing and if my theory works, you’re only pushing prices up and you’ll be outbid! 

RoyalUp upgrades can be allocated at anytime. The one time I actually was upgraded with RoyalUp it was allocated around 30 days out.

[topnole]

2 hours ago, Boz575 said:

It is my understanding that some folks never receive an option to bid on Royal Up cabins based on the TA used to book the reservation. Some big box TA’s use group rates which from what I have read are ineligible for the Royal Up program. The website won’t tell you that…you just get the default “check back 30 days out” message. I’m not sure if this applies to your situation but we have received the option to bid for every reservation we’ve made since RU started and there is nothing special about us, lol. 

We just book through Royal.  Never been able to bid.  

[lme901]

Depending on your booking, it might not be eligible. I have two cruises booked through Costco Travel and remember seeing they would not be eligible somewhere in the booking process. In both cases, I’m ok with that. We have an extended balcony on one and are traveling with another couple on the other. I’ll happily take the money we saved with Costco over Royal up bidding chances. 😊

[LB_NJ]

3 hours ago, topnole said:

Never had a Royal up email and always (for several cruises) had the try later message when I enter my name and be reservation number.   If it wasn’t for reading about it quite a bit on CC and seeing the link on RC website, I would be quite certain it is a made up internet story.  No idea why I never have an opportunity, but I’m not losing any sleep over it.  There are very few cabin categories we would bid on.  Maybe that is why I don’t get offers.  

FYI, the big box store does not participate in the program so if you booked through them then you will NOT get an offer.

 

1 hour ago, Rusty_lock said:

I don't suspect it makes a dimes worth of difference when you bid.  At 3 or 4 days out, or whatever the time frame is they make the decisions, whatever your bids are is what is considered.  The algorithm will shuffle the deck in the most financially advantageous way for Royal. 

The one caveat is that sometimes (depending on capacity) they make a decision a little further out then 4 days so if you bid too close to sailing they may have already accepted other bids.  I also have a feeling that they might make a rolling acceptance. However, I do agree with your conclusion that they "shuffle the deck in the most financially advantageous way for Royal."

[topnole]

All my cruises have been booked through Royal.  So that doesn’t explain it for me.  

[Biker19]

13 minutes ago, topnole said:

All my cruises have been booked through Royal.  So that doesn’t explain it for me.  

If the booking has two different last names, try the other one when going directly to the RU site.

[topnole]

Just our family.   All the same name.  

[Jussabitconfused]

On the Royal Caribbean main page make sure you have signed up to receive offers. Would not hurt to sign up again even if you think you already have. It is required to be able to royal up.