RoyalUP? (Bid for stateroom upgrade)

[Vera/Lee]

2 hours ago, molly361 said:

Well my bid for the 2 bedroom Aqua Suite for Sunday's HM sailing is expired and my bid for a CL is still pending and I can't modify or cancel it .  Several reports on FB today of folks winning their RU's-

Good luck! It sounds like you might get the CL since you can't modify or cancel it.

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, cruisemom67 said:

Why would it expire if you didn't win another?

Just the way the status of bids show.

[sandebeach]

4 hours ago, molly361 said:

Well my bid for the 2 bedroom Aqua Suite for Sunday's HM sailing is expired and my bid for a CL is still pending and I can't modify or cancel it .  Several reports on FB today of folks winning their RU's-

Good luck! This has happened to me several times and I have ended up getting my suite upgrade. Hope the same for you. 

[Morecruisesplz]

2 hours ago, cruisemom67 said:

Why would it expire if you didn't win another?

None left.

[jacads]

We are going to Alaska in May out of Seattle and I was able to get a royal up for my sister and her husband from a junior suite to a grand loft suite (star class)  for $6k minus their drink packages and internet and tips a pretty sweet deal.  I have a few more upgrades in for other family members but those are upgrades to balcony suites and those will probably not be decided till the day before or the day of the cruise.

[cruisemom67]

21 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

None left.

That may be true right now, but with canceling up to 48 hours before,  plus people testing positive for covid, I would think they would keep you hanging until the last second.

[Morecruisesplz]

23 hours ago, cruisemom67 said:

That may be true right now, but with canceling up to 48 hours before,  plus people testing positive for covid, I would think they would keep you hanging until the last second.

They are winding down the program as ships go to 100 % according to an officer on our current cruise.

[rockmom]

33 minutes ago, fredmdcruisers said:

They are winding down the program as ships go to 100 % according to an officer on our current cruise.

Winding down the RoyalUp program?  I would find that odd since it started well before Covid, effectively killing off the Upgrade Fairy.  Yes, more people were able to win their bids due to low numbers of passengers, but since it was started before and is a way for them to generate $$$, I'm not sure why they'd stop the program altogether.  But anyone who thinks it will be a slam dunk as ships sail at 100% again, especially for a minimum bid on something like a suite, they are going to be disappointed.  And maybe they didn't make as much as they hoped by doing this before Covid and will end it, but I feel like if they can make an extra few bucks, they will.  

Edited May 7, 2022 by rockmom

[reallyitsmema]

33 minutes ago, fredmdcruisers said:

They are winding down the program as ships go to 100 % according to an officer on our current cruise.

 

No they aren't, this program was running for years before covid.

[Morecruisesplz]

18 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

No they aren't, this program was running for years before covid.

I am sure sure no more than any RCL officer. You cruise.  🙂

[brillohead]

On 5/8/2022 at 12:37 PM, fredmdcruisers said:

I am sure sure no more than any RCL officer. You cruise.  🙂

I'm just going to leave this here....

[edrussell]

Second Royal U p bid process, second win.  So far we are 2 for 2.  I bid on a balcony on our Enchantment sailing back in Jan and got that one.  This time around we bid on a Grand Suite, Spacious OV, and a Promenade View (we were in an interior) and we got the Promenade View.  Which I'll take since we only bid the min.

 

[mom2miracles]

We switched our upcoming cruise - same dates, but new ship/itinerary. I cancelled my previous Royal Up offers, but now when I "log in" to see offers, it is still bringing up the old booking. When you make a switch like we did, you keep the original booking number. Just for information sake, the new booking has updated on my app and cruise planner, so it's not like the change hasn't been done yet. Has anyone experienced that before? Any suggestions on how to fix this issue?

[Biker19]

9 minutes ago, mom2miracles said:

Has anyone experienced that before? Any suggestions on how to fix this issue?

It may take RCI and Plusgrade a few days to catch up to the new reality of your booking and have updated offers.

[JoeFan]

I think I know the answer to my questions, but just posting anyway for clarification.

I currently have two connecting balcony staterooms with 2 people in each. Mom and dad in one room and son and daughter in the other.

 

Each room reservation received an email RoyalUp invitation.

 

I assume they are treating each individually.

So if I bid on both then I could potentially win both and have two rooms on differnet ends of the ship.

 

I guess the positive in this situation, is to just bid one of the rooms to updrade to something like Grand Suite 2 Bedroom and if I win, I would only have to pay for two people?. Then could the 4 of us stay in this room and we just don't use the other balcony room? I get that only two of us would get the "Suite" ameneties but that would be ok.

 

Edit:

I just noticed this in the flyer.

"Bids are priced per person and based on two guests per stateroom. Only the first two guests will be charged, even if four are sailing"

 

So all 4 of us would get the suite perks?

Is this still true?

 

What would happen to the balcony that doesn't bid. Does it just sit empty? That sounds silly. 

Edited May 10, 2022 by JoeFan

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, JoeFan said:

So all 4 of us would get the suite perks?

Is this still true?

Only the people in the cabin which bid/won get to move to the suite on paper - not all four. You could put the four people in there, but the other two wouldn't get the suite benefits.

[JoeFan]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

Only the people in the cabin which bid/won get to move to the suite on paper - not all four. You could put the four people in there, but the other two wouldn't get the suite benefits.

But the flyer says this.

"Bids are priced per person and based on two guests per stateroom. Only the first two guests will be charged, even if four are sailing"

 

I guess I could move 3 into the room bidding and leave one in the room not bidding?

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, JoeFan said:

I guess I could move 3 into the room bidding and leave one in the room not bidding?

Probably not a good idea, as when you try to move a third person into the cabin, not only might you need to move (assuming your current cabin only holds two) but you'll get repriced.

 

Also, you are doing this with some idea that you'll actually win - the chances of that are very slim.

Edited May 10, 2022 by Biker19

[Morecruisesplz]

20 hours ago, brillohead said:

I'm just going to leave this here....

Cute

[LarryHD2]

1 hour ago, JoeFan said:

I think I know the answer to my questions, but just posting anyway for clarification.

I currently have two connecting balcony staterooms with 2 people in each. Mom and dad in one room and son and daughter in the other.

 

Are the kids aged 21+?  Passengers under 21 have to be adjacent to, or across the hall from, the parent (or 21+) cabin.  For across the hall, the kid cabin can't be more than 50% forward of the parent cabin.  We ran into this rule with our 18yo and 20yo staying in an interior across the hall from our JS. 

 

I asked what if two 20yo's got married and wanted to honeymoon on a cruise and was told that isn't possible.

 

Anyhow, I wonder how they handle this during the RoyalUp process if you're bidding for both cabins, or even one.  It probably throws a wrench into things as they have to find adjacent cabin upgrades.

 

I will be curious to find how this works for you as we're sailing in 40 days.

 

 

[familycruzinnewbie]

I just received the Royalup email today. Currently have Qty ocean view. Do I understand that I have to bid the minimum listed in the email. Do people actually get for the minimum or should you bet a few $ more?

[jahannah]

Just received the RU offer to bid today at 60 days out from our July 9th sailing on Allure.  Our sailing in April on Odyssey was also at 60 days prior to sailing.  I wonder if this is the new availability timeframe and the error message that references 30 days has not been updated.

[familycruzinnewbie]

I’m 75 days out. I think it was shortened when final payment was later. I’m a week past final payment. 

[LarryHD2]

13 minutes ago, familycruzinnewbie said:

I just received the Royalup email today. Currently have Qty ocean view. Do I understand that I have to bid the minimum listed in the email. Do people actually get for the minimum or should you bet a few $ more?

I got an upgrade from a Balcony to a Grand Suite for the min bid of $50pp per day on a sailing a couple months ago.  It all depends on how many cabins they have available in the category you want.... and what other people bid, obviously.

 

On that sailing almost all of the GS's were empty before bidding began.

Edited May 10, 2022 by LarryHD2

[dcgrumpy]

1 hour ago, LarryHD2 said:

Are the kids aged 21+?  Passengers under 21 have to be adjacent to, or across the hall from, the parent (or 21+) cabin.  For across the hall, the kid cabin can't be more than 50% forward of the parent cabin.  We ran into this rule with our 18yo and 20yo staying in an interior across the hall from our JS. 

 

I asked what if two 20yo's got married and wanted to honeymoon on a cruise and was told that isn't possible.

 

Anyhow, I wonder how they handle this during the RoyalUp process if you're bidding for both cabins, or even one.  It probably throws a wrench into things as they have to find adjacent cabin upgrades.

 

I will be curious to find how this works for you as we're sailing in 40 days.

 

 

 

Interesting. According to their website the rule is waived for underage married couples. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/international-age-policy

 

"No Guest younger than the age twenty-one (21) will be assigned to a stateroom unless accompanied in the same stateroom by an adult twenty-one (21) years old or older. A guest's age is established upon the first date of sailing.

 

This age limit will be waived for children sailing with their parents or guardians in connecting staterooms; for underage married couples; and for active duty members of the United States or Canadian military."

Edited May 10, 2022 by dcgrumpy