RoyalUP? (Bid for stateroom upgrade)

[RFerrington]

Are these actual bids ?  I didn't realize they had already started accepting bids.  Very interesting.

 

I realize that we know nothing about how these bids are going to work...but I can't help wondering how this will affect those of us who book and upgrade through Club Royale.  I'm guessing that these [Royal Up] upgrades will be of limited value to us since we keep our double points for upgrades (to suites) made through the casino.

[loudbmw]

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

 

Imagine the amount of last minute scrambling when we find out that we are being upgraded 2 days before the cruise. All the perks that were pre-purchased via the cruise planner will need to be cancelled, restaurants reservations re-booked (possibly), etc.

 

 

On the few free upgrades we received, all things associated with the reservation were moved automatically.  C&A cabins gifts took a while to get.  Our cabin was fully decorated for an anniversary (but not ours).  

 

Lou

 

Quote

 

 

 

 

Edited November 27, 2018 by loudbmw

[ranchette]

Where on the RCCL website can I bid for an upgrade? I can;t find where to do it.

[roadburner]

Not on website.  RCI will e-mail you if upgrade is available.  Read the news release again.

[not-enough-cruising]

I don’t believe it’s on the website, you can only bid if Royal contacts you by email letting you know there are cabins available to bid on. It will not be available to everyone on every sailing. 

Edited November 27, 2018 by not-enough-cruising

[MagicMike]

This does not even start until tomorrow

 

[island lady]

Oh no...not another one of these fee generating upgrades!  😞  

 

The true upgrade fairy....the free complimentary one (the angel of fairies) must have been shot and killed by her evil twin sister...the "upsell fairy".  

 

RIP Upgrade fairy.  😥

[karena1]

1 minute ago, island lady said:

Oh no...not another one of these fee generating upgrades!  😞  

 

The true upgrade fairy....the free complimentary one (the angel of fairies) must have been shot and killed by her evil twin sister...the "upsell fairy".  

 

RIP Upgrade fairy.  😥

Totally agree!  If you want me to bid, then start the bidding at $0.00 and see who wins. We got one of these from Celebrity and the starting bid was $500 pp! Not happening.  On top of it, you DO NOT get double points! If I am going to bid for a suite, the only way I am doing it is if I get double points.  We don't sit on our balcony for hours a day, we are out and about.  So for me a suite is only a means to get double points and nothing else.  So we will just keep our balconies and be totally happy

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

 

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

 

Nice.  Where did these come from?

[Biker19]

The blog which can't be quoted here.

[island lady]

1 minute ago, karena1 said:

Totally agree!  If you want me to bid, then start the bidding at $0.00 and see who wins. We got one of these from Celebrity and the starting bid was $500 pp! Not happening.  On top of it, you DO NOT get double points! If I am going to bid for a suite, the only way I am doing it is if I get double points.  We don't sit on our balcony for hours a day, we are out and about.  So for me a suite is only a means to get double points and nothing else.  So we will just keep our balconies and be totally happy

 

The one and only time (which was years ago) the dear sweet upgrade fairy paid us a visit, she surprised me with an upgrade from D1 balcony to JS.  Did not get the double points, but did not expect them since it was free. 

 

On the other hand, when I upgraded myself from a regular balcony to a JS in the past, I called and paid for that upgrade when I noticed the prices dropping.  I did receive the double points then.  

 

On another note, I have never received a call or an email from RCI to offer me an upgrade for a fee.  Not sure why, but would probably not be interested unless it was an offer I could not refuse. 😉   

[karena1]

5 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

The one and only time (which was years ago) the dear sweet upgrade fairy paid us a visit, she surprised me with an upgrade from D1 balcony to JS.  Did not get the double points, but did not expect them since it was free. 

 

On the other hand, when I upgraded myself from a regular balcony to a JS in the past, I called and paid for that upgrade when I noticed the prices dropping.  I did receive the double points then.  

 

On another note, I have never received a call or an email from RCI to offer me an upgrade for a fee.  Not sure why, but would probably not be interested unless it was an offer I could not refuse. 😉   

Very true, I have upgraded for no money when the price for a JS went down below what I paid for a balcony and I did get the double points.  Or if it was a free upgrade from the "fairy" I would not expect double points.  But I am not going to pay a minimum of $300 to $500 per person for an upgrade and then not get double points.  Just not worth it to me

[starrcards]

On ‎11‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 1:02 PM, Pratique said:

I agree it can be senseless bidding. Who knows what the upgrade fairy was going to do before seeing your bid and laughing maniacally? Maybe if you have the winning bid then they give you a casino credit and get you to fall for it again lol.

 

I would guess this means the upgrade fairy is out of business.

[starrcards]

On ‎11‎/‎26‎/‎2018 at 1:05 PM, Host Clarea said:

 

I think this program means the upgrade fairy is dead for good.

Sorry, I posted my previous quote and then I saw this.

[island lady]

6 minutes ago, karena1 said:

Very true, I have upgraded for no money when the price for a JS went down below what I paid for a balcony and I did get the double points.  Or if it was a free upgrade from the "fairy" I would not expect double points.  But I am not going to pay a minimum of $300 to $500 per person for an upgrade and then not get double points.  Just not worth it to me

 

Same here.  Have several times upgraded to a GS out of my JS that had dropped below what I paid for the JS.  Usually smaller ships that are trying to fill the suites at the last minute. Was happily awarded the new cabins by a simple phone call to CS.  One of the reasons I always find it fun to watch the pricing after final payment.  🙂 

 

Got spoiled with those...and now find it hard to be willing to cough up any extra over what I am already satisfied with.  Could be one of the reasons the bean counters are stepping up their calls and emails....trying to avoid pax looking for opportunities like me.  😮😉 

[karena1]

2 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Same here.  Have several times upgraded to a GS out of my JS that had dropped below what I paid for the JS.  Usually smaller ships that are trying to fill the suites at the last minute. Was happily awarded the new cabins by a simple phone call to CS.  One of the reasons I always find it fun to watch the pricing after final payment.  🙂 

 

Got spoiled with those...and now find it hard to be willing to cough up any extra over what I am already satisfied with.  Could be one of the reasons the bean counters are stepping up their calls and emails....trying to avoid pax looking for opportunities like me.  😮😉 

Totally agree. We only book balconies.  If a JS goes below what we paid, I will grab it as we are trying to get to Pinnacle.  But not paying a fortune to do it.  We will get to Pinnacle 1 point at a time

[lazydayz]

Those bid prices are crazy. Wonder if that is due to it being a holiday sailing?

 

New booking strategy might be book an interior then bid on upgrades. However, I like picking my own cabin and getting double points. 

[starrcards]

2 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Interesting. If I wanted to bid $800 on the owner's suite for the cruise in the first line, it would cost me $2.400 since we have a group of 3 with my 12 y/o son. Pricey.

 

[Biker19]

^ I think the FAQ says that they only charge the first two guests.

Edited November 27, 2018 by Biker19

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, lazydayz said:

Those bid prices are crazy. Wonder if that is due to it being a holiday sailing?

That's just an exemplar - no idea if that's real.

[starrcards]

Biker19 I realize it's only an example. Thanks for reminding me it's only for the first 2 passengers. I remember reading that butit slipped my mind.

[smplybcause]

The posted photos are similar in range to the bids I've seen on NCL so they're probably close to what the range is, but would vary based on sailings. A question would be whether Royal is going to put any stipulations on it. ie on NCL an interior can't bid on anything better than a balcony and you have to be in a balcony to bid on their full suites. 

 

FWIW my friend's last sailing with NCL he had bids in for an upgrade, but then noticed it was cheaper than his bid to just call and pay the difference! So you still might be able to upgrade fairy yourself....as I'd be shocked if the bidding talked to the bookings website enough that they wouldn't compete against themselves (especially since the bidding is prob done by a 3rd party). 

[Biker19]

23 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

. A question would be whether Royal is going to put any stipulations on it. ie on NCL an interior can't bid on anything better than a balcony and you have to be in a balcony to bid on their full suites. 

According to the exemplar and the program details (in which they say to bid multiple times to better your chances), I assume you can bid on anything.

[Biker19]

26 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

 So you still might be able to upgrade fairy yourself....

Not only that, when you upgrade yourself you can get double points (if going to a suite) and even more importantly, choose your cabin.  

[Ourusualbeach]

Not sure if this section from the terms and conditions has been posted or not but it would appear that if you were upgraded to a suite you would not receive any suite benefits.

 

The 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.

 

Below are the complete terms and conditions

 

The RoyalUp℠ upgrade program provides booked guests with an opportunity to submit an offer (an “Offer”) to Royal Caribbean International® (RCI) to upgrade from the original RCI stateroom category purchased to a higher stateroom category (the “Program”). The Program applies to cruises, sail dates, and stateroom categories selected by RCI in its sole and absolute discretion. Not all cruises, stateroom categories, or bookings will be selected for participation, regardless of availability. Eligibility Only a stateroom that has been purchased by either the guest or someone authorized to make an Offer on guest’s behalf is eligible for the Program (the “Guest”). If RCI selects a booking to participate in the Program, RCI will email an invitation to that booking to submit an Offer. RCI makes no representation to any person that an invitation to participate will be issued, an offer or upgrade will be reviewed, accepted, made available or processed, regardless of stateroom availability. Valid Guest Email Required A valid email address must be associated with the booking. RCI will send an invitation to the most recently updated email address that is associated with the booking. An email address may have been provided to RCI at the time of booking or by any guest on the booking who uses Cruise Planner, web-based, pre-cruise planning tool. Only the Guest named in the email invitation or someone over the age of 18 who is authorized to make an Offer on Guest’s behalf is eligible to submit an Offer. By submitting an Offer, Guest represents to RCI that he or she has the authority to act on behalf of and to bind the person or persons named or included on the Offer to these Terms and Conditions and those persons named in the booking. Submitting an Offer Only one Offer may be submitted per eligible stateroom category. Guest may submit Offers for more than one stateroom category. Offers may be modified in accordance with the terms below. The amount of the Offer consists of the total per person amount that the Guest is willing to pay for the opportunity to upgrade from the original booked stateroom category to a higher stateroom category (the “Offer Amount”) and is separate and in addition to the amount paid for the original booking. The Offer Amount applies to only the first and second guests in the booking (in other words, the Offer Amount will not be charged to third and higher guests if the Offer is accepted). For single occupancy guest bookings, the Guest will be charged the double occupancy Offer Amount By upgrading to a higher stateroom category, each guest in the booking may be subject to a higher gratuity amount. The Offer Amount does not include the higher gratuity. If the Offer is accepted, the difference between the original and upgraded stateroom gratuities (if applicable) will be automatically applied to all guests (the “Additional Charges”). Prior to submitting your Offer, the Offer Amount and any Additional Charges will be displayed (the “Total Amount”). If RCI accepts an Offer, the Guest who submitted the Offer will be obligated to pay the Total Amount. During the Offer submission, Guest must provide credit or debit card information (the “Credit Card”). If the Offer is accepted by RCI, the Total Amount will be charged to the Credit Card. Acceptance and Rejection of an Offer RCI reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to determine if an Offer is accepted or not, regardless of stateroom availability. RCI may review and make a decision about an Offer at any time after the Offer is submitted, up to 24 hours before the cruise departure date. If RCI accepts the Offer, Guest will receive an email confirming the acceptance of the Offer and the details of the upgraded stateroom booking (the “Upgrade”). RCI will assign the location of the stateroom in its discretion. The Upgrade will have the same number of berths as the original stateroom. Immediately upon RCI’s acceptance of an Offer, the Total Amount will be charged to the Credit Card and becomes final and non-refundable. Refunds, credits, or changes may be issued only in the following circumstances: 1) RCI cancels the cruise, or 2) RCI cancels the cruise and re-books the guests onto another cruise in a stateroom class that is lower than the upgraded stateroom class. Any refund or credit will be limited to the Upgrade charge and credited back to the Credit Card in the same currency of the original charge; no other charges or fees of any type or nature will be refunded or credited. If RCI does not accept the Offer, the original booking will continue, and persons associated with the booking will travel in the original stateroom category. RCI will not offer and guests will not receive any compensation, consideration, or other benefit as a result of the Offer not being accepted. Modifying or Cancelling the Offer Guest may modify or cancel an Offer up to 48-hours prior to the cruise departure date, but only if the Offer has not been accepted by RCI and if the Credit Card has not been charged (the “Offer Period”). If Guest modifies or cancels the Offer during the Offer Period, the original Offer will be voided, and if applicable, replaced with Guest’s modified Offer. Voided or cancelled Offers will not be reviewed. Modifying or Cancelling the Offer or Booking by Guest After RCI Accepts the Offer If RCI has accepted the Offer, the Offer cannot be modified or cancelled, and Guest must pay the Total Amount regardless of whether Guest subsequently modifies or cancels the booking. If RCI has accepted the Offer and Guest modifies or cancels the booking, the Upgrade and the Offer will be cancelled. RCI will have no obligation to invite the Guest to submit a new Offer on the modified or new booking or to apply the Upgrade to the modified or new booking or to issue a refund or credit of any kind. Modifying the Booking by RCI If RCI for whatever reason re-books the Guest or any person associated with the booking to another cruise departing on a date that is different from the original booking date, RCI, in its sole discretion, may transfer any Offer made in relation to the original booking to the new booking, subject to availability of the upgraded stateroom category. General Terms By submitting an Offer, Guest agrees to the terms and conditions of this Program. Offer to participate in the Program is non-transferable and applies only to the Guest and booking identified in the email invitation. Any promotions associated with the original booking will remain in effect. The 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. Each offer is considered on an individual Offer basis, meaning that RCI may not invite or accept Offers of staterooms traveling together. If bookings that are traveling together are upgraded, RCI does not guarantee that the upgraded staterooms will be close together. The terms and conditions of your original cruise booking will remain in effect following the acceptance of an Offer or if an Offer is not accepted. This includes terms and conditions pertaining to cancellation, penalties, changes, the Crown & Anchor® Society.  Accepted offers will earn Crown & Anchor points at the original stateroom category purchased, and not the category of the upgraded stateroom. Upgrade does not include any additional promotions. If you purchase an Upgrade RCI cannot guarantee a specific cabin number assignment within the upgraded category. Your cabin number will depend on space availability. RCI reserves the right to modify and change these Terms and Conditions in its sole discretion at any time without notice. These Terms and Conditions apply in conjunction with RCI’s cruise ticket contract, website terms of use, privacy policy, all of which are incorporated into and form a part of these Terms and Conditions. RCI reserves the right to cancel the Offer at any time, correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions, and change or update fares, fees and surcharges at any time without prior notice. ©2018 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships’ registry: Bahamas.

Edited November 27, 2018 by Ourusualbeach