How Best to Look fo a Room Upgrade on Royal Caribbean

[KStrohm]

   Hello all,

 

   My wife and I just recently started crusing (we are about to go on our 4th cruise to the Caribbean on Freedom of the Seas in June). We are not complete Cruise noobs, but we were wondering how best to look for a room upgrade on Royal Caribbean. We just received our Royal Up email and bid on multipe room upgrades. Assuming that doesn't happen, can we inquire about room upgrades at Check In? Is it even possible to ask once onboard?

   We have no idea, but would like to learn from those more exprienced than we are.

 

   Thanks in advance!

 

   Keith

[Biker19]

Just now, KStrohm said:

. Assuming that doesn't happen, can we inquire about room upgrades at Check In? Is it even possible to ask once onboard?

   We have no idea, but would like to learn from those more exprienced than we are.

Yes, but you won’t find any there or on board. 

 

Keep checking availability and pricing throughout the selling cycle and upgrade yourself when you see a valuable price. 

[KStrohm]

   So here is a noob question: Do I simply go to the RC website and act as if I am trying to book a stateroom on my sailing to see what the availability and price currently are? I just did that yesterday, and it seems that the prices have actually gone up! 

 

 

[Biker19]

Just now, KStrohm said:

   So here is a noob question: Do I simply go to the RC website and act as if I am trying to book a stateroom on my sailing to see what the availability and price currently are? I just did that yesterday, and it seems that the prices have actually gone up! 

 

 

Yes, most of the time prices going up closer to sailing is normal. 

[KStrohm]

Just now, Biker19 said:

Yes, most of the time prices going up closer to sailing is normal. 

 

  Thanks! That helps!!

[CRUSINGFAMILY]

Yes you will only see price drops usually if the cruise is not selling well. Those cruises will typically be in the spring and fall or so called shoulder season. Us experienced cruisers used to get some free upgrades but for the past few years it never happens and with the biding for upgrades now i am sure it will never happne any more.

 

[cruisegirl1]

 When looking to buy an upgrade remember on some ships there are a variety of categories. As an example, you might have an interior cabin on an oasis class ships. You can upgrade to a interior promenade cabin, ocean view cabin, boardwalk balcony, central park balcony, Oceanview balcony , or a variety of suites. Not as simple anymore as interior, window, balcony, suite. 

 

 Another option might be to look for a guarantee cabin in a higher category.  I would only suggest this if the location was not important at all! 

 

 We have many years of cruising, and have never been able to upgrade at the pier. Years ago RCCL  used to offer complementary upgrades but I believe “that ship has sailed”. 

Good luck. 

 

M

[rt1092]

I wouldn't expect anything. We were on our 89th cruise with Royal. Before the upgrade fairy finally visited. Got upgraded from and OV to a balcony. And that was before the bidding thing.

[SRF]

To a get free upgrade, there would have to be fewer bidders than rooms available.

 

Or why would RCCL give a free upgrade, over a paid one????

 

It COULD happen, but don't hold your breath.

 

Oh, and it would help to be Pinnacle. 😄

Edited April 23, 2019 by SRF

[KStrohm]

24 minutes ago, SRF said:

To a get free upgrade, there would have to be fewer bidders than rooms available.

 

Or why would RCCL give a free upgrade, over a paid one????

 

It COULD happen, but don't hold your breath.

 

Oh, and it would help to be Pinnacle. 😄

   

   I'm not expecting a free upgrade, but looking for how best to find an upgrade possibility (even one we have to pay for)/

   Not exactly pinnacle, yet...but we ar efinally heading into Diamond!

 

[Milwaukee Eight]

If your willing to pay for an upgrade, why not book the desired cabin in the beginning?

[DrivesLikeMario]

If you look after final payment, there's a chance the price will go down and if so, then have your TA call and get options for you for higher category cabins. 

[KStrohm]

13 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

If your willing to pay for an upgrade, why not book the desired cabin in the beginning?

 

   Because I'm not necessarily willing to pay the full fare for a higher priced stateroom; but I would be willing to pay a little more (depending upon what that is) for a stateroom class upgrade. I bid on the RoyalUp email, so that is where I assume any upgrade might come from...but I was wondering if there were any other areas to cover that more experienced cruisers might know of.

 

   

[KStrohm]

5 minutes ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

If you look after final payment, there's a chance the price will go down and if so, then have your TA call and get options for you for higher category cabins. 

 

   That is certainly what I have been doing after someone else suggested it...but it looks like right now the price is going up. We are sailing at a peak time, so I'm not really expecting anything! 

[cindivan]

We are on the Anthem June 6 and from what I can tell there are only 9 rooms available left on the ship. One loft suite and the rest interior.  I don’t know that I have seen such a full ship this far out. I’m guessing the Oasis incident might have jammed up the rest of the ships. 

[DrivesLikeMario]

21 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Is that a TA?

I just mean to use that site as a reference for inventory, not as a TA. 

[Ourusualbeach]

5 minutes ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

I just mean to use that site as a reference for inventory, not as a TA. 

It’s still against the rules to name them regardless of the intent.

[SRF]

12 hours ago, KStrohm said:

   

   I'm not expecting a free upgrade, but looking for how best to find an upgrade possibility (even one we have to pay for)/

   Not exactly pinnacle, yet...but we ar efinally heading into Diamond!

 

 

Also, if I had the magic formula for cheap upgrades, why would I share it on an open forum???? 😄