Is the "Royal Up" program still alive????

[HicksRA]

The Royal Up Program is currently in “Suspended” animation. 

[cruise wizard]

25 minutes ago, rockmom said:

How far out is your cruise?  Before Covid, I think the window for it to find Royal Up for your cruise was about a month out maybe?  

 

It is 11/2 on Vision.............so it is less than 30 days.

[WeMissSeaView]

Back in March, I applied for a RoyalUp offer on a cruise in April and I was selected.  My credit card was charged within 24 hours of the selection e-mail.  Ten days later before cruises came to a halt, I received an e-mail telling me my RoyalUp request was unsuccessful.  ??????  It took months before my RoyalUp payment was credited back to my credit card.  I never got to call Royal and find out how a paid RoyalUp could become unsuccessful because all cruises stopped just days later and I was on a cruise when the e-mail arrived and cruises stopped.  I would have loved to hear Royals explanation on that one.

[Biker19]

4 hours ago, orville99 said:

True. If you're more than a month out, you will get an error message when you try to do a RoyalUP bid.

That error appears for any number of reasons, including being more than 30 days out. Before the shutdown folks routinely got Royal Up offers more than 30 days out (but after final payment) and/or were able to go to the Royal Up site directly to submit an offer.

[Ashland]

9 hours ago, cruise wizard said:

 

I just checked on the Royal Up website - I put in my name and reservation number and it wasn't found.................maybe the cruise has been cancelled?????

I know it says there's a time frame to start checking the Royal Up...but that can and did vary...I was 3 months out the first time I put in a bid...so I would occasionally check if I were you.

[orville99]

12 hours ago, Biker19 said:

That error appears for any number of reasons, including being more than 30 days out. Before the shutdown folks routinely got Royal Up offers more than 30 days out (but after final payment) and/or were able to go to the Royal Up site directly to submit an offer.

On occasion, I've been able to go to the online site 50-60 days out, but it has (at best) been hit-or-miss whether it let me make a bid. Much more likely to get the error message that I quoted. But there's never any harm in trying.

 

Here's the link for anyone who may want to try...

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/booked/cruise-room-upgrade

[RFerrington]

I agree with @orville99 and @Biker19.  Unless I got an email inviting me to bid, I would always get that error message, regardless of how many days it was until the cruise.  I think it's a default message if you haven't been invited to bid.

[island lady]

22 hours ago, cruise wizard said:

Somehow I miss the e-mails asking me to "Royal Up"..................haven't had one in 7 months. It looks like there are a lot of cabins available through 2021!!!!!

 

Hi Gary!  I have received nothing for my doomed, most likely soon to be cancelled B2B Harmony 11/29 and 12/6.   Feel bad for you and other pax still hoping to cruise the first week of November...less than a month away, makes it tough to plan.  

Edited October 6, 2020 by island lady

[island lady]

21 hours ago, cruise wizard said:

I was hoping that the "upgrade fairy" avoided Covid and was back to work!!!!

 

She was shot, killed, and tossed over board by her evil twin sister...the "pay to upgrade" fairy.  $$$  😉 

[cruise wizard]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

 

She was shot, killed, and tossed over board by her evil twin sister...the "pay to upgrade" fairy.  $$$  😉 

 

And now I know the rest of the story!!!!! RIP Ms Upgrade Fairy

[cruise wizard]

1 hour ago, RFerrington said:

I agree with @orville99 and @Biker19.  Unless I got an email inviting me to bid, I would always get that error message, regardless of how many days it was until the cruise.  I think it's a default message if you haven't been invited to bid.

 

I'm surprised that I hadn't received an e-mail from Royal Up................the Vision cruise is on 11/2 (within the 30 days  or less) and lots of cabins available. 

[RFerrington]

I have not heard of anyone getting a RoyalUp offer since the shutdown.  I think they have suspended the program for now.

[cruise wizard]

32 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

I have not heard of anyone getting a RoyalUp offer since the shutdown.  I think they have suspended the program for now.

 

I do believe that you are right and suspect that it will be coming back after cruising has been established again.

[WeMissSeaView]

I would suspect that we will not receive RoyalUp offers until cruise ships start sailing at 100% again.  That may take some time.

[Ashland]

3 hours ago, RFerrington said:

I agree with @orville99 and @Biker19.  Unless I got an email inviting me to bid, I would always get that error message, regardless of how many days it was until the cruise.  I think it's a default message if you haven't been invited to bid.

Sorry...but in the past I've bid on 3 different cruises and never got an email inviting me to. 

[island lady]

2 hours ago, cruise wizard said:

 

And now I know the rest of the story!!!!! RIP Ms Upgrade Fairy

 

I found her...what's left of her anyway. Well preserved.  😉 

 

 

 

[garywatson]

Not exactly a "royal up" but during the pandemic I got a free casino-related cruise offer, which of course was for an inside cabin. Not interested at all in ever doing inside again, I asked the person on the phone if I could pay to bump me up to a balcony and they said "sure" and it was cheap - something like $200 for me traveling alone on a 4 day cruise starting Nov 2.

[CSHS1979]

9 hours ago, WeMissSeaView said:

I would suspect that we will not receive RoyalUp offers until cruise ships start sailing at 100% again.  That may take some time.

 

Why wait for 100%?

That's just leaving money on the table.

Something Royal can't afford to do.

 

Is there a downside to utilizing it?

With the late cancellation program in place, its practically a neccesity

[WeMissSeaView]

56 minutes ago, CSHS1979 said:

 

Why wait for 100%?

That's just leaving money on the table.

Something Royal can't afford to do.

 

Is there a downside to utilizing it?

With the late cancellation program in place, its practically a neccesity

I would suspect that Royal will NOT sail at 100% while they are doing social distancing.  That is why they may wait for 100%.

[CSHS1979]

33 minutes ago, WeMissSeaView said:

I would suspect that Royal will NOT sail at 100% while they are doing social distancing.  That is why they may wait for 100%.

 

Absolutely, but that's no reason to not try and make some coin from empty balconies and suites. Especially if folks that are booked change their mind last minute. RoyalUP is designed for that very issue.

 

I can't think of any downside

[island lady]

RCI needs to keep capacity down, especially for the first cruises to start back up.  Easier to control everything.  

 

Thus...no real need to fill empty cabins. 

 

We will pay for each cabin, and each self upgrade as listed in pricing....IMHO.  

 

Me...I am not throwing any extra money at any of my booked cruises right now, since there is no guarantee which, if any...will actually be a go. 

 

Just got my next booked cruise cancelled as of yesterday (Harmony 11/29)...as did Gary (OP).  Sorry my friend.  😞 

Edited October 7, 2020 by island lady

[ReneeFLL]

On 10/7/2020 at 9:21 AM, island lady said:

......Me...I am not throwing any extra money at any of my booked cruises right now, since there is no guarantee which, if any...will actually be a go. 

 

Just got my next booked cruise cancelled as of yesterday (Harmony 11/29)...as did Gary (OP).  Sorry my friend.  😞 

I don't blame you for not wanting to try to Royal Up right now as slow as the refunds have been coming. Does anyone think that the ships will get booked to their new capacity? I know a lot of people here are ready to jump on the first cruises, but what about the rest of the cruisers that aren't such die hards?

[bigrednole]

I think Royal Up may be getting a boost, at least early on with lower capacities. Only time will tell if they will meet the voluntary reductions to capacity. If it does become an issue, those affected will be told there are say 5 rooms available in Royal Up, those that do not "win" those rooms will voluntarily choose to be removed from the cruise. 

[The_Big_M]

Yes. Let us know when there's a sailing coming up that it can be offered on.

[island lady]

8 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

I don't blame you for not wanting to try to Royal Up right now as slow as the refunds have been coming. Does anyone think that the ships will get booked to their new capacity? I know a lot of people here are ready to jump on the first cruises, but what about the rest of the cruisers that aren't such die hards?

 

Pricing for my next (probably doomed) three cruises have gone way up, most especially for the January cruises.  And have not received any offers for royal up at all...even being after final payment.  Easy to limit capacity better that way I imagine.