Free casino cruises are now eligible to do upgrade bids!

[fstuff1]

In the past, free casino cruises were not eligible to bid for upgrades.

But i just an email to bid for an upgrade on my 7day Jan 2024 Ascent cruise.

 

I'm in a rare deluxe porthole, which is basically a hull balcony. It's a real step out balcony. (I consider Infinite Verandas as OV with windows that open.)

 

Anyway, here are my minimum upgrade bid prices:

Sunset veranda $50/person (so i assume $100 if going solo), Infinite Veranda $45/person, Concierge $100/person , Aqua $150/person

Sky suite $1k person, sunset ss $1025/person, aqua sunset ss $1045/person

and it goes up from there.

 

Now that Blue Chip is switching to Royal Caribbean's way of doing casino things, I guess this is one of the changes.

No, i'm not bidding. I've never been in a porthole balcony before so i want to try it.

But if i was to bid, i'd bid minimum on sunset and pray. 😛

 

Also, in my opinion, Aqua is not worth +$300 (i'm solo) for Blu and free yoga classes.

I could buy specialty dining for cheaper than $300, especially if they're offering 35%+ off like on my Solstice cruise last month.

Edited November 9, 2023 by fstuff1

[LMHSRN]

34 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

In the past, free casino cruises were not eligible to bid for upgrades.

But i just an email to bid for an upgrade on my 7day Jan 2024 Ascent cruise.

 

I'm in a rare deluxe porthole, which is basically a hull balcony. It's a real step out balcony. (I consider Infinite Verandas as OV with windows that open.)

 

Anyway, here are my minimum upgrade bid prices:

Sunset veranda $50/person (so i assume $100 if going solo), Infinite Veranda $45/person, Concierge $100/person , Aqua $150/person

Sky suite $1k person, sunset ss $1025/person, aqua sunset ss $1045/person

and it goes up from there.

 

Now that Blue Chip is switching to Royal Caribbean's way of doing casino things, I guess this is one of the changes.

No, i'm not bidding. I've never been in a porthole balcony before so i want to try it.

But if i was to bid, i'd bid minimum on sunset and pray. 😛

 

Also, in my opinion, Aqua is not worth +$300 (i'm solo) for Blu and free yoga classes.

I could buy specialty dining for cheaper than $300, especially if they're offering 35%+ off like on my Solstice cruise last month.

Have always been able to utilize Move-Up program with BC booking.

[fstuff1]

3 minutes ago, LMHSRN said:

Have always been able to utilize Move-Up program with BC booking.

Interesting. I've never gotten the Moveup offer till today and i'm Elite Plus with all being free casino cruises.
But i use a 3rd party casino hosting company

Edited November 9, 2023 by fstuff1

[LMHSRN]

2 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

Interesting. I've never gotten the Moveup offer till today and i'm Elite Plus with all being free casino cruises.
But i use a 3rd party casino hosting company

All you have to do is call the Move-Up program and have them invite you to bid.  Easy Peasey

[fstuff1]

32 minutes ago, LMHSRN said:

All you have to do is call the Move-Up program and have them invite you to bid.  Easy Peasey

oh didnt know that.
but I've been happy with what my host was getting me before the recent changes to mimic how Royal does it.
Now, for the past few months, it's free cruises directly from Blue Chip via postcards with a pre-set list of cruises.

hosts had a hard time doing anything about cruises not on those lists.

But i've just read this week that Hosts can once again get cruises that people pick.

Edited November 9, 2023 by fstuff1

[poffles]

I have sailed on a few Blue Chip offered cruises and much like the OP I've never received a Move-Up email. I realize you can call and request because I've read here of others doing so, but many would not know this.  I have been content with my rooms so never pursued.

 

Seems to be a bit all over the place in recent times with the Blue Chip experience.  I have gone months and months with no offers but then I call in and they've listed some for me.  Fast forward to last month and I got NINE Blue Chip email offering a list of cruises all within the next 6 month period.  They mostly repeat the offers but it's blowing my mind a little.  So far November I've received four email. 

 

Not complaining at all but one extreme to the other, I really like getting the offers emailed.  Assume others would be seeing this same thing.

[gold1953]

11 hours ago, LMHSRN said:

All you have to do is call the Move-Up program and have them invite you to bid.  Easy Peasey

that is what I did and got a cheap move to Aqua class

[KKB]

16 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

In the past, free casino cruises were not eligible to bid for upgrades.

But i just an email to bid for an upgrade on my 7day Jan 2024 Ascent cruise.

 

I'm in a rare deluxe porthole, which is basically a hull balcony. It's a real step out balcony. (I consider Infinite Verandas as OV with windows that open.)

 

Anyway, here are my minimum upgrade bid prices:

Sunset veranda $50/person (so i assume $100 if going solo), Infinite Veranda $45/person, Concierge $100/person , Aqua $150/person

Sky suite $1k person, sunset ss $1025/person, aqua sunset ss $1045/person

and it goes up from there.

 

Now that Blue Chip is switching to Royal Caribbean's way of doing casino things, I guess this is one of the changes.

No, i'm not bidding. I've never been in a porthole balcony before so i want to try it.

But if i was to bid, i'd bid minimum on sunset and pray. 😛

 

Also, in my opinion, Aqua is not worth +$300 (i'm solo) for Blu and free yoga classes.

I could buy specialty dining for cheaper than $300, especially if they're offering 35%+ off like on my Solstice cruise last month.

FYI...porthole balconies are so narrow you cannot face the chairs forward, only sideways toward each other.

It's a fully covered, mostly enclosed balcony--just curious, how is that different than an IV w/ the window down?

(again, just curious; I am ambivalent about IV cabins...)

Edited November 9, 2023 by KKB

[fstuff1]

6 hours ago, KKB said:

FYI...porthole balconies are so narrow you cannot face the chairs forward, only sideways toward each other.

It's a fully covered, mostly enclosed balcony--just curious, how is that different than an IV w/ the window down?

(again, just curious; I am ambivalent about IV cabins...)

To me a balcony is something you step out, like into a separate room.

 

[hcat]

i think they are looking to fill ships by making better offers

[fstuff1]

7 hours ago, KKB said:

FYI...porthole balconies are so narrow you cannot face the chairs forward, only sideways toward each other.

😮

ok, i placed a min bid on sunset veranda.

 

Interestingly, i see this terms & conditions:

I acknowledge that I will keep the same amenities that I have on my current booking; no additional amenities will be added as the result of my upgrade (except for bids into Royal, Edge Villa, Penthouse, Reflection and Iconic Suites, which will receive amenity inclusion of the Premium Beverage Package and Premium Wifi).

Captain's Club Points will be earned based on the original stateroom category purchased, and not the category of the upgraded stateroom.

 

Does that mean if i win Aqua i dont get access to Blu?
Or if i win sky suite, i dont get access to Luminie or the Retreat Lounge?

Edited November 10, 2023 by fstuff1

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, fstuff1 said:

😮

ok, i placed a min bid on sunset veranda.

 

Interestingly, i see this terms & conditions:

I acknowledge that I will keep the same amenities that I have on my current booking; no additional amenities will be added as the result of my upgrade (except for bids into Royal, Edge Villa, Penthouse, Reflection and Iconic Suites, which will receive amenity inclusion of the Premium Beverage Package and Premium Wifi).

Captain's Club Points will be earned based on the original stateroom category purchased, and not the category of the upgraded stateroom.

 

Does that mean if i win Aqua i dont get access to Blu?
Or if i win sky suite, i dont get access to Luminie or the Retreat Lounge?

They mean any additional all included benefits ie WiFi, drink packages

[KKB]

15 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

😮

ok, i placed a min bid on sunset veranda.

 

Interestingly, i see this terms & conditions:

I acknowledge that I will keep the same amenities that I have on my current booking; no additional amenities will be added as the result of my upgrade (except for bids into Royal, Edge Villa, Penthouse, Reflection and Iconic Suites, which will receive amenity inclusion of the Premium Beverage Package and Premium Wifi).

Captain's Club Points will be earned based on the original stateroom category purchased, and not the category of the upgraded stateroom.

 

Does that mean if i win Aqua i dont get access to Blu?
Or if i win sky suite, i dont get access to Luminie or the Retreat Lounge?

You would get access to Blu/Luminae/Lounge if you got an upgrade to that class.

But if you had booked a Cruise Only reservation, you would NOT get wifi, drinks & possibly tips.

[Random Cruizer]

22 hours ago, KKB said:

FYI...porthole balconies are so narrow you cannot face the chairs forward, only sideways toward each other.

It's a fully covered, mostly enclosed balcony--just curious, how is that different than an IV w/ the window down?

(again, just curious; I am ambivalent about IV cabins...)

 

Completely different--it's an actual balcony, I've had one.  You can get outside in the fresh air and close the door, etc.  I was solo--it is rather narrow for two, I will admit, but traveling solo, it was fine.

[KKB]

4 minutes ago, Random Cruizer said:

 

Completely different--it's an actual balcony, I've had one.  You can get outside in the fresh air and close the door, etc.  I was solo--it is rather narrow for two, I will admit, but traveling solo, it was fine.

This is where we differ (the beauty of life is our differences!)

I have sat on a number of balconies---covered, walls on side, fresh air, nice area to sit--and thought, huh, really not different than our IV. 

BUT we are not huge balcony people--we always like the IDEA, but find we really do not use it as much as we think we will. (we just aren't in the room much more than sleeping & showering)

NOW, the one potential major issue w/ IV is the loud mechanism for opening it. I am the late sleeper--if DH wanted to go on the balcony b4 I woke, THAT would not work!

(I keep HOPING this IV hatred will bring down prices on IVs on my beloved Eclass...alas, it just doesn't seem to do that!)

[Random Cruizer]

I hear you--I actually liked my IV on Beyond last summer.  For some reason it really opened up the room and made it seem bigger than the verandah made a verandah room feel.  Not sure why--so I'm pretty happy with either.  But I don't think they are the same thing, either.

Edited November 10, 2023 by Random Cruizer

[fstuff1]

4 hours ago, Random Cruizer said:

I hear you--I actually liked my IV on Beyond last summer.  For some reason it really opened up the room and made it seem bigger than the verandah made a verandah room feel.  Not sure why--so I'm pretty happy with either.  But I don't think they are the same thing, either.

i've had iv on e-class.

once the novelty wore off, i stopped using the fake balcony area.

 

my bed was near the bathroom so the couch was near the window.

i found it more comfortable to sit on the couch and lean against the arm rest if i wanted to look out the window.

 

thus why i view iv as a fancy ov at balcony prices

[NutsAboutGolf]

It sounds like they made comped rooms eligible without the need to contact them so this is new information

 

I've personally never had luck with calling in requesting to make it eligible but have had 100% success rate by emailing MoveUp although every now and then it can take a month for them to get back to you.  Just a recent datapoint, we won a bid of $165x2 (was a $150 minimum) To go from an inside to a balcony for 7 nights.  On a summer 9-nighter where we had a comped inside and MoveUp had a $50 OV minimum and a $500 balcony minimum, we won a $65x2 bid for the OV.  On embarkation day, we arrived at 10am, and were let on the ship at 1030am, we immediately headed to guest services to ask if they had any paid upgrades and they said they could just bump us up to a balcony at no charge or we pay $800 to upgrade to a concierge.  We've 4-4 with on-board upgrades yet it's quite the roll of the dice because they simply might not have any left, the upgrade price could be too expensive to make sense for you or you're late getting on the ship; they may only have a handful of open rooms and like it or not, with these empty rooms it's first come first serve, suggested embarkation windows be damned