RCCL Visa Upgrade

[Julma]

I understand how to get/redeem obc certificates, but how do you go about getting a category upgrade using your points?

[powelweb]

I've only used my VISA points to get $ off the cruise or to cash in for a free cruise but my free cruises have also included getting a higher cabin and paying the difference ( e.g. certificates good for oceanview but we pat the difference to stay in a balcony).

 

I just book the cabin and cruise that I ultimately want to be in, and then when I call to get the VISA certificate #s, I call the RCCL service folks in kansas and the work their magic to bring down the invoice price.

 

Hope this helps

Wendy

[CruisinDawn]

Exactly, book the cabin you want then process the rest. I would spend some time doing the math to figure out the best use of your points. Upgrade, free companion, etc. We used 75,000 points to upgrade Alaska from a balcony to a Junior Suite but then upgraded ourselves paying the difference to a Grand Suite. To get a rough estimate of what the points will be worth price the lowest available cabin in the category they are upgrading you from, then price the cabin you want. What the difference is will be what your points are worth as long as it does not exceed the maximum for the certificate. Ours ended up being $1,200 savings for our 75,000 points. I also called 888-305-4626 (hope thats the right number) told them what I wanted to do and she told me how much the certificate would be worth no matter what I booked over the Junior Suite. Ours was a bit more complex because of it being a cruise tour and not just a cruise. On our Oct cruise we used 50,000 points for a free cruise but are in a JS paying the difference. The certificate was worth $578 which is the cost of the lowest oceanview cabin which was the free cruise. If you get confused with the math try calling the redemption desk like I do.

 

Note: Yet another glitch in Royal's system is that if you make any changes to a reservation that the credit has already been applied it will automatically drop off the credit and you have to ask for it to be reapplied. :rolleyes:

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[Benita]

We used 25000 points for a free companion on a 4 night Enchantment. Initially, the lowest price outside cabin was $650 per person, so they deducted $500 (the maximum value of the certificate) from the price. Well, prices kept dropping and dropping and we had the price adjusted twice. Each time, they took off the certificate and reapplied it a few days later. It got confusing, but when we finally sailed, the first person was $339 and the second was $10 - we upgraded by one catagory which was $10 over the price of the cheapest outside. The certificate actually gave us a $329 credit, which was the price of the cheapest outside.

So, if prices drop, the value of the certificate drops, as well.

[CruisinDawn]

We used 25000 points for a free companion on a 4 night Enchantment. Initially, the lowest price outside cabin was $650 per person, so they deducted $500 (the maximum value of the certificate) from the price. Well, prices kept dropping and dropping and we had the price adjusted twice. Each time, they took off the certificate and reapplied it a few days later. It got confusing, but when we finally sailed, the first person was $339 and the second was $10 - we upgraded by one catagory which was $10 over the price of the cheapest outside. The certificate actually gave us a $329 credit, which was the price of the cheapest outside.

So, if prices drop, the value of the certificate drops, as well.

So it sounds like you were able to change the reservation completly after the certificate had been applied? I often wondered this because sometimes I am so back & forth on which cabin category. Keeping my JS in Oct for now but the GS has a glitch resident rate for like only $20 more then I am paying for the JS but can't move my sister in the cabin until she is a sure deal. Unfortunately I don't live in Oregon but she does. :)

 

BonVoyage

Dawna