Related: The best time to go on a Caribbean cruise. Mail Corporate Guest Relations 1050 Caribbean Way Miami, FL 33132 Phone General: (305) 539-6000 Customer Service: (800) 398-9819 Corporate Guest Relations: (800) 256-6649 Vagn O. Srensen has served as a director of the Company since July 2011. 19 Secret Codes on Cruise Ships That You Need to Know, Virgin Voyages Partners with Sustainable Marine Fuel Providers, D23: Disney Treasure, Lighthouse Point, and Australia, Carnival Celebration Begins First Set of Sea Trials, Oceania Cruises New 180-Day World Cruise And Grand Voyages. In other words, make sure you are certain that you want to pay the additional cost for the upgrade in the chance that your bid is accepted. It allows you to bid a certain amount of money, often as low as $50 per person, to upgrade your current stateroom to an ocean view or balcony cabin or even a suite. For examples, blogger Chris Gleason of Top Dog Trips snagged an upgrade from a mini-suite to a two-bedroom suite in The Haven for his family of four, bidding $3,500. Even if you bid in the favorable green zone, there is no guarantee you'll get an upgrade. If youre on the fence between bidding and not bidding for a stateroom upgrade through RoyalUp, there are a few key considerations that may help you decide if its right for you. Best card for premium perks while traveling, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, The Business Platinum Card from American Express, Fly round trip to London for as low as $431, Did Norwegian Cruise Line make its new ships too small? In the case that one of the reservations gets upgraded, you cannot move the You will be charged based on double occupancy. And you wont be able to choose the cabin location. COVID-19/PCR TESTING. In just a few simple steps, you could score a fantastic upgrade, from Ocean View and Balcony staterooms to the most expansive suites at sea. This is great news for family or friends traveling together. If you join a Facebook group for your cruise sailing date, youll notice other passengers commenting when their bids are accepted. For more details about how we use your information, view our. If you prefer to have your cabins close together, then bidding may not be for you. While no winnings are guaranteed, it's recommended to bid at least a little . If not, youll keep the stateroom you already have and you wont be charged anything additional. If youre sailing during peak season, you can expect fewer cabins to be available for the Royal Caribbean RoyalUp program. Even before you consider bidding, it pays to check what the situation is in terms of any reduced upsell fares for your desired cabin, other Cruise Critic members warn. Flying to Tanzania for her honeymoon on Ethiopian Airlines in November, Amanda Meeks was ready to celebrate. These programs are relatively new. Posted on February 27, 2023 by how much is tim allen's car collection worth The first bid I won was on Anthem from balcony to JS with a near min bid, maybe 10% over min (like 220 on a min 200pp). Learn more. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. (Note that we didnt receive our emails stating our bids had not been accepted until after we were already onboard.). RoyalUp cannot guarantee a specific cabin location, so if location is of utmost importance to you, it may be better to upgrade a stateroom on your own instead of through the bidding process. Cabins located near the activity decks make it harder to get a restful night's sleep. #6. Read the fine print about the upgrade programs on the cruise line websites. You will be asked to provide a credit card number that will be charged if your bid is accepted. 9 comments. So, the Royal Up opportunities were dependent on no-shows at the port. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. *Please see all applicable Terms & Conditions for Promotions. The Royal Caribbean RoyalUp program acts as an auction for unsold cabins. Translated to cruise, if you book an ocean-view stateroom for $800 per person and are bidding on a mini-suite currently selling for $2,800, your best chance of landing an upgrade would come if you bid at least $400 per person. Oral Health Tips, News & Reviews blog. ), it doesnt hurt to make a bid. The other one was just okay. If you are a solo traveler, youll still have to pay the bid amount x2, which can make upgrades more expensive for those cruising solo. Can I reject the RoyalUp upgrade after it is accepted? To receive an email invitation to bid on a stateroom upgrade guest must be opted-in to RCI Marketing e-mails. If you make the cut, an emailed invitation will direct you to a special website where you can slide a color-coded dial to indicate your bid. So it might cost more if you were starting from the interior room, or less if you were starting from say a Junior suite. Royal Caribbean charges guests an automatic daily gratuity. Dont make the mistake of assuming you can bid on a better room only to be let down when your bid isnt chosen. Hi there! You may have a better chance of an upgrade if you pick a cruise with a lot of upper level cabins available. CarrieAP bid slightly higher than the minimum, but still in the lowest range, and was rewarded with a Spa Suite in The Haven. United rolls out free fleetwide Wi-Fi for select flyers. If we had not been cruising with family next door, we would have bid on every upgrade in our price range though. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Royal Caribbean Blog. You may find yourself in a cabin at the ships bow. An exception is if you qualify to bid for specific suites. Minimum bids depend on the stateroom category, with some upgrades starting at $30 per person whereas other bids may begin at $200+ per person. You Wont Receive Extra Crown & Anchor Points, 4. If you want to know how full your cruise ship is sailing, there are some tricks to find out if your cruise ship is full. Then, set a reminder or alarm on your phone so you don't miss that activity. The programs differ slightly -- for instance, with Norwegian you can only bid up to two categories, for example, from an inside to an ocean view or balcony. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. 1. Cruise Critic members tout their success stories on the message boards, and you can learn some tips from the experiences of others. As with any "deal," it's important to do your research. So, go ahead and browse through the available options. With some cruise ships and even Amtrak getting in on the act, is bidding up worth it? Usually you'll be able to upgrade on stateroom categories that are 1-2 steps up from your original cabin. One important note for families before bidding on RoyalUp is that the bidding program will not maintain connecting rooms. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. Minimum bids depend on the stateroom category, with some upgrades starting at $30 per person whereas other bids may begin at $200+ per person. While its unlikely that your RoyalUp bid will be accepted immediately after bidding, be sure to double check your bid amounts. Remember that your money is not refundable once you win a bid. Auctions for cruise vacations have all but fallen by the wayside. We'll notify you via email if your request for an upgrade has been approved. Free mini bar, replenished daily. The line is known for its mega-ships and first-of-its-kind world-class entertainment at sea. Does the RoyalUp upgrade include any additional promotions? Who is invited to bid may be based primarily on how much you paid for your ticket in the first place and your participation in frequent flyer programs. While there are many ways to save money and indulge in an awesome cruise vacation, these are our favorite ways to get the most bang for our buck on Royal Caribbean cruises. For example, if you win a bid on a suite and are able to dine at the exclusive restaurant, Coastal Kitchen, your friends in a regular stateroom will not be permitted to join you. With his successful bid, he paid just more than $9,000 for a nine-day Baltics cruise on Norwegian Breakaway, a savings of $5,000. Submitted a Royal Up request for a Junior Suite on the Odyssey sail date 2 Jan 2022. This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. Introducing RoyalUp a new bid-based stateroom upgrade program. Star Class benefits include a personalized Royal Genie service, complimentary specialty dining, complimentary deluxe beverage package, complimentary VOOM internet, and more. 3. Royal Caribbean's RoyalUp Bid is a bidding program that allows you to upgrade your cabin to a higher cabin category at a lower cost than a traditional cabin upgrade. Our cruise group consisted of families who bid the minimum and were upgraded and those who bid the maximum and were not accepted. For more details about RoyalUp, click here. Forums. Whats the best cruise ship cabin for my family? Therefore, a $500 bid per person in a room with four guests will only be $1000 total instead of $2000. You can unsubscribe at any time. On our Royal Caribbean cruise, Perfect Day at CocoCay was hands-down our most enjoyed experience on our itinerary and everything being included in the price of our cruise saved us hundreds of dollars that we would have spent at another port of call. Related: Everything you need to know about Royal Caribbeans loyalty program. Whether switching from an interior to balcony or Junior Suite to Grand Suite, heres what you need to know about Royal Caribbeans RoyalUp program. If you do not receive word about successful bids before your trip, you can inquire on boarding day. And, you'll only earn Crown & Anchor points on the original cabin category you purchased and not the upgraded on. Once you win the upgrade and have your credit card charged, you are automatically switched to the higher-category stateroom. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. Watch YouTube videos of the room you want to bid on to make sure you like it. Our goal has been to provide our readers with expansive coverage of all aspects of the Royal Caribbean experience. We were really looking forward to opening the balcony dividers between our three rooms and enjoying one long balcony. Once you win the bid, you cant make any changes or cancellations. Regardless of the room you select, we hope you have an amazing time sailing with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line! That said, luck has a considerable role in winning your bid. So for a very overly simplistic example, if there are 2 bids for a RS, and a GS bid $600 and a JS bid $500. Browse the cabin options and select how much you're willing to pay for the upgrade. The bar moves by specific increments to prevent bids of odd amounts. Just make sure they fall into the guidelines of the Research section we detailed above. There are so many other options on board to grab dinner or a snack at odd times. 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