Big Red

Scott Gottlieb is the co-chair of the Healthy Sail Panel
 

What I really cannot figure out is why we continue to see posts like this everywhere.  It's not like the poster doesn’t know about the purpose and various opnions on masks.  Some people agree with you, while others (like me) do not, although those words are not nearly strong enough to express the depth of the disagreement.  No one on these boards is going to change anyone's mind.  I am willing to argue about it much more than most, and even I am tired of it and realize the futility.  In my opnion your opnion on masks is wrong at every level,  but you do you.  Just not on a cruise ship until the rules change.

Get a passport it will be way more useful...
 
 

Kind of hard to tell if you only put in one bid on one room upgrade.  Won't be able to tell until days before the cruise when they accept or deny the bid.  But, best of luck!👍

Get a passport it will be way more useful...
 
 

Kind of hard to tell if you only put in one bid on one room upgrade.  Won't be able to tell until days before the cruise when they accept or deny the bid.  But, best of luck!👍

In October on Symphony, we won a bid on an upgrade from a GS1 to a CL for only $235pp ….. $470 Total …….. I never expected to win for that cheap ….. it was the absolute minimum I could even bid on that category …… so you just never know what will or won’t get you the Royal Up.
 

Keep up hope.  Even if all suites or upgraded rooms are booked for your sailing you can still get an upgrade!  We got up graded to Grande Suite from Balcony, and we met another couple on that cruise, that also got the same upgrade at the same bid price.  But, when we check online there was only one room that showed available for upgrade.  
Keep in mind RC does not typically show all the rooms that our available online. 
Now bidding for Star Class for 01/16/22 cruising.  And love reading these treads..

Keep up hope.  Even if all suites or upgraded rooms are booked for your sailing you can still get an upgrade!  We got up graded to Grande Suite from Balcony, and we met another couple on that cruise, that also got the same upgrade at the same bid price.  But, when we check online there was only one room that showed available for upgrade.  
Keep in mind RC does not typically show all the rooms that our available online. 
Now bidding for Star Class for 01/16/22 cruising.  And love reading these treads..

With the world going crazy again about the virus people are going to cancel.  I got a RoyalUp this past October from balcony to a grande suite.  Everyday I did a mock booking and was amazed the closer we got to sailing the more that was offered.  So, yes, there is none now but keep checking!  

Even if the rooms are sold out there may be people in the room that may get a higher upgrade making the room available on bid only, and not online.  That was true on our Bids that we won.  They where sold out, but me and the other couple both got upgraded to the sold out Grand Suites.  Guessing those with Grand Suites got upgraded to Owner or higher suites.  

Even if the rooms are sold out there may be people in the room that may get a higher upgrade making the room available on bid only, and not online.  That was true on our Bids that we won.  They where sold out, but me and the other couple both got upgraded to the sold out Grand Suites.  Guessing those with Grand Suites got upgraded to Owner or higher suites.  

Both were Tag Heuer.  No one had a good selections of Rolex or Omega. Boat had like 4 decent Omegas, and Rolexs where all women old models with diamonds...

Even if the rooms are sold out there may be people in the room that may get a higher upgrade making the room available on bid only, and not online.  That was true on our Bids that we won.  They where sold out, but me and the other couple both got upgraded to the sold out Grand Suites.  Guessing those with Grand Suites got upgraded to Owner or higher suites.  

Even if the rooms are sold out there may be people in the room that may get a higher upgrade making the room available on bid only, and not online.  That was true on our Bids that we won.  They where sold out, but me and the other couple both got upgraded to the sold out Grand Suites.  Guessing those with Grand Suites got upgraded to Owner or higher suites.  

We bid on and won our RoyalUP offer for our cruise back on Oct 17th on Allure.  We had a balcony and won a Grand Suite.  The original cost of our balcony room was around $1,100 for two people, then we offered $1,200 per person and won the Grand Suite. I believe the min bid amount was $800-900 per person.  So we got a Grand Suite for $3,500 total cost, which was typically priced at closer to $7-8K.  We really bid-up just to get the extra perks of the suite class, and to get the much bigger room and bathroom!👌  We put in min bids on Jr. Suite, 2-Bd Grand Suite, and Owner's Suite(but some of these min bids where more than the one we won.  
    We also met another couple on the boat that bid and won the same class of suite that we got, and we shared our experiences of waiting. 
I would say we got our notifications on the winning bid aprox 3 days before we cruised.  And all other bids showed expired aprox 1 week out, with the winning bid in pending status up until 3-days out.  

We bid on and won our RoyalUP offer for our cruise back on Oct 17th on Allure.  We had a balcony and won a Grand Suite.  The original cost of our balcony room was around $1,100 for two people, then we offered $1,200 per person and won the Grand Suite. I believe the min bid amount was $800-900 per person.  So we got a Grand Suite for $3,500 total cost, which was typically priced at closer to $7-8K.  We really bid-up just to get the extra perks of the suite class, and to get the much bigger room and bathroom!👌  We put in min bids on Jr. Suite, 2-Bd Grand Suite, and Owner's Suite(but some of these min bids where more than the one we won.  
    We also met another couple on the boat that bid and won the same class of suite that we got, and we shared our experiences of waiting. 
I would say we got our notifications on the winning bid aprox 3 days before we cruised.  And all other bids showed expired aprox 1 week out, with the winning bid in pending status up until 3-days out.  

We bid on and won our RoyalUP offer for our cruise back on Oct 17th on Allure.  We had a balcony and won a Grand Suite.  The original cost of our balcony room was around $1,100 for two people, then we offered $1,200 per person and won the Grand Suite. I believe the min bid amount was $800-900 per person.  So we got a Grand Suite for $3,500 total cost, which was typically priced at closer to $7-8K.  We really bid-up just to get the extra perks of the suite class, and to get the much bigger room and bathroom!👌  We put in min bids on Jr. Suite, 2-Bd Grand Suite, and Owner's Suite(but some of these min bids where more than the one we won.  
    We also met another couple on the boat that bid and won the same class of suite that we got, and we shared our experiences of waiting. 
I would say we got our notifications on the winning bid aprox 3 days before we cruised.  And all other bids showed expired aprox 1 week out, with the winning bid in pending status up until 3-days out.  

Well I got two nice new watches on my Cruise last week.  
    I got one watch onboard the ship for about $800 cheaper than I what I would have paid locally.  Plus I was able to use my accumulated cruise credits from not selling in over a year to pay for that watch, so it cost me zero...
    The second watch I couldn't find anywhere till I got to St. Martin.  And we got that one for nearly $1,000 less than what I would have spent on it back in Tampa, and about $1,500 less than online listed prices.  And got more cruise credits from it as I used my RC credit card to get it, plus no taxes!  So I was super stoked on this trip!  St. Martin had super light traffic in the shops when I was there, and you can for sure see the damage done by no tourist.  
St. Thomas had almost no availability of new high end watches to speak of, and what I did find was over priced or same as home.  St Thomas was even more of a shell of it's former self, then even after the hurricanes that came through, before covid.  It was by and far the worst off of the islands we visited after Covid, with many of the shops downsizing or closing all together. 
   So closing this conversation thanks for all the help.  And yes you can get deals on the boat, specially if you have cruise credits to spend(free money)....🤙⌚

Well I got two nice new watches on my Cruise last week.  
    I got one watch onboard the ship for about $800 cheaper than I what I would have paid locally.  Plus I was able to use my accumulated cruise credits from not selling in over a year to pay for that watch, so it cost me zero...
    The second watch I couldn't find anywhere till I got to St. Martin.  And we got that one for nearly $1,000 less than what I would have spent on it back in Tampa, and about $1,500 less than online listed prices.  And got more cruise credits from it as I used my RC credit card to get it, plus no taxes!  So I was super stoked on this trip!  St. Martin had super light traffic in the shops when I was there, and you can for sure see the damage done by no tourist.  
St. Thomas had almost no availability of new high end watches to speak of, and what I did find was over priced or same as home.  St Thomas was even more of a shell of it's former self, then even after the hurricanes that came through, before covid.  It was by and far the worst off of the islands we visited after Covid, with many of the shops downsizing or closing all together. 
   So closing this conversation thanks for all the help.  And yes you can get deals on the boat, specially if you have cruise credits to spend(free money)....🤙⌚

Well I got two nice new watches on my Cruise last week.  
    I got one watch onboard the ship for about $800 cheaper than I what I would have paid locally.  Plus I was able to use my accumulated cruise credits from not selling in over a year to pay for that watch, so it cost me zero...
    The second watch I couldn't find anywhere till I got to St. Martin.  And we got that one for nearly $1,000 less than what I would have spent on it back in Tampa, and about $1,500 less than online listed prices.  And got more cruise credits from it as I used my RC credit card to get it, plus no taxes!  So I was super stoked on this trip!  St. Martin had super light traffic in the shops when I was there, and you can for sure see the damage done by no tourist.  
St. Thomas had almost no availability of new high end watches to speak of, and what I did find was over priced or same as home.  St Thomas was even more of a shell of it's former self, then even after the hurricanes that came through, before covid.  It was by and far the worst off of the islands we visited after Covid, with many of the shops downsizing or closing all together. 
   So closing this conversation thanks for all the help.  And yes you can get deals on the boat, specially if you have cruise credits to spend(free money)....🤙⌚

Well I got two nice new watches on my Cruise last week.  
    I got one watch onboard the ship for about $800 cheaper than I what I would have paid locally.  Plus I was able to use my accumulated cruise credits from not selling in over a year to pay for that watch, so it cost me zero...
    The second watch I couldn't find anywhere till I got to St. Martin.  And we got that one for nearly $1,000 less than what I would have spent on it back in Tampa, and about $1,500 less than online listed prices.  And got more cruise credits from it as I used my RC credit card to get it, plus no taxes!  So I was super stoked on this trip!  St. Martin had super light traffic in the shops when I was there, and you can for sure see the damage done by no tourist.  
St. Thomas had almost no availability of new high end watches to speak of, and what I did find was over priced or same as home.  St Thomas was even more of a shell of it's former self, then even after the hurricanes that came through, before covid.  It was by and far the worst off of the islands we visited after Covid, with many of the shops downsizing or closing all together. 
   So closing this conversation thanks for all the help.  And yes you can get deals on the boat, specially if you have cruise credits to spend(free money)....🤙⌚

Wish me luck 🍀 
 

From what I have seen as soon as 5 days before sailing till right up to the day of sailing.  Ours happened 3 days out around 3pm in the afternoon.  I believe it works like a domino affect, they take care of the higher rooms 1st, then work there way down.  So that they fill the rooms the most efficient way possible.  

Boom!🤯 It I done!  Officially got our upgrade!  Today at 3pm EST.  Right after my post above.  Sorry I didn't want to go into details about my bid, room, and ship until we got the upgrade(as only one room was available online during bidding)
Went from Ocean View Balcony to Grand Suite on a 7-Day cruise on Allure leaving this Sunday!  We have a total of around $3,500 invested for a GS balcony for two people(price includes the original purchase price, and the bid offered($1,250 per person/ $2,500 total bid)!  Way cheaper than what we would have done if we would have just booked the suite room to begin with!  Plus we can now eat at costal kitchen, and I can get rid of our internet package(sad no extra Cruise points for suite room but oh well)!!  Super stoked as me and the wife have been waiting all pandemic like most everyone to get back out and start cruising again!  Cant wait till our next cruise now for January!  Hope my additions helps folks that read this post/blog!!
Royal Up works!
Also in closing, I think it is an extremely good sign when bidding, that if you have one of the bids pending, you will typically get the upgrade!🤙