Royal Up Bid

[WAAAYTOOO]

23 minutes ago, tiny260 said:

My figuring on this is it really depends on how bad you really want to be upgraded, on a recent cruise I was in a Grand suite, Royal up to a Loft Suite with Star class, went on line and found the price for the loft suite, subtracted what I already paid and then offered about 60% of the difference, then about 2 weeks later raised it to about 70%, my point being that if I was going to win the bid and get the room I was going to do it at a discounted rate off the full room price. Otherwise I should have just upgraded to the room at full price because it was still showing available on the web page. But I really wanted to go from Sky class to Star class.

In your case, add up what you are going to or would pay for Deluxe dinning and drink packages, voom, prepaid gratuities etc., on the Crown loft and then add all of the stuff that is included with the Star Loft and Star Class and then make a bid.

Let me say like a lot of other on here, once you've done Star Class it is hard to go back to a regular room.

This is a sound approach.  I couldn't agree more with the idea that if you cannot get it at a discount you would have been better off just paying for the upgrade yourself, originally.

I also agree that it is hard to pass up Star Class once you have done it. There is a WORLD of difference between a Crown Loft and a Star Loft.  Not just the size of the suite but what all comes with it.  The Star Class accommodations on Symphony are VERY pricey.  If you can manage to get an upgrade for a discount, I would say, go for it.  Nothing lost if it doesn't materialize.

[WAAAYTOOO]

2 minutes ago, 12thman said:

The one available to book is 1718. The YouTube videos only show symphony and oasis and the downstairs has a dual head shower not a full bath. The allure has 2 full baths? 

I think that 1718 is the one that looks out over the back of the ship.  While the view might not be everyone's first choice, the balcony on that suite is WAAAY bigger than the one that looks out over the side.  We had the side-view one on Allure (same room as John and Jaye) but on our December 2020 cruise we chose the one that looks over the back on Oasis just to experience the difference.  Another nice thing about the one that looks out over the ocean (on the side) is that the bedroom and the balcony are in line....meaning that you can lie in bed and look out over the ocean.  In the one that looks out over the back of the ship, the bedroom and the balcony are at 90 degrees to each other.  It's not a huge deal...just a difference.

For the life of me I cannot remember what the downstairs bathroom was like on the SL on Allure !!  We never used it except to use the toilet when we were downstairs.  I believe it is just a shower though....but I think it was a nice walk-in shower.  To be completely honest, the bathrooms in the Star Class rooms (that I have been in, that is) are the single area that does NOT WOW.  The bathrooms are nice but they are nothing special.  We have the Grand Panoramic Suite on Oasis in December.  I have never been in one so I have no idea what the bathroom(s) is like on that one.

[tiny260]

7 minutes ago, 12thman said:

The allure has 2 full baths? 

Yes, Neither had a tub, but shower, toilet, sink, with makeup/dressing table outside. See photo, I lost a lot of my room pics somehow but I know this is downstairs bath.

 

[BunnyHutt]

2 hours ago, OwassoDeb said:

We just received a Royal Up offer from our JS to bid on GS, OS and the Royal Suite on Majesty.  Since this is a small ship without many of the "Suite" amenities, would it be worth putting in a bid?  What would be the benefit other than we would have more space?  My concern is we would end up over the smoking area.  I can't justify the upgrade cost for the OS or RS but would consider the GS.  This is the first time we have received an offer so all insight is appreciated.

I just sailed the Majesty a couple of weeks ago in a JS. It was a lovely cabin and if you’re already booked in one, I’m not sure the additional cost for the GS would be worth it. I’m not sure if there’s a designated suite area for breakfast, unless they set aside part of the MDR and there was *never* an issue finding seating for a show. Regarding the smoking area, I *believe* all suites are on deck 10 and the smoking area is deck 11. Our JS was actually underneath that part of the pool deck (starboard side) and I never noticed any issues, and I’m pretty sensitive to cigarette smoke. 

Only benefit I can possibly think of with an upgrade is if it impacts your Cuba refund, if applicable. We upgraded from an OV to a JS with a *very* aggressive bid... in fact, we figured we probably overpaid (still less than booking JS directly), but we were grateful for the extra space and balcony so we were okay with it. Then we got our statement for the 50% credit and it was considerably higher than I was anticipating. Only thing we could think of that made that happen was it was based on cabin category versus what we paid for our original fare (?) But that’s only a theory. Between that and the fact that I had just successfully purchased the $18 drink package on my 2020 sailing, RCCL has gained a customer for life

Enjoy the Majesty...we had a wonderful time. All the staff we encountered were excellent and the piano player in Schooners was a real treat. Small ship but we never felt crowded. 

 

[tiny260]

@12thman , review this live blog from @Lovetocruise2002 for the full Star Class experience.

 

[12thman]

1 hour ago, tiny260 said:

@12thman , review this live blog from @Lovetocruise2002 for the full Star Class experience.

 

Thank you so much I will do that.

[ladydiinflorida]

How do I find out if my bid was submitted successfully? I never receive an email confirming submission. I don't want to send in twice.

[Lovetocruise2002]

5 minutes ago, ladydiinflorida said:

How do I find out if my bid was submitted successfully? I never receive an email confirming submission. I don't want to send in twice.

You just log into the Royal Up page and enter you last name and reservation number.  There you will find the confirmation.  https://www.royalcaribbean.com/booked/cruise-room-upgrade

[OwassoDeb]

On 7/19/2019 at 2:23 PM, BunnyHutt said:

I just sailed the Majesty a couple of weeks ago in a JS. It was a lovely cabin and if you’re already booked in one, I’m not sure the additional cost for the GS would be worth it. I’m not sure if there’s a designated suite area for breakfast, unless they set aside part of the MDR and there was *never* an issue finding seating for a show. Regarding the smoking area, I *believe* all suites are on deck 10 and the smoking area is deck 11. Our JS was actually underneath that part of the pool deck (starboard side) and I never noticed any issues, and I’m pretty sensitive to cigarette smoke. 

Only benefit I can possibly think of with an upgrade is if it impacts your Cuba refund, if applicable. We upgraded from an OV to a JS with a *very* aggressive bid... in fact, we figured we probably overpaid (still less than booking JS directly), but we were grateful for the extra space and balcony so we were okay with it. Then we got our statement for the 50% credit and it was considerably higher than I was anticipating. Only thing we could think of that made that happen was it was based on cabin category versus what we paid for our original fare (?) But that’s only a theory. Between that and the fact that I had just successfully purchased the $18 drink package on my 2020 sailing, RCCL has gained a customer for life

Enjoy the Majesty...we had a wonderful time. All the staff we encountered were excellent and the piano player in Schooners was a real treat. Small ship but we never felt crowded. 

 

Thanks for the insight.  We are also booked in a JS starboard. I did go ahead and bid on the GS mostly because we have never been in one and thought this might be a one time experience.  If we do not get the bid we are certainly ok with our JS.  Question since you were just on Majesty.....are there outlets anywhere near the bed?  My DH uses a CPAP machine.

[BunnyHutt]

2 hours ago, OwassoDeb said:

Thanks for the insight.  We are also booked in a JS starboard. I did go ahead and bid on the GS mostly because we have never been in one and thought this might be a one time experience.  If we do not get the bid we are certainly ok with our JS.  Question since you were just on Majesty.....are there outlets anywhere near the bed?  My DH uses a CPAP machine.

Immediately adjacent to the bed? I don’t think so. There are USB ports as part of the lamps above your shoulder, but mine didn’t work so I had to plug my charging cable into the outlet by the desk, about 2’ from the foot of the bed. That said, our beds were separated *and* I never bothered to ask our steward (we had Yogi  ) so there may have been one hidden that I was unaware of. 

[fonemanbob]

Save your money. You are already getting double points.  We never bid  due to going from a balcony to a suite you don`t get the double points.  The money saved will afford several drinks and dinners and souvenirs and excursions.  

[Caroline]

On 3/22/2019 at 6:07 PM, SLJ said:

Hi cruisers, I've recently participated in the Royal Up program for the first time. I bid on a Jr Suite on Allure. Anyone bid and won before? How long before they will inform you whether you got the upgrade or not? If I do end up getting the upgrade, will it affect my online check-in that I'm planning to do soon?   

Thanks in advance!  :) 

How many days before cruising can you bid.  We are currently 30days prior to cruising and it just keeps saying make sure you are within 30 days of travel?

[Airish]

Greetings all,

I've been reading through most if these threads and I couldn't find anything. 

Has anyone been successfully upgraded from sky to star class? 

Was it with the max bid? 

How soon were you notified prior to cruising?

Just wondering if its possible is all. Cant find where anyone came back with an accepted bid.

Thanks in advance!

[WAAAYTOOO]

I think it is rare, but I have heard of some who have been upgraded to Star Class.  Those suites generally sell out quickly but there situations where people have to cancel at the last minute for one reason or another.  The bids required to do that are anyone's guess.  Winning bids (from what I have read) have no particular pattern or value.  Good luck !!

[Airish]

29 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I think it is rare, but I have heard of some who have been upgraded to Star Class.  Those suites generally sell out quickly but there situations where people have to cancel at the last minute for one reason or another.  The bids required to do that are anyone's guess.  Winning bids (from what I have read) have no particular pattern or value.  Good luck !!

Thank you! We are less than 30 days out and there are still plenty of suites available for regular booking. So I was thinking I had a better chance, but from reading other posts, it appears to be better if the lower class cabins are sold out-which they are. Oh well, I'm happy either way. 

 

Thanks again

[DLCruiser]

On 11/18/2019 at 2:04 PM, Airish said:

Greetings all,

I've been reading through most if these threads and I couldn't find anything. 

Has anyone been successfully upgraded from sky to star class? 

Was it with the max bid? 

How soon were you notified prior to cruising?

Just wondering if its possible is all. Cant find where anyone came back with an accepted bid.

Thanks in advance!

We currently have a bid in to upgrade from Sky to Star on Oasis, Dec 1. Still waiting to hear if it will be accepted. We didn’t bid the max, but feel it was pretty aggressive.  

[Airish]

1 minute ago, DLCruiser said:

We currently have a bid in to upgrade from Sky to Star on Oasis, Dec 1. Still waiting to hear if it will be accepted. We didn’t bid the max, but feel it was pretty aggressive.  

Excellent, please let us know how it turns out! We are on Harmony in the 15th!

[WAAAYTOOO]

25 minutes ago, DLCruiser said:

We currently have a bid in to upgrade from Sky to Star on Oasis, Dec 1. Still waiting to hear if it will be accepted. We didn’t bid the max, but feel it was pretty aggressive.  

There was still 1 SC available on that sailing until 2 days ago. Fingers crossed for you !

[MadamG2U]

On 11/18/2019 at 3:04 PM, Airish said:

Greetings all,

I've been reading through most if these threads and I couldn't find anything. 

Has anyone been successfully upgraded from sky to star class? 

Was it with the max bid? 

How soon were you notified prior to cruising?

Just wondering if its possible is all. Cant find where anyone came back with an accepted bid.

Thanks in advance!

Hello

I did the royal upgrade from sky to star class

I bid a smooch over the minimum expecting nothing but hoping for the best

We are sailing on 12/15 on the Oasis of the Seas and I found out last week.

So yes it is possible.

MadamG2U

[WAAAYTOOO]

2 minutes ago, MadamG2U said:

Hello

I did the royal upgrade from sky to star class

I bid a smooch over the minimum expecting nothing but hoping for the best

We are sailing on 12/15 on the Oasis of the Seas and I found out last week.

So yes it is possible.

MadamG2U

Congratulations !  What an awesome upgrade. Enjoy the perks. They are incredible. 

[Airish]

43 minutes ago, MadamG2U said:

Hello

I did the royal upgrade from sky to star class

I bid a smooch over the minimum expecting nothing but hoping for the best

We are sailing on 12/15 on the Oasis of the Seas and I found out last week.

So yes it is possible.

MadamG2U

Awesome! Thank you for answering and congrats on your upgrade. Unfortunately,  since I posted this my cruise has sold out of suites. So I think my chances have significantly decreased. 

Enjoy and Live it up for the rest of us!

[MadamG2U]

59 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Congratulations !  What an awesome upgrade. Enjoy the perks. They are incredible. 

Thank you!  This will be my second time staying star class both on the Oasis

[MadamG2U]

17 minutes ago, Airish said:

Awesome! Thank you for answering and congrats on your upgrade. Unfortunately,  since I posted this my cruise has sold out of suites. So I think my chances have significantly decreased. 

Enjoy and Live it up for the rest of us!

Maybe not.....I've read that RCCL will hold back suites.  When I did the bid I had a choice of 4 rooms, only one showed up when I did a fake booking and that bid expired.

[WAAAYTOOO]

When Royal first started RoyalUp, I imagined that it was in their best interest to sell all of the suites at their full “retail” price.  It didn’t seem to make sense to me that they would hold suites back and then offer them as RoyalUp upgrades.

Then I began to see how the program worked and now it makes sense for them to save some suites to use in their final RoyalUp lottery.  It seems that Royal can make MORE money on the cascade of upgrades than they can by selling 1 suite at retail.  If they are able to collect the upsell $$ from inside all the way to the high end suite, it is substantial and probably exceeds the price of a single suite at full retail price.  That would seem to be even more lucrative on the bigger ships with many more categories, which may help to explain the MOST recent recategorization scheme.  The more categories they can upgrade to, the more levels there are to the RoyalUp cascade. 
 

It’s all just a hunch. I have to real knowledge of how the program actually works.

[MadamG2U]

1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

When Royal first started RoyalUp, I imagined that it was in their best interest to sell all of the suites at their full “retail” price.  It didn’t seem to make sense to me that they would hold suites back and then offer them as RoyalUp upgrades.

Then I began to see how the program worked and now it makes sense for them to save some suites to use in their final RoyalUp lottery.  It seems that Royal can make MORE money on the cascade of upgrades than they can by selling 1 suite at retail.  If they are able to collect the upsell $$ from inside all the way to the high end suite, it is substantial and probably exceeds the price of a single suite at full retail price.  That would seem to be even more lucrative on the bigger ships with many more categories, which may help to explain the MOST recent recategorization scheme.  The most categories they can upgrade to, the more levels there are to the RoyalUp cascade. 
 

It’s all just a hunch. I have to real knowledge of how the program actually works.

Your hunch, to me, is on point

[Airish]

2 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

When Royal first started RoyalUp, I imagined that it was in their best interest to sell all of the suites at their full “retail” price.  It didn’t seem to make sense to me that they would hold suites back and then offer them as RoyalUp upgrades.

Then I began to see how the program worked and now it makes sense for them to save some suites to use in their final RoyalUp lottery.  It seems that Royal can make MORE money on the cascade of upgrades than they can by selling 1 suite at retail.  If they are able to collect the upsell $$ from inside all the way to the high end suite, it is substantial and probably exceeds the price of a single suite at full retail price.  That would seem to be even more lucrative on the bigger ships with many more categories, which may help to explain the MOST recent recategorization scheme.  The most categories they can upgrade to, the more levels there are to the RoyalUp cascade. 
 

It’s all just a hunch. I have to real knowledge of how the program actually works.

Makes alot of sense too! You guys give me hope!

[DLCruiser]

Finally heard from Royal, 22 hours before Dec 1 departure. Our bid to upgrade to the new Ultimate Panoramic Suite was not accepted. The minimum bid was 800, max was 2800. We bid 2240. Oh well, still have our Crown Loft L2 and $2240.  

[DanielB]

I am currently booked in an Outside Balcony on Oasis January 12, 2020 and submitted a bid for Royal Up.

 

 I was offered the following options:

Spacious Ocean View Balcony minimum $100, no bid

Ultra Spacious View with Large Balcony minimum $160, no bid

Junior Suite minimum bid $200, I bid $255

Grand Suite 1 bedroom minimum bid $500, I bid $600

Grand Suite 2 bedroom minimum bid $650, no bid

Owners Suite minimum bid $800, no bid

All are weak bids and I have no expectation of receiving any upgrade but wanted to share.

 

 

[USCG Teacher]

41 minutes ago, DanielB said:

All are weak bids and I have no expectation of receiving any upgrade but wanted to share.

Good luck!!!

[Airish]

16 hours ago, DLCruiser said:

Finally heard from Royal, 22 hours before Dec 1 departure. Our bid to upgrade to the new Ultimate Panoramic Suite was not accepted. The minimum bid was 800, max was 2800. We bid 2240. Oh well, still have our Crown Loft L2 and $2240.  

At least they give you the news on a day they know you'll be happy! Maybe it's a strategy lol.  Enjoy your vacay!

[mworkman]

After thinking about this for a short period...If I'm not mistake someone said that the Royal Up program is outsourced to another company, i assume this is just for the software/data base only, correct. The software reports the highest bid for that category room type, which is passed off to RCI and they determine, based on cabin availability what price meets their price point for an automatic selection of winning bid. 

The reason i ask this is as it's somewhat confusing, as i know of people that have reported bids with the initial purchase price that have matched or exceeded current price and still were not selected as a upgrade worthy  knowing that there rooms in there category were available.

Things that make you go hmmmm!

[twangster]

32 minutes ago, mworkman said:

After thinking about this for a short period...If I'm not mistake someone said that the Royal Up program is outsourced to another company, i assume this is just for the software/data base only, correct. The software reports the highest bid for that category room type, which is passed off to RCI and they determine, based on cabin availability what price meets their price point for an automatic selection of winning bid. 

The reason i ask this is as it's somewhat confusing, as i know of people that have reported bids with the initial purchase price that have matched or exceeded current price and still were not selected as a upgrade worthy  knowing that there rooms in there category were available.

Things that make you go hmmmm!

The entire process is outsourced.  Same company does NCL upgrades that have been around for a a few years.  They also do many airlines, mostly non-U.S. airlines.  They also claim MSC.

At the bottom of a RoyalUp email is the notation:  Powered by PlusGrade.  https://www.plusgrade.com/

• Plusgrade is an award-winning technology company at the forefront of ancillary revenue and merchandising in the global travel industry. The pioneer of premium upgrade bidding, Plusgrade enables maximum return on unsold premium inventory through an engaging and effortless customer journey.

Basically they give PlusGrade criteria and a list of available cabins in inventory.  Criteria is complex because of muster station loading factors and only certain cabins can accommodate more than two guests so if bidding party has more than two guests it changes the awardable inventory.  Certain cabins are more marketable for general consumption so that is a factor as well.  Less expensive cabins are sold more easily at X days before sailing so by accepting a bid early they can free up inventory to be placed on the public website.  

I imagine there is an API that PlusGrade uses and select inventory is marked to be eligible.  It's relatively new so Royal is probably reviewing revenue impact over time and trying different things to see how it works in the real world.  Once the program has been around a while it will likely settle into something more predictable.  

[mworkman]

@twangster  Here's more to the story, friends of ours are trying to upgrade on a cruise that we are sailing on. They were trying to game the system with the Royal up program, so they would be in the same room category as we are.  So long story of it is, they looked at what they payed for the cruise and subtracted what the current price is listed at and submitted a bid that matched current price hoping for automatic response of an upgrade and they are still in the stand-by awaiting as we speak.  

They did call their TA and was told that the price based on the original booking date paid, that they would have to cancel current booking in order to get current price, since it was under the 90 day mark and that would result in a 75% penalty window. With that being told to them the upgrade price quoted to them was way over the current price by $500.

[twangster]

15 minutes ago, mworkman said:

@twangster  Here's more to the story, friends of ours are trying to upgrade on a cruise that we are sailing on. They were trying to game the system with the Royal up program, so they would be in the same room category as we are.  So long story of it is, they looked at what they payed for the cruise and subtracted what the current price is listed at and submitted a bid that matched current price hoping for automatic response of an upgrade and they are still in the stand-by awaiting as we speak.  

They did call their TA and was told that the price based on the original booking date paid, that they would have to cancel current booking in order to get current price, since it was under the 90 day mark and that would result in a 75% penalty window. With that being told to them the upgrade price quoted to them was way over the current price by $500.

I wonder if their agent actually tried or just provided that response automatically.  If they are dealing with an agency where they can call and get a different customer service person I'd try to call again and try the upgrade.  

Sometimes Royal won't let you upgrade under 90 days but many times they will.  A travel agent won't know until they call Royal and ask.  

[mworkman]

6 minutes ago, twangster said:

I wonder if their agent actually tried or just provided that response automatically.  If they are dealing with an agency where they can call and get a different customer service person I'd try to call again and try the upgrade.  

Sometimes Royal won't let you upgrade under 90 days but many times they will.  A travel agent won't know until they call Royal and ask.  

If I'm not mistaken they use Costco's as there on the West coast. More than likely you are probably correct.  I have never booked travel from any company that has a TA associated with them. I don't feel that you would get the best customer service like you would from a truly owned travel agency that does just travel.

[twangster]

12 minutes ago, mworkman said:

If I'm not mistaken they use Costco's as there on the West coast. More than likely you are probably correct.  I have never booked travel from any company that has a TA associated with them. I don't feel that you would get the best customer service like you would from a truly owned travel agency that does just travel.

I'm surprised they can use Royal UP.  That particular TA is known not to participate.  That may be a factor in the inability to upgrade under 90 days, it might be part of their agency contract with Royal.  

[Andrea555]

If we win our bid from Sky class to Star class will we have enough time to cancel our beverage packages, dining and get a refund in our gratuities all which are included in Star class rooms? 

[AshleyDillo]

2 hours ago, Andrea555 said:

If we win our bid from Sky class to Star class will we have enough time to cancel our beverage packages, dining and get a refund in our gratuities all which are included in Star class rooms? 

Depends on if you get notified before the cruise planner closes.  If you can't cancel yourself then just ask the Genie and they will help you.  At that point it gets refunded as refundable OBC.  

[Andrea555]

31 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

Depends on if you get notified before the cruise planner closes.  If you can't cancel yourself then just ask the Genie and they will help you.  At that point it gets refunded as refundable OBC.  

Thank you that is now the 3rd different answer I got. I was told It would go back to our original credit card and then I was told 48 hours no refunds and then I was told 72 hours ...all very confusing , but way too much money for onboard credit for us so not sure I’ll let this go longer than 1 week before we cruise .as long as it’s refundable credit I’m okay with it. Thanks 

[Airish]

24 minutes ago, Andrea555 said:

Thank you that is now the 3rd different answer I got. I was told It would go back to our original credit card and then I was told 48 hours no refunds and then I was told 72 hours ...all very confusing , but way too much money for onboard credit for us so not sure I’ll let this go longer than 1 week before we cruise .as long as it’s refundable credit I’m okay with it. Thanks 

Sorry, didnt see this original question. I had this exact same question and experience,  so I called royal Caribbean directly. They told me that the refund should happen automatically,  with the normal processing time that royal takes (3-5 business days I think). And if didnt happen I should call back to make sure that the refund happens. I also asked if I found out within the 48 hours of leaving for the cruise. They told me same thing applies no matter when I was notified of the upgrade,  and I should go to guest services while onboard if I didn't receive the refund right away.

So basically be prepared to have both or double charges on your credit card until everything is cleared up. This is because the upgrade is an automatic charge once your bid is accepted.

I'm currently in sky class awaiting to hear back about my upgrade. I'm 7 days out from my cruise and I haven't heard a thing,  I'm sure we wont be upgraded at this point but we're still in the running.  

Hope that helps!