Sharing my experience with RoyalUp.

[Patta_Conna]

Hi guys. I’m here to share my recent experience with RoyalUp, a program that allows people with existing reservations to bid for an upgrade to a higher room category.

The reason why I’m sharing my experience is because prior to and after the upgrade, I had a ton of questions that I’ve been trying to look for answers all over the internet but couldn’t find any.

Hence, I’d like to share my experience with everyone and hopefully it can give some answers to my fellow cruisers!

 

A brief introduction: (or skip to the end for the answers to the “FAQs”)

 

I’ve booked a last minute 4-night sailing onboard Quantum of the Seas in Singapore, also known as Cruise to Nowhere. It is basically a hospitality restarting program by the Singapore government with no ports of call. Strict restrictions are also put in place for the safety of the guests.

 

I’ve booked a Junior Suite (J4) for me and my wife. The price displayed on the RC’s booking website was SGD 1399pp for 4-nights before pre-paid gratuities and port taxes. There wasn’t any other suite options left for booking, which I presumed was fully booked.

 

Almost immediately after completing the reservation transaction, I received the RoyalUP email, and invited me to place a bid to a higher room category. Even though I could clearly see that none of the higher suite categories were available for booking, I still decided to give it a try at bidding for RoyalUp.

 

Long story short, I placed bids on all categories, ranging from Grand Suite to Royal Loft Suite and kind of forgot about the whole RoyalUp thing. 

 

Until around 24 hours before the sailing, I received an email saying that my bid for a Grand Loft Suite was successful. My bid amount was SGD 1210 per person hence SGD 2420 was charged to my credit card on file immediately.

 

 

In general, I paid about $2710 per person ($1399 (JS) +$1210 (RoyalUp) +$100 taxes and pre-paid gratuities)

 

I’ve checked the price of a Grand Loft Suite on a different sailing date, and it cost around SGD 5400 per person and before taxes. Which means, I’ve gotten nearly a 50% off the original price.

 

From Junior Suite to Grand Loft Suite is a big jump. In terms of Royal Suite class, it was upgraded from Sea Class to Star Class.

 

At this point, I was very excited! But at the same time, I have a lot questions that needs answers to.

 

To be honest, even with a “huge discount”, SGD 2710 (SGD 5k+ for 2 people) is almost double the original budget hence to me, it is still a lot of money to fork out for a 4-day vacation.

 

As we know, Grand Loft Suite is a Star Class suite and it is practically All-Inclusive such as free specialty dining, deluxe beverage package, internet package etc and it comes with a Royal Genie.

 

So naturally, some questions flashes through my mind, and since it was an upgrade through RoyalUP:

 

“Am I going to get a Royal Genie as well?”

“Will I be treated differently in terms of services than those guests who paid the original price?”

“How about the things I’ve pre-paid on Cruise Planner such as beverage package and internet package since my suite already includes all those packages?”

I’ve tried searching for answers on the internet but I couldn’t find any.

However, after I’ve completed my sailing, I kind of gotten all the answers I needed.

So now, I’m going share them with you guys.

My very own set of FAQs:

Q: Am I going to get Royal Genie as well?

A: Yes! Even though I gotten the upgrade 1 day before the sailing, the Royal Genie got in touch with me via WhatsApp on the morning of the sailing and she already took the liberty to arrange all the activities for us! She already pre-booked all the shows, specialty dinning and some activities such as iFly and Flow Rider. And she was extremely flexible and accommodating on all our requests to change meal timings, shows timings. All you need to do is just let her know your preference and leave everything to her.

 

 

Q: Will I be treated differently in terms of services compared to those guests who paid the original price?

A: Not at all. From my observations, only 2 groups of service crews knew you are an “upgrader”. They are the Royal Genie, and the cruise terminal staff. Usually, Genie will contact you 1 month before your sailing to get to know you better. However, she does know that you are an upgrader since she contacted you just 1 day before the sailing, not the usual 1 month. As for the cruise terminal staff, our information was given to them by the cruise line at the very last minute hence our information was “hand-written” on their paper. They did “congratulate” us on the successful upgrade by the Cruise Line which is why I knew they knew we were an upgrader. Nevertheless, they escorted from the moment we reached the terminal until being handed over to the Royal Genie. Very good service rendered.

 

 Q: How about the things I’ve pre-paid on Cruise Planner such as beverage package and internet package since my suite already includes all those packages 

A: They will be refunded to you and the Royal Genie made sure of that. It will be under “refundable” onboard credit and you can requested to get them in cash on the last night of the cruise. Otherwise, it will be refunded to your credit card.

 

Q: How about my SeaPass card? Will I be recognized as a Star-Class guest?

A: You will be identified as a Star Class guest on your SeaPass card, not the original room category that you were booked on.

 

Q: Do I get the same perks and benefit listed under Star-Class suite even though I’m an upgrader?

A: Yes! Complementary Dining Package, Beverage package, internet package, complementary mini-bar for the whole cruise with replenishment daily, complementary room-service, complementary laundry (I don’t think they set a limit on the quantity of clothes). For Izumi, there is no limit in terms of the amount you can order. If you have a Ultimate Dining Package, I believe per meal you will get USD35 credit per person for Izumi as it is based on A-la-carte pricing. But for Star-Class, there is no limit on that. The wait staff made it known to you before you order.

Q: How about those chargeable activities?

A: For our sailing, the chargeable activities are iFly (~$40) and Northstar (~$20) and strictly by reservation only. However, with the help of our Genie, reservation was done before hand. There is no charges for Star-Class guest for these activities. However, you are only entitled to 1 free session for each of these 2 activities. If you would like to go for a second-time, you will have to pay the charges.

 

All other FAQs regarding Star-Class:

Q: Can Royal Genie fulfill all your requests?

A: Yes and No. I’d emphasize that your request must be reasonable. If you would like to change your dinner venue to another restaurant at the very last minute, you can kindly check with her. Most of the times it can be fulfilled. However, if the restaurant is full, she might suggest to change to an earlier or a later time for you. I’m not sure what kind of magic they have, but I’m definitely against them pulling out other guests from their original dining timing just to slot you in. Firstly, you are putting Genie in a difficult position, secondly, you are causing unhappiness to the affected guests. So I’d suggest to give the Genie some leeway. Do not force you request onto them. If it can be done in a gentle way, go ahead. If not, please do not force or blame them.

 

Q: Do I need to tip the Royal Genie?

A: Absolutely. They are not a receiver of the automatically gratuity system on board. Hence, the tips relies solely on you. Royal Genie is not just a regular butler, they are there to learn about you and make arrangements for you which you didn’t even think of.

My wife somehow mentioned to the Genie that this is our 2^nd anniversary trip when we were casually chatting. (but did not mention in details). The Genie caught it and arranged for a surprise decoration and cake in the room for us. My wife and I were surprised as initially, we really can’t figure out how she knew about our anniversary. It is only when we tried to recall every single thing we said to the Genie, and realized that it must have slipped out of our mouth at certain point. Their attention to details are just simply unbelievable.

Hope this post is useful for whoever is looking for the same answers as I did.

Happy cruising!

[SmoothJ24]

Thank you for this break down and answering some questions pertaining to the upgrade. While I don’t believe my RoyalUP will work this time around, going from balcony to a one bedroom Grand Suite, it’s good to see yours worked out. 

[FManke]

6 hours ago, Patta_Conna said:

Hi guys. I’m here to share my recent experience with RoyalUp, a program that allows people with existing reservations to bid for an upgrade to a higher room category.

 

The reason why I’m sharing my experience is because prior to and after the upgrade, I had a ton of questions that I’ve been trying to look for answers all over the internet but couldn’t find any.

 

Hence, I’d like to share my experience with everyone and hopefully it can give some answers to my fellow cruisers!

 

 

A brief introduction: (or skip to the end for the answers to the “FAQs”)

 

 

I’ve booked a last minute 4-night sailing onboard Quantum of the Seas in Singapore, also known as Cruise to Nowhere. It is basically a hospitality restarting program by the Singapore government with no ports of call. Strict restrictions are also put in place for the safety of the guests.

 

 

I’ve booked a Junior Suite (J4) for me and my wife. The price displayed on the RC’s booking website was SGD 1399pp for 4-nights before pre-paid gratuities and port taxes. There wasn’t any other suite options left for booking, which I presumed was fully booked.

 

 

Almost immediately after completing the reservation transaction, I received the RoyalUP email, and invited me to place a bid to a higher room category. Even though I could clearly see that none of the higher suite categories were available for booking, I still decided to give it a try at bidding for RoyalUp.

 

 

Long story short, I placed bids on all categories, ranging from Grand Suite to Royal Loft Suite and kind of forgot about the whole RoyalUp thing. 

 

 

Until around 24 hours before the sailing, I received an email saying that my bid for a Grand Loft Suite was successful. My bid amount was SGD 1210 per person hence SGD 2420 was charged to my credit card on file immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In general, I paid about $2710 per person ($1399 (JS) +$1210 (RoyalUp) +$100 taxes and pre-paid gratuities)

 

 

I’ve checked the price of a Grand Loft Suite on a different sailing date, and it cost around SGD 5400 per person and before taxes. Which means, I’ve gotten nearly a 50% off the original price.

 

 

From Junior Suite to Grand Loft Suite is a big jump. In terms of Royal Suite class, it was upgraded from Sea Class to Star Class.

 

 

 

At this point, I was very excited! But at the same time, I have a lot questions that needs answers to.

 

 

 

To be honest, even with a “huge discount”, SGD 2710 (SGD 5k+ for 2 people) is almost double the original budget hence to me, it is still a lot of money to fork out for a 4-day vacation.

 

 

 

As we know, Grand Loft Suite is a Star Class suite and it is practically All-Inclusive such as free specialty dining, deluxe beverage package, internet package etc and it comes with a Royal Genie.

 

 

 

So naturally, some questions flashes through my mind, and since it was an upgrade through RoyalUP:

 

 

 

“Am I going to get a Royal Genie as well?”

 

“Will I be treated differently in terms of services than those guests who paid the original price?”

 

“How about the things I’ve pre-paid on Cruise Planner such as beverage package and internet package since my suite already includes all those packages?”

 

 

I’ve tried searching for answers on the internet but I couldn’t find any.

 

 

However, after I’ve completed my sailing, I kind of gotten all the answers I needed.

 

 

So now, I’m going share them with you guys.

 

 

My very own set of FAQs:

 

Q: Am I going to get Royal Genie as well?

 

A: Yes! Even though I gotten the upgrade 1 day before the sailing, the Royal Genie got in touch with me via WhatsApp on the morning of the sailing and she already took the liberty to arrange all the activities for us! She already pre-booked all the shows, specialty dinning and some activities such as iFly and Flow Rider. And she was extremely flexible and accommodating on all our requests to change meal timings, shows timings. All you need to do is just let her know your preference and leave everything to her.

 

 

 

 

 

Q: Will I be treated differently in terms of services compared to those guests who paid the original price?

 

A: Not at all. From my observations, only 2 groups of service crews knew you are an “upgrader”. They are the Royal Genie, and the cruise terminal staff. Usually, Genie will contact you 1 month before your sailing to get to know you better. However, she does know that you are an upgrader since she contacted you just 1 day before the sailing, not the usual 1 month. As for the cruise terminal staff, our information was given to them by the cruise line at the very last minute hence our information was “hand-written” on their paper. They did “congratulate” us on the successful upgrade by the Cruise Line which is why I knew they knew we were an upgrader. Nevertheless, they escorted from the moment we reached the terminal until being handed over to the Royal Genie. Very good service rendered.

 

 

 

 Q: How about the things I’ve pre-paid on Cruise Planner such as beverage package and internet package since my suite already includes all those packages 

 

A: They will be refunded to you and the Royal Genie made sure of that. It will be under “refundable” onboard credit and you can requested to get them in cash on the last night of the cruise. Otherwise, it will be refunded to your credit card.

 

 

 

Q: How about my SeaPass card? Will I be recognized as a Star-Class guest?

 

A: You will be identified as a Star Class guest on your SeaPass card, not the original room category that you were booked on.

 

 

 

Q: Do I get the same perks and benefit listed under Star-Class suite even though I’m an upgrader?

 

A: Yes! Complementary Dining Package, Beverage package, internet package, complementary mini-bar for the whole cruise with replenishment daily, complementary room-service, complementary laundry (I don’t think they set a limit on the quantity of clothes). For Izumi, there is no limit in terms of the amount you can order. If you have a Ultimate Dining Package, I believe per meal you will get USD35 credit per person for Izumi as it is based on A-la-carte pricing. But for Star-Class, there is no limit on that. The wait staff made it known to you before you order.

 

 

 

Q: How about those chargeable activities?

 

A: For our sailing, the chargeable activities are iFly (~$40) and Northstar (~$20) and strictly by reservation only. However, with the help of our Genie, reservation was done before hand. There is no charges for Star-Class guest for these activities. However, you are only entitled to 1 free session for each of these 2 activities. If you would like to go for a second-time, you will have to pay the charges.

 

 

 

All other FAQs regarding Star-Class:

 

Q: Can Royal Genie fulfill all your requests?

 

A: Yes and No. I’d emphasize that your request must be reasonable. If you would like to change your dinner venue to another restaurant at the very last minute, you can kindly check with her. Most of the times it can be fulfilled. However, if the restaurant is full, she might suggest to change to an earlier or a later time for you. I’m not sure what kind of magic they have, but I’m definitely against them pulling out other guests from their original dining timing just to slot you in. Firstly, you are putting Genie in a difficult position, secondly, you are causing unhappiness to the affected guests. So I’d suggest to give the Genie some leeway. Do not force you request onto them. If it can be done in a gentle way, go ahead. If not, please do not force or blame them.

 

 

Q: Do I need to tip the Royal Genie?

 

A: Absolutely. They are not a receiver of the automatically gratuity system on board. Hence, the tips relies solely on you. Royal Genie is not just a regular butler, they are there to learn about you and make arrangements for you which you didn’t even think of.

 

My wife somehow mentioned to the Genie that this is our 2^nd anniversary trip when we were casually chatting. (but did not mention in details). The Genie caught it and arranged for a surprise decoration and cake in the room for us. My wife and I were surprised as initially, we really can’t figure out how she knew about our anniversary. It is only when we tried to recall every single thing we said to the Genie, and realized that it must have slipped out of our mouth at certain point. Their attention to details are just simply unbelievable.

 

Hope this post is useful for whoever is looking for the same answers as I did.

 

 

Happy cruising!

 

Only 24 posts in and already winner of longest post ever! 

Congratulations on your Royal Up.

Happy Cruising!

[Brock]

Thanks for sharing. Congrats on the upgrade, glad it worked out so well for you. 

 

 

[sk8erguy1978]

Thanks for the write-up! 

[Baked Alaska]

@Patta_Conna I love this! Congratulations and have a great time! We have a Crown Loft Suite reserved for our next two cruises. I just might consider doing the Royal Up (but I am looking forward to deck 17).

[Misterbo]

I have one question more, now that you shared it, did you choose the dining option? Mainly asking, because I always do the specialty dining package and usually book my reservations as soon as I get on the ship. And I intentionally book Chops on day 2 because that’s formal nights. Did they just book it for you? Also they booked 2 nights at Jamie’s? Was that your choice? 

[Patta_Conna]

10 hours ago, Misterbo said:

I have one question more, now that you shared it, did you choose the dining option? Mainly asking, because I always do the specialty dining package and usually book my reservations as soon as I get on the ship. And I intentionally book Chops on day 2 because that’s formal nights. Did they just book it for you? Also they booked 2 nights at Jamie’s? Was that your choice? 

Hi,

The dining options and arrangements on the itinerary prepared by the Royal Genie (see attachment above), weren't not chosen by us.

As the upgrade happened just 1 day away from the sailing, there wasn't enough time for the Royal Genie and for us to interaction with each other and to pre-plan the itinerary at all.

When she first contacted us and introduced us as our Royal Genie, it was 9am in the morning and our boarding starts from 2pm on the same day.

Hence, I think she did a very very good job by planning the itinerary for us in advance before she contacted us via WhatsApp.

I'd imagine if we had enough time (i heard the Royal Genie will contact you 1 month before the sailing), the planning of itinerary will be a much detailed and personalised one.

However, (here comes the main point), the Royal Genie was extremely flexible with our requests. Even though the itinerary was pre-planned by her, she told us that it was just a formality and if we want to amend anything, simply inform her via message and she will do her best to make it happen for us.

A summary of the things that I've requested to change (when we are onboard, as well as days into our sailing):

- On the first day, we requested for a late dinner seating for all nights. She helped us update all dinner reservations to 8pm seating.

- We requested to change the lunch venue on the 4th day from JI to Izumi. I remember I made the request at the very last minute, but the request was fulfilled and the wait staff at Izumi greeted us by name when we arrived at the restaurant. From this, you can tell how well the communications went behind the scene.

- We requested to take the North Star Ride on Day 1 instead of Day 3, and it happened.

- On the first day, the Royal Genie asked if we have any preferred beverages that we would like to have in our minibar. After informing her, she sent someone over to stock up the drinks in our mini bar (Evian Water, Diet Soda and Bottled Stout), and also serves us freshly squeezed orange juiceby the glass every morning.

- There was an activity at the SeaPlex that does not take reservation in advance. The reservation list opens for signing up 15 mins before the start of the activity. The Royal Genie knows that we are interested to take part in the activity. She told us that she will go over to SeaPlex 15 minutes earlier to help us write our names down on the reservation list.

 

Basically, if you have any last minute requests, just let your Royal Genie knows. She will do her best to work it out for you. Things like last minute changes of restaurant (for example from Chop's to JI) should not be any problem unless the restaurant is fully booked. However, even if that's the case, you will be assured that you are at the top of the waiting list.

[RickinSTL]

@Mattneeds to pin this! Awesome information! 

[JLMoran]

23 hours ago, FManke said:

Only 24 posts in and already winner of longest post ever! 

It's like you've never even READ me...

 

 

 

@Patta_Conna, big congratulations on winning that. I'm betting though that now you're both spoiled and can never sail anything less than SC ever again. That's what @WAAAYTOOO and @Lovetocruise2002 and all the other SC addicts say, anyway....

[Lovetocruise2002]

11 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

It's like you've never even READ me...

[SmoothJ24]

22 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

I'm betting though that now you're both spoiled and can never sail anything less than SC ever again.

If that ever happens to us (getting the RoyalUP upgrade), I would bet the same. I maxed out our bid for the JS, however for the Grand Suite - 1 Bedroom and the
Grand Suite - 2 Bedroom I couldn't go crazy. I am hopeful that since the ship is only 40-70% full, there is a higher chance that we will be upgraded.

[FManke]

11 hours ago, JLMoran said:

It's like you've never even READ me...

 

 

 

@Patta_Conna, big congratulations on winning that. I'm betting though that now you're both spoiled and can never sail anything less than SC ever again. That's what @WAAAYTOOO and @Lovetocruise2002 and all the other SC addicts say, anyway....

Sorry @JLMoran. I was jumping the gun a little. Let me go back and reread all of your posts. I should be done in time for our next cruise in 453 days! 

[teddy]

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

I hope we are just as lucky....although we low balled the bid for a Grand Suite, so I'm not holding my breath

[Leikela]

Woo Congrats on that upgrade!!! We are also booked on the Quantum in Sep and staying in the GLS but will definitely still try my hand at the Royal Upgrade...

 

Thanks for the info too! Good to know about the possibility of last min changed and that the iFLY is foc for the first round? 

[JBC1]

I had a Royal-up offer today for Jewel OTS to move from a 2b Owners to the RS. But the crazy thing is it is cheaper to upgrade direct with RC or a travel agent. How can that be? Surely a Royal-up offer should offer a lower price than currently advertised, especially for the minimum bid allowed.

John 

[PaulRC]

So if I or anybody wins the bid and upgrades from a balcony to a suite do you get the C&A points for the suite or do you only upgrade the cabin?

[WAAAYTOOO]

9 minutes ago, PaulRC said:

So if I or anybody wins the bid and upgrades from a balcony to a suite do you get the C&A points for the suite or do you only upgrade the cabin?

You get the points associated with your original booking.  So if you upgrade from a balcony to a suite, you would get the double points associated with the balcony (2 per night).  If you upgrade from a room that already has double points (JS or higher) then you would get 2X2 or 4 points per night.

[PaulRC]

9 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

You get the points associated with your original booking.

Well that sucks.  Other than the bigger room it does not help me get to Dimond...  Well that will help in my bidding decision.  Thanks 

[PaulRC]

Ok so I do not get the points but do you get all the other benefits of the new cabin?  So if I upgrade my balcony to a suite do I get the suits treatment?

 

[WAAAYTOOO]

13 minutes ago, PaulRC said:

Ok so I do not get the points but do you get all the other benefits of the new cabin?  So if I upgrade my balcony to a suite do I get the suits treatment?

 

Absolutely

[david891]

Hello,

Its my first time cruising with Royal and I booked last minute, last week infact for this coming Sunday.

On Sunday a week before sailing I received a RoyalUp email and bidded to upgrade on 3 different cabins. I have logged in just now and 2/3 say EXPIRED with 1 saying PENDING? Is this a good sign?

Thank you,
David

[SmoothJ24]

19 minutes ago, david891 said:

Hello,

Its my first time cruising with Royal and I booked last minute, last week infact for this coming Sunday.

On Sunday a week before sailing I received a RoyalUp email and bidded to upgrade on 3 different cabins. I have logged in just now and 2/3 say EXPIRED with 1 saying PENDING? Is this a good sign?

Thank you,
David

Yes.. usually means you will get that upgrade.

[david891]

9 minutes ago, SmoothJ24 said:

Yes.. usually means you will get that upgrade.

Great thank you  I'll keep a watch for the card charging as I expect they'll do it soon?

[SmoothJ24]

15 minutes ago, david891 said:

Great thank you  I'll keep a watch for the card charging as I expect they'll do it soon?

Yes, they will.

When is your sale date?

[david891]

8 minutes ago, SmoothJ24 said:

Yes, they will.

When is your sale date?

This Sunday 25th

[SmoothJ24]

15 minutes ago, david891 said:

This Sunday 25th

Ours is the 31st... so like you, I hope to hear something soon related to our RoyalUP.

[david891]

3 hours ago, SmoothJ24 said:

Ours is the 31st... so like you, I hope to hear something soon related to our RoyalUP.

Slight update, I’ve noticed the cabin has now changed on the app and online. No payment and no new booking document as of yet 

[SmoothJ24]

13 minutes ago, david891 said:

Slight update, I’ve noticed the cabin has now changed on the app and online. No payment and no new booking document as of yet 

The booking documents make take a bit as I believe they are ran in the AM (based on the time mine was produced). Your luggage tags may not be updated, so you would need to do manual ones at the pier.

How much was your bid over the minimum amount?

[david891]

12 minutes ago, SmoothJ24 said:

The booking documents make take a bit as I believe they are ran in the AM (based on the time mine was produced). Your luggage tags may not be updated, so you would need to do manual ones at the pier.

How much was your bid over the minimum amount?

Mine was minimum plus 15%. 

[barjpoe]

Just got a invite to Royal up on our Odyssey cruise.  Just went for a JS ,  put in a lowish bid, (according to the meter indicator it was a weak bid0.  But first time doing this so we shall see if we were successful.

[SmoothJ24]

3 hours ago, barjpoe said:

Just got a invite to Royal up on our Odyssey cruise.  Just went for a JS ,  put in a lowish bid, (according to the meter indicator it was a weak bid0.  But first time doing this so we shall see if we were successful.

Weak and High are subjective and honestly is a marking ploy to play with your emotions. We bid also for a JS, but we went for the max bid as we need a bit more sqft since we have 2 Adults, a 10 year old, and a 10 month old.

[CruisingfromClayton]

I know I'm a bit late to this post but wanted to see if anyone knows if all in your party receive the star benefits or if it's limited to passengers 1 & 2. We have a total of 3 and wanted the aquatheater 2 br but it wasn't available. If we have our deluxe beverage packages credited for all 3 then it impacts the amount I'd bid.

Thank you!

[WAAAYTOOO]

12 minutes ago, CrusingfromClayton said:

I know I'm a bit late to this post but wanted to see if anyone knows if all in your party receive the star benefits or if it's limited to passengers 1 & 2. We have a total of 3 and wanted the aquatheater 2 br but it wasn't available. If we have our deluxe beverage packages credited for all 3 then it impacts the amount I'd bid.

Thank you!

Yes !  Everyone in the suite receives all of the SC amenities even though you only pay for the first 2.

[karmamule]

We put in a royalup bid for a star class suite and initially it was a 'weak' bid but enough to fuel our "what if" dreams. 

BUT, thanks to this post and a couple others we learned that we'd get the money we've already paid for our drinks and speciality restaurant packages if we do get the bid so we upped it to a strong bid. It'll make for a fantastic "welcome back to cruising" if this goes through.

Even if we don't get it, we'll still eventually be at sea, on our balcony, drinks in hand, listening to the sound of the Allure cutting through the ocean while gazing at the sunset skies. Pure bliss!  

[steverk]

I just learned something about RoyalUp that I didn't know previously. If you RoyalUp from a balcony or below to a Jr. Suite or more, you only get the Crown and Anchor points as if you sailed on the lower stateroom.  I did not know this, an d just found out the hard way.  You can read about it here:

RoyalUp℠ - Upgrade Program Terms & Conditions | Royal Caribbean Cruises

"General Terms

...

The terms and conditions of your original cruise booking will remain in effect following the acceptance of an Offer or if an Offer is not accepted. This includes terms and conditions pertaining to cancellation, penalties, changes, the Crown & Anchor® Society.  Accepted offers will earn Crown & Anchor points at the original stateroom category purchased, and not the category of the upgraded stateroom. Upgrade does not include any additional promotions. If you purchase an Upgrade RCI cannot guarantee a specific cabin number assignment within the upgraded category. Your cabin number will depend on space availability." (emphasis is mine, not in the original document)

Good luck to everyone bidding.  I still think it is a good deal if you get the upgrade, but be aware of this!

[BrianB]

Yes…bidding up to a JS or higher from a balcony or less doesn’t give the extra C&S points. Only if you upgrade directly without using RoyalUp.
I have heard some folks complain that they should have gotten the extra points because it turned out that their bids ended up being pretty close to the price they would have paid if they just paid to upgrade. I think the lesson for them is to pay attention to pricing. Sometimes prices drop and paying for an upgrade can become affordable as the sail date approaches. Plus, by upgrading you know which cabin you get rather than being assigned one during RoyalUp.

[RobertRustman]

Just got my upgrade to Crown Loft Suite. I am super happy as I paid about half of what it normally costs. 

[themillennialcruiser]

3 hours ago, RobertRustman said:

Just got my upgrade to Crown Loft Suite. I am super happy as I paid about half of what it normally costs. 

Congratulations! Would you mind sharing what type of room you were in before and if you bid the minimum, middle, or high? Dying to hear back on mine, 6 days before sail away!

[Floski]

I wasn't going to offer, but what the hell, YOLO

Question - How much of an upgrade is a Grand Suite from an OVB cabin?