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Resisting Royal Up Bidding


jbrinkm

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This is not a question but rather a struggle I'm having and just looking for conversation about it. I got a Royal Up invite for my April sailing and I'm so tempted to bid on a suite. The prices seem very reasonable, although I'm aware there is no guarantee. I have decided not to bid (reasons in a minute) but my itchy trigger fingers really, really want to. I imagine it is similar to the thrill when gambling? I don't really care for gambling myself, but I LOVE a good deal on anything.

We have connecting balcony rooms, on a great floor, in a great part of the boat, that we got for a GREAT price (2 adults, 2 teens). We've never had two rooms and we've never had balcony rooms. I really, really want to just enjoy the rooms we have without feeling like I'm missing out on something. I also don't want to upgrade and leave my teens in a room that is far away, especially with a balcony. So, very logically, I am choosing not to put a bid in. But it is really hard!! Anyone else in the same boat?

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@jbrinkm.....hard to pass up the connecting balconies on a floor and location of the ship that you prefer.  And having 2 separate rooms for the adults and teens is a win!

BUT........if you are bidding on a 2 BR, and would be comfortable having everyone in the same suite, it might be worth a bid.     I would trade my 2 balcony rooms for a 2 BR Aqua Theater suite every day. 

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My family usually books two connecting balcony cabins.  We also have two teens.  We LOVE the second bathroom and the large balcony (because you can open up the balconies!  Sure...you don't get the suite perks, but you can't miss what you have never had.

I wouldn't bid because the RoyalUp only applies to one cabin anyway.  You have a much better "deal" with the two connecting balconies.

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Agree with @Funeegal.  If you were to win the RU bid for a 2 BR suite you would not be able to move everyone into the 2BR and cancel the second balcony room (well, you could, but the entire booking would be repriced and your “bargain” upgrade would become a very expensive modification).   Even if the kids unofficially moved into the 2 BR suite, they would not be entitled to the suite amenities.  If you want to be together and you currently have connecting balconies, I strongly recommend that you stay where you are.

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We just came off a B2B on Mariner (same cabin, Balcony), got a Royal up for min. bid for a JS $40. Didn't bid - we would have had to pack and unpack. Even day before the sailing. I think Royal wanted our cabin.  Then a day or 2 into the first sailing got a Royal up for the 2nd leg. Still a no go.  Same reason packing.

But I just got a Royal up for my Odyssey cruise. Did bid. trying to go from a Balcony to a Spacious Balcony or a JS. (could bid for other higher up cabins, but am satisfied if I get either.  Today got a Royal up for my Wonder cruise; No bid. Minimums to high for my blood and the cabin we booked is in a good location.

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Your cabin must be either connecting, across from or next to your teens.  The only way around that is if you book 1 adult/1 teen per cabin (and if you both drink but don't want 2 alcohol packages you wouldn't have to if you booked that way).   IDK what they are doing with people who bid and "leave the kids behind".  Do they make you give up the $$ ?  do they already give up your room and then you cannot get 2 adjacent/connecting rooms?   It would be nice to know those answers!

 

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I agree that it's hard to beat the joining balcony cabins.  The convenience of accessing both rooms, having two bathrooms and opening up the balcony dividers to create a larger balcony is the set up we prefer.  The option to put one adult/teenager in each room and not be committed to purchasing 2 DBP is also a nice option to have.  

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1 hour ago, jbrinkm said:

So, very logically, I am choosing not to put a bid in. But it is really hard!! Anyone else in the same boat?

I feel your pain.  I have been tempted to bid on some ridiculously low minimum bids, but I have always passed.

There was a reason I picked the room(s) I did - even if it was so long ago that I can't remember.  🤣🤣🤣

When I am finding it really hard to resist, I ask my TA for the current prices to just upgrade via her.  I compare her new quotes to my current invoice and decide I got a deal I was already happy with and move on.

If I think a particular cruise needs something a little extra, I find a nice excursion or a specialty restaurant and use the "bid" money I was tempted to risk.

I do get excited for those who bid and have my fingers crossed for them.  I have also been know to randomly blurt out "good for them" when people post that their bids were accepted.

Have a great cruise!

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3 hours ago, jbrinkm said:

This is not a question but rather a struggle I'm having and just looking for conversation about it. I got a Royal Up invite for my April sailing and I'm so tempted to bid on a suite. The prices seem very reasonable, although I'm aware there is no guarantee. I have decided not to bid (reasons in a minute) but my itchy trigger fingers really, really want to. I imagine it is similar to the thrill when gambling? I don't really care for gambling myself, but I LOVE a good deal on anything.

We have connecting balcony rooms, on a great floor, in a great part of the boat, that we got for a GREAT price (2 adults, 2 teens). We've never had two rooms and we've never had balcony rooms. I really, really want to just enjoy the rooms we have without feeling like I'm missing out on something. I also don't want to upgrade and leave my teens in a room that is far away, especially with a balcony. So, very logically, I am choosing not to put a bid in. But it is really hard!! Anyone else in the same boat?

So I'll share my story on a bid.  I won, and it was a lot of money....and it was to an Owners suite on Adventure.  Small enough ship that there is no "bad location" in regards to too much walking BUT the Owners Suite was directly below the pool deck.  Now I'm a late night person so the slamming and stacking of chairs (I assume that was the noise) that started after 10:30 was not that bad, but the early morning slamming and unstacking of chairs (or whatever they were doing) was not nice for me.  I still think "do I want to bid" when I see everyone else getting their upgrades, BUT then I remember how I typically pour over the deck plans and ensure I pick rooms that are near the elevator, and have no restaurants above/below and no "white space" next to or across from me and how I had that super nice room and lots of noise.  I'll pass!!  Enjoy your room connection with your kids.  You have THE BEST set up!

 

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@Pattycruise thank you for saying that. We were originally booked in an Owners suite for our 2020 cruise that never happened. When we rebooked on Oasis for April we were disappointed the OS was out of our price range. We did splurge on a Grand suite, but I can’t stop thinking about the OS and that big balcony. The GS balcony seems cramped with the sideways lounge chairs. But you are right, we have a great cabin in a perfect location and I am just going to enjoy the cruise and not stress over silly things. Thanks for the advice. 

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We tried out the RU for our last cruise - it drove me insane.  In the last 6 weeks leading up to my cruise, instead of every minute of every day being, "omg, we're going on a cruise! It is really going to happen this time!"  It turned into a daily mantra of, "did they take our bid? Did we bid enough? Is it still being considered? Did it get declined?"

Afterward, we agreed that we were never going to try to RU again.  We decided it was better to just book the best cabin at the best price we were comfortable with.  

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12 minutes ago, Blulady said:

We tried out the RU for our last cruise - it drove me insane.  In the last 6 weeks leading up to my cruise, instead of every minute of every day being, "omg, we're going on a cruise! It is really going to happen this time!"  It turned into a daily mantra of, "did they take our bid? Did we bid enough? Is it still being considered? Did it get declined?"

Afterward, we agreed that we were never going to try to RU again.  We decided it was better to just book the best cabin at the best price we were comfortable with.  

The approach to RoyalUp should be like cooking with a crock pot. Set it and forget it. Then go about your trip preparation with only your original cabin in mind, and let a successful RoyalUp be a bonus.

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I would only do a RU if you know any of the rooms you bid that you would have no issues being in. I'm in a aft JS on Odyssey in March, but I'm only bidding on the owners loft or grand loft which are also aft. If I win, great I'm still in the aft, if not, great as I didn't loose my spot. I can bid on the GS or OS for small money, but don't think I would be happy loosing aft location even though I would get more perks from the GS or OS.

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We bid and received a RoyalUp on our first return voyage last August out of Nassau. We thought it would be great to move from our balcony to a Junior Suite after a long respite from cruises. We went from a very well located mid-ship balcony to a rear facing, obstructed JS. The room was nice but every morning we had several yoga and stretch classes right outside our balcony so relaxing for an early morning coffee was never private. The "obstructed" view was the superstructure of the ship and it effectively blocked most of the view. We agreed that from now on we would stay with our "choice" balcony or other room and not do any more bids. This upcoming cruise we received a RoyalUp email and the pricing for the upgrades was atrocious. We called Royal and was able to upgrade to a JS for less money than the RoyalUp AND we were able to pick the room. Best part is the cruise is a double points cruise and the upgrade through Royal doubled our double points. 😀

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11 hours ago, Julescar9 said:

@Pattycruise thank you for saying that. We were originally booked in an Owners suite for our 2020 cruise that never happened. When we rebooked on Oasis for April we were disappointed the OS was out of our price range. We did splurge on a Grand suite, but I can’t stop thinking about the OS and that big balcony. The GS balcony seems cramped with the sideways lounge chairs. But you are right, we have a great cabin in a perfect location and I am just going to enjoy the cruise and not stress over silly things. Thanks for the advice. 

I had read on a post somewhere in this discussion group page that you can request lounge chairs for your balcony. I've no idea if you could fit just one on a regular balcony, I've never tried, but it's sure is something to think about.  I don't think I've ever had the balcony opened between cabins, so not sure if it might fit better in a case like that.

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I know it would probably never happen, but if they would allow you to select the deck(s) in addition to the stateroom category, people who are worried about being placed on less desirable decks would likely be more privy to bidding.  Maybe the minimum bid would be increased when opting for the specific deck option?

Also, the upgrade conditions seem lame for the 2BR staterooms.  In most scenarios, people wanting to bid on those rooms have two rooms booked already.  It would be great if you could do a bid that links the two staterooms into one bid for these types of rooms.

IMO, especially with the cruise with confidence program in place at the moment, watching for price drops and taking advantage of a higher stateroom category by adjusting your booking directly (not with RoyalUp) seems like a much better way to go about seeking a stateroom upgrade.  This especially applies if you're looking into upgrading to a suite as you actually earn the double C&A points.

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We have a cruise coming up in 2 weeks.  We are in a spacious balcony.  After having a suite on NCL a few years ago that was directly under the pool deck, I swore I wouldn't do that again.  On Liberty, most of the suites are on 10, right under the pool deck...  So, there's no way I'm taking (even for free) a JS on 10.  Did bid on the others, figuring maybe I can put up with it...  I agree, not having control of where your upgrade is, takes a lot of the reward out of it. You should at least be able to reject the upgrade.

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