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VERY Surprising Royal Up acceptance! 😁


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Here I am, 51 days out from my Oasis of the Seas cruise out of Bayonne, and low and behold I see those magical words in my email inbox: Your Stateroom Has Been Upgraded.  My minimum $700 bid moved me from a JS guarantee to a 1 Bedroom Aquatheater Suite!  I am beyond stunned, the timing, the acceptance, all of it!  So Suite Snob crew (this is in fact a term of endearment!), help a dad who's never stayed in anything bigger than a Promenade View room taking his kids on their 1st cruise with the lowdown: what do I do now?  Do I cancel my MDR reservations if we're going to do CK, or will the concierge do that?  I suddenly have so many questions that I hadn't even thought about!  Any advice/pointers/experience would be greatly appreciated!

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Congrats! I just finished my 1st stay in a suite last week on Harmony so I know how you feel. Here are some quick thoughts off the top of my head...

First, the suite concierges should e-mail you 5-6 days before your cruise. They can do just about anything before you even cruise. Amongst other things, they made us reservations for CK (only required for dinner) and the comedy show. They will also answer as many questions as you have.

If you eat in CK, nothing needs to be done with your MDR time with traditional seating. If you have MTD, don't make reservations for those nights (or cancel them). We loved CK but preferred the MDR menu a few nights. I'd suggest checking the menus as your cruise gets closer. We had many breakfasts in CK also.

Make use of the suite lounge for the coffee machine (same as the DL if you're Diamond) for free cappuccinos, lattes, espressos, etc., free beer, wine, seltzer, soda, bottled water from 11-11 everyday, and open bar during a 3-hour happy hour every night (there are also hors d'oeuvres served during happy hour, same as the DL).

Check out the suite sun deck. Too lazy to check the exact layout of Oasis (it may differ slightly) but on Harmony you take a set of steps up from the pool deck that can only be accessed with a suite sea pass. We spent several mornings up there in free cabanas (first come, first serve). There is also a suite deck bar up there.

You don't need reservations to any shows except the adult comedy show. You will automatically be allowed in and there are special suite sections (although you are free to sit elsewhere of course). Just arrive at least 15 minutes early or they may start giving away the suite section seats.

Lastly, you can have the suite concierges walk you off the ship at the end of the cruise. You meet them at an assigned time and location (for us it was 7:30, 8:00, or 8:30 in the Bionic Bar) and they will escort you past the line to the gangway. You will receive instructions in your cabin when the time comes.

I'm sure there was other stuff but that should get you started.

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2 hours ago, USCG Teacher said:

Here I am, 51 days out from my Oasis of the Seas cruise out of Bayonne, and low and behold I see those magical words in my email inbox: Your Stateroom Has Been Upgraded.  My minimum $700 bid moved me from a JS guarantee to a 1 Bedroom Aquatheater Suite!  I am beyond stunned, the timing, the acceptance, all of it!  So Suite Snob crew (this is in fact a term of endearment!), help a dad who's never stayed in anything bigger than a Promenade View room taking his kids on their 1st cruise with the lowdown: what do I do now?  Do I cancel my MDR reservations if we're going to do CK, or will the concierge do that?  I suddenly have so many questions that I hadn't even thought about!  Any advice/pointers/experience would be greatly appreciated!

FANTASTIC!

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Suite Snob here.  Congrats and I hope you enjoy it.  The Aqua Theater suites are a great location and you don't have to leave the confines of your own suite to watch the shows in the Aqua Theater.  I think you'll love it and the rest of your party.  Be prepared though, you will have a lot of walking to get to the elevators.  But, it is wall worth it.  

 

EDITED IN:  BTW, thanks for the "Suite Snob" idea.  I'm going to use it a lot now.  I may even change my Avatar/Logon to that!

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Congrats!  We were lucky to get a 2 br Grand Suite on Oasis with a minimum bid as well.  I agree with everything @OCSC Mike says.  We found the suite deck on the last sea day and wish we had found it earlier in the cruise.  It was quiet and there were a ton of empty spots.  CK for breakfast every morning was fantastic; we ate there every morning.  The bartenders were fabulous as well in the CK.  Dudesh will make you anything you want; if they don't have it in their bar, he will get it for you.  

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1 hour ago, SPS said:

@USCG Teacher May I ask when you got the initial offer to bid on a Royal Up?

I was surprised yesterday to get a Royal Up email offer 75 days before our Quantum sailing to Alaska. Now I'm weighing my bid options.

I can't remember the exact day I received it, but it was right around 75 days.  I thought for sure I wouldn't hear anything until Mid-July at the earliest.

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1 hour ago, Kirsten said:

Congrats!  We were lucky to get a 2 br Grand Suite on Oasis with a minimum bid as well.  I agree with everything @OCSC Mike says.  We found the suite deck on the last sea day and wish we had found it earlier in the cruise.  It was quiet and there were a ton of empty spots.  CK for breakfast every morning was fantastic; we ate there every morning.  The bartenders were fabulous as well in the CK.  Dudesh will make you anything you want; if they don't have it in their bar, he will get it for you.  

Thanks for this, Kristen, I'm looking forward to trying CK, and  I'll definitely seek out Dudesh!  😉

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12 minutes ago, USCG Teacher said:

I'm looking forward to trying CK.

Since I believe menus are mostly fleet wide (i.e. same dishes on different ships), filet mignon in CK was excellent and if you see ribs for lunch there (listed as rum and something), loved those too. More like a short rib than a spare rib there was so much meat on each bone.

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5 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

Since I believe menus are mostly fleet wide (i.e. same dishes on different ships), filet mignon in CK was excellent and if you see ribs for lunch there (listed as rum and something), loved those too. More like a short rib than a spare rib there was so much meat on each bone.

I know the CK filet has something of a legendary status around these parts, and I as recall they're a night #1 speciality, so that's 100% on my to do list!  Thanks for the tip of the ribs as well, I'll definitely keep an eye out!

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10 minutes ago, USCG Teacher said:

I know the CK filet has something of a legendary status around these parts, and I as recall they're a night #1 speciality, so that's 100% on my to do list!  Thanks for the tip of the ribs as well, I'll definitely keep an eye out!

On the flip side, DO NOT ORDER THE RIB EYE!  It was not like any rib eye I've ever seen in a restaurant or on a grill. It somewhat resembled a slice of prime rib and was terrible.

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1.  Use the Concierge!  I did not on my initial Suite cruises, and it was a mistake.  When you get the email from the concierge about 4-6 days before the cruise, respond asking for whatever you want to reserve.   On a recent trip, the concierge reserved specialty dining and private flowrider for us before we boarded saving some stress.  Our ship did not require show reservations, but I speculate that the concierge can make those as well.   On our recent trip, the concierge could not book the escape room ahead, but I tried!  If you need Adventure Ocean reservations, you can see if the concierge can help you with that as well.  I would email the concierge everything you want to reserve and (nicely) let the concierge let you know what they can and cannot do.

2.  Use the suite lounge space and sun deck (particularly if you are not a crowd person).  The suite lounge and the suite sundecks remain almost unused during the day.  I enjoy the quiet and the drink accessibility.  While your room balcony is great, sometimes it is nice to have a different place to enjoy peace and quiet.

3.  Use the suite concierge instead of guest services.  In my experience, the concierge in the suite lounge is seldom too busy to help, and there are no lines!  (Tip the concierge if they help at the end of the cruise as I do not believe they do not get automatic tips)

4.  Use CK when you can.  It tends to be quiet and stress free for meals.  I enjoy specialty restaurants for dinner, but CK for breakfast and/or lunch is great!

5.  Most importantly . . . have fun and enjoy your vacation!!!!

 

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2 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

On the flip side, DO NOT ORDER THE RIB EYE!  It was not like any rib eye I've ever seen in a restaurant or on a grill. It somewhat resembled a slice of prime rib and was terrible.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, a Ribeye steak is just a Prime Rib roast sliced into a steak and cooked as a steak.   At home, I purchase a large "Prime Rib", bone in, cut it in half to cook as a Prime Rib roast with Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes & carrots with au jus gravy and very hot Horse radish, and the other half is cut into 3/4 inch thick "Ribeye" steaks with baked potatoes or white rice and green vegetable.  

However, a terrible steak is a terrible steak no matter where it comes from 😉.  I don't do the Coastal Kitchen for their steaks, that's what Chops Grill is for, at least to me.

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Be sure to check out the CK menus on the app.   I was looking forward to eating in CK very much, until I checked out the menus.    I doubt that my husband will be interested in most of the dinner choices (both apps and entrees), so expect that we'll be in the main dining room or buffet for many of the dinners....... or ordering room service from the main dining room!!!   Guess he's kind of picky.   But I fully expect to enjoy breakfast there, and some lunches.

But we're definitely looking forward to the suite, the suite lounge, and the suite sun deck.   We'd love to try an aqua suite, to be able to enjoy the HUGE balcony and our comfy view of the aqua show.   Enjoy!!!!

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2 hours ago, Suite Snob said:

However, a terrible steak is a terrible steak no matter where it comes from 😉.  I don't do the Coastal Kitchen for their steaks, that's what Chops Grill is for, at least to me.

I rarely pay extra for food but have had multiple excellent steaks in locations that aren't Chops... CK, Giovanni's Table, Beach Club at Cococay.

That said, I'm an interior/WJ kinda guy, so I'm guessing our tastes don't align to closely.

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1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

I rarely pay extra for food but have had multiple excellent steaks in locations that aren't Chops... CK, Giovanni's Table, Beach Club at Cococay.

That said, I'm an interior/WJ kinda guy, so I'm guessing our tastes don't align to closely.

Just posted this in another thread a little while ago.  I think it applies to your comment about YOU being an interior/WJ kinda guy and how our tates  probably aren't closely aligned:

image.thumb.png.5ebdc62b1519fc8e7ff79bd583a9b38f.png

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On 6/8/2022 at 7:01 PM, OCSC Mike said:

Congrats! I just finished my 1st stay in a suite last week on Harmony so I know how you feel. Here are some quick thoughts off the top of my head...

First, the suite concierges should e-mail you 5-6 days before your cruise. They can do just about anything before you even cruise. Amongst other things, they made us reservations for CK (only required for dinner) and the comedy show. They will also answer as many questions as you have.

If you eat in CK, nothing needs to be done with your MDR time with traditional seating. If you have MTD, don't make reservations for those nights (or cancel them). We loved CK but preferred the MDR menu a few nights. I'd suggest checking the menus as your cruise gets closer. We had many breakfasts in CK also.

Make use of the suite lounge for the coffee machine (same as the DL if you're Diamond) for free cappuccinos, lattes, espressos, etc., free beer, wine, seltzer, soda, bottled water from 11-11 everyday, and open bar during a 3-hour happy hour every night (there are also hors d'oeuvres served during happy hour, same as the DL).

Check out the suite sun deck. Too lazy to check the exact layout of Oasis (it may differ slightly) but on Harmony you take a set of steps up from the pool deck that can only be accessed with a suite sea pass. We spent several mornings up there in free cabanas (first come, first serve). There is also a suite deck bar up there.

You don't need reservations to any shows except the adult comedy show. You will automatically be allowed in and there are special suite sections (although you are free to sit elsewhere of course). Just arrive at least 15 minutes early or they may start giving away the suite section seats.

Lastly, you can have the suite concierges walk you off the ship at the end of the cruise. You meet them at an assigned time and location (for us it was 7:30, 8:00, or 8:30 in the Bionic Bar) and they will escort you past the line to the gangway. You will receive instructions in your cabin when the time comes.

I'm sure there was other stuff but that should get you started.

We were with you on Harmony last week. We were in a grand suite. Had a blast! Loved Junior and Elaine. Rodrigo in CK was just so friendly. Loved all of it! 

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8 hours ago, Jill said:

We were with you on Harmony last week. We were in a grand suite. Had a blast! Loved Junior and Elaine. Rodrigo in CK was just so friendly. Loved all of it! 

Rodrigo was great! Someone else on our sailing was also onboard the prior week & mentioned him on another forum so I wasn’t surprised when we met him. He was just as she described.

We were in a Grand Suite as well, great experience all around. Back to steerage for us next month as that suite was courtesy of my generous FIL. At least I can’t miss CK since Indy doesn’t have one.

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1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

Rodrigo was great! Someone else on our sailing was also onboard the prior week & mentioned him on another forum so I wasn’t surprised when we met him. He was just as she described.

We were in a Grand Suite as well, great experience all around. Back to steerage for us next month as that suite was courtesy of my generous FIL. At least I can’t miss CK since Indy doesn’t have one.

Yeah hubby said we can continue in suites but take less cruises. Nope! I did manage to convince him to upgrade to a JS for our 12 night Holy Land on Odyssey. By changing from Alaska to Harmony, that put us 12 points behind on reaching Diamond Plus so we took the left over Alaska $ from our refund and upgraded to JS to get quadruple points and push us over the finish line. Hopefully we can get in to CK a few nights! 

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2 hours ago, Jill said:

Yeah hubby said we can continue in suites but take less cruises. Nope! I did manage to convince him to upgrade to a JS for our 12 night Holy Land on Odyssey. By changing from Alaska to Harmony, that put us 12 points behind on reaching Diamond Plus so we took the left over Alaska $ from our refund and upgraded to JS to get quadruple points and push us over the finish line. Hopefully we can get in to CK a few nights! 

My wife's hubby will not be saying yes to suites, lol. TBF, my wife wouldn't expect us to pay for a suite and we've been enjoying cheaper cabins for so long that it's fine.

The room was nice, don't get me wrong, but It was the perks we loved. We don't really care about our cabin. We don't use balconies so it's just a bed, shower, and changing room to us. But everyone has their own priorities and that's the beauty of having so many different types of cabins and prices.

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On 6/8/2022 at 7:01 PM, OCSC Mike said:

Lastly, you can have the suite concierges walk you off the ship at the end of the cruise. You meet them at an assigned time and location (for us it was 7:30, 8:00, or 8:30 in the Bionic Bar) and they will escort you past the line to the gangway. You will receive instructions in your cabin when the time comes.

Honestly, this was one of the best experiences at the end of our first B2B on Symphony last month. It's bad enough that you actually have to get off so this final gesture make you feel special right down to the end. So I echo the suggestion to really take advantage of having access to the Suite Concierges. They are invaluable. They can take care of everything for you and are glad to do it. Definitely take advantage of the Suite Lounge and Sundeck. They are refreshingly peaceful and uncrowded. Enjoy your upgrade @USCG Teacher...you are well on your way to becoming a Suite Snob yourself!!

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We stayed in Loft Suite on the Harmony April.  This wasn't our first Loft Suite stay or suite cabin so we pretty much knew what to expect.  Go to the suite lounge/Ck when you first get on board and eat lunch at the Ck.  Lunch started about 1130 so we sat in the suite lounge until then.  Visit the suite concierges while your waiting for lunch to set up any reservations you might need like the comedy club.  Then walk over to the Ck concierge and get your times you want to eat there.  I didn't care for the lobster recipe so next time i will eat lobster at MDR.  Our cabin was right next to the elevators so I would take a quick trip in the suite lounge in the mornings for a sweet roll and coffee.  If you have a large travel coffee cup and have room bring it with you it will come in handy for the quick trips to the suite lounge.

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I switched my cruise this morning from one date to another which is two weeks earlier and kept my same reservation number.  Tonight I received a Royal Up email with great offers, however it lists my original sail date not the new one!  Do I just need to wait and see if they send one for my new date?  I’m afraid to bid on this one since I am no longer on that cruise…even though my reservation number should only be associated with the new date now.

There is no contact info in the email.    Thanks

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On 6/13/2022 at 2:49 PM, MikeK said:

Visit the suite concierges while your waiting for lunch to set up any reservations you might need like the comedy club.

You can also do this pre-cruise via e-mail after you get your welcome e-mail from the concierges (ours came the Monday before our sailing). We had a short list of 4-5 things taken care of before ever boarding. Junior & Elaine were great at responding to my e-mails.

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4 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

You can also do this pre-cruise via e-mail after you get your welcome e-mail from the concierges (ours came the Monday before our sailing). We had a short list of 4-5 things taken care of before ever boarding. Junior & Elaine were great at responding to my e-mails.

you are correct.  I also emailed them for my reservations but I always like to confirm and don't assume anything.

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36 minutes ago, MikeK said:

you are correct.  I also emailed them for my reservations but I always like to confirm and don't assume anything.

Being able to see them in the app helps but I don't blame you. It got worked out but something screwy happened in the app/system (shocking, I know) with our pre-made comedy reservations and they moved to a different night. The concierge took care of it of course, even telling me "I will walk you down to the show myself if I have to."

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