royal caribbean bid upgrade tips
To get the best bang for your buck, youll need to understand how the bidding system works and what you should expect, and thats what well show you today. With his successful bid, he paid just more than $9,000 for a nine-day Baltics cruise on Norwegian Breakaway, a savings of $5,000. You get to keep the promotions you already have based on the stateroom category originally booked. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. Royal Caribbean offered Stan Fernald and his wife the opportunity to bid on an upgraded cabin for their upcoming cruise. Azamara is the only line to say upfront that it gives priority to Le Club Voyage members based on their program level. Were not saying drop a $200 bidding bomb right away. Royal Caribbeans RoyalUp Bid is a bidding program that allows you to upgrade your cabin to a higher cabin category at a lower cost than a traditional cabin upgrade. To receive an email invitation to bid on a stateroom upgrade guest must be opted-in to RCI Marketing e-mails. You will be asked to provide a credit card number that will be charged if your bid is accepted. 1. RoyalUp begins on November 28, 2018. Can I modify or cancel my RoyalUp offer after I submit it? Are the Suites worth it, even with RoyalUp? This card comes with a long list of benefits, including access to Centurion Lounges, complimentary elite status with Hilton and Marriott, at least $500 in assorted annual statement credits and so much more. Your bid amount is per person for the length of the cruise but you'll only pay for the first two people occupying the cabin. Enrollment required. 9.3K. The cruise bidding process does not work for those who have booked a wheelchair-accessible cabin as you won't be guaranteed those rooms. The Royal Up bidding process is super simple to complete. The same stateroom wouldve cost us nearly $500 more than the interior stateroom if we had booked it directly. My husband bids all the time, but we have only won once. If you booked an interior cabin, for example, you wont typically see the opportunity to bid on staterooms like Owners Suites and Loft Suites. Bidding on all the rooms wont increase your chances of landing a particular room. Free mini bar, replenished daily. What a mistake! Carnival has a generous perk for those who choose a Cloud 9 Spa internal stateroom on Carnival Splendor, with the interior staterooms on Deck 10 affording private access to . Today I talk RoyalUp a bid-based stateroom upgrade program for @RoyalCaribbean I share my personal experiences, some observations as well as some advice fo. Be sure to make any modifications or cancellations right away, as you never know when you might receive an upgrade confirmation. This negates the pay less to upgrade advantage you initially wanted from bidding. When you sail with Royal Caribbean, you can receive crown & anchor points as part of their loyalty program. It was on a 9-night Anthem New England / Canada cruise in October. Each night, you will receive a Cruise Compass activity planner that provides you with a detailed hour-by-hour schedule of events for the next day on board. I tried my first cruise from the UK: here's what you should know. We will also share the options we received for cabin upgrade opportunities on our sailing with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Getting close to the original cost while bidding might still seem better than normal upgrading, but it can sometimes be a bad idea. The programs differ slightly -- for instance, with Norwegian you can only bid up to two categories, for example, from an inside to an ocean view or balcony. When you book a cruise on a cruise ship, you can transfer that booking to your regular travel agent. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. If you are eligible, youll be able to submit bids for your upcoming sailing. This means that if you have four cruisers in your cabin, you only pay the per person upgrade cost for the first and second guest. The increased gratuity charge applies even if those upgrades were acquired through bidding. Offers are based on two occupants per stateroom - only the first and second guest will be charged. Introducing RoyalUp a new bid-based stateroom upgrade program. Many passengers bid on suites with RoyalUp, as you can often find a lower price through bidding than upgrading to the suite category outright. In the Royal Up email, youll see a minimum bid listed for each cabin thats available to bid on. If you're choosy about location -- you want to be midship for more stability -- upgrading might not be for you. Generally speaking, it's an all-inclusive island. If I am upgraded to a higher category stateroom with RoyalUp, will I have to pay a gratuity amount based on the new upgraded category? Translated to cruise, if you book an ocean-view stateroom for $800 per person and are bidding on a mini-suite currently selling for $2,800, your best chance of landing an upgrade would come if you bid at least $400 per person. Royal Caribbean's RoyalUp Bidding Process. Keep yr seapass card within reach, you need to tap and take temp as you move from venue to venue within the cruise. If the Offer is accepted, the difference between the original and upgraded No. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). If you booked at a deep discount, don't expect an offer. A beginners guide to sailing in Star Class, The rare cruise ship cabins that get booked very quickly, Guide to balcony staterooms on Royal Caribbean, Royal Caribbean laundry services on your cruise, How to get excited for your Royal Caribbean cruise, Why you can't trust online reviews of cruise ships, Royal Caribbean cruises in November 2022: What to expect. RoyalUp bidding charges per person, but the minimum charge is two people. Many people start with the minimum bid and hope they are the only bidder. So for a very overly simplistic example, if there are 2 bids for a RS, and a GS bid $600 and a JS bid $500. In this case, you will be refunded the money from your RoyalUp upgrade. There will be various stateroom options for you to choose from. Some bids may be accepted quickly, others only within days of your sailing. Does the RoyalUp upgrade include any additional promotions? Once you select the cabin, youll find a scale that you can slide from this minimum bid all the way to the maximum bid. Royal Caribbean International ; RoyalUP? While no winnings are guaranteed, its recommended to bid at least a little bit higher than the minimum bid. It allows you to bid a certain amount of money, often as low as $50 per person, to upgrade your current stateroom to an ocean view or balcony cabin or even a suite. Cruises during the off-season may have fewer guests onboard, meaning there are more rooms available. Ensure you make any modifications or cancellations right away. Submitted a Royal Up request for a Junior Suite on the Odyssey sail date 2 Jan 2022. Most importantly, you won't be asked to bid unless you have opted to receive marketing emails from the cruise line, so that's a must-do. Cruise Tips. is a journalist specializing in luxury family travel and the blogger behind The Daily Impressions. To do this, sign up on the Royal Caribbean website, opt-in during online check-in, or through the My Reservations area on Royal Caribbeans website. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. Just like a Royal Caribbean adventure, the possibilities are endless. With your support, we can create more exciting content and share with everyone! Our cruise group consisted of families who bid the minimum and were upgraded and those who bid the maximum and were not accepted. Complimentary specialty restaurants. Once your bid is accepted, you cannot change it. For more details about RoyalUp, click here. When bidding, be sure you'll be happy in that cabin because once your bid is accepted, your credit card is charged and the fee is nonrefundable. No, if you have two cabins you will need to submit two separate bids and they will be considered independently. Bid higher than the minimum. If my RoyalUp offer is accepted, will I earn Crown & Anchor points at the rate associated with my upgraded stateroom category? zeta phi beta burial ritual royal caribbean upgrade room after final payment This section is going to discuss Royal Up bid upgrade tips. Related: A beginners guide to sailing in Star Class. Started in 2010, Royal Caribbean Blog offers daily coverage of news and information related to the Royal Caribbean cruise line along with other relevant topics of cruising, such as entertainment, news, photo updates and more. The Redmonds are an active-duty military family, living in Las Vegas. How will I be charged for a RoyalUp upgrade if I am a single guest? Some cruise lines excel in their offering. On most ships, the elevators are located in the front and back of the ship, while the biggest ships have them in the center as well. Im not sure if they didnt get the email because they used a travel agent rather than booking direct or not. I've had three Royal Caribbean cruises so far this year and won an upgrade on all of them. The other one was just okay. On Royal Caribbean "Cruise to Nowhere", the cost of swab tests for PCR is included in the cruise package. Honestly, theres no guaranteed way to win the Royal Caribbean RoyalUp upgrade. Our points-obsessed staff uses a plethora of credit cards on a daily basis. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Hi there! Check if your cruise is eligible for an upgrade. The system may accept your bid the moment you submit it or it may process up to two days prior to embarkation. The least expensive room option is typically an interior cabin. When RoyalUp bidding opens for your sailing, youll receive an email offering you the chance to bid on select stateroom options. A passenger in an inside paid $100 to upgrade to an ocean view. 19 Secret Codes on Cruise Ships That You Need to Know, Virgin Voyages Partners with Sustainable Marine Fuel Providers, D23: Disney Treasure, Lighthouse Point, and Australia, Carnival Celebration Begins First Set of Sea Trials, Oceania Cruises New 180-Day World Cruise And Grand Voyages. Everything you need to know about Royal Caribbeans loyalty program, The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean ships and itineraries, The 5 best cabin locations on any cruise ship, The 6 best cruise ship waterslides and watery fun zones, Are cruise ship drinks packages worth the price? The bidding process is blind, meaning you wont know how much other passengers are bidding or how many passengers are bidding for upgrades. We went from a balcony to a junior suite. Dozens of international airlines -- including Icelandair, Qantas and Aer Lingus -- invite select coach passengers to go online and designate how much they would pay for an upgrade to business or first class. The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. Bidding for the room you want and getting your upgrade couldnt be easier. An At-Home COVID-19 Test Kit: How Does It Work Before Your Cruise and Is It Worth It? Is it worth it to book a short 3-night cruise? Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. However, our pending status resulted in an email stating that our offer would be reviewed onboard. Basically, our ship was completely sold out. . An interior room may be sufficient if you dont plan to be in the room very much. The Offer Amount does not include the higher gratuity. Regardless of the room you select, we hope you have an amazing time sailing with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line! Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Booking your first cruise? If youre interested in a balcony room with additional space and amenities, you can check out the Royal Caribbean Junior Suite. A Royal Up upgrade from an inside cabin may include an interior cabin with more square footage. The cruise line sets a higher gratuity for guests booked in a grand suite or above. This appealing Star Class suite features a massive balcony and lots of amenities, including a Royal Genie. So, go ahead and browse through the available options. You can only access the island by cruising on a Royal Caribbean ship that includes it on its itineraries. On ship, day of sailing went to our stateroom and without unpacking in hopes of being upgraded then after the Odyssey was well ou. Bid amounts on RoyalUp range from weak to strong. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Both ships have lots of activities to keep you busy throughout your cruise. For more details about RoyalUp, click here. So, theres really no way to tell how to have your bid chosen. They are looking to reward both their loyal passengers and those who spend more on their cruise vacations. UPGRADE YOUR STATEROOM IN A FEW SIMPLE STEPS. Introducing RoyalUp - a new bid-based stateroom upgrade program. Even if you bid in the favorable green zone, there is no guarantee you'll get an upgrade. But there was a balcony that bid $200 on a JS (but not a GS), then the JS would get the RS because RC would net $100 more. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. Note that if you have a lower category room booked, you may not get the option to bid on some of the fancier suites. A step up from the Royal Caribbean interior staterooms would include balcony cabins. If you plan to bid on a cruise cabin and you are cruising with friends, make sure you are aware that your friends do not receive the suite perks that you may get in your upgrade. In just a few simple steps, you could score a fantastic upgrade, from Ocean View and Balcony staterooms to the most expansive suites at sea. For more details about RoyalUp, click here. For some people, cruising is a once-a-year type of vacation that is meticulously planned and highly-anticipated.However, I am not one of those people.Within the last year, I've cruised more than I ever imagined was possible. Remember, if you win a Royal Caribbean RoyalUp bid, your cabin is assigned to you. 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