Ready2SailAway

22 hours ago, MLAW said:

I was booked in a JS on Adventure next week.  Found out early this week that my minimum bid was accepted for the owners suite.  I did not expect to get anything so super excited for our first suite experience.  

Congratulations - enjoy!

Just an FYI... We're booked in a JS and had submitted 4 RoyalUP bids for GS thru RS - all bids showed "SUBMITTED" when I checked daily until exactly 24hrs prior to our scheduled sailing departure time: Received 4 emails (one for each bid) advising that our bids were unsuccessful, and when I checked the RoyalUP webpage all bids showed "EXPIRED" - no surprise here, since none of that higher stateroom inventory ever became available after we booked our JS.

8 minutes ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

...I bid on four Royal Up categories at that point. My documents became available yesterday, still showing GTY.  Today I see that three of my bids are expired, and one is pending and unable to be modified or cancelled. If I remember correctly, this is an excellent indication of success, isn’t it?

It's probable, but not a GTY 😎

8 hours ago, SilentHill said:

Anyone here on the Oasis of the Seas NYC to Bahamas on 10/8/2023?

 

Patiently waiting royal to approve or decline my bid to upgrade from a Suite GTY to GS (1br). Wanted to see if anyone else on that sailing have heard anything.

While waiting patiently, suggest that you check daily for an opportunity to self-upgrade... An OS became available about a month before our cruise last month for the same price differential as our RU bid, so we self-upgraded from a Spacious OV Balcony.

2 hours ago, transam84 said:

OMG I just got congratulations email. I bid on a whim just over minimum for a sky loft suite on our 18 day transpacific. We were in a grand suite. It’s 36 days out I bid 3 days ago. I am so excited. 

Congrats - enjoy!

4 hours ago, Katieniesen said:

6/2/2023 Booked Central Park Interior View Deck 9 on Allure 9/3/23 sailing (club royale offer)

7/6/2023 Received Royal Up Email

8/1/2023 Bid minimum bids on following:

Ocean View Balcony $165pp

Neighborhood Balcony $90pp

Ultra Spacious Ocean View $55pp

9/1/23 Won Neighborhood Balcony (Boardwalk View Deck 11)

 

Congrats - well played!

On 8/22/2023 at 5:22 AM, paulfoel said:

So how long before sailing do you find out if you've been successful?

 

Do you get informed either way or is it a case of no email not successful?

Just received the RoyalUp email 24hrs before sailing that our minimum bid for the Royal Suite (which has NEVER been available to book) was unsuccessful. Oh well, we'll just suffer... haha Let's get on that boat! (sorry, Ship!) 😎

6 hours ago, Ready2SailAway said:

For our upcoming cruise on Navigator, the RCL vacation planner ... reimbursed us for the cost of the VOOM WiFi Internet Pkg we had originally purchased for our Balcony stateroom after we self-upgraded to a suite...

 

5 hours ago, RFerrington said:

You should consider yourself extremely fortunate if this is actually what happened.  Internet is not complimentary on NAV nor any other Vision, Radiance, Voyager or Freedom class ship.  It is complimentary only for Oasis, Quantum and Icon class ships when booking a full suite.

2 hours ago, Ready2SailAway said:

 

Hmmm  OK I will call RCL and let you know - don't want to spread misinformation...

 

I just got off the phone with the RCL Service Desk and confirmed:

Internet is not complimentary on Navigator nor any other Vision, Radiance, Voyager or Freedom class ship.

However... Since it was our RCL vacation planner's misinformation & mistake to cancel our Internet Pkg when we booked a suite upgrade, the RCL Service Desk comp'd us enough OBC to cover the cost to reorder it - so we scored free internet for our cruise! 😎

3 hours ago, RFerrington said:

You should consider yourself extremely fortunate if this is actually what happened.  Internet is not complimentary on NAV nor any other Vision, Radiance, Voyager or Freedom class ship.  It is complimentary only for Oasis, Quantum and Icon class ships when booking a full suite.

Hmmm  OK I will call RCL and let you know - don't want to spread misinformation...

3 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

Since Mariner is an older ship- you do not have a suite restaurant or true suite deck- if the suite lounge is like the adventure- so not worth it-  you can only have breakfast in specialty restaurant-  I would keep JR suite and book specialty restaurants.  Junior suite a good sized cabin

47 minutes ago, 4Nathan said:

Good advice. Thank you.  We have access to the Diamond lounge anyways plus one of the newer JS. We’ve been spoiled for the suite life on Oasis  and Quantum class but I really wanted to go to Bermuda! Royal needs to include internet and some form of specialty dining package for suites on their older ships. 

For us the additional interior & balcony space of a GS vs JS, as well as access to the SL vs DL, is worth the price of a reasonable RU bid.

And FYI internet is included for GS & higher - even on older ships. For our upcoming cruise on Navigator, the RCL vacation planner reminded us of that and reimbursed us for the cost of the VOOM WiFi Internet Pkg we had originally purchased for our Balcony stateroom after we self-upgraded to a suite...

15 hours ago, GCS2000 said:

nice work, wish I could get my wife and daughter upgraded like this.  Cruise is in 30 days.  Have bids in for reasonable amounts nothing crazy.  Currently in balcony but wife really wants at least a Jr Suite.

 

Would prefer the self upgrade like you but suites are still selling for 4k per person as a guarantee suite or $5700 per if you pick with nothing but juniors for that price which is still WAY too much for us.  This is on Odyssey for a 9 night Greece cruise.

Keep checking the RCL website for a lower price to self-upgrade, perhaps try calling them to see if they can get you a better price.  Otherwise, hope you receive a congratulatory email soon that your RU bid was accepted!

On 7/23/2023 at 2:17 PM, Ready2SailAway said:

 

Suites have been completely sold out ever since we originally booked a Balcony GTY back in the spring for our 7nt on Navigator of the Seas, but an OS just became available so we called RCL to upgrade from our current Spacious OV Balcony - only paid $239 more than our RoyalUP bid!

 

Looking forward to seeing what an OS is like, since our highest category on Navigator previously was a GS...

 

FYI  Three days after we self-upgraded from Spacious OV Balcony to OS, received an email from RCL saying they cancelled all of our previous RoyalUP Bids due to our reservation change and need to submit a new Bid for upgrading to RS – with a new bidding range:

·         Royal Suite:  $280-$1750pp

5 hours ago, penutbutterjelly said:

INFORMATION FOR THOSE WHO BID:  Make sure if you bid you have the money available when/if you are upgraded. It happened to me. Got an email stating we accepted your bid but unfortunately were unable to charge the card on file please call.......  IT WAS LESS than an hour after I was calling the number on that email, I literally was told sorry.  I must have spoken to 10 different people over the next 6-10 hours but did end up getting it handled in the end.  My point is, to make sure if you really want the upgrade ensure the amount you bid, that funds are available.  I know life happens but use an account or a card you set aside just for this occasion as it will save you the disappointment and frustration I dealt with.

Indeed, good advice!

Glad to hear you got that sorted out - so which stateroom category did you upgrade from and to?

14 hours ago, techteach said:

Just got me email saying my bid was accepted. We went from an extended balcony to a juniors suite that shows as a +5. I bid the max because I really wanted a bigger cabin, so this is not a good example for bidding low and getting lucky.

Makes sense - and you probably still saved overall vs the cost if you had originally booked a JS.

Congrats!

4 hours ago, Ashland said:

You'll love the OS on Navigator. We've sailed in one a few times and have a few more booked.

😎 

And the point I'm trying to make on this RoyalUp forum is that self-upgrade is another option to keep in mind: You may not have to wait for the RoyalUP genie to grant you your wish at the last minute. Keep checking for available inventory on your cruise and you may be able to make that upgrade happen yourself!

...in fact, GS is the highest category we've had on any Royal Caribbean cruise.

22 hours ago, Ready2SailAway said:

 

 

The day after we self-upgraded from Balcony to Spacious OV Balcony, received an email from RCL saying they cancelled all of our previous RoyalUP Bids due to our reservation change and need to submit new Bids – with new bidding ranges, but OS & RS added:

·         Junior Suite:  $65-$700pp

·         Grand Suite 1bdrm:  $115-$875pp

·         Grand Suite 2bdrm:  $155-$1050pp

·         Owners Suite:  $190-$1575pp

·         Royal Suite:  $500-$1750pp

 

Suites have been completely sold out ever since we originally booked a Balcony GTY back in the spring for our 7nt on Navigator of the Seas, but an OS just became available so we called RCL to upgrade from our current Spacious OV Balcony - only paid $239 more than our RoyalUP bid!

Looking forward to seeing what an OS is like, since our highest category on Navigator previously was a GS...

On 6/28/2023 at 10:50 AM, Ready2SailAway said:

 

Just received my RoyalUP email 2mos prior to our 7nt cruise on Navigator.  Current available booking inventory for 2ppl is limited to Interior rooms (Interior & Interior w/Virtual Balcony Guarantee, and a dozen Connecting Promenade Interior), but for 3+ppl there’s a lot of Interior, OV, Balcony and Spacious OV Balcony rooms; unfortunately no Suites ☹️.  We originally booked a Balcony Guarantee, then two days later a Balcony stateroom became available in an ideal location but I could not snag it online.  So I called RCCL and they were able to book it for me – only cost an additional $40!

 

Here are the categories and bidding ranges I was offered for upgrades:

·         Spacious OV Balcony:  $75-630pp

·         Junior Suite:  $95-$700pp

·         Grand Suite 1bdrm:  $125-$790pp

·         Grand Suite 2bdrm:  $190-$1400pp

 

We like our Balcony location so not interested in bidding on the Spacious OV Balcony (spacious is only an add’l 5sqft according to the room description on RCCL website?).  We’ll be pleasantly surprised if we win an upgrade to a Suite since no available inventory is showing at this time…

 

On 7/18/2023 at 2:44 PM, Ready2SailAway said:

 

Today all of the inventory I mentioned above for our cruise that was previously only available for 3+ppl can now be booked for 2ppl, so we called RCL and self-upgraded from our Balcony to a Spacious OV Balcony in a great location - for no additional charge!  (RoyalUp bidding range would have been $75-$630pp).

 

 

The day after we self-upgraded from Balcony to Spacious OV Balcony, received an email from RCL saying they cancelled all of our previous RoyalUP Bids due to our reservation change and need to submit new Bids – with new bidding ranges, but OS & RS added:

·         Junior Suite:  $65-$700pp

·         Grand Suite 1bdrm:  $115-$875pp

·         Grand Suite 2bdrm:  $155-$1050pp

·         Owners Suite:  $190-$1575pp

·         Royal Suite:  $500-$1750pp

On 6/28/2023 at 10:50 AM, Ready2SailAway said:

 

Just received my RoyalUP email 2mos prior to our 7nt cruise on Navigator.  Current available booking inventory for 2ppl is limited to Interior rooms (Interior & Interior w/Virtual Balcony Guarantee, and a dozen Connecting Promenade Interior), but for 3+ppl there’s a lot of Interior, OV, Balcony and Spacious OV Balcony rooms; unfortunately no Suites ☹️.  We originally booked a Balcony Guarantee, then two days later a Balcony stateroom became available in an ideal location but I could not snag it online.  So I called RCCL and they were able to book it for me – only cost an additional $40!

 

Here are the categories and bidding ranges I was offered for upgrades:

·         Spacious OV Balcony:  $75-630pp

·         Junior Suite:  $95-$700pp

·         Grand Suite 1bdrm:  $125-$790pp

·         Grand Suite 2bdrm:  $190-$1400pp

 

We like our Balcony location so not interested in bidding on the Spacious OV Balcony (spacious is only an add’l 5sqft according to the room description on RCCL website?).  We’ll be pleasantly surprised if we win an upgrade to a Suite since no available inventory is showing at this time…

 

Today all of the inventory I mentioned above for our cruise that was previously only available for 3+ppl can now be booked for 2ppl, so we called RCL and self-upgraded from our Balcony to a Spacious OV Balcony in a great location - for no additional charge!  (RoyalUp bidding range would have been $75-$630pp).

10 minutes ago, JAMESCC said:

We had two cruises last summer, first since the awful pandemic but we won both Royal UP bids at the minimum or just a hair over I think on one. 

Really, really hoping to win a suite for our cruise in October from a balcony GTY. 🤞

Hoping you do, too! 

In the meantime recommend that you keep checking online to see if a better cabin becomes available at a reasonable price so you can self-upgrade.

Example: We originally booked a Balcony Guarantee for our cruise next month, then two days later a Balcony stateroom became available in an ideal location but I could not snag it online.  So I called RCCL and they were able to book it for us – only cost an additional $40!

Just received my RoyalUP email 2mos prior to our 7nt cruise on Navigator.  Current available booking inventory for 2ppl is limited to Interior rooms (Interior & Interior w/Virtual Balcony Guarantee, and a dozen Connecting Promenade Interior), but for 3+ppl there’s a lot of Interior, OV, Balcony and Spacious OV Balcony rooms; unfortunately no Suites ☹️.  We originally booked a Balcony Guarantee, then two days later a Balcony stateroom became available in an ideal location but I could not snag it online.  So I called RCCL and they were able to book it for me – only cost an additional $40!

Here are the categories and bidding ranges I was offered for upgrades:

·         Spacious OV Balcony:  $75-630pp

·         Junior Suite:  $95-$700pp

·         Grand Suite 1bdrm:  $125-$790pp

·         Grand Suite 2bdrm:  $190-$1400pp

We like our Balcony location so not interested in bidding on the Spacious OV Balcony (spacious is only an add’l 5sqft according to the room description on RCCL website?).  We’ll be pleasantly surprised if we win an upgrade to a Suite since no available inventory is showing at this time…

On 6/22/2023 at 4:23 PM, barry1984 said:

A little over 3 weeks prior to sailing, I received the success message and reissued booking confirmation. My “weak” bid of £255pp for an oceanview balcony was accepted! Very happy with the cabin location too - mid ship, mid deck.

 

I have no idea how this happened - the sailing is virtually full with only one OV balcony for sale at more than 3 times the price I paid.

 

Pleasantly surprised to say the least!

One tip I just learned - when you check for remaining rooms available on your cruise by searching with the default 1room/2ppl, it only shows double occupancy staterooms.  Instead try searching with 3 or 4ppl per room selected.

I tried this for our upcoming sailing: Searching with 2ppl selected only showed 1 Interior available - no OV or higher categories.  But when I changed my search to 3-4ppl, suddenly the RCCL website showed a lot of OV and Balcony inventory available for booking.

So besides last minute cancellations, this is another reason why staterooms become available for RoyalUP: 2ppl are allowed to upgrade into a room normally reserved for 3-4 guests.

Check it out and let me know!

22 hours ago, barry1984 said:

Not much recent activity on this thread but wanted to share my first ever successful experience of RoyalUp.

 

Booked an interior mid ship deck 6 stateroom on Harmony sailing July 2023. RoyalUp opened just over a month before sailing and I put bids on most categories from Oceanview Balcony down to Spacious Interior.

A little over 3 weeks prior to sailing, I received the success message and reissued booking confirmation. My “weak” bid of £255pp for an oceanview balcony was accepted! Very happy with the cabin location too - mid ship, mid deck.

 

I have no idea how this happened - the sailing is virtually full with only one OV balcony for sale at more than 3 times the price I paid.

 

Pleasantly surprised to say the least!

Well played - congrats!

7 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

I’m glad you had a good cruise, but this experience is a bit more relevant on the Celebrity forum😉

Ah good point, just posted on the Celebrity MoveUp forum - thanks!

(Celebrity is part of Royal Caribbean Group, and both Royal's RoyalUp and Celebrity's MoveUp bidding programs are managed by Plusgrade)

57 minutes ago, msuspartabigten said:

What is the earliest people have heard back that their bid was accepted?

Around 2wks prior to sailing...