Royal up for Solos and General Royal up questions

[latebuyer]

With royal up, are solos paying the double per person amount? I assume so, but just checking. Also i'm not really clear how royal up works. If you choose to participate are you forced to choose the room they offer or can you choose based on where that room is? I have an interior room but its in a good location and i don't know if i want to switch in a different category and get something worse. Also do you bid based on the prices they give you or can you go lower.

[firefly333]

Yes solo pays x 2. As it says all pay x 2, even if 4 in the cabin.

 

You make a offer and they immediately move you if accepted. You get no choice on if you like the location. Your credit card is charged. Some were less than thrilled I've read. Some happy.

Edited April 11, 2023 by firefly333

[latebuyer]

So is it a case of the earlier you make the royal up offer the better?

[latebuyer]

Also does room service cost money on royal caribbean? Thinking it would be nice to sit out on the balcony and eat. I thought i read you could get covered trays at windjammer.

[rockmom]

3 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Also does room service cost money on royal caribbean? Thinking it would be nice to sit out on the balcony and eat. I thought i read you could get covered trays at windjammer.

other than continental breakfast, there is a fee of $7.95 + 18% per order.   So just under $10.   

[latebuyer]

Also is 240 cdn for a balcony (cost for 2 people) even a good deal?

[rockmom]

29 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

With royal up, are solos paying the double per person amount? I assume so, but just checking. Also i'm not really clear how royal up works. If you choose to participate are you forced to choose the room they offer or can you choose based on where that room is? I have an interior room but its in a good location and i don't know if i want to switch in a different category and get something worse. Also do you bid based on the prices they give you or can you go lower.

here is where you'll find all the official info.   https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/topics/royalup-stateroom-upgrade-program

[latebuyer]

Thanks both. Going to alaska and debating on a balcony

[rockmom]

9 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

So is it a case of the earlier you make the royal up offer the better?

doesn't seem to make any difference of when you bid.  With ships sailing full now, there are less reports of people 'winning' a Royal Up bid.  You may not even find out you won until you are actually on the ship.  

[latebuyer]

Its interesting it says the ship is sold out and won't even let you booked. I may pass. I'd like to go to taku lodge and that's pretty expensive!

[rockmom]

32 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Its interesting it says the ship is sold out and won't even let you booked. I may pass. I'd like to go to taku lodge and that's pretty expensive!

As I said before, with ships sailing totally full, there are much fewer 'wins'.  And the reason you might not even find out until you board, is that someone might miss the ship, cancel day of sailing, etc and that would open up than one room.    

[latebuyer]

Thanks. Do they ever kick people out of their cabins? I just have an inside but if i had to change rooms i'd be really mad.

[firefly333]

12 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Thanks. Do they ever kick people out of their cabins? I just have an inside but if i had to change rooms i'd be really mad.

Only happened to me once and on carnival. They considered it a upgrade. My carnival person says read your contract, they have the right to change your cabin.

 

A friend of mine boarded allure and had booked a spacious ov and got bumped to a central park balcony. He went to guest services and got a future credit. They told him a entertainer wanted his cabin and gave him what they considered a upgrade. Ov to balcony. 

[latebuyer]

Good to know. I had a bad experience with guarantee cabin on holland america where i was put below the kitchen and it was absolutely horrible. That's why i'm hesitant about these royal up deals. Better to just keep the cabin you've chosen. 

[rockmom]

10 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Good to know. I had a bad experience with guarantee cabin on holland america where i was put below the kitchen and it was absolutely horrible. That's why i'm hesitant about these royal up deals. Better to just keep the cabin you've chosen. 

stick to the cabin you already booked.  

[Steppy08]

I would be very tempted to upgrade to a balcony for Alaska. We practically lived on our balcony for our Alaska cruise. Avoided the crowded public areas while sailing Glacier Bay, had breakfast lunch and dinner out there one day 

[RosieRoo]

3 hours ago, rockmom said:

doesn't seem to make any difference of when you bid.  With ships sailing full now, there are less reports of people 'winning' a Royal Up bid.  You may not even find out you won until you are actually on the ship.  

Just did a RoyalUp for two legs of a back to back in May. Won both bids at thirty days out. One of the cruises was showing completely sold out. First time I’ve ever won a bid. So, even with ships showing sold out, it can still happen. 

[Traveller1212]

This is my Royal Up offer, I’m booked in a solo Studio Balcony

I adjusted to show the lowest possible bids (x2)

[latebuyer]

Wow! 40US for an ocean balcony. Mine is 120 canadian and thats 90US so thats not a good deal for me.

[latebuyer]

Thanks for posting.

[rockmom]

2 hours ago, RosieRoo said:

Just did a RoyalUp for two legs of a back to back in May. Won both bids at thirty days out. One of the cruises was showing completely sold out. First time I’ve ever won a bid. So, even with ships showing sold out, it can still happen. 

Yes, but May was 11 months ago and most ships were not a capacity quite yet and ship sell-outs were not as common as they are now.  I won Royal Up bids last March, June and September last year.  I didn't bid on my other 2 sailings.  It also depends on the category.  I see more people getting lucky and moving from interior to oceanview or oceanview to balcony.  Not nearly as many posts about people scoring full suite class since there are far fewer of those rooms to begin with.  

[rockmom]

4 hours ago, latebuyer said:

Good to know. I had a bad experience with guarantee cabin on holland america where i was put below the kitchen and it was absolutely horrible. That's why i'm hesitant about these royal up deals. Better to just keep the cabin you've chosen. 

which ship are you sailing on?  If you're on Quantum or Ovation, so many of the balcony rooms on that class of ship are obstructed.  Many people who go with a guarantee or a Royal Up has come back and posted that they regretted it because their view was of the side of a big lifeboat.  (You can see over them, but you have to be standing, not sitting, on the balcony. ) 

[latebuyer]

Hi rockmom. I’m on brilliance of the seas.

[latebuyer]

I have an interior room 4029 so i guess my best chance would be to go for an ocean view room. Still i know from my experience on holland america that even ocean rooms could be bad. I believe i’m in the center but i hope i’m not too close to being below the theatre.

Edited April 12, 2023 by latebuyer

[RosieRoo]

1 hour ago, rockmom said:

Yes, but May was 11 months ago and most ships were not a capacity quite yet and ship sell-outs were not as common as they are now.  I won Royal Up bids last March, June and September last year.  I didn't bid on my other 2 sailings.  It also depends on the category.  I see more people getting lucky and moving from interior to oceanview or oceanview to balcony.  Not nearly as many posts about people scoring full suite class since there are far fewer of those rooms to begin with.  

Actually May is next month and both Royal ups were to Grand Suites.