Upgrade bidding?

[CruisingLover]

I have cruised MANY times but have never done an upgrade bid (only just started hearing about it recently...).

 

I will be sailing with my daughter (Independence in November) and we chose an inside cabin because she is paying for herself and that's what she wanted to pay for. Can someone please explain the bidding process and thoughts from those who have done it? I know ZERO about it so I'll need all the info 😁

[smokeybandit]

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/topics/royalup-stateroom-upgrade-program

[firefly333]

About 1 month or so before your cruise check this site. If you are too far out it wouldn't let you bid but you can bookmark this site.

 

All bids are X 2.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/booked/cruise-room-upgrade

 

 

Edited June 23, 2023 by firefly333

[CruisingLover]

2 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/topics/royalup-stateroom-upgrade-program

Thank you! Looks like I need to wait until 30 days out to see if I am even eligible for an upgrade. 

[CruisingLover]

1 minute ago, firefly333 said:

About 1 month or so before your cruise check this site. If you are too far out it wouldn't let you bid but you can bookmark this site.

 

All bids are X 2.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/booked/cruise-room-upgrade

 

 

Meaning whatever the rate shows, I double it? And, good idea about bookmarking the site!

[PIR8LUVR]

2 minutes ago, CruisingLover said:

Thank you! Looks like I need to wait until 30 days out to see if I am even eligible for an upgrade. 

Not necessarily. I know that is what the site says, but I used the RoyalUp link and put in a bid about 60 days out.

[DrProfessor]

1 minute ago, CruisingLover said:

Meaning whatever the rate shows, I double it? And, good idea about bookmarking the site!

 

That's right.  Whatever you bid is based on double occupancy, so if you bid $50 for the upgrade, it will cost $100 if you win.

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, CruisingLover said:

Meaning whatever the rate shows, I double it? And, good idea about bookmarking the site!

If you bid $100, you will be charged $200. If you win.

[Oceansaway17]

and if I get several emails then I know they are begging at bit.

I say they just offer me a price for a specific room and then I have 24 hours to reply.

The issue with Royalup is most of the rooms are the leftovers next to white space noisy areas or those connecting rooms or perhaps an obstructed room.  I take the time to select my room and won't change unless I know the EXACT room number they want to put me in.  nope nada no.

[LeeW]

Also look at the current cost of cabin classes you might want to bid for.  Sometimes it is cheaper to just pay to upgrade than doing a bid.  When cruising restarted a very low bid would win.  Now it is taking more, assuming the cabin class you are bidding on has any cabins (say from people in those cabins moving up).

[orville99]

16 hours ago, CruisingLover said:

Thank you! Looks like I need to wait until 30 days out to see if I am even eligible for an upgrade. 

Lately, the RoyalUP bid offer link starts showing up on our C&A account page 60 days out from a cruise:

 

[not-enough-cruising]

19 minutes ago, orville99 said:

Lately, the RoyalUP bid offer link starts showing up on our C&A account page 60 days out from a cruise:

 

you beat me to it, I have noticed this lately myself

[Jbluebird]

20 hours ago, CruisingLover said:

Thank you! Looks like I need to wait until 30 days out to see if I am even eligible for an upgrade. 

Sometimes you get an email from them about 60 days out.

[Vera/Lee]

Go to royalcaribbean.com and at the top you will see several options. Click on "manage my cruise". Toward the bottom of that page you should see "Royal Up". Click on it and put your name and reservation number in. It may tell you to make sure you are 30 days out OR you may be able to bid. My next three cruises are in 77, 84 and 91 days. I've already received the email from royal up to bid on the second and third one, but not the first. 

 

[loman]

I have gotten two emails this week a few days apart . im about 75 days out

[CruisingLover]

I'm at 130 and 187 days out so I'm thinking I'll have to wait a bit 😊

[new_cruiser]

14 hours ago, LeeW said:

Also look at the current cost of cabin classes you might want to bid for.  Sometimes it is cheaper to just pay to upgrade than doing a bid.  When cruising restarted a very low bid would win.  Now it is taking more, assuming the cabin class you are bidding on has any cabins (say from people in those cabins moving up).

Right. I booked an ocean view guarantee about a month before sailing. A balcony guarantee either was a lot more than I wanted to spend or bot available. Less than a week later, I saw that a balcony guarantee was veing offered for $200 pp more than my ocean view price. I took too long to decide and the price was gone. Later, the balcony guarantee was back and this time even cost less, just over $100 pp more than my OV fare. I jumped on it. That was lower than the low bid price.

 

In between, there were times when balcony cabins showed as sold out so apparently there is a certain amount of shuffling around due to people upgrading.

 

So decide what price you are willing to pay than keep checking the booking prices. If you see something you like, it may not be available long.

 

When the balcony was assigned, it was one with a smaller funny shaped balcony so I called and asked if I could switch - you can if there is another available in the same category. I was able to change to another balcony cabin.

[Biker19]

2 hours ago, CruisingLover said:

I'm at 130 and 187 days out so I'm thinking I'll have to wait a bit 😊

The earliest Royal Up offer you are bound to get is just inside final payment.