I know we all wonder when the email will come. Just got my upgrade bid rejection email at 7:45 PM. Our cruise is tomorrow. FYI...We are in the owner's suite and had the opportunity to bid on the Royal Suite with minimum bid of $500 per first two in the cabin. I bid $520 per person, for total of $1040. Didn't really care but figured why not. Hope this helps someone.
Contributor Level:
Third Mate
Cabin Upgrade
6 Answers
Contributor Level:
Captain
Thanks. Really I've only bid mins or a little above min. Noticed that the higher bids put you above the original retail price for the higher end room. When you book, keep a record of the higher rooms you would might bid later and you can watch what's going on.
Contributor Level:
Deck Hand
Since royal caribbean started their "royalup" bidding program; has anyone booked a guarantee room and been offered an upgrade?
-Curious... as on my current cruise; Guarantee rooms are more expensive than "pick your own"... given their new bidding progam; I am confused about the "added" value of such "guarantee room" offer.
Thanks for help with sharing your experience!
Never did receive one of those emails.
Only sailed RC twice. I prefer others (yuk yuk) but I believe they all work more or less the same way. Having said that, we get "upgrade" offers every time we book. And ignore em. We spend an inordinate amount of time making sure we book early enough to get exactly the cabin we want. Its part of the fun...we can pretend we're naval architects y'know!! It would take an incredible offer (or a successful ridiculously low) bid to get us to change. I start with the premise these "offers" benefit the cruise line more than the passengers. Mebbe its just the old "bird in hand" theory.
Contributor Level:
Third Mate
I have heard stories from friends who just cruised in May 2019. They booked a guaranteed room, bid about 20 bucks pp over the minimum, and got their room assignment 5 days before sailing. I think with this program it is definitely possible.
As a tip, I would monitor the cruise prices for the room you are wanting to get into. The bid actually allows you to bid HIGHER than the original cost of the room or upgrade. (because of course it does... ) If you are really willing to pay that price (which I doubt), then you're better off booking the room over the upgrade IMO.
Originally posted by:
S0nny13
I have heard stories from friends who just cruised in May 2019. They booked a guaranteed room, bid about 20 bucks pp over the minimum, and got their room assignment 5 days before sailing. I think with this program it is definitely possible.
As a tip, I would monitor the cruise prices for the room you are wanting to get into. The bid actually allows you to bid HIGHER than the original cost of the room or upgrade. (because of course it does... ) If you are really willing to pay that price (which I doubt), then you're better off booking the room over the upgrade IMO.
Excellent points..
Which only proves several things that I suspect experienced cruisers have known for years...1. Those "upgrades" are designed to benefit the cruise line, any benefit to the cruising public is an unintended consequence....2. Some folks lead with their egos, not their brains...3.Some folks, quite legitimately, don't care WHAT accommodations they have onboard, using the box to sleep, shower, and store stuff, and are quite happy cruising on the cheap. I wish I could still do that sometimes. 4. I pay for my cabin, so I pick it, win lose or draw. "They" want to "assign" a cabin, fine...but not to me.
