Royal Caribbean's Royal Up program explained (Short Version)

Cruising with Royal Caribbean is already an adventure, but what if you could elevate your experience even further? For a a more comprehensive blog on RoyalUp check out Royal Caribbean's RoyalUp program

What is RoyalUp and How Does It Work?

RoyalUp is Royal Caribbean’s bid-based stateroom upgrade program. After booking, it gives passengers an opportunity to upgrade their cabin by placing a bid on a higher category stateroom.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about RoyalUp, from how it works to tips for making the most informed bids possible, to some reasons why you might not want to bid at all.

How Do I Go About Getting A RoyalUp?

If RoyalUp is offered on your sailing, you will be notified anywhere from 90 to 30 days before sailing.

There are 3 ways that you can get to Royal Caribbean’s RoyalUp page.

First, you may receive an email inviting you to place a bid.

Second, when you log into your Royal Caribbean account and look at your upcoming cruises, you may see a new section just under the blue “Plan my cruise” button inviting you to potentially upgrade your stateroom, with a link saying “Bid now”.

Third, you can Google “royal caribbean royal up”.

When you get to this page, you may see a message telling you be sure your cruise is within 30 days. If that happens, try entering your last name and reservation number again, even if your cruise is not yet 30 days away. Still no luck? Try a third time, or try using the surname of another person booked into the same cabin with you. We’ve had luck with this strategy in the past, and it may work for you too.

If your cruise is indeed eligible for a RoyalUp, you will be taken to a page that looks similar to this:

You will see instructions for how to submit a bid, as well as other important information. We suggest you read this information carefully before submitting a bid.

You will be shown the type of cabin you have booked, and then below a list of each cabin type you can place a bid on. Each cabin type offered will have a slider button with a price range from $0 to a maximum bid amount. Use the slider button to denote how much you are willing to bid on any given stateroom.

Now that you’ve decided how much you are willing to bid on whichever cabin categories you choose, you will be prompted to place your bid(s) by providing your credit card information.

Closer to departure, you will be notified via email whether your bid has been accepted or declined, so keep an eye on your email. If accepted, you’ll be automatically charged, and your reservation will be updated with your new stateroom details. If your bid was declined, you pay nothing extra and keep your original stateroom.

Things to Keep in Mind When Bidding

Don’t Count on It: It is never a good idea to book a cruise in an lower cabin catagory when you really want a higher one, hoping to RoyalUp and score a great deal.
How Much To Bid?: The lower your bid, the less chance you have of winning the bid, and conversely, higher bids have a greater chance. See below for some tips and strategies to help you decide the amount that’s right for you.
Check Before You Bid Too Much: It is possible that an upgrade is available for less than the maximum bid amount of any given option. Call Royal Caribbean or your travel agent and ask what the price would be to upgrade to the cabin you want.
Only Two Categories Higher: You will only be given the chance to bid on stateroom categories that are two categories above what you have booked.
Can’t Decide? No Problem: You can bid on as many different cabin categories as are offered, but rest assured only one of them will ever be accepted.
No Guarantees: If you do bid on more than one upgrade, you cannot choose which one is accepted, if any of them are.
Per Cabin, Double Occupancy: When you place a bid, just like when originally booking, the price you bid is per person, based on double occupancy. So if you were to bid $500 for an upgrade, and won, you would be charged $1000.
It’s Not Too Late, Until It’s Too Late: Once you’ve placed a bid or bids, you can go back at any time before a bid is accepted and revise or cancel it
Points: Royal Caribbean’s Loyalty Program gives you one point per night for interior, ocean view and balcony cabin categories, but you get two points per night for cabins in the suite category. However, if you win a RoyalUp bid, you will only get the number of points per night for the original cabin you booked, not the points for the upgraded cabin.
No Surprises: Be sure to keep track of the balance on whatever credit card you use. In the event you win the bid, it just happens. Your credit card is usually charged before you are even notified that you have won. If for some reason there is not enough credit available on your card when the bid goes through, then someone else will win the upgrade.

So Why Wouldn’t I Want to Take Advantage of This Cool Offer?

There are several instances where you might not want to bid on a cabin upgrade:

You know you like the location of your current cabin relative to the ship. If you win a bid, you might end up with a cabin in an undesirable location.
You have booked several cabins for family/friends that are next to or close to each other.
Not all upgrades are really upgrades. You might win an Ocean View Balcony stateroom, but discover it has an obstructed view of a lifeboat. Or the “Spacious Ocean View Balcony” cabin might only be 4 sq ft larger than a regular balcony cabin.

Tips & Strategies

While there is no way to know for sure how much you should bid, or what your chances of winning are, there are a few things that can help inform your decision.

As stated before, higher bids will offer a greater chance of success.
Cruises booked at less popular times of the year may not be sailing at full capacity, and therefore may offer a better chance of winning a bid.
Most Royal Caribbean ships have a high number of balcony cabins as compared to other cabin types. A greater number of potential cabins means a higher chance of winning.
As the departure date gets closer, keep an eye on how many cabins of the type you want to bid on are still available. If there are lots of balconies, or a few suites, you may have a better shot at winning a bid for a reasonable amount.
The extra amenities and perks that come with a suite may make placing a higher bid more attractive.

Conclusion

RoyalUp offers a unique opportunity to enhance your cruising experience with Royal Caribbean. By understanding how the program works and following our tips, you can potentially enjoy a luxurious upgrade at a fraction of the cost.

Interested in more information about cruising? Please check out our other blog post

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