RoyalUp--interesting offer

[njkruzer]

Dh, granddaughter and I are booked in a 2 bdrm grand suite on the Navigator in July.  They are suggesting we do a Royal Up bid to a Royal Suite, 1 bdrm, or a Owner's suite, also 1 bdrm.  Admittedly they are both very nice but why would I give up a bedroom?  I know, it's an automated process but still strange. 

[jean87510]

5 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Dh, granddaughter and I are booked in a 2 bdrm grand suite on the Navigator in July.  They are suggesting we do a Royal Up bid to a Royal Suite, 1 bdrm, or a Owner's suite, also 1 bdrm.  Admittedly they are both very nice but why would I give up a bedroom?  I know, it's an automated process but still strange. 

We just had a offer to bid on an upgrade for MSC for a YC deluxe suite for $1000.  We are currently in a YC deluxe suite.  🤨🤔

 

Just delete email.  You have a great room.  I guarantee there are those out there who, in the same room as you and got the same email, would come on here and all over social media complaining because they lost their great room if they received the upgrade.

Edited April 28 by jean87510

[gumshoe958]

20 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Dh, granddaughter and I are booked in a 2 bdrm grand suite on the Navigator in July.  They are suggesting we do a Royal Up bid to a Royal Suite, 1 bdrm, or an Owner's suite, also 1 bdrm.  Admittedly they are both very nice but why would I give up a bedroom?  I know, it's an automated process but still strange. 

The algorithm just offers you the next six or so categories immediately above yours. Logic doesn’t come into it.

[njkruzer]

9 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

The algorithm just offers you the next six or so categories immediately above yours. Logic doesn’t come into it.

 

26 minutes ago, jean87510 said:

We just had a offer to bid on an upgrade for MSC for a YC deluxe suite for $1000.  We are currently in a YC deluxe suite.  🤨🤔

 

Just delete email.  You have a great room.  I guarantee there are those out there who, in the same room as you and got the same email, would come on here and all over social media complaining because they lost their great room if they received the upgrade.

Agree.  Just funny.  No bid from me.

[smokeybandit]

Not a chance I'd give up a 2BR suite for either. But as mentioned, technically a higher category, so that's why you see them.

[njkruzer]

2 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Not a chance I'd give up a 2BR suite for either. But as mentioned, technically a higher category, so that's why you see them.

I know but really no extra benefits and 1 less bedroom. 

[Sizzlechest]

I always put in lowball bids. The only way I can justify the terrible deal is if somehow the 4,000-5,000 other cruisers are too smart to fall for it. Never won a RoyalUP once. 🤭

[njkruzer]

6 minutes ago, Sizzlechest said:

I always put in lowball bids. The only way I can justify the terrible deal is if somehow the 4,000-5,000 other cruisers are too smart to fall for it. Never won a RoyalUP once. 🤭

But any bid in this instance would be crazy. 

[HicksRA]

I guess if you got the Royal Up to the Royal Suite, your granddaughter could sleep on the piano…. 😉

[njkruzer]

29 minutes ago, HicksRA said:

I guess if you got the Royal Up to the Royal Suite, your granddaughter could sleep on the piano…. 😉

Yep!

[Jetdriver787]

They don’t really care why you might “give up a bedroom.” Thats your issue and not their issue. They are not “offering” you anything that necessarily exists. They are soliciting voluntary bids to see if you want to commit to a binding offer IF a room in a higher category becomes available at some point in time before your cruise departs. 
 

It is not inconceivable that a person booked a 2 bedroom suite simply because that was all that was available at the time they made their booking? They might well be delighted to acquire a higher grade of room albeit with one less bedroom. Presumably, if they weren’t they wouldn’t make a bid in the first place.

 

It isn’t royal that put together the bid profile, it’s a company called “Plusgrade” that do it to maximise revenue as an ancillary source. 
 

 

 

[Toddcan]

15 hours ago, jean87510 said:

We just had a offer to bid on an upgrade for MSC for a YC deluxe suite for $1000.  We are currently in a YC deluxe suite.  🤨🤔

 

 

 

Was that $1,000 total, or per person?  Remember, YC comes with the drink package and internet (2 devices per person).   We don't drink, and we were also in a deluxe balcony suite, but we jumped at the chance to upgrade to YC balcony suite for ~$600 per person ($1,200 total ).  The onboarding, and debarkation are wonderful, and the YC lounge, restaurant, and outdoor area are to die for.  

[smokeybandit]

10 hours ago, Jetdriver787 said:

It is not inconceivable that a person booked a 2 bedroom suite simply because that was all that was available at the time they made their booking?

Since the 2 BR suites are limited and in high demand, that's unlikely.

This is merely just the algorithm giving options to bid on what's technically a higher category of cabin, regardless of the practicality of it.

[The_Big_M]

They don't mind if you bid or not, but they're not going to second guess you and exclude you from bidding on higher categories - there's nothing to gain, and of course possibility of loss for them if you had have been interested but were falsely excluded.

 

So as long as you qualify, you get the offer. Many others who had booked your cabin would be fine to upgrade. So even though your situation prefers having the extra bedroom, it's an option for those who don't - without them guessing as to who might not want it.

Edited April 29 by The_Big_M

[gumshoe958]

I’d be prepared to bet plenty of people bid on every category they’re offered, regardless of whether they really want it. Just because they think they’re getting a bargain upgrade, even if they’re not. 

[Vagabond Knight]

Got an offer a couple of weeks ago to bid on the various suites. We're currently in a large balcony cabin in the middle on the aft of the ship, and that is our absolute favorite viewing location for Alaskan cruises. Having that 180 degree view of both sides and all the waters behind is our favorite and we spend hours and hours on the balcony when in Alaska.  The upgrade possibility was a bit tempting until I checked out the locations of all the suite categories and realized that we could possibly end up on one side or the other instead of having an aft view. That eliminated the temptation for us. 

[nelblu]

Not to change the subject, but I just upgraded a Casino interior comp to an ocean view balcony sailing on Odyssey March 30, 2025 for $825 and was wondering if I could have done better with the Royal up.  Primary advantage is that I selected my cabin.  Sailing solo and wondering if anyone has any experience.

[Biker19]

7 minutes ago, nelblu said:

I could have done better with the Royal up.

Maybe. It totally depends on how well that sailing is selling close in (past final payment). The mins from inside to balcony tend to be lower than that ($825).

[nelblu]

9 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Maybe. It totally depends on how well that sailing is selling close in (past final payment). The mins from inside to balcony tend to be lower than that ($825).

I have a guarantee inside cabin on August 26 4 niter on Utopia and will see what the Royal Up will quote me.  Bringing my son along as the Casino promo was free for me and discounted for the 2nd Pax.

 

I have a 3-niter preceding the August sail and was assigned a CP view cabin.  The damn airfare is so expensive that it was worth doing a back-to-back.  The present airfare for 2 from Newark to Orlando is much more that the cost of the combined 7-night sail.

[Husky1987]

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Since the 2 BR suites are limited and in high demand, that's unlikely.

This is merely just the algorithm giving options to bid on what's technically a higher category of cabin, regardless of the practicality of it.

Yep, exactly.  

 

If they made these on a case-by-case "We don't think someone would want to upgrade from a 2BR suite" decisions, I can imagine the inevitable "Royal sucks, they didn't even give me the chance to bid on a Royal Suite" post that someone else would start.

[jean87510]

4 hours ago, Toddcan said:

 

Was that $1,000 total, or per person?  Remember, YC comes with the drink package and internet (2 devices per person).   We don't drink, and we were also in a deluxe balcony suite, but we jumped at the chance to upgrade to YC balcony suite for ~$600 per person ($1,200 total ).  The onboarding, and debarkation are wonderful, and the YC lounge, restaurant, and outdoor area are to die for.  

You missed the part where I said I was offered to bid $1000 on an upgrade to a YC deluxe suite.  We are currently in a YC deluxe suite.  

[Toddcan]

6 hours ago, jean87510 said:

You missed the part where I said I was offered to bid $1000 on an upgrade to a YC deluxe suite.  We are currently in a YC deluxe suite.  

oops... totally missed the YC part 🙂

[njkruzer]

I posted because I thought it was amusing.  Not complaining and not serious.  Sorry if you took me seriously.  We bid once with no luck. Did gty once and got something totally unacceptable,  so no more gty.  What's most important is we get to cruise.  Have had all kinds of cabins starting in 1971 on the Oceanic, porthole and 2 beds each attached to the wall.  An inside in 1988 before tvs showed you what the weather was.  And a grand suite we didn't even ask for on a Baltic cruise.  The 2 bdrm gs on the Navigator is only because they accidentally (?) priced it below the spacious ocean balcony (fixed the pricing the day after we booked), my normal choice.  As I said, the most important thing is that we're on a cruise.