Royal Caribbean is giving passengers a new way to name their price for some of the cruise line’s most expensive extras.
The line is expanding its RoyalUp bidding program beyond cabin upgrades to include premium experiences such as cabanas, beach beds, casitas, and daybeds, both onboard and at its private destinations.
The expanded program, branded RoyalUp Experiences, now covers three settings: onboard casitas, cabanas and beach beds at Perfect Day at CocoCay, and cabanas at Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.
How the bidding process works
Eligible guests receive an email invitation to place a bid. Only the booked guest or an authorized adult 18 or older can submit an offer, and the email must be linked to the booking. Guests can bid on multiple experience types, but only one offer per type.
The bid covers the entire experience rather than a per-person charge; taxes are included, gratuities are not, and a valid payment card is required to submit an offer.
From there, Royal Caribbean reviews the bid and either accepts or rejects it up until departure, with no guarantee either way.
Accepted offers are charged and confirmed by email. Guests can modify or cancel a bid up to 48 hours before the experience at no cost. After that window, changes are generally final, with limited exceptions for cancellations or refunds.
If the cruise booking itself changes or is canceled, any unaccepted bids are canceled automatically.
Know before you book
Pricing fluctuates by ship, sailing, and date.
According to an email shared with CruiseRadio by a guest on an Icon of the Seas sailing, bids on that cruise ranged from $200 to $500 for a CocoCay beach bed and up to $1,500 for a cabana, while sea day casita bids reached as high as $1,400.
It should be noted that those figures reflect one guest’s experience on one sailing and are not fixed rates.
Royal Caribbean had previously allowed bidding on CocoCay cabanas alone. This move adds more locations and experience types to the program, giving guests more chances to land a premium upgrade without paying the full listed price, though as with any blind bid, there’s no guarantee of winning.
According to Royal Caribbean, the program is available fleetwide.
