6 Tips For Cruise Room Upgrades

Everyone loves an upgrade — and they're especially memorable if you booked an inside-stateroom but dream of balcony views or suite indulgences. The good news: Scoring cruise room upgrades is simpler than you think.

Royal Caribbean offers several ways to earn stateroom upgrades. You can also use loyalty points accrued from previous sailings or apply credit card points to offset part of your cruise fare. Other tactics for scoring cruise room upgrades require a bit of a gamble, including a program called Royal Up.

To take advantage of potential upgrades, the best strategy is to book the least-expensive stateroom you'll be content with during your cruise and then plot your way to a next-level upgrade — from an inside to an ocean-view stateroom or an ocean-view to a balcony stateroom, for example. With continued loyalty and a bit of savvy planning, you might even be able to upgrade from a balcony stateroom to an exciting suite. Read on for everything you need to know about upgrades before your next sailing.

1. Bid For An Upgrade With Royal Up

There's nothing to lose and a lot to gain with Royal Up, Royal Caribbean's bid-based stateroom upgrade program. Once you've booked your room on any Royal Caribbean sailing, you can see if your cruise is Royal Up eligible. If so, you'll be able to bid for an upgrade to a higher category — everything from ocean-view and balcony cruise staterooms to spacious cruise suites.

The process is simple and straightforward. At some point after you've booked, you'll be invited to browse all available stateroom categories and select a dollar amount you're willing to pay for an upgrade. There will be a minimum bid listed, but it's advantageous to make an offer that's a bit higher than the minimum. You can also bid on multiple staterooms, which increases your chances of getting upgraded. Don't worry: You'll only pay for the one upgrade you are offered.

After placing your bids, watch for an email from Royal Caribbean notifying you that a bid has been accepted. This can happen anytime up to two days before your sailing. You can't reject the upgrade, and you'll be charged immediately for the amount you bid. If your bid isn't accepted, however, you'll keep the stateroom you originally booked and you won't be charged anything extra.

Every Royal Up bid is priced per person based on two people occupying a stateroom. The good news for families or groups of friends sailing in the same stateroom: You'll only be charged extra for the first and second guest, even if you have third, fourth or fifth guests staying with you. That makes cruise room upgrades for the entire family — or a cabin full of your besties — that much sweeter.

2. Book Your Cruise During A Free Upgrade Promotion

During certain times of the year, especially the cruise industry's annual "wave season" from January to March and the early fall shoulder season, you might see free balcony upgrade promotions online or in your email inbox. With these deals on select sailings, you can snag a balcony stateroom for the same fare as an ocean-view stateroom or even an inside stateroom. Extra tip: Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor® Society members get notified first, so make sure to join if you haven't already.

3. Gamble On A Guaranteed Stateroom

When you make what's known as a guarantee (GTY) booking with Royal Caribbean, you'll get the lowest price and be guaranteed a room within the category you booked, whether that's interior, ocean-view, balcony or suite. There's even a chance, depending on which categories of cruise staterooms sell out, that you could be bumped to the next category or even higher. It's a gamble though because you don't get to choose your stateroom location and won't know its location until close to your sail date or even until check-in. But if you're a risk-taker or don't particularly care where you sleep, you could find yourself enjoying an unexpected free upgrade. So long, ocean-view and hello, balcony stateroom!

4. Consider Using Crown & Anchor® Points

By cruising often with Royal Caribbean and accruing points with its Crown & Anchor® Society loyalty program, you become eligible for discounts on balcony and suite accommodations; depending on the cruise's length and price, this can be equal to a free upgrade. Discounts begin at the second-level status of Platinum, which is achieved when you earn 30 points, the equivalent of 30 nights in a cabin or 15 nights in a suite. The discounts increase in value with every subsequent level reached. If you book a cruise that's more than six months out, the discount will be greater.

The ultimate score when it comes to upgrades is a free cruise. Crown & Anchor members will receive a Milestone Cruise Certificate for a free sailing for two people in a balcony stateroom when they reach the top-tier status of Pinnacle Club (700 points). A complimentary sailing for two in a junior suite is available at 1,400 points — and then every 350 points thereafter.

5. Use Credit Card Points To Upgrade

Using credit card points to pay for an upgrade is also a smart strategy. Depending on your specific credit cards, you might be able to use points to pay for a portion of your cruise fare. For example, if you see an inside stateroom fare for $800 per person and a balcony fare for $1,100 per person, you might be able to book the balcony by using points to pay for the $600 fare difference for two people, thus earning a free upgrade. If you are a Royal Caribbean loyalist, having the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature Card (with no annual fee) can earn you a sea of rewards — including a fast track to cruise room upgrades.

6. Track When Prices Drop

If you book a Royal Caribbean cruise and reserve an inside or ocean-view stateroom because a balcony is priced several hundred dollars higher, make it a point to track stateroom prices on royalcaribbean.com regularly. You'll need to do this before your voyage's final payment and cancellation date, which is 75 or 90 days before departure, depending on cruise length. If you find a lower price for a balcony, request an upgrade by calling Royal Caribbean customer service or your travel adviser and asking to switch your booking to an available balcony.

To check out the latest Royal Caribbean cruises, visit royalcaribbean.com.