Booking connecting cabins

[Minney123]

Recently booked a cruise on AOS and desired connecting rooms. Many of the suites/cabins that connected to another cabin were already booked leaving the adjoining room unbooked. RCC agents were not willing to contact the person holding the reservation to inquire if they would be willing to move to another cabin so we could book connecting rooms. Why do cruisers book a connecting cabin if they do not need it? I read posts where cruisers do not like connecting rooms due to noise. If you only book 1 connecting cabin are you more likely to get an upgrade from RCC to accommodate cruisers requesting connecting cabins? Do all cruise lines have similar policies when it comes to booking connecting cabins? For those of us wanting connecting cabins it would be helpful to understand the system. Thanks!

[Merion_Mom]

Recently booked a cruise on AOS and desired connecting rooms. Many of the suites/cabins that connected to another cabin were already booked leaving the adjoining room unbooked. RCC agents were not willing to contact the person holding the reservation to inquire if they would be willing to move to another cabin so we could book connecting rooms. Why do cruisers book a connecting cabin if they do not need it? I read posts where cruisers do not like connecting rooms due to noise. If you only book 1 connecting cabin are you more likely to get an upgrade from RCC to accommodate cruisers requesting connecting cabins? Do all cruise lines have similar policies when it comes to booking connecting cabins? For those of us wanting connecting cabins it would be helpful to understand the system. Thanks!

 

When you need a specific cabin or cabin configuration, you have to book early.

 

When someone books a cabin that happens to be connecting, any number of things could be in play.

 

They could have a travel agent. They tell the agent, "Book me a cabin." And that's all they know.

 

They could want a cabin in that area.

 

They could have friends nearby and that is the closest cabin to their friends' cabin.

 

They don't pay any attention and don't care. (majority reason)

[amedford]

I think you're onto something about the upgrades! I just booked a March 2016 cruise and needed adjoining rooms. I couldn't believe how many single rooms with adjoining doors were already booked... I was forced to book a grand suite (poor me, right?) to adjoin a balcony room.

[tidygirl]

I agree it's very frustrating when you have a family and don't feel comfortable not having a connecting door. It would be nice if they would keep some connecting rooms available for families! Or maybe put something on your booking if you are in a connecting room and would be willing to switch they could contact you.

When our kids were younger not having a connecting room was a deal breaker for us.

Now DH and I have been on a couple of cruises without the kids and had a connecting room and would have been very willing to let a family have the room to make things easier on them as it doesn't matter one way or other if it's just us!

[VMIMarine]

Gotta agree with Merion Mom. [of course that is easy she gives great advise] There are many reasons. She gives four, maybe 5, reasons and we have been "guilty" of 3 of them:

 

only cabin available in the area we wanted to be

 

only one near other people

 

just did not notice

 

In all cases we would have been willing to move for the right incentive; however, that has never happened.

[Starry Eyes]

another couple possibilities:

sometimes triple or quad cabins are also connnecting cabins; sometimes the other cabin only holds two. when a family needs a triple or quad, they may be placed in one of those connecting cabins to get enough berths in the stateroom.

 

sometimes a person books a gty cabin, and the cruiseline assigns them a connecting cabin. that has happened to me.

[Minney123]

I wonder if this is the same policy for other cruise lines? I would like to see them add a bit more screening for connecting cabins, cabins with additional sleeping accommodations (triple/quads) and such to better accommodate those that require these types of cabins instead of leaving much of it up to random chance. The details on the cabin selection webpage can be easily overlooked and cruisers can end up with something they didn't want or need while others may not be able to find accommodations that meet their requirements.

[LuCruise]

In our case, our cabin is a connecting stateroom. I would rather it wasn't as we don't need it (and don't want to feel like the strangers next door can come in our cabin), but this was the only promenade room left that holds 4 with a Pullman bed. If there was another PR room without the connection, then we would have selected that for sure. SO that may be another reason...or perhaps the people who got it prefer the location (e.g. near elevator, midship) and that is what was available.

[clawmachine]

another couple possibilities:

sometimes triple or quad cabins are also connnecting cabins; sometimes the other cabin only holds two. when a family needs a triple or quad, they may be placed in one of those connecting cabins to get enough berths in the stateroom.

 

quote]

 

yes, I think this is a big reason...

[Cat54]

We were recently booked into a connecting stateroom. The reason for this was that we are doing a b2b and wanted the same stateroom for both legs of the trip. We would much prefer not to have a connecting room and are checking daily to see if any other rooms open up.

[ampc007]

we booked in June 2014 for our sept 2015 cruise once we found inside connecting rooms available that we needed for our family of 7... Even though at the time we weren't sure we could even take the cruise, we could not risk not having a connecting room! There really weren't that many available especially inside cabins... this being our first cruise would have been a deal breaker not having connecting... wish there were more family insides available.

[phoenix1181]

I book a mid-ship cabin as close to elevators as I can get due to seasick issues (me) & bad knees (DH). I always book early to get what I need & don't care if the cabin I choose is a connecting cabin if it meets my criteria. Why exactly should I give up the cabin I need for someone who books later?

 

If you need a specific cabin type, book early so you can get what you need. Don't expect others to move, or be moved, to accommodate you.

[tidygirl]

[quote name=phoenix1181;

 

If you need a specific cabin type' date=' book early so you can get what you need. Don't expect others to move, or be moved, to accommodate you.[/color]

Sorry but in an ideal world everyone could book way ahead, but in reality some jobs you don't have that option!

For example there have been a couple of cruises I've been interested in doing one would have been in Jan 2015 well hubby gets to pick his 4 weeks vacation till Dec 2014 with 14 people ahead of him to choose theirs 1st.

What do you think is left by that time? We couldn't decide months in advance!

[Restless24]

I don't think there is any incentive for RC to bend over backwards to accommodate people because they know they will fill the cabins regardless. I agree that many of the rooms get tied up due to configurations and number of people allowed per room, and I also agree that it can be a pain to get connecting rooms when you want them. It's even more of a challenge if you need to accommodate 4 people in both connecting rooms because there are only a handful of rooms (at most) on each deck with this configuration. The only real solution is to book early. We booked 200 days in advance to get the configuration I mentioned above; it probably wouldn't have been available if we tried to book just 2-3 few months in advance.

[phoenix1181]

Sorry but in an ideal world everyone could book way ahead, but in reality some jobs you don't have that option!

For example there have been a couple of cruises I've been interested in doing one would have been in Jan 2015 well hubby gets to pick his 4 weeks vacation till Dec 2014 with 14 people ahead of him to choose theirs 1st.

What do you think is left by that time? We couldn't decide months in advance!

 

Sorry, but that's not my problem. We all have crosses to bear & right now that's yours. Someday that will change & when it does, you can give up the cabin you booked 18 months in advance for someone who can't book early but I'm not going to. I did my time on the bottom of the vacation time pile & worked it out, now it's your turn to do the same............

 

You might want to look at cruises that don't require final payment until after vacation time is approved. You can book them early to get the cabin you need/want & still get a full refund if vacation time isn't approved.

[tidygirl]

Actually we have 2 cruises booked and I am ok with what we got, like I said I would like the option to be flexible some day and I know of no cruise line that will let you make final payment a month before the cruise. Sorry I am a very caring person and can empathize with families that have this problem as I know and remember too well how it has been in the past traveling with teenagers. I liked a connecting room for convenience and peace of mind. I guess I haven't gotten to the point of having a certain room I am ok with an inside as long as it's quiet at night.

I also am not saying if a person cares about a room they HAVE to give it up but they could have it in the reservation system if you are booked in a triple or quadruple room and don't need that space if they could call you and see if you wanted to switch? Just a thought and suggestion.

[trev71]

My first two cruises were with connecting rooms. I didnt know any better nor did my travel agent tell me at the time it was a connecting room. So I am going to say the majorly of the people booking them probably dont know.

 

i know i wont book one unless its a last resort

[Starry Eyes]

Actually we have 2 cruises booked and I am ok with what we got, like I said I would like the option to be flexible some day and I know of no cruise line that will let you make final payment a month before the cruise. Sorry I am a very caring person and can empathize with families that have this problem as I know and remember too well how it has been in the past traveling with teenagers. I liked a connecting room for convenience and peace of mind. I guess I haven't gotten to the point of having a certain room I am ok with an inside as long as it's quiet at night.

I also am not saying if a person cares about a room they HAVE to give it up but they could have it in the reservation system if you are booked in a triple or quadruple room and don't need that space if they could call you and see if you wanted to switch? Just a thought and suggestion.

If two people are booked in a triple/quad cabin and that cabin is needed for larger parties, I think the cruise line has every right to move shift the two people into a double cabin. One hope the pair would always get a telephone notification of the move and the reason for the move; there may be a valid reason not to move them (for example, the rest of their party is in a connecting or neighboring cabin; that's especially important if minors are in the party).

I'm not sure how often such moves would free up connecting cabins at the last minute. If the cruise line sold gty cabins, they have the right to re-locate those gty guests, though hopefully via upgrades (however small) rather than upsetting them with a downgrade.

[chawkjewel]

I recently booked a cruise for April, 2016. When I was booking it, I found it very strange that the ONLY junior suites available were the connecting cabins. I went ahead and booked. I was watching this regularly and low and behold, a few weeks later, a bunch of non-connecting cabins appeared. I went ahead and changed my reservation to a non-connecting cabin. My bet would be that this happens often and that people never go back and change their original cabin. Sorry to read of your troubles.

[marc3565]

Recently booked a cruise on AOS and desired connecting rooms. Many of the suites/cabins that connected to another cabin were already booked leaving the adjoining room unbooked. RCC agents were not willing to contact the person holding the reservation to inquire if they would be willing to move to another cabin so we could book connecting rooms. Why do cruisers book a connecting cabin if they do not need it? I read posts where cruisers do not like connecting rooms due to noise. If you only book 1 connecting cabin are you more likely to get an upgrade from RCC to accommodate cruisers requesting connecting cabins? Do all cruise lines have similar policies when it comes to booking connecting cabins? For those of us wanting connecting cabins it would be helpful to understand the system. Thanks!

 

In my case I ended up in a connecting room. There were only a few balconies left and only 3 on the deck I wanted to be on. Of the 3 cabins one shows up as possible noise issues from above.. So I knowingly picked a connecting room. If there was a way to indicate flexibility i'd have no issue being contacted to change assuming there is no issue with the cabin i'd move to.

[MrsPete]

When you need a specific cabin or cabin configuration, you have to book early.

 

When someone books a cabin that happens to be connecting, any number of things could be in play.

 

They could have a travel agent. They tell the agent, "Book me a cabin." And that's all they know.

 

They could want a cabin in that area.

 

They could have friends nearby and that is the closest cabin to their friends' cabin.

 

They don't pay any attention and don't care. (majority reason)

Yep, that sums it up well, and I agree that the majority just don't pay attention and don't care.

 

I don't blame Royal for not contacting people and asking if they'd give up their room for someone else. I wouldn't react well to that question, if I were on the receiving end.

 

The right answer is, Book early if you care about the specifics of your room. Could you move your dates up or back a week? Could you move up or down a cabin category?