Grandeur - 2 adults, 2 teens, Oceanview or Balcony $1200 price difference?

[NJsharon]

Oh gosh.  I honestly didn't realize I had opened up such a huge can of worms just with the wording in my post.

That wasn't even what I was intending for people to be looking at. 

I was just wanting advice on whether to book an oceanview on 2nd deck or balcony on 7th deck when balcony is $1200-$1300 more.

Sigh.

Seems it got waaaaaay off track.

 

Okay, we are going to book an oceanview.  Thanks for all the feedback though.  Especially Dragon.  😉

 

[NJsharon]

Not that it matters... but just to make others happy. 

Some were saying I said the oceanview cabin was comped & it didn't make sense, as I said it wasn't free etc.

 

This is exactly what was typed in my message from my host from another site (I just checked & copied it here)...

 

"RCCL will comp the first two adult guests on the reservation. Since we are going from a two-berth cabin to a four-berth cabin, the cruise fare for you and ***** will be an additional $$$ total for you both since booking a four-berth cabin is, in essence, an upgrade. The girls will pay a discounted rate to be added to the booking"

 

This was regarding the OCEAN VIEW cabin.

 

Hence it was comped, but it was not free folks.  Sigh.

 

Then, I was told this....

 

"Currently, a 3B balcony would be an additional $1232."

 

I didn't think I need to post all that personal information on here.  I was only asking for advice on if you think it is worth paying that extra $1200 for the balcony?  Is it that much bigger in size, does the bathroom look the same inside, are they couches that turn into beds for the girls or pullmans etc.

 

Wasn't asking for advice to break down my wording about the deal I got, or if I should book a 2nd cabin, or change to insides etc.

 

This is so strange.  First time I posted on Royal board, and have only ever been on Royal once before.  wow.

[csnarpy]

just to let you know, i researched your trip a bit and for the same amount you can get adjoining rooms, albeit interior but prob better than 4 in a small room...

 

So:

1 balcony room

2 interior rooms (adjoining) for slightly less than the balcony.

1 interior room for roughly $1200 less

 

good luck!!

Edited February 23, 2020 by csnarpy

[Wildcatfish]

As mentioned all cabins on Grandeur are somewhat small.  In my experience, aside from the actual balcony there isn't a great amount of difference in space between the two categories.

 

Dragon had a great suggestion of using deck 5 as a "balcony".  I've done this plenty of times, and look forward to using deck 5 as "my balcony" in just a few weeks.  Also, I've used the shower rooms in the spa when my wife and daughter were using the cabin to get ready for dinner/formal night/etc.  The shower in the spa is actually larger that the one in the cabin!.

 

I'm sure your family will have a great time aboard Grandeur of the Seas!

Edited February 23, 2020 by Wildcatfish

[NJsharon]

15 minutes ago, Wildcatfish said:

As mentioned all cabins on Grandeur are somewhat small.  In my experience, aside from the actual balcony there isn't a great amount of difference in space between the two categories.

 

Dragon had a great suggestion of using deck 5 as a "balcony".  I've done this plenty of times, and look forward to using deck 5 as "my balcony" in just a few weeks.  Also, I've used the shower rooms in the spa when my wife and daughter were using the cabin to get ready for dinner/formal night/etc.  The shower in the spa is actually larger that the one in the cabin!.

 

I'm sure your family will have a great time aboard Grandeur of the Seas!

 

Thanks!

 

Yes, love the idea of the deck 5 balcony!  Also nice to hear one side is smoking & one is non-smoking.  That's a really good idea & should make everyone happy!

 

I had read someone else suggest to someone else to use the shower in the gym.  Would that be the same shower as the spa?

If not, can you use the shower at the spa, without having signed up for a spa service?

 

Thank you though.  We went ahead & booked the oceanview, & I think we will make it work. 

The room inside the cabin I don't think will be too much of a problem.  The balcony, after hearing about the nice 5th deck, that should work out well.

The shower/bathroom is small, but doesn't seem larger in the balcony, so that is just something we'll deal with, and maybe use the public shower if we need it.  But I have a feeling we won't need to. 

Shhhhh, hubby is the one that likes to take his sweet ass time in the shower.  lol  So maybe I will kick him out to use the gym or spa shower.  lol

[twins_to_alaska]

I hope you have a great time! I couldn't help with your questions as my first Grandeur cruise will be this September. I'm a twin and growing up we had 1.5 baths in our house (i.e. 1 shower) for our family of 6 and vacationed with all of us in a popup camper sometimes for 2 weeks. Never seemed a hardship.

And you'll have running water, shower, flush toilet, and electricity! 🙂

 

Edited February 23, 2020 by twins_to_alaska

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Have fun on your cruise.  I agree your girls should go to the teen activity the first night.  Teens tend to "hang out" together in the teen club and around the pool. [FantaSeas Teen Club] These connections are usually made on the first night.  It all depends on how many teens there are on your voyage and what they want to do.  The staff will try to get a sense of interest.

 

The Grandeur is a smaller ship and does not have as many activities./venues  [plenty of bingo and trivia for adults] I noticed on our cruise last year that there was a teen speed climb on the rock wall one day and they had a disco every night in the teen club.  Another day there was a scavenger hunt.  

 

I did a live review last year during our cruise.  I posted the Teen Cruise Compass.    Here is part of the guide: [sorry these were on the only pages I could find] 

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with some here who have said it would be more comfortable with 2 cabins/bathrooms etc.  However, the OP mentioned from the start that the cabin choices were limited and Royal Caribbean has strict rules on the need for cabins [with minors]  to be side by side or across from parents.  So, if the choice is share with the girls or not go--I will take sharing a cabin every time.  

 

We are boarding the Grandeur 2 weeks from today for a Back to Back cruise.  We were able to get a balcony for the second cruise [9 night SE coastal cruise],  but had to take an oceanview on deck 2 for the first since balconies were sold out. [12 night S Caribbean]  We take what we can get and what makes sense financially]  So, we will be using our "deck 5 balcony" on that cruise.  

 

Edited February 23, 2020 by DragonOfTheSeas

[Merion_Mom]

4 hours ago, NJsharon said:

 

And this....

 

I could get an Oceanview on deck 2 at the back, for 2 people comped, plus taxes/fees. 

3rd & 4th passengers in the same oceanview cabin are discounted. 

Comes out to $1350 including taxes/fees.

 

So, if we go to a 2nd cabin, as I said before, the 2nd cabin is not comped at all.  So we have taxes & fees on the first cabin & full price on the 2nd cabin.  2nd cabin would be a minimum of $2000 + taxes & fees.  But probably more.  Some people may be okay with their 14yr old children sleeping in a cabin on a cruise ship with 1000s of people alone, without supervision.  Us, as their parents, we are not, that is simply just us though.  If others are okay with it, that is fine, but just not us.  Our girls are really great kids too, it is other folks in this world out there I don't always trust.   The option of each of us sleeping in a cabin with a teen is not okay either.  This is a vacation together for me & my husband, as well as our 2 girls. 

 

So rather than paying for a full priced extra cabin, I was just asking if it was worth it to pay an additional $1200/$1300 for a balcony rather than the oceanview we currently have reserved.

 

Thanks to another cruiser that has been in both kinds of cabins & had twins of this kind of age, that helped a lot!  👍

So yes, thank you 'Dragon'!

 

I am not sure why you were getting rude with me?  That is wonderful you are on the Grandeur right now though! 

You should enjoy your cruise & not post rude sarcastic answers to my thread.  Sigh.

 

 

I don’t know why you view my post as either rude or sarcastic, since I didn’t write it that way. 

 

You asked for advice. I have given you my best advice, based on my personal experience, sans twins. 

 

Only you know if four of you can enjoy 9 nights together in a 140 sq ft space with one bathroom. 

 

Good luck with whatever you choose. 

[Wildcatfish]

On 2/22/2020 at 7:54 PM, NJsharon said:

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

I had read someone else suggest to someone else to use the shower in the gym.  Would that be the same shower as the spa?

If not, can you use the shower at the spa, without having signed up for a spa service?

 

Shhhhh, hubby is the one that likes to take his sweet ass time in the shower.  lol  So maybe I will kick him out to use the gym or spa shower.  lol

Yes the gym/spa is the same shower.  You do not have to sign up for a spa service to use this area.  I found this to be a very underused area, so... hubby can take as much time as he wants! 🙂

[NJsharon]

23 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

Have fun on your cruise.  I agree your girls should go to the teen activity the first night.  Teens tend to "hang out" together in the teen club and around the pool. [FantaSeas Teen Club] These connections are usually made on the first night.  It all depends on how many teens there are on your voyage and what they want to do.  The staff will try to get a sense of interest.

 

The Grandeur is a smaller ship and does not have as many activities./venues  [plenty of bingo and trivia for adults] I noticed on our cruise last year that there was a teen speed climb on the rock wall one day and they had a disco every night in the teen club.  Another day there was a scavenger hunt.  

 

I did a live review last year during our cruise.  I posted the Teen Cruise Compass.    Here is part of the guide:

 

 

 

Thanks so much Dragon, you really do rock!

 

So Grandeur wouldn't have all of those activities each day, but it may have some of the activities like that each day in the 'compass'? 

Does the compass come to your cabin each day, under the door, or put on your bed at night time the previous evening by your cabin steward?

Is there a separate paper compass just for the teens then, or it is all on one mater compass?

Some of those things sound fun!  I can see my girls enjoying them!

Definitely will get my girls to go the first evening to the meet & mingle!

 

[Cel_cruise]

I realize my name is not Dragon and while I have given the same advice a few times as dragon it maybe is getting overlooked so let me clip this from my earlier post when I first answered about the teen activities...

 

“Teen activities will be on the teen compass left in your room nightly”

 

If your do not disturb sign is up - it might come under your door?   If the turndown service is conducted normally - it will probably be on your bed..but it could also be on a table or in the arms of a towel animal somewhere - sort of hard to predict exactly where they will be!!!

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, Cel_cruise said:

 

If your do not disturb sign is up - it might come under your door?  

Usually stuck to the cabin number plaque by the door, same place they deliver other “mail”. 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

If I remember correctly there were only a couple different teen compasses. [You can see that in the pictures above.] 

 

The first one had 4 or 5 days worth of activities on it and then the rest of the cruise was on another.  Yes, they are delivered to your cabin and you can always get another one beside the guest services desk. They are posted in a display so you do not need to wait in line to get another one. 

 

[mzhibbs]

On 2/22/2020 at 7:34 PM, Wildcatfish said:

As mentioned all cabins on Grandeur are somewhat small.  In my experience, aside from the actual balcony there isn't a great amount of difference in space between the two categories.

 

Dragon had a great suggestion of using deck 5 as a "balcony".  I've done this plenty of times, and look forward to using deck 5 as "my balcony" in just a few weeks.  Also, I've used the shower rooms in the spa when my wife and daughter were using the cabin to get ready for dinner/formal night/etc.  The shower in the spa is actually larger that the one in the cabin!.

 

I'm sure your family will have a great time aboard Grandeur of the Seas!

We've done many cruises with 4 of us in an interior cabin.  Yes tight, but my husband and boys would also use the spa for dinner/formal nights to get ready.  Really works out and saves a lot of money! :)

[Cruise a holic]

7 minutes ago, mzhibbs said:

We've done many cruises with 4 of us in an interior cabin.  Yes tight, but my husband and boys would also use the spa for dinner/formal nights to get ready.  Really works out and saves a lot of money! 🙂

If you guys are comfortable and it works for you great.  I guess you leave your clothes in the suitcases under the bed.  It wouldn't work for my DH and I, but we aren't as young a you guys probably are!  My boys are grown up and married with kids.