Letting them chose cabin?

[ham_bone]

Considering booking Harmony next Feb '22 and the price savings to let them choose cabin location seems worthwhile because we have to pay for the kiddo (no kids sail free offered yet). 

Wife & I are emerald members, traveling with our toddler & booking balcony (any type).  Have always selected our own cabin. 

 

Has anyone let them choose for you? If so, how did it go?

Would our emerald status or needing the 3rd bed help in any way?

 

Thanks for feedback! 

[Cigar King]

If you don't care about the room, then sure, let them choose.  Usually we have a specific room in mind, so we pay to ensure we get it.  I did do the guarantee once.  Got a JS.  You may have better luck.

[Jam0610]

I like to have our room booked prior to sailing. That way we know location on ship. Study the routes to areas of interest (bars). 

[1025cruise]

As long as you are OK in any room in the category you book, or higher, then go for it. If you are picky, then pick your own cabin.

[Ourusualbeach]

39 minutes ago, ham_bone said:

Considering booking Harmony next Feb '22 and the price savings to let them choose cabin location seems worthwhile because we have to pay for the kiddo (no kids sail free offered yet). 

Wife & I are emerald members, traveling with our toddler & booking balcony (any type).  Have always selected our own cabin. 

 

Has anyone let them choose for you? If so, how did it go?

Would our emerald status or needing the 3rd bed help in any way?

 

Thanks for feedback! 

How old is your Toddler?  If they are under 2 and can sleep in a pack n play then you can call and book a room that usually holds 2 guests which may be cheaper.  It would also allow you to book a group rate with a travel agent.

[Norwich Cruiser]

1 hour ago, ham_bone said:

Considering booking Harmony next Feb '22 and the price savings to let them choose cabin location seems worthwhile because we have to pay for the kiddo (no kids sail free offered yet). 

Wife & I are emerald members, traveling with our toddler & booking balcony (any type).  Have always selected our own cabin. 

 

Has anyone let them choose for you? If so, how did it go?

Would our emerald status or needing the 3rd bed help in any way?

 

Thanks for feedback! 

If there are just the two of us sailing so the stateroom is perhaps of less importance we have occasionally booked guarantee and never been disappointed.

 

Twice we have been upgraded from our original guarantee once a while ago on Splendour of the Seas we were upgraded from an inside guarantee to a JS.

[Another_Critic]

I almost always book guarantee if there's more than a token price difference.

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

How old is your Toddler?  If they are under 2 and can sleep in a pack n play then you can call and book a room that usually holds 2 guests which may be cheaper.  It would also allow you to book a group rate with a travel agent.

Yes...We've booked using this option when sailing with extended family...but lucked out and for a few more $$'s ended up getting the #8500 on Radiance for two Alaska cruises...Love those late night finds on the website here on the west coast. I put the cabin on a 24 hr. hold and called and had them transfer them into it in the morning...Worked out great having that extra sleeping area we put the PnP in.

[njkruzer]

We always choose cabin.  On our circumnavigation on the Radiance last year, a number of people had guarantees and didn't find out their cabin until close to boarding.  Some very worried people. 

[davekathy]

We always have and always will choose our cabin. 

[cruisegirl1]

We take a guarantee cabin many times. We do it when the guarantee price is significantly lower than picking a cabin. We decide what kind of category we want and go with it.   In every case, we have received a cabin in the category for which we were guaranteed. Nothing higher.  To me, the particular deck makes no difference. As an example, if I had a balcony guarantee, I don’t consider a balcony on deck ten to be any better than a balcony on deck eight. 
 

I only recommend a guarantee cabin if one does not mind where the cabin is located on the ship. If you need to be  others in your party, near an elevator etc., I certainly would NOT  go with a guarantee. 

 

Crown and anchor status has NOTHING to do with the guarantee assignment. 

 

Recently, when we have looked at pricing, the pricing for Royal Caribbean to select a cabin was often more money than if I selected a cabin.  Strange. 
 

good luck OP. 

M

 

 

Edited February 9, 2021 by cruisegirl1

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, cruisegirl1 said:

We take a guarantee cabin many times. We do it when the guarantee price is significantly lower than picking a cabin. We decide what kind of category we want and go with it.   In every case, we have received a cabin in the category for which we were guaranteed. Nothing higher.  To me, the particular deck makes no difference. As an example, if I had a balcony guarantee, I don’t consider a balcony on deck ten to be any better than a balcony on deck eight. 
 

I only recommend a guarantee cabin if one does not mind where the cabin is located on the ship. If you need to be  others in your party, near an elevator etc., I certainly would NOT  go with a guarantee. 

 

Crown and anchor status has NOTHING to do with the guarantee assignment. 

 

Recently, when we have looked at pricing, the pricing for Royal Caribbean to select a cabin was often more money than if I selected a cabin.  Strange. 
 

good luck OP. 

M

 

 

This happens more often than you think...it makes no sense but when it does happen to a cruise I'm booking it's great....not that it matters...I always choose my cabin/location for specific reasons.

[ham_bone]

7 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

How old is your Toddler?  If they are under 2 and can sleep in a pack n play then you can call and book a room that usually holds 2 guests which may be cheaper.  It would also allow you to book a group rate with a travel agent.

 Suppose he wont be a toddler this time around because he will have just turned 6!

[ham_bone]

3 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

We take a guarantee cabin many times. We do it when the guarantee price is significantly lower than picking a cabin. We decide what kind of category we want and go with it.   In every case, we have received a cabin in the category for which we were guaranteed. Nothing higher.  To me, the particular deck makes no difference. As an example, if I had a balcony guarantee, I don’t consider a balcony on deck ten to be any better than a balcony on deck eight. 
 

I only recommend a guarantee cabin if one does not mind where the cabin is located on the ship. If you need to be  others in your party, near an elevator etc., I certainly would NOT  go with a guarantee. 

 

Crown and anchor status has NOTHING to do with the guarantee assignment. 

 

Recently, when we have looked at pricing, the pricing for Royal Caribbean to select a cabin was often more money than if I selected a cabin.  Strange. 
 

good luck OP. 

M

 

 

Yeah the price for us to choose the cabin is over $300 more for the week.
Seems high. We have no mobility issues and kind of wanted to try a balcony that looked over the boardwalk or central park so we wouldn’t hate it if that is where we ended up. Honestly we don’t usually spend much time in the cabin anyways. 

[Ourusualbeach]

11 minutes ago, ham_bone said:

Yeah the price for us to choose the cabin is over $300 more for the week.
Seems high. We have no mobility issues and kind of wanted to try a balcony that looked over the boardwalk or central park so we wouldn’t hate it if that is where we ended up. Honestly we don’t usually spend much time in the cabin anyways. 

On Oasis class there are two types of balcony guarantees.

 

neighbourhood balcony guarantees (XN)

Oceanview balcony guarantees (XB)

 

if you booked an XB you will get an Oceanview, if you booked an XN you will get a neighbourhood balcony either a Central Park or Boardwalk

 

[Annicruise2014]

I am following this thread and think I MAY have messed up!!!  Just because who knows when we will start cruising again and I'd rather use than loose my credits, I booked an August 2021 cruisie for hubby and I. I'm ready to get away.

 

I figure what the heck, I'll let them choose my balcony cabin. On this cruise, I don't even care which deck, where, nothing. EXCEPT.......... I want an ocean view not an inside view!  I will get my paperwork and reread it to make sure if it's an oceanview guarantee or a balcony guarantee. It's the Independence of the Seas.

[Ourusualbeach]

42 minutes ago, Annicruise2014 said:

I am following this thread and think I MAY have messed up!!!  Just because who knows when we will start cruising again and I'd rather use than loose my credits, I booked an August 2021 cruisie for hubby and I. I'm ready to get away.

 

I figure what the heck, I'll let them choose my balcony cabin. On this cruise, I don't even care which deck, where, nothing. EXCEPT.......... I want an ocean view not an inside view!  I will get my paperwork and reread it to make sure if it's an oceanview guarantee or a balcony guarantee. It's the Independence of the Seas.

There are no inside view balconies on Independence so you will definitely get an Oceanview.

 

It is Only Oasis class ships that have the neighbourhood balconies

[Annicruise2014]

20 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

There are no inside view balconies on Independence so you will definitely get an Oceanview.

 

It is Only Oasis class ships that have the neighbourhood balconies

Oh, good.  thanks for your reply.  That's what I get for getting to excited to book a cruise because I can and not reading it thru.  Normally I choose our cabin but for this one i don't even care.  I won't even mind the "new normal", I do it at home anyway.

[ham_bone]

On 2/9/2021 at 9:10 PM, Ourusualbeach said:

On Oasis class there are two types of balcony guarantees.

 

neighbourhood balcony guarantees (XN)

Oceanview balcony guarantees (XB)

 

if you booked an XB you will get an Oceanview, if you booked an XN you will get a neighbourhood balcony either a Central Park or Boardwalk

 

 

booked Neighborhood guarantee last night.

No preference yet but were told we can ask when it gets closer to sailing or can pay for ocean balcony if we wanted but on our last cruise we used the balcony maybe for a total of 40 minutes in a week. We paid roughly the same $ for neighborhood balc as we would have for an interior or ocean view room (with Emerald discount rate - DIAMOND after this one tho!)   

 

Anyone have opinions about central park vs boardwalk balcony? 

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by ham_bone

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, ham_bone said:

 

booked Neighborhood guarantee last night.

No preference yet but were told we can ask when it gets closer to sailing or can pay for ocean balcony if we wanted but on our last cruise we used the balcony maybe for a total of 40 minutes in a week. We paid roughly the same $ for neighborhood balc as we would have for an interior or ocean view room (with Emerald discount rate - DIAMOND after this one tho!)   

 

Anyone have opinions about central park vs boardwalk balcony? 

 

You cannot choose between boardwalk and Central park, it is whatever they assign you.

 

to change to the other type or an Oceanview you would pay the current rate on the day you made the change.

 

we have stayed in both BW and CP and honestly I don’t care either way.  We don’t sit out on the balcony I just like it for fresh air and will usually book the cheapest I van find. 

 

 

[ham_bone]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

You cannot choose between boardwalk and Central park, it is whatever they assign you.

 

to change to the other type or an Oceanview you would pay the current rate on the day you made the change.

 

we have stayed in both BW and CP and honestly I don’t care either way.  We don’t sit out on the balcony I just like it for fresh air and will usually book the cheapest I van find. 

 

 

yeah, I was told we can make a request but that it may not make a difference and they will assign whatever they have and any "upgrade" to an ocean balcony would cost more. 

 

agree, I like that fresh air and it is nice to have the sun wake us up in the morning but actual time on the balcony is minimal. glad to hear you dont see a difference between the 2.

I think BW view may appeal to our little guy a bit more tho so I will see if they can make that note.  

[cruiseguy1016]

On 2/9/2021 at 5:10 PM, cruisegirl1 said:

Recently, when we have looked at pricing, the pricing for Royal Caribbean to select a cabin was often more money than if I selected a cabin.  Strange. 
 

good luck OP. 

M

 

 

 

I've noticed this a few times too. I don't understand their reasoning.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by cruiseguy1016

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

I've noticed this a few times too. I don't understand their reasoning.

 

 

I think that some people get sucked into thinking that because it is more than the cheapest category they will get upgraded.  See this a lot on suites.