Icon of the Seas - 2 balcony rooms, 3 adults, 2 kids - HOW CAN WE DO THIS?!

[davidrlewis2302]

Hello

Trying to book a cruise for our family (2 adults, 2 kids - 6 & 7) on Icon of the Seas.
We'd like to take granny with us, separate room but with a balcony ideally and relatively close or connecting.

 

So 3 adults in total - 2 kids.

 

From what I gather, a single occupant cannot have a balcony room. I get this, revenues etc etc.

The way I managed to work it out was to put 1 adult (i.e. me) with the 2 kids in one room and 2 adults (granny and my wife - her daughter) in a connecting room. This let us book two rooms next door to each other. Our sneaky idea would then be that my wife would come into our room at night time, leaving granny on her own.

The question is -  on the cabin map, the room for me and the kids has an 'up to 3 occupancy' on the symbols.  But the rooms all look the same size.  Does this plan work, or would I be expecting either a single bed for me or a smaller sofa bed?

 

Are we going to have an unexpected surprise that could ruin the vacation?

Thank you in advance,

David

[NanciRDH]

The room for 3 either has a drop down Pullman bunk or a sofa.  Book however you need to, they don't care where you sleep.  You can request additional keys in guest services so everyone can access both rooms.  

[1025cruise]

A room for 3 will only have beds for 3. Have a kid sleep with grannie.

[sharktums]

We have a group and were allowed to put a single in a balcony room on Deck 14.  There are certain decks and balcony types where they are restricting right now, but oceanview on Deck 14 was allowed for a single. 

[not-enough-cruising]

Whoever told you a single occupant can not occupy a balcony room was mistaken. 
We do it several times per year 

 

We have even booked a single in a JS more than once. 

Edited October 29, 2022 by not-enough-cruising

[ARandomTraveler]

3 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Whoever told you a single occupant can not occupy a balcony room was mistaken. 
We do it several times per year 

 

We have even booked a single in a JS more than once. 

In addition to this, if they book a single person in the balcony room, they should make one of themselves the single, so their family can benefit from the extra solo point per night (assuming they cruise more than the grandma, and the grandma wouldn't care about the points as much).

[Merion_Mom]

The OP is asking specifically about the Icon, people.   Your experience on other ships may have no bearing on this question.

 

RC is indeed restricting bookings.  I was unable, for example, to book a JS solo on any sailing. I had to put my daughter's name on the reservation, which i will remove at a later date.

[firefly333]

6 hours ago, davidrlewis2302 said:

From what I gather, a single occupant cannot have a balcony room. I get this, revenues etc etc.

The way I managed to work it out was to put 1 adult (i.e. me) with the 2 kids in one room and 2 adults (granny and my wife - her daughter) in a connecting room. This let us book two rooms next door to each other. Our sneaky idea would then be that my wife would come into our room at night time, leaving granny on her own.

The question is -  on the cabin map, the room for me and the kids has an 'up to 3 occupancy' on the symbols.  But the rooms all look the same size.  Does this plan work, or would I be expecting either a single bed for me or a smaller sofa bed?

 

Are we going to have an unexpected surprise that could ruin the vacation?

Thank you in advance,

David

Not sure why you think solo cannot book a balcony. Maybe you didnt like the solo supplement. I cruise solo in balconys all the time. Of course solo can book whatever they are willing to pay double for. Almost always double the shown fare. 

 

Check 3 cabins price and 2. Sometimes solo is cheaper than a cabin for 3. 

 

Maybe meriom mom is right and you have to put a 2nd fake pax name on it.

 

@Ourusualbeachwill know if solo can book a balcony on icon. I just never heard of such a restriction if I'm willing to pay double. 

Edited October 29, 2022 by firefly333

[Ourusualbeach]

6 hours ago, davidrlewis2302 said:

From what I gather, a single occupant cannot have a balcony room.

You gather wrong.  I just went in and was able to find multiple cabins on multiple sailings of the Icon for a solo in a balcony

[Jenjer]

Just ask for extra keys or switch keys. We do this all the time. As long as 1 adult is registered in each room and I would list you and wife as primary's.  They do not care who sleeps where as long as everyone has a muster station, those might be different but don't worry about that.   Make sure you pick your rooms and DO NOT let them pick cause you can end up on opposite ends of the ship and most likely different floors. 

 

[davidrlewis2302]

Thanks for all your replies.

 

On the specific sailing we were looking at in April 2024, every time we tried sole adult in room 2 it would show no balcony cabins available.   Choose 2 adults and suddenly there were options. 

 

Eventually we managed to put my wife in a cabin with her mum and we got her a balcony - even managed to get connecting cabins!

It does mean that we only have a 3 occupancy cabin rather than the ideal of 4, but we'll stick one of the kids in with her mum!

 

 

 

[Jimbo]

16 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

The OP is asking specifically about the Icon, people.   Your experience on other ships may have no bearing on this question.

 

RC is indeed restricting bookings.  I was unable, for example, to book a JS solo on any sailing. I had to put my daughter's name on the reservation, which i will remove at a later date.

So the price is pretty much the same anyway even when dropping your daughter from the reservation later right?

[BecciBoo]

17 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

RC is indeed restricting bookings. 

And I was unable to book an interior for my DD and her DH on deck 4!  almost every single cabin had the triple occupancy triangle on it.  The booking engine has definitely been tampered with.  OOPS  forgot the 🤪 to indicate humor....

Edited October 30, 2022 by BecciBoo

[davidrlewis2302]

The bit I don't get - all the staterooms marked with a star on this plan attached are 3 berths. My understanding is it means it's a smaller sofa bed.  But, why would they limit themselves by only providing 3 berths here?  Surely it's better to have 4 berths all the way, which can sleep 3, but also sleep 4 if 4 people wish to be in there.

Is it just a booking quirk? Is it quite possible that all the state rooms are identical and all have the same size sofa bed?

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, davidrlewis2302 said:

Is it quite possible that all the state rooms are identical and all have the same size sofa bed?

I think the sofa bed that sleeps two is slightly different than the one that sleeps only one. They probably needed to limit the berths due to life boat limits per location.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

2 hours ago, davidrlewis2302 said:

Is it just a booking quirk? Is it quite possible that all the state rooms are identical and all have the same size sofa bed?

 

Not sure specifically to this ship, but we have seen sofa beds that don't fold out and sleep just one person and sofa beds that do fold out and sleep two.  I have seen a cabin that sleeps four with one on the sofa and the other on a drop down pullman bunk.