Thank goodness there are others like me! My husband thinks I am crazy. We book almost same room every time -- I like aft SS on S class (floor 8, 9 or 11 preferred), and a midship CS on M class (I have a soft spot for M class -- our first cruise ever was on Summit) And I agree about move up bid! I am so picky about the cabin and location. Almost booked an aft SS on the Beyond until I studied where all the Retreat areas were and realized I would be walking the length of the ship every time I forgot something in the cabin. And I wear very high heels to dinner so there is that!
I think it is crazy how they build new ships and keep putting the most expensive cabins under public areas. We had a Grand Suite on a Royal Caribbean ship years ago, right under the Solarium chairs and tables (not loungers). It was really nice with a bar area, etc, but one of the worst locations. It had constant chair scraping and carts going to the Solarium restaurant with food and ice at all hours of the morning. Since then, I never book a cabin under or above a public area (or at least under a pool or restaurant area).
Thanks for the advice! I am bookmarking that 2018 thread with the photos of the balcony poles so I don't lose it again!