Starry Eyes

I think the OP and her cabinmate have a couple choices. If cabinmate wants to make a claim on travel insurance, the cabinmate needs to cancel; that might cause the OP to be charged the single rate. Or the cabinmate could be a no-show and the cabinmates negotiate the $ privately.

Remember to pack earplugs no matter where your assignment. I consider them a good luck charm: I’m less likely to need them if i have them.

I’ve booked quite a few neighborhood gty on Oasis class; I have not been assigned deck 14 yet. Also, I’ve had some luck swapping cabins after assignment, so even if I am assigned deck 14, I would probably keep an eye out for swaps. I noticed you posted on the Harmony Nov 7 Roll Call. If that’s the cruise, I see substantially more BW cabins on 8 and 9 than on 14. I also see as many CP cabins on 12 as on 14. I have stayed on deck 12 in CP with no noise issue in cabin interior…though I guess on the balcony the poolside music etc might be a tad louder than on deck 11 CP balcony (but anybody that picky about noise probably shouldn’t book a gty!). Also, if that is the cruise, check in will be soon and you’ll be able to use the barcode trick on your set sail pass to see if Royal has a cabin planned for you.

YMMV. Like you I have seen them released, but not always. Recently I had a balcony gty for two and I was assigned a quad cabin. The quad cabins in my category/sailing not released for bookings for parties of two (I kept watching until the end).

Be careful. Prices on those items varies. Perhaps she has locked in a good price some time ago. If she cancels now she loses that price and would have to repurchase at the prevailing rate. It could cost her some real $…or not if prices are the same. Also I believe at some point, they close the cruise planner for pre-cruise purchases and/or cancellations. I do not know the timeframe; maybe another poster will know the cruise planner details.

From other threads, I have the impression your friend will receive her refreshment and wifi package refunds quicker if she cancels them herself in her cruise planner…that’s assuming she decides she is not going while she is still able to cancel them via cruise planner. It should be refunded either way, just a question of efficiency.

Typically one is only offered the opportunity to bid up a couple meta-category from current cabin. So inside cabin meta-category may have the chance to bid on OV and Balcony meta-categories. To bid on suites, typically you need to be in an OV balcony cabin. That is not a hard and fast rule; once in a while they might break this pattern and offer different opportunities.

That’s what I’d do, too. I’d also have materials from my first cruise handy (invoice showing you booked suite as opposed to RoyalUp, sea pass card) when visiting LA on second leg.

That solos often do not qualify for gty rates on Royal is a long standing issue; at least you now know to watch out for it.

Is the double cabin a guarantee? It is common that gty cabins are not offered to solos. When that happens, not only must the solo pay a single supplement but must do so on a higher base rate, resulting in the pattern you describe. It might happen other times, but that is the most common circumstance. Is it right? Well, it does not seem right to me, but RCI has not asked my opinion. If that cruise were booked as a double, and only one person showed up, eventually one set of taxes and port fees would be refunded. Also, if that cruise were booked as a double, there is typically no charge to change the name of the second person on the reservation, so if circumstances change you could take a friend or relative. If you book as a double and the second person is a no show, a recent rule says you do not get the extra C&A points like a true solo booking.

I do not see cabins available for sale for your cruise at the moment. Sometimes that is a temporary state and sales re-open. Keep watching. Your gty is likely set up for a cabin for two, so you may not be able to add two more to your current booking. Call and ask, but do not be surprised if you hear no….or if allowed you may hear a high price.

I’m going to answer on the assumption that you will continue cruising and can do Oasis class in the future. If you do not think that is true, ignore my post. For this Thanksgiving cruise, I’d select Jewel. As it is a holiday cruise, there should be enough other kids and activities for your child. The GS is a nice touch on a full ship; hubby will likely appreciate the respite from a busy ship. The itinerary will be fun for all. For many people (especially with teens) it is easier to move from a small ship to a big ship than the other direction. Sail that itinerary you crave now while you can. Plan an Oasis class cruise in the future. The ships in that class are really rather similar, so it does not have to be the newest one (unless you want it to be). There are so many opportunities to sail that class, you will easily find another suitable opportunity. Generally, this class does not sail as interesting of itineraries as the ships are so large; they can only enter certain ports.

Oh, different people will have different reaction when moving from newer, larger ships to older, smaller ones. It largely depends on the cruiser, as others have discussed. For me it can also depend upon the itinerary. For example, if it is a port intensive itinerary where I’ll be doing a lot of long shore excursions (some European cruises fall in this category for me), any Royal Caribbean ship be fine. Other times we are cruising mostly for the on board experience, so we will carefully pick a specific ship.

It probably saved the OP money (the price difference was presumably $1200, as that was the upgrade cost per phone call) In the original post, OP did not say his gty cabin ( “RCL selects”) was the same price as the “you select room” cabins. Though the Op did not say so, the gty presumably was cheaper. The OP stated that had he elected to choose his own cabin, there was no price difference between regular and spacious balconies. That is immaterial as the OP did not book those categories and instead booked category X.

With the 4D gty booking, could they be assigned a balcony in a higher category (2D for example)? There seem to be cabins in other categories available on the cruise in the OP’s signature.

I’d also vote 150CP

Sure, there is a chance your assigned balcony will be from the spacious category and there is a change it will be from the spacious category. When you book a guarantee cabin you grant the cruiseline control over those choices; as you learned you cannot make any requests by calling. You can watch for a cabin assignment. Your profile says you are from GA, so North American booking rules should apply. Once you cabin is assigned, you can look online and see if there any other available cabins you like better in your exact same assigned category (ex. 3D) for the same number of guests. If so, you may call and ask they may allow you to swap to that available cabin. Of course, when you get an assignment there may not be any others available or any you like better. Also, between now and final payment, you can watch for price changes. You might catch a price drop that will allow you to pick your cabin at an attractive price.

We have booked balcony gty about 30 days out twice in the last couple months. We waited 24 days for one assignment. The other assignment came within 4 hours. Though it has worked for us other times, the barcodes trick did not elucidate those two cabin numbers any sooner; there was no identifiable lag before those assignments were visible in the app.

I think you will be able to use them on a future trip. Years ago we took back to back Bermuda cruises. We did not use all the passes we purchased on that B2B. When we returned 2-3 years later, the lady at the kiosk said “of course” looking at us like we were fools to have to ask if they were valid. I blush a little just thinking of her stare, lol.

Some people fear heights. Some people fear flying. Some people fear spiders. Some people fear for their toddler’s safety. I doubt any of the above people will give up their fear because people on the internet tell them not to worry in condescending tones. They wanted an oversized cabin with a window. They don’t want a balcony this time. Can’t you just respect their decision?

It changes the booking strategy for an extended family. Imagine set of grandparents, set of parents and two teens planning a cruise. The parents want to book a suite for their family. Grandparents are thinking of balcony. Based on info here, it would be smart to book all four adults in the suite with the teens in adjacent balcony cabin. Everyone could use CK; grandparents can still sleep in their balcony cabin.

Though it is older than Wonder, I would not hesitate to sail on Oasis, especially if one has not experienced Oasis class. Given the price difference, I’d book Oasis and use the saving for something else…. That something else depends on one’s taste…cabin upgrade, special shore excursions, unlimited dining package, drink packages, a cabana, extra nights before or after the cruise, upgraded airfare, or put the money toward the next cruise/vacation.

Why do cruisers need that same lesson? Some cruisers have specific concerns, like these parents, that make some staterooms undesirable for them. RoyalUp made an error in the OP’s case; RoyalUp admitted their mistake, correct it, and gave a goodwill OBC. I do not think the OP’s experience should stop others from bidding, as RoyalUp acted appropriately in the end. Presumably you also have strong feelings about picking your exact stateroom; I understand and respect that. Many cruisers do, but not all. I have no such limitations. DH and I are not noise sensitive, do not tend to get sea sick, do not mind being close to the elevators or way at the end of the corridor. It helps the cruiseline to have some flexible bookings. Every cruiser needs to carefully evaluate their individual situation and decide if they really are flexible enough to place themselves in situations where they do not select their own cabin # (as happens when one books gty or bids for RoyalUp). Some are. Some are not. Know yourself; that is the lesson for cruisers.

If you sitting in the terminal waiting to board, you may want to check your app. They may have opened the reservation function. If so, might be able to make some (or all) of your reservations while you are waiting to board. For example, I snagged our Izumi Hibachi reservation plus a couple other reservations while waiting to board Harmony in June, but then I started having trouble with the app as did others nearby. Once on board, I also find it more pleasant to deal with a person than the app.

They can be crafty. Just as importantly, why should anyone second guess the parent’s decision. I think the parent said they have previously been on cruise ship balconies. They know their child. Any decision they make gets my respect.