False Advertising of Category E Balcony Cabins

This is actually in response to some photos just posted on the excellent Quantum Live Review from the inaugural TA. Since they're having issues with keeping that thread from becoming cluttered with all sorts of comments / questions / questions, I figured I'd break this out into a different thread over here.

The Category E "Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom With Balcony" is described as follows on the Royal Caribbean website:

"Two twin beds that convert to a Royal King, measuring 72.5 inches wide by 82 inches long, sitting area with sofa, full bathroom and private balcony. (177 sq. ft., balcony 82 sq. ft.)"

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/cabinclass/cabinTypes/cabinType/home.do?br=R&cabincls=B&cabinType=DO&shipCode=QN

However, one of our excellent live reviewers just posted photos of our his/her E1 balcony cabin, which clearly lacks a sofa or any sort of sitting area. In fact, there is just one random chair placed by the curtain:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=44665063&postcount=1044

This is pretty clearly false advertising that they really need to correct. I booked an E1 and would not have had I realized the "siting area with sofa" it would just be one little chair placed against the curtain. We always make use of the sofa and would miss it on this cruise. I'm a little busy getting ready for another cruise this weekend, but I think I will contact RCI and see if they'll price protect us into a regular D balcony (we got an excellent rate that is currently lower than the Ds) that provides what we actually thought we were getting... Just an FYI for those of you looking at / booked in E1s.

That looks exactly like the interior stateroom layout.

Not sure if its a switch or pic of wrong stateroom

I had originally booked an E1 and my TA upgraded me to a D8. I'm glad that happened.

This is actually in response to some photos just posted on the excellent Quantum Live Review from the inaugural TA. Since they're having issues with keeping that thread from becoming cluttered with all sorts of comments / questions / questions, I figured I'd break this out into a different thread over here.

 

The Category E "Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom With Balcony" is described as follows on the Royal Caribbean website:

 

"Two twin beds that convert to a Royal King, measuring 72.5 inches wide by 82 inches long, sitting area with sofa, full bathroom and private balcony. (177 sq. ft., balcony 82 sq. ft.)"

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/cabinclass/cabinTypes/cabinType/home.do?br=R&cabincls=B&cabinType=DO&shipCode=QN

 

However, one of our excellent live reviewers just posted photos of our his/her E1 balcony cabin, which clearly lacks a sofa or any sort of sitting area. In fact, there is just one random chair placed by the curtain:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=44665063&postcount=1044

 

This is pretty clearly false advertising that they really need to correct. I booked an E1 and would not have had I realized the "siting area with sofa" it would just be one little chair placed against the curtain. We always make use of the sofa and would miss it on this cruise. I'm a little busy getting ready for another cruise this weekend, but I think I will contact RCI and see if they'll price protect us into a regular D balcony (we got an excellent rate that is currently lower than the Ds) that provides what we actually thought we were getting... Just an FYI for those of you looking at / booked in E1s.

Let me know if you get any kind of response from Royal. I have an E1 booked for 2 sailings on Anthem. Very disappointed from what I saw in the pictures.

It is an E1 as he posted the room #

My question where do we hang our clothes ??:confused:

Let me know if you get any kind of response from Royal. I have an E1 booked for 2 sailings on Anthem. Very disappointed from what I saw in the pictures.

Will do. I'll come back and report on this thread, may not be until after I return from my upcoming cruise though depending on how much time I have.

It is an E1 as he posted the room #

My question where do we hang our clothes ??:confused:

There are little closets on each side of the bed that seem to be exactly the same as what they have in the D cabins.

I just posted on the RCI F B page. Let's see if I get a response. I was just looking at the studio balcony cabins, and the only difference seems to be the distance between the bed and the desk. There is only 58 sq ft difference.

On other ships, if I'm not mistaken, the "sofa" in an e1 was always more of a love seat or wide chair.

Just got off the phone and they confirmed the single chair! Thus I dumped two of my three cruise e1 rooms for a d room :)

Just got off the phone and they confirmed the single chair! Thus I dumped two of my three cruise e1 rooms for a d room :)

I was just checking prices myself. All my cruises have gone up quite a bit, so for now I can't change anything. I'll keep looking for a price drop though.

On other ships, if I'm not mistaken, the "sofa" in an e1 was always more of a love seat or wide chair.

That's definitely correct on the Voyager and Freedom classes.

I was just checking prices myself. All my cruises have gone up quite a bit, so for now I can't change anything. I'll keep looking for a price drop though.

Same for my Anthem cruise. That's why I think appealing to them based on the misrepresentation may be the best option. We shall see.

That's definitely correct on the Voyager and Freedom classes.

There was a thread a while back on the main boards about this. Is your cabin by chance a connecting cabin. The way I understood it was,

regular D cabin...sofa

Connecting D.... Loveseat

Regular E cabin...Loveseat

Connecting E...... The dreaded chair ( which was able to be pulled out and made into a very uncomfortable bed.

I suppose it is too much to wish for accurate descriptions.

There was a thread a while back on the main boards about this. Is your cabin by chance a connecting cabin. The way I understood it was,

 

regular D cabin...sofa

Connecting D.... Loveseat

Regular E cabin...Loveseat

Connecting E...... The dreaded chair ( which was able to be pulled out and made into a very uncomfortable bed.

 

I suppose it is too much to wish for accurate descriptions.

Yes, I recall that being an issue on the Voyager and Freedom Class ships. I think I actually had the dreaded chair on the Navigator! However, the cabin at issue (from the Quantum Live Report) isn't a connecting cabin as far as I could see, so it seems to be standard in the E1s on the Quantum Class.

Yes, I recall that being an issue on the Voyager and Freedom Class ships. I think I actually had the dreaded chair on the Navigator! However, the cabin at issue (from the Quantum Live Report) isn't a connecting cabin as far as I could see, so it seems to be standard in the E1s on the Quantum Class.

That's a big disappointment if it is for all E cabins.

Just looked at the deck plans and saw the E's. They are quite a bit shorter than all of the D's but wider. On other classes of ships the E's were the same width but just a couple of feet shorter.

This would explain the chair and it is most definitely a case of VERY poor proofreading and getting an accurate description.

I would push for a change in cabins offering to pay the original difference between categories as they have definitely misrepresented the cabins.

Good luck.

It just seems odd. I know the deck plans are not to scale, but on the CC live chat yesterday, Carolyn posted a picture of a "solo stateroom" and there was a sofa. The studios have less square footage than the E1.

They totally could have been creative with space and at least fit in the traditional E love seat. Royal is usually so good at space management that the whole thing is just puzzling.

Anyway, I reached out to my TA who will see what she can do for us. Just a weird situation all around. Maybe I wouldn't have made a fuss if it was just a week, but our Anthem cruise is a 12-nighter, which is a long time!

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Trying to learn more about the Quantum and Royal Caribbean.

Take care...

Irene and Miles

They totally could have been creative with space and at least fit in the traditional E love seat. Royal is usually so good at space management that the whole thing is just puzzling.

 

Anyway, I reached out to my TA who will see what she can do for us. Just a weird situation all around. Maybe I wouldn't have made a fuss if it was just a week, but our Anthem cruise is a 12-nighter, which is a long time!

 

 

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My Anthem cruise is a 12 night too. The longest I've ever taken. The sofa will come in handy.

Hi, I'm the poster from the E1. Just to say, while there is only the single seat there is still the seat and desk. My mate has a D cabin and we absolutely agree that both categories have their own merits. He has the sofa, I have a much wider cabin but not as long, which I prefer.

The cabin excluding bathroom is approximately 9 foot by 9 foot.

Here's the photos I posted in no particular order. Don't panic, unless you NEED a sofa the E1 is a great room!

 

Here's the photos I posted in no particular order. Don't panic, unless you NEED a sofa the E1 is a great room!

Don't panic? This is Cruise Critic. That's what we do best here.

Hi, I'm the poster from the E1. Just to say, while there is only the single seat there is still the seat and desk. My mate has a D cabin and we absolutely agree that both categories have their own merits. He has the sofa, I have a much wider cabin but not as long, which I prefer.

 

The cabin excluding bathroom is approximately 9 foot by 9 foot.

 

Here's the photos I posted in no particular order. Don't panic, unless you NEED a sofa the E1 is a great room!

Thank you so much for your excellent photos, and for popping over to this thread. The information you've provided is greatly appreciated!!!

Nobody is panicking :). It's all about preference and my sincere wish that RCI wouldn't blatantly mislead us with info like this. DW and I make great use of the couch on our cruises, both for sitting and as functional space when we're getting ready. So for us, the couch is definitely more important than the width of the cabin, which means I guess we are best suited for a D balcony. Had we known that from the start we would have booked a D balcony, which explains my irritation about this topic. Fortunately my cruise on Anthem is a year out so we have plenty of time to adjust our plans and move to a D balcony instead.

Thanks again for your info, and enjoy the rest of your cruise on Quantum!

It just seems odd. I know the deck plans are not to scale, but on the CC live chat yesterday, Carolyn posted a picture of a "solo stateroom" and there was a sofa. The studios have less square footage than the E1.

I requested verification on that very photo as I have a Studio Balcony on Quantum and wondered about the sofa.

Carolyn replied in the thread that it was indeed a mistake. The pic was not a Studio.

Nobody is panicking :). It's all about preference and my sincere wish that RCI wouldn't blatantly mislead us with info like this. DW and I make great use of the couch on our cruises, both for sitting and as functional space when we're getting ready. So for us, the couch is definitely more important than the width of the cabin, which means I guess we are best suited for a D balcony. Had we known that from the start we would have booked a D balcony, which explains my irritation about this topic.

Agreed. We are on the Dec 1st sailing and a change is not possible for us now. But at least Podgeandrodge kindly confirmed that there are twin beds (and not just a double bed), so my sister and I will just have to take turns sitting on the chair. :)