Booked Oasis through Next Cruise-switch to TA? Also stateroom question

[TanaQ]

Very noob cruiser here, only sailed Anthem twice. I booked on Oasis for next summer when she is in Bayonne.  It will be myself, 10 year old DS and my mother (uses a walker).  DS wanted the 14th floor and we got an aft room not far from the rear elevators, Boardwalk balcony. IIRC it's 14701.  

 

I got the 2 soda packages and $175 OBC as well as discounted pricing on my son and mom's fares. Can a TA do better? Possible to switch to OV balcony without a huge cost increase? Is Deck 14 okay on aft? We don't need absolute quiet but reasonable is ok! I'm the light sleeper so deck chairs being pulled around in early am would be awful. We've been lucky enough to twice get great decks/rooms on Anthem. I would love a similar  experience on my first Oasis sailing. Thanks!

[awestover89]

A TA typically gets the same prices that are offered through RCI directly, the two main areas where they can sometimes do better is if they use some of their commission to buy gifts or OBC (limited to 10% of the cruise cost excluding NCCF), or if they have discounted group space available.

[awestover89]

One thing to note, the soda package is a perk for the boardwalk balcony. If you change to an OV balcony you will lose that perk.

[Clarea]

14 minutes ago, TanaQ said:

... Can a TA do better?  ...

You won't know until you contact a TA and have them make an offer.

[twangster]

14701 looks to be a connecting room.  I don't like connecting rooms because you can often hear your neighbors talking.  Sometimes if they are loud talkers you can hear complete sentences, sometimes you know they are talking but can't make out what they are saying.

 

Other than that it's below the sport court so you are not not likely to hear deck chairs.

[TanaQ]

11 minutes ago, twangster said:

14701 looks to be a connecting room.  I don't like connecting rooms because you can often hear your neighbors talking.  Sometimes if they are loud talkers you can hear complete sentences, sometimes you know they are talking but can't make out what they are saying.

 

Other than that it's below the sport court so you are not not likely to hear deck chairs.

 

Oh yes I'm not too crazy about a connecting room. I hate the thought of calling RC CS to switch rooms. I have over a year so maybe I'll try it on our final cruise this year if NC will do it. 

[twangster]

15 minutes ago, TanaQ said:

 

Oh yes I'm not too crazy about a connecting room. I hate the thought of calling RC CS to switch rooms. I have over a year so maybe I'll try it on our final cruise this year if NC will do it. 

 

Everyone else is savvy to this so the non-connecting cabins will go first.  I call often and sometimes change cabins 3 or 4 times over a year.    The call is free, that is what they are there for.  It it isn't that important so be it, but if it is I wouldn't wait to deal with it, you'll likely be disappointed.  

[TanaQ]

30 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

Everyone else is savvy to this so the non-connecting cabins will go first.  I call often and sometimes change cabins 3 or 4 times over a year.    The call is free, that is what they are there for.  It it isn't that important so be it, but if it is I wouldn't wait to deal with it, you'll likely be disappointed.  

Yes I'm definitely not in the savvy group yet lol.  I'll call them this week for sure. Now if I could only get a guarantee that my mom will behave, hmmmm.

[taglovestocruise]

1 hour ago, TanaQ said:

Yes I'm definitely not in the savvy group yet lol.  I'll call them this week for sure. Now if I could only get a guarantee that my mom will behave, hmmmm.

You have 60 days from time of booking to transfer to a TA.  You will keep everything Royal gave you and then pick up whatever the TA is offering. We have booked many times with Royal direct and then let a TA do the transfer.  By switching we usually pick up a little OBC, a specialty dining night  and usually pre paid gratuities. If you call to make a change it is much easier if you already have a cabin number to switch to, go on any TA website to look for open cabins,  just stay in the same category.  happy cruising

[whitshel]

Just an fyi, if there is cheaper group space, if you paid a reduced deposit through next cruise you will have to pay the full deposit before you can get the group rate.

[Ourusualbeach]

Don’t waste your time searching for a TA with group space.  You have 3 in your cabin and Royal and TA’s only have group space available at reduced rates for double occupancy cabins.

 

you can move your booking into the group and pick up the group perks but that is usually only a $50 OBC. 

[FloridaMac]

7 hours ago, twangster said:

 

Everyone else is savvy to this so the non-connecting cabins will go first...

Apparently not as many savvy as you assume :-)  We have a cruise coming up in March 2020 and our kids and other family members wanted two sets of connecting interior rooms.  There were none available, and a large percentage of connecting rooms had only one of the two rooms open.

[Ourusualbeach]

16 minutes ago, FloridaMac said:

Apparently not as many savvy as you assume 🙂 We have a cruise coming up in March 2020 and our kids and other family members wanted two sets of connecting interior rooms.  There were none available, and a large percentage of connecting rooms had only one of the two rooms open.

That is often my experience in searching for connecting cabins for clients.  

[TanaQ]

Thank you for all of the suggestions. I sent a request to a RC friendly TA and will see what she has to say.  I also want to book another cruise so that may sweeten the pot?