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Royal's solo balcony cabins


DonnaMarieNJ
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I see that all Quantum ships have a few solo balcony cabins.  Can someone give me some insight on these cabins?  Size, worth the price for square footage (or lack thereof), location, price, etc.

 

Does anyone know the cabin numbers for Anthem?

 

This is what I found on CC:  "Quantum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas: All of Royal Caribbean's Quantum-class ships feature 28 dedicated studio cabins for travelers traveling solo. Options range from so-called "virtual balcony" cabins (which feature 80-inch floor-to-ceiling LED display screens that project live images from outside the ship), as well as rooms with actual 55-square-foot balconies. All cabin interiors range in size from 101 to 119 square feet."

 

Thanks for your help.

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On 6/17/2021 at 10:48 PM, DonnaMarieNJ said:

worth the price for square footage (or lack thereof),

That's really up to you.  There are quite a few videos on YouTube touring these cabins.

On 6/17/2021 at 10:48 PM, DonnaMarieNJ said:

location, price, etc.

 

Does anyone know the cabin numbers for Anthem?

Location can be answered by looking at the deck plans.  They're on deck 6 and 7, just aft of the aft elevators.  The price question can be answered by finding one that's available for a cruise.  I think it's not much difference in cost than a full-supplement standard balcony.

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You’ll find videos of the Studio Balcony cabins on, among other YouTube channels, La Lido Loca (Spectrum version) and the Very Unofficial Travel Guide (Anthem version). There are only 12 Studio Balcony cabins per Quantum-class ship and will appear as an option with the other balcony types only if you select 1 passenger when booking. It’s cabin category 2F and if it doesn’t appear, it’s sold out. Deck 7 cabins have an unobstructed view and deck 6 ones are just above the lifeboats. The cabins are on the aft side of the midship hump, so the ones with the lowest numbers have bigger slanted balconies. Pricing just depends on ship, itinerary, and demand. I’ve seen them priced higher than a regular balcony!
 

There are 16 Studio Interiors (category 2W) on each Quantum-class ship except Odyssey. I believe all of them are grouped with a balcony and junior suite, forming a nice family/group setup with a short shared hallway. A travel agency has posted a video tour of a Studio Interior on Anthem; a link might get deleted so just search “studio interior stateroom anthem” in YouTube to find it. You’ll find 2W on other Royal ship classes - there are a few on Voyager-class and Radiance-class ships, but I don’t think any Oasis-class ships offer any solo cabins.

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31 minutes ago, coastcat said:

I believe all of them are grouped with a balcony and junior suite, forming a nice family/group setup with a short shared hallway.

I don't think that's the case with all of them.  I stayed in 11230 on Anthem and I believe 11232 was the only other room accessible through our hallway/vestibule.

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I had one of the SB for 12 nights on the Quantum.  One of the ones with the largest balconies.  I think those are the XX48 cabins.  I could have lived on that balcony.  The rooms are small, but manageable.  The only seating other than the bed is a backless (I think, might have had a very low back) stool.  Storage is minimal, but I made it work for 12 nights and I don't pack light.  Bathroom was the same as any other standard cabin.  

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  • 2 weeks later...
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  • 8 months later...

I had a single studio interior cabin on Ovation. Never felt so claustrophobic in my life. Saved good dollars, but never again. Now wouldn’t travel without a balcony, obstructed or not. 

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  • 1 month later...

Third time in a RCI solo balcony.  Yes the cabin is so small the ACLU would prohibit it from being a prison cell. But I've loved it each time, and I've got another booked for Jan 23.  Tip -- try to get a xx48 cabin.  The balcony for these cabins is bigger than the cabin.  Many nights I've slung my hammock between the balcony wall supports and slept under the stars.  The balcony is big enough for two recliners with footstools and the table, and the hammock, and two clotheslines for my SCUBA gear, and still room enough to walk around.  (xx50 balcony slightly larger than "normal", xx52 balcony just normal).  Be sure to watch for price drops.  The studio's start out at $400/night. About 15 months from sailing, the price goes down to $210/night, and I can usually book it with just a $100 deposit.  I'm now 8 months out, and today I called in for the latest price drop to $145/night.

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Avoid the interior solo cabins, basically they are the size of the bed with extremely small space at one side.  I also had an issue with room temperature as the "virtual" balcony i.e., TV screen, produced heat even when turned off (and it's right next to the bed), no matter how low I tried to turn down the thermostat the room was uncomfortably warm.  I reported the thermostat to the room steward and was told that it was working "normally".  The only small plus for the solo interiors is that the shower is larger than cruise ship "normal" - it's more like a normal home shower and not the rocket tube size that is provided in most cabins.

 

The balcony cabins, on the other hand, I find just perfect for me - especially if I can get the ones with the larger angled balcony.  Yes, you don't get the extra sofa space of a regular balcony, but I've managed fine without that, even for longer repositioning cruises, taken on both the Quantum and the Ovation.  The larger angled balcony do tend to be mostly shaded due to the overhang (in my experience), but I don't like to "bake" for too long anyway, and it means they are usually a bit more sheltered from the breeze when the ship is moving.  I just did a short trip in a "regular" Deck 12 balcony on the Ovation (the RCCL shakedown from Seattle), and while having all that extra space with the sofa and extra closet space was nice, it was definitely not something I would pay a whole not extra for.

 

I just wish RCCL would offer more of the solo balcony options (I know, I know, bottom line is $$).  I've also done the solo cabins on Harmony (OV not balcony on that ship), if I remember correctly there are about 14 solo cabins on a ship with +5K pax, that's a sad percentage!

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Last week booked solo balcony 6248 on the Anthem for a Bahamas cruise on 11/27. Wasn't there when I first looked at the cruise. It showed up and was cheaper than booking an interior room. Someone probably cancelled. Seven night cruise out of NY was $765 including port tax and fees. Good deal.

Edited by nferr
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