Choose your Own or Let Royal pick stateroom?

[JanNSteH]

Without having to scroll through tons of topics, can someone explain the pros and cons of RCL choosing a stateroom for you instead of selecting your own.  Other than price difference, I would like to know if those who elected to have RCL choose a stateroom, were you happy with it? Anxious to hear from passengers who did this.  Thanks!

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, JanNSteH said:

Without having to scroll through tons of topics, can someone explain the pros and cons of RCL choosing a stateroom for you instead of selecting your own.  Other than price difference, I would like to know if those who elected to have RCL choose a stateroom, were you happy with it? Anxious to hear from passengers who did this.  Thanks!

The results are all over the place, some get great rooms, some don't.

 

You cant book a guarantee that is refundable.

 

If the ship that you are booking on has obstructed balconies that is likely what you will be assigned.

[OCSC Mike]

I have booked plenty of interior guarantees (that's letting RC pick your room) to save money over the years b/c my wife and I don't care a great deal about our cabin. It's just a place to sleep, shower, and get changed for us.

 

Naturally sometimes we've liked our location more than other times. Once officially assigned your cabin, you are free to call and switch to any other cabin in the same exact category (assuming any are available). The ability to switch has always made it even less of a big deal for us.

 

Now, all that said... since prices have gone up, the last minute deals I used to get are no longer available. So I now use a TA to book farther out who has gotten me rates below the GTY rates on the RC website except they are for assignable cabins and the deposits are refundable... making it a no-brainer.

 

Hope that helps.

[KPookey]

The only issue is if you are picky regarding noise or motion. 
Certain cabins may be noisy…around/below dining, pool deck, music or theaters.  
You will feel motion in certain cabins more. 

[MellowMel]

If you truly do not care where your cabin is on the ship, let Royal pick it. If it matters what deck, view, elevator proximity what’s above or below your deck, or any other thing, select it yourself.

 

I select my cabin 99% of the time. The few times I have let Royal pick were fine but I’m not picky and don’t spend a lot of time in my cabin.
 

I see a lot of posts from people who take the guaranteed cabin rate then complain when they get their assignment. So if you think you would be disappointed with any particular area of the ship, don’t book the guaranteed stateroom. 

Edited May 23, 2023 by MellowMel

[MommaBear55]

2 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

I have booked plenty of interior guarantees (that's letting RC pick your room) to save money over the years b/c my wife and I don't care a great deal about our cabin. It's just a place to sleep, shower, and get changed for us.

 

Naturally sometimes we've liked our location more than other times. Once officially assigned your cabin, you are free to call and switch to any other cabin in the same exact category (assuming any are available). The ability to switch has always made it even less of a big deal for us.

 

Now, all that said... since prices have gone up, the last minute deals I used to get are no longer available. So I now use a TA to book farther out who has gotten me rates below the GTY rates on the RC website except they are for assignable cabins and the deposits are refundable... making it a no-brainer.

 

Hope that helps.

The ability to switch is limited. You cannot do it if you are in the UK, you can from North America

[OCSC Mike]

1 minute ago, MommaBear55 said:

The ability to switch is limited. You cannot do it if you are in the UK, you can from North America

This is true. The OP is from the US (going by their location at least).

[Mick B]

Hi all,

Choosing your room or letting Royal depends on a few things.

 

I would sometimes select a GTY if the price is considerably lower than picking my own room if the ship is smaller one where things are not too far to get to and if I will be sailing somewhere calm.

 

You see, on a bigger ship you have to factor in that you may be put at the very back and there is then quite a walk even to the aft lifts, and if you are at the very front during say a TA or rough seas, then motion and wave noise may come into play more than before.

Also, it is pot luck as to where they will put you in terms of things like being under the MDR with tables being moved above you at all hours or below the pool deck with runners jogging at 6am or equipment starting up or staff banging doors using a crew cut-through next to your cabin.

If you are really not bothered where you are going to be put and don't get upset or disturbed easily by noise and also have good health and are OK with walking, then a GTY is probably a good bet for you.

However, if you are going to be bothered by some or all of the things I have mentioned above, then booking your own room away from all those things will be wise.

 

Remember, you can always go to guest services if you are not happy with where you have been put and I am sure they will do their best to move you if a better room is (or becomes) available.

 

However, with ships now running back to pre-covid capacities, if not greater due to high demand, then the chance of bagging a better room once on board is going to be tricky.

 

I would suggest the following, wait until the ship has left port as by this time guest services should know who has not made it to the ship and what rooms are available - but remember we now have this Royal-Up program in play, so that may take priority in shifting people around first before guest services can give you a answer.

 

If you can survive in your room for a couple of nights, then go to guest services on day 2 or 3 as there may now be in a better place to move you to as someone may have been arrested and removed from the ship at the first port of call or got left at a port after a bad accident or got helicoptered off the ship to a hospital on land or even died in the MDR and their rooms may become available - and yes I know all this sounds bad, but I have been on ships where all the above have happened, but not all on the same cruise!

 

Mick.

 

 

 

 

[Cruise a holic]

We have always booked the location of our cabin or suite.  Sometimes you get what you get and we wouldn't be happy with a location under the gym or above the theatre- so for us, to save a few dollars not worth it.  Also since more people are now sailing and the ships are pretty full, you are unlikely to get a great stateroom or suite with a guarantee.

 

It would ruin my trip if the location of the stateroom was poor.  Not worth it for us.  We like to relax in our stateroom- IMO more then a place to sleep and shower.

[OCSC Mike]

3 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

It would ruin my trip if the location of the stateroom was poor.  Not worth it for us.  We like to relax in our stateroom- IMO more then a place to sleep and shower.

 

This will always be one of the biggest factors. Different strokes... which is one of the reasons it's great they have so many options.

 

We have location preferences but have never once had a cruise ruined b/c of cabin location. We did come close to getting a cabin in what we would consider one of our least desirable locations last July... but I likely could have switched and, as it turned out, we won a small Royal Up that made the original assignment moot.

[Sigyn]

I let Royal choose my balcony, knowing it would be a neighborhood balcony, on the Harmony, and it was a great room in Central Park. I was perfectly happy and saved $1,000. They assigned it just a few days after I booked my cruise so I didn't have to wait and see, either. I did the same with Norwegian, again, was given a great room that was a slight upgrade. And I did the same with Celebrity. All good each time. 

 

None of these were "sail away" cabins or whatever it's called on some cruise lines, but guarantees. 

Edited May 23, 2023 by njsmom

[OCSC Mike]

Just now, njsmom said:

I let Royal choose my balcony, knowing it would be a neighborhood balcony, on the Harmony, and it was a great room in Central Park. I was perfectly happy and saved $1,000. 

 

Certain categories (like yours) are obviously limited to a much more specific range of locations, which is certainly a plus.

 

When I was booking interior GTYs, I could wind up all over the ship.

[Ideb]

It was around a thousand dollars more to choose a balcony cabin for my cruise. I didn't know at the time about the interior balconies on Oasis class ships.  I'm currently sitting on my central park balcony watching a gardener move plants to their new location to be planted and listening to the birds chirping  soundtrack but I can feel a breeze and it's fine.  Next time I want an ocean view balcony for sure. 

[OCSC Mike]

4 minutes ago, Ideb said:

Next time I want an ocean view balcony for sure. 

 

Pretty sure there were OV balcony GTYs at one point. Not sure if they still exist. Someone else will know.

Edited May 23, 2023 by OCSC Mike

[Another_Critic]

6 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Pretty sure there were OV balcony GTYs at one point. Not sure if they still exist. Someone else will know.

Rarely offered online for Oasis class, but a TA can get an OV (vs. Neighborhood) balcony guarantee, if available.

 

Edited May 23, 2023 by Another_Critic

[twangster]

I recently spun the GTY wheel and ended up with a pretty decent balcony location.  Not too far from an elevator lobby and on a deck I like.   If there were only a handful of cabins to pick from and this cabin was one of them I would have picked it myself. 

 

The category I was assigned is closed and there has been nothing else I could think about moving to but I've stopped looking as I am okay with my assignment. Pretty happy really. 

 

I used the bar code trick to learn of my cabin about 10 days before it became official. 

[jacobtsf]

1 hour ago, Another_Critic said:

Rarely offered online for Oasis class, but a TA can get an OV (vs. Neighborhood) balcony guarantee, if available.

 

As can Royal if you call.

[depplep]

I think it needs stressed again to the OP that a guarantee is non refundable. Just in case that matters to them. 

[JanNSteH]

Thanks so much to all of you who responded.  My decision has been made.  I will choose the room.

[Bruin Steve]

One note:  I CARE about the cabin location, etc.  I prefer midship, I prefer near elevators...Some balconies have overhangs, some have obstructions...Some cabins might be right below the pool deck or a dance floor...Some cabins have larger balconies.  So, given a chance to choose my own, it's preferable...

 

EXCEPT...

1)  Where the cost savings is great...and how much you'd have to save depends on YOU...or

2)  When there aren't really any great cabins left if I picked my own.

 

I just booked a 15 night segment on the otherwise World Cruise.  Most of the ship is already showing as "sold out".  If I picked my own cabin, the only two choices left were Deck 3 OVs in the extreme front of the ship.  So, I saved $500 and took a guarantee.  I cannot do much worse than had I chosen my own...and there's a much greater chance someone cancels and I get assigned a much better located cabin.  Worst case, I get one of those cabins I would have booked if choosing my own, but saved $500!  

Edited May 23, 2023 by Bruin Steve

[George C]

There is only one category for all the suites and we do not want a junior suite so we need to pick, if junior suites were not included I would let them pick the suite.

[reallyitsmema]

9 minutes ago, George C said:

There is only one category for all the suites and we do not want a junior suite so we need to pick, if junior suites were not included I would let them pick the suite.

 

We will roll the suite guaranty dice, but only on certain ships.  We do not like the center aft facing cabins on deck 6 and 7 on Voyager and Freedom class ships, so we always pick a cabin on those classes.  We can deal with a JS, so have taken the chance a few times in the past when the price difference was large.  We did end up with a 2 bedroom GS on Anthem once that has made us want larger cabins now. 😄 

[offtosee]

We booked a GTY balcony for our first cruise (Allure of the Seas). We ended up in a great cabin. It was an interior balcony, yes, but it had the extra Pullman bed so my two kids didn't have to share the sofa bed. Excellent luck for us!

[vswan]

I would have done a guarantee, but was booking a balcony on Oasis and the only spot on the web booking section that had the guarantee as an option was at the beginning of the balcony booking - meaning I could have had any balcony cabin - interior-facing or OV. The only way to guarantee an OV was to click on select your own cabin. I didn't book online, called Royal to book. I was not offered guarantee as an option, but I also did not ask.

 

I have booked many guarantee rooms in the past on many different lines. Overall, have had a few not so desirable rooms, but most were pretty good, and saved quite a bit of money.

[Bruin Steve]

One thing a lot of folks don't realize is that the cruise line offers DIFFERENT types of guarantees at different levels.   A balcony guarantee does not always mean "any balcony".  You may not see these on the website when booking on your own, but a good travel agent will be able to book you a guarantee with more desirable parameters.

 

When we booked our upcoming cruise on Quantum, our travel agent booked us three "Unobstructed Ocean View Balcony" guarantees (We're taking the kids)...We were assured not just balcony cabins but a specific minimum category of balcony cabins.  When we finally got assigned, we got three Deck 13 midship category 1D Ocean View Balconies.  We never bore the risk of getting, for example, an obstructed view balcony (a 1E or 2E on Quantum).  Likewise, you can book an OCEAN VIEW Balcony Guarantee on the big ships and avoid getting assigned a park or promenade view.