Charging more to pick your cabin???

[Scoobydobe7]

So Royal is charging you more to pick your cabin???   WOW!!!  I guess it is "anything for a buck"   IMO -- CHEAP TACTIC....

 

So my question is...if you have Royal pick your room, after it is assigned....can you switch you room to a "same category" room without a penalty???

 

Thanks

[BND]

It's always been cheaper to book a guarantee as far as I know.  Not completely sure about your question as we've never done a guarantee.

Edited March 15, 2019 by BND

[drunkfish3]

No they are charging less if you don't want to pick. 

[Scoobydobe7]

When you go to book, you get two options for the category "Let us pick your room" or "you pick your room"   If you choose to pick your own room it is usually 100+ more per person....which IMO is insane... 

 

 

Edited March 15, 2019 by Scoobydobe7

[stevea36]

They are now showing that guarantees are available but naming them "let us pick your room".   These have always been there but have not necessarily been available on all categories or sailings and definitely not always on their website.

 

Steve

[Iamcruzin]

I have learned over this past year through CC and my experience with booking a cruise and making purchase through the cruise planner that it will probably be my last cruise with Royal for a long time. It's just too expensive per day in comparison with similar itineraries on other lines. I hate the obvious fake sales and the new additional charges such as the key. I will say that they probably have the most reasonably priced internet service. This will be my second sailing in almost 20yrs. I may be another 20yrs before I book again.

Edited March 15, 2019 by Iamcruzin

[katiemylady]

I find that the guarantee rooms (the "let us pick your room") are on a lower floor (floors 2-4) and when you are allowed to pick your own room, you can usually get a room on a more preferable floor.

[Homosassa]

17 minutes ago, Scoobydobe7 said:

When you go to book, you get two options for the category "Let us pick your room" or "you pick your room"   If you choose to pick your own room it is usually 100+ more per person....which IMO is insane... 

 

 

 

I take it you are new to cruising? I have been cruising for over forty years and there was always a choice of fares that were either pick your cabin or the lesser fare called "guaranteed" where you took your chances on the cabin that would be assigned to you.

 

So if you need to save  a buck, take the guaranteed fare but remember you may receive the least desirable cabin in the category that you pick.  

[Homosassa]

5 minutes ago, katiemylady said:

I find that the guarantee rooms (the "let us pick your room") are on a lower floor (floors 2-4) and when you are allowed to pick your own room, you can usually get a room on a more preferable floor.

 

LOL - another misconception about the lower floors. There are many experienced cruisers  that understand the mantra of "low and midship" as actually being the more desirable locations.

[spookwife]

31 minutes ago, Scoobydobe7 said:

So Royal is charging you more to pick your cabin???   WOW!!!  I guess it is "anything for a buck"   IMO -- CHEAP TACTIC....

 

So my question is...if you have Royal pick your room, after it is assigned....can you switch you room to a "same category" room without a penalty???

 

Thanks

No.  They charge less if you let them choose the cabin.    Switching locations may not be an option.  It will depend on what is available.

[Scoobydobe7]

11 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

 

I take it you are new to cruising? I have been cruising for over forty years and there was always a choice of fares that were either pick your cabin or the lesser fare called "guaranteed" where you took your chances on the cabin that would be assigned to you.

 

So if you need to save  a buck, take the guaranteed fare but remember you may receive the least desirable cabin in the category that you pick.  

Not new to cruising....and not new to RC....They have changed their website when  booking a cruise in 2020.  And I am not embarrassed by "saving a buck" ... Royal never made you pick an option before booking your cabin (at least since 1998) and now they are.

Edited March 15, 2019 by Scoobydobe7

[drunkfish3]

32 minutes ago, Scoobydobe7 said:

When you go to book, you get two options for the category "Let us pick your room" or "you pick your room"   If you choose to pick your own room it is usually 100+ more per person....which IMO is insane... 

 

 

I understand what i am saying is they are giving you a discount if you don't pick your room which is nice of them. IMO 

[robtulipe]

21 minutes ago, spookwife said:

No.  They charge less if you let them choose the cabin.    Switching locations may not be an option.  It will depend on what is available.

Also lately RCI appears to be assigning cabins to guarantees but not showing what cabin it is so one doesn't known what category to look for cabins in.

IMO they are trying to hinder a cabin switch for assigned guarantee bookings.

This has happen to one of the bookings for our group which is a guarantee on our next cruise. The Set Sail pass shows the muster station and eDocs shows a deck number so a cabin must be assigned but that booking still shows as a guarantee. This is still happening even though our Oasis TA sailing next month has no current cabins available.

Edited March 15, 2019 by robtulipe

[GEORGIEGIRL]

23 minutes ago, Scoobydobe7 said:

Not new to cruising....and not new to RC....They have changed their website when  booking a cruise in 2020.  And I am not embarrassed by "saving a buck" ... Royal never made you pick an option before booking your cabin (at least since 1998) and now they are.

Yes they dd. Only it used to be called a guarantee cabin. Been that way for years....

[CruisinCrow]

1 hour ago, Scoobydobe7 said:

So Royal is charging you more to pick your cabin???   WOW!!!  I guess it is "anything for a buck"   IMO -- CHEAP TACTIC....

 

 

They've been doing that since we started cruising in 1991.  It's not new.

[dutchclogs]

42 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

 

LOL - another misconception about the lower floors. There are many experienced cruisers  that understand the mantra of "low and midship" as actually being the more desirable locations.

 

Perhaps the perception that hotel upgrades are often to 'higher' floors is at play here?  (I do appreciate that a very high deck is likely to be more motion sensitive though!)

[hallux]

Some airlines charge more to let you pick your seat, how is this different?

[Mikew0805]

That is not always the case. There are times when picking your own cabin is less expensive than the guarantee option. All depends on what they are trying to push. On several of mine it was less expensive to pick the cabin. 

[robtulipe]

10 minutes ago, dutchclogs said:

 

Perhaps the perception that hotel upgrades are often to 'higher' floors is at play here?  (I do appreciate that a very high deck is likely to be more motion sensitive though!)

Higher deck Ocean view and balcony cabins typically has a better view and all cabins are more convenient to to upper decks public area and attractions like the solarium, sport's area, gym and windjammer buffer restaurant so there is a perceived value to this. 

Edited March 15, 2019 by robtulipe

[CRUISEFAN0001]

This is all very simple. 

 

In once case...when you select your cabin based on your own personal preferences. Experienced cruisers may choose certain cabins based on Deck, location on the ship (port, starboard, features, balcony size, etc.).

 

In the second case (where they assign a cabin)...essentially you will get a cabin among those remaining in the 'leftover pool".

 

Charging for "preferences" is not unique to cruise lines.

[squadron]

55 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

 

LOL - another misconception about the lower floors. There are many experienced cruisers  that understand the mantra of "low and midship" as actually being the more desirable locations.

There is a old adage - the more you pay the more you sway.  That is - in rough seas the higher floors sway more.  Mid ship is more stable also.

[Sitzmark]

1 hour ago, Homosassa said:

 

LOL - another misconception about the lower floors. There are many experienced cruisers  that understand the mantra of "low and midship" as actually being the more desirable locations.

not to everyone.

[AnnaNicole]

I booked a NE/Canada cruise on Anthem over a month ago and almost every balcony category still shows as a guarantee (I am not talking about XB, I am talking about E & F categories).  Only one or two balcony categories have cabins available for selection.    This is either through the "Pick your own" or "We pick for you."   Of course, the price (of the guarantee) is higher on the Pick you own - even though it PYO only shows guarantee availability.   LOL.     It is weird.   

 

 

 

Edited March 15, 2019 by AnnaNicole

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, Scoobydobe7 said:

When you go to book, you get two options for the category "Let us pick your room" or "you pick your room"   If you choose to pick your own room it is usually 100+ more per person....which IMO is insane... 

 

 

 

I've seen it basically the same and I've seen it cheaper as well. Usually more expensive 

[stevea36]

I'm content with guarantees.   on my upcoming cruise on AD my friends and I were able to get a "bargain" price on a gty thru my TA..  we saved over $1000 per person vs the going rate, and, to boot, it was refundable as it was booked directly into a group.

 

My comment is "for $1000 per person I'd sleep in a lifeboat".

 

we all got our cabins allocated as of yesterday:  3 were 6B cabins towards the AFT of decks 6 and 7.   1 (mine) was a 3D hump cabin...   we booked 6D gty cabins...

 

Steve