Choose your Own or Let Royal pick stateroom?

[smokeybandit]

Only do a GTY if you truly do not care one bit about room location or potential obstructed views.

[Mum2Mercury]

On 5/22/2023 at 7:14 PM, 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!

We've gone with a guarantee more often than not, and we've always been happy.  Specific thoughts: 

- You said "other than the price difference", but that's a pretty significant reason to go with a guarantee.  When the kids were still at home and we could only vacation a couple times each year, we were fussier about our room ... but now that it's just the two of us, and we're retired, we find that any room suits us fine.  The price difference buys a lot of drinks or a nice shore excursion.  

- The worst part about guarantees is waiting for your room to be assigned!  Once we've done our online check-in, I get antsy about not knowing my room number, and I start checking multiple times a day to see if it's been assigned yet.  I feel a bit unsettled until I know my number and am able to print out my boarding pass ... but that isn't enough reason not to go with a guarantee.  

- We always seem to be placed mid-ship 6th floor.  6th isn't a popular floor, but we have decided it's our favorite!  We love being one floor up from the Promenade and close to the MDR; in fact, we chose our cabin for an upcoming cruise, and we chose 6th floor.  

- We have a theory that we keep ending up mid-ship because it often costs a few dollars more than the two ends ... and people don't want to pay it, so those rooms end up being "left over" for guarantees. 

 

On the other hand, a guarantee isn't always the right answer.  We have an extended family cruise planned, and our adult daughter will share a room with us.  Even if a third person hadn't made us more fussy about our choice, a guarantee wasn't a choice for a party of three.  

 

[OCSC Mike]

4 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Once we've done our online check-in, I get antsy about not knowing my room number, and I start checking multiple times a day to see if it's been assigned yet.

 

Are you not using the bar code trick?

[Mum2Mercury]

20 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Are you not using the bar code trick?

Yes, but I start WANTING TO KNOW once I've done the online check-in, and The Trick doesn't usually work quite that early. 

 

Oh, I should have said:  I have been in the dreaded obstructed view room, and -- for the price -- I was quite happy.

[Cruiser24]

On 5/26/2023 at 7:09 PM, OCSC Mike said:

 

Are you not using the bar code trick?

Please explain the barcode trick again.  I downloaded my seapass to Apple wallet but still don’t see the room number.  Thanks.

[OCSC Mike]

10 minutes ago, Cruiser24 said:

Please explain the barcode trick again.  I downloaded my seapass to Apple wallet but still don’t see the room number.  Thanks.

There should be numbers under the bar code. If you see “GTY” instead of numbers to the right of the dash then you haven’t been assigned a cabin yet & just have to keep checking. The numbers to the right of the dash represent your cabin.

 

One tip off is that if you see a muster station listed on your sea pass then you likely have been assigned your cabin.

 

Hope this helps.

[Cruiser24]

17 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

There should be numbers under the bar code. If you see “GTY” instead of numbers to the right of the dash then you haven’t been assigned a cabin yet & just have to keep checking. The numbers to the right of the dash represent your cabin.

 

One tip off is that if you see a muster station listed on your sea pass then you likely have been assigned your cabin.

 

Hope this helps.

Yes, this was very helpful.  It still says GTY so I’ll keep checking.  Thank you.

[LisaLisa87]

On 5/23/2023 at 10:35 AM, OCSC Mike said:

 

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

I realize the OP has already made their decision, but I figured I’d answer this question in case others are curious. I’m not sure how common it is, but ocean view balcony GTY was an option for my recent oasis cruise. While I initially wasn’t sure about the location, it ended up being great (and unobstructed).

[DukeASUGirl]

On 5/26/2023 at 4:04 PM, Mum2Mercury said:

 

- The worst part about guarantees is waiting for your room to be assigned!  Once we've done our online check-in, I get antsy about not knowing my room number, and I start checking   

- We always seem to be placed mid-ship 6th floor.  6th isn't a popular floor, but we have decided it's our favorite!  We love being one floor up from the Promenade and close to the MDR; in fact, we chose our cabin for an upcoming cruise, and we chose 6th floor.  

- We have a theory that we keep ending up mid-ship because it often costs a few dollars more than the two ends ... and people don't want to pay it, so those rooms end up being "left over" for guarantees.  

 

 

This is exactly where my parents were placed with their Balcony GTY on Navigator! 6th floor, midship. And they actually loved it. Quiet, easy to get to MDR, and they aren't pool people.

 

Since it isn't an Oasis-class, there is no such thing as a non-Oceanview Balcony on Nav, so that was never a concern. And it turns out that none of the balconies have obstructed views, either. So it worked out well for them. 

[Mum2Mercury]

4 minutes ago, DukeASUGirl said:

 

This is exactly where my parents were placed with their Balcony GTY on Navigator! 6th floor, midship. And they actually loved it. Quiet, easy to get to MDR, and they aren't pool people.

 

Since it isn't an Oasis-class, there is no such thing as a non-Oceanview Balcony on Nav, so that was never a concern. And it turns out that none of the balconies have obstructed views, either. So it worked out well for them. 

It's good to hear that someone else had the same experience I did.  We ARE pool people, but we go up and stay a while, so I don't mind having to go up in the elevator.

[DukeASUGirl]

2 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

It's good to hear that someone else had the same experience I did.  We ARE pool people, but we go up and stay a while, so I don't mind having to go up in the elevator.

 

Being from Arizona, we found it quite chilly sailing out of LA, thus my parents never venturing to the pools. I did the waterslides and Flowrider a few times, but mostly stayed in the hot tub if I was up on deck. Never laid out because, well, I'm from Arizona. LOL

[Jasukkie]

I've never gotten an obstructed view when I've done balcony GTY. The big risk is being far from the elevator, which has happened to me. You have to decide how much money that is worth to you. If the price difference is enough I go with the GTY.

[joeyancho]

On 5/23/2023 at 2:19 AM, Mick B said:

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

You forgot abducted by aliens.  😉

[Mum2Mercury]

15 hours ago, Jasukkie said:

I've never gotten an obstructed view when I've done balcony GTY. The big risk is being far from the elevator, which has happened to me. You have to decide how much money that is worth to you. If the price difference is enough I go with the GTY.

I may've already said that I've had an obstructed view, and -- for the savings -- I was fine with it.  If I'd paid full price, I would've been upset.  

 

On the other hand, being far from the elevator has its pros and cons.  Farther from the elevator means less foot traffic past your cabin; thus, quieter.