Royal Caribbean's new cabin design solves the noise problem in connecting rooms.
In March, I went on Star of the Seas for a 7-night cruise to Mexico and Honduras and I paid $2597.34 for each category CB stateroom.
I booked two connecting balcony rooms so that we had separation from my kids and we had two bathrooms, which has become a must-have when cruising with teenagers.
We stayed in cabins 12696 and 12698, which is on deck 12 and a short walk from the aft elevators.
After a few days, I regretted not booking our rooms on a lower deck. I like to rely on the stairs to quickly get down to the Royal Promenade, but I wish I had a cabin on deck 8 or 9 instead because the walk would have been shorter.
Regardless of deck, I prefer to pick a cabin near the elevators to reduce the walking distance and increase convenience.
I've stayed in connecting rooms before, but there's a major difference with them on Star of the Seas. Instead of a connecting door inside the room, there's now a new feature that I think is pure genius.
Royal Caribbean added a pair of outside doors to solve a problem connecting cabins traditionally had of the interior common door being flimsy and not very soundproof.
The idea with these rooms is you can close off the outside doors and then keep your primary cabin door open or unlocked so you can easily go between each.
The advantage of this approach is if you don't know someone in the other connecting cabin, you don't have an interior door to contend with. It's a wonderful little fix.
This seemingly solves the reason why connecting rooms were on our list of cabins to avoid on a cruise ship.
Access to the outside door still requires a tap of the RFID Seapass card (or Wow Band), and you can open or close the outer doors anytime you want.
The flexibility to deploy the outside doors or not meant we could keep it simple during the day, but close them at night in case us or the kids needed to pass through the rooms quickly.
Walking into the cabin, it's far from a giant cabin. This is a standard balcony room with enough room for two passengers to comfortably enjoy it.
The king size bed is found immediately as we pass into the room. Like most Royal Caribbean beds, it can be split apart upon request.
On both sides of the bed is a reading light switch, along with a USB-A outlet.
There is a large closet near the bed, which is where most of the storage space is located.
Royal Caribbean provides hangers for your use, so you don't need to bring any extras with you.
The most controversial thing about this cabin are the wire baskets at the bottom.
Instead of drawers there are these heavy black baskets that screech every time you pull or push them in because they rub against the wood below it.
Frankly, I hate this and don't understand why the baskets were ever approved given how loud they are to slide in and out. Plus, I don't love the idea of my garments being visible from within the basket.
Some of our readers suggested removing the baskets and hiding them under the bed, which is a pretty good idea.
Next to the closet is a full-length mirror, which if you pull it open, reveals the safe.
Kind of a neat idea to hide the safe behind the mirror.
There is a large television across from the bed, which has a few channels to watch. My favorite is the non-stop Back to the Future movies channel loop.
Next to the TV are a set of shelves, with an extra USB outlet here. I'm not certain why there's a USB outlet, but it's there.
There is a vanity as you move deeper into the cabin, which also has additional drawers.
The vanity has a mirror and many power outlets. There is a universal AC outlet, along with one USB-A and one USB-C outlet.
Opposite the vanity is a sofa, which ends up being the "place all our junk gets put on". But theoretically, you could sit or lay on it.
The balcony is accessible via a sliding door, where you'll find two chairs and a table.
Having a balcony room is such a nice plus. It's a wonderful space to enjoy and just large enough for two people to comfortably be out there.
Back inside the room, the bathroom is small, but the space is used effectively.
The best thing about a bathroom on Star of the Seas is the shower.
Instead of a tubular shape, Royal Caribbean has a much wider option with sliding door and even a bench.
Overall, connecting balcony rooms are my favorite option for families that want to cruise together, but not share the same room.
Suites are so much more expensive than connecting rooms. Plus, this new connecting outside door idea is a really smart upgrade for families, or a lovely workaround if you happen to end up in a connecting balcony room and don't know the people in the other room.
