Junior Suite or 2 Connected Balcony rooms

[Scoular]

Hi All,

I’ve booked a Junior Suite for my mum and I in September. After some thought the price is the same as if we’d bought two separate connecting balcony rooms. 

I originally booked the JS for extra room, especially with 2 of us crammed together with her mobility scooter. But if we had 1 room each it wouldn’t be as bad. I’m thinking we’d both have a big bed and a bathroom each and our space. I’m thinking if our cruise gets cancelled, should I consider a change of room type. What are peoples thoughts? This is our first holiday together since I was 13 (17years ago).

My question is, if you book a cabin for one, is it just you pay as if there are two people or is the price cheaper/more expensive? Do you get double points as a “solo” cruiser in one cabin each all the time? Or is it just during this promotion? Any other benefits/negatives you think I should also be considering?

Thanks!

[JasonOasis]

Without prying to deep into your situation I would suggest you book a handicap accessible room this way she has more than enough room to use her scooter inside the room and she can also take the scooter on the balcony because all accessible rooms have a ramp that folds down which give passengers in scooters and wheelchairs access to their balcony.  Accessible rooms cost the same amount of money but you do have more space in the room. 

Just know that if you request an accessible room and no one in your party is found to be in need of the room Royal Caribbean does reserve the right to move you to another room onboard if a passenger onboard needs an accessible room and there are none available.

[Scoular]

49 minutes ago, JasonOasis said:

Without prying to deep into your situation I would suggest you book a handicap accessible room this way she has more than enough room to use her scooter inside the room and she can also take the scooter on the balcony because all accessible rooms have a ramp that folds down which give passengers in scooters and wheelchairs access to their balcony.  Accessible rooms cost the same amount of money but you do have more space in the room. 

Just know that if you request an accessible room and no one in your party is found to be in need of the room Royal Caribbean does reserve the right to move you to another room onboard if a passenger onboard needs an accessible room and there are none available.

We originally looked into this and unfortunately none were available which is why we looked at a normal room. I’ve contacted RCI special needs to ensure she gets a shower chair etc. to support her there. 

[KJones]

Solo cruisers will nearly always pay as if there were 2 people (so essentially paying double), and you would get 2x C&A points. During the current promotion, you would then get 4x points (ex: 7-nighter = 14 points solo x 2 promotion = 28).
With your current JS room, you would receive 2x points for being in a suite, so during the current promotion you would still be getting 4x (7-nighter = 14 points suite x 2 promotion = 28).
By switching to the balconies, you would miss out on any onboard suite benefits that may apply to a JS on your ship.

[Scoular]

6 hours ago, KJones said:

Solo cruisers will nearly always pay as if there were 2 people (so essentially paying double), and you would get 2x C&A points. During the current promotion, you would then get 4x points (ex: 7-nighter = 14 points solo x 2 promotion = 28).
With your current JS room, you would receive 2x points for being in a suite, so during the current promotion you would still be getting 4x (7-nighter = 14 points suite x 2 promotion = 28).
By switching to the balconies, you would miss out on any onboard suite benefits that may apply to a JS on your ship.

I think the only one that slightly interests us is priority check in. I may take a look at this if ours gets cancelled. Thanks!

[Linda R]

20 minutes ago, Scoular said:

I think the only one that slightly interests us is priority check in. I may take a look at this if ours gets cancelled. Thanks!

My husband sometimes uses a cane, and he always get treated as if priority check-in, so he doesn't have to wait in longer line.  I expect check-in to be different now also.  Less people there at one time, etc.  We are Diamond Plus and often in suites, and sometimes the lines to check-in are shorter at the regular stations!

I like the idea of 2 larger beds and 2 baths.  The things you get in JS is coffee/tea pot in room, bathtub, and Coastal Kitchen for dinner only. Those are good perks for me but maybe not for everyone.  Just need to decide what is of more importance and most comfortable  for you and your mom.  Enjoy

[twangster]

Regular cabins may be a challenge trying to get a scooter into the cabin.  Even some JS also can be challenging in this respect but being slightly wider the JS may allow you to walk around the scooter IF you can get it through the cabin door.

A regular cabin has very little room inside for a scooter.

Talk to your TA or Royal about wait listing for an accessible cabin.  Guests cancel cruises all the time and unless you are waitlisted you may never know a cabin briefly became available before someone else saw it and scooped it up. 

[emmef]

Everything @twangster said.  My husband uses a wheelchair or scooter full time.  The one time we sailed in a regular balcony stateroom we had difficulty getting it over the door threshold, difficulty finding a handy outlet to charge it, and difficulty walking around the scooter while it was "stored" or "charging".  When I say we that was me and my then 8 year old son. Definitely get on waitlist for a disabled cabin. It is well worth it. Also in the regular balcony room it is near to impossible to get a scooter over the higher threshold and out onto the balcony.   The lack of and scarcity of disabled cabins on ships is one reason why we book two years out.  If you book far enough out- then you can have some chance of getting a disabled room. 

[Scoular]

@emmef thanks. My mum walks with a stick and either something else to grab onto or my arm! So we should be fine to get out on the balcony. The scooter is mostly to allow her to get around the ship unaided as she can’t walk far even with a stick and an arm.
 

Really helpful to hear all of your thoughts on the cabin! Thanks all!

[Dad2Cue]

On 4/1/2021 at 7:01 AM, emmef said:

My husband uses a wheelchair or scooter full time.

I'm getting there myself.  My next cruise will probably be with a cane or maybe a walker that has a built in seat.  My last couple of cruises involved sitting and hanging out while my wife did her thing.  I've started inviting our daughter to join us just so my wife and daughter could do an excursion together and leave me on the ship.  We have a backlog of 5 cruises planned for 2022.  I keep thinking, that I will need to train for all the cruises by walking a few miles each day.  It is a chronic pain condition but I'm not yet disabled but my family thinks I should get the wheelchair thing for the car.

I wonder if I would be eligible for an accessible cabin?  We have already booked connecting staterooms with our daughter and that works well in terms of a larger balcony and extra bathroom.  We also have a panoramic suite on Mariner that has an extra large room but no balcony that should accommodate everyone.

[emmef]

1 hour ago, Dad2Cue said:

I wonder if I would be eligible for an accessible cabin?  

You simply need to book an accessible room, then fill out the "Special Needs at Sea" form detailing what help you may need.  This form covers everything from handicapped roll in shower, CPAP machines, oxygen, wheelchairs, scooters, shower chairs, braille menus, sharps container, special dietary needs and more. As part of the form you will  also sign an affidavit that you require an accessible room due to a need for accessibility features (i.e. handicapped accessible toilet). You only have to sign that part if you are booked in an accessible room.

When I travel with my mother, I simply fill out the Special Needs form for a sharps container in room and Gluten-Free menu. She doesn't require the Accessible room, but she is diabetic and gluten intolerant.

[Dad2Cue]

21 hours ago, emmef said:

This form covers everything from handicapped roll in shower, CPAP machines, oxygen, wheelchairs, scooters, shower chairs, braille menus, sharps container, special dietary needs and more.

I have need of some of these things. Does Royal provide the scooter while on the ship?  I have no idea how we would travel with one. Just a walker seems cumbersome to travel with.  I must admit that I have scooter envy when I see one.

[twangster]

35 minutes ago, Dad2Cue said:

I have need of some of these things. Does Royal provide the scooter while on the ship?  I have no idea how we would travel with one. Just a walker seems cumbersome to travel with.  I must admit that I have scooter envy when I see one.

 There are approved vendors who can drop them off and pick them up from the ship.  You can rent from them.