chussey07 Posted March 15, 2023 Report Share Posted March 15, 2023 Hi, I have a 7 night cruise booked in April on BotS in Alaska that I am so excited for! This is only possible because my mother in law has accumulated a ton of travel reward points on her credit card and used them toward booking the cruise. It will be myself, my husband and my MIL in an inside cabin, as that is all we could afford at the time of booking. I have a couple of concerns about the three of us traveling in an inside cabin together for an entire week and had some questions for you all about upgrade options (as this is my first cruise and I'm trying to learn as much as possible!). If it helps to know this, my MIL is in her 70s and may have a hard time getting into a pullman bed, so it may be me sleeping in the pullman. 1) Since it's a very early cruise to AK, is it possible that they will have empty inside cabins that we can purchase last-minute for a much lower fare, giving us two rooms instead of one? 2) Does anyone know if the couch extends out in the cabin or if it's just the pullman beds for additional sleeping options? 3) I know a little about RoyalUp but not much about the rooms themselves... would upgrading to an oceanview or balcony room really give us much more space? Thanks in advance for any insight you might have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 24, 2023 Report Share Posted March 24, 2023 On 3/15/2023 at 9:36 AM, chussey07 said: 1) Since it's a very early cruise to AK, is it possible that they will have empty inside cabins that we can purchase last-minute for a much lower fare, giving us two rooms instead of one? Anything's possible. Early season does help the chance, but then again, cruises are so popular right now that even shoulder season sailings are booked up. Still, Alaska cruises don't get the deluge of last-minute local bookings like Florida. So it's possible, but I wouldn't bet on it. On 3/15/2023 at 9:36 AM, chussey07 said: 2) Does anyone know if the couch extends out in the cabin or if it's just the pullman beds for additional sleeping options The deck plan should indicate if it's a pullman bed or couch. Look for a little symbol next to the room number. On 3/15/2023 at 9:36 AM, chussey07 said: 3) I know a little about RoyalUp but not much about the rooms themselves... would upgrading to an oceanview or balcony room really give us much more space? You do get more living space, so it's nice to have. Essential? No, but nice to have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlantix2000 Posted March 24, 2023 Report Share Posted March 24, 2023 On 3/15/2023 at 8:36 AM, chussey07 said: 2) Does anyone know if the couch extends out in the cabin or if it's just the pullman beds for additional sleeping options? 3) I know a little about RoyalUp but not much about the rooms themselves... would upgrading to an oceanview or balcony room really give us much more space? I'll agree with Matt that the additional sleeping arrangement depends on exactly what category and cabin you booked. Also, most interior rooms are similar to the oceanview/balcony rooms in that the door is on the short end of the rectangular room. However, there are a few cabins on some ships that are "sideways" so the door is in the middle of the long side of the rectangular room. I've heard those feel larger due to the difference in furniture arrangement. The deck plans for Brilliance of the Seas list all standard interior rooms and all standard oceanview rooms as 170 sq ft. Standard balcony rooms are only slightly larger at 179 sq ft (plus balcony) and spacious balconies are 204 sq ft (plus balcony). However, usually they put a 3 seat couch instead of a 2 seat couch in those rooms which uses up some of the difference. In my opinion, you'd be paying for the view/balcony not the extra space. The exceptions are the few ultra-spacious oceanview rooms or the handicap-accessible rooms (in all categories) which are listed as 258 sq ft. That's a size difference you can definitely feel and appreciate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FireFishII Posted March 24, 2023 Report Share Posted March 24, 2023 On 3/15/2023 at 9:36 AM, chussey07 said: 3) I know a little about RoyalUp but not much about the rooms themselves... would upgrading to an oceanview or balcony room really give us much more space? One thing to remember about the RoyalUp program, is the price you bid is per person - for the first two. This means if you were to bid $100 to be upgraded to a balcony, you will be paying $200 if you win the bid. The present prices are $429/Interior, $450/Outside view, and $629/Balcony. Ha, but when I went to do a mock booking, I found even lower prices if RCL picks your room and higher prices if you pick your rooms. Interesting. If any of those prices are within your budget, I would call your TA or RCL and asked for the upgrade now instead of waiting for RoyalUp. Neesa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazeylab Posted March 24, 2023 Report Share Posted March 24, 2023 In my opinion. No way. I’d rather not go under those circumstances. Don’t expect/plan any last minute deals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted March 24, 2023 Report Share Posted March 24, 2023 If you want 2 rooms…book the second one now. At least you will have 2 bathrooms that way! Do not count on Royal Up…there is no guarantee your bid would be the winner! Of course that would just leave you as you are right now…3 adults in one interior room. You can go to cruisedeckplans.com and look up Brilliance of the Seas and find your deck and room number. If your exact room does not have a picture or movie clip attached then look at one close by to your room. You will see exactly what it looks like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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