I found a 'secret suite' idea on a Royal Caribbean cruise that has more space and privacy, and it feels like getting a free upgrade
In:As someone that cruises a lot, I've heard from other cruisers about "secret" cabins on Royal Caribbean ships.
When new ships come out, the layout of the ship sometimes creates unique configurations. If you're creative enough, they can end up being a really smart idea.
Even though there are lots of suites available to book for a family to share, they can be very expensive and may not have more than one bathroom. If you have teenagers, this is important.
On Anthem of the Seas there's a trio of rooms you could book to hack together to create your own giant space with much more room than any suite.
But there's a catch: This trick won't include any of the suite perks.
Three cabins combined
RoyalCaribbeanBlog reader Jason Brooks shared this tip on how he recently went on Anthem of the Seas and took full advantage of this "three bedroom suite" idea.
If you look at the deck plans for Anthem of the Seas, there is a trio of rooms that combine together as the layout of the ship curves.
This occurs across decks 6 through 13 with the following grouping of cabin numbers:
- 230
- 232
- 228
- 632
- 630
- 628
Cabins ending in 232, 230 or 632, 630 have a private door that leads to the main door for each cabin. You can close the outside door, providing privacy to go between these two cabins.
The third cabin comes with the room ending in 228 or 628, as it's a standard balcony cabin with a connecting balcony.
If you can book all three rooms together for a sailing, you could get your own three bedroom suite, with space for everyone.
The Junior Suite is the "master bedroom" with 267 square feet of space
If you imagine these trio of cabins as rooms within a bigger suite, I'd imagine this would be the room the parents or leader of the group would take.
Greg Brockman took photos of this cabin on his sailing, showing off what you get.
For cabin 9632, it's a category J1 Junior Suite. Despite the name, it's not a full suite and doesn't have all the amenities of a Grand Suite.
Nonetheless, it's a big room that can handle up to four passengers.
There's a ton of natural light thanks to the double set of windows, one of which is the door to your balcony.
The room has a king size bed that can be combined or split up. There's also a double sofa bed in this room as well.
One thing I love about Quantum Class ships is how much storage space there is. You certainly won't run out of space to put all your belongings, even on a longer sailing.
Not only does this room share a common private hallway with 9630, but the balcony is the secret sauce to all of this. It's balcony could open up to 9628 (balcony room).
The studio is perfect for kids or a friend
Next door to the Junior Suite is a Studio Interior cabin, and it's small, but perfect for one person.
Ordinarily booking someone in a room by themselves incurs a penalty known as the single supplement fee. But studio rooms are exempt from this!
Kaitlyn Swing shared photos of cabin 7630, and it gives you a good idea of the space.
This room was meant for one person, so there's enough room for just one person.
It's an inside cabin, which means there's no windows or natural light. However, it does have a virtual balcony. This means you get a real-time view from outside the ship on a high definition screen that can be turned on or off. There's even a curtain for the "balcony".
The room has its own private bathroom with shower and toilet.
It's the perfect room for an older teen or friend of the family traveling with you.
The connecting balcony room finishes the trio
The Junior Suite and Studio Interior are a good option for some, but if you want a kids room, I'd go one step further with this hack and get the balcony room that combines to that private hallway.
The balcony room has a connecting door that opens up to the hallway the other two cabins share, and it's a neat option for larger families.
Plus, the balcony connects to the Junior Suite's balcony as well.
This is a standard oceanview balcony with 198 square feet of living space, with room for up to two guests.
I'd recommend this be the kids room or the spot for your parents.
Don't book this combo on two decks
While this trio of secret rooms exists on decks six through thirteen, I wouldn't book it on two of the decks.
If you book it on deck six, you'll get an obstructed balcony because of the lifeboats.
It might save you money by going with deck six, but the view will be ruined and that could be very disappointing.
I also wouldn't book this on deck 13 either.
The issue with the cabins on this deck is because of the extended overhang from the pool deck that makes the balcony feel more like a cave.
Likewise, there is noise bleed that can occur from deck 14 with the Windjammer, pool, and Solarium above you.
Stick to decks 7 through 12 to ensure you're clear of these issues.
