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| Category C, Superior Ocean View Suite | |||||||||||||||||
| A PARNAMI Cruise Page | |||||||||||||||||
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Category C is Royal Caribbean’s designation for its mini suites with verandahs. Cat C cabins are wider than the less expensive verandah offerings, with three Category C’s occupying the same space as four category D’s. Other than size, and the inclusion of a bathtub, rather than a shower stall, there is no real differentiation between cabins designated “stateroom" versus those designated “suite”. Category C’s occupy 237 square feet of space (14.6 by 20.2 feet), excluding the verandah. The Room is comfortable, with enough room for entertaining. There is no stocked bar, but a refrigerator does sit, waiting your own supplies, bought from duty free shops on the pier or on board. YES, you are permitted to bring your own liquor on board FOR IN CABIN USE! Don't abuse the privilege by lugging a "cooler of beer" to the pool deck, though! Storage is ample, with a couple wardrobes, plus loads of drawers and cabinets spread throughout the room. Additional space is found in the two hassocks, with lift off cushions. The twin beds, convertible to a queen, are sufficiently high to accommodate most suitcases beneath. The suite is divided into separate sleeping and sitting areas. The sitting area adjoins the sliding glass door that is the entrance to the verandah. A large, queen sized, sofa bed, and two stuffed chairs provide for comfortable seating around the glass cocktail table. A 19” television on a swivel stand is provided and viewable from the bed, sitting area, or verandah. There are separate controls for volume of onboard announcements. The verandah area is furnished with two deck chairs and a chaise lounge sharing a small table. None are provided with cushions. A glass balustrade opens up the verandah, making sea views available even from inside the cabin. Etched glass partitions separate verandahs, but do not assure privacy. Neighbors are easily able to look around, and in on passengers in the adjacent cabin. Although there is no separate light to illuminate the verandah, the fluorescent light inside the cabin, above the window, does do an ample job. The bathroom is larger than lower categories of cabin, and provides a full bathtub. The tub is placed a few inches above the floor of the bathroom, subtracting valuable headroom. Showerers over 6’!” will find their heads against the ceiling! Be careful of the tub! The textured, non-slip, area of the tub covers, only, the forward one third, making the rear two thirds very slick! It took my taking a tumble to realize just how slippery. This poses a significant risk, especially for the elderly, who are less stable on their feet than I, who managed to fall out while the ship was docked. Consider the impact on a senior citizen during a bout of rough seas! My recommendation, use the floor mat INSIDE the tub! All cabins include a keypad operated safe, and the normal bathroom amenities. There is nothing special provided for being in a suite. On March 24, 1998, 24 year Amy Bradley, a recent college graduate, vanished from Cabin 8564 of Rhapsody of the Seas. Cabin 8564 is identical in design to the one pictured here (8570)! Briefly, the story is as follows: Amy had returned to her cabin, after an enjoyable evening on board celebrating her recent graduation from college, her cruise, and her new job which she would be starting after disembarking. She returned to the cabin late, falling asleep on the verandah, where, at about 4 am, she was observed by her father. She hasn't been seen since! The family is convinced of foul play, although, I suspect she may have been a victim of her own lack of judgement. I’ve spent a couple weeks in a cabin exactly like the one in which she stayed. The design of the verandah is flawed, in that large gaps remain at a point between the divider and the rail: gaps large enough to make a tempting method of gaining access to the adjacent cabin. While, in reality, the gap is prohibitively small, it is possible for a person to sit on the rail, and swing his (her) legs across, thus completing the passage. However, while performing the maneuver, the guest, in actuality, would be perched, quite precariously, 100 feet above the sea, seated on a slippery rail, and grasping a misted pole for support. A slight slip, and the fate would be that of this young woman! SEE PHOTO BELOW! (The temptation to foolhardiness is actually compounded by the track used by the window cleaner, traversing the upper portion of the verandah, seemingly, making an ideal support for someone standing on the railing! This is also visible in the photo below.) During one point of my cruise, while engaged in conversation with my neighbor, I gave serious thought to performing the maneuver I just described. I didn’t, because, at 46, 220 pounds, being stone sober, and wide awake, I had the good judgement to know better! BUT, add the fearlessness of youth, a slim body, a few drinks, and a sleep induced stupor, all accompanied by the veil of darkness, and I would have been over there, or, at least I would have tried! I suspect something similar may have happened with this young woman. For whatever reason (perhaps to retrieve a pack of cigarettes which may have blown next door), this woman awoke, and, lacking judgment caused by the variety of stated reasons, made the mistake that was to cost her life! To prevent similar occurrences in the future, I would urge Royal Caribbean to reduce the temptation to attempt such a foolish move, by extending the balcony divider up to, and slightly beyond the rails. While, this won’t prevent another incident by a fool hardy individual intent on gaining access to a neighboring verandah, it will remove much of the temptation by the more normal amongst most of us. (A side benefit would be increases in the degree of privacy provided, something sorely lacking with the current design.) For more information on Amy Bradley, please visit the web site established by her family to facilitate her return….... www.tggweb.com/amybradley/amy-update.htm#oct2498 | |||||||||||||||||
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| Copyright © 1999 Mel Litzenberger. All Rights Reserved | |||||||||||||||||
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