We Paid $888 Extra and Let Royal Caribbean Pick Our Alaska Balcony | Serenade of the Seas
We paid an extra $888 to upgrade from an ocean view to a balcony guarantee for our Alaska cruise on Serenade of the Seas. The catch? We didn't get to choose our cabin. Royal Caribbean assigned us Serenade of the Seas cabin 7170, an obstructed-view balcony cabin. The first thing I did was search for a video of this exact cabin so I could see what we'd been assigned — and I couldn't find one. So if you're researching cabin 7170, this video will show you exactly what you're getting. I'll take you through the entire cabin, including the layout, storage, bathroom, balcony, the obstruction and the actual view from 7170. I'll also show you what that obstruction looks like while using the balcony so you can decide whether it would matter to you. And because we stayed in cabin 7170 for the entire cruise, this isn't just a first-look cabin tour. I'll share what we liked, what we didn't, how the location worked for us, the nighttime noise we experienced, and whether we would personally choose this cabin again. I'll also answer the other big question: after paying an extra $888 and letting Royal Caribbean choose our balcony cabin, would we take the gamble on a balcony guarantee again? If you're researching Serenade of the Seas cabin 7170, considering an obstructed-view balcony, or trying to decide whether a balcony guarantee is worth it for an Alaska cruise, I hope seeing our experience helps. 👕 Shop barely packed Travel-inspired apparel made for the journeys you take and the ones you’re dreaming about. 💙 https://barelypacked.com 🧳 My Carry-On of Choice LEVEL8 Adventure Carry-On 20" https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101816030-15212828?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.level8cases.com%2Fproducts%2Fadventure-carry-on-20%3Fvariant%3D46573106200799 🎒 LEVEL8 Urban Backpack https://www.dpbolvw.net/click-101816030-15212828?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.level8cases.com%2Fproducts%2Flevel8-urban-backpack%3Fvariant%3D9059450912991 When to include: Use code barelypacked10 for 10% off. ⭐ Things That Earned a Spot in My Carry-On These are the travel items I genuinely pack and use. Space is limited when you travel carry-on only, so if something earned a spot in my bag, it earned my recommendation too. 😴 Earplugs https://amzn.to/45VPOzP 🎒 Foldable Day Backpack https://amzn.to/4wXqq9x 🔋 MagSafe Battery https://amzn.to/43VlvZe 🧳 Packing Cubes https://amzn.to/4nGZrdR 🏷️ Luggage Tags https://amzn.to/42LqwD7 🍎 AirTag https://amzn.to/4gCZDto ✨ Flat Iron https://amzn.to/4nCovTv 🦆 Rubber Ducks https://amzn.to/4fovZ91 🧴 Downy Wrinkle Release + Bounce Static Guard https://amzn.to/4wYzEBB Some links may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting barely packed! 💙 #SerenadeOfTheSeas #AlaskaCruise #RoyalCaribbean