I don't think I commented on this but I just made a call on it, so I have official information.  I am booked for Icon of the Seas.  I did so w/ a Surfside guarantee and I was excited because it is a new neighborhood and right up the alley for someone traveling with a 7 year old.  Historically on the Oasis class this area was the Boardwalk balcony and it was considered to be an upgrade from Central Park balconies.

Well, Royal has flipped things a bit and I disagree with it strongly.  When my guarantee was assigned I got a Central Park room.  I called the TA and they said it was an "upgrade".  I stewed for a while and today finally called RC to ask/confirm that this is the case.  It is, and that's pretty dumb in my book.

I mean, Central Park is fine if that's what I got a sweet deal on -- at least it was when you got an actual balcony and not just a window that opens and sucks all of the air conditioning out of your room.  No one wants these rooms, it's been widely known since Icon started sailing.  If you want to upgrade me and me not be displeased with it -- put me in an over water balcony.  Central Park is a downgrade, and it was even before the change to infinite balconies.

At one point RC had "upgrade preferences" that you could configure.  Basically you could say "if I'm in an interior and you have an available upgrade to a promenade view interior I do or do not want that to happen".  I'm pretty sure options included changes when in neighborhood balconies.  They've tossed those old preferences -- and never mentioned that they were now OBE.

Either way, I get to go on a cruise -- I will keep on cruising, but for sure I will warn people that they could get hosed w/ this type of a guarantee AND I will be sure to mention this in my post cruise survey (who knows I might end up thinking the Central Park infinite balcony is the best thing since sliced bread.  I doubt it, but I might.)