We own at The Resort at Cocoa Beach (floating week) and have traded into the Resort via RCI. On the day of check in they have a sign in list that is available at 7:00 A.M.; I think; and then start calling names off the list at 9:00 A.M. You will need to call the Resort to confirm these times. What is great about this is that you can ask for the best room that is available; first come first serve per the sign in list. They will call you when the room is available for check in. After we put our name on the list we have breakfast at Simply Delicious; best breakfast in Cocoa Beach IMHO. Like Jan I also call the week prior for all our exchanges to confirm the reservation. I try to cover all bases
I own four weeks at ROCB. They all float although there are A- and B-Pools. A-Pool is prime weeks; B-Pool is not. There are Saturday and Sunday starts. And, of course, the weeks are deeded to specific units. I have some units that are deeded oceanfront and some that are ocean view. I rent three or four weeks each year and have never had a guest that rented an ocean view unit get upgraded to a oceanfront unit. Can't say it doesn't happen but the way units are deeded, I can see that it might not happen.
My understanding, perhaps mistaken, is that the chaos in the lobby on Saturday and Sunday AMs is not a competition for oceanfront units. Rather, it is for the best of the ocean view units. Ocean view units are on the wing that is perpendicular to the beach -- the balconies face north. The closer to the beach, the more ocean in the view. Unit x01 is farthest from the beach and has the worst view, a very oblique view of the ocean. I think Unit x09 is the ocean view unit closest to the beach. It is still a north facing balcony but it has a lot better view. Units x10 through x18 are oceanfront.
ROCB may have some weeks of its own to play with and sometimes may be able to upgrade ocean view units to oceanfront. What I can say is if I arrive at 11 PM on Saturday night to occupy my reserved oceanfront unit and ROCB gave it away to someone that morning, I'm going to be beaucoup cheesed off!