Scoring an Aft Cabin - Strategies

[kingsgirl]

How do you score a balcony aft cabin? I was looking at Jan/Feb 2014 and they are gone already. There are JS cabins available in the aft, but it's really out of my price range.

 

Do I just keep checking every single day in hopes something will open up or should I just give up and try for 2015 when it comes out?

[Dcoy]

I checked every day and scored on one about 80 days before cruise. I was mostly looking for price drops when this one opened up. I had already had a JS so I just called and they changed me over in about 30 seconds.

 

You may want to check around the time final payment is due and one may open up when someone cancels.

[kingsgirl]

I checked every day and scored on one about 80 days before cruise. I was mostly looking for price drops when this one opened up. I had already had a JS so I just called and they changed me over in about 30 seconds.

 

You may want to check around the time final payment is due and one may open up when someone cancels.

 

The only problem with that is the current prices for early 2013 sailings is the same price as JS's for 2014. I wouldn't really be saving any money and I'd be panicking about checking every day.

[gmacruiser418]

if you book now the same category as the aft, maybe you can just change cabins once the one you want comes open. not sure if that works, but I would think so.

[kingsgirl]

if you book now the same category as the aft, maybe you can just change cabins once the one you want comes open. not sure if that works, but I would think so.

 

Silly question, but how do I know for sure if I'm booking in the same category. Does it have to be the same colour?

[Clarea]

Silly question, but how do I know for sure if I'm booking in the same category. Does it have to be the same colour?

Every category has a designator, like D1, D2, JS, etc. Once you are booked, you can change staterooms in the same exact category without your price changing.

[ZoeyVictoria]

I got the first one accidentally. I called to change ships/dates just by chance at the time final payment was due on the one I was changing to, and to the amazement of the RCI agent, an aft cabin was open. While we were on that cruise in March 2012 we went to the loyalty ambassador and asked if the same cabin was open during the winter and she found it for December 2012, during a week that we love but is not popular with a lot of people. Then in June 2012 I was just playing around with Southern Caribbean itineraries out of San Juan during that same early December time period and found a corner aft on the Adventure for December 2013. The cabins are all D2 or E1, the ones that are a great value (to me) over JS.

 

So I guess the short answer is TIMING. At the time that final payment is due and those cabins may have been cancelled by people who booked very early, or just very early, and during a time that is not popular with others.

[Ladysilver]

How do you score a balcony aft cabin? I was looking at Jan/Feb 2014 and they are gone already. There are JS cabins available in the aft, but it's really out of my price range.

 

Do I just keep checking every single day in hopes something will open up or should I just give up and try for 2015 when it comes out?

 

 

It's much like scoring a "center hump" cabin. Start checking EARLY and stay vigilant and with some old-fashioned luck, you'll snag one of those aft cabins! :D

[workathome]

I booked in June for the Liberty sailing on Nov 23, 2013. I was able to snag the coveted 1400 corner aft on deck 10. When I checked a couple of days ago 1700 (mirror cabin) was still available. Now I have a long, long, long wait, I hope it is worth it! My family may not think so since I am driving them nuts!!!!:D Good luck, I hope you get one!:)

[ZoeyVictoria]

It's much like scoring a "center hump" cabin. Start checking EARLY and stay vigilant and with some old-fashioned luck, you'll snag one of those aft cabins! :D

 

The cabin that I changed from was a center hump cabin that I had booked very early, so I guess I passed on the favor to somebody who wanted a hump cabin :D

[kingsgirl]

Does checking on the weekend matter since RCI isn't open to call on the weekends? Can people cancel their own rooms and it show on the website during the weekend?

[island lady]

I just disembarked from the Radiance, enjoying my favorite corner aft cabin #9256.

2nd time in that same cabin. I kept watching for the sailing dates to be posted for 2012,

and found out they were selling them over the phone for 3 days before they posted on the

website. I was crushed when I found the cabin was already gone. She asked if I wanted

to be put on a wait list for the cabin, and I agreed..though I thought

"Yeah..when pigs fly that will happen"....and then 2 weeks

later a pig flew by my window!! :eek: ;)

 

So my suggestion: DO put yourself on a wait list for the cabin of your choice. You never

know! :)

[kingsgirl]

Every category has a designator, like D1, D2, JS, etc. Once you are booked, you can change staterooms in the same exact category without your price changing.

 

 

I am so confused :(

 

I'm looking at Legend of the Seas. No matter what I do, I can't get a purple cabin type to show up. I can't believe they are all sold out. I feel like I'm really messing something up here.

 

It also won't let me look at deck 6 even though it says there are cabins in that category there. Usually something is posted like "cabins have been removed because they aren't available" thing comes up but nothing has. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

[island lady]

I am so confused :(

 

I'm looking at Legend of the Seas. No matter what I do, I can't get a purple cabin type to show up. I can't believe they are all sold out. I feel like I'm really messing something up here.

 

The Legend is going in for refurb in January, and some of

the cabins numbers are changing. Under the listing of Deck levels on

the general information page for the ship...click on the section on the top left

that shows layout dates. The layout will change. I noticed the color is different too, but

just pull up "change cabin" on the booking page. This should help perhaps?

[gw2fll]

We will be sailing in our first aft next September on Enchantment. I know the struggle you are going thru to try and score one.

 

Up until last year, our cruises were rather sporadic; however, we have been bitten by the cruise bug and this is now our vacation of choice. Watching the boards, I happened to see the thread about 2013 / 2014 deployment releases. So, we started the discussion around where we would like to go, when we would be willing to go, etc. When the deployments released, we booked the cruises and the cabins we wanted. (Yep, a couple are on Celebrity since the intinerary and ship lined up better to our plans.)

 

In summary, in addition to the recommendations of checking back, etc., try to book when the deployments release each Spring. Yes, you are booking up to 18 months out, but all you are putting into it is the deposit. If your plans change, you can always cancel (assuming you are US - I did not notice if you are UK, in which case your deposit is not refundable from what I understand).

[kingsgirl]

What dates are you looking at? The Legend is going in for refurb in January, and some of

the cabins numbers are changing. Under the listing of Deck levels on the general information page for the ship...click on the section on the top left that shows layout dates. The layout will change. I noticed the color is different too, but

just pull up "change cabin" on the booking page. This should help perhaps?

 

I'm looking at Jan/Feb 2014. I would like an aft balcony cabin which would be either deck 6 or 7.

 

I've tried selecting individual cabins on the booking page, but it isn't working.

 

Could you link me the page about layout dates you're talking about? I'm searching but I can't find what you're talking about.....

[Dcoy]

Does checking on the weekend matter since RCI isn't open to call on the weekends? Can people cancel their own rooms and it show on the website during the weekend?

 

I changed mine on a Saturday, just a few weeks ago. I'm in th US, not sure if you are.

[kingsgirl]

I changed mine on a Saturday, just a few weeks ago. I'm in th US, not sure if you are.

 

I'm Canadian.

[foxgoodrich]

Okay...here's a strategy I happened on by accident! Around the first of July, on a Sunday, DH and I were seriously talking about doing a TA next spring. We found the one we wanted, put a 24 hour hold on a center hump JS on Navigator on April 6, and considered ourselves very lucky that it was still available! We emailed our travel agent (a good friend) and planned to call her on Monday morning.

 

That night I checked out the roll call for the cruise and found an active roll call. As I was reading through the posts, I found one saying that one poster and her husband were changing to a different TA....then in her most recent post (from Saturday) she mentioned she was giving up 7388 (one of the 2 corner afts with the HUGE balcony) on Navigator. What? I checked and it was available! So I put a hold on that one too! Since 7388 is an E1, there was a $1500 savings over the JS.:D

 

The next morning, a 3 way call (travel agent, RCI, and me) got us 7388. I guess it was all luck and timing, but checking that roll call is what made it possible. I had never done that before...but I think I will always do that now.;) Then I cancelled the hold on the JS and also paid it forward by posting on the roll call that a center hump JS was now available!:)

 

I learned....

-you should check the roll call! You might find something amazing like I did!

-you can out a 24 hour hold on more than one cabin!

-there's a whole LOT we can do in Rome after the TA with that $1500!

 

Judy

[island lady]

I'm looking at Jan/Feb 2014. I would like an aft balcony cabin which would be either deck 6 or 7.

 

I've tried selecting individual cabins on the booking page, but it isn't working.

 

Could you link me the page about layout dates you're talking about? I'm searching but I can't find what you're talking about.....

 

Gosh, I am a techo idiot when posting links...but try this:

On the opening page for RCI, click on ships, then on Legend. Scroll down to where it

lists decks and click on that. You will see a small paragraph near the upper left side that

lists dates after Feb. 2013. Click on that to see changes to the layout. Don't know if

that will help, but could give you an idea of the new layout you will be on for your dates.

I think the best thing to do would be to call RCI direct. An awful lot of the time the available cabins are not listed on the website. I booked one of the last aft cabins on

deck 7 for my upcoming Legend sailing on 12/12/13. They seem to be going fast even

this far out. :(

[kingsgirl]

OH MY GOODNESS!

 

I didn't know I had to click on D1/D2/D3 for rooms in those categories to show up. I JUST FOUND AN AFT! I don't know if it's the best one, but I quickly put a hold while I keep searching.

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE. I feel like I'm going to BURST with excitement!

[ace1zoe2]

When reserving our Alaska cruise for 2013 I wanted an aft but nothing showed available so I put a hump on hold. Since I was using a FCC to book I had to call in as opposed to just booking online. I mentioned to the cruise consultant that I had hoped to score an aft cabin but nothing was available.

 

She told me to wait just a minute & let her look for me as they do not release all cabins online at the same time & there could actually be some available that aren't showing online... A few minutes later we scored an aft balcony!

 

So it never hurts to call in & just ask what aft cabins are still available for your cruise.

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Clarea]

OH MY GOODNESS!

 

I didn't know I had to click on D1/D2/D3 for rooms in those categories to show up. I JUST FOUND AN AFT! I don't know if it's the best one, but I quickly put a hold while I keep searching.

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE. I feel like I'm going to BURST with excitement!

Ah yes, the highly intuitive RCI website strikes again!:rolleyes:

 

Seriously, good for you! Glad it worked out.

[kingsgirl]

Ah yes, the highly intuitive RCI website strikes again!:rolleyes:

 

Seriously, good for you! Glad it worked out.

 

Can I just say that I've been trying for weeks to figure the dang website out. I couldn't figure how SO MANY cabins were already sold out. I knew I had to be doing something wrong :)

[Clarea]

Can I just say that I've been trying for weeks to figure the dang website out. I couldn't figure how SO MANY cabins were already sold out. I knew I had to be doing something wrong :)

As others have mentioned, sometimes it's best to just call Royal directly rather than beat your self over the head with the website.