Guaranteed Cabin Assignment?

[tigger8792]

It is 35 days until we cruise and still no assigned cabin. The ship is sold out and wondering why they haven't given us a cabin? We have done GYT cabins before and have been assigned a cabin before now.

[chrysalis]

it could be right up until you arrive at the pier

[TracieABD]

I have gotten them months in advance and right around the time of boarding. The magic number (for us) seems to be at the 7 to 9 day mark.

 

Don't worry. You will not be homeless!

[CruiserBruce]

Agree...Discussed here regularly. Assignment can be up to pier side. There really isn't any reason to assign the GTY cabins 35 days out, or 25, as it won't change anything assigning them sooner or later. I am going to guess they have a certain checklist to prepare every cruise, of each of their ships. One of the things on that checklist that can vary widely cruise over cruise, in complexity, is the assignment of GTY cabins.

 

There isn't a clear and concise way to say the ship is sold out unless all categories list as sold out on the website consistently. Not on one or two checks.

Edited November 22, 2015 by CruiserBruce

[VTX-AL]

What am I missing here ? Whenever I do a "dummy" booking for a cruise, I see exactly the same price structure for "choose your own" cabin, versus "to be assigned" (guarantee ??) cabin. If there is no price advantage to opting for guarantee cabin, why on earth would anyone choose this option over simply choosing the cabin (deck and location) that best meets their needs. :confused: :confused:

 

...VTX-Al

[JF - retired RRT]

What am I missing here ? Whenever I do a "dummy" booking for a cruise, I see exactly the same price structure for "choose your own" cabin, versus "to be assigned" (guarantee ??) cabin. If there is no price advantage to opting for guarantee cabin, why on earth would anyone choose this option over simply choosing the cabin (deck and location) that best meets their needs. :confused: :confused:

 

...VTX-Al

Hope for an upgrade??

[shredie]

What am I missing here ? Whenever I do a "dummy" booking for a cruise, I see exactly the same price structure for "choose your own" cabin, versus "to be assigned" (guarantee ??) cabin. If there is no price advantage to opting for guarantee cabin, why on earth would anyone choose this option over simply choosing the cabin (deck and location) that best meets their needs. :confused: :confused:

 

...VTX-Al

 

Sometimes a GTY is all that's left.

[moki'smommy]

If you go to the next page where it supposedly gives you the opportunity to choose, it can say "your cabin will be assigned shortly before boarding." Translation, only GTY remains.

[Hlitner]

What am I missing here ? Whenever I do a "dummy" booking for a cruise, I see exactly the same price structure for "choose your own" cabin, versus "to be assigned" (guarantee ??) cabin. If there is no price advantage to opting for guarantee cabin, why on earth would anyone choose this option over simply choosing the cabin (deck and location) that best meets their needs. :confused: :confused:

 

...VTX-Al

 

Fair question and we will give you an answer (at least our answer). A few weeks ago we did a last minute booking on the Regal Princess (10 days before the cruise). There was an amazing offer for the partially obstructed balcony cabins (the obstruction is the lifeboats immediately below) but we are not big fans of partial obstructions. But to book a much higher category of balcony to get well above those lifeboats would cost substantially more (percentage wise). So we decided to gamble and rather then choose a partially obstructed cabin we simply booked a guarantee in that same category (at the same price as the partially obstructed cabins). And 2 days later we got a very nice free upgrade to one of the highest balcony categories (Deck 15 center ship). The worst case would have been a partially obstructed balcony assignment and we could have lived with that or, at that point, tried to negotiate for a better location.

 

Hank

[southpawsdakota]

I booked an interior on a repo on the Regal 5 weeks from departure. I was offered an upsell for $179 two weeks prior but did not take it. I still did not have a cabin assignment. 3 days prior to the cruise I was assigned a balcony! Don't stress, you will be somewhere.

Edited November 22, 2015 by southpawsdakota

[VTX-AL]

OK ! I get it ...... it's ya pay your money and take your chances - on a FREE upgrade ! :)

 

...VTX-Al

[lindy sails]

There was a flash sale for a few hours a few months ago on a Christmas and New Year's 14 day cruise. The rates were great but we had to book a gty deluxe balcony minimum cat DC. The savings was over $2,000 on the 14 day cruise. No assignment yet but no worries. Just excited to have gotten such a deal and to be cruising with good friends for the holidays on the Regal. [emoji41]

[Morgsmom]

Wow! I wish I lucked into flash sales!

 

As PP have said, you take the chance. Last year we did not receive our assignment until the PIER and it was (IMO) the WORST balcony cabin on the ship. But that's the Cat we paid for. What really burned my behind was that there were still the "names" of the folks who had been originally assigned the cabin on the door and they were first time cruisers. THEY HAD BEEN BUMPED UP and upgraded and we got their cabin. If it was just a matter of getting what you paid for, I'd grumble and move on. But it was a slap in my face (but probably a wise move on Princess's part to try to make new guests happy)......

[TracieABD]

Wow! I wish I lucked into flash sales!

 

As PP have said, you take the chance. Last year we did not receive our assignment until the PIER and it was (IMO) the WORST balcony cabin on the ship. But that's the Cat we paid for. What really burned my behind was that there were still the "names" of the folks who had been originally assigned the cabin on the door and they were first time cruisers. THEY HAD BEEN BUMPED UP and upgraded and we got their cabin. If it was just a matter of getting what you paid for, I'd grumble and move on. But it was a slap in my face (but probably a wise move on Princess's part to try to make new guests happy)......

 

That is the problem with booking a GTY. It is always possible that you will get exactly what you paid for...

And yes, rumour has it that Princess is famous for upgrading first timers. You are correct, it is most likely a marketing ploy-- to build a loyal customer base.

[lindy sails]

That is the problem with booking a GTY. It is always possible that you will get exactly what you paid for...

 

And yes, rumour has it that Princess is famous for upgrading first timers. You are correct, it is most likely a marketing ploy-- to build a loyal customer base.

 

 

Agree, you just never know where you're cabin will be.

[AliceS]

Be very careful. Make sure that you will be happy with the category that you guarantee. Most likely...that's what you'll get. My friends and I both booked IA guarantee for our last cruises. I got just that....C412 on the Regal. I was fine with that....would I like a balcony upgrade...DAH...Yes, but I got what I paid for.

 

my friends also got assigned IA.....but....they had a cabin that could hold 4 and they had to deal with the beds that could come down and bumped their heads all of the time, and for the second leg, they were assigned an accessible cabin and the twin beds did not go together. Buyer beware....check out those floor plans and take a set cabin if you don't want that gamble.

[moki'smommy]

And yes, rumour has it that Princess is famous for upgrading first timers. You are correct, it is most likely a marketing ploy-- to build a loyal customer base.

 

Interesting. Disney is known for upgrading second time cruisers whether they booked a GTY or an assigned cabin. I guess their logic is that if you came back for the second time, you're likely to do more. By showing you "what you are missing," you might be more willing to spend more next time.

 

All I know is that it irritated me greatly when I had a dinner table mate on her second DCL cruise who got upgraded. Her first had been 10 years earlier and she had cruised so many lines in the interim that she had them all confused! I had exactly the same reservation, about 20th cruise, and no upgrade. Yes, I got what I'd paid for...but no reward for loyalty.

[fishywood]

What am I missing here ? Whenever I do a "dummy" booking for a cruise, I see exactly the same price structure for "choose your own" cabin, versus "to be assigned" (guarantee ??) cabin. If there is no price advantage to opting for guarantee cabin, why on earth would anyone choose this option over simply choosing the cabin (deck and location) that best meets their needs. :confused: :confused:

 

...VTX-Al

 

In the recent past Princess used to sell far more guarantees for a specific cabin category (such as BF balcony) than there were actual cabins. Odds were in your favor for an upgrade. Whether it was true or not that those with guarantees were more likely for an upgrade than those who chose their cabin while booking at the identical fare and not marking there booking 'no upgrade' was endlessly debated but never proven. Still there will always be those who prefer to roll the dice with a guarantee; however since Princess began re-categorizing cabins in earnest on a regular basis there are often times when guarantees are not available while plenty of cabins are open for direct booking, presumably in an effort to end such overselling.

[tigger8792]

Thanks for all the information. I have heard it maybe the day of the cruise, but hope we get before then. We did get it a lot cheaper than assigned cabins and will be happy wherever they put us. As long as we are on the ship:)

[caribill]

In the recent past Princess used to sell far more guarantees for a specific cabin category (such as BF balcony) than there were actual cabins. Odds were in your favor for an upgrade.

 

When they changed the category of many cabins about two years ago, the categories that only had two or four cabins were expanded to have 30 or more.

 

Thus, while you could pretty be sure of an upgrade if you booked a GTY when there were only two cabins in the category, with 30 or more cabins in the category you are more likely to get a cabin in the category you picked.

[Pushka]

Our cruise was sold out for weeks and received allocation 2 days prior.

[Steelers36]

When they changed the category of many cabins about two years ago, the categories that only had two or four cabins were expanded to have 30 or more.

 

Thus, while you could pretty be sure of an upgrade if you booked a GTY when there were only two cabins in the category, with 30 or more cabins in the category you are more likely to get a cabin in the category you picked.

 

I'm a believer. We booked DW GTY on Regal (plenty of those in inventory, but sold out when we booked and then many came back for sale after we booked). We got a DW assigned (but not too bad obstruction). I know someone else booked a DZ GTY (lower category, but much fewer of them) and got confirmed to a DC.