guarantee stateroom- can I change stateroom number?

[Arzeena]

Then the next room you like even less.

And want to change again, and again.

Many will never be satisfied.

Just pick your own room in the first place instead of trying to save a buck.....

[/quote]

 

Wish it was only a buck of savings!;)

[dani negreanu]

I've booked a guarantee a few weeks ago, since it was the only category I was interested in. Saving big bucks.

I was assigned 2 days later. The cabin was more than OK. I looked at available cabins, found one near the elevators, and called my TA, who reminded me that I've booked a guarantee... I told her "let's try, nothing to lose". She phoned and came back ecstatic -- "it worked like u told me", she said. "I only told the agent that my customer would like to switch to another cabin, #XXX, and I never mentioned the guarantee and the other agent didn't either...";p

[billslowsky]

Don't get a guarantee room if you are not going to be happy with what you are given.

It misses the entire point.....

 

The entire point? Heck, I'm saving $500 by taking a guarantee room that I can spend on anything else I want. And if the cruise line allows moves - as RCI does - all the better.

 

Wow, the "entire point". I'll take a less desirable seat on an airplane also and spend the difference having even a better time when I arrive.

[billslowsky]

currently as a courtesy in US bookings they will let you go back into the pool for same catrgory.

 

I won’t be surprised, hint hint, when guarantees are assigned at arrival only as the cruise line will want to maximize time to sell selected rooms at higher prices.

 

I didn’t think Matt was being snarky; I think he has it right. Pay for what you want because the flexibility is a courtesy not a rule

 

When that happens, it will be another matter. Right now it's snarky.

[Mikew0805]

Works very will for looking at inventory and since the RCI cabin re-categorization, it sometimes shows even more than the RCI UK site (which is limited to 50 cabins per category).

 

The joy of Cc.

Not sure what you done but if you click the yellow tab, 'Availability & Booking' it gives you more detail.

 

Happy days and Happy New Year

 

Yep... this already has led to me getting a more desirable cabin that was not being shown on Royals site.. so thank you for that. I have it bookmarked now. I love that it actually shows and sorts by the category.

[kitkat343]

Don't get a guarantee room if you are not going to be happy with what you are given.

 

It misses the entire point.....

 

 

I think if you book a guarantee you should accept the possibility that they may place you in a room you don't like and you can be stuck there. I'd have zero sympathy for someone who booked a guarantee and then expected RC to move them somewhere better. However, the OP just wanted to know if he could try to ask nicely if something else was available, which seems totally reasonable (and the strategy people above posted of finding his own cabin seems like the best plan).

[ChinaShrek]

The entire point? Heck, I'm saving $500 by taking a guarantee room that I can spend on anything else I want. And if the cruise line allows moves - as RCI does - all the better.

 

Wow, the "entire point". I'll take a less desirable seat on an airplane also and spend the difference having even a better time when I arrive.

 

Sure, but don't ask to move when you see an empty see up front that you like. When people make decisions, they must accept the consequences.

[NJ&Ozzie]

I think if you book a guarantee you should accept the possibility that they may place you in a room you don't like and you can be stuck there. I'd have zero sympathy for someone who booked a guarantee and then expected RC to move them somewhere better. However, the OP just wanted to know if he could try to ask nicely if something else was available, which seems totally reasonable (and the strategy people above posted of finding his own cabin seems like the best plan).

 

We often book cruises last minute & guarantee is all that is available. Couple of times asked our TA if we could change cabins (after I looked up availability). Usually TA makes it seem like it's a big favour. But last time, we were doing a B2B & saw the same cabin available on previous cruise so asked to change so we could be in same cabin. Made sense to us. We did get cabin changed.

 

Think if you're agent gives you a hard time, they're not really working with you. I agree it should be guarantee of "same category".

NJ

[billslowsky]

Sure, but don't ask to move when you see an empty see up front that you like. When people make decisions, they must accept the consequences.

 

You would do that? I would be too busy spending what I saved on more fun for myself. I don't get cabin envy.

[BecciBoo]

So many lemmings here.

 

RCCL gives lots of options, there's no foul for using them. I'd call that smart shopping not sneaky!

 

And it was snarky.:rolleyes:

[LMaxwell]

When that happens, it will be another matter. Right now it's snarky.

 

I really don't see the issue with his post. I think people are maybe adding a dismissive tones that's not intended and not there. It's good information for casual observers. Like I said, allowing someone with a US booking to change within a category is a courtesy and not a rule, and like any courtesy RCI can change or selectively apply it any time they wish to. Therefore the best advice is choose the room you want and pay the premium if that is important.

 

I don't have a problem with anyone maximizing terms, conditions, rules, etc. to get the most value for themselves. It's pretty much what I am all about.

 

But I think GTY's should be assigned at the pier and no more allowance of going back into the pool. In theory someone goes back into a room to select a location they consider somehow to be more desirable. Therefore it's logical to conclude that new location would also be desirable to someone selecting their own room and since they aren't getting the benefit of a lower price, if what is left to select is less desirable, RCI might not get that booking.

 

So the reason I think this should happen is it helps to protect the value that guests who don't use the guarantee system receive. And it's such low hanging fruit for Royal to use as a revenue generator that I really can't understand how they allow such a wide berth for a courtesy change. Just seems like a gaping hole in business.

 

Until such time as the courtesy dies, maximize away, but always be prepared for not getting the answer you want if you roll the dice.

[billslowsky]

"Therefore it's logical to conclude that new location would also be desirable to someone selecting their own room and since they aren't getting the benefit of a lower price, if what is left to select is less desirable, RCI might not get that booking."

 

 

If you want to believe that RCI and other cruise lines haven't done extensive revenue modeling, you can continue to do so.

[Biker19]

Until such time as the courtesy dies, maximize away, but always be prepared for not getting the answer you want if you roll the dice.

See, you don't understand, taking away that courtesy would be poor customer service.

[billslowsky]

"So the reason I think this should happen is it helps to protect the value that guests who don't use the guarantee system receive."

 

 

If you got the room you wanted at the price you were okay with, why do you care whether someone else got a better deal by going with a guarantee rate? Sometimes they win, sometimes they don't.

 

 

Concern yourself with your own situation and you'll have a better experience.

[dani negreanu]

But I think GTY's should be assigned at the pier and no more allowance of going back into the pool. In theory someone goes back into a room to select a location they consider somehow to be more desirable. Therefore it's logical to conclude that new location would also be desirable to someone selecting their own room and since they aren't getting the benefit of a lower price, if what is left to select is less desirable, RCI might not get that booking.

 

A very valid and interesting point :D

[cruzinlady1947]

On my December 9th cruise a couple weeks ago, I booked a balcony GTY cabin. About a couple weeks before the cruise, they happened to assign me an accessible cabin. Now, if someone had requested that cabin after they assigned it to me, they could have moved us, which would have been fine with me. I didn’t need an accessible cabin. But, we were never reassigned, so we stayed in the accessible cabin. Needless to say, I loved the extra space in the cabin, bathroom and balcony. I think if they can change your gty cabin, you should be able to, too. I’ve changed a gty cabin before, but we very seldom book them. This time I only had to pay $4 more for the balcony gty over my original ocean view. Couldn’t pass that up. Got an extra $50 OBC too. All after final payment!

 

 

Gwen [emoji3]

[LMaxwell]

See, you don't understand, taking away that courtesy would be poor customer service.

"Enhancing our guest experience".

 

Write that down.

[LMaxwell]

If you got the room you wanted at the price you were okay with, why do you care whether someone else got a better deal by going with a guarantee rate? Sometimes they win, sometimes they don't.

 

 

Concern yourself with your own situation and you'll have a better experience.

 

I don't care if they got a better deal. I don't care if they get a nine category upgrade and pay less than me. I don't care if they pay for an interior and end up in a Grand Suite somehow. That's fine. That's great actually. That's part of the gamble.

 

What concerns me is that going back into the pool with a GTY to, hopefully, secure a preferred location, you are making it harder for RCI to sell the less desirable location again. If taken holistically, bigger picture, zoom out your optics big time, creating difficulty in selling undesirable locations, but eliminating desirable ones at the GTY rate, reduces values for those willing to pay for location preference.

 

The easiest solution is to simply assign GTY's close in to sailing date.

 

Again, I have no problem with people maximizing rules, I just think this is a loop hole to look at that will protect my value. You have to really consider what are the unintended consequences of going back into the GTY pool to understand the point I am driving at.

 

If someone pays $500 pp for a GTY room and selecting your own is $700 pp, and that person is assigned a room GTY the end of a corridor next to a housekeeping closet, or underneath boleros, etc., and goes back into the pool and selects a different room that's fine, but if I go to select a room and it is the $700pp price and it is in that undesirable location, I am not going to book it. I am location sensitive and pay for that benefit. I don't feel like it makes me wrong or a bad person to say that if you want to take a gamble and save money, you shouldn't have the benefit of location selection. That's a fair tradeoff. And it works for a lot of people to get great deals.

[mcatmcat]

To answer my own question

 

Yes you can change stateroom numbers because I just did it. [emoji3]

 

Thank you everyone on your answers and strategies

 

 

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[billslowsky]

What concerns me is that going back into the pool with a GTY to, hopefully, secure a preferred location, you are making it harder for RCI to sell the less desirable location again.

 

Apparently you can handle the daily operations of a cruise line better than they can. How are they still in business?

 

I just think this is a loop hole to look at that will protect my value.

 

You got the room you wanted at a price you were willing to pay. That's your value.

 

Your concern is that someone else might get a better deal. Feel free to be miserable over it.

[bigeck]

To answer my own question

 

Yes you can change stateroom numbers because I just did it. [emoji3]

 

Thank you everyone on your answers and strategies

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Well done. Enjoy your cruise and cabin

[bigeck]

Apparently you can handle the daily operations of a cruise line better than they can. How are they still in business?

 

 

 

Your concern is that someone else might get a better deal. Feel free to be miserable over it.

 

Unfortunately, that's a problem for a lot of cruisers.