GTY CABIN QUESTION

[DISNEY GIRL]

Hello all - I have sailed with many cruise lines, but this is the first time with Seabourn.   Generally, we book at Guarantee cabin and generally strike lucky and get a good cabin, but the cabin numbers aren't generally allocated until a couple of weeks before sailing.      So, I booked on the Seabourn Sojourn for 16 November sailing a couple of weeks ago on a GTY VOB, a verandah cabin and today was told that my cabin has already been allocated, ie Cabin 506, which I would say is the worst on the ship, ie a very small balcony.    Now, of course, I understand I take the risk when booking a guarantee cabin, but my TA  told me that the sailing was only half full.   So, I just wondered whether this was usual practice for Seabourn to allocate cabins so early, or have they simply allocated the cabin I have paid for, then perhaps will change it again nearer to the sailing?????    Thanks

[wripro]

It's worth having your TA call Seabourn to see if they'll cjamge to a better location.

[saminina]

Unusual extreme to assign so early.  

[SSCAF001]

I am exactly in the same situation not with Seabourn but with Silversea. I have booked a gty cabin for a late May 2021 cruise. I was very surprised to discover last week that I have been assigned a cabin, the worst possible in the ship. I have called my SS TA who told me that this may be due to the fact that many people canceling 2020 cruises, some 2021 cruises are filling quickly and cabins are allocated well in advance : I have very strong doubts about this explanation! I have asked to see whether I could be assigned a better cabin but anyway this is the game of the rule when booking a gty cabin. Anyway I am afraid that both of us will not have to deal with this issue because I would be very much surprised that any 2020 cruises take place. As long as the virus is still there and there is no vaccine I would not see how a cruise line could operate. I cross my fingers but I am not really optimistic. Take care. Christophe.


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[kimanjo]

3 hours ago, DISNEY GIRL said:

Hello all - I have sailed with many cruise lines, but this is the first time with Seabourn.   Generally, we book at Guarantee cabin and generally strike lucky and get a good cabin, but the cabin numbers aren't generally allocated until a couple of weeks before sailing.      So, I booked on the Seabourn Sojourn for 16 November sailing a couple of weeks ago on a GTY VOB, a verandah cabin and today was told that my cabin has already been allocated, ie Cabin 506, which I would say is the worst on the ship, ie a very small balcony.    Now, of course, I understand I take the risk when booking a guarantee cabin, but my TA  told me that the sailing was only half full.   So, I just wondered whether this was usual practice for Seabourn to allocate cabins so early, or have they simply allocated the cabin I have paid for, then perhaps will change it again nearer to the sailing?????    Thanks

 

When I've sailed both Azamara and Celebrity in a GTY, as long as I stay in that GTY category, I have been allowed to move to another available cabin in the same category. . DOn't know if the policy is the same for Seabourn. Worth checking.

[Thecat123]

Have you actually checked the square yardage of your cabin as compared to other ships?

We had cabin 509 on the Quest, sister ship to the Sojourn,  going to Antarctica and was very surprised of the cabin size as compared to other cruise lines we have been on. We were very happy with that position on the ship and would book in that area again.The balcony handrail was solid metal to the deck but that wasnt really an issue The difference in price to move further along the ship to get a glass handrail was quite a bit more expensive and not worth it to us 

[AJCM]

An enormous number of cruisers will need to use their FCC right through 2021 and will be using it on higher cost cabins, so I’d think cruise lines will be keeping all the better located cabins for those prospective bookings.

[koalapanda]

My first thoughts on this topic were if you have not sailed with Seabourn previously you are not au fait with the "Suites". Yes, all all Seabourn staterooms are Suites. 

509 is a standard Suite, deck 5 has it's advantages of The Club, the small pool and serviced covered sun lounge area. It is only one floor up from the Dining Room and two floors down from Seabourn Square to lounge, drink great coffee and delicious Gelato or a snack.

Other than deck 5,  I love deck 10 but it would be a rare chance to be upgraded so many levels.

I must say allocation early for OB or GTY is not the usual for Seabourn.  I admire your optimismn of Cruising at this moment in time.

[Thecat123]

Disney Girl actually was looking at cabin 506

I only mentioned 509 which we have stayed in as its kinda opposite 506

I would suggest Disney Girl to check out the cabins on Seabourns site if she hasnt already to see one of the standard cabins to see how large they are

[koalapanda]

Same deal 506 to 509 they are identical forward cabins 9 an upside down 6 . 

Disney we always say in our humble opinion all Suites are good on Seabourn ships .

 

[rols]

12 hours ago, AJCM said:

An enormous number of cruisers will need to use their FCC right through 2021 and will be using it on higher cost cabins, so I’d think cruise lines will be keeping all the better located cabins for those prospective bookings.

They do that anyway. Seabourn shows every suite which has not been specifically chosen as 'available' even as they accept GTY bookings which they keep unallocated. If there are 500 suites not specifically chosen and 300 GTY bookings, the ship still shows those 500 suites available for booking. Only when the number of available unselected suites equals the number of GTYs, does the ship instantly go to 'full'. 

There is no reason at all for Seabourn to allocate a GTY this far out, they are just giving away an option. In fact there's another good reason NOT to do that. When we look at cruises and often want to use a GTY we look to see how many 'bad rooms' are still available and work out what's the worst we are risking taking a GTY. If all the 'bad' rooms have been allocated, people are much more likely to take a GTY thinking .. doesn't really matter. By NOT allocating the worst suites on the ship it makes people think twice about risking a GTY. 

So to me it makes zero sense that Seabourn would have allocated it this far out, it works against them in every way. 

[marazul]

Suites 502 -507 do have smaller balconies because of the curvature of the ship.  It still fits 2 lounge chairs and a table.  502-3 have the smallest balconies.  506's balcony is almost the same size as a regular balcony.  The interior of all V suites is the same.

Edited April 23, 2020 by marazul

[mraven]

503 (any maybe 502) also get the anchor action as a bonus. We won the lottery once in the Med and got 503. The balcony was tight, but the built-in early morning alarm from the anchor getting dropped was definitely worse. Couldn't complain too much. We were guests of a relative and didn't pay anything for the cabin.

[Thecat123]

Thinking about this I really cant remember on all the cruises we have been on with different cruise lines. We always seemed to tie up to the wharf so no anchor noise, may be a couple of the smaller Pacific Island where there was no wharf

Okay you might hear the bow thrusters pulling into the wharf but I cant remember hearing them either when we were on the Quest in that cabin, 509, opposite yours