Booking onboard and Open Booking questions

[skybluewaters]

5 hours ago, BWIVince said:

The brilliance of using double cabins as dedicated singles is that they can dynamically balance between the window double and window singles on a guarantee basis depending on what is selling more, regardless of what the rooms are categorized as on the deck plans, but I'm curious how well that is playing out in the real world.

 

If a couple purchases a window double on a guarantee basis, could it turn out that they would be placed in a window single?  If a window single is the same as a window double (except for the location), what would prevent Crystal from doing this?  

 

P.S. Outstanding to see you back, Vince!

[May B]

1 hour ago, skybluewaters said:

 

If a couple purchases a window double on a guarantee basis, could it turn out that they would be placed in a window single?  If a window single is the same as a window double (except for the location), what would prevent Crystal from doing this?  

 

P.S. Outstanding to see you back, Vince!

What would prevent Crystal from doing that is the nature of a guarantee booking. When you reserve with a guarantee booking, it guarantees you the category you booked, or higher. B/c the singles are forward of the forward elevators on deck seven, that makes them a tad less desirable than any other location on the ship, and therefore than the locations of the double window staterooms.

Edited August 22, 2023 by May B

[BWIVince]

1 hour ago, skybluewaters said:

 

If a couple purchases a window double on a guarantee basis, could it turn out that they would be placed in a window single?  If a window single is the same as a window double (except for the location), what would prevent Crystal from doing this?  

 

P.S. Outstanding to see you back, Vince!

Thanks, it’s great to be back.  😊 
 

There’s nothing from preventing Crystal from using the rooms interchangeably, and no downside to it whatsoever.  I can’t see them doing one to the detriment of the other (like choke off sales to solos), to be clear, but they can and always do oversell certain categories where there is demand and essentially borrow the inventory from other categories, which is what underpins the guarantee schema.  
 

The way the rooms are categorized now, the single windows are identical to the double windows, and are neither superior nor inferior categorically — though people might have preferences for/against the location the same way they would any guarantee room…. But that’s the way guarantees roll anyway.

 

I’m not saying this has come into play yet, but it’s clearly part of the design of the new sales structure, so I would be shocked if they don’t utilize it that way in the future.

 

Vince

[BWIVince]

31 minutes ago, May B said:

What would prevent Crystal from doing that is the nature of a guarantee booking. When you reserve with a guarantee booking, it guarantees you the category you booked, or higher. B/c the singles are forward of the forward elevators on deck seven, that makes them a tad less desirable than any other location on the ship, and therefore than the locations of the double window staterooms.

Is Crystal still sub-categorizing fares by location within a category, though?  All the fares I’ve seen so far have been flat inside each category regardless of being forward/midship/aft, like in Crystal’s old days, and not like they were in the more recent past.  With that, the rooms would now be equal.  
 

Vince

[nancygp]

5 minutes ago, BWIVince said:

Is Crystal still sub-categorizing fares by location within a category, though?  All the fares I’ve seen so far have been flat inside each category regardless of being forward/midship/aft, like in Crystal’s old days, and not like they were in the more recent past.  With that, the rooms would now be equal.  
 

Vince

Yes, with the exception of single cabins, jr Cp and cp.  this info is on the website.  I believe you need to look at a particular itinerary and click on the price for the specific category.

 

nancy

Edited August 22, 2023 by nancygp

[Keith1010]

4 hours ago, nancygp said:

Yes, with the exception of single cabins, jr Cp and cp.  this info is on the website.  I believe you need to look at a particular itinerary and click on the price for the specific category.

 

nancy

You are correct. 

 

I just want to note the price shown is a  "from price" and while for most of our bookings the from was the price I know of one case when it was not. Early on I was told by another member of this board they were using dynamic pricing but not sure if that is still the case.

 

Keith

[BWIVince]

10 hours ago, nancygp said:

Yes, with the exception of single cabins, jr Cp and cp.  this info is on the website.  I believe you need to look at a particular itinerary and click on the price for the specific category.

 

nancy

 

Ahh, thanks for the correction Nancy and Keith!  The example I was using was Symphony’s Perth to Auckland cruise in December, and all of the double window cabins I clicked on were $7300, regardless of ether they has a partially obstructed view, a promenade view, or a direct ocean view, but I do see now there are a small number of cabins that are different on deck 7 forward.

 

So to my point, the advertised “from” price for the double window cabins actually covers ALL double and single window cabins on Symphony.  Not sure if it works as well on Serenity, but if Crystal has any solos left over on Symphony, they can always add guarantee inventory to the starting grade of doubles and assign a solo cabin to fulfill the guarantee as promised.

 

Vince

[May B]

Vince, your posts are such a treat for me. Full of knowledge, gentle opinion, and your English teachers would be proud!

 

😃😃😃

[KenzSailing]

13 hours ago, May B said:

Vince, your posts are such a treat for me. Full of knowledge, gentle opinion, and your English teachers would be proud!

 

😃😃😃

 

All that time off and the man hasn't lost a step.  Tom Brady envies this "unretirement."