Stateroom Allocation

[Vooshee]

My wife and I are cruising to New Zealand in January. When we booked a mini suite months ago,  there were no Stateroom numbers allocated as Princess apparently releases these rooms as the cruise date approaches. The Stateroom is guaranteed but they choose the category and cabin number. [This is not to be confused with them allocating a stateroom for a lower/higher price vs me choosing a cabin] I phoned their Office yesterday enquiring as to when we might be notified of a Stateroom number. I was gobsmacked with the response. " Probably 2-3 days before sailing date". Is this normal?. When I reminded the person that, if luggage tags are available 75 days before departure date, then why not release the Stateroom details at that time? We are Platinum cruisers and have always booked our own Cabin number and deck. There is nowhere in the Princess "bible" that states when Stateroom details will become available. Of late, the more cruises we do with Princess , the harder they seem to make things.

[waltd]

Most get their cabin number before the cruise but it has been noted that you can get the cabin assignment up to the day you board.

[Vooshee]

Do you know the reasoning behind this ? What do they know 3 days out that they don't know when they issue luggage tags 75 days before sailing date? I'm anticipating receiving blank luggage tags without Stateroom number?? What's the point?

[startedwithamouse]

15 minutes ago, Vooshee said:

Do you know the reasoning behind this ? What do they know 3 days out that they don't know when they issue luggage tags 75 days before sailing date? I'm anticipating receiving blank luggage tags without Stateroom number?? What's the point?

The bidding process is like musical cabins. Those are accepted usually a week or two before boarding. Same with guarantee cabins, the can assign cabins at any time. This is what you agreed to, with a pretty good discount. 

[waltd]

Don't worry too much about the luggage tags.  They will have your name and cabin assignment at the dock and will give you tags to fill out when you drop off your bags Just carry a pen. 🙂.You more then likely will have your cabin number before you leave.   

 

[leck57]

I dislike guarantee cabins but twice we have had no choice as no specific cabins were available when we booked. Princess seem to be doing this more and more. 

However on both occasions, our cabins were allocated at least 3 weeks before sailing.

[luckybecky]

I booked a guarantee cabin a few weeks ago for a Nov. 3 sailing. No assigned cabins were available in the category I wanted.

 

After reading this thread just now, I went to have a look at my booking. It appears our stateroom has been assigned. I didn't receive any notice of this so I'm not sure when the cabin assignment was done. We are 25 days out from sailing. 

[trbarton]

5 hours ago, Vooshee said:

My wife and I are cruising to New Zealand in January. When we booked a mini suite months ago,  there were no Stateroom numbers allocated as Princess apparently releases these rooms as the cruise date approaches. The Stateroom is guaranteed but they choose the category and cabin number. [This is not to be confused with them allocating a stateroom for a lower/higher price vs me choosing a cabin] I phoned their Office yesterday enquiring as to when we might be notified of a Stateroom number. I was gobsmacked with the response. " Probably 2-3 days before sailing date". Is this normal?. When I reminded the person that, if luggage tags are available 75 days before departure date, then why not release the Stateroom details at that time? We are Platinum cruisers and have always booked our own Cabin number and deck. There is nowhere in the Princess "bible" that states when Stateroom details will become available. Of late, the more cruises we do with Princess , the harder they seem to make things.

If I looked at all of the deck options for the category that I wanted I would look at other categories to see what my options are. I have not seen before where they decide the category & the location. If that’s so you could wind up with an inside stateroom. 
 

What cruise are you on along with the dates of your cruise & which ship?

Edited October 10 by trbarton

[Vooshee]

There was no bidding process involved. It was simply a matter of Princess not releasing Stateroom numbers at time of booking. For some reason [ known only to them ] the bookings are guaranteed including the supply of a mini suite as paid for but the frustration lies in not having  a specific stateroom allocated to us. If you ask the question to Princess staff you receive a mumbled, no committed response to what I believe is a fairly straight forward question. 

[Vooshee]

6 hours ago, waltd said:

Don't worry too much about the luggage tags.  They will have your name and cabin assignment at the dock and will give you tags to fill out when you drop off your bags Just carry a pen. 🙂.You more then likely will have your cabin number before you leave.   

I just like to be organised when I get to the Terminal.!! As I have stated previously, Princess seems to be putting up obstacles that previously were never an issue.

[Vooshee]

8 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

The bidding process is like musical cabins. Those are accepted usually a week or two before boarding. Same with guarantee cabins, the can assign cabins at any time. This is what you agreed to, with a pretty good discount. 

As I have said before there was never a bidding process  and no discount rate. Put simply, the cabins were available and I paid for the mini suite . The only thing that is missing is the Stateroom number.!

[downtheback]

@Vooshee to clarify what other people have already said in this thread

 

1. Princess offers two types of stateroom allocations when you book online. The first allows you to select your own cabin on the deck plans and the second is what they call "guarantee" staterooms where they choose for you.

 

2. At the time of booking, Princess may stop allowing customers to pick thier own stateroom from the deckplan, which is typically done to give them some flexibility to move people around if nearly sold out. One reason for this is to accomodate people who bid for upgrades.

 

It appears that when you went to book, your stateroom category was mostly sold out and so only option Princess offered you was the guarantee cabin. Until Princess has begun allocating the remaining cabins, they won't know where you'll be sleeping - only that you will be guaranteed a cabin in your category (or better if the need arises).

Edited October 10 by downtheback

[paddingtonbear]

Someone might cancel their cruise just before final payment or 3 weeks before the cruise or the day of the cruise Princess cabin guarantee caters for all these eventualities. 

[Vooshee]

There are , no doubt, reasons why Princess does this. However, when you ask the question over the phone to Princess staff, you can't get a sensible answer. That's all I'm after is someone to tell me why given that full payment has been made 3 months from sailing date. Alternatively, given the volume of "booking rules and conditions" that Princess now provides as compulsory reading, they could make mention of the "conditions" surrounding the non allocation of Staterooms at time of booking.  

[Arizona Wildcat]

1 hour ago, Vooshee said:

There are , no doubt, reasons why Princess does this. However, when you ask the question over the phone to Princess staff, you can't get a sensible answer. That's all I'm after is someone to tell me why given that full payment has been made 3 months from sailing date. Alternatively, given the volume of "booking rules and conditions" that Princess now provides as compulsory reading, they could make mention of the "conditions" surrounding the non allocation of Staterooms at time of booking.  

You are asking for a reason.   Does it matter?  There are guarantee cabins and various categories possible to reserve ahead (at least 5 types of mini suites).  You booked a guarantee that could be ANY mini suite cabin assigned by Princess.

Am quite sure Princess will try to sell the "better" mini suites (higher priced) and at some point assign you a specific cabin.   Princess sells cabins up to sailing, thus you will get what you paid for from those unsold mini suites.

For example on my current cruise my TA had at least 6 mini suites turned back to Princess 30 days out.  Thus Princess does not know until all TA cabin blocks are finalized which cabins are unsold.

Next those with bookings are offered both move up and move down offers.

You are asking the impossible if a phone rep.  You will get your cabin assigned.  Maybe tomorrow, but most likely a couple weeks out. 

[SCX22]

2 hours ago, Vooshee said:

There was no bidding process involved. It was simply a matter of Princess not releasing Stateroom numbers at time of booking. For some reason [ known only to them ] the bookings are guaranteed including the supply of a mini suite as paid for but the frustration lies in not having  a specific stateroom allocated to us. If you ask the question to Princess staff you receive a mumbled, no committed response to what I believe is a fairly straight forward question. 

 

Not sure what the frustration is or what sensible answer you're looking for.  You're guaranteed a mini-suite or better.  All the mini-suites are the same.  I always book guarantee and have always been given a room assignment.  I've had my cabin assigned the night before embarkation and have had to use the business center or front desk of the hotel I'm staying at to print my luggage tags.  Worse comes to worse, port agents will have blank luggage tags.  

 

Why do you need to know your cabin assignment now?  What difference does it make if now or right before sailing?  Princess took your money so they have to have space for you on the sailing.

[EDDY0827]

14 hours ago, Vooshee said:

Of late, the more cruises we do with Princess , the harder they seem to make things.

Oh boy, aint that the truth!!

[startedwithamouse]

6 hours ago, Vooshee said:

As I have said before there was never a bidding process  and no discount rate. Put simply, the cabins were available and I paid for the mini suite . The only thing that is missing is the Stateroom number.!

There most certainly is a bidding process, and it's currently going on for your cruise. Just because you choose not to participate doesn't mean it's not going on. 

 

You agreed to a guarantee cabin, which means you're guaranteed to be on the ship.  

 

Here's what Princess states:

 

We don't currently have any rooms available to select in this location. If you choose to continue, Princess will assign a room for you just prior to sailing.

Selecting this option will guarantee a stateroom assignment in this location or a comparable location prior to sailing.

 

 

Edited October 10 by startedwithamouse

[startedwithamouse]

5 hours ago, Vooshee said:

There are , no doubt, reasons why Princess does this. However, when you ask the question over the phone to Princess staff, you can't get a sensible answer. That's all I'm after is someone to tell me why given that full payment has been made 3 months from sailing date. Alternatively, given the volume of "booking rules and conditions" that Princess now provides as compulsory reading, they could make mention of the "conditions" surrounding the non allocation of Staterooms at time of booking.  

It's literally there when you book. 

 

We don't currently have any rooms available to select in this location. If you choose to continue, Princess will assign a room for you just prior to sailing.

Selecting this option will guarantee a stateroom assignment in this location or a comparable location prior to sailing.

Edited October 10 by startedwithamouse

[Therese S.]

I understand your frustration about not being able to select your cabin when booking.  When we booked our 54 day cruise on the Island Princess a full two years out before departure to Tahiti, Australia, NZ at the end of December 2023  there were no inside cabins to choose from, all were listed as guarantee.  So we had no options but to choose guarantee or not book at all.  I dont know why Princess does this especially for a cruise so far out in March 2026.  I also dont like not being able to choose my cabin and stuck with a guarantee as you never know where you'll end up.  Could be in a room I would never pick if given the opportunity. 

[downtheback]

42 minutes ago, Therese S. said:

I dont know why Princess does this especially for a cruise so far out in March 2026

It doesn't matter how far out the cruise is, it only matters how many staterooms have been allocated. Princess knows they need to set aside X% of staterooms (could be category dependent) in order to maximise occupancy and revenue. By the time you booked your inside room, they had obviously hit their percentage sold that required the remainder to be guarantee cabins.

[Vooshee]

8 hours ago, SCX22 said:

 

Not sure what the frustration is or what sensible answer you're looking for.  You're guaranteed a mini-suite or better.  All the mini-suites are the same.  I always book guarantee and have always been given a room assignment.  I've had my cabin assigned the night before embarkation and have had to use the business center or front desk of the hotel I'm staying at to print my luggage tags.  Worse comes to worse, port agents will have blank luggage tags.  

 

Why do you need to know your cabin assignment now?  What difference does it make if now or right before sailing?  Princess took your money so they have to have space for you on the sailing.

" what difference does it make"?   Simple, I like to be organised and writing cabin numbers on luggage tags at the last minute is not what I expect.

[Vooshee]

2 hours ago, Therese S. said:

I understand your frustration about not being able to select your cabin when booking.  When we booked our 54 day cruise on the Island Princess a full two years out before departure to Tahiti, Australia, NZ at the end of December 2023  there were no inside cabins to choose from, all were listed as guarantee.  So we had no options but to choose guarantee or not book at all.  I dont know why Princess does this especially for a cruise so far out in March 2026.  I also dont like not being able to choose my cabin and stuck with a guarantee as you never know where you'll end up.  Could be in a room I would never pick if given the opportunity. 

Exactly how I feel.

[arizonaperson]

@Vooshee I am an organized person as well,but sometimes “ things” are out of one’s control.

Keep checking your travel summary for your cabin assignment/ #.

 

Or if you booked through a travel agent enlist their help.

 

Since your cruise is not until January 2025, even though you’ve been paid in full, just keep checking and one of these days, I’m sure you’re guarantee cabin number will pop up for you. And as others have said( if you don’t have a cabin assignment prior to traveling to the port ) ,no worries your luggage will get to cabin once you check in at the port  & they will give you luggage tags and let you know what your cabin # is. Hopefully between now and the end of December, you will know and the waiting game will be over.

Edited October 11 by arizonaperson

[Vooshee]

58 minutes ago, arizonaperson said:

@Vooshee I am an organized person as well,but sometimes “ things” are out of one’s control.

Keep checking your travel summary for your cabin assignment/ #.

 

Or if you booked through a travel agent enlist their help.

 

Since your cruise is not until January 2025, even though you’ve been paid in full, just keep checking and one of these days, I’m sure you’re guarantee cabin number will pop up for you. And as others have said( if you don’t have a cabin assignment prior to traveling to the port ) ,no worries your luggage will get to cabin once you check in at the port  & they will give you luggage tags and let you know what your cabin # is. Hopefully between now and the end of December, you will know and the waiting game will be over.

To put a bottom line through all this , all I wanted was for someone at Princess to be more reassuring when I phoned and in light of the fact that Princess conveniently fails to mention this detail in any of their 'preachings' I find it quite unprofessional. If one defines " customer service" as providing a standard of service that meets the expectations of the customer, then Princess has failed.