Any Way to Search by Cabin Type?

[Boo Boo]

Hi

 

If you are fairly flexible on sailing date, but want a Owners Suite, is there any EASY way to search for availability? Am trying to find an OS, probably on the Liberty or the Freedom, for Summer/Autumn 2007... looking through each date is quite a long-winded way of doing it... :(

 

Thanks,

Boo

[cb at sea]

Why not just call the RCI toll-free number and ask? That would be fast and easy! Tell them which port you want to sail from, and they can look up the info PDQ!

[Cuizer2]

The most expensive and least expensive cabins go first. The most expensive are the Royal Suite and the Presidential Suite. There is one of each. Next is the Owners Suites and the Royal Family Suites. There are four Royal Family Suites and eight Owners Suites. The summer is a very popular time for families and families like the Owners Suites and the Royal Family Suites. I have a Royal Family Suite booked for the summer of 2007. The four Royal Family Suites were sold out on my sailing within the first hour of the first day that they became available for booking. You might be able to get a Grand Suite now, or if you are very flexible perhaps there is an Owners Suite available sometime during the summer. However, your best bet is to reserve a summer 2008 Owners Suite in May of 2007. Otherwise, call RCI or call a good travel agent and tell them you are looking for an Owners Suite during the summer and see what they can find. They will probably have to do the same thing you are doing. However, that is what they get paid for (and you don't save any money by doing it yourself).

[Cuizer2]

Hi

 

If you are fairly flexible on sailing date, but want a Owners Suite, is there any EASY way to search for availability? Am trying to find an OS, probably on the Liberty or the Freedom, for Summer/Autumn 2007... looking through each date is quite a long-winded way of doing it... :(

 

Thanks,

Boo

 

 

For doing the kind of searching you want to do, Travelocity is probably the easiest (because you don't have to change screens to change the date). In less than one minute I checked all the western sailings of the Freedom from June through Sept 2. The Sept 2 sailing of the Freedom has one Owners Suite unsold. For all of June, July and August (for the Western itinerary) the biggest suite still open is the Junior Suite - and it is almost the same price as the Owners Suite in September.

 

The other thing you can do is check the day after final payment is due (75 days prior to sailing) to see if anyone canceled from an Owners Suite.

[Cuizer2]

Oh boy, a quad post (my record is six). Well, as I normally do in these case, I just post bonus pictures instead ...

 

The Navigator of the Seas in Labadee ...

 

[Cuizer2]

Duplicate post # 3 ...

 

The Voyager of the Seas in St. Thomas ...

 

[Cuizer2]

Dup post # 4 ...

 

The Vision of the Seas, just before it ran me over ...

 

[Cuizer2]

Oops! There is a fifth one. And I am running out of bonus photos!

 

The Freedom of the Seas, arriving in Miami in the summer of 2006 ...

 

[baker brats]

I would call a TA... I was looking for a family suit and even though they didn't show up online they were available....

[baker brats]

I would call a TA... I was looking for a family suit and even though they didn't show up online they were available....

[luvcruzen]

I would call a TA... I was looking for a family suit and even though they didn't show up online they were available....

FYI ! Family Suites will never show up as available on the RCCL website. You need to go thru either RCCL directly or have your TA go thru them.

[Fury1995]

Cuizer2: Thanks for the great duplicate posts! The are really quite good!:)

[aqhacruiser]

Cruizer2, GREAT PICS! THANKS! :D

[Boo Boo]

Hi, thanks for all of your replies (especially to Cuizer2 for both checking the dates AND the photos - you are a star! :) ).

 

We generaly struggle to look too far ahead because we are thinking about starting a family... the plan was to be expecting one this Summer, but that has slipped a bit. Anyway, it is definitely on our minds - so even thinking a year in advance is stretching it (in case I might be heavily prgnant by then).

 

We are also looking at Princess (Caribbean Princess) - they seem to have plenty of suites available for high Summer. Wonder why they do and Royal Caribbean don't? Odd....

 

Will keep thinking :)

 

Thanks a lot again for your advice (especially Cuizer2 :) ).

 

Boo

[Cuizer2]

Hi, thanks for all of your replies (especially to Cuizer2 for both checking the dates AND the photos - you are a star! :) ).

 

We generaly struggle to look too far ahead because we are thinking about starting a family... the plan was to be expecting one this Summer, but that has slipped a bit. Anyway, it is definitely on our minds - so even thinking a year in advance is stretching it (in case I might be heavily prgnant by then).

 

We are also looking at Princess (Caribbean Princess) - they seem to have plenty of suites available for high Summer. Wonder why they do and Royal Caribbean don't? Odd....

 

Will keep thinking :)

 

Thanks a lot again for your advice (especially Cuizer2 :) ).

 

Boo

 

You have a few things in your favor that you don't seem to be taking advantage of (unless the rules are different in the UK). First of all, if you do become pregnant, you are going to have nine months lead time (hopefully) before any major changes. Deposits are refundable up to about 75 days before sailing. So, if you put down a deposit, all you really risk is some lost interest if you do have to cancel.

 

As to Princess, I believe that if you have a chance to cruise on both RCI and Princess you will notice a difference in the average age of the cruisers. While still family friendly, Princess tend to attract older couples whose "children" are also adults. Many people this age (but not all) don't want to be around a bunch of "energetic" little ones. Summer is well known as family time (because the kids are out of school). So many of Princess' loyal cruisers avoid summer. Most families favor RCI, Carnival or Disney. So Princess may not be as popular in the summer as RCI, Carnival or Disney. However, during the winter time, it might be harder to find a suite on Princess than RCI or Carnival (not sure about Disney) because most families are not cruising in the winter.

 

At any rate, unless deposits are not refundable in the UK, put down a deposit, and if things work out the the way you want, cancel before the final payment is due. You can cruise while pregnant. My sister was pregnant in July when she was on a two week cruise in Alaska and gave birth to a healthy boy in December.