Risks of GTY FV on Connie- help needed!

[SusieV]

I'm sorry to repost this thread but my last subject was not descriptive and I really need some advice from experienced CC'ers as to whether we would be throwing our money away.

 

If I book a FV guarantee, what are the odds of actually getting a FV?

 

My husband and I are currently booked in a category 9 inside. This would be an enormous splurge for us but we know that FV guarantees don't appear very often. Our worry is that we'd get "upgraded" to ConciergeClass, which wouldn't be much of an upgrade at all. We really want that big balcony.

 

There don't appear to be any suites, CC, or FV available, so I have no idea what happens if someone doesn't cancel (Jan 28 cruise so we're near final payment). However, they are still selling CC guarantee as well (for $500 more pp than the FV guarantee)

 

What would you do? It would be so disappointing to spend a lot of extra money and wind up in a CC cabin, but we're both dreaming of that FV balcony...

 

I also looked up some other cruises just to get a feel for things... can someone explain to me why FV's generally cost more than a CC but they consider a CC to be a higher category of room?

 

On our sailing, the FV guarantee was actually $500 less per person than CC guarantee.

 

How much do FV's usually cost for an 11 night Caribbean/Panama itinerary? The guarantee was $1899pp.

 

I would book this in a second if there was no way to end up in CC. We want FV or a suite if we're going to splurge. Anyone have any idea where FV guarantee's usually end up?

 

I've got one on hold right now and our travel agent opens in 4 hours, so we've got to make a decision. Any advice is appreciated!

[ccletzgo]

if you book an FV guarantee, then the very lowest category you will get is an FV. BUT, you could also get a CC, a sky suite, Celebrity suite, or even a royal. :)

 

FV's are priced highter do to supply and demand..

[SusieV]

I believe they could also "upgrade" us to CC, could they not? We DO NOT want ConciergeClass. It's not worth the extra money to us. If it was just FV or a suite, we'd jump on it. We want that big balcony and larger cabin. I don't know how they consider CC is better than FV!

 

Our ship is nearly sold out so it makes me a little nervous. There seems to be very few cabins available and nothing for them to put us in.

 

Is it possible they are holding a few FVs back and are only releasing them now at final payment so there is the possibility of immediate assignment for us?

 

FV GTY was actually selling for $500 lower than CC GTY.

[ccletzgo]

The ONLY problem I see with a FV guarentee, is if you were to get one of the CC cabins under the pool deck:eek:

[ccletzgo]

I completely understand your feelings. How about playing it safe and just book a regular balcony cabin?

 

 

This is MY opinion on the CC category. I was on the Millenniums 2nd week out. New Ship, First in its class.

I was booked in a balcony state room and got an upgrade to the larger balcony stateroom on the deck under the pool. :eek: My TA was excited about the upgrade and told me it was great. (cant blame her. This was the first ship of this class ship)

We were so disappointed, and SO wished we had kept our balcony cabin down on the lower level.

 

It was a short while later that Celebrity came up with this "CC" category, and after having one of the cabins, I think CC was something they came up with to make these cabins more desirable. (again, my opinion) As they were, they were not getting booked, due to noise and the rather large over hang including obstructing beams on the balcony. :mad:

[SusieV]

Our ship is almost entirely sold out. They're selling a few insides, a few oceanviews, and the CC GTY. We got the last FV GTY on hold.

 

We wouldn't splurge for a regular balcony anyway, we'd just go in the inside and enjoy it. This time, we wanted something extra special and CC just isn't it for us. We want that huge verandah.

 

If there was any way to know where we'd end up, I would book it. So I'm hoping people who have booked FV GTY will chime in soon. I can't be the only one who's had this problem.

 

Basically, we're keeping our inside, or we'd spend the extra for a FV or suite. I wish they made FVs superior to CC.

[ccletzgo]

I am editing my last post because I just realized you said you put one on hold. Also the FV guarantees are no longer available sense you did that.

 

as with any guarantee, its a gamble. .. I would take a cc over an inside considering the length of this cruise, (cabin fever)

but I am not you...

[Conrycol]

We have a FV reserved on the Summitt in February. The CC cabin is selling for $300 less. So being "upgraded" to The CC class doesn't make any sense. Celebrity would have to refund us the cost difference. So how would that be an upgrade?

[SusieV]

That's what I thought. On most sailings, FV costs more than CC. What gives with this being such a problem? :(

 

I would gladly pay this price for FV or suite. But the risk of being "upgraded" to CC worries us a lot.

[SusieV]

Three people at Celebrity have told me that I CANNOT be given a Concierge stateroom with an FV guarantee.

 

I don't know if they're all wrong, which is certainly possible, but I think we may take the chance. If it's FV or a suite only, it's an easy choice!

[DanishBeauty]

I Was Able To Book A Family Balcony Stateroom Guaranty On The Constellation About 2-3 Weeks Before Final Payment Was Due.

On The Last Day For Final Payments, We Were Assigned The Fv.

Also There Is Only 2 Of Us Booked In This Stateroom. Boy Did We Get Lucky! This Is For Jan 18, 2008 The Week Of Martin Luther King Day.

I Would Go For It If I Were You.

[SusieV]

It's going to be interesting to see what happens... we sail in 58 days and according to the Celebrity website they have nowhere to put us!

 

Our booking still shows FV guarantee. I wonder what will happen if they don't get any cancellations?

[usha]

Gosh, if the family verandas are all filled up, guess you'll just have to tough it out in a suite!;)

[jerseygirl3]

Three people at Celebrity have told me that I CANNOT be given a Concierge stateroom with an FV guarantee.

 

I don't know if they're all wrong, which is certainly possible, but I think we may take the chance. If it's FV or a suite only, it's an easy choice!

 

I'm assuming since they haven't actually assigned you an FV cabin number and all you can book for FV is guarantee, that means they are currently sold out? Correct? The next question would be are there still CC cabins left? If so, unless somebody with an FV cancels and you are next in line to get an FV assignment, wouldn't they have no choice but to "upgrade" you to a CC?

 

I see your point and I don't understand why a CC is considered an upgrade. Could it be there was a glitch in the computer system and once they priced the FV guarantee lower than the CC's, they had to honor them, but knowing full well they won't have enough of them so chances are anybody who booked them will wind up in a CC?

 

It's a really tough call. Too bad you can't keep the inside and the FV. I thought maybe if you were willing to shell out another deposit, you could book yourself in the inside with a TBA as the second passenger, and your husband in the FV guarantee with a TBA as his second passenger. And then if you get the FV assigned before final payment, just cancel out the inside cabin. If they upgrade you to a CC, cancel out the FV. Is that possible? I'm just trying to think of ways you can guarantee getting what you want.

[SusieV]

jerseygirl- We're already past final payment, so we can't do anything like that. Just about everything is sold out on our sailing with the exception of a few 2Bs and some oceanviews.

 

My husband still thinks it was a pricing glitch, because it was very inexpensive to go from an inside to the FV GTY, and it was over $500pp less than CC GTY.

 

Celebrity has told me that FV is considered superior to the suite so we cannot be assigned a CC (although there are none of those left either). I thought I'd heard otherwise but my travel agent said the same thing- if we get an upgrade it will be to a suite. I was very happy to hear that!

 

We'd love even a Sky Suite, even with a smaller verandah- this is probably the only chance we'll have for a long time to sail in one!

 

usha- there aren't any suites left, either! I wonder what happens if no one in FV or suite cancels? Have they ever over-guaranteed?

[DanishBeauty]

Susiev Please Let Us All Know How This Turns Out

[SusieV]

I will definitely post when I get my cabin assigned! Or when we come back if we are still GTY when we leave for Florida.

 

Boy, I hope not- I'd be on pins and needles the whole time! But I guess we'd have a better chance of getting a suite if they make us wait? I keep hoping a family of four or five will call and want to book an FV so they move us up :)

[jerseygirl3]

jerseygirl- We're already past final payment, so we can't do anything like that. Just about everything is sold out on our sailing with the exception of a few 2Bs and some oceanviews.

 

My husband still thinks it was a pricing glitch, because it was very inexpensive to go from an inside to the FV GTY, and it was over $500pp less than CC GTY.

 

Celebrity has told me that FV is considered superior to the suite so we cannot be assigned a CC (although there are none of those left either). I thought I'd heard otherwise but my travel agent said the same thing- if we get an upgrade it will be to a suite. I was very happy to hear that!

 

We'd love even a Sky Suite, even with a smaller verandah- this is probably the only chance we'll have for a long time to sail in one!

 

usha- there aren't any suites left, either! I wonder what happens if no one in FV or suite cancels? Have they ever over-guaranteed?

 

Ah, so if it was a glitch, then your husband is right, a CC would not actually be an upgrade, therefore they couldn't upgrade you to a CC. They'd have to move you up to whatever category is next highest to a CC. Now it's all making a bit more sense and I think you'll be fine. I was worried they'd consider a CC an upgrade since it was selling for more, but given the fact that it sounds like the CC being priced higher was a glitch, and they have no CC's left either, I'd say your chances are pretty good of getting at least the FV or higher.

 

Good luck and be sure to let us know how this all turns out.

[usha]

usha- there aren't any suites left, either! I wonder what happens if no one in FV or suite cancels? Have they ever over-guaranteed?

Hmmmmmmmm,...

ROYAL SUITE????:D :D

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Susie,

 

As I see it, it will be llike this.

 

1. You get assigned to FV.

 

2. No FV available. You get assigned a suite of some category.

 

3. No FV or suite available. They have overbooked FV and suites and you will be offered whatever is left, CC, OV, Inside at the appropriate price. If you refuse they will offer a full refund.

 

I doubt that #3 will happen, though it is possible.

 

Good luck, hope you get the FV. Definitely superior to CC (even aft CC).

[SusieV]

#3 would be horrible. They actually do that?? It wouldn't be fair considering that the price of insides has gone up a lot since we booked, and we aren't oceanview people so certainly wouldn't pay more for a window. And our whole concern about booking FV was that we not be assigned a CC- my husband would be very upset if we were given a CC. And there wouldn't even be a refund since CC cost more!

 

We can't accept a refund either because we are cruising with my mother and her boyfriend, and they have vacation etc all lined up. Not to mention nonrefundable air/hotel, etc...

 

I didn't know they could fail to honour a GTY.

 

usha, a royal suite would be a dream come true!

[usha]

SuzyV, I can't even IMAGINE that Celebrity would stick you with "possibility #3"!!! If they even tried that crap, I hope you and your DH would be prepared to do battle!

I'm thinking you're going to get an incredibly nice family verandah that somebody backs out on at the last minute (at the very least):)

You never know: you might just get a really nice upgrade to a suite:D (which is what I'm personally rooting for!) Hey, stuff happens!

AND...you never know; sometimes, Celebrity just goes out on a limb and upgrades you to ridiculous proportions!!!! (a.k.a. royal suite/penthouse (oh, yes) suite.:D :D :D Why shouldn't it happen to you???

[usha]

Please, let us know what kind of stateroom you get, huh????:o :o :o

[SusieV]

Definitely, I will post as soon as I know!

 

It really would be amazing to get a suite for our anniversary. My husband and I want to start a family soon so this may be our last non working (non bridge) vacation for a long time. We wanted it to be special which is why we decided to splurge for the FV GTY.

 

Thanks for the positive thoughts!

[CaliforniaDreamin]

I'm sure it will work out for you.

 

Having had Inside, Oceanview, Balcony, CC Balcony, FV and Sky Suite, my favorite is the FV. I prefer an aft facing CC or FV to a Sky Suite for the larger balcony and the inside layout of the FV is superior and larger, IMO, than a Sky Suite.

 

Wishing you smooth sailing and a great cruise for your anniversary.