Room Assignments-How far out? About This Page:

[Dave Marx]

There are several strategic reasons for offering GTY rooms. However, cruise lines do not overbook. GTY means you're guaranteed a stateroom in a particular category or better. They are trying to maximize occupancy, though. As there are only 13 Cat. 12 rooms, and as they are the cheapest, they are the easiest to sell. In Disney's case it's not about offering last-minute specials, but as Disney's last-minute rates are the highest, it's still easiest to sell a Cat 12. Sure, they'd make more selling a Cat 4 at last-minute rates, and those that can afford that will certainly do it, but there's a smaller population that's going to do that, so odds are in favor of selling the cheapest categories. Since DCL doesn't want to give the impression they're a "last-minute bargains" cruise line, they'd rather quietly move up someone who has already paid, than advertise a bargain-basement rate that wouled encourage other folks to wait for last-minute bargains.

The biggest change in so-called "last minute" vacancies comes at 90 days prior for Cats 1-3, and 75 days prior for Cats 4-12 - that's when full payment is due, and when deposits are forfeited on Cats 4-12 (any suite cancellation automatically forfeits the deposit - too many people were holding suites and releasing them last-minute). Most folks who know they won't be cruising will make their plans known at that point.Then the clock starts ticking down towards the 50% penalty date, 45 days prior. After then, the line knows most of what the story will be, and can start handing out final room assignments on the GTYs.

[dmpyron]

I'll try my hand at explaining. But this isn't an easy thing to understand, or explain. In fact, a few years back, some people won a Nobel Prize in Economics for developing the concepts involved. Let's say you have some Cat A cabins selling for $1000 /person and some Cat B for $500. Okay, you sell all of the Cat B cabins, but not all of the Cat A. It's getting close to sail date and people want the Cat B, but not the Cat A. So, you upgrade the folks who bought the Cat B cabins (at $500) and sell the Cat B cabins that they have "vacated" for $600. The people who have been upgraded are in cabins that you would probably not have sold, and you've sold the lower category cabins for more money. The trick is in the timing and the price points.

[J603]

I can see it now, colleges start offering Cruising 101 courses. They could make a killing. Basically, it all boils down to the same philosophy Disney uses with their "upgrades" at their hotels. You hope for it but don't expect it. Cat 12 is ok with me. I don't think I will get to be in the room much as DS found out that there are ping pong tables, fusbol table, and an arcade on board. Has anyone actually slept on a ping pong table?

[mackeymouse]

Thanks Dave. You cleared things up for me......a little.

I must just think backwards that's all. The way I look at it is: Let's say a Cat 10 room is 3500. A Cat 5 room is 5000. So what Disney does is moves people up and sells those Cat 10's for 4000 instead. I mean, with a month left, why not leave the people and prices where they are? If people are looking last minute, let's see how motivated to get on this cruise they really are. If they are really, and I mean really wanting to get on the cruise, they will shell out the extra grand for the Cat 5. Right?

I guess I don't see why Disney's attitude is not "You want to cruise? This is what we got, take it or leave it."

Prior to your post, Dave, I really did not understand why the upgrades didn't start sooner, but now I do a little bit.

[OffKilter_Lynn]

Originally Posted by mackeymouse

If people are looking last minute, let's see how motivated to get on this cruise they really are. If they are really, and I mean really wanting to get on the cruise, they will shell out the extra grand for the Cat 5. Right?

People just aren't 'motivated' to pay a higher price for a last-minute cruise. If you're going to sell an empty cabin to someone going last-minute, it's going to be a cabin that costs less. And DCL can tell based on bookings and quotes how interested people are in a particular sailing and will adjust passengers and cabins accordingly.

You're right to a point, however. But look at it from DCL point of view. They have you as a paying guest in the $3,500 Cat. 10 cabin. The $5,000 Cat. 5 is sitting empty.

Option 1: leave you in Cat. 10 and sail with an empty Cat. 5 cabin. Not their first choice as they like to sail as full as possible.

Option 2: move you to Cat. 5 and re-sell the Cat. 10 at a slightly higher price of $4,000 since it's closer to sail date. A much better option as they've got more passengers / less empty cabins. It's also made the guest happy with the upgraded cabin.

In theory and in reality, upgrades are in the same vein as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy... while you secretly may hope they exist, you can't live in the certainty that one will appear! Always book the category you would be happy in.

[mackeymouse]

Hun, I'd be happy without no room at all, just sleeping out underneath the stars. Does Disney do an "Under the Stars" package? Haha.

I guess, with my line of thinking, people that book last minute typically have more money to spend and will spend it. I mean Disney has the facts and stats, so I am sure they are doing something right. But, to me, people that book last minute don't have to plan ahead, don't have to budget, don't have to shop around excursions and flights; they just decide "Hey, let's go."

People on a budget plan ahead. At least that's the way I see things.

Have I mentioned I am a very analytical thinker?

[HeatherD]

I guess, with my line of thinking, people that book last minute typically have more money to spend and will spend it.

That's a big assumption, however. People who plan ahead may still not have a budget and people who plan a last minute trip may not have had the means to plan earlier.

Let's look at it analytically - they may have gotten a great deal on airfare, so it offset the slight raise in price (using your analogy - only $500 more for that Cat 10 room). They may have just gotten approved for some time off and have been looking at cruises (& budgeting) for a long time. They may have just gotten a bonus (or economic stimulus check) that will pay for the cruise at a Cat 10 price, but not a Cat 5 price. So if they can't get the Cat 10 price, they will look at a Cat 5 on Royal Caribbean instead.

Disney can't assume people are desperate to cruise with them, enough that they'll pay $1500 more (again, using the Cat 10/Cat 5 analogy). A fully booked cruise makes them more desirable, therefore they make more money in the long run by "reducing" a price (in a round about way) and looking like THIS ship is THE ship to be on. And then people start thinking, "wow, I'd better book mine quick to make sure I get the dates I want" or such. And then there are less rooms to fill when they start moving people around.

[dmpyron]

What Heather said is very important, and, in fact, I'd go further and say that people who book very close usually DO have a tighter budget. So many times, I get calls from people saying that they've heard they there are "bargains" on cruises close to sailing time. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on the time of year, the ITN and the line. I can get you a really, really good rate on an RCI Alaska cruise in late August. Or a 12 night HAL Med cruise that leaves next Sunday (the 20th). But forget about a Caribbean cruise this summer. Cruise lines typically take the "sell it or smell it" option and put the "bargain" priced lower categories up for more money rather than sell the higher cats for less. The ROI is usually better on those.

[Dave Marx]

One important economic reality is that it costs the same to serve a guest in Cat 4 as it costs to serve a guest in Cat 12. So, Disney isn't "losing" money by moving someone who has paid for Cat 12 up into a Cat 4. They only lose money when they can't get get more passengers on board. Lower-priced staterooms almost alway lure more people on board than higher-priced rooms, so if there's a shortage of low-priced rooms and a surplus of high-priced...

[jnadelman]

They GTY makes perfect sense. They get to sell more rooms that they might not have been able to sell. Problem is you have to be willing to take any room on the ship. If you prefer to be mid ship, you could wind up with one at the front. If you want the left side for better views, you could get the right. If you want a nice deck, you could get stuck on deck 1 away from everyone and on top of the engine room. If you have young kids you could wind up getting put under the night club with a ton of noise until all hours of the night.
Sure its a great deal, but the upgrade is not a given. You could wind up in the class you paid for with a really bad placed room. I would prefer to have my choice of rooms.
Also, even people who have selected rooms could get the upgrade. Think of it this way, you paid less for the GTY than I paid for my selected room. If they need to move someone, who do they want to please and surprise with an upgrade more? Someone who is expecting it and paid rock bottom prices or someone who has a bigger budget (paid more), is more likely to do another cruise, and would tell the world about the last minute unexpected upgrade?

I'll take my chances and pre-select a room that I know I will be happy with.

[Diznyfan68]

Originally Posted by J603

Does anyone know how far out the room assignments are made? And will I know my room assignment before I go or will it be like the hotels on-site where I find out when I get there? All help appreciated!

We booked our cruise on the very first day we were able to book and could only get a GTY - we would of loved to get a room right then but we didn't have a choice. We leave on 8/17 and received our assignment yesterday (7/15) - others on our cruise received their's today, some received their's on Monday and some are still waiting. I would say that depending on how "booked" your cruise is you will probably receive your assignments anywhere from 28-35 days out (4-5 weeks out) (DCL has been known to assign people as they were boarding!). Hope this helps - good luck!

[cdnmickeyfan]

I am still kinda confused even after reading everything as to when we will find out what our room assignments are. I hope that we find out sooner rather than later because we need connecting rooms. The kids have their own cabin and we have ours. We need them connecting. I really hope that this doesn't become a problem. We are staying in Cat 12.

[J603]

I booked my cruise last October. Would that have any bearing on the order in which my room is assigned? I am guessing not? But they should feel free to bump me up to cat 1 or 2. (hehe)

[dmpyron]

Angie, call your agent immediately. I can almost promise you that you will not get connecting rooms if you booked a GTY. I would really even be surprised if you got adjacent rooms. It's very important to call now and talk to someone.

[HeatherD]

We booked our cruise on the very first day we were able to book and could only get a GTY

This seems very strange to me. Did you book it yourself or through an agent? Everytime we've looked and/or booked, we've had the option to pick our room. However, we also book a verandah, so that could affect it (though I don't think so).