Guaranteed Cabin Notification

[Tansy Mews]

Ziner, thanks for adding that you are on a July sailing. I was just going to ask if you were by chance on Baltic Treasures August 11. Do you mind if I ask how much the upsell was? There was no discount, right, just the normal price for that category?

There was a good discount! We wouldn't have bothered to accept otherwise.

[roothy123]

Thank you!

[Pirouette]

So If we have a GTY Oceanview and we do not wish to pay for any "upsell" what happens? We are perfectly happy with the oceanview category. I assumed that any assignment to another category would not cost us anything. Is this correct?

[JimandStan]

So If we have a GTY Oceanview and we do not wish to pay for any "upsell" what happens? We are perfectly happy with the oceanview category. I assumed that any assignment to another category would not cost us anything. Is this correct?

 

Yes, if you do nothing you will remain where you are and "the offer" will be extended to others.

[Mura]

As Jim said, you don't have to do anything if you don't want an "upsell". An upsell is an opportunity to "improve" your cabin level but there is a cost, albeit a reduced cost.

 

An upgrade that O initiates won't cost you anything, an upsell will.

[aunteemom]

Does Oceania ever offer upgrades or do they only offer upsells?

[Mura]

The answer is yes. When we booked our upcoming Black Sea cruise on Regatta we had a PH3 guarantee. A while back we were notified that we had been upgraded to a PH2, and we now have a cabin assignment.

 

You just can't know in advance if you're going to get an upgrade or be offered an upsell.

 

Mura

[spook1]

The answer is yes. When we booked our upcoming Black Sea cruise on Regatta we had a PH3 guarantee. A while back we were notified that we had been upgraded to a PH2, and we now have a cabin assignment.

 

You just can't know in advance if you're going to get an upgrade or be offered an upsell.

 

Mura

 

Well put, Mura. I would add that the word "upgrade" can mean differnt things depending on individual. If I had an aft stateroom of choice and was offered an upgrade of higher category amidships I would refuse it unless the caregory jumped me into a very large suite. Common practice for cruise lines is to increase priicing in a category the higher the deck which to me never made much sense. I would much rather be in an ocean view at near sea level than higher. Something about rough seas on the window and a beverage of choice I find akin to 'TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST.":)

[JimandStan]

Ah, but sometimes being higher in the ship has it's advantages....

This is the view we had from Privée last month, just after leaving Venice

I would also suggest that many of the Port Intensive European Itineraries have the passengers asleep for much of the "at sea" time, so picking a cabin with "the view" in mind, might be quite a good idea!

[spook1]

Jim ans Stan;

Lovely sunse; I also have on my wall one taken leaving Venice with the Grand Canal as the center piece...yes, taken from pool deck on Costa.

Perhaps my relationship with the sea comes from my sailing from age five to Catalina Island on our 34 foot ketch. I sailed on this same ktch with my uncle in 1954 from San Pedro to Honolulu...23 days just the two uf us. We blow out the mainsail and storm jib and for two days had 18 foot following seas and never ventured on deck without a lifeline.

I have spent most of my life in or on the sea with deep respect but not fear.

Lower deck for me, mate.

Ron:)

[hondorner]

As Jim said, you don't have to do anything if you don't want an "upsell". An upsell is an opportunity to "improve" your cabin level but there is a cost, albeit a reduced cost.

 

An upgrade that O initiates won't cost you anything, an upsell will.

As well as Mura explained it, I sense that some folks are still confused. Here's the way I understand it:

 

If you book a specific cabin, the chances of getting a free upgrade are pretty slim. If they have too much demand for the category you chose, they may offer you an "upsell", which is the chance to improve, at some cost, often a discount.

 

If they still have demand and not enough people have accepted the upsell, they may sweeten the pot -- make the offer more attractive. Eventually, they'll get enough people to "bite". The trick, and the gamble, is guessing when to accept and when to wait to see if there's a better deal. There are no rules for this.

 

However, if what you booked was a "GTY", Oceania's term for a Guaranty, what you have done is set a "floor" below which you will not be assigned. You WILL be assigned a cabin; it may be at the exact level of your GTY, or it may be at a higher level. This can depend on several variables, but one of the main variables is how many folks are on the Wait List for your category. GTY folks pay the amount when the reservation was first made; Wait List folks pay the current price. If the price has gone up (and it often does, close to sailing), it may pay Oceania to bump you to a higher level and then resell your category at a higher price.

 

Repeating myself, the key point is that with a GTY, you WILL get a cabin, and you will get it at the original price you reserved. If you are satisfied with that category (and you should never book a GTY unless you will be satisfied), you will never lose anything, and you may gain quite a bit.

 

My personal advice, if you have a GTY booking, is to wait and see what they assign you and not take an upsell. Who knows, if you take the upsell you may be paying for something you could have gotten for nothing! The least you will get is exactly that for which you have paid. Once you get an assignment, assuming there is enough time before sailing, let your agent know if you are willing to consider an upsell.

 

We have booked a specific penthouse on our upcoming transAtlantic, because we spend a fair amount of time in the suite during sea days (naps, movies, etc.) and we want to be comfortable. On the other had, on the upcoming Western Caribbean cruise, we booked an F Inside GTY, because we'll spend most of our free time at the pool. If I get an inside cabin, I'll be satisfied, but if they see fit to bump me up for free, I won't hesitate to accept it, no matter where it is.

[spook1]

As well as Mura explained it, I sense that some folks are still confused. Here's the way I understand it:

 

If you book a specific cabin, the chances of getting a free upgrade are pretty slim. If they have too much demand for the category you chose, they may offer you an "upsell", which is the chance to improve, at some cost, often a discount.

 

If they still have demand and not enough people have accepted the upsell, they may sweeten the pot -- make the offer more attractive. Eventually, they'll get enough people to "bite". The trick, and the gamble, is guessing when to accept and when to wait to see if there's a better deal. There are no rules for this.

 

However, if what you booked was a "GTY", Oceania's term for a Guaranty, what you have done is set a "floor" below which you will not be assigned. You WILL be assigned a cabin; it may be at the exact level of your GTY, or it may be at a higher level. This can depend on several variables, but one of the main variables is how many folks are on the Wait List for your category. GTY folks pay the amount when the reservation was first made; Wait List folks pay the current price. If the price has gone up (and it often does, close to sailing), it may pay Oceania to bump you to a higher level and then resell your category at a higher price.

 

Repeating myself, the key point is that with a GTY, you WILL get a cabin, and you will get it at the original price you reserved. If you are satisfied with that category (and you should never book a GTY unless you will be satisfied), you will never lose anything, and you may gain quite a bit.

 

My personal advice, if you have a GTY booking, is to wait and see what they assign you and not take an upsell. Who knows, if you take the upsell you may be paying for something you could have gotten for nothing! The least you will get is exactly that for which you have paid. Once you get an assignment, assuming there is enough time before sailing, let your agent know if you are willing to consider an upsell.

 

We have booked a specific penthouse on our upcoming transAtlantic, because we spend a fair amount of time in the suite during sea days (naps, movies, etc.) and we want to be comfortable. On the other had, on the upcoming Western Caribbean cruise, we booked an F Inside GTY, because we'll spend most of our free time at the pool. If I get an inside cabin, I'll be satisfied, but if they see fit to bump me up for free, I won't hesitate to accept it, no matter where it is.

 

Now that is what I call detail! If any are still in doubt I can only hope they do not invest in the stock market.:eek:

[Oceans&Rivers]

As well as Mura explained it, I sense that some folks are still confused. Here's the way I understand it:

 

If you book a specific cabin, the chances of getting a free upgrade are pretty slim. If they have too much demand for the category you chose, they may offer you an "upsell", which is the chance to improve, at some cost, often a discount.

 

We have a specific concierge level cabin booked and have had several "move off" offers with a complimentary offer to penthouse, but we don't think it's worth it to move from an itinerary we love, which embarks at a U.S. port, when all the "move off" offers have been to Europe (we live on the West Coast) and the cost to fly in business class overseas is so prohibitive.

 

If there were an offer to Oceania Suite or above AND we could get a low-cost business class fare, we'd be tempted, if we like the itinerary; otherwise, even a free upgrade isn't of interest to us to fly over to Europe, especially off-season or to board one of the very unpopular cruises.

 

Or were you only discussing free upgrades on the exact same cruise on which you booked the specific (as opposed to GTY) cabin?

[spook1]

We have a specific concierge level cabin booked and have had several "move off" offers with a complimentary offer to penthouse, but we don't think it's worth it to move from an itinerary we love, which embarks at a U.S. port, when all the "move off" offers have been to Europe (we live on the West Coast) and the cost to fly in business class overseas is so prohibitive.

 

If there were an offer to Oceania Suite or above AND we could get a low-cost business class fare, we'd be tempted, if we like the itinerary; otherwise, even a free upgrade isn't of interest to us to fly over to Europe, especially off-season or to board one of the very unpopular cruises.

 

Or were you only discussing free upgrades on the exact same cruise on which you booked the specific (as opposed to GTY) cabin?[/quote

 

Silance can be golden.

[Pirouette]

So how does O decide who goes where? We are Oceanview GTY and there are only about 20 of those cabins. The cruise as far as I can tell is not sold out. It would be sensible for O to upgrade those who have sailed on O before or those who have paid more tha those who initially booked on a GTY basis for Oceanview I note that the current cost for our category is about 3x what we paid. I am wondering how O balances all this. We cruise on July 22 and

D still have no cabin assignment.

[JimandStan]

So how does O decide who goes where? We are Oceanview GTY and there are only about 20 of those cabins. The cruise as far as I can tell is not sold out. It would be sensible for O to upgrade those who have sailed on O before or those who have paid more tha those who initially booked on a GTY basis for Oceanview I note that the current cost for our category is about 3x what we paid. I am wondering how O balances all this. We cruise on July 22 and

D still have no cabin assignment.

 

If you are sailing in July of 2012 and the cruise is not sold out, I would be surprised to hear that you still had not been assigned.

 

Have you tried signing in with your booking # on the website? :confused:

[Pirouette]

I check the Oceania page daily and the booking still shos as Oceanviw C GTY with no cabin assignment.

[Pirouette]

Just to follow up on the last post, one website that sells O cruises shows 47 cabins still available on the July 22nd Marina sailing. Inside and Oceanview can only be booked as GTY at starting prices over $10,000 pp and I don't think that includes air. All other categories show several cabins and suites by actual cabin number. Payment is due immediately. I have no experience with O but this website shows no discounts for last minute folk. The GTY fare for an ocean view cabin is more tha double what I paid in March and I have air included. I am sure that a TA may be able to secure a better rate but the question still remains- how does O balance all this when assigning cabins? It just makes sense to upgrade those who have paid more or those who have been past O passengers. I know We have a cabin so I am not particularly concerned, but I am curious as to where we will end up.

[hondorner]

Just to follow up on the last post, one website that sells O cruises shows 47 cabins still available on the July 22nd Marina sailing. Inside and Oceanview can only be booked as GTY at starting prices over $10,000 pp and I don't think that includes air. All other categories show several cabins and suites by actual cabin number. Payment is due immediately. I have no experience with O but this website shows no discounts for last minute folk. The GTY fare for an ocean view cabin is more tha double what I paid in March and I have air included. I am sure that a TA may be able to secure a better rate but the question still remains- how does O balance all this when assigning cabins? It just makes sense to upgrade those who have paid more or those who have been past O passengers. I know We have a cabin so I am not particularly concerned, but I am curious as to where we will end up.

I thought I discussed this, but my answer was long, and folks may not read all of it. There are actually 3 categories of reservation -- room assignment, guarantee, and wait list. If you have a guarantee, there are more people behind you on the wait list. With a guarantee, you already know how much you'll pay. With a wait list, if you are lucky enough to get an assignment, you would pay the current price.

 

Now, you mentioned "discounts for last minute folk" -- that's how the mass market ships work. Oceania is the opposite. The closer one gets to sailing, the more expensive the cabin becomes. You have seen that with your own booking! So, here's the deal. Oceania makes more money by moving people OUT of the Ocean View (which has a long wait list) into a higher category that perhaps does not have a long wait list. It may be a chain reaction. Someone may cancel a penthouse, and folks in concierge wil be offered an upsell. That frees up a concierge cabin, so folks in Category B may be offered an upsell to Concierge. Finally, the folks with an OceanView GTY will be bumped to a Category B to make room for the folks on the wait list who will pay more.

The wait lists are always longest for the least expensive cabins and the most expensive Suites. The last cabins to be sold are almost always the concierge; read the other thread about whether or not the concierge level is worth the extra money, and you'll figure out why they're last.

[JimandStan]

Just to follow up on the last post, one website that sells O cruises shows 47 cabins still available on the July 22nd Marina sailing. Inside and Oceanview can only be booked as GTY at starting prices over $10,000 pp and I don't think that includes air. All other categories show several cabins and suites by actual cabin number. Payment is due immediately. I have no experience with O but this website shows no discounts for last minute folk. The GTY fare for an ocean view cabin is more tha double what I paid in March and I have air included. I am sure that a TA may be able to secure a better rate but the question still remains- how does O balance all this when assigning cabins? It just makes sense to upgrade those who have paid more or those who have been past O passengers. I know We have a cabin so I am not particularly concerned, but I am curious as to where we will end up.

 

Each Cruise Line considers the formula(s) that they use to upgrade GTY passengers to be Proprietary, so even if I knew it (which I don't) I could not write about it here.

 

Travel Agents will tell you, however, and this does make sense, that because they know the people at Oceania who "do the assigning" and because they are in daily communication with them, that they have the most influence. Therefore, if you bought your guarantee with the specific hopes of being upgraded, tell your Agent early and remind them often. They can,and will, go to bat for you.

 

As you say, the fare that one has paid, and ones past passenger status are both considered, but in this equation, the volume of business that your Travel Agent does with Oceania, and the clout which that brings, may be more important.

[Mura]

We have a specific concierge level cabin booked and have had several "move off" offers with a complimentary offer to penthouse, but we don't think it's worth it to move from an itinerary we love, which embarks at a U.S. port, when all the "move off" offers have been to Europe (we live on the West Coast) and the cost to fly in business class overseas is so prohibitive.

 

If there were an offer to Oceania Suite or above AND we could get a low-cost business class fare, we'd be tempted, if we like the itinerary; otherwise, even a free upgrade isn't of interest to us to fly over to Europe, especially off-season or to board one of the very unpopular cruises.

 

Or were you only discussing free upgrades on the exact same cruise on which you booked the specific (as opposed to GTY) cabin?

 

Indeed, the discussion here seems to be about staying on the same cruise -- just getting your guaranty cabin, or perhaps an upsell.

 

Your point about not moving to another cruise because of other expenses is well taken, of course. We accepted an offer to leave an Alaska cruise last August in exchange for a Vista on Marina in the fall. We liked the new itinerary and we didn't lose much in changing our air fare because we'd used miles to book the original flights.

 

But not too long ago we were offered a May 2nd Athens to somewhere cruise (no upgrade in cabin as I recall) instead of our August 18th Black Sea cruise but we declined partly because it would have cost us to switch our air fare, but even more because we were due to fly home from Paris on May 1st when we would already have been away 3 weeks. DH doesn't like being away more than TWO weeks these days, so that wasn't an enticement for him. (It certainly would have been easy to get to Athens to catch the ship since we were already in Paris.)

 

The real killer to the offer, though, was that it was a very similar itinerary to the cruise we took last October. If it had been a different itinerary, we MIGHT have done it.

 

When we did Auckland-Sydney a few years ago many people were scheduled to continue on to Bangkok from Sydney. Lots of them received offers to switch cruises since evidently that leg was very much oversold. Even though many people were tempted by the extremely generous offers, the loss they would have taken on the airfare led most of them to decline.

 

Mura

[Oceans&Rivers]

But not too long ago we were offered a May 2nd Athens to somewhere cruise (no upgrade in cabin as I recall) instead of our August 18th Black Sea cruise but we declined....[snip]

 

How very odd not to have been offered an upgrade in cabin. If you had wanted the May 2nd cruise, you would have long ago booked it instead of the August 18 Black Sea cruise.

 

Was there $ome other major enticement?

[Mura]

There may have been, Ocean, but I don't recall right now. You're right, one would have think there was more of an enticement than just asking us to move cruises!

 

Mura