Getting the cabin you want.

[dougp26364]

This past week I noticed an oddity with RCI that makes my life a little more miserable. Perhaps it was a quirk or perhaps thats just how they do business.

 

I always try to book our vacations months, usually over a year, out so that I can get the times and locations I want. With cruising, that means cabin location I want.

 

This week when booking a Dec. 3rd cruise on Radiance, I wanted to book an E1 hump balcony cabin on deck 8. One wasn't available so I took cabin 7608 on the hump, right below my first choise of 8602. I had asked specifiacally for 8602 if it was available and was told by the TA, it wasn't. I had also checked other online sites and did not see it available but did see 7608.

 

As soon as I booked 7608, THEN 8602 became available. I called the TA back and made the change.

 

So will RCI not make every cabin available to be booked from day one but actually holds back some of the prime locations, only to release them latter and at higher prices? If so then that sucks. I book early and give them my deposit early so that I can have the best selection and the best prices available. Now it appears that RCI only allows certain cabin locations to be selected initially with the best prices available, forcing me to watch sites daily in order to get the cabin location I want.

 

Maybe I'm wrong but it seems as if RCI (and probably every other cruise line) enjoys playing games with it's customers. IMO, all cabins should be available from day one if I'm willing to give them my money that far in advance. Don't make me have to play games to get what I want for the money I'm paying.

 

For now, I'll keep booking the best available cabin and then watch the travel sites to see if what I really want becomes available latter. I know that sometimes a cabin is held and then released but, what a coincidense that the cabin I really wanted became available the second I booked the next best thing to what I wanted.

[alchemy101]

Have you been on a hump cabin before if so whatd you think of it

[Alexis]

This week when booking a Dec. 3rd cruise on Radiance, I wanted to book an E1 hump balcony cabin on deck 8. One wasn't available so I took cabin 7608 on the hump, right below my first choise of 8602. I had asked specifiacally for 8602 if it was available and was told by the TA, it wasn't. I had also checked other online sites and did not see it available but did see 7608.

 

As soon as I booked 7608, THEN 8602 became available. I called the TA back and made the change.

___________________________________________________________

Hi, dougp26364

Of course I can't say for sure why that cabin was not available to you, but a lot of people put a hold on cabins and then release them back if they change their mind as to location or even another ship. On the Brilliance, I changed cabin locations 3 times before that one cruise. So, my cabins would become available when I would give them up for another. I kept going up in category.. :D

I would assume that could be the case here too. Glad to hear you got the cabin you wanted. Enjoy.

[megessey]

Hey! I have 8602 booked for my April cruise -- glad to hear its a highly requested room :D

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Getting the cabin you want......why wouldn't you call RCI direct ask for the cabin of your choice??? :confused:

On line sites only show up to 7 cabins per category, so even if it is available it may not show.

 

***

[emeraldcity]

I second the thought expressed by AZCruiser. I wanted a center bump cabin, so I called RCI directly. It certainly wasn't showing up when I was trying to select a cabin in on-line booking. Once I had an RCI rep on the phone, he readily offered me exactly what I was looking for.

[KShea]

We had cabin 8320 on the Mariner. It was perfect. Great location, great cabin. I would highly recommend it....

[CruisinDawn]

You can also get different results in cabins by putting in 3 or 4 people when you only have 2. Some say that you may get your cabin taken away if someone needs more berths but it's not likely in a normal cabin. If you want a particular cabin call Royal and see if it's available, if so put a hold on it, call your TA of choice and they will call and get it transfered to them and booked. Or just book with Royal, what ever your comfortable with.

 

BonVoyage

Dawna

[wrp96]

What IS a hump/bump (?) cabin anyway????

 

On the Voyager class, Radiance class, and the soon to debut Freedom, the hump is the area around the aft elevators that sort of bumps out. The balconies on the hump have the best views of all the staterooms on the side of the ship because they can look forward and back and still have privacy.

[Kokomos]

Its funny you mentioned that. I check to see whats avalible 2 or 3 times a week. At 90 days out many of the cabins all the sudden gone. All that was left was inside and Royal Suite. Checked again at the 60 day mark and the have a few insides left several oceanview, balconies, Jr suites and Grand Suite and Royal Suite. I find it hard to believe that many people would change cabins or cancel with penalties. I know alot of TA block them off but i thought they had to release them back before final payment would be due.

 

Im happy I do have the cabin I want just seems odd way to sell cabins.

[Alexis]

We had cabin 8320 on the Mariner. It was perfect. Great location, great cabin. I would highly recommend it....

 

Thanks, that is good to know. That's ours for 2 weeks on the Navigator. ;)

[larkwind]

not the aft--just a little typo.

[madforcruising]

not the aft--just a little typo.

 

Don´t know about Voyager class but on the Radiance class ships there are only two sets of stairs/elevators. So there is no central one but only one forward and one aft (while I agree the aft one is in the centrum area of the ship).

[dougp26364]

Have you been on a hump cabin before if so whatd you think of it

 

 

8602 is to the aft edge of the hump. It's location is great in relation to the elevators. There is also extra wall space for you luggage when you set it out on the last night. The balcony is slightly larger than that standard balcony but, the view forward is blocked somewhat by the hump. On the other hand, the wind is also blocked by the hump.

 

We personally enjoyed this location primarily because of it's proximity to the elevators. We only had to walk maybe a dozen steps from the elevator door to the cabin door. It made getting around the ship very easy. If at all possible, we'll always book a cabin on the hump in the future.

 

We've now had a hump cabin and an aft cabin. The balcony on the aft cabin was great but we hated the walk. For us, it will always be a cabin as close to the elevator as possible from now on.

 

We've also learned we really prefer the Radiance class or Voyager class (I think I prefer the Radiance class myself). That means hump cabins are what I'll be looking for.

 

The only other problem I have is I like Cat. JS cabins. Those aren't on the hump so, if I can afford the Cat. JS, I'll just have to get as close to the elevator as possible and not worry about the hump. If I can't afford the JS, then I'll be after and 8th or 9th deck hump cabin, preferably the location just aft of the hump.

 

This isn't for everyone but is prefect for us.

[dougp26364]

Its funny you mentioned that. I check to see whats avalible 2 or 3 times a week. At 90 days out many of the cabins all the sudden gone. All that was left was inside and Royal Suite. Checked again at the 60 day mark and the have a few insides left several oceanview, balconies, Jr suites and Grand Suite and Royal Suite. I find it hard to believe that many people would change cabins or cancel with penalties. I know alot of TA block them off but i thought they had to release them back before final payment would be due.

 

Im happy I do have the cabin I want just seems odd way to sell cabins.

 

I've seen a lot of cabins become available just before final payment. That's when people sometimes decide they can't afford the cruise, something is happening in their family or some other reason pops up that makes it impossible for them to go. Perhaps it's TA's holding cabins for a group that get released. I'm aware that this happens and watch for it if I don't have the location I want.

 

It's just the conicidence of one cabin becoming available immediatly after I book another cabin that caught my eye. I almost always look to see what cabins pop up on the availability list for online booking the moment I have a confirmation number. I also check airline fares for the same flight right after I've booked. It's just curiosity that makes me do it. I want to see what, or if, anything has changed.

[dougp26364]

Hey! I have 8602 booked for my April cruise -- glad to hear its a highly requested room :D

 

I have pics posted of 8602 on Brilliance, including the balcony and it's view if you'd like to see a cabin very similar (or identical) to what you have. Click the link to my Brilliance photo's in my signature below.

[madforcruising]

This past week I noticed an oddity with RCI that makes my life a little more miserable. Perhaps it was a quirk or perhaps thats just how they do business.

 

I always try to book our vacations months, usually over a year, out so that I can get the times and locations I want. With cruising, that means cabin location I want.

 

This week when booking a Dec. 3rd cruise on Radiance, I wanted to book an E1 hump balcony cabin on deck 8. One wasn't available so I took cabin 7608 on the hump, right below my first choise of 8602. I had asked specifiacally for 8602 if it was available and was told by the TA, it wasn't. I had also checked other online sites and did not see it available but did see 7608.

 

As soon as I booked 7608, THEN 8602 became available. I called the TA back and made the change.

 

So will RCI not make every cabin available to be booked from day one but actually holds back some of the prime locations, only to release them latter and at higher prices? If so then that sucks. I book early and give them my deposit early so that I can have the best selection and the best prices available. Now it appears that RCI only allows certain cabin locations to be selected initially with the best prices available, forcing me to watch sites daily in order to get the cabin location I want.

 

Maybe I'm wrong but it seems as if RCI (and probably every other cruise line) enjoys playing games with it's customers. IMO, all cabins should be available from day one if I'm willing to give them my money that far in advance. Don't make me have to play games to get what I want for the money I'm paying.

 

For now, I'll keep booking the best available cabin and then watch the travel sites to see if what I really want becomes available latter. I know that sometimes a cabin is held and then released but, what a coincidense that the cabin I really wanted became available the second I booked the next best thing to what I wanted.

 

I kind of doubt your theory abuot the cabins. I´m quite sure that if the cabin would have been available the time you asked for it they would have given it to you.

I think it was just by chance that it became available just after you had booked.

 

But the fact you even came to the conclusion they hold back those most wanted cabins got me thinking.

Some people and this is meant not particularly to the OP but more in general to many posts lately, seem to think there must be a own department at RCCL to make decissions people don´t like.

Well reading the posts I must say this department seems to be the most successful and they do a really great job in p***ing off people.

[dougp26364]

Getting the cabin you want......why wouldn't you call RCI direct ask for the cabin of your choice??? :confused:

On line sites only show up to 7 cabins per category, so even if it is available it may not show.

 

***

 

Normally I would have. It was a more complicated booking that involved a timeshare and future cruise certificates. As it is, RCI has messed some things up enough already. I was afraid if I went through RCI and then had the TA try to take this one over, it would be messed up even further. Right now I only have to deal with getting the certificates credited properly, which is turning out to be more difficult than it should be.

 

My main concern before booking and turning in the certificates was the final cost to me in cash. Since I was using timeshare to offset the cost, I had to go to the TA to get the final cash price. If I'd have gone to RCI first, I'd have had to put down a cash deposit I might not have needed. Last time I went to RCI first, I played heck getting my cash deposit back.

[dougp26364]

I kind of doubt your theory abuot the cabins. I´m quite sure that if the cabin would have been available the time you asked for it they would have given it to you.

I think it was just by chance that it became available just after you had booked.

 

But the fact you even came to the conclusion they hold back those most wanted cabins got me thinking.

Some people and this is meant not particularly to the OP but more in general to many posts lately, seem to think there must be a own department at RCCL to make decissions people don´t like.

Well reading the posts I must say this department seems to be the most successful and they do a really great job in p***ing off people.

 

Right now I'm having more than one or two issues with RCI and how the Oct. 15th sailing of the Brilliance of the Sea's was handled. If you want details, see my post of "Cruise Only, When things go wrong." and you'll see what I mean.

 

I'm begining to believe there is a sign up at RCI's customer service to see what they can do today to tick me off. when you get burned by poor customer service, thoughts like mine come to the front of the mind a little quicker. Call it a conspricy theory but, once burnt and twice shy is where I'm at right now.

[Nath]

You can always ask RCI or your TA to waitlist a specific cabin for you. As soon as it will become available, it will be then assigned to your booking.

[Crackerjack]

I wrote comments last week on another thread, but I am sure that RCI does hold cabins. I am not sure if its for groups or special Crown and Anchor guests, but I tested the system and this is what I found out. Read below

 

 

 

I have a theory. Most of the time, these Aft Balconies do not show up in any system (until your inside 70days). My theory is that many of these cabins are saved by Royal Caribbean for their special guests.

 

My reasoning for this is that I had been checking for weeks for an AFT Balcony on the 12/2 sailing of Grandeur of the Seas next year, and no availability, I even checked when I was on the cruise ship before my appointment with the cruise specialist. Funny thing, when I asked if their were AFT balconies available, the lady showed me a bunch of availability on deck 7 (no mention of deck 8) Then I asked if the room I was in (8586) was available, and it was.

 

After the meeting I went again and checked the internet, and no availability of any of the rooms I had been offered.

 

I guess this is just one more reason to book a cruise while on a cruise!!

[madforcruising]

I wrote comments last week on another thread, but I am sure that RCI does hold cabins. I am not sure if its for groups or special Crown and Anchor guests, but I tested the system and this is what I found out. Read below

 

 

 

I have a theory. Most of the time, these Aft Balconies do not show up in any system (until your inside 70days). My theory is that many of these cabins are saved by Royal Caribbean for their special guests.

 

My reasoning for this is that I had been checking for weeks for an AFT Balcony on the 12/2 sailing of Grandeur of the Seas next year, and no availability, I even checked when I was on the cruise ship before my appointment with the cruise specialist. Funny thing, when I asked if their were AFT balconies available, the lady showed me a bunch of availability on deck 7 (no mention of deck 8) Then I asked if the room I was in (8586) was available, and it was.

 

After the meeting I went again and checked the internet, and no availability of any of the rooms I had been offered.

 

I guess this is just one more reason to book a cruise while on a cruise!!

 

Checking by what method? Looking online or calling and asking for specific cabins.

 

We all know that there is always only a number of cabins available online even if there are hundreds of others available too.

Even while this is the system I would not call this holding back cabins by simply not showing all of them as available online.

 

But I have an example too.

 

For my upcoming cruise on Brilliance in June 2006 I was looking for cabins too. Preferable JS, but non available. At least D1 but non available. So I kept checking and from one day to the other about 5 or six D1´s became available. And all of them aft´s. Well an aft is the least desirable location I´m looking for and I really don´t want to be stuck there but with nothing else available I grabbed one of course and looking now out for something better becoming available.

Do I think they held those back. No I think they just have been released by some TA that had blocked them. And this cruise is still more than six month out.

[jwlane]

IMO, all cabins should be available from day one if I'm willing to give them my money that far in advance.

Should all seats on an airline flight be available at the lowest advertised rate just because fliers want to purchase them early? You may think so, but that's not the way airlines (or cruise lines) think. A limited number of cabins (seats) are allocated at lower prices, so, first come, first served. Additionally, with a commodity like a cabin (which may have unique "desireability" factors, i.e. deck, hump, aft balcony, etc.), the cruise line will often price and/or allocate them using other unique criteria (C&A status).

 

Do you know what the view/obstruction situation would be from Cabin 9028?

Lifeboats and davits.

[Jimbo]

I think this is a little better information as to how cabins are shown as available.

 

You pick a certain category and they show you the cabins in that category that are available first on the highest decks in that same category you picked. Once they are all sold then they start on the next lower deck if cabins are available in that same category you are looking at.

Just because you think aft cabins are a better choose in picking a cabin, Royal Caribbean doesn't think that way. They fill the ship from the middle out toward the ends, Forward and toward the aft, so cabins next to the Centrum always show up first.

 

If you keep and eye on how the ship is showing cabins available, it helps you get a pretty good idea how the ship is filling up or if it isn't.

 

Since they fill up from middle out THAT IS WHY AFT CABINS DO NOT SHOW UP UNTIL THE SHIP IS ALMOST BOOKED SOLID.

 

I have noticed though on the Radiance Class ship that the D1's on deck 10 do show up as available as soon as the cruise becomes available for booking, the reason is though, because that class of ship doesn't have but a handfull of Category D1's on deck 10. So they sell all those 1st and then move on to selling the Category D1's on deck 9, but you never see those D1's aft cabins on deck 9 listed until all the other D1's on deck 9 are sold first.

 

So really even though you may think aft cabins are better , Royal Caribbean doesn't think that way, they they rate cabins as the higher the better and mid ship cabins are better then being toward the front or toward the back, even if those aft cabins have larger balconies, they just don't think that way.

 

The OP just happened to see the cabin he really wanted after he booked, it wasn't because Royal Caribbean was holding it, because they could care less who gets what cabin, what happened was just someone else just happened to release the cabin the OP wanted.

 

Hope this helps alittle bit as to how they show available cabins.

 

Jimbo:)

[jwlane]

So really even though you may think aft cabins are better , ... even if those aft cabins have larger balconies, they just don't think that way.

Not sure I agree. The reason they don't show up early is because customers call and reserve (hold) them first. We booked our aft corner for next month back in March, and it was the only one available for that sailing. I'd think if they show available close to sailing, it's because reservations are being cancelled at final payment time.