Cabin selection

[HardyVA]

I was about to book A Carribean cruise from Ft Lauderdale for Jan 2020. I've never booked with Princess before.  The website will not allow me to select a specific cabin.  It says it will be assigned shortly before the cruise date.  Is this common for Princess? 

[LessWorkMoreTravel]

Are you booking a guaranteed cabin?  

 

[JimmyVWine]

There are times when the inventory of a particular cabin class is so low that they no longer allow you to choose your own, at which point the "we will pick one for you" becomes your only option.  Otherwise, you have two choices--pick your own or have them assign one for you.  Frankly, I would be surprised if a cruise in January, 2020 is so sold out that you cannot pick your own, but I suppose it can happen.  Go back and select a different cabin class and see what happens.  If you go through the mock booking and get to the point where you can select your own cabin, and then go back to the cabin class that you want and do not get that option, then I would have to conclude that the class you are looking at is close to being sold out.  (Or, it actually IS sold out, but they will allow you to book a "Guarantee" based on their experience regarding upgrades, upsells and cancellations.)  In other words, there may not be a cabin available now, but they know for a fact that one will open up in the next 9 months.  And if that doesn't happen, they will bump you up to a cabin in a higher class than the one you booked.  Never lower.  You can't do worse than what you paid for.  But you can do better. 

Edited May 2, 2019 by JimmyVWine

[HardyVA]

Thank you for that explanation.  

Ill try what you suggested.

[crystalspin]

Several categories and/or areas of the ship are "will be assigned" on the February 2020 28-day South Pacific (Hawaii&Tahiti that is) already, even if "I will pick my own cabin" is chosen. So I does happen!

 

But it still could change according to the dynamics of cancellations and up-sells.