RCCL Holding back cabins

[Ourusualbeach]

7 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

I am trying to do this "within the rules".  Everyone talks about their TAs that hold group space and even their suites are available with a refundable rate.  There are literally thousands of TAs out there.  So how did you find your TA?  No need to post a name or website, but how did you finally stumble across your go to person. Pure luck? A conversation in the Diamond lounge?  Hopefully this is allowed.  I am truly curious. 

Roysl does not offer suites at group rates. Also you cannot book refundable suite rates, that changed June 1, 2023. 

 

Diamond lounge is a good place to start. 

Edited August 7, 2023 by Ourusualbeach

[OCSC Mike]

28 minutes ago, RoperDK said:

So how did you find your TA?

 

Either directly or indirectly from cruise-forum-land.

[molly361]

1 hour ago, RoperDK said:

I am trying to do this "within the rules".  Everyone talks about their TAs that hold group space and even their suites are available with a refundable rate.  There are literally thousands of TAs out there.  So how did you find your TA?  No need to post a name or website, but how did you finally stumble across your go to person. Pure luck? A conversation in the Diamond lounge?  Hopefully this is allowed.  I am truly curious. 

I met mine thru Cruise Critic on a cruise several years ago BEFORE he became a TA.  He became one a few years after that

[Eddie Wilson]

10 hours ago, Biker19 said:

The revenue is likely higher with this new scheme and the timing of the bookings is likely further out than Royal ups.

 

Agree in full. 

 

As mentioned by someone earlier, airlines and hotels followed this model for years.  I imagine the cruise lines will not be able to morph into the airline model, (showing most of the available seats with weekly price adjustments) because people can book cruises further out than flights.  

 

Plus us not sure if they would want to burden The IT department with posting weekly regular changes as airlines do.

 

 

[loubevnj]

Absolutely they hold back to give the appearance of high demand. We looked at MANY ships & itineraries on our fave floors and the SAME cluster of cabin #`s always come up as only `3` `4`left. 

 

They aren`t highly desirable so prob wish to offload them 1st. 

[2VaCruzers]

On 8/6/2023 at 10:36 AM, seasidemama said:

I've been watching a few sailings on two different ships for next year for about two months now. It's always the same (limited) cabins that are available on each deck. Same cabin numbers on same decks for each different sailing date on the same ships (looking at next summer).

 

One ship has the same decks and cabin numbers available on each sailing - all at really bad locations - all the way front or all the way aft. The other ship ONLY shows guarantee balconies (for cruises 10-12 months out).  I don't want a guarantee balcony and I don't want to be all the way aft/fore and I really doubt this is the actual room availability. I know I can book now and change later as cabins become available, but if I book a guarantee the price to choose my cabin if that option becomes available will probably cost as much as another cruise.. Really annoying.

 

I know RCCL is holding back rooms to give the appearance of high demand and pressure people to hit that book button but trying to give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe it's just a coincidence on these two ships that I'm watching.

 

Their pricing shenanigans and cut backs as of late are really starting to get to me.

 

Anyone else notice this when price shopping for next year?

This is why I use a travel agent.  She has real time access to the cabins which usually shows more availabilities than their website shows.  

[2VaCruzers]

On 8/7/2023 at 7:04 PM, molly361 said:

I met mine thru Cruise Critic on a cruise several years ago BEFORE he became a TA.  He became one a few years after that

I met ours over 10 years ago on a cruise.  She is wonderful!!

[amby6063]

On 8/6/2023 at 4:44 PM, amby6063 said:

Interesting. We are booked for symphony on January 7th in 3 balcony guarantees. Looking now for a 2 person cabin the only option is a boardwalk, Central Park, or gty. No option to book an OV cabin on their website (or Costco). 

 

for the cabin with 4 people there are only 5 boardwalks, 2 central parks and quite a few OV balconies. 
 

So curious where we’ll all end up. I wonder if they’re holding cabins back or if it’s just an almost full sailing! 

Update to this - checked today. No GTY cabins available to book, but absolutely wide open for 4 people in boardwalk and some available now for Central Park too. More than double the price of what we paid for any balcony now though, mind you…