GTY rooms for 2011??

[kkmcan]

I'm trying to book Mexican Riviera for 2011 and I really want cat 11 guarantee and there isn't any gty to choose? Is this available online or do I need to call a travel agent?

Thanks!
Kelly

[NancyIL]

Cat. 11C is the old cat. 12 gty. If you book 11A or 11B, you will pick your cabin - unless you get a message that only gty cabins are left.

[clten]

Disney doesn't move stateroom categories to guarantee status until a certain percentage of those cabins are filled. A TA can't get you one either.

[kkmcan]

Thanks for the responses. I've been trying to figure out the new categories. We'll probably wait to book then. If they hadn't stopped the 1/2 price deposits I would have booked today but well..... now I need to get the $1000 together. Maybe I'll book in a few weeks and hope for the best.

Thanks!

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Originally Posted by clten

Disney doesn't move stateroom categories to guarantee status until a certain percentage of those cabins are filled. A TA can't get you one either.

I am new to all this. Can you please explain that to me?
Does gty mean it is the least desirable location or room?
Does it mean it is what is left over after everyone who paid more pick their cabins?
I have booked Cat 12 for Mar 2010 7 day, and my donfirmation says gty.
Does that mean I get whatever is left and whatever they give me?
Do I get any pick in the Cat 12 cabins? I booked online last Sat.
I get motion sick, so wanted a more midship location.
Is there any way I can try to accomplish that?

[lbgraves]

The prices are the same for each room in that category whether you book a specific room number or a GTY. After 80-90% of the rooms in a category sell with specific staterooms DCL switches that category to GTY. The price of a category does not drop just because it switches to GTY. Usually it costs more than at opening when you could pick your room number because that means that the cruise is selling...and DCL's prices go up as it gets closer to the cruise date and more rooms sell.

If you book a GTY you agree to ANY room that DCL assigns you which will not be any less than the category you booked. That means that if you get a room that has terrible reveiws you are not able to get DCL to switch it.

The only way to get a midship location is to book a stateroom that is in the midship area with a room number.

[mmouse37]

Originally Posted by wishicouldgomoreofte

I am new to all this. Can you please explain that to me?
Does gty mean it is the least desirable location or room?
Does it mean it is what is left over after everyone who paid more pick their cabins?
I have booked Cat 12 for Mar 2010 7 day, and my donfirmation says gty.
Does that mean I get whatever is left and whatever they give me?
Do I get any pick in the Cat 12 cabins? I booked online last Sat.
I get motion sick, so wanted a more midship location.
Is there any way I can try to accomplish that?

In all categories except the current Cat 12's... GTY's are offered after a specific amount of cabins are sold in a particular category. Much the same as an airline overselling seats. It does not mean that you get a worse room, sometimes the opposite...sometimes they upgrade the GTY's. It really just means that they will assign you a cabin when available and it will never be less than the category you booked, but could be higher than the category you booked.

Now, the current Cat 12's (there are only 13 of them onboard and they are all forward on Deck 2)....they are always booked at GTY's. This is the only category that DCL does this with off the bat. Many, many people get upgraded to a Cat 11 but it is not a guarantee that you will be upgraded. Since there are only 13 Cat 12's DCL uses those as their lead in pricing to attract guests and then usually moves people up along the way to make room for more Cat 12 bookings. If you book a Cat 12 with 4 people you will automatically be bumped to at least a Cat 11. Obviously, some people will sail in Cat 12's but the majority are moved.

A GTY in no means you get an awful cabin, but with a GTY you can't pick your cabin no. Even if you do happen to get an upgrade to a Cat 11 you can't pick what cabin to get...DCL will just assign you.

Don't worry too much about motion sickness....in 17 cruises I have found my cabin location did not make much difference to what I felt.

The Cat 12 prices are usually the lowest ever, so that is the tradeoff with not being able to book a specific cabin.

MJ

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Thank you, mmouse 37, for a very informative reply.
That really helped.
So there will only be 2 of us, does that mean it would be less likely to upgrade?
When they offer an upgrade, is the price difference what it would have been if you had just booked higher in the first place, or is it "a deal"?

[calmpets]

DCL only upgrades if it is in their interest to do so - they do not do it just for the sake of being nice. For example, if you book a cat 11, and they run out of cat 11s to sell, it might be in their best interest to upgrade you (and/or some other people in cat 11) to a category they have surplus of. So basically you need a sailing where just the category you have booked in is full to even be considered for upgrade. There is no rhyme or reason to who gets chosen - it's luck of the draw - but if you are upgraded this way there is no charge to you. Recently DCL has taken to calling passengers and offering paid upgrades at a discounted rate prior to issuing free upgrades. In that case the paid upgrade would be at a discounted rate, determined by them before they call you. The only other way to get upgraded is to request a paid upgrade at the port's supervisors desk after you have checked in for your sailing. If anything is available they will offer it at a reduced rate based on the type of room you have (inside to oceanview, oceanview to verandah, verandah to family suite, family suite to one-bedroom suite).

[HallsofVA]

I know the specific question is about cat 11 GTY rooms, but the title asks about GTY for 2011. I just thought I'd mention that for 2011 and beyond, we're also seeing cat 6A being sold as GTY status, especially for parties of 4. It's seems to be like the "Cat 12" (now 11c) of verandah rooms, since there are only a few category 6A staterooms that hold 4 people and they are the handicapped accessible rooms at the back of Deck 7.