Category 9 or 12?

[ScrapperKimmyD]

I'm trying to keep this trip as inexpensive as possible.
So I'm thinking the cheapest room available - cat. 12.

But, I'm worried that I'll not like having some sort of view to the outside. Does it seem too confined in a room w/o a window? Would I miss having that bit of sunshine in the morning to wake us up? Or the moonlight at night?
Cat. 9 is a few hundred dollars more, but is it worth it?

Maybe I should do cat. 12 and pray for an upgrade with a view?

 

[mruhaak]

It probably depends on how much time you will be spending in your room. Unless you have really young children who need naps, (which I do) you shouldn't be spending much time in your room. When we cruised without kids we were hardly in our room at all, so it really didn't matter.

I booked a category 12 for November and just found out I was upgraded to a category 9. But you can't count on that happening.

You'll have a ball either way!

 

[mommasita]

I agree with the previous poster. My kids are 8 and 11, and we don't need the balcony (as nice as it would be), so we book the cheapest room, and then don't miss anything. We truly spend no time other than sleeping in our rooms..

 

[ScrapperKimmyD]

My kids won't need naps, but my DH might!

Who is the most likely to get upgraded? The ones who book first and pay the least? Or the ones who pay later, after most of the rooms are booked and pay more? Or is it based on something all together different?

and does it make a difference if you have the option to pick a room when you book?

 

[mommasita]

My kids won't need naps, but my DH might!

Who is the most likely to get upgraded? The ones who book first and pay the least? Or the ones who pay later, after most of the rooms are booked and pay more? Or is it based on something all together different?

and does it make a difference if you have the option to pick a room when you book?

Yes, my DH did daily

IMHO there is no likely or unlikely to get upgraded. Simply the luck of the draw. If you book 4 in a cat 12, you will get a cat. 11 at least.
People have been trying to figure out the upgrade fairy, and nothing is concrete there. It really is pixie dust. The rule of thumb is, book the category you want, and if you get an upgrade, then that is an added bonus...

 

[ScrapperKimmyD]

If you book 4 in a cat 12, you will get a cat. 11 at least

Why is this? Does it have to do with beds?

Okay, 'nother question. I see in the room descriptions that you get either a queen or 2 doubles. My DH isn't real keen on being in separate beds. Anyway to make sure you get a room with a queen?

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

My kids won't need naps, but my DH might!

Who is the most likely to get upgraded? The ones who book first and pay the least? Or the ones who pay later, after most of the rooms are booked and pay more? Or is it based on something all together different?

and does it make a difference if you have the option to pick a room when you book?

There isn't a science to being upgraded, as DCL sails with its ships full most of the time, however if you have a lower CAT ie 12, there is more chance of an upgrade than higher Cats ie Cat 4.

They do not seem to go by who booked or paid the quickest, I always book and pay quickly, no upgrades.

But DCL only has a few CAT 12's and 11's and they are very popular being the most 'affordable' rooms, therefore these tend to be overbooked and if that happens some people will get an upgrade.

Do not book a room you do not like on the hope of an Upgrade as it might not happen.

GTY, Guarantee rooms might have a slightly higher chance of upgrade as their room number will not be assigned until after all cruisers pay up and then if someone doesn't pay up but cancels DCL will move people around to fill all rooms.

Knock on upgrades will also occur, say there re CAT 5's available near cruise date, some families might more from Cat 12 to Cat 9, and they in turn knock on to Cat 6/7 and in turn them to Cat 5.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Why is this? Does it have to do with beds?

Okay, 'nother question. I see in the room descriptions that you get either a queen or 2 doubles. My DH isn't real keen on being in separate beds. Anyway to make sure you get a room with a queen?

Request by DCL or travel agent and look at stateroom descriptions, passport guide has a breakdown of each room.

 

[mmouse37]

Why is this? Does it have to do with beds?

Okay, 'nother question. I see in the room descriptions that you get either a queen or 2 doubles. My DH isn't real keen on being in separate beds. Anyway to make sure you get a room with a queen?

Yes, Cat 12's only hold 3 people but DCL lets you book 4 on paper then upgrades to Cat 11. No one knows why they do this but they do.

The beds can be arranged any way you want them.....the beds are mostly set up as queens....if you wanted them to split into two twins you would tell your room steward. If for some reason your beds were already split into twins when you got to the cabin you would simply ask the room steward to make up the bed as a queen. It is not that some cabins have queens and some have twins....the main bedding is the same, just how they are arranged. Of course some cabins have drop down beds from the ceiling in addition to the main bed (cabins that sleep 4) and some even have a murphy bed from the wall (cabins that sleep 5) and all the sofa beds in the rooms convert to a twin sized bed.

 

[ScrapperKimmyD]

Cool! Thanks!