Do guarantee rates ever go down?

[Moonspinner]

We are looking at a guarantee rate but the cruise is still more than 4 months out. The ship looks empty. Do guarantee rates ever go down? Or are they final?

 

[lanejudy]

Are you looking at a specific category GTY? Or a restricted rate?

The first is basically a regular rate, offered once most of the category has sold. The latter is a sale price. It’s possible another lower *GT will be offered but there’s really no way to know for sure if that will happen. If the price is right and you are sort of tied to those dates, I’d book now. If you are flexible with dates or even willing to pass on that cruise, you can wait to see if a better offer comes along.

 

[Moonspinner]

Are you looking at a specific category GTY? Or a restricted rate?

The first is basically a regular rate, offered once most of the category has sold. The latter is a sale price. It’s possible another lower *GT will be offered but there’s really no way to know for sure if that will happen. If the price is right and you are sort of tied to those dates, I’d book now. If you are flexible with dates or even willing to pass on that cruise, you can wait to see if a better offer comes along.

That’s interesting. I did not realize there was a difference. When I click on it, it says IGT. They also, however, for a few hundred more have a “guaranteed room” rate, which just gives you a regular rate category but you don’t get to pick your room. I’m not sure why anyone would pick that over the IGT rate. Then for $24 dollars more, there is just a regular rate where you get to pick your room. Confusing to me!

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

That’s interesting. I did not realize there was a difference. When I click on it, it says IGT. They also, however, for a few hundred more have a “guaranteed room” rate, which just gives you a regular rate category but you don’t get to pick your room. I’m not sure why anyone would pick that over the IGT rate. Then for $24 dollars more, there is just a regular rate where you get to pick your room. Confusing to me!

It may be that the guaranteed room category is for a deluxe inside, whereas IGT you could get standard or deluxe inside, just depending on what's left. I know our most recent IGT booking, some folks got the deluxe while we got the standard. That's a difference of a split bathroom (at least on Magic class) so I could see someone caring about that.

As to whether rates go lower than IGT/OGT/VGT, usually not but DCL is offering some surprising deals right now. The most recent friendship day offer did put those rate classes lower for certain sailings than they otherwise had been, but only for a week.

I definitely wouldn't bank on a lower rate showing up after DCL has dropped I/O/VGT for a sailing, but it's not impossible.

 

[lanejudy]

That’s interesting. I did not realize there was a difference. When I click on it, it says IGT. They also, however, for a few hundred more have a “guaranteed room” rate, which just gives you a regular rate category but you don’t get to pick your room. I’m not sure why anyone would pick that over the IGT rate. Then for $24 dollars more, there is just a regular rate where you get to pick your room. Confusing to me!

Well, there are some subtle or not-so-subtle differences between the rates:

• IGT = restricted rate, pay-in-full at time of booking with no cancellation option, limited in what changes can be done (adding guests, etc.); guaranteed any room of the broader category (interior) or higher
• GTY = regular rate, usually offered after most rooms of that specific category have been booked, allows DCL flexibility in room assignments, as long as it isn't past PIF you have the regular cancellation policy; guaranteed a room in that specific category (number/letter combo) or higher
• Regular = regular cancellation policy; select your own stateroom in the specific category

I've never seen regular rates and GTY for the same specific category, so I assume while these are all offered for "interior" staterooms the offerings you see may be for different categories. Some guests have a real preference of stateroom location and willing to pay extra for that. Others want the lowest fare available and no concern about stateroom location.

 

[jwalk03]

Remember that seeing a lot of rooms available does not mean the ship is "empty". Anyone that booked one of those guarantee rates has not been assigned a room yet- so all those rooms you see showing as available really aren't. There is no way to know how many rooms are actually unsold.

 

[dreamer17555]

Truthfully rates do go down... just not ones for the general public outside the restricted fares. There are CM and TA discounts they will use to fill the ship. They will not lower a restricted fare

 

[jimmymc]

Generally no with Disney, but they've been offering more sales than normal this year, so I can't say for sure anymore.

 

[Moonspinner]

Thanks for all the replies. We went ahead and booked the guarantee rate. We were originally booked on disney’s 3rd and 4th guest 50% off squeezed into one cabin. With the guarantee rate we got two cabins for a lot less. We happened to check Costco’s website yesterday and it was on there available to book and does come with their giftcard credit after sailing. I was surprised to see it on their site so we went ahead a booked it. Had to pay in full of course.

 

[Cfabar1]

I am worried that the promotions may catch up with us... I love the Disney diference
- super clean rooms
- turn down service
- very strong main dining
- a show every night
- included soda
- free messaging to passengers in your party
- nice tv selection included
- affordable drink prices

I'm worried all the promotions may mean the little extras go away

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

I am worried that the promotions may catch up with us... I love the Disney diference
- super clean rooms
- turn down service
- very strong main dining
- a show every night
- included soda
- free messaging to passengers in your party
- nice tv selection included
- affordable drink prices

I'm worried all the promotions may mean the little extras go away

Counterargument: prices keep increasing significantly, so promos are bringing them from super expensive to just regular Disney expensive. Not sure where that break is, but I don't think they're really hurting in the cruise line.

My bigger concern about any of the service above is staffing so many more ships. There's training to the level of service Disney provides and the upcoming expansion is a lot compared to what they've done. Two ships in the '90s, two ships in the '10s, seven ships in the '20s is a heck of an increase in pace.

Only time will tell.

 

[DCLMP]

We are looking at a guarantee rate but the cruise is still more than 4 months out. The ship looks empty. Do guarantee rates ever go down? Or are they final?

I've never seen a guarantee rate go down, but they seem to be changing how they are doing discounts. Who knows what the future holds. Historically they have offered non-public discounts if they are having trouble filling the last of the state rooms.

 

[Moonspinner]

I am worried that the promotions may catch up with us... I love the Disney diference
- super clean rooms
- turn down service
- very strong main dining
- a show every night
- included soda
- free messaging to passengers in your party
- nice tv selection included
- affordable drink prices

I'm worried all the promotions may mean the little extras go away

Well I think Disney would rather have us at a “reduced” rate as opposed to a travel agent or cm who pays almost nothing (not knocking travel agents or cms, just stating the facts). One of the points of expanding the fleet was to level out prices/ not price themselves out of customers. If disney wanted to continue charging sky high rates, they should have tightened up their monopoly position with dcl like they have with the parks where they are refusing to build sorely needed new parks in Orlando and Anaheim. We’ve lost much more at wdw and dl than we have at DCL, so their strategy of not building more is not working for the consumer at all.