Gty. vs. Assigned Reservations

[dvcbrad]

We've sailed twice on DCL and are DVC members, but haven't quite figured out the Guarantee reservation yet for DCL. We're sailing on the Western for Spring Break 2008, and have two Cat. 9 rooms reserved – with assigned cabin numbers. We ideally want adjoining, but right now have one room that adjoins and one that doesn’t right next it, with a wait list/request to get fully adjoining.

So, my questions are: 1) what are the advantages/disadvantages of a gty. reservation vs. one with assigned cabins, and 2) would we be any better off to switch the cabin-assigned reservation to a gty.? Also, any feeling as to whether DCL can accommodate meeting our request for adjoining? Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[CraftyMouse]

A GTY simply means that they have oversold a category (expecting some cancellations to occur before the sail date) and cannot give you a cabin number. With a GTY you are guaranteed at least the category you have reserved and you might possibly get an upgrade. Note, however, that anybody can get an upgrade and there really is no rhyme or reason to how they are given out.

In your circumstances I wouldn't switch to a GTY. You mention that you are hoping for adjoining cabins and right now you have them side by side. With a GTY reservation you have no say as to where your cabins will be located and they may end up nowhere near each other. I would stick with the reservation you have and stay on the wait-list for adjoining cabins.

Have you asked DCL if it is possible to contact the party in the cabin that adjoins yours to see if they would swap theirs with your second, non-adjoining cabin. I'm not sure they would do this, but it might be worth a quick call to DCL to see.

 

[mmouse37]

FYI....if you want your two cabins to have the interior door that you can pass through from one cabin to the other then you must request CONNECTING cabins, not ADJOINING. This may seem like splitting hairs but to DCL reservations ADJOINING simply mean the cabins are right next to each other and CONNECTING means that they have the interior door.

Make sure DCL is aware of your specific request....you may be waiting for CONNECTING cabins but DCL may think you only want ADJOINING cabins.

Good luck!

 

[dvcbrad]

FYI....if you want your two cabins to have the interior door that you can pass through from one cabin to the other then you must request CONNECTING cabins, not ADJOINING. This may seem like splitting hairs but to DCL reservations ADJOINING simply mean the cabins are right next to each other and CONNECTING means that they have the interior door.

Make sure DCL is aware of your specific request....you may be waiting for CONNECTING cabins but DCL may think you only want ADJOINING cabins.

Good luck!

Yes, they are aware - we discussed that at length when making the reservation. I know that my term for it is not what theirs is - I guess mine is more hotel, but who knows. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[dvcbrad]

A GTY simply means that they have oversold a category (expecting some cancellations to occur before the sail date) and cannot give you a cabin number. With a GTY you are guaranteed at least the category you have reserved and you might possibly get an upgrade. Note, however, that anybody can get an upgrade and there really is no rhyme or reason to how they are given out.

In your circumstances I wouldn't switch to a GTY. You mention that you are hoping for adjoining cabins and right now you have them side by side. With a GTY reservation you have no say as to where your cabins will be located and they may end up nowhere near each other. I would stick with the reservation you have and stay on the wait-list for adjoining cabins.

Have you asked DCL if it is possible to contact the party in the cabin that adjoins yours to see if they would swap theirs with your second, non-adjoining cabin. I'm not sure they would do this, but it might be worth a quick call to DCL to see.

Crafty Mouse - thank you, your explanation is exactly what I was looking for in trying to figure this out! As to requesting whether they would contact the other party, I in fact did ask DCL that. DCL said that at that particular point (about two months ago), they would not do that, but that they might in the future in terms of an upgrade for the other party.

The obvious, logical solution would just be to flip-flop that party with our non-adjoining, leaving them in the same position as they originally were, albeit in a slightly different cabin, leaving us with the two adjoining. Since I'm not in that business, I don't know if that's possible, reasonable, etc., but it certainly seems to make sense - at least to me!

Thanks again for your insight.

 

[winotracy]

Just an FYI, you cannot request a Guarantee room if the category has staterooms to assign.

 

[mazz1]

can someone pls tell me what GTY stands for

i have made my reservation and been given the stateroom number which we believe to be or room, we had the deckplans up on screen when discussing the reservation

all this GTY is confusing me, will we get the room booked or could we be moved?

thanks Mazz

 

[mmouse37]

can someone pls tell me what GTY stands for

i have made my reservation and been given the stateroom number which we believe to be or room, we had the deckplans up on screen when discussing the reservation

all this GTY is confusing me, will we get the room booked or could we be moved?

thanks Mazz

A GTY (which means guarantee) is only offered when DCL has oversold a particular category. When they cannot assign any more cabin numbers in that category they will let you book that category but in a GTY status (knowing that there is a high likelihood of people cancelling and that they will assign a specific cabin number at a later date). If they cannot assign you a cabin in your category then they would upgrade you.

But, since you already have an assigned cabin number you don't have to worry at all about GTY status. If I remember, you posted on another thread about your children and that you needed that specific handicapped cabin with specific bedding.....so if you arranged that with DCL you would not be changed.