Guaranteed rooms - what's the deal?

[La Tomate]

Hi...

... I'm getting closer to the idea of pulling the trigger and putting down a deposit for a cruise next year - now this will be our 3rd, and I have just learned about the guaranteed room dealio.
What is this? I know, there's the FAQ, and I did read through it - but you know what huge threads can be like, they jump all over the place. And if this is what I think it is? Why isn't everyone doing it?

So was wondering if anyone who has done this would be able to answer some questions.
Like - I get how it works - you say "I'd like a verandah room" and you won't get your room allocated until last minute; question - are you guaranteed to save some $$$$$ though? I get you could be upgraded, but that's not why I'm doing this - it's legit just to save some $$$, not even going to hide that. I'm a single mum cruising with 2 little kids on my own dime - saving is always on my agenda.

I need to book 2 rooms. Is that a pain in the backside? Is it doable?
Like - can I say "one verandah room, one oceanview room" and then they MAY be placed near each other? (I need a room with bunks, and a room with no bunks )

I just want to have my proverbial ducks in a row before I check in with my TA - who has had a year and a half of me asking about cruises, but I've never pulled the trigger yet as I've been waiting for the whole pandemic thing to play out in our favour (i.e. we can travel internationally again more easily).

Thanks!!!

 

[lanejudy]

are you guaranteed to save some $$$$$ though?

The special rate *GT offers will save you money over the prevailing rate (the current rate if you select a specific category that same day). Since cruise pricing is dynamic and increases as more staterooms are booked, there is no guarantee the *GT saves you money over the opening day rates. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.

The GTY fares -- which are not "restricted" -- you book a specific category (number/letter combo) without a specific stateroom, these are not discounted.

I need to book 2 rooms. Is that a pain in the backside? Is it doable?

Each stateroom will have it's own separate reservation number. I' not even sure if they will take a request for "near" or "traveling with" for *GT rates. If having rooms close to each other is important, I would not book a *GT rate. I'd try for actual connecting rooms first, then close if there aren't any connecting available (very popular).

You mention traveling as a single mom with little kids - there must be an adult (age 18+) booked into each stateroom, and if age 18-20 there cannot be a minor (<18) booked into that stateroom unless it is their own child. That's for any booking, not just *GT rates.

It sounds like you are looking to book for later 2022. If so, it is highly unlikely that you'll find any *GT rates until maybe next spring or summer. Those typically aren't released until after the PIF date -- so within 4 months of sailing. If you can be flexible with your cruise date and wait, you may score a good deal; but no guarantee *GT rates will be offered for any specific cruise.

 

[lanejudy]

Oh, and nearly all rooms on DCL have a bunk. All rooms have 1 queen bed and 1 sofa. Usually the sofa flips to convert to a twin bed; some concierge rooms have a traditional full-size sleeper-sofa. Most rooms also have 1 bunk that drops out of the ceiling over the sofa. Some rooms (specifically in categories 4 and 8) will sleep 5 guests and have a twin-size murphy bed. Concierge may have some additional sleeping configurations in the larger suites.

 

[La Tomate]

You mention traveling as a single mom with little kids - there must be an adult (age 18+) booked into each stateroom, and if age 18-20 there cannot be a minor (<18) booked into that stateroom unless it is their own child. That's for any booking, not just *GT rates.

Yes, my mum will be coming with - last time I put one of the kids in her room "on paper" as it also means that she doesn't have to pay the single supplement.

It sounds like you are looking to book for later 2022. If so, it is highly unlikely that you'll find any *GT rates until maybe next spring or summer. Those typically aren't released until after the PIF date -- so within 4 months of sailing. If you can be flexible with your cruise date and wait, you may score a good deal; but no guarantee *GT rates will be offered for any specific cruise.

OH! I didn't realise that. Thanks!!! I knew asking was a smart move

That is definitely something to consider. I do like to plan ahead .... especially with a trip this size (we're flying to the UK from Canada to spend time with my mum, and then we'll all go on the cruise) with moving parts like flights and trains.

 

[La Tomate]

Oh, and nearly all rooms on DCL have a bunk. All rooms have 1 queen bed and 1 sofa. Usually the sofa flips to convert to a twin bed; some concierge rooms have a traditional full-size sleeper-sofa. Most rooms also have 1 bunk that drops out of the ceiling over the sofa. Some rooms (specifically in categories 4 and 8) will sleep 5 guests and have a twin-size murphy bed. Concierge may have some additional sleeping configurations in the larger suites.

Oh... sorry - I used the wrong wording then... I need the "drop from the ceiling" beds.
We tried one cruise with one of the kids sharing - it was not fun I THOUGHT I'd booked an oceanview with a ceiling bunk so we all got our own sleeping area - but no. it was a queen bed, and the sofa bed. It didn't work out - and mum didn't want to share her room with one of the kids (don't ask - I didn't see the harm in one of them sleeping on her sofa bed - but she had issue with it)

 

[lanejudy]

Sounds like you got one of the rooms that only sleeps 3. They really are relatively few. Depending on the ship, there is a post somewhere that gives the rooms and how many/which type of bed. Or you can call to ask. Or do a search for 4 guests to find room numbers, and then back-out the extra guests before completing the reservation. But if you are using a TA just tell them you need a room with 3 separate sleep surfaces.

 

[Cheburashka]

I get you could be upgraded

Disney almost never gives complimentary upgrades (inside to oceanview or oceanview to verandah, etc.) Other mass market cruise lines do that more often, but not Disney. So don't even have that in the back of your mind while choosing to go GT or GTY- there's about a 99% chance that you won't get an upgrade.

With two cabins that you're hoping to have placed close together, I recommend choosing them yourselves & avoiding guarantee rooms. Disney might or might not place you close to each other if the choice is up to them. It's possible, but don't count on it.

If you have fewer than 4 people per cabin, you have a good chance of being placed in a cabin that does not have the pull-down bunk, because the standard (non-family) cabins typically don't have the pull-down bunk. If you have a GT or GTY room with 3 people or less in a cabin, they'll probably put you in a standard room. That's what happened to us (which was fine for us, btw.)

If you decide to choose your stateroom, select a Family category room, and check the stateroom reviews at the following link to see if there is a pull-down bunk. Remember when reading stateroom reviews that the Magic & Wonder have the same staterooms, and that the Dream & Fantasy have the same staterooms.

https://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-cruise-line/stateroom-reviews.cfm

 

[La Tomate]

If you decide to choose your stateroom, select a Family category room, and check the stateroom reviews at the following link to see if there is a pull-down bunk. Remember when reading stateroom reviews that the Magic & Wonder have the same staterooms, and that the Dream & Fantasy have the same staterooms.

https://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-cruise-line/stateroom-reviews.cfm

Sounds like you got one of the rooms that only sleeps 3. They really are relatively few. Depending on the ship, there is a post somewhere that gives the rooms and how many/which type of bed. Or you can call to ask. Or do a search for 4 guests to find room numbers, and then back-out the extra guests before completing the reservation. But if you are using a TA just tell them you need a room with 3 separate sleep surfaces.

Thanks to both of you - great advice and knowledge - I don't think the guaranteed route is not going to be a good fit for us. I'll go back to researching rooms

... and stepping on it - as I looked online, there's not as many empty rooms as I thought there may be! haha!

 

[ChiTownZee]

Oh... sorry - I used the wrong wording then... I need the "drop from the ceiling" beds.
We tried one cruise with one of the kids sharing - it was not fun I THOUGHT I'd booked an oceanview with a ceiling bunk so we all got our own sleeping area - but no. it was a queen bed, and the sofa bed. It didn't work out - and mum didn't want to share her room with one of the kids (don't ask - I didn't see the harm in one of them sleeping on her sofa bed - but she had issue with it)

If you MUST have a room with a ceiling bed you shouldn't do GTY because if there are only 3 in the stateroom you could very well get a stateroom that only sleeps 3, and that means no drop down bed. Booking where you pick the stateroom you can guarantee you get a stateroom that sleeps four, those have the drop down bed over the sofa bed, is what you need to do. (FYI you do this by putting in that you have 4 in a stateroom to see the rooms that are available and then choosing one of those rooms and then switching to 3 guests.)

 

[MomOTwins]

I note that one thing I've seen is that discounts GT rooms are sometimes the handicap accessible ones--much more often than you would expect given how few such rooms are on the ship. This is because Disney holds back those in case a guest who needs a HA room books last-minute, and if no such guests books, they give it to someone who booked GT. Those can sometimes have atypical bed configurations so if room/bed layout is of importance, I send others who say to choose your room. Particularly as GT rates are non-refundable so you won't get an option to back out if you don't like the room they assign.

There used to be a thread on this board that showed what rooms people got assigned with IGT/OGT/VGT. Sometimes people with multiple rooms got close together, but sometimes were split up in different parts of the ship. It really just depends on how full the ship is, and frankly, with so many people using up cruise credits from cancelled cruises in 2022, I think most ships are going to be packed full.

 

[MickeySwirl]

We booked two *GT rooms on two different cruises. The first time we ended up in connecting rooms and the second time we were on the same deck about 10 doors away. It's best to plan on getting random assignments and being pleasantly surprised if you end up close together. If you *must* be close together, don't book a *GT.

 

[La Tomate]

, I think most ships are going to be packed full.

Yup.i have been looking at what's available for the cruise and it surprised me to see how many rooms have already gone.
I am.devising a back up plan to take the kids to Eurodisney instead, because I need to coordinate with my mum and of course!!! She's on vacation (staycation) right now.

 

[La Tomate]

. If you *must* be close together, don't book a *GT.

Y'know, knowing my mum, she would probably like not being close hahahaha. No kids knocking on the door

I don't think GT rooms are for me though.