Is a Guaranteed Ocean View Stateroom with Verandah worth booking?

[Disney Freak 5]

Has anyone been booked under a guaranteed ocean view stateroom with a verandah? If so, how was the room? Was the view obstructed or was the verandah smaller? Additionally, I would specifically like to hear from anyone who have cruised on the Dream. The price is cheaper, but i am just a little concerned if the view will be a bad one.

 

[EcbLovesMickey]

I think it is a gamble. If you book a GTY for a certain category you will receive that category or higher, so if you are worried about obstructed view, veranda size, etc, make sure you book a GTY for a high enough category. Some of the verandas are small and have obstructions, they are in the new category 7A (I think). It really is luck of the draw and as a GTY you get what is left at the end of the day.

 

[TDC Nala]

Not sure if you are looking at a GTY or a VGT (verandah guarantee) but the latter has far more restrictions. GTY is just like a regular reservation, only DCL picks your stateroom and it can be a category higher than the one you booked. If you don't like the one you get assigned you may be able to move it within the category. With a VGT you can get any verandah stateroom on the ship, and you can't change it once it is assigned.

 

[goofymama]

If a vgt was valuable for my cruise, I definitely would have taken it. The savings are worth it in my opinion. But I don't care so much exactly where my stateroom is on the ship. They all look the same from the inside

 

[sissy_ib]

I would think it is worth it if you cant get a verandah otherwise. Just prepare yourself for getting one of the worst verandahs. If you are still not ok with that don't do a VGT.

 

[Disney Freak 5]

I would think it is worth it if you cant get a verandah otherwise. Just prepare yourself for getting one of the worst verandahs. If you are still not ok with that don't do a VGT.

Where are these verandahs most likely located so that I may check a stateroom report out.

 

[sissy_ib]

Where are these verandahs most likely located so that I may check a stateroom report out.

The 7As are what you would look at. There are a few that are just obstructed but some are very bad.

Check out this link from Cruise Critic for pics.
http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1359544

There are two rooms like that.

 

[thrillfan]

Its a roll of the dice. I book a govsw/verandah cheaper than a inside. I got room 10060 awsome room.

 

[merriwthr]

DCL Cruise newbie here - and if this isn't the right place to ask this, can you point me in the right direction?

But what is a GTY or a VGT?

Thanks!

Michelle

 

[thrillfan]

GTY - guaranteed room VGT - verandah guaranteed room

 

[TDC Nala]

GTY is a guarantee room, which means you book a GTY room in a certain category, say a category 6A. This is just like a regular reservation with the same payment and cancellation rules, except that you do not pick the stateroom. DCL will assign you to a stateroom. They can assign you to a category 6A stateroom, or to any category higher than 6A, but they cannot assign you to a category lower than 6A. If you don't like the stateroom you have been assigned, you can change it, if there are open staterooms available in the category you are assigned to.

VGT is a verandah guarantee. This is usually offered at a deep discount to help fill the ship. If you book this, the only thing you are guaranteed is a verandah stateroom. You can't request a category, area of the ship or anything else. You must pay in full as soon as you book this guarantee category, they're not refundable at all, and you cannot change the reservation (no adding or removing people) or the room once it has been assigned. These reservations can't be combined with onboard booking perks. The prices can be really good, but book this type of reservation only if you know for sure you are going on the cruise, who is going with you, and that you can accept any verandah stateroom on the ship.

 

[Lisa Lisa]

We booked a VGT GTY on the 2/12/12 Dream. It was nerve-racking waiting for our assignment (which finally came 10 days before sailing!), but in the end it was worth the wait and the stress. We were given one of the 4E rooms on deck 5 with an extended verandah. The interior space is the same as a category 5, but that was fine for us since we only had 3 in our party. I'm not sure whether DCL would assign a 7A to someone who booked a VGT GTY, but it would be worth a call to find out.

I would definitely book a VGT again. I'm a control freak and hated the uncertainty, but the price difference was significant.

 

[juliebug1997]

How do you book these? Do you have to call DCL? And how significant are the savings? Just wondering if this is something DH and I should look into.

 

[TDC Nala]

I'm not sure whether DCL would assign a 7A to someone who booked a VGT GTY, but it would be worth a call to find out.

VGT could potentially be assigned to ANY verandah stateroom onboard, including the 7A. There aren't very many 7A staterooms though.

 

[mmouse37]

How do you book these? Do you have to call DCL? And how significant are the savings? Just wondering if this is something DH and I should look into.

This thread explains all about the Restricted Staterooms discounts

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2629213

MJ

 

[juliebug1997]

This thread explains all about the Restricted Staterooms discounts

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2629213

MJ

Thanks for the information. We may have done this unknowingly last year.