Re-categorization of Disney Dream & Fantasy rooms eff. Oct 18, 2011!

So we are now category

5E – Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah – Oversized Verandah, some with solid white wall

What does "some with solid white wall" mean? :confused3

We sale this December and yesterday I got an email with all the details of the cruise and on the bottom it said refund of $14 and I couldn't figure out why. :confused3

So could this be the reason?
 
This means we won't see any 2013 itineraries until after this date. I am sure they don't want to book people for 2013 and then have to change all the categories for those affected

That was what I was thinking also. And I believe I read that they announced the bookings for 2012 on October 19th last year. That would correspond day-wise also (on a Tuesday).

Oh, but I just re-read this part:
Effective October 18, 2011, Disney Cruise Line will be re-categorizing 120 staterooms due to the unique features of each stateroom. Reservations booked prior to October 20 will be price protected if the resulting change is a higher category, but will receive a rate adjustment if the resulting change is for a lower category.

So booking probably won't open until the 20th.

No complaint here - sailing out this Sunday, and I've been hoping they would announce 2013 dates while we were onboard so I could get my 10% off without having to book a dummy cruise! (Yeah, I know I'm lazy... :rolleyes1)
 


This was especially exciting for me, since it was just under a year ago when the Dream first floated out of the building dock, and we could finally see some of the pluses and minuses of different staterooms. I started the "Special Rooms" thread (link in siggie) that highlighted some of those rooms at that point, and became a good place for discussion about various rooms.

Thanks to everyone who complained about the problem rooms, which I'm sure led to the downgrading of those rooms!

Interestingly enough, my room on the 8/16/11 Dream sailing (8006) was downgraded from 9A to 9D, while my room on the Fantasy MV (8684) is being upgraded from 6A to 5E, so I ended up going both directions.

I always loved the "Special Rooms" thread - we were able to scrutinize before anyone even sailed :goodvibes

Both of our Fantasy rooms have been upgraded - 9674 & 8188, but only up one from 6A to 5E. Not bad, which means that it won't be that much of a price hike we decide to book these rooms on future cruises :thumbsup2
 
So here's a different question/spin on this change......We booked a 9A GTY for a Dec Dream cruise and was assigned room 7000 now supposedly reclassified to a 9C. Since it is a GTY of 9A or higher will they reassign? I can't imagine what kind of credit that would be.....just wondering......any thoughts? TIA
 
We're in 10166 in 3 weeks which was a cat. 6A when we booked and will be changed to a cat. 5E. I can't wait to sit out on the verandah!
 


I would have thought that they might have done something with the deck 5 aft staterooms that incur so much noise from evolutions below. We did get an extra 100 buck obc for that back in May.
 
You are too fast for me. I was just going to post this. Also adding

If you are currently booked in one of the affected staterooms on or after Oct. 20, you will receive a letter or email notification. If you are re-categorized to a higher stateroom category, the current rate is protected. Clients re-categorized to a lower stateroom category will receive a rate adjustment and/or refund if the reservation is paid in full.

So, I have room 5052 on the Fantasy. It is currently 5E. It looks like it will then be 4E. So I am getting a "deal" right? Not a refund? Is this a new category? I tried to look up prices for a 4E and couldn't pull any up. TIA:)

Yes, per what has been posted, you should get a refund (if already paid) or have your cruise price adjusted.

I think the Magic/Wonder have 4E cabins, being the full or half metal wall cabins to the aft of the ship on Deck 8, but the Dream/Fantasy didn't have that category until now since all of the Cat 4s were in the middle.

So to be clear- we are sailing in January 2012, stateroom 7004 (which has great room reports btw) and since we have already paid in full- we should be getting a refund for the difference??????

Yes. See the first quote above.

I am surprised 8006 and 8504, 7006 and 7504 were downgraded.....I felt that the huge extra space of the interior more than outweighed the semi-limited porthole view. It works out for us....we have both 8006 and 7504 on our June 30th Fantasy cruise so it will be nice to get a bit back.

MJ

As mentioned, we sailed in 8006 on our Dream cruise this past August. I am somewhat surprised at it's level of downgrade, putting it in the same category as the Deck 1 rooms on the Magic/Wonder with the two small portholes. While I am not a fan of that room for families, since the kids sleep on separate sides of the room with no possible separation from the main bed, our kids were so tired each night that they fell asleep quickly and it wasn't too bad, though we did have to keep the lights turned down once they were asleep. Plus my little one had to stand on the coffee table in order to see anything out the window other than sky. The extra room is fantastic, though, and I'd book that room again as a family of 3 or 2, as long as I wasn't sailing during bad weather.

Just looked ours up...8502...on the DCL and Dreams sites and there appears to be no change.

Doesn't go into place until 10/18, so I doubt you'll see anything until the 18th or 20th.

So we are now category

5E – Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah – Oversized Verandah, some with solid white wall

What does "some with solid white wall" mean? :confused3

DCL has always had that qualifier on the Cat 6 rooms on the Dream/Fantasy (and on the Magic/Wonder after the 2011 reclassification.) The aft rooms on the Dream have a small white metal wall that extends up to about knee level or lower. It's probably more noticeable if you're sitting down, but doesn't appear to block your view significantly (unless you're on a large extended aft verandah trying to see down from your chair), unlike the full metal walls on the Magic/Wonder. However, I assume they keep that description in there to keep someone from complaining. Now that some of the aft verandahs have been recategorized to 5E, they needed to add that qualifier to cover those rooms.

So here's a different question/spin on this change......We booked a 9A GTY for a Dec Dream cruise and was assigned room 7000 now supposedly reclassified to a 9C. Since it is a GTY of 9A or higher will they reassign? I can't imagine what kind of credit that would be.....just wondering......any thoughts? TIA

That's a very good question! Please keep us updated on what they end up doing for you. In the past, there were many who booked 9A GTY and got upgraded to verandahs where possible, which seemed to be an early indicator that DCL had concerns or complaints about those rooms.
 
My TA just posted this about re-categorization of staterooms on Disney Dream and Fantasy.

Effective October 18, 2011, Disney Cruise Line will be re-categorizing 120 staterooms due to the unique features of each stateroom. Reservations booked prior to October 20 will be price protected if the resulting change is a higher category, but will receive a rate adjustment if the resulting change is for a lower category. The five new categories are:
Thanks HallsofVA!
We don't plan a Fantasy cruise any time soon, but we know we're going on it in the future! (Likely book on board our Magic cruise next year). I'm assuming that this will lead to a web page highlighting locations with more detail and we'll know where we want to go for that next time. :)
 
what about people that booked there cruises with there DVC points? I'm assuming if there is a difference, they will get there points back?
 
That's a very good question! Please keep us updated on what they end up doing for you. In the past, there were many who booked 9A GTY and got upgraded to verandahs where possible, which seemed to be an early indicator that DCL had concerns or complaints about those rooms.

Is there an official posting of this info? I think I am going to send up to TA who we booked through.
TAIA
 
From what I gather, the information is "officially" posted on the DCL travel agent site. Other TAs have now posted the same information which gave me comfort that it was official!

Yes. I am a TA and we recieved an email yesterday. I haven't checked the site out yet as I've been busy, but I am sure it's there as well. We weren't given any actual room numbers, but maybe thats on the site?
 
So my question is.... we booked a ctg 5E on the Fantasty to get the extended veranda. Normally ctg 4 rooms (Deluxe Family OV w/V) sleep 5 by use of a murphy bed and have a little more sqr ftg. Also they have the round tub. Will the Fantasy rooms be redesigned to include that? or will it just be a regular ctg 5 room - but it is called a 4 since it has the extended veranda?
 
So my question is.... we booked a ctg 5E on the Fantasty to get the extended veranda. Normally ctg 4 rooms (Deluxe Family OV w/V) sleep 5 by use of a murphy bed and have a little more sqr ftg. Also they have the round tub. Will the Fantasy rooms be redesigned to include that? or will it just be a regular ctg 5 room - but it is called a 4 since it has the extended veranda?

My assumption, based on no official knowledge, is that they aren't changing the inside of the rooms as a result of this recategorization, at least not the square footage. Already on the Dream there are Cat 8 and 4 rooms that don't sleep 5 (or even 4 in the case of some Cat 8A rooms), and not all of them have the round tubs (or even split baths again in the case of some 8A rooms.) I don't think DCL will be increasing the interior size of these reclassed rooms to accommodate a 5th bed, though it is possible that they could consider changing the shower/tub configuration. Just don't know that they'd do that.
 
I have 10160 on the Dream next month and 9172 (used to be 6A and now 5E) on the Fantasy next year and can't wait to sit on those big verandahs.:cool1:
 
I just booked my category 5E which will be changed to a 4E. Looks like I got in just under the wire!:goodvibes
 
Thought the 5s did not have the bigger bathrooms (Big tub) for families??

Because DCL ran out of letters and numbers! As noted in my reply above, currently there are some family (cat 4 & 8) rooms that do not have the round tub, split bath, 4th or 5th bed, or other things you would assume would be in that category of room.

They obviously wanted to find a way to reflect that these rooms have larger, more desirable verandahs than other rooms. They couldn't call them 5A rooms without reclassing all Cat 5 rooms, and hadn't left themselves any wiggle room between Cat 4 & 5 for something else, so they took the easier way out.
 

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