What is the difference in BF and BC cabins

[amy417]

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between category BF and category BC cabins. I noticed on my cruise the BF cabin is almost $1600 more than the BC.

[auntieann]

What ship are you checking on? BC is a higher cat than BF. The difference is deck location and ship location (forward, mid and aft). Room size are the same.

[amy417]

I don't know if I am allowed to talk exact price but I am on the Diamond 11/6 and my BC cabin is aft aloha deck. This BF on the same cruise is $1600 more and one is a guarantee room with no number and the other is I beleive on caribe rm 109 p front of the ship. Not sure about the deck but definitely on the front of ship. any ideas?

[verwirrt]

I have noticed this very thing except the ship in question is the Star and the more expensive cabins in question were on Emerald deck! I asked this question several months ago. There were several good guesses but nobody seemed to know.

I, too, thought it strange that a category BF would go for far more than even a category BA! Who on earth would book that, and why?

[beachlovergirl]

I've noticed that a few times when I was checking prices on a few online sites. Some of the inside cabins were actually more money than the balcony cabins.....not sure why or who would ever book them. At first I thought it was a mistake for the sailing I was interested in, but then noticed it on several sailings???

[auntieann]

I took a quick look at the 11/6 availability on Diamond and the only balcony left is a BF (just one). I believe they hike up the price as they become sold out. Just a guess.

[der93711]

I am not certain, but I have a good guess. Sometimes the cruiseline does not really want to sell a certain catagory yet so the offer the cabins at a higher price and will open them up again at a lower price down the line. For example, we are going on the Tahitian Princess and catagory AC was almost twice the price of AA and AB. The location of the AC rooms are so, so. They did not want to sell these rooms yet. Now all the AB rooms are gone and now they are selling the AC at a very low price. If these rooms go unsold, they will use them as upgrades. The idea is to get the most for the rooms you can sell right away and worry about the others later. Just my thought.

[LARGIN]

Originally Posted by auntieann

I took a quick look at the 11/6 availability on Diamond and the only balcony left is a BF (just one). I believe they hike up the price as they become sold out. Just a guess.

Looks like that is the case.. I find that to be true on cruises that are nearer to the sailing day...

[BJS]

Originally Posted by amy417

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between category BF and category BC cabins. I noticed on my cruise the BF cabin is almost $1600 more than the BC.

Princess uses this category and BE to "fill" the ship if they need to fill balcony cabins. They will drop the price very low if needed and sell these rooms many times. You frequently only see a guarantee available. If they are looking to fill specific cabins they will keep the BF priced high. When you check the brochure for the BE and BF you will see N/A.

[amy417]

Thanks for the info. I have been watching this pricing for months and that particular category was always very expensive. I think the theory about saving rooms for later amkes sense. So if some fool ( I'm sorry..uniformed traveler) were to purchase this BF at the $2200 price, do they get their money back later? I mean these BF's had actual room numbers assigned to some of them.

[suekay]

Originally Posted by BJS

Princess uses this category and BE to "fill" the ship if they need to fill balcony cabins. They will drop the price very low if needed and sell these rooms many times. You frequently only see a guarantee available. If they are looking to fill specific cabins they will keep the BF priced high. When you check the brochure for the BE and BF you will see N/A.

I agree with BJS.
In the past, we have booked through a US TA - booking a BF cabin at a low price on a guarantee basis - and were allocated a BA on Caribe deck (couldn't be better ) At the same time BE/BF were not available through UK TA's

[BJS]

Originally Posted by amy417

Thanks for the info. I have been watching this pricing for months and that particular category was always very expensive. I think the theory about saving rooms for later amkes sense. So if some fool ( I'm sorry..uniformed traveler) were to purchase this BF at the $2200 price, do they get their money back later? I mean these BF's had actual room numbers assigned to some of them.

Not unless the price goes down and when it is down the TA, or person who booked directly with Princess, call and ask for the price on that booking number to be adjusted downward. Princess does not do this automatically.

It is strange but several times when I've called Princess and found our price has decreased they ask, "Would you like me to change the booking to that price?". I can never understand why they ask nor who would ever say no.


We never have found a TA who lowered our price so now book directly with Princess and watch prices constantly. We now have never had a cruise that I did not have our price lowered at least once and on several have had 3 or 4 price reductions. Our first 4 cruises I was not aware that once a price was quoted and a cabin assigned that the price could be lowered should it drop. I doubt there are many people who book through TAs that ever get the price dropped and that the majority of people, that don't read cruise boards, are even aware that they might be paying more than they need to. We sure were not aware ot it for our first 4 cruises booked through a TA.

[amy417]

so when they drop your price, do you get cash or credit on the ship?