So this is a new one for me.
I made a booking for NYE on the Odyssey for this year in June. Just pulled up a new invoice and my shareholder OBC was automatically applied.
Both these staterooms have the bed by the bath.
Both are cabins that hold 3 or more guests. All balconies thst hold 3 or more guests will have the bed by the bath. It is only double occupancy cabins where there will be some of each layout
Since you have a family of 7 it sounds like you have a balcony for 4 and a balcony for 7. There are no balconies that sleep more than 2 guests that are side by side on Oasis. There will be a double occupancy cabin in between the 2 of you.
I have sailed over the holidays for the past 10 years and never had to wait this long for the dining packages to go on sale. Personally I don't think they will be offered.
Group rates are rates offered by the cruiseline to travel agents that the cruise line foes not offer to people thst book directly.
The upside for a TA is that those rates get locked in giving them time to promote their group.
That is nowhere near how group rates work.
First off, group rates are the same for all TA's regardless of whether you have sold out your groups in the past or not. What selling your groups allows you to do is it gives you the ability to hold more groups.
There is no such thing as group rates on a Grand Suite. Group rates are limited to balconies and below.
On our Ovation cruise last year we decided to go to a ball game as we were there a few days early. Didn't even realize they were playing the Jays until I went to by the tickets. It was a sea of blue in the stands. Hadn't been to a game in over 5 years living less than an hour away and here we were on the other side of the country watching them play