May 2022 Bermuda Cruises - Many 2A Cabins Booked Already?

[Luv2Crus40]

We're checking out the May 2022 cruises to Bermuda.   It seems like large blocks of cabins such as the 2A cabins on Deck 7 are unavailable.  It's strange that they may be booked up this much already - unless these cruises are charter cruises (partially)?  Or do you think that travel agencies have the cabins on hold?    Any thoughts?

[spiritkat090909]

Not sure...but my 'thought'... Cat 2A is the category I'm routinely offered through the casino comps.  Maybe they set a block aside when they plan on offering those dates in the future?

 

[wrk2cruise]

If you are booking for 2 people sometimes the site will not show 3 person occupancy rooms.   I've also noticed on some sailings there are cabins not available that I'm sure are not booked.   I think Celebrity may be holding inventory back for whatever reasons.

[Luv2Crus40]

Thanks for your thoughts.  Figured its probably something like that or blocks reserved by travel agencies.  Just want to make sure not joining a Chartered ship.

[Arizona Wildcat]

On 12/29/2020 at 9:49 AM, Luv2Crus40 said:

We're checking out the May 2022 cruises to Bermuda.   It seems like large blocks of cabins such as the 2A cabins on Deck 7 are unavailable.  It's strange that they may be booked up this much already - unless these cruises are charter cruises (partially)?  Or do you think that travel agencies have the cabins on hold?    Any thoughts?

My TA has 25-50 cabins held on most Bermuda cruises.  They can and will hold until 70 days out.

[LGW59]

20 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

My TA has 25-50 cabins held on most Bermuda cruises.  They can and will hold until 70 days out.

Kind of good to hear this, Celebrity recognizes who is buttering the bread.  

[wrk2cruise]

I don't believe TAs hold specific cabins so it really shouldn't affect what availability is showing online.  When inventory gets very low I think then you may see remaining inventory disappear quickly (and they start asking TAs to release their holds).   Maybe a TA who does groups can provide more detail.

[LGW59]

20 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

I don't believe TAs hold specific cabins so it really shouldn't affect what availability is showing online.  When inventory gets very low I think then you may see remaining inventory disappear quickly (and they start asking TAs to release their holds).   Maybe a TA who does groups can provide more detail.

Ahh OK, so do you think when one attempts to make a res, and a particular cabin/suite is shaded out and show as unavailable, it is be because a TA has a block on those rooms?

[jelayne]

Our TA often has group space and it isn’t specific cabins.  It is a number of a category or categories.  So when we book with the group rate we are able to select any available cabin.

[wrk2cruise]

2 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Ahh OK, so do you think when one attempts to make a res, and a particular cabin/suite is shaded out and show as unavailable, it is be because a TA has a block on those rooms?

 

No, the exact opposite.  If a TA opens a group I believe they say they will sell 10 category xyz cabins.  Only when they actually deposit the reservation does the cabin come out of inventory.  Until that time anybody can book that specific cabin.

 

When inventory of category xyz including the "unnamed" qty the TA has in their group I'm not real sure what happens.  1) Celebrity takes the remaining staterooms out of inventory OR 2) requests the TA "return the rooms".    Rooms in this case is not specific staterooms, just their hold on that many staterooms.

 

What is currently being experienced with some recently opened itineraries where high percentages of staterooms in a category are unavailable to book doesn't make sense and I personally don't believe it has anything to do with TA groups.

 

[wrk2cruise]

My example of this is every aft C1 cabin has been unavailable on every 2022 Aug/Sept/Oct sailing I checked on Summit.  Most of the deck 6 C1 cabins are shown as available.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

55 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

My example of this is every aft C1 cabin has been unavailable on every 2022 Aug/Sept/Oct sailing I checked on Summit.  Most of the deck 6 C1 cabins are shown as available.

 

Same thing for the Millie for ALL summer 2022 AK sailings - all the C1 aft facing rooms are un-bookable.  At one point they were supposed to be renamed SV (Sunset Verandah) so perhaps that is what is going on and they just haven't put them open for sale yet. 

 

Whatever the reason RCCL and Celebrity both are playing cabin inventory games on MANY sailings for 2022/23 as large swaths of rooms in multiple categories on multiple sailings are simply not bookable for any occupancy.

[Arizona Wildcat]

3 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

I don't believe TAs hold specific cabins so it really shouldn't affect what availability is showing online.  When inventory gets very low I think then you may see remaining inventory disappear quickly (and they start asking TAs to release their holds).   Maybe a TA who does groups can provide more detail.

There are multiple group bookings.  They are for a specific class of cabins - usually Verandas.  They are not specific cabins but X number will show as booked.  I presume cabins are booked just like rooms in National Parks.  TAs can block rooms a couple weeks before They are available to the public.  I was required to provide rooming lists and deposits for 90% of rooms 90 days out and release the unneeded rooms.  I was usually allowed to cancel up to 10% after that date.

Thus all of a specific class could easily show as booked the day a cruise opens and "magically" reappear a couple months before a cruise.

[Glendakayself]

I noticed that all the Sweet Sixteen verandas were blocked on the May, 2022, Alaska cruises were opened. I checked a favorite European TA site which lists available staterooms by category. I found that all the Sweet Sixteens were available. Then I went back to Celebrity's site and worked through a reservation until the category page came up. Then I clicked on the blue letters in the top right corner of the page that say "lookup stateroom." Then I typed in the number of the stateroom I wanted. The stateroom popped up with a price.

[Redtravel]

As more people have fcc from canceled cruises, they are rebooking. Many sailings are booking up.  That doesn’t mean people want or will actually sail.  For some people, it has been cancel, book something or lose the fcc, and keep being canceled and rebooking.  As long as you hold a booking, you stay in the fcc loop.  I am in that loop on another cruise line.  My fcc had an expiration date.  Booked using fcc, no money additional. Have very little faith that the booked cruise will sail in August.  Since holding a booking involves no money until end of May, I will wait. Comes final payment time, I will reconsider the situation.  Until the ships can sail safely unrestricted, I am not cruising.  If I lose my fcc, oh well.  Not worth sailing until covid is gone worldwide.  Until cruises really sail again, you will keep seeing lots of booked sailings and high fares.  If you really want to go to Bermuda, fly in.

[wrk2cruise]

15 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Same thing for the Millie for ALL summer 2022 AK sailings - all the C1 aft facing rooms are un-bookable.  At one point they were supposed to be renamed SV (Sunset Verandah) so perhaps that is what is going on and they just haven't put them open for sale yet. 

 

It was the FV class that is moving to Sunset Suites.   I haven't heard of them reclassifying the aft C1's as SV but that would make some sense as they could jack the price up even more.   Frankly the C1's on deck 6 port and starboard aren't worth the same upcharge as the aft ones.

 

I have seen that the accessible C1 aft is available on some cruises.

[foodsvcmgr]

Any chance large blocks are restricted from sale in case of extended reduced capacity requirements potentially from CDC?

Easier to open more space later if regulations ease rather than oversell now and have to cancel many people out.

[Jeremiah1212]

14 hours ago, foodsvcmgr said:

Any chance large blocks are restricted from sale in case of extended reduced capacity requirements potentially from CDC?

Easier to open more space later if regulations ease rather than oversell now and have to cancel many people out.

 

I think this is the likely situation. There are plenty of cabins open to book, even though they may not be your top choice. Holding them saves a lot of headache later if restrictions are still in place. I've said before...imagine the rage when people start getting bumped off of 'their' cruise because of capacity restrictions. 

[Luv2Crus40]

Maybe we'll try booking through Celebrity the 2A cabin we want that's in a blocked out group and see what happens.  If we do, I'll let you all know what happens.