Guarantee cabins on B2B cruises

[Mim Lloyd]

We're thinking of booking 2 B2B cruises on Explorer next year in a Junior Suite. The Guarantee cabin price is almost £500 cheaper for the 2 cruises rather than us actually choose the same cabin for both cruises. My questions are: what is the likelihood of us being able to stay in the same cabin for both cruises on a Guarantee fare? Does RCI take into account the fact that we've booked a B2B trip when allocating the cabins?  When would we find out our cabin number(s)?  We'd like to try to avoid having to pack after the first cruise only to unpack in a different cabin, but £500 is quite a saving.

[vjmatty]

I don't think you can count on the same cabin being allocated, but if they are different and one of them is empty on the alternate cruise, you can pay a little more and book it so they match.  You may lose any OBC or other promotion if you do this, so you might want to decide if it is worth staying in the same cabin.

[Hogbay]

3 minutes ago, Mim Lloyd said:

We're thinking of booking 2 B2B cruises on Explorer next year in a Junior Suite. The Guarantee cabin price is almost £500 cheaper for the 2 cruises rather than us actually choose the same cabin for both cruises. My questions are: what is the likelihood of us being able to stay in the same cabin for both cruises on a Guarantee fare? Does RCI take into account the fact that we've booked a B2B trip when allocating the cabins?  When would we find out our cabin number(s)?  We'd like to try to avoid having to pack after the first cruise only to unpack in a different cabin, but £500 is quite a saving.

You have a  chance that you will be in the same cabin ...also might not find out till the week before...good luck. 😇

 

[firefly333]

I'd say the odds are against randomly getting the same cabin. Mybe you get assigned early enough and both are same category and can move closer if cant get the same. For that much I'd move lol. 

 

A computer probably selects cabins, who doesnt know you, it wouldnt be anything personal if you get 2 cabins far apart. It's not that hard to move.

[HicksRA]

I’d say chances are very slim that you’d be assigned the same cabin. 

Changing cabins is not that big of a deal.  You leave all hanging stuff and put everything else back in your luggage and they move it for you. 

[OCSC Mike]

We did this for a B2B in July. Check-in for the 1st leg is in 3 days. Zero chance we'll get the same cabin.

 

We'll see what we get for both and then look to move one if we want to, same as with a single GTY.

 

No big deal to us either way or else we wouldn't have booked it this way.

Edited May 28, 2022 by OCSC Mike

[cb at sea]

I have to agree that the odds are against you.  They really don't pay attention if you booked a B2B....each leg is considered a separate cruise.  But, no worries....the cabin attendant will help by moving all hanging items....so it's really only your folded, and personal items you'll need to pack up...they will move it all for you.

 

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Mim Lloyd said:

Does RCI take into account the fact that we've booked a B2B trip when allocating the cabins? 

Very unlikely. Take the savings and move between sailings.

[Starry Eyes]

I agree with the others; your b2b will not be considered in cabin assignments.  There is little chance you would be assigned the same cabin for both legs.

You need to decide if the picking your cabin location and not changing cabins is worth £500.

[MommaBear55]

IF you are in the US and IF you are lucky enough to have the same cabin available after your cabins are assigned, you can call and have the assigned cabins switched to be the same. However, we often have to switch on B2B and it's not a big deal. 

[pcur]

I won't book guarantee cabins on b2b cruises, because once I'm unpacked I want to stay in one place.

 

 But, the OP's savings is significant. In this case I would pack accordingly: keep everything in packmates or containers, so it's easy to pack for the switch.

 

But, that's me: I am not a minimalist packer.

Edited May 29, 2022 by pcur

[Mim Lloyd]

Thanks folks, I've booked the guarantee cabins. The saving far outweighs the convenience of staying in the same cabin. I don't think it will be too bad for me as I can easily live out of a suitcase. It's my husband who packs far more than me and has to put everything way properly in wardrobes and drawers! 🤣

[vjmatty]

11 minutes ago, Mim Lloyd said:

 It's my husband who packs far more than me and has to put everything way properly in wardrobes and drawers! 🤣

 

Mine is an overpacker as well, really fussy about clothes.... he also likes to iron, in fact when he first moved in with me I had to buy an ironing board.  On Princess ships, which have laundromats, he will even iron Hawaiian shirts.  I tell him there are patterns, no one can see a little creasing. 

[Starry Eyes]

First happy thought: b2b cruises

Second happy thought: £500 saved

Third happy thought: As you have already accepted that you will change cabins between legs, it is even easier to watch for upgrade opportunities on either leg (price drops or RoyalUp) as you no longer have to think about the move (you have decided a move is acceptable…and  having done several, it really it is not bad at all)

[Mim Lloyd]

Unfortunately, as I've booked in the UK I can't take advantage of price drops as you can in North America. The price we book at is locked in. Last year, RCI did extend price drop changes to us Brits for a short while to encourage bookings while the COVID pandemic was still rife, but that's now sadly ended. 

[Mim Lloyd]

29 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

 

Mine is an overpacker as well, really fussy about clothes.... he also likes to iron, in fact when he first moved in with me I had to buy an ironing board.  On Princess ships, which have laundromats, he will even iron Hawaiian shirts.  I tell him there are patterns, no one can see a little creasing. 

I think they must be twins separated at birth, Dave is exactly the same! 🤣

[pcur]

2 hours ago, Mim Lloyd said:

Thanks folks, I've booked the guarantee cabins. The saving far outweighs the convenience of staying in the same cabin. I don't think it will be too bad for me as I can easily live out of a suitcase. It's my husband who packs far more than me and has to put everything way properly in wardrobes and drawers! 🤣

You are married to a male clone of me..............................

[Starry Eyes]

1 hour ago, Mim Lloyd said:

Unfortunately, as I've booked in the UK I can't take advantage of price drops as you can in North America. The price we book at is locked in. Last year, RCI did extend price drop changes to us Brits for a short while to encourage bookings while the COVID pandemic was still rife, but that's now sadly ended. 

Can you upgrade if by chance the price of a full suite drops?

[LeeW]

We use large ziplock bags for clothes, so when it is time to move each drawer goes into one then into suitcase.  Takes about 10 minutes once we get in the new room. We also use a couple of fold-flat carry on bags so we are not just limited to our luggage.  Cabin attendant will move hangers and all bags.

 

Introduce yourself to new cabin attendant before end of first cruise and they will get new cabin ready for the move.  Old attendant will move the stuff.  Just don't forget to empty the safe - either bury in luggage or take a small bag with you until you get back into cabins.  Normally B2B people can go to their cabins before they are declared open, but you might need to open a fire door.

[brillohead]

What I did on my last move was go the night before and meet the room attendant for my future room (note, they may or may not be the room attendant for your sailing as well -- they often get assigned to new areas).  

I explained the situation, and that morning I brought my luggage to the new room myself at 8:00, and the room attendant let me put it in the empty closet.  Then when B2Bers were allowed back onto the ship, I was able to go right to my room and unpack instead of having to wait until later in the afternoon when it got moved for me.

Note:  if you're moving rooms and have door decorations, DO NOT put the decorations on your new door until the afternoon.  The crews that strip the rooms will assume that the door decorations were left behind by the previous passengers, not newly-placed by the new passengers, and they will be discarded.

[gatour]

Also on the last day or two of the first leg remind that room attendent that you are doing a back to back and your new room number.

[Mim Lloyd]

On 5/29/2022 at 9:05 PM, Starry Eyes said:

Can you upgrade if by chance the price of a full suite drops?

Yes I think we can do that, it's something to keep in mind. Thanks!

[Mim Lloyd]

Oh, one more question about guarantee cabins. How soon we will find out the cabin number for the first week's cruise before we board?

[Starry Eyes]

1 hour ago, Mim Lloyd said:

Oh, one more question about guarantee cabins. How soon we will find out the cabin number for the first week's cruise before we board?

Theoretically it can happen anytime.  It has been known to happen before final payment, though that does not seem particularly common.  They can make you wait until you arrive at the pier, though that is very uncommon.

Most recently though  we have gotten our first hint our our assignment from our barcode on our set sail passes 45 days out.

[OCSC Mike]

2 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Most recently though  we have gotten our first hint our our assignment from our barcode on our set sail passes 45 days out.

Check-in for the 1st half of our July GTY B2B opens tonight at midnight et. 🤞