GTY but need Connecting Rooms

[mousefan73]

Thanks _auroraborealis_! I’m happy with my 10B GTYs, but my big concern is the fact that I need connecting rooms (5 people). I’ve been stalking the website to see if connecting staterooms become available... but if you are saying every cancelled stateroom won’t show the actual room number, then what I’m doing is pointless? So I should just cross my fingers and wait until DCL assigns my room and hope for the best? Thanks!

Just make sure that if the rooms are not connecting it’s not a make or break situation for you. For example the Hawaii cruise in 2020 most of us got a room assignments I would say two months before the sailing? It wasn’t last minute but it wasn’t far out. I know it was well past the pay in full date. So if worst-case they are not connecting and you don’t want to sail, your paying a hefty fine.
Another idea I just had and I don’t know if it would work, Is asking a fellow cruise group member to switch rooms with you? In the two groups that I’m in we’re well over 500 people in total. I’m also GTY in 9C and if someone were to post in our groups “ hey we have Room 2050 and 2058 is anyone in 2051 or 2057 and willing to switch?” I would if the switch didn’t worsen my location ( if your room is right across from the laundry room I probably won’t consider) . Not sure if DCL would do this??

 

[coloradocutie]

It's what happened with Hawaii and Greece.

So with these popular cruises, what percentages of the rooms are booked GTY vs a specific staterooms that you can choose? 50%? 10%?

I am currently in a specific room that I do not want, but am ok with the category. I am wondering if I should (I have the option under modify stateroom) to give up my specific room and just go GTY and trust Disney for the assignment. The room I am in is a connecting one- not 10B though- sorry shaunacb- but after reading these posts, maybe I just let Disney choose and release my connecting one for a family that would really appreciate it.

 

[mousefan73]

So with these popular cruises, what percentages of the rooms are booked GTY vs a specific staterooms that you can choose? 50%? 10%?

I am currently in a specific room that I do not want, but am ok with the category. I am wondering if I should (I have the option under modify stateroom) to give up my specific room and just go GTY and trust Disney for the assignment. The room I am in is a connecting one- not 10B though- sorry shaunacb- but after reading these posts, maybe I just let Disney choose and release my connecting one for a family that would really appreciate it.

From my understanding for HI, GTY only popped up on Gold day already.. I am not too experienced with opening day booking but in our cruise groups it seems like EVERYONE has GTY

 

[_auroraborealis_]

what percentages of the rooms are booked GTY vs a specific staterooms that you can choose

GTY is rolled into when a category is close to selling out. DCL has never defined what close means, but it's probably about 20% of a category or less.

This is also why, on a sold-out sailing, that when people cancel their rooms go into GTY rather than pick-a-stateroom. They come back 1-2 units at a time, into categories that are already GTY by definition.

 

[MomOTwins]

To the OP, I think you should give up your GTY and wait and see if specific connecting rooms (or a family room) open up down the road, or else give up and opt for a different cruise. We also need connecting rooms or a family-size room for our family of 5. The only time I might risk booking two unassigned rooms would be for a very short, not popular cruise because if lots of rooms are empty that means more open rooms for Disney to assign us connecting, and a short cruise means if DH and I had to separate each taking some kids, it would be a pain but not as bad as your 10-night cruise. But with GTY meaning the category is mostly sold out, on a fully booked very popular cruise where Disney can't just upgrade your category to find a connecting room because all categories are full, and with a 10B where there aren't that many connecting rooms to begin with (and many don't connect), that makes it virtually impossible for DCL to give you connecting rooms. So it is not a matter of "trusting" Disney or not--they can't give you what they don't have. Most of the rooms have been booked specifically, and Disney can't force those guests to move to make connecting rooms available for GTY.

Reminds me of one time I saw a man melting down at guest services at 5pm on embarkation day because he wanted main dining and it was already full and he had small kids. DCL actually gets a lot of people off the waitlist both before the cruise and on embarkation day, but once it is full, it is full, and there's nothing DCL can do. Don't be that guy!

 

[fredandkell]

I think like others have said, decide if connecting rooms are a must or if they are a “nice to have.” For our family they are a must and we would never choose GTY for that reason. But, if you will be just fine without them then leave them as is. Honestly you were lucky to get two rooms for Hawaii as it is since that is such a popular and infrequent itinerary.