Oct 22 Disney Dream cruise now available for MUCH less than I paid...

[Voguevamp]

You did say "GTY" I think you meant "VGT".

GTY is different than the last minute restricted (*GT) fares.

Maybe I need a dumb-downed explanation for these acronyms- I thought I understood them, but I don't understand half these posts- so maybe I don't! I also don't know what OP stands for. Thanks!

 

[Voguevamp]

You know this, how?

YES, I'd like to know, too! I'd like to try lol

 

[Voguevamp]

Thanks for all your replies everyone! This has been so helpful!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Maybe I need a dumb-downed explanation for these acronyms- I thought I understood them, but I don't understand half these posts- so maybe I don't! I also don't know what OP stands for. Thanks!

1. GTY - When a certain percentage of rooms within a category have been booked, the category goes "GTY". You can still select that category, but you can't select a specific room. Your reservation will say for room assignment (for example) 9C GTY. You pay the same for a GTY reservation as you do for a reservation that has a specific room selected. DCL will assign a room in that category or higher at a later date.

2. *GT - when a cruise isn't selling well, DCL will offer last minute restricted fares. These typically come out after the Paid in Full Date and you must pay in full, no refunds, or changes allowed. You book a TYPE of room (Interior - IGT; Oceanview - OGT; or Verandah - VGT). The price for these rooms, while generally lower than the prevailing rate is usually higher than the cost was had the reservation been made on opening day. DCL assigns these rooms at a later date.

OP - Original Poster (the person who started a thread).

 

[FigmentSpark]

Maybe I need a dumb-downed explanation for these acronyms- I thought I understood them, but I don't understand half these posts- so maybe I don't! I also don't know what OP stands for. Thanks!

OP is Original Poster
PP is Previous Poster who could be the OP, but is more likely someone above that post in the thread.

 

[bumbershoot]

What is PIF- is that paid in full?

It literally means paid on full, but it actually means the date that full payment is due.

 

[MomOTwins]

I didn't get to pick my stateroom- I had no idea what staterooms to look for or request, and my travel agent told me she surprisingly found one in the 10A category- 7675- and that I should take it. What is PIF- is that paid in full? I paid in full right away- just because I like to have things paid for up front. Does that put me at a disadvantage if I wanted to make changes later?

That means you (via your travel agent) picked your stateroom: 7675. If the travel agent could see that stateroom was available, that means they were booking a specific room and not a *GT rate, and could have told you what other rooms were available at what prices, so it sounds like your TA didn't do a very good job of telling you what options were available. When you book a discounted *GT rate, you do not have a specific room assigned from the time of booking--Disney assigns you a stateroom 1-2 weeks before sailing based on what is available at the time.

Paying in full at the time you book makes no difference to making changes. PIF just means the date at which your full payment is due. If you paid in full upon booking, and made changes before the PIF due date, you would still be able to make changes without penalty and get refunded. Of course, now with less than two weeks until sailing, the fare is non-refundable (regardless of when you paid in full).

 

[Minnie & Daisy]

"Adult dining, excursions, spa, nursery......etc."

Oh thought I missed something. Don't do any of those...

It may also affect whether you are assigned to main or second dinner seating, if that is important to you.

 

[Minnie & Daisy]

I would assume "last minute" in the cruising world refers to cruises booked after the PIF date for all cruisers. If the cruise line is offering guaranteed discounted rates, than I would consider that a last minute booking from the cruise line's standpoint. Obviously, they would rather sell all of the cabins at their regular rate.

 

[ajo]

I booked a cruise about 4 months out and thought at the time that I could wait and see if it went *GT due to the number of rooms available. I decided to book it then so I could arrange airfare and our activities. It ended up going *GT, but at that point I would have had to spend double on airfare and may not have gotten the activities we wanted.

I agree with the PPs who have said if you really want to go and the price is right, book it! If you don't mind missing the cruise if it doesn't go *GT, then you can play the waiting game. It's all a matter of personal preference.

 

[Voguevamp]

1. GTY - When a certain percentage of rooms within a category have been booked, the category goes "GTY". You can still select that category, but you can't select a specific room. Your reservation will say for room assignment (for example) 9C GTY. You pay the same for a GTY reservation as you do for a reservation that has a specific room selected. DCL will assign a room in that category or higher at a later date.

2. *GT - when a cruise isn't selling well, DCL will offer last minute restricted fares. These typically come out after the Paid in Full Date and you must pay in full, no refunds, or changes allowed. You book a TYPE of room (Interior - IGT; Oceanview - OGT; or Verandah - VGT). The price for these rooms, while generally lower than the prevailing rate is usually higher than the cost was had the reservation been made on opening day. DCL assigns these rooms at a later date.

OP - Original Poster (the person who started a thread).

This was very helpful! Thank you!

 

[cruiser21]

The GT rates are usually 20-30% off the current rate on the lowest cabin. All the GT rates I've booked have been considerably lower then opening day prices. A couple of my cruises were as much as 2k less. These were cruises I would have never booked on opening day because they were out of my budget.
If a cruise has gone up a lot since opening day it means it's selling and GT rates aren't going to be offered. If a cruise hasn't gone up in price since opening day you'll probably see GT rates and many times they'll be well below opening day prices. The cruise I just took I paid about 1k less then opening day prices. There is a thread on this board that list discounts and people discuss what cruises they think they'll get a good deal on. I cruise 3 or 4 times a year so I rarely book anything more then a couple months in advance. I never feel like I'm playing a waiting game because I cruise so often.

 

[lexlaw69]

What is the best way to find GT pricing?

 

[lanejudy]

What is the best way to find GT pricing?

Keep an eye on this thread: https://www.disboards.com/threads/current-gt-mto-flr-discounts.3244232/page-176#post-59879854

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

To the OP...Bon Voyage!!!!

Have a great cruise and let us know how it was.