Cruising And Tba Cabins
Cruising And Tba Cabins
TBA cabins are one way to save money on a cruise but they come with a caveat. In the cruise industry TBA means To Be Assigned. Guaranteed Rate is another term that is often used. Either way what it means is that no matter what you would get a cabin in the category you purchased and if you get lucky you could get an upgrade.
Why do the cruise lines do this? Usually the first cabins to sell out on a ship are the least expensive and the most expensive. When all of the inexpensive cabins are sold the remaining inventory is usually made up of the midpriced cabins. The cruise line can have a harder time selling these as they may be competing against lower prices on other cruise lines. Enter the TBA or guaranteed rate cabin. By selling passengers a guaranteed rate or TBA cabin the cruise line always has an inexpensive cabin available.
When you make a TBA reservation you are not assigned a cabin until anywhere from 30 days out up until the time you actually check in. You are guaranteed to get the category you paid for or better. What the cruise line is doing is selling the same inexpensive cabins multiple times moving earlier purchasers or past passengers or using any of a number of other criteria up into a higher category of cabin.
If you dont mind what cabin you end up with or where it is located on the ship this is a great way to purchase a cruise. But for a good price you give up all control as to the location or type of cabin you get. Note: If you purchase an Outside category you will NOT be given an Inside cabin. This is the only thing you can be sure of.
My husband and I have cruised over 25 times and just recently sailed in a TBA cabin. Read about our personal experience at We Cruised With a TBA Cabin
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