On Weekends

Cruising in 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 mid-priced 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 don’t 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.)