Cabin assignment for guarantee

We booked a guarantee cabin since it was such a great offer. We are now only 15 days from sailing and have no cabin assignment. Our TA contacted Oceania today to inquire and they said it may not be assigned until the day of the cruise. We booked Oceania again because we enjoyed the ship and service so much on our two week Tahiti cruise aboard Marina. I feel that a day of departure assignment is unacceptable ( I can get that kind of service on Carnival). Has anyone else had any recent experience with such late notices to a guarantee cabin and is this the new norm? Thank you.

Please don't think I am being irascible here, but I always wonder why people at times get so frustrated at the lack of allocation of cabin/stateroom when they have booked a gty grade. When I book into a hotel I generally don't know which room I am going to get - it doesn't really bother me. We are booked on Marina in October in a gty, and while I will be eager to know what cabin it will be that we are allocated, I am not going to get frustrated about it - it's part of the adventure for us. I have wanted a specific cabin on previous cruises and in those cases I have booked a non gty so I can get my preference. I think the great deal you can get on gty cabins is probably worth not knowing your cabin allocation until the day of embarkation? You pays your money you takes your chances is how I look at it. I suppose I am just curious as why you feel it is unacceptable? If Oceania were to make it clear when booking that you might not find out til the day of embarkation, would you still have booked at the price you got the cruise for?

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Were there any cabins available when you booked or only GTY bookings ??

Some do not get their assignments until they check in at the port

This is one reason I never book a GTY ....I like to know where I am sleeping

At least you know you will be someplace on the ship ;)

This is what our confirmation says, I don't expect to know where our cabin is until we get on the ship.

"You have booked a guarantee cabin. You will receive your cabin assignment when you check in for your cruise, and your cabin may be located on any deck of the ship. Below is the description of your guarantee cabin(s):

TBD - Veranda Stateroom - guarantee"

You are getting exactly what you paid for

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This is what our confirmation says, I don't expect to know where our cabin is until we get on the ship.

 

"You have booked a guarantee cabin. You will receive your cabin assignment when you check in for your cruise, and your cabin may be located on any deck of the ship. Below is the description of your guarantee cabin(s):

 

TBD - Veranda Stateroom - guarantee"

well that is pretty clear to me

+1

You are getting EXACTLY the service which you elected to bargain for.

What you are implying is that because you imagined that the Guarantee process would be handled differently, Oceania's obligations to fullfill that contract should be changed to suit you.

The "meeting of the minds" was supposed to be this:

The benefit to you was that you will definately get to sail on the cruise, either at the cabin level that you bought in on, or in a nicer one; the benefit to Oceania is that they get to fill the ship via the method which makes the most sense to them.

You gained access, they gained flexibility.

Demanding an assignment date, now, is akin to demanding a specific cabin. I can fully understand why you want it, but it is just not a part of the deal which you struck-

Unacceptable is dealing with "day of sailing" cabin assignment. We booked the cruise due to the ship, staff and itinerary. I am not concerned about the cabin location. I am concerned about the hassle of dealing with our luggage since we will not have tags. If they do the "day of assignment" I expect I will have to carry my large bags everywhere instead of just dropping them with a porter. While this is a problem that can be overcome by selecting a cabin instead of GTY , I just did not expect that kind of response from Oceania. We have never experienced anything except top notch service from them and giving a room assignment to a guest when they show up (whether GTY or not) does not seem like top notch service to me. Some kind of notice before arriving at the pier does not sound unreasonable to me.

Just make sure that your names are printed clearly on the Baggage Tags which come with your final documents.

The porters will have printed manifests at the pier, and your luggage will get to your GTY Cabin.

Just one of the many Benefits of NOT sailing on the Megolomania of the Seas

Jim and Stan, please read my original post again. I did not DEMAND anything. I was expressing my displeasure with the possibility of a day of sailing assignment. Since you don't know me, you don't know that I have never booked a GTY cabin and based on this I probably will not book one in the future. Silly me for listening to a travel agent. I normally handle all my own arrangements anyways and will likely return to that path.

I "imagined" the process would be different because I did not expect Oceania would be operating like Carnival and including extra hassle for free.

I was not looking for an upgrade. I took a certain level cabin expecting to get that level, just at a very good price the travel agent offered me. Again, silly me for listening to a travel agent.

Now, if you are done with your italicized and bold words in an effort to express your contempt for my asking a question about others GTY cabin assignment timelines, please kindly remove yourself from this discussion and go try to look down your nose at someone else.

We sail in less than a week. We booked a guarantee and have not been assigned a cabin. I understood this might happen when I booked the guarantee. I take this as a good thing. Maybe we will get a nice upsell offer!

We chose a gty just to get on a full ship, so been there. We also panic'd at not knowing cabin assignment. However...as others (thanks J&S) have said, Not a problem on Oceania ships. The O porters will meet you at the entrance to the ships berth/terminal, and they DO have a current listing of all cabin assignments, and you WILL be on it. Do not worry about not having O luggage tags. Make sure you have your normal name tags (flight or Id tags) on your larger luggage, or anything you wish the porters to take. They WILL place the appropriate luggage tag with your assigned cabin on your luggage, and deliver to your assigned cabin. Yup, they have it down to a science...these are much smaller, manageable ships, and have a lot of experience at this.

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Not sure why your TA didn't advise you of this, mine did, I am just very hyper, and worry about everything....you will be fine, and will be on the ship relaxing in 15 days, enjoy.

We sail in less than a week. We booked a guarantee and have not been assigned a cabin. I understood this might happen when I booked the guarantee. I take this as a good thing. Maybe we will get a nice upsell offer!

Hopefully you will get a free upgrade, if anything, rather than an upsell.

In my mind, that is the biggest benefit of booking a GTY - you are guaranteed the level you booked or higher (at no cost).

When you book a specific cabin, you may get an upsell offer - a free upgrade is not very likely.

At least that is how I understand it - never having booked a GTY myself.

Jim and Stan, please read my original post again. I did not DEMAND anything. I was expressing my displeasure with the possibility of a day of sailing assignment. Since you don't know me, you don't know that I have never booked a GTY cabin and based on this I probably will not book one in the future. Silly me for listening to a travel agent. I normally handle all my own arrangements anyways and will likely return to that path.

I "imagined" the process would be different because I did not expect Oceania would be operating like Carnival and including extra hassle for free.

I was not looking for an upgrade. I took a certain level cabin expecting to get that level, just at a very good price the travel agent offered me. Again, silly me for listening to a travel agent.

Now, if you are done with your italicized and bold words in an effort to express your contempt for my asking a question about others GTY cabin assignment timelines, please kindly remove yourself from this discussion and go try to look down your nose at someone else.

Please forgive me, 3onthego, but when you posted this on a cruise discussion board, I did not realize that only comments which agreed with your point of view would be welcome.

In point of fact I do not foster any contempt for you, even though you called yourself silly twice in your last post and admitted to buying into a multi thousand dollar contact which you did (do??) not understand. :o

If I might try to inject some perspective on the discussion at hand, i.e. that of the Guarantee process, if anger has any place in this, I believe that it should be directed towards your Travel Agent.

That Agent is a travel professional whom you selected, -specifically to guide you through the complicated process of booking this cruise-

(*Note* left to my own devices, i would have italicized that last sentence, but since you seem to feel that use of the italic conveys disrespect, I'll hold off :D )

To my way of thinking, if your expectations were contrary to what the product which you were buying offers, the blame lays at the foot of your Agent.

As you say that you didn't use an Agent, previously, it may be that you just did not appreciate the duties that an Agent incurs.

In short, if the Agent can't explain it, they should not be selling it.

Do not fear. You will get cabin assignment. Got my PH cabin 2 days before sailing.

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This is the exact wording on the Oceania Website when booking a guarantee cabin.

Guarantee

A guarantee booking is confirmed for the category selected. Your specific suite or stateroom will be assigned within 45 days of embarkation, and possibly not until embarkation. If you prefer to select your suite or stateroom now, please choose a category marked "Available," or Contact Reservations or your Travel Agent for assistance.

It clearly states that Oceania has the right not to assign the stateroom until embarkation. They did not deceive you in any manner or promise you something that they are not delivering. You simply did not read the legal disclaimer.

Unfortunately, saying that it is "unacceptable" to be assigned a cabin on the day embarkation is on "you" and not on Oceania.

We chose a gty just to get on a full ship, so been there. We also panic'd at not knowing cabin assignment. However...as others (thanks J&S) have said, Not a problem on Oceania ships. The O porters will meet you at the entrance to the ships berth/terminal, and they DO have a current listing of all cabin assignments, and you WILL be on it. Do not worry about not having O luggage tags. Make sure you have your normal name tags (flight or Id tags) on your larger luggage, or anything you wish the porters to take. They WILL place the appropriate luggage tag with your assigned cabin on your luggage, and deliver to your assigned cabin. Yup, they have it down to a science...these are much smaller, manageable ships, and have a lot of experience at this.

 

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Not sure why your TA didn't advise you of this, mine did, I am just very hyper, and worry about everything....you will be fine, and will be on the ship relaxing in 15 days, enjoy.

Thank you very much for this clear and concise explanation of what to expect when dealing with a GTY cabin.

We often book guarantees and look forward to the assignment and realize it can come at any time. I dont get the reference to Carnival. I am sure all cruise lines get cancellations on the day of sailing so they obviously have to manage inventory up to the day of sailing.

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My single experience with GTY on Oceania was last summer on Marina. About 5 days before embarking we rec'd assignment - an upgrade. We were pleased. They wrote our new room number on our tags when we checked in. I hope you have an equally good experience. Just remember - you'll be cruising and we'll be at work!!

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Jan and John's experience mirrors mine too. Have sailed Oceania several times. Once with an inside guarantee, right up until boarding didn't know where we'd be. What a sweet surprise to see we'd been elevated to a veranda from the inside guarantee. The credit is due to our agent but it was a hell of a nice gift. I like to think that Oceania waits until the last moment to award the very best possible stateroom it can gift it's cruisers.

Have an awesome cruise!

 

Just one of the many Benefits of NOT sailing on the Megolomania of the Seas

Yup, they have it down to a science...these are much smaller, manageable ships, and have a lot of experience at this.

Funny that we have booked GTY's on a couple of the largest ships sailing (at the time) and have had the same exact experience. Have your luggage unloaded. Tell porter you have an unassigned GTY. Give your name. They pull out a clipboard and look-up your name and stateroom assignment. They fill out tags and attach to your luggage. Simple!

I no longer want to risk GTY because I can get seasick if I'm too close to the front. That being said, in the past when I've done GTY, I've done just as the above poster stated. The porter checked his list and wrote the assigned location on the luggage tags. Had no problems with delivery. To me it was no different than leaving our bags with a bellman when our rooms were not ready in a hotel. :D

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We sail in less than a week. We booked a guarantee and have not been assigned a cabin. I understood this might happen when I booked the guarantee. I take this as a good thing. Maybe we will get a nice upsell offer!

We had an inside guarantee last month on Riviera. We were assigned our room 6 days before sailing, which was a free upgrade to Oceanview. 2 days before sailing we were offered an upsell to a B1 for a very reasonable amount, which we jumped on.

My advice to the OP would be to relax, it will all be fine. In the future just realize you don't have the temperament for guarantees and book accordingly. Not everyone can fly by the seat of their pants. I'm a real i's dotted and t's crossed type of person, but I'm okay with the guarantee situation because I'm pretty much always okay with almost any room on the ship. My biggest dislikes are the noisy rooms. Location I really don't care about.

Enjoy your cruise, it will be better without going in with a negative attitude.

Our last cruise on Riviera we booked inside guarantee and were upgraded to a veranda and received our room assignment several days before sailing.