Why?...Guaranteed room unknown until a week before cruise!?

We are leaving on the 28th of this month on the Star. Booked a guarantee stateroom and are still waiting for our assignment. This is my 25th cruise and do not mind booking a guarantee. We just love to cruise and will enjoy any stateroom we get assigned

My DH and I went on a 1 day cruise Seattle to Vancouver my husband was booked in a inside which he had no intension of staying in and we informed to cabin steward he would not have to clean this room. I was booked in a mini suite ( for the cruise credits) I was not assigned a cabin until I arrived at the pier and I was upgraded to the Grand suite. My husband stated he got the best upgrade ever from and inside to the Grand Suite it was great even if it was just one night.

Have just booked this category on Diamond Princess as it was the only option when selecting the category we wanted, so I thought fine no problems, been told it’s the category booked or higher, no cabin will be allocated until at least a week before we sail blah blah blah, all fine with us,but then I get an email from Travel Agent saying this could be anywhere on the ship no guarantees etc etc and may even be bunk beds!!! And should I consider changing my booking, they can help with a higher category………Then goes on to say, it may even be an obstructed view cabin??? Well hello that’s what I booked!

So are there any actual horror story’s from doing this, bunk beds etc?

Have just booked this category on Diamond Princess as it was the only option when selecting the category we wanted, so I thought fine no problems, been told it’s the category booked or higher, no cabin will be allocated until at least a week before we sail blah blah blah, all fine with us,but then I get an email from Travel Agent saying this could be anywhere on the ship no guarantees etc etc and may even be bunk beds!!! And should I consider changing my booking, they can help with a higher category………Then goes on to say, it may even be an obstructed view cabin??? Well hello that’s what I booked!

 

 

So are there any actual horror story’s from doing this, bunk beds etc?

Bunk beds?? Too funny. Sounds like your TA is trying to scare you for no good reason......at least as far as you should be concerned. You should get the category cabin or better that you are paying for.

Does your TA get a better commission with that booking upgrade they are suggesting? Maybe a new TA is in order.

Have just booked this category on Diamond Princess as it was the only option when selecting the category we wanted, so I thought fine no problems, been told it’s the category booked or higher, no cabin will be allocated until at least a week before we sail blah blah blah, all fine with us,but then I get an email from Travel Agent saying this could be anywhere on the ship no guarantees etc etc and may even be bunk beds!!! And should I consider changing my booking, they can help with a higher category………Then goes on to say, it may even be an obstructed view cabin??? Well hello that’s what I booked!

 

So are there any actual horror story’s from doing this, bunk beds etc?

If the TA actually said you could get 'bunk beds' I think it is time to get a new TA.:)As far as I can see, there are no cabins on the Diamond princess that have just two bunk beds. Sending an email with this wording indicates that the TA does not know the product they are selling and may be trying to scare you into booking a more expensive option.

When you have booked a guarantee obstructed oceanview, you will be allocated that or maybe (if you are lucky) an oceanview without obstructions.

Have just booked this category on Diamond Princess as it was the only option when selecting the category we wanted, so I thought fine no problems, been told it’s the category booked or higher, no cabin will be allocated until at least a week before we sail blah blah blah, all fine with us,but then I get an email from Travel Agent saying this could be anywhere on the ship no guarantees etc etc and may even be bunk beds!!! And should I consider changing my booking, they can help with a higher category………Then goes on to say, it may even be an obstructed view cabin??? Well hello that’s what I booked!

 

 

So are there any actual horror story’s from doing this, bunk beds etc?

Princess does guarantee cabins differently to most other cruise lines ie they only offer guarantees when a cabin category is getting close to full.

Furthermore the guarantee bookings are for specific cabin categories not necessarily the lowest and cheapest. For example I booked an IA gurantee on one cruise, even though there were cabins available in lower Inside categories - ID and IF, I think - but they weren't in locations I liked so I took the risk and booked the guarantee. I got a cabin next to the laundrette which turned out to be a great location and relatively quiet.

It would be interesting to know exactly what cabin category your guarantee is for. It should be shown on the documentation your TA provided, and it should show in the Personaliser as well. If it's an Obstructed View Oceanview cabin it should show OV, OW, OY or OZ.

If the TA actually said you could get 'bunk beds' I think it is time to get a new TA.

Well yes, its the online variety and to be fair the prices are always very good, first time they have done this though, did make me think for a moment that maybe they knew something i didn't??? Im happy with the category of obstructed view i have booked, OV are all mid ship on deck 8, if anything i would rather not get an upgrade to a full unobstructed oceanview that may be at either end of the ship, im happy mid ship.

We will see what happens but from reading through this thread there are no real horror stories, just a few saying there might be!

OV is a good location. Chances are you'll get exactly what you booked.

BTW the Princess guarantee prices are no different from what you'd actually pay if you selected that OV cabin, but usually there aren't any cabins available to select when they offer guarantees.

It sounds more like someone at that TA wants to earn extra commission by trying to scare you into booking a more expensive cabin.

Which cruise is it exactly?

OV is a good location. Chances are you'll get exactly what you booked.

 

BTW the Princess guarantee prices are no different from what you'd actually pay if you selected that OV cabin, but usually there aren't any cabins available to select when they offer guarantees.

 

It sounds more like someone at that TA wants to earn extra commission by trying to scare you into booking a more expensive cabin.

Thanks, good to know as the research i did came back that OV were well regarded, also the highest category for obstructed view and reports suggest they have an almost uninterrupted view plus were mid ship, seemed a no brainer to me as they were $500 per person cheaper on a 12 day around NZ cruise than the full Oceanview and only a little smaller but for the 2 of us thats no big issue either.

Well yes, its the online variety and to be fair the prices are always very good, first time they have done this though, did make me think for a moment that maybe they knew something i didn't??? Im happy with the category of obstructed view i have booked, OV are all mid ship on deck 8, if anything i would rather not get an upgrade to a full unobstructed oceanview that may be at either end of the ship, im happy mid ship.

 

We will see what happens but from reading through this thread there are no real horror stories, just a few saying there might be!

On the other hand, maybe the TA wasn't deliberately trying to get you to book a higher category. Maybe they sent you a 'form' letter without considering whether the wording was totally appropriate for your booking. We have found that often, when considering if something is a stuff up or a conspiracy, it is usually a stuff up.:)

Bunk beds? I have occasionally seen a cabin listed as an upper/lower. There might be just one or two on a ship, squeezed in the very front next to the 'secret hallway' that gives access to the bow walkways. Can't remember the ship, but we saw the door open while the steward was cleaning, and the upper bunk was folded up against the wall.

A crew member said that they're sometimes assigned to staff. We've learned that entertainers are often in inside-inside cabins near the stage, casino and spa (sub-contractors) near their workplaces, etc. rather than in the bowels of the ship with the stewards and food service teams.

I'll argue a guarantee room assignment can never be 'bad' if you make sure you will be satisfied with the least desirable room in the Cat. booked (and you don't book a 'run of ship').

You should also consider every category above what you've picked. For example, if you prefer being forward on the ship, and you pick a mid-forward balcony, that category probably also covers mid-aft balconies, and your upgrade could move you to a midship balcony or an aft mini-suite. Sure, a mini-suite is a nice upgrade, but if you end up aft and directly above Club Fusion, you may not be happy.

You should also consider every category above what you've picked. For example, if you prefer being forward on the ship, and you pick a mid-forward balcony, that category probably also covers mid-aft balconies, and your upgrade could move you to a midship balcony or an aft mini-suite. Sure, a mini-suite is a nice upgrade, but if you end up aft and directly above Club Fusion, you may not be happy.

I will take ANY mini above Club Fusion!!! Thank you very much!! :hearteyes:

I booked a guarantee on Thursday for an August cruise on the Caribbean Princess, and we found out our cabin assignment on Friday. We received a slight upgrade within the same type of cabin, from a Cat. IE to a Cat. IC. The only available specific cabins at the lowest price were at the very front of the ship A204, B203 and B204, and C105 and C109. I realize we could have ended up in one of them--and we've been in the most forward cabin on a deck before and had a great cruise. So for us, it's still worth the gamble.