balcony guarantee is now a 'bait n switch' ..

This is all utter nonsense.

A guaranty is this: We are buying the WORST cabin in our category. That's it. No more, no less. If you won't be satisfied with that 'worst' cabin, you should not book guarantee.

We've done 25+ cruises. Seven different mass market cruise lines. At least 20 of them were guaranty bookings - insides and oceanviews. (we booked a balcony guarantee once.) We have no status on any cruise lines.

Most of the time we end up with something very slightly better located, but same category. In the old days, we were occasionally nicely upgraded - an inside guaranty for an obstructed OV or balcony, but those days are over. It doesn't matter. We will still buy the cheapest acceptable cabin for us - and if we can save money by going GTY, good for us.

I'm mystified as to how the hell 'bait and switch' even applies to this.

Then they should get rid of the statement on the website or change it to something closer to the truth.. (and maybe even let the TAs know...) that's all I'm saying .. but of course they won't because it would impact sales..

stating they will assign at time of boarding then doing it whenever they feel like (but definitely AFTER final payment of course...) is .. hmm what's the word ?? oh ya .. deceptive

more nonsense. We've had Assignments within days of booking - MONTHS before final payment (got one now for an April 2019 cruise that was booked AND assigned in February 2018.)

we've also had assignments made a week before departure. We've had assignments changed at the port.

AND what the hell difference does it make WHEN they assign us? We paid for the cheapest cabin in a category. We will get THAT cheap-ass cabin, or MAYBE get something very slightly better located. If I'm paying for ground Chuck I'm not expecting prime rib.

I know we aren't going to help the OP see the light but.....

Your TA should have been in contact with Celebrity. I'm surprised that they even engaged with you. That, concretely, is how the system should work.

Two, linking reservations has absolutely nothing to do with adjacent or connecting cabins. There is only one way to handle this and that is to book into your category of choice and choose three cabins together. That is the only way, period. It is reasonable to assume that by the time guarantees are assigned, particularly on a popular sailing, adjacent or connecting cabins are fairly hard to find. Two might be a challenge but three almost impossible.

In all of our cruises we have only booked guarantees twice. Our expectations of the worst cabin in our guarantee category were met in one of the two cruises.

At any time prior to final payment you might have passed up fare drops. They do occur so monitoring the cruise line site might have brought you squarely into specific cabins. Your TA should have been watching out for you too.

Take responsibility for your cruise planning and perhaps find another TA.

Raise your hands, if this is how y'all believe it used to work and has always worked with every cruise company since cruising began!:

The earlier you buy, Guarantees are a little more expensive (basically paying a few hundred more dollars) in order to get in the queue early. In return, client is provided the opportunity to be upgraded to any cabins that weren't sold .. usually when we show up at the pier or very shortly before.

 

It could be 0 categories, could be 10 categories.. roll the dice.., but the guarantee is provided by Celebrity, as per their web site "... your stateroom's location will be assigned to you at boarding." This is a pretty explicit statement and, having done many balcony guarantees on many cruises including Celebrity, my expectation of the process !

 

Fast forward to today .. (according to my TA.com), in the last 7 weeks Celebrity has changed the way they assign cabins for guarantees. For all intents and purposes, a classic bait and switch, wherein balcony guarantees are now assigned the lowest in the category and in order to get upgraded we (might be) given the opportunity to bid for an upgrade through their moveup program. The implicit guarantee of the queue system has been removed.

 

Sure enough, our 3 linked bookings have all been assigned 12D obstructed cabins (7 weeks before boarding). In addition, in what I can only describe as a masterpiece of cynical data mining, the 3 cabins assigned each have a cabin between them. I assume that Celebrity believes that this will increase the odds that we will be willing to bid more ?

 

Phone calls to Celebrity resulted in customer service I would expect from a 3rd rate used car lot, rather than the 1st rate service I have previously received. (the finale of call 1: the rep pretended to transfer me to a manager but, oops, disconnected me instead.; finale of call 2: "our hands are tied, our computer system assigns them !" and "all balconies on that cruise are 'sold out' "! ).

 

Before the first rep hung up on me, she told me four times to contact the travel agent.. I explained to her that the TA.com told us that Celebrity is 100% responsible for cabin assignments and when the cabins are assigned. They have zero control over cabin assignments .. (which I think is corroborated by "our computer system assigns them").

 

-- Bait, Switch, Deflect, Repeat --

 

Not sure if anyone at Celebrity reviews this site, but the question is very simple. How did we get preassigned cabins at the very lowest level (and not even interconnected !) this far ahead of the cruise, unless my description above of the bait n switch is exactly correct ?

"... your stateroom's location will be assigned to you at boarding." is, at best, a deceptive sales strategy.

 

Last pearl of wisdom from rep2 !? -> don't book BGs until as late as possible.. in a reversal of logic, the early BGs are 'guaranteed' the worst cabins until they fill up (assigned right after final payment is paid); then the later BGs leap frog over to the better cabins. Once assigned, it appears that the computer program takes over and can't be overridden for love or money (well maybe money ;);):D! lol).

Sorry, but that has never been my understanding of a guarantee category. It has always been my expectation and experience that you are guaranteed a minimum category, but the cruise line selects the cabin. If you book an X category (general balcony) guarantee, you are guaranteed a balcony, that's it. The cabin could be assigned 5 minutes after you deposit the reservation, a day later, a week later, or the day you arrive at the pier to board. Could be obstructed view aft, standard balcony forward, or larger balcony mid ship....the cruise line selects it based on availability. The other type of guarantee is a specific category. So if you book a category 1C balcony guarantee, you are guaranteed to get category a 1C cabin or better. The issue with guarantee bookings is that you don't have any control over your specific cabin so you have to be prepared to receive the worst cabin within the parameters of your guarantee. The trade off is these bookings are cheaper than if you book a specific category and select your specific cabin. So no bait and switch, your understanding of how the guarantee works was flawed. I don't know what ship you're on, but my experience on the S-class vesels is that the obstructed balcony cabins still have a pretty clear ocean view. You just can't look straight down as the life boats are right there blocking your view down, but for obstructed view cabins, they are probably the best views of obstructed views in the industry.

I've always known that a category guarantee means for $xx, I would be guaranteed at least the lowest cabin in that category. I may get lucky and get a better cabin, but more likely not. This is why I never book guarantee. I book early, and I book the cabin that I want, that way I will not be disappointed. I also know that if I book through a TA, Celebrity will only deal with the TA.

Do you have the same number of passengers in each of the three cabins? Look at the deck plan, the cabins with the triangles and squares accommodate 3 or 4 passengers. The other cabins accommodate 2 passengers. Celebrity most likely assigned you to the 2 passenger cabins if you only have two passengers, reserving the other cabins for those who need the extra beds. Makes sense. Bookings are linked for the purpose of dining assignments, not cabin assignments. If you need to have three adjacent cabins you shouldn't have booked guarantees. If one of the alternating cabins is still available, your TA may be able to swap a cabin so you'll have three adjacent cabins. But really, if you were wanting to wait until boarding for your cabin assignment, your three cabins could have been on three different decks.

more nonsense. We've had Assignments within days of booking - MONTHS before final payment (got one now for an April 2019 cruise that was booked AND assigned in February 2018.)

 

we've also had assignments made a week before departure. We've had assignments changed at the port.

 

AND what the hell difference does it make WHEN they assign us? We paid for the cheapest cabin in a category. We will get THAT cheap-ass cabin, or MAYBE get something very slightly better located. If I'm paying for ground Chuck I'm not expecting prime rib.

So you buy a ticket at a meat draw.. 749 for a chance at anything from chuck on up to prime rib.. or you can pay 729 for chuck, 745 for rump roast, 765 for sirloin etc... Once they get all the tickets in the barrel, they will draw.. from your experience on draws like this, sometimes you get sirloin, sometimes rump roast, most of the time definitely better than chuck.. never prime rib yet but hey what the heck .. lets roll the dice.. they take your money and immediately give you chuck roast .. 'we changed the rules, we decided to give you chuck instead of putting your ticket in the barrel..'

you're perfectly ok with that though right ? ;)

We have booked several guarantees and have always gotten a slight upgrade; we've never had a bad cabin.

But, I would never book a guarantee unless there is a substantially lower price than choosing your own cabin. I have noticed a trend lately, not just on Celebrity, where guarantee cabins really aren't that much, if any, cheaper than other cabins in the same category.

I assume this is at least partly because moree people are booking guarantees hoping for a nice or even great upgrade so they are willing to pay more. The only reason we would consider a guarantee is if it is really a bargain. $50 or a $100 less just doesn't cut it. With a guarantee accept that you may not get that upgrade, but you are sailing at a great price--or don't book it.

And believing that linked bookings will all be assigned adjacent cabins on a guarantee booking is just not likely to happen.

All we wanted was to be in some sort of balcony cabin so we could celebrate a birthday at sea. I had noticed that there were more than 100 cabins in categories 1C on up and final payment had just occurred. The ship was going to places we had been countless times, so staring at a life boat was quite acceptable, but, honestly, my beady little eyes were set on a better outcome.

The Celebrity agent told me that we'd have our assignment within three days. I was surprised at that, but, indeed, two days later we were assigned a 2A a bit more forward than I liked. A call to X got us a stateroom mid ships and with a dining package, I feel golden. Celebrity has always done right by us with the few guarantees we've tried. This all happened around late June or early July.

BTW a few years ago my wife won a seven day cruise in a balcony cabin at a Bingo game on board. I knew for sure we'd be in the absolute worst cabin on the ship. But again we wound up in a very excellent cabin on a new ship.

I am not an apologist for X, but I have nothing but compliments for the way they've assigned cabins to us. I doubt we are special but, of course, eventually, someone will get the worst cabin on a sold out ship. He's probably writing his first posting on CC at this very moment.

One other thing....you need to find a new travel agent. First off, he/she should have explained to you what a guarantee is and properly set your expectations by explaining you should be prepared to be happy with the worst balcony cabin. Additionally, he/she should have called the cruise line for you. Yes, the cruise line does assign the cabins, but it is his/her job to do all correspondence with cruise line regarding the cruise. I've heard of times that travel agents have gotten the cruise line to put the reservation back into the guarantee pool one more time and be reassigned again. (probably didn't change much, but at least it was an attempt).

I know we aren't going to help the OP see the light but.....

Your TA should have been in contact with Celebrity. I'm surprised that they even engaged with you. That, concretely, is how the system should work.

Two, linking reservations has absolutely nothing to do with adjacent or connecting cabins. There is only one way to handle this and that is to book into your category of choice and choose three cabins together. That is the only way, period. It is reasonable to assume that by the time guarantees are assigned, particularly on a popular sailing, adjacent or connecting cabins are fairly hard to find. Two might be a challenge but three almost impossible.

In all of our cruises we have only booked guarantees twice. Our expectations of the worst cabin in our guarantee category were met in one of the two cruises.

At any time prior to final payment you might have passed up fare drops. They do occur so monitoring the cruise line site might have brought you squarely into specific cabins. Your TA should have been watching out for you too.

Take responsibility for your cruise planning and perhaps find another TA.

I agree .. i will be in touch with ta.com tmw.. we started with her, but she was the first to direct us to celebrity.. our bad for not knowing the ins and outs of how it works..

I mentioned the linked reservations ONLY because I thought it very odd that the spacing was exactly 1 cabin apart.. Looks and smells like a computer algorithm designed to make money out of people.. :D

I agree .. i will be in touch with ta.com tmw.. we started with her, but she was the first to direct us to celebrity.. our bad for not knowing the ins and outs of how it works..

I mentioned the linked reservations ONLY because I thought it very odd that the spacing was exactly 1 cabin apart.. Looks and smells like a computer algorithm designed to make money out of people.. :D

No, alternating cabins have extra beds (berths/trundles) to accommodate 3 or 4 passengers. If each of your cabins has 2 passengers, they will assign you to two passenger cabins, saving the 3 and 4 passenger cabins for those who need the extra beds. Look at the deck plan, the cabins with the extra beds are marked with squares or triangles.

Celebrity did recently start a new bidding program on leftover cabins. About 30 days before sailing, they contact random passengers and offer them the opportunity to bid on higher categories.

So you buy a ticket at a meat draw.. 749 for a chance at anything from chuck on up to prime rib.. or you can pay 729 for chuck, 745 for rump roast, 765 for sirloin etc... Once they get all the tickets in the barrel, they will draw.. from your experience on draws like this, sometimes you get sirloin, sometimes rump roast, most of the time definitely better than chuck.. never prime rib yet but hey what the heck .. lets roll the dice.. they take your money and immediately give you chuck roast .. 'we changed the rules, we decided to give you chuck instead of putting your ticket in the barrel..'

you're perfectly ok with that though right ? ;)

you just don't get it. They never sold or promised me anything except chuck. I paid for chuck. And I better be happy with Chuck because that's most likely what I'm going to get.

Occasionally, they might have some rump roast leftovers that I can have, and rarely, sirloin. I'm damn happy to get that rump roast or sirloin at my cheapy-chuck price. But I'm happy with the chuck because that's what I paid for.

Nobody "changed the rules". You misinterpreted them.

I mentioned the linked reservations ONLY because I thought it very odd that the spacing was exactly 1 cabin apart.. Looks and smells like a computer algorithm designed to make money out of people.. :D

And what the neck is wrong with that? The single solitary goal of a business is to make money.

I think you are the only person who has these notions about what a guarantee does or does not imply. It's certainly not been my experience across multiple lines. Specifically, Celebrity very often assigns rooms shortly after booking.

Would be funny if the other 2 cabins were assigned Aquaclass and ate in Blu while you were stuck in the 12D and the main dining room. That's the gamble with Guarantees. I would never roll those dice on 3 cabins: setup for disappointment.

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BC-Cruiser is obviously and experienced "cruiser" with a new handle.

I always like it when people want something for nothing. If you want a nice balcony view, contract for it and pay the price. If not, don't complain when the cruise line provides what is available consistent with the contract. Its your choice. Celebrity is a for-profit business, not a charity.

BC Cruiser-

You are allowed to be reassigned to another cabin in the same category as your GTY has yielded. So why don't you check and see if one of the cabins between the 3 assigned you is vacant and move there?

The two times we've booked GTYs, we've researched what cabins are open in the category assigned us, contacted our big box agency to facilitate the switch with Celebrity and succeeded in getting the cabin we want. Even within the "worst" category there are some cabins that have somewhat less obstructed views or are in a better location, e.g. closer to the elevators.

Sorry that I can't relate to your complaint....

OP, a question. If you would have been assigned the best balcony cabin on the ship upon making your reservation, would there have been an issue?

On Celebrity and on the other cruise lines on which I cruise purchasing a guarantee booking means exactly the same thing. It means that you are willing to accept any cabin that the cruise line assigns you in that class or higher. All you are guaranteed is a cabin in the class you booked. You might get lucky and get a higher class or you might get unlucky and get a cabin with a horrible location. Bottom line book a guarantee and you must be willing to take what you are given.

Usually those cabins are given out after in the few weeks just before sailing, from those cabins left unselected.

I booked GTY balcony and received 2B - ended up getting an additional $1000 drop in price before final payment was due. After final payment went to a concierge cabin for no additional cost

I've booked a GTY twice and got great cabins both times. Both times were booked about 4 months prior to sailing and both times I was assigned a cabin within a day or two of booking. The last time I did this was April of this year. We got a 1B on deck 9 right at the front. When I checked there was a cabin avalable in that category closer to the front elevator. I called my TA and she moved us to that one. The GTY is a roll of the dice but for me it's worked out great both times I did it. The first time I got a concierge cabin midship. I can see how booking early you would get the lowest cabin available. Booking late, if those are all filled up you will get a better cabin. A friend of mine booked really late on an inside GTY and ended up in a family veranda on the rear corner with a HUGE balcony.

Now I'm wondering if having 3 cabins linked together worked against the OP? Does Celebrity try to group them together because they want to be linked? So even if there was one suite that would otherwise be assigned to one of them, Celebrity won't because it would split up the linked group?

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OK, I have to ask. What is a meat draw? And if it is what it sounds like, why, and wheredo they do this?

But back to the topic. Can’t raise my hand because I don’t believe that’s how it used to work.

I never fail to be amazed...……..

On Celebrity and on the other cruise lines on which I cruise purchasing a guarantee booking means exactly the same thing. It means that you are willing to accept any cabin that the cruise line assigns you in that class or higher. All you are guaranteed is a cabin in the class you booked. You might get lucky and get a higher class or you might get unlucky and get a cabin with a horrible location. Bottom line book a guarantee and you must be willing to take what you are given.

 

Usually those cabins are given out after in the few weeks just before sailing, from those cabins left unselected.

That's not getting unlucky. That's getting exactly what you paid for when you book a guarantee. If you get ANYTHING better, it's essentially a freebie that you should be grateful to have. (and before you blast me, please remember, we book gty cabins at least 90% of the time!)