Last Minute Cruise... Guaranteed Room?

[maybesomeday]

My husband and I went on a cruise for our honeymoon 3 years ago.

 

I just got a great last minute deal on a cruise leaving 10/30, but in order to get the special pricing we would have to book guarantee instead of picking a stateroom.

 

We had our stateroom picked for months for our last cruise, so someone enlighten me on a pack and sail in about 2 weeks with a guarantee room.

 

Do you always get the crappiest room on the ship?

[firefly333]

Iv never gotten a crappy cabin .. I guess its depends on your personal definition.

 

You will get the type of cabin you paid for or better. I love gtys myself.

 

Its called pack n go, that you booked?? yes, those are only gtys.

 

Im confused if you booked or did not book, the way you said you will have to do a gty, as if its a future booking. ..

[maybesomeday]

Iv never gotten a crappy cabin .. I guess its depends on your personal definition.

 

You will get the type of cabin you paid for or better. I love gtys myself.

 

Its called pack n go, that you booked?? yes, those are only gtys.

 

Im confused if you booked or did not book, the way you said you will have to do a gty, as if its a future booking. ..

 

I would book today and sail on 10/30. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, because I don't quite understand how guaranteed cabins work.

 

Googling up a storm, and posted here so I know what I am doing.

[firefly333]

I would book today and sail on 10/30. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, because I don't quite understand how guaranteed cabins work.

 

Googling up a storm, and posted here so I know what I am doing.

 

hmmm, pack n go rates arent available to book on the weekends that I know of, only wednesday thru friday. Maybe its not a pack no go rate then.

 

I booked 8 days before a cruise, only higher categories were available, and the upsell dept starting calling. I booked IS and got a 4B, right forward of the forward elevator. To me I could have gotten the bottom deck, or all the way forward, could be worse. Nothing special. Iv also gotten a 4E with a IS gty.

 

I like that you might get better than you paid for.

[firefly333]

We had our stateroom picked for months for our last cruise, so someone enlighten me on a pack and sail in about 2 weeks with a guarantee room.

 

http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/specials/packandgo.aspx

 

Im assuming you mean pack n go.

 

At the top of the page, says only wednesday thru last friday for the last ones. Maybe what you are looking at is just a regular rate?

 

Need more fun in your life, and need it now? Well pack your bags, grab family and friends, and get on board a "Fun Ship" cruise. In fact, book a cruise between October 13th and October 15th, 2010, and you can sail for as little as $159*.

Remember, these "funtastic" Pack-and-Go rates are non-refundable and end October 15th. Book your cruise today!

[Blind Squirrel]

Our first cruise we booked a balcony gty and ended up with an 8D. Awesome room. We were expecting a 7A.

[maybesomeday]

Ok, I get that I can get the lowest range of the Oceanview category, but I could get the highest without paying the highest grade price.

 

When doing research, I noticed that since you don't get assigned a room until the day of cruise, when do they push the two twin beds together and arrange the room for your specific needs?

[firefly333]

Ok, I get that I can get the lowest range of the Oceanview category, but I could get the highest without paying the highest grade price.

 

When doing research, I noticed that since you don't get assigned a room until the day of cruise, when do they push the two twin beds together and arrange the room for your specific needs?

 

This is absolutely not true... once in a while it happens, but rarely.

 

In the rare event that it hasnt been assigned, the ship will have the manifest with your cabin #. Worse comes to worse (happened to me once on RCL only), the cabin steward isnt expecting you and you have to ask the first time you see them to push the beds together or apart.

 

We had beds pushed together our first Carnival cruise, and never managed to get them apart, but Iv learned much since then about getting stuff done, even if you have to push a bit.

 

You also state, as if its true, you could get as good as a higher OV if you booked a OV guarantee .. you could actually get upgraded out of the type, and be in a balcony, rarely. Only happened to me once...

[pungo3]

My husband and I went on a cruise for our honeymoon 3 years ago.

 

I just got a great last minute deal on a cruise leaving 10/30, but in order to get the special pricing we would have to book guarantee instead of picking a stateroom.

 

We had our stateroom picked for months for our last cruise, so someone enlighten me on a pack and sail in about 2 weeks with a guarantee room.

 

Do you always get the crappiest room on the ship?

I've done a guarantee room 3 times and each time got a GREAT cabin. (yes, you find out the location when you get to the port) However, in reading these boards, some people do get cabins they aren't 100% happy with. If you are easygoing, and just want to cruise, I say go for it. Frankly, the majority of time in your cabin is sleeping, and all of the beds are comfortable. If you are selective about the location of your cabin, this would not be a good option for you.

 

If you choose to cruise, I hope it is fabulous!!!

[Marie51]

My son & DIL had a OV gty on the Victory and got a cabin all the way at the very front of the ship that had twin beds that could not be pushed together(due to the configuration of the room???). The window looked out onto the deck instead of looking out at the ocean. Hopefully you will get a great cabin.

[glrounds]

Iv never gotten a crappy cabin .. I guess its depends on your personal definition.

You will get the type of cabin you paid for or better. I love gtys myself.

 

Its called pack n go, that you booked?? yes, those are only gtys.

 

Im confused if you booked or did not book, the way you said you will have to do a gty, as if its a future booking. ..

 

I agree with firefly.

I usually book last minute (3-5 days before the cruise) and have never received what I would consider a "crappy" cabin. Although, as firefly says, it depends on definition, I guess. I wouldn't know what a crappy cabin would be (I assume its location) as I don't care where I am on the ship.

 

About half the time, I am upgraded anyway, so who can complain ? :D

[Mary Ellen1]

Go ahead & book the guarantee. I think the only real risk is that you could end up with a cabin in a noisy area (under the weight room, under the kitchen or the disco, etc...). Simple solution for that is to pack earplugs!

 

Go for it. You'll probably wind up with a great cabin.

[firefly333]

I've done a guarantee room 3 times and each time got a GREAT cabin. (yes, you find out the location when you get to the port) However, in reading these boards, some people do get cabins they aren't 100% happy with. If you are easygoing, and just want to cruise, I say go for it. Frankly, the majority of time in your cabin is sleeping, and all of the beds are comfortable. If you are selective about the location of your cabin, this would not be a good option for you.

 

If you choose to cruise, I hope it is fabulous!!!

 

I think you will find that a whole lot of people are checking every single day on the carnival site for their cabin assignment .. just because it almost never happens that it isnt assigned before you go.

 

Iv even booked last minute .. within the last 8 days, 4 days, 3 days, and not one of those times did I not see my cabin before I left home. Its never happened that I did not know before I got to the port. I look every day until it appears.

[pungo3]

I think you will find that a whole lot of people are checking every single day on the carnival site for their cabin assignment .. just because it almost never happens that it isnt assigned before you go.

 

Iv even booked last minute .. within the last 8 days, 4 days, 3 days, and not one of those times did I not see my cabin before I left home. Its never happened that I did not know before I got to the port. I look every day until it appears.

Yes, I totally realize that. But, as Carnival will tell you, it's not your cabin until you get to the port. In reality, the first guarantee I booked was an inside cabin guarantee. We got upgraded (at no extra cost) to an obstructed balcony. The upgrade had not shown up on Carnival's website (it was back in the days when people had to pretend to buy things to be delivered to their cabin....known as the ke..y method) and we really were assigned our cabin the day of the cruise. But, you are correct, the other 2 guarantees were indeed the cabin number we had found on Carnival's site a few weeks before the cruise.

[firefly333]

Im not disagreeing that you could get a last minute upgrade or not find out your cabin until the port... its the phrasing, as if MOST people do not know their cabin assignment before their cruise.

[glrounds]

Im not disagreeing that you could get a last minute upgrade or not find out your cabin until the port... its the phrasing, as if MOST people do not know their cabin assignment before their cruise.

 

This is especially true for LAST MINUTE CRUISERS . . . I seldom ever know my cabin until at the port and once had to go through the entire embarkation process right up to the Sail'n'Sign card w/ picture with SOMEONE ELSE'S DOCUMENTS (their typed names scratched out, and my name handwritten in).:D

[rednose83]

My son & DIL had a OV gty on the Victory and got a cabin all the way at the very front of the ship that had twin beds that could not be pushed together(due to the configuration of the room???). The window looked out onto the deck instead of looking out at the ocean. Hopefully you will get a great cabin.

 

Are you sure they didn't have an IS guarantee?

[smallworldtraveller]

We booked guaranteed balcony and let CC assign the room, We are one month out before we sail and we now know our room assignment, just found out. We are on the Lido deck. We shopped around before we booked, we gambled with letting CC assign our room, we could of received a obstructed balcony but we personally think we did great. I would do this again. :)

[firefly333]

We booked guaranteed balcony and let CC assign the room, We are one month out before we sail and we now know our room assignment, just found out. We are on the Lido deck. We shopped around before we booked, we gambled with letting CC assign our room, we could of received a obstructed balcony but we personally think we did great. I would do this again. :)

 

See, this is why I love gtys. You at least get as good as what type category you booked, and could do a lot better. Lido is so convenient. I loved wandering down in the morning for coffee in the buffee. congrats

[Marie51]

Are you sure they didn't have an IS guarantee?

 

I'm sure it was supposed to be an oceanview cabin, not inside.

[mamasue]

 

Do you always get the crappiest room on the ship?

 

No... far from it!! We've done 8 GTY cabins so far..... never had a bad one!!

Sometimes you get a decent upgrade.... sometimes you dont. Don't expect an upgrade.... but you might be lucky.

The best GTY we got was an aft balcony on a transatlantic cruise..... wonderful...we really got lucky that time... we'd booked an OV GTY.

If you haven't booked it already.... go for it, I'm sure you'll be happy with a GTY at a great price!!

[Bunkie103]

We booked two weeks ago for a cruise that left in 36 hours. We knew it was an inside guarantee because our PVP told us that was all that was available. It was on the Empress Deck and was a 4E. On the Fantasy it was a sideways inside because it was at the end of a row. The room itself was fine other than the fact you could only watch the TV by standing at the end of the bed IF the beds were pushed together. Since we weren't cruising to watch TV and the price was FANTASTIC at a port in driving distance we didn't think it was a big deal. I would never book a guarantee unless I could be satisfied with the lowest category...for us it would have been a 4A.

[maybesomeday]

I wanted to post in my original thread that we did book, and we ended up on the Empress Deck!

 

All of the reviews say that we did well with our assignment!

 

I set sail Saturday! :)

[Cricket63]

We have always booked GTY and have been happy with the cabins we have been assigned to.

[biminis]

So for those of you that book a cruise last minute. Where do you usually book these? With Carnival directly or some web site like *****, etc.

 

I am asking because I am thinking if I could get a good deal later in December I may take it, but not sure if there are some not so well known ways to find the best last minute deals. Can you call Carnival and try to make your own deal?

 

Thanks!