No upgrades on guarantees!

[CruzinNoony]

:mad:I just got off the phone with a Princess rep on the Princess preferred line. We have a BX guarantee cabin on the Pacific Princess for Jan of 2014. She said, as of December 8, 2012 (Sat.), that whatever catagory you book, you will be assigned a cabin in that same catagory, NO UPGRADES!! This is starting on cruises this summer. I stated that I booked this before Dec. 8 and she said it didn't matter. She said it is on the Princess website. I haven't looked yet, but has anyone heard about this?:mad:

[DougH]

If that is true why would they continue booking guarantees?

[Shogun]

Hi There

 

Not an issue we book a guarantee, thats what we expect and have always got,

 

only up grade notice we had just moved us two doors down,

 

 

yours Shogun

[fishywood]

Sounds like the rep described the effect of the upcoming cabin recategorization in an overly harsh way. But we all have to get used to booking the category we want and not expecting the near-automatic upgrades Princess has spoiled us with in the past by (for example) taking scores of bookings for a Guarantee BF when there are only four cabins in that category. Semms pretty intuitive--and has been discussed before here--that the whole point of the new cabin categories is to make that scenario end.

[Babr]

So - does that mean the newly offered meta-upgrade choice is only for people who choose a cabin at booking or is that going away too?

 

I always thought of the guarantee as something in a particular category and never considered it an upgrade to land anywhere in that same range. An upgrade to me is going from one category to another.

 

I guess, if you think about it, a guarantee is usually the least expensive option. Those bookings should not jump the line to get a higher category when others have paid more. For example, a guarantee mini getting a vista suite when the AA mini paid more for the mini category.

 

Just some random thoughts until we get more info / clarification about the changes.

[Roce48]

 

I guess, if you think about it, a guarantee is usually the least expensive option. Those bookings should not jump the line to get a higher category when others have paid more. For example, a guarantee mini getting a vista suite when the AA mini paid more for the mini category.

 

Just some random thoughts until we get more info / clarification about the changes.

 

 

I have never booked a "guarantee", and have always wondered why a cruise line would not offer the upgrade to someone who paid more money up front, and then place the "guarantee" booking in the lower rated stateroom. A good business practice would be to give the special preference and upgrade to those who pay more.

[cherylandtk]

The real change is that there are fewer GTY bookings offered. The old online booking system gave you the option of choosing a GTY or a specific room. Now, with the new system, you not see an option to book a GTY unless there are no (or just a few) rooms left in that category. Do note, however,that you can still mark your booking NUM (meta upgrade) or 'will take any upgrade'.

 

If you call in, I suspect you can still place a GTY booking, but as noted by the CSR, you will likely just be placed into an available room of that category. (and probably that will happen right away, JMO) This is, as mentioned above by some, a likely outcome of the recategorization and the fact that there are no longer just four rooms in the lowest category. The change on 12/8 means that fewer people will book GTY, as there is no benefit to doing so.

[caribill]

The real change is that there are fewer GTY bookings offered. The old online booking system gave you the option of choosing a GTY or a specific room. Now, with the new system, you not see an option to book a GTY unless there are no (or just a few) rooms left in that category.

 

And that is a big change. So far I have not seen the GTY option when looking at cruises after the caegory reorg.

[cherylandtk]

Me either; I have seen it in the past couple of days on a current cat. cruise when there are only a few rooms of one type left (i.e. balconies almost sold out) but not when only one grade is sold out but other, higher grades have a lot of availability. Those are just grayed out and no longer an option. I need to find a nearly sold out cruise that is after the re-cat to check for sure, but it seems it may only show up when most of the grades within type are sold or may not even be an option in the future! Lemme search some of the more popular itineraries and get back with my observations.

[Pia1913]

It will be interesting to see what happens to my guarantee for the upcoming May 2014 sold out Pacific Princess.

[Pam in CA]

:mad:I just got off the phone with a Princess rep on the Princess preferred line. We have a BX guarantee cabin on the Pacific Princess for Jan of 2014. She said, as of December 8, 2012 (Sat.), that whatever catagory you book, you will be assigned a cabin in that same catagory, NO UPGRADES!! This is starting on cruises this summer. I stated that I booked this before Dec. 8 and she said it didn't matter. She said it is on the Princess website. I haven't looked yet, but has anyone heard about this?:mad:

There's never been a guarantee of an upgrade if you booked a GTY. The advice here on CC has always been: if you book a GTY, book one in a category you'd be happy with. That premise hasn't changed.

[TracieABD]

It will be interesting to see what happens to my guarantee for the upcoming May 2014 sold out Pacific Princess.

 

I am sitting on an AE GTY in January for a sold out cruise. I know of three other AE GTYs... Wonder how this is going to work out...

[GHDPeter]

I had booked a BF GTY for the Sun Princess NYE cruise, category BD and BC sold out quickly, but I noticed that the lower categories in Balcony, Outside, and inside kept selling out and then becoming available again.

I was eventually allocated a BA and the next day the BF came back as available. Eventually there were only BB and 3 Suites and then a short time later the cruise was sold out.

[CruzinNoony]

There's never been a guarantee of an upgrade if you booked a GTY. The advice here on CC has always been: if you book a GTY, book one in a category you'd be happy with. That premise hasn't changed.

 

Correct. I realize there has never been a guarantee of an upgrade. But, in the past when you booked a guarantee you knew you would get that catagory or higher. Now, it will just be in that catagory. This is what apparently changed on Dec. 8.:cool:

[Babr]

Others have posted that one can still mark your booking to indicate meta upgrade or any upgrade. Are you saying that a gty booking does not have that option?

[OCruisers]

Correct. I realize there has never been a guarantee of an upgrade. But, in the past when you booked a guarantee you knew you would get that catagory or higher. Now, it will just be in that catagory. This is what apparently changed on Dec. 8.:cool:

 

Yes, it would be different. While we don't book a guarantee (like to pick our cabin location), many have done the guarantee thing and have had very nice upgrades.

It will be interesting to see if any are now getting a higher catagory than the catagory they booked .... :confused:

 

LuLu

~~~~~

[Mightymite]

These are the choices it now gives you

 

Upgrade Preference:

 

I would like to take advantage of any upgrade opportunity

 

Only upgrade me between stateroom types (i.e. Balcony to Mini-Suite)

[Cruisin' Chick]

We've been selecting a specific cabin and marked our booking "no upgrade," as we don't want to risk getting a cabin in a location undesirable to us (but could be considered an upgrade by the cruise line). We may ask to be considered for some waitlisted categories, but only if we can turn down an offer.

[Babr]

Help me understand, please. I still don't get it.

 

This seems contrary to what the original poster said - no upgrade for a guarantee, only a cabin in the category selected.

[AmberTeka]

we used to book Guarantees a lot. On HAL..Princess..Carnival..Celebrity..and never got a cabin we did not like. We were always upgraded at least two categories..NEVER went from one group..OV to BALC. or anything like that..but never expected it.

 

THEN two incidents of Sea Sickness...makes me desire an Inside cabin in the middle of the ship...over the fanciest balcony at the front or back of the ship. My favorite is an ocean view. With smoking no longer allowed on balconies...I see no reason to get one. DH used to go out and chew on a cigar for hours..now he feels like a pariah. I like saving the money..and we don't spend a lot of time in our cabin.

I love Princess. I am so looking forward to this cruise.

 

Odd how that works out....

[AmberTeka]

Help me understand, please. I still don't get it.

 

This seems contrary to what the original poster said - no upgrade for a guarantee, only a cabin in the category selected.

 

You are sort of playing CRUISE LOTTO. You book a G on a category that you know has a limited number of cabins in that category...hoping to get a cabin..in a higher category.

 

Like from an obstructed view to a totally open view. From a balcony to one on the Crib. Deck with a big balcony

 

Ok. One time..on the Princess Star..we were upgraded from a balcony...to a mini suite. And we loved..loved..it. Only time we went from one entire category to another..and I think we were a BA.

[rdsqrl]

Booking a G hoping for an upgrade is more likely to end you up behind a view-blocking tender in an F or FF cabin than in an unobstructed oceanview. People who book guarantees in the obstructed view cabin categories are really playing with fire. But, while they're grabbing guarantees, it has kept the better view OOV cabins on the market for smart people like me to book. Now, sadly, all that might be coming to an end, and the competition for those between-the-tender cabins is going to be fierce.

 

 

[Pushka]

You should never assume an upgrade on a guarantee. Otherwise they'd be called something different. You are only guaranteed to get the cabin you booked, anything else is a bonus and not a right.

 

 

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[Pushka]

Dup

[WendyG]

Part of the fun in booking a guarantee for me is waiting to see where you end up! I don't really care where I am on the ship, I have never had a "bad" room.

 

With that said, my next two cruises are in a mini guarantee (AD) and if I end up with an AD, I'll be quite happy. If they move me, I will still be happy.

 

Anywhere on the ship is better than not being on the ship at all! :)