NEVER BOOK a Guarantee on NCL because

[mom2tcdx2]

It is amazing that people don't realize when booking the category, all higher categories apply and that they don't pay any attention to what deck those higher categories are on. I have read several posts on here lately that assumed they wouldn't be downgraded in decks, but didn't realize the category cabin is considered higher but on a lower level.

 

Guaranty means you get a cabin - where, is the ships decision to make. You don't chose middle, rear, front, high deck, low deck. You only show it to be an oceanview period. So any grade category higher in an oceanview or balcony is considered an upgrade.

 

People should really do their research first before complaining after the fact.

 

I booked 3 OX guarantees on the Breakaway, knowing full well we could get an OX or something else. One cabin was given an OX cabin, then later on the cruiseline upgraded all 3 cabins to a BA at no cost. We are extremely thrilled with our guarantee assignment.

[GORDONCHICK]

I WANTED AN OBSTRUCTED VIEW CABIN and I paid for it. Instead I got put into a cabin on deck 4 near the Medical Center. NCL thinks they are giving me an upgrade by giving me a cabin with a small porthole on the bottom deck.

 

I wanted an obstructed view on deck 8 and I thought it didn't matter what cabin would be chosen for me on the obstructed view deck.

 

Now.... I am stuck on deck 4 on the NCL Jewel, May 8, 2013. Rates went down for windows on deck 4 and I am losing money. They don't plan to refund me any money or GIVE ME ship board credit for being put on a lower rate cabin.

 

At this late date there is nothing I can do but hope that once I get on the ship

the Hotel manager will take pity on me and move me to an upper deck.

If not....it will be the last time I cruise on a NCL SHIP.

 

I also plan to change travel agents too because he didn't fight for me.

 

What about "guarantee" did you not understand? Evidently most of it. And btw, this would/could happen on ANY line, so will you stop cruising completely? Let one of your many lessons from this be that a higher category doesn't mean higher deck...

[hartsnvt]

What about "guarantee" did you not understand? Evidently most of it. And btw, this would/could happen on ANY line, so will you stop cruising completely? Let one of your many lessons from this be that a higher category doesn't mean higher deck...

 

You totally read my mind! It seems OP thought if she got an upgrade that it would be on deck 8 or higher. Hopefully she takes the time to call and pay a small fee to get a location that won't ruin her cruise as she will probably whine and complain the entire time because she is on deck 4. Like you said, all cruiselines have their categories spelled out and would figure a better cabin on a lower deck is better than an ob OV on a higher deck. So maybe she needs to just take land vacations. (of course she better read up on the differences between oceanview and ocean front!)

[jdvmd]

I find it interesting that the OP is a seasoned cruiser if you look at her previous posts. I have included one below. I pity the hotel manager who is obviously going to be contacted.

 

She received an upgrade to a non-obstructed OV.

 

I don't understand why people book guarantees and then cannot handle the results when they get their cabin assignments. Seems pretty clear to me. We have booked several guarantees on NCL and have always been pleased. I know what the minimum is that I can receive.

 

April 4th, 2013, 10:36 PM

LucyR.

Cool Cruiser

Join Date: Apr 2009

Location: Los Angeles

Posts: 1,196

 

 

What?

Several hotel managers on our ship? YEAH! I plan to meet them all. They are the most important workers on the ship because they are out to please their

customers. We are going to be treated great as a group. LucyR.

[sdmike]

Hi, Lucy

I'm going to offer a different angle, that I hope will be respected (and, perhaps, helpful).

 

I'm assuming that you were anticipating being assigned (at least) to one of those two OX cabins shown on Deck 8. It is my own opinion that you'd have been potentially displeased with the overall sailing had that actually happened.

Yes, you are correct that those two cabins have a less obstructed view than numerous others on that deck, but they are a different category from the directly-neighboring cabin for a valid reason. Several reviews on CC have indicated that occasional loud machinery noise from the wall of those two cabins is not fun at all. One even mentioned that the vibration caused things on the wall to be displaced. For me, that would not be a fun daily experience.

 

I fully understand the current disappointment of having a cabin location that's not what you'd expected (which, as others have posted, is always a possibility with a guaranteed booking).

 

Go . . . have a good time . . . eat all the things you know you shouldn't . . . and do things that you might feel you shouldn't . . . and enjoy the vacation to the fullest. :D

 

Sorry to read of the current disappointment, but a big BON VOYAGE anyway!! :)

 

.

 

You and your darned silver lining, Don. lol :D

[sdmike]

I find it interesting that the OP is a seasoned cruiser if you look at her previous posts. I have included one below. I pity the hotel manager who is obviously going to be contacted.

 

She received an upgrade to a non-obstructed OV.

 

I don't understand why people book guarantees and then cannot handle the results when they get their cabin assignments. Seems pretty clear to me. We have booked several guarantees on NCL and have always been pleased. I know what the minimum is that I can receive.

 

April 4th, 2013, 10:36 PM

LucyR.

Cool Cruiser

Join Date: Apr 2009

Location: Los Angeles

Posts: 1,196

 

 

What?

Several hotel managers on our ship? YEAH! I plan to meet them all. They are the most important workers on the ship because they are out to please their

customers. We are going to be treated great as a group. LucyR.

 

Ugh.

 

Guess since she screwed up the hotel directors need to suffer. I'm not sure I could do that job. I'd probably get fired the first week dealing with inconsiderate, self important people who are "never at fault" on their own

[repo-cruiser]

Ugh.

 

Guess since she screwed up the hotel directors need to suffer. I'm not sure I could do that job. I'd probably get fired the first week dealing with inconsiderate, self important people who are "never at fault" on their own

Right or a company is never wrong and won't admit it. Lets all remember these golden words"the customer is always right".;)

[hartsnvt]

Right or a company is never wrong and won't admit it. Lets all remember these golden words"the customer is always right".;)

 

 

I am sorry but the OP is definitely not right. " I WANTED AN OBSTRUCTED VIEW CABIN and I paid for it. ". She wanted an obstructed view but paid for a GTY. If anyone is wrong it is her travel agent who did not explain what booking a guarantee entails. As others have said, she has been on these boards for quite a while and if she never researched a guaranty rate, then she was not wise. Many people just look at the price and think, oh whoopie I can pay a lot less and get a better cabin without really thinking " gee I wonder what GTY means, well it's cheaper so it must be great and I am getting a deal!"

That golden rule is pretty old and in this day and age of people wanting to get something for nothing , the customer is not always right. Yes, sometimes businesses do make mistakes and should rectify bad situations so they can retain a good customer base, but this situation is not NCL's fault at all and they owe her nothing. It really irks me that the constant complainers will sometimes get something even though they do not deserve it and the company is caving just to shut them up. It creates perpetuation of a jerk's behavior because he knows he can "win".

[2inTul]

Right or a company is never wrong and won't admit it. Lets all remember these golden words"the customer is always right".;)

 

No. The customer is most certainly NOT "always right." :eek:

[LucyR.]

Hi Everybody! I am in a better mood today and realize that I can't always get

what I ASSUMED I would get when I booked the GTY cabin. I truly believed I

would be on deck 8 with an obstructed view. So I guess I must be living in a

fantasy world to think that I could get a cabin on deck 8. I was totally wrong

and my travel agent didn't explain to me all of the rules.

 

All of you are right that I should have booked a cabin instead of a GTY.

I realize now that NCL has all the power of where my cabin will be located.

I am cruising solo and I don't plan to pay extra money for a balcony which are

the only cabins available at this late date.

 

Hello Don/DGP111, Thank you for painting a silver lining for me who lives in a

fantasy world thinking NCL would give me for what I paid for. NCL is still playing a game of advertising the obstructed views at a cheap rate and then they upgrade the people who pay for it to Deck 4. That is what happened

to me.

 

Don, you are so right about the loud noises near the life boats. There are going to be srong winds hitting the side of the ship and those boats do make a

lot of noise on deck 8.

I have decided to be happy with the cabin I was assigned. I will do a cruise review of the NCL JEWEL, MAY 8, 2013, cruising to the Pacific-Northwest. LucyR.

[Cubechick]

Hi Everybody! I am in a better mood today and realize that I can't always get

what I ASSUMED I would get when I booked the GTY cabin. I truly believed I

would be on deck 8 with an obstructed view. So I guess I must be living in a

fantasy world to think that I could get a cabin on deck 8. I was totally wrong

and my travel agent didn't explain to me all of the rules.

 

All of you are right that I should have booked a cabin instead of a GTY.

I realize now that NCL has all the power of where my cabin will be located.

I am cruising solo and I don't plan to pay extra money for a balcony which are

the only cabins available at this late date.

 

Hello Don/DGP111, Thank you for painting a silver lining for me who lives in a

fantasy world thinking NCL would give me for what I paid for. NCL is still playing a game of advertising the obstructed views at a cheap rate and then they upgrade the people who pay for it to Deck 4. That is what happened

to me.

 

Don, you are so right about the loud noises near the life boats. There are going to be srong winds hitting the side of the ship and those boats do make a

lot of noise on deck 8.

I have decided to be happy with the cabin I was assigned. I will do a cruise review of the NCL JEWEL, MAY 8, 2013, cruising to the Pacific-Northwest. LucyR.

 

Glad you made lemonade out of lemons! Have a great time on your cruise!

[Cruise_More_Often]

. . . NCL is still playing a game of advertising the obstructed views at a cheap rate and then they upgrade the people who pay for it to Deck 4. That is what happened

to me.

Nope! You still don't get it. NCL is still offering a guarantee to an obstructed oceanview cabin or higher. It's as simple as that.

[johnql]

Hello Don/DGP111, Thank you for painting a silver lining for me who lives in a fantasy world thinking NCL would give me for what I paid for. NCL is still playing a game of advertising the obstructed views at a cheap rate and then they upgrade the people who pay for it to Deck 4. That is what happenedto me.

You ARE getting what you paid for - a Guarantee. You didn't pay for a specific obstructed view cabin. That's how Guarantees work - you give up the ability to control the cabin that NCL (or any other cruise line) assigns you to. It's your responsibility to check the deck plans and make sure that you will be happy with ANY cabin you might receive is satisfactory to you. That includes the Deck 4 Oceanviews that NCL classifies as an upgrade. If you don't consider it an upgrade, then you shouldn't have booked a Guarantee.

[skittl1321]

NCL is still playing a game of advertising the obstructed views at a cheap rate and then they upgrade the people who pay for it to Deck 4.

 

You seem to be under the impression that NCL is offering a Deck 8 guarantee. That is not what they are advertising in anyway. I am new to NCL and I don't find the idea to be confusing at all. They are offering a guarantee of that -cabin- category or higher. Higher cabin categories happen to be on lower decks.

[WaldosPepper]

It is my sincere belief that the OP's Travel Agent is 100% to blame in this entire scenario. It's abundantly clear that the TA did not explain the concept of GTY bookings to the OP, and therein lies the problem.

 

To the OP, I'm sorry that there are presently no categories below balcony for you to upgrade yourself to, but if I were in this situation I would be checking availability on the NCL website several times a day. Many times cabins open up because people have to cancel, or because the upsell fairy has been at work moving lower category guests into suites and mini-suites.

 

It could be very worth your while to scour availability frequently, and if something suitable opens up contact your TA immediately, as it is not likely to stay open for very long.

 

Wishing you a wonderful cruise. :)

[Moondawgie]

What is wrong with Deck 4? I have been and will be again on lower decks and prefer them for motion, etc. I never know where the heck I am in relation to other decks when I am inside. I'd actually like a porthole on Deck 4. I'd be more curious about where it is on Deck 4 ... forward, aft, what?

 

I've had guarantees and sometimes they were less than the best location, but it didn't affect my trip one iota.

 

Enjoy your trip, Lucy. Perhaps you will get upgraded again.

[Starry Eyes]

Right or a company is never wrong and won't admit it. Lets all remember these golden words"the customer is always right".;)

 

No, actually sometimes the customer is just plain wrong. Or overly demanding. Or the travel agent was wrong and then misinformed their client.

 

If cruiselines gave upgrades for every single manufactured booking issue, the complainers would all have suites for the price of an inside gty.

[hartsnvt]

What is wrong with Deck 4? I have been and will be again on lower decks and prefer them for motion, etc. I never know where the heck I am in relation to other decks when I am inside. I'd actually like a porthole on Deck 4. I'd be more curious about where it is on Deck 4 ... forward, aft, what?

 

I've had guarantees and sometimes they were less than the best location, but it didn't affect my trip one iota.

 

Enjoy your trip, Lucy. Perhaps you will get upgraded again.

 

 

Not a chance if NCL reads her posts.

 

She really is confusing higher category with higher deck. One really has to look at the deck plans and categories to see where they actually are.

[Starry Eyes]

...

To the OP, I'm sorry that there are presently no categories below balcony for you to upgrade yourself to, but if I were in this situation I would be checking availability on the NCL website several times a day. Many times cabins open up because people have to cancel, or because the upsell fairy has been at work moving lower category guests into suites and mini-suites.

 

It could be very worth your while to scour availability frequently, and if something suitable opens up contact your TA immediately, as it is not likely to stay open for very long.

 

Wishing you a wonderful cruise. :)

I too have had luck with decent cabins coming available in the final days before sailing. If not, deck 4 really is OK and may give her a smoother ride.

[toberman]

LucyR. What a generous response.. I didn't actually think you would come back and respond to this thread with all the criticism you've received from everyone.

 

Stupid person, should have researched more, you've been on enough cruises and on CC long enough to know better, assuming something is no excuse, not NCL's fault... and on and on and on. I wonder why people post questions or experiences on these boards sometimes, when all they are going to get is negativity.

 

Personally I don't think you're at fault - it's your TA who should have explained the GTY process to you. They're totally responsible for this misunderstanding.

 

I see you're thinking positively and am sure you will have a great cruise. Good on You... Have fun.

[mom2tcdx2]

I have to say I missed where the OP ever stated they used a travel agent and didn't book with NCL directly.

 

Clearly there was a misunderstanding on behalf the OP who did not realize a guaranty doesn't do a deck, just a category of cabin. If they truly wanted an obstructed view on deck 8 and booked that as the lowest category I am sure if still available NCL would downgrade her back to that cabin.

 

NCL will also allow people to be thrown back into the guaranty pool if they are unhappy with the assignment, though the next cabin could be just as bad in the OP's eyes.

[Big Chippy]

Looks like LucyR. Knows more about guarantee cabins than she admits, see below.

Don't think we can blame the TA this time.

That said she should enjoy the cruise one of many she has had.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/archive/index.php/t-1378442.html

 

LucyR.

March 14th, 2011, 06:33 PM

SORRY....But you can't go down to a lower rate once you book a cabin.

You can only go up to a more expensive cabin.

 

They don't allow name changes either which means you can't change to another friend to cruise with you.

 

I got stuck that way myself.

[valleyvillage]

Lucy, congrats on working through this so you can have a wonderful cruise!

My very first cruise was with my Mom and she is claustrophobic so we booked an ocean view guarantee.

I had never booked a cruise before, was not a member of this wonderful place, so I was a babe in the woods, but I figured we were assured of at least an ocean view.

A week before the cruise I still did not have a cabin number so I called the TA. In those days HAL said they preferred for us to use a TA!

They found the cabin assignment and it was an INSIDE!:eek:

HAL tried to tap dance and explained that this was a MUCH better cabin than the Ocean View cabins...hmmm. I kept after them and eventually they admitted they had made a mistake and offered us the next week's cruise in an Ocean View.

BTW the cruise was fantastic, the weather was gorgeous and the on-board naturalist told us that the previous week's cruise (ours!) had RAIN every day.

I hope your cruise has a happy ending, too!

[paiagirl]

Hi Everybody! I am in a better mood today and realize that I can't always get

what I ASSUMED I would get when I booked the GTY cabin. I truly believed I

would be on deck 8 with an obstructed view. So I guess I must be living in a

fantasy world to think that I could get a cabin on deck 8. I was totally wrong

and my travel agent didn't explain to me all of the rules.

 

All of you are right that I should have booked a cabin instead of a GTY.

I realize now that NCL has all the power of where my cabin will be located.

I am cruising solo and I don't plan to pay extra money for a balcony which are

the only cabins available at this late date.

 

Hello Don/DGP111, Thank you for painting a silver lining for me who lives in a

fantasy world thinking NCL would give me for what I paid for. NCL is still playing a game of advertising the obstructed views at a cheap rate and then they upgrade the people who pay for it to Deck 4. That is what happened

to me.

 

Don, you are so right about the loud noises near the life boats. There are going to be srong winds hitting the side of the ship and those boats do make a

lot of noise on deck 8.

I have decided to be happy with the cabin I was assigned. I will do a cruise review of the NCL JEWEL, MAY 8, 2013, cruising to the Pacific-Northwest. LucyR.

 

LucyR, I like your positive attitude. I remember you as a very generous person, giving gloves to the crew to keep their hands warm in Alaska.

 

Want to say that we have cruised when your tall, handsome "assist matre d" was on a couple cruises. He remembers you very well and had told me to tell you "hello" which only now I am able to do.

paiagirl

[LucyR.]

You remember me from the NCL Pearl cruise. I have already bought the crew workers warm scarfs, warm caps, warm gloves. I packed them in cute bags.

I have 20 gifts for the crew workers for guys and girls. A lot of them remember me. They always come up to me to say hello when they see me on any ship that I cruise on. They truly appreciate the small gifts that I give them. It makes me happy too.

 

I especially like to give special gifts to the girl workers who just clean the ship and clean the restrooms. Some of the girls like to get the pretty flower head-bands that I pack for them. They are always super happy when I surprise them with a special gift.

 

I also like to give extra money gifts to my favorite crew workers.

 

Regarding the handsome assist matre d". What ship is he on now? He was planning to change ships the last time I talked with him. I also gave him a gift

of warm gloves, scarf, and warm wool socks that I bought in Astoria for him.

I met him years ago on the NCL STAR. That ship is coming back to the west coast out of L.A. I am guessing.

 

Thank you again for the wonderful news. LucyR.