Booking Carnival guarantee staterooms

[Snapette]

I am wondering if anyone can provide any advice on booking guarantee staterooms on carnival. I am a gold member with carnival and each time I have booked a guarantee I do not really make out on the deal. In fact, the last cruise we took there were 3 cabins and friends in one cabin had NEVER cruised carnival before. They ended up on empress deck while us others who have cruised carnival before were down on riviera. I called carnival to inquire prior to sailing and was told there was nothing that I could do. They did not have any explanation at all.

 

Is there something I should be doing that I am not?

 

Also, I see many folks mention using a pvp?? I think that's what it's called to assist them. How does one go about getting one and would that help at all?

 

Any info would be appreciated as I am looking at booking a summer cruise with carnival very soon.

 

Thanks for all the great info everyone shares on here.

[bunchesofun]

I don't think having a PVP would necessarily help in this case, but they are good to have. Call the Carnival number and ask to be assigned a PVP. We love ours and she has gone out of her way to help us.

[Writerfl]

I'm starting to think that Carnival plays backwards marketing games with Guarantees. I've booked Guarantee three times. The first time I booked an inside, and IMHO I ended up with the best inside cabin on the ship (1007 on Victory). The second time I booked a Guarantee Balcony on Conquest and got 8252, an excellent cabin. The third time I booked Guarantee Balcony again without a second thought... and got 6406 on the Glory, unquestionably the worst Balcony on the ship (directly over the Bass speakers in the Disco). When I called and asked to be re-assigned (not a direct assignment, just thrown back into the available room pool), they wouldn't do it, or allow me to "upgrade" to a pick-your-own fare. I'm Gold VIFP, too.

 

Yes, I know it was perfectly within their rights to do so under the fare rules and contract terms, and I have no grounds for complaint. I would just have hoped that they would show more flexibility and consideration for a loyal and frequent customer.

 

Moral of the story: I will NEVER book Guarantee again.

[fishtaco]

Its a Guarantee price that is lower than pick your own cabin so it would be unfair to let Guarantee purchaser pick and choose their own cabin because they dont like the position or deck they have been given, even loyal members!

 

This is how it works, Guarantees go in the cabins that have not been booked or are harder to sell, if there are late cancellations then the Guarantee may score a nice cabin location or even an upgrade but they are not going to assign cabins that have a better chance of selling outside Guarantee rates.

 

The longer you wait for your cabin assignment the better chance of a better cabin or upgrade.

 

I would not book a Guarantee unless I was willing to take a cabin far far forward, a lifeboat as my view or on the medical deck so I pay to choose my cabin and location!

[RWolver672]

In fact, the last cruise we took there were 3 cabins and friends in one cabin had NEVER cruised carnival before. They ended up on empress deck while us others who have cruised carnival before were down on riviera. When you book a Guarantee, you book a specific category. It sounds like your friends may have booked a higher category than you did or they ran out of cabins in that category and upgraded them to a higher category.

 

Is there something I should be doing that I am not? Personally, we always book a specific cabin on a specific deck. We may pay more for it but we know where we'll be.

 

Also, I see many folks mention using a pvp?? I think that's what it's called to assist them. How does one go about getting one and would that help at all?

I e-mailed them and ask for an "experienced" PVP. The next day one contacted me and has been very helpful.

 

 

 

Hope this helps.

[AmberTeka]

I'm starting to think that Carnival plays backwards marketing games with Guarantees. I've booked Guarantee three times. The first time I booked an inside, and IMHO I ended up with the best inside cabin on the ship (1007 on Victory). The second time I booked a Guarantee Balcony on Conquest and got 8252, an excellent cabin. The third time I booked Guarantee Balcony again without a second thought... and got 6406 on the Glory, unquestionably the worst Balcony on the ship (directly over the Bass speakers in the Disco). When I called and asked to be re-assigned (not a direct assignment, just thrown back into the available room pool), they wouldn't do it, or allow me to "upgrade" to a pick-your-own fare. I'm Gold VIFP, too.

 

Yes, I know it was perfectly within their rights to do so under the fare rules and contract terms, and I have no grounds for complaint. I would just have hoped that they would show more flexibility and consideration for a loyal and frequent customer.

 

Moral of the story: I will NEVER book Guarantee again.

 

I am surprised they would not let you upgrade to a different rate or cabin, as long as you paid the original difference.

 

A TA told me long ago, that you can always book up...if you spend more, even if you spend just a few dollars. But it is hard to book down. So we have an inside right now. If rates go down close to the cruise, I will call my PVP and see if we can PAY to move to an ocean view. If we can't, and I admit I have never booked pack and go rate, but I have done guarantees in the old days.

 

We are guaranteed two beds on the ground. As long as we have that, we are fine. We have sailed over a hundred days with Carnival and a pile with Princess and HAL. We have NEVER received one of those fabulous upgrades like an IS to a Balcony. And don't expect to. An upgrade to an OV.....that would be a huge delight. An upgrade to a midship cabin on any deck...would be bliss.

Being on the ship...going to Aruba and other delightful places , with four sea days to read and play trivia and donate to the casino and eat three meals a day and have singers and dancers entertain me ( and I always think they are grand and I can't do any of that stuff).....it is bliss just anticipating.

Aren't we all about wild with excitement when that final payment has been made?

[AmberTeka]

Its a Guarantee price that is lower than pick your own cabin so it would be unfair to let Guarantee purchaser pick and choose their own cabin because they dont like the position or deck they have been given, even loyal members!

 

This is how it works, Guarantees go in the cabins that have not been booked or are harder to sell, if there are late cancellations then the Guarantee may score a nice cabin location or even an upgrade but they are not going to assign cabins that have a better chance of selling outside Guarantee rates.

 

The longer you wait for your cabin assignment the better chance of a better cabin or upgrade.

 

I would not book a Guarantee unless I was willing to take a cabin far far forward, a lifeboat as my view or on the medical deck so I pay to choose my cabin and location!

 

Do they have cabins on the Medical deck? I bet that is very quiet. I would love to be there if so. But not in an Upper and Lower. Two beds on the floor.

[Writerfl]

On Conquest- and Triumph/Destiny/Sunshine- class ships, Medical is on Deck Zero. There are no passenger cabins on that level and it's also where the I-95 is, which is NEVER quiet.

[TampaJules]

Booking soon but when I check prices now for an Oceanview either you choose your own cabin (but only on deck 1 or 2) or do "guarantee \ they pick" and it seems to indicate you will get deck 8, which of course is much more desireable. Am I not reading it right? Are they guaranteeing deck 8? If so I'd do that but if they will stick us anywhere, including the low decks, I'd rather pick my poison on the low decks. What is up with the guarantee, they pick thing? I haven't been on Carnival before.