Why?...Guaranteed room unknown until a week before cruise!?

[marco]

As another poster mentioned, we also did not get a cabin assignment until checking in. It was a significant upgrade. However, if you are choosy about your cabin and don't want to be too forward/aft, obstructed view, near/far from the stairs or elevator..... DON"T do a guarantee. Instead, choose your cabin and it's location from the get go and pay whatever the price is. At least you'll be happy with your cabin.

[easyboy]

I booked an oceanview obstructed (Category OZ) for my daughter and me...we leave in 3 days (Sat. sailing on Caribbean Princess) and we still have not received our room assignment. I'm totally fine with that, adds a bit more excitement to the trip and I'm confident that whatever the assignment is, it'll be a better view than the cold snowy one expected next week at home :)

Nice positive attitude!:)

[bones5]

Nice positive attitude!:)

 

thanks! :)

[triple7tahoe]

Last year we did three B2B cruises out of New Zealand/Australia. We had not received any cabins until the day we arrived in Auckland and got our cabin for the first two weeks. It was not until the last day of that cruise that we received our cabin for the next leg(only). Again it was not until the last night of that cruise that we received our cabin for the last leg. Three Legs-three different cabins--All in same category we had booked 6 months earlier. They were all great and can vouch that each had its' good and bad points;p

[wheezedr]

Latest for me was on a New England cruise. Picked up my cabin assignment while waiting to change planes at Midway. Best ever as I converted from an OV to a window suite. Nice late surprise. Have to have an open attitude.

[Colo Cruiser]

I booked an oceanview obstructed (Category OZ) for my daughter and me...we leave in 3 days (Sat. sailing on Caribbean Princess) and we still have not received our room assignment. I'm totally fine with that, adds a bit more excitement to the trip and I'm confident that whatever the assignment is, it'll be a better view than the cold snowy one expected next week at home :)

 

 

You can check the personalizer up to sailing day to get your cabin assignment.

Just look at bag tags/travel summary to see the assignment.

[bones5]

here's an update to our results...booked a guaranteed obstructed oceanview. We leave in 2 days and they just posted our room...we received a balcony, Lido Deck, front of the ship, room L214. Needless to say, we're very happy!

[beg3yrs]

Needless to say, we're very happy!

 

That's really all that matters. Congratulations and have a great cruise!

[Colo Cruiser]

Excellent upgrade.

[MrMan]

Big travel agents that sell large numbers of cabins for a cruise line are often given lists of problem cabins on each ship. The travel agents carefully avoid selling those cabins to their valued customers.

 

Who does get those problem cabins?

People who try to save a buck buying a guarantee.

That's why guarantee assignments are usually made close to the sailing date. The cruise line wants to give themselves and the travel agents every possible opportunity to sell the better cabins at a higher fare - and result in happier passengers paying the full fare.

 

There is actually a "science" to successfully booking guarantee cabins. Clever cruisers learn of certain cabin categories, certain itineraries, certain ships, that are extremely likely to result in a decent cabin even when paying the lower guarantee fare.

 

And a small percentage of cruisers just get lucky when they book a guarantee. They end up with a good or even great cabin.

 

But for the majority of guarantee bookings, this guarantee "gamble" works very much like the casino. The House usually wins; you get a cabin that nobody else wanted.

Whenever you gamble - with a guarantee or roulette - you put your money down and ask yourself, " am I feeling lucky "?

 

 

I suspect this comes from one who has never booked a guarantee. Over 20 guarantee cruises and have never gotten a "bad" cabin, if there is such a thing

 

 

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[BruceMuzz]

I suspect this comes from one who has never booked a guarantee. Over 20 guarantee cruises and have never gotten a "bad" cabin, if there is such a thing

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

You are probably correct. Cruise line employees would never book a guarantee cabin.

 

I also have never booked a guarantee cabin. I would never take such a chance at ruining my vacation.

You have had over 20 guarantee cruises and have done very well. Congratulations. You are very lucky.

Many others are not so lucky.

 

I have worked on over 1,000 cruises, where I had to meet with many angry passengers who had guarantee cabins near the engine room, the crew bar, the anchor chain locker, above the show lounge or disco, below the gymnasium, ping pong table, or jogging track, next to the self-service laundry, near the doors and staircase to the crew area.

The list goes on and on.

On any given mass market cruise ship, somewhere between 5 and 10 percent of the pax cabins are problematic.

 

Most of these people had unrealistic dreams of upgrades to penthouses, and instead ended up with cabins that were barely habitable - in their opinions.

And in the majority of those cases, there has been nothing I can do to help them. In their minds, their cruise is ruined and their money wasted.

Edited March 10, 2017 by BruceMuzz

[Mamma Drum]

We booked a guarantee inside cabin for March 25th sailing on crown princess. We received our cabin numbers about a week ago.

 

 

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[bones5]

well, didn't mean to make this a debate, just sharing what I perceive as a bit of luck for my daughter and me. Could have ended up the exact opposite but if one is willing to take that chance, so be it. I took the chance...it worked out to my advantage.

[Colo Cruiser]

well, didn't mean to make this a debate, just sharing what I perceive as a bit of luck for my daughter and me. Could have ended up the exact opposite but if one is willing to take that chance, so be it. I took the chance...it worked out to my advantage.

 

No problem. It's just the usual pot stirrers. Just ignore.

People can be anything they want on the internet.

As long as you are happy that's all that counts. :)

[caribill]

I also have never booked a guarantee cabin. I would never take such a chance at ruining my vacation.

You have had over 20 guarantee cruises and have done very well. Congratulations. You are very lucky.

Many others are not so lucky.

 

 

My experience with GTYs has also been very positive. I do not remember the number of GTYs that we have had, but I also do not remember one bad cabin assignment.

 

Some were good upgrades, for example: from inside or oceanview to balcony.

 

 

More recently, with Princess doing more upsells than free upgrades, assignments have been the category and level booked. But still, never a bad assignment.

 

(Note: we have in the past also received upgrades on bookings where we had selected a specific cabin. It is not only GTYs that can result in a surprise location.)

[pediem]

A couple of years ago, I was late in booking my usual winter Caribbean cruise, and to make up the 14 days that I wanted to be gone, I had to book a 5d-4d-5d B2B2B. The only way to get an aft balcony was to do a guarantee, so I took the gamble.

 

I was in 3 different cabins for the 3 legs, but the cabin stewards made the moving process very easy each time. I didn't find out any of the cabin assignments until I was within the 48 hour window for each segment, so it became a guessing game each morning as I'd log in to check. My cabin stewards and I got so much fun out of guessing when/where I'd be put next.

[easyboy]

A couple of years ago, I was late in booking my usual winter Caribbean cruise, and to make up the 14 days that I wanted to be gone, I had to book a 5d-4d-5d B2B2B. The only way to get an aft balcony was to do a guarantee, so I took the gamble.

 

I was in 3 different cabins for the 3 legs, but the cabin stewards made the moving process very easy each time. I didn't find out any of the cabin assignments until I was within the 48 hour window for each segment, so it became a guessing game each morning as I'd log in to check. My cabin stewards and I got so much fun out of guessing when/where I'd be put next.

That must have been exciting. Did you receive an upgrade on even just 1 cabin?

[geoherb]

...I also have never booked a guarantee cabin. I would never take such a chance at ruining my vacation.

You have had over 20 guarantee cruises and have done very well. Congratulations. You are very lucky.

Many others are not so lucky.

I don't think it is a matter of being lucky. It's a matter of not letting little inconveniences ruin your cruise. We booked a guarantee on our last cruise and ended up under the galley. The first afternoon, while the ship was still in port, I was afraid that our luck had finally run out. The noise from above was horrible. But it turned out just to be because they were still loading the supplies for the week right above us. For most of the rest of the cruise, we barely heard anything.

 

We have been above the theater, underneath the theater, as far forward as possible, right outside an elevator--cabins that many would not want. But because we are happy to be able to be on a cruise, we've never let a few inconveniences ruin our cruise.

 

And as a result, we've received some fabulous upgrades--from an obstructed view to a cabin with a balcony was the best. But also from the lowest category of balcony to a huge accessible one and from the lowest category of balcony to a Caribe Deck one.

[pediem]

That must have been exciting. Did you receive an upgrade on even just 1 cabin?

 

No, thank goodness! Because an "upgrade" from an aft balcony would have put me in a not-aft balcony, which would not have been an upgrade to my way of thinking. I love hanging off the back of the boat! :D

[lake5298]

Once, we only got our assigned cabin at the port - but it was an upgrade. We've been lucky enough to get inside to outside twice, inside to balcony four times, and once even inside to mini-suite!!

 

Sometimes there is a big saving to be had by booking a Guarantee cabin - but you have to accept that it's their choice of cabin, not yours.

 

We certainly chose our balcony - and have declined "upgrades if offered" - for a forthcoming cruise to Venice. I want to be certain of being on the Starboard to get the early morning views of St Mark's Square.

Edited March 11, 2017 by lake5298

[easyboy]

No, thank goodness! Because an "upgrade" from an aft balcony would have put me in a not-aft balcony, which would not have been an upgrade to my way of thinking. I love hanging off the back of the boat! :D

Okay. so you got aft balcony for the 3 segments. Good for you!

[Lucky TGO]

My friend always books a guaranteed cabin he says sometimes you win sometimes you lose.

Tony

[cruisinfever]

I booked a guarantee cabin for our upcoming cruise on March 26. What happens when your luggage tags do not have your cabin number on them. Do you still use those tags that state to be assigned?

[Colo Cruiser]

I booked a guarantee cabin for our upcoming cruise on March 26. What happens when your luggage tags do not have your cabin number on them. Do you still use those tags that state to be assigned?

 

 

The porters have a list and can look it up.

Look in the personalizer the day before you sail. I would bet it will be there.

[Decpl]

We have had great luck booking Guarantees. Booked a Balcony and ended up with a Mini suite last time. Was about 10 days out when we got it.