Cabin assignment for guarantee

[Paulchili]

If you booked directly, O will contact you; if you booked through a TA, they will contact your TA (who will contact you).

If you have a TA, you can indicate to them whether you are interested in moving up/down and at what cost (or not interested).

[iticlaudia]

Thanks for all the insight on how Oceania does things. First time cruising with them and the first time I've booked GTY.

[roothy123]

To follow up on what Paulchili said, I would make sure your TA or Oceania can contact you by cell phone or whatever/however, as an upsell offer isn't good forever. If you want to take a day or so to get back to Oceania or your TA, the offer will likely be gone, as Oceania will likely offer it to someone else. That's why Paulchili recommends letting your TA (if you have one) know just what you'd want or not want. However, even if I indicate willingness to consider an upsell, my TA still calls me to make sure the price is right, even if he knows it is based on what I've told him. (I think that's because his agency doesn't want to charge us more money unless they have the go ahead for that charge.) Therefore, I try to make sure either I or my husband is reachable during normal M - F business hours in case we get a call.

 

It's hard to tell what you might get. When a category shows as waitlisted, though, I've always GUESSED it was pretty solidly sold out. However, I suppose it's possible they could reserve a few cabins for people with guarantees. The upsell fairy is often nice, but a bit unpredictable!

[SusieV]

How can you see cabin availability? I looked on the European site I check mass market cabin availability on, but it doesn't seem to show Oceania.

[JimandStan]

How can you see cabin availability? I looked on the European site I check mass market cabin availability on, but it doesn't seem to show Oceania.

 

The short answer is that you really cannot accurately check cabin availability for Oceania. The commercial Sites which offer that service don't get updates often enough to be used for this purpose.

 

Should you be interested in investing the time and energy, the method of making a mock booking on the Oceania website will reveal cabin availability -segregated by cabin category- at five cabins per inquiry.

[iticlaudia]

Happy to report we received our cabin assignments today.

 

Booked GTY PH3 and ended up with PH2. Best part is our cabins are side by side (which I wasn't counting on).

 

Looking forward to my first O cruise.

[janecambridge]

Happy to report we received our cabin assignments today.

 

Booked GTY PH3 and ended up with PH2. Best part is our cabins are side by side (which I wasn't counting on).

 

Looking forward to my first O cruise.

 

Great news.Enjoy your cruise.👍

[atlantic cruiser]

I recently booked a guarantee veranda cabin on the Marina for the June 2 sailing out of Southhampton. I was surprised to be assigned a cabin within days. This was at the end of December. if my research is correct the lower cabins are listed as waitlisted but there is still lots of inventory brim B1 upward.final payment is March 4. Could I still possibly receive an upgrade or upswell offer.? I usually pick my cabin but this was too good to pass up. Happy with the midship cabin location just curious whether it is Now "cast in stone" ie.cabin number or other options may be offered Thanks for any insight. My understanding was always that guarantees were last minute fill ins. Not the case here so puzzled. Thanks again.

[LHT28]

I recently booked a guarantee veranda cabin on the Marina for the June 2 sailing out of Southhampton. I was surprised to be assigned a cabin within days. This was at the end of December. if my research is correct the lower cabins are listed as waitlisted but there is still lots of inventory brim B1 upward.final payment is March 4. Could I still possibly receive an upgrade or upswell offer.? I usually pick my cabin but this was too good to pass up. Happy with the midship cabin location just curious whether it is Now "cast in stone" ie.cabin number or other options may be offered Thanks for any insight. My understanding was always that guarantees were last minute fill ins. Not the case here so puzzled. Thanks again.

Were there cabins available in the category you wanted when you booked?

Anything is possible with the upsell or upgrade fairy

[atlantic cruiser]

I am not sure Lyn this was with a big online agency and was one of the cruise critic "best deals of the week! Type email. I didn't ask as it was advertised as a guarantee,B3 balcony so I assumed given my understanding of guarantees it was some type of infilling. Not the case apparently. I was just shocked to see a cabin assignment within days!

[LHT28]

I am not sure Lyn this was with a big online agency and was one of the cruise critic "best deals of the week! Type email. I didn't ask as it was advertised as a guarantee,B3 balcony so I assumed given my understanding of guarantees it was some type of infilling. Not the case apparently. I was just shocked to see a cabin assignment within days!

It could have been just advertising to get people to book & cabins were available

It would take more time for the Online company to get the cabin you may want & with a GTY it takes less of their time ...I am just guessing of course :p

 

Enjoy the cruise

[YoHoHo]

I recently booked a guarantee veranda cabin on the Marina for the June 2 sailing out of Southhampton. I was surprised to be assigned a cabin within days. <SNIP> My understanding was always that guarantees were last minute fill ins. Not the case here so puzzled. Thanks again.

A GTY can be assigned at anytime the cruise lines determines. Could be immediately, in a few days, months or even could be at the pier. All depends on what is happening with the bookings, anticipated fill rates, etc. Some pax post concerns when it is close to sailing and still not assigned. To many you are in a good position knowing your cabin well ahead of sailing.

[Jayne E]

I recently booked a guarantee veranda cabin on the Marina for the June 2 sailing out of Southhampton. I was surprised to be assigned a cabin within days. This was at the end of December. if my research is correct the lower cabins are listed as waitlisted but there is still lots of inventory brim B1 upward.final payment is March 4. Could I still possibly receive an upgrade or upswell offer.? I usually pick my cabin but this was too good to pass up. Happy with the midship cabin location just curious whether it is Now "cast in stone" ie.cabin number or other options may be offered Thanks for any insight. My understanding was always that guarantees were last minute fill ins. Not the case here so puzzled. Thanks again.

I was also assigned a B4 Guaranty cabin within days and 5 months prior to cruise date, despite entire ship open. They did allow me to move the cabin but within the B4 category only. However, you will still get an upsell offer if targeted. We accepted the offer and are now in a Suite.

[YoHoHo]

I was also assigned a B4 Guaranty cabin within days and 5 months prior to cruise date, despite entire ship open. They did allow me to move the cabin but within the B4 category only. However, you will still get an upsell offer if targeted. We accepted the offer and are now in a Suite.

Not disputing just don't understand. By "despite entire ship open" do you mean that in in all categories, or more to the point, the B4 category had availability and one could book and choose a cabin? Or does "entire ship open" mean that the B4 was listed as GTY and so still open to accepting booking?

 

My confusion is if the "entire ship open" how could you book a GTY. I know some other lines one can book a specific cabin or also buy a GTY within a category. But on O on their website I could only book a GTY when O no longer offered bookings where I could select my cabin. (does that make any sense)

[Jayne E]

Not disputing just don't understand. By "despite entire ship open" do you mean that in in all categories, or more to the point, the B4 category had availability and one could book and choose a cabin? Or does "entire ship open" mean that the B4 was listed as GTY and so still open to accepting booking?

 

My confusion is if the "entire ship open" how could you book a GTY. I know some other lines one can book a specific cabin or also buy a GTY within a category. But on O on their website I could only book a GTY when O no longer offered bookings where I could select my cabin. (does that make any sense)

Not making sense. This is simple. Guaranty was a very low price offer to sell cabins. This cruise had 100's of empty cabins up to 1 month prior in ALL categories. They sold B4, A4 and even PH3 Guaranty at different times. So many PH empty that we didn't take the 1st upsell.....TA said def a 2nd offer and maybe 3rd. We were able to choose our cabin and PH1 & PH2 offered at same upsell price.

[StanandJim]

My confusion is if the "entire ship open" how could you book a GTY. I know some other lines one can book a specific cabin or also buy a GTY within a category. But on O on their website I could only book a GTY when O no longer offered bookings where I could select my cabin.

As I read this, you are confusing Waitlist with GTY, when if fact they are entirely different animals.

The Stateroom category does not need to be sold out, or even "mostly" sold out for Guarantee reservations to be sold. GTY is a marketing tool, and is offered to offset certain booking patterns which may or may not occur on every cruise......hence your not seeing the offer on a different voyage.

[LHT28]

Is there an advantage to booking a GTY when cabins in your Cat are available on Oceania?

I know other lines offer a discount when you book a GTY cabin

 

I prefer to know where I am sleeping but just curious

[StanandJim]

Is there an advantage to booking a GTY when cabins in your Cat are available on Oceania?

The primary advantage, which I already know that you have no interest in, is that chance of getting a better cabin than you've paid for.

The cost seems to fluctuate, dependent on how much they need flexibility to fill the ship efficiently.

[YoHoHo]

As I read this, you are confusing Waitlist with GTY, when if fact they are entirely different animals.

No, I do understand the difference of those two

 

The Stateroom category does not need to be sold out, or even "mostly" sold out for Guarantee reservations to be sold. GTY is a marketing tool, and is offered to offset certain booking patterns which may or may not occur on every cruise......hence your not seeing the offer on a different voyage.

It is THIS. I know on other cruise lines one can purchase a GTY even when cabins are available to be selected and they are, from what I have seen, at a reduced cost over the selectable cabins. That does make sense to me.

 

I did not know that on O a GTY can be purchased even when there are cabins that can be selected. As their itinerary page only shows one status per category, available; waitlist; sold out; gty; it appeared to me that as long as O had available (released inventory) cabins, a GTY was not available for purchase. So that is a reminder about assumptions.

 

 

How does one book a GTY when the status shows as "available" - I am thinking they would have to call a TA or O directly.

 

And you have already answered the next question I had that LHT28 has already asked - WHY??? I can understand if it is less money like many other lines but just on the hope of getting an upgrade or upsell offer is not for me.

 

Not that I am focused on having to know where my cabin is located. In fact, on O I have booked a GTY a couple of times because there was no other (suitable category) choice and am fine with that. Found it a little fun actually with the added anticipation. But I would not to go to extra effort to book a GTY when I can choose a cabin. Well maybe not if it was the last (apparently) available cabin.

 

Granted unlike many other ships there are no very bad cabins on O's ships so it is not such a big gamble taking a GTY. On the other hand there are preferred cabins; but I am usually too slow to get those anyway :{

 

This is good to know. Thanks for explaining.

[atlantic cruiser]

I can only relate my experience. I thought I was buying a guarantee at a good price simply because they were just trying to fill the odd empty cabin which I had always thought was what a guarantee was. in my case as stated earlier it turned there were many cabins available in my "Guarantee category B3 veranda. It was an amazing price and included all the usual perks so I jumped on it. What I did not realize is that I could have possibly gotten one of the extended balconies,however they were probably all gone in late Dec. for a June sailing.the agent certainly never offered and I assumed I had no choice in cabin selection.I am quite happy with my cabin location,it is midship deck 7,just wish the Cdn. Dollar didn't sting so much. I still can't believe the price I paid and have checked many ther sites and no one is even close.

[St Paul Girl]

I can only relate my experience. I thought I was buying a guarantee at a good price simply because they were just trying to fill the odd empty cabin which I had always thought was what a guarantee was. in my case as stated earlier it turned there were many cabins available in my "Guarantee category B3 veranda. It was an amazing price and included all the usual perks so I jumped on it. What I did not realize is that I could have possibly gotten one of the extended balconies,however they were probably all gone in late Dec. for a June sailing.the agent certainly never offered and I assumed I had no choice in cabin selection.I am quite happy with my cabin location,it is midship deck 7,just wish the Cdn. Dollar didn't sting so much. I still can't believe the price I paid and have checked many ther sites and no one is even close.

We got a quote from a Canadian TA that was $2000 CDN less than using a US TA! Oceania has CDN pricing for most cruises.

Happy Cruising

[LHT28]

Maybe some TA's offer the GTY then Oceania can assign a cabin when they have them available

A cruise last year we got a discount on the pricing for Canadians

next cruise was booked in CAD O exchange was $1.25 compared to the bank rate at the time of $1.32 so some savings there

Not sure what O's exchange rate is now but cruise price was a bit cheaper than me using USD which I would have to buy

my stash has been depleted :(

[ORV]

Perhaps these GTy's are being offered by an Agency that have already reserved a group of rooms, then they assign you a room out of what they have reserved. Many years ago my first O cruise was like this.

[LHT28]

Perhaps these GTy's are being offered by an Agency that have already reserved a group of rooms, then they assign you a room out of what they have reserved.

That is what I was thinking also

 

the TA offers the GTY then Oceania assigns a cabin once booked if availability in that Cat

 

I never book a GTY so do not have any 1st hand experience

[roothy123]

I don't know what other travel agents do, but our agent is often able to book us a GTY on the G cabin category even if that category isn't reflected as GTY on O's website. Much later in the process, O assigns a cabin, often offering us an upsell before assigning the cabin. I don't believe our travel agent has actually bought up rooms on any cruise, but it's possible, as I've never really known what the process was. All I know is that it's rare when we've decided on a cruise and our TA couldn't get a GTY on a G for us. There may have been one or two more times, but the one time I remember was when I wanted to book a Caribbean cruise. It turned out to be part of the around the world cruise on Insignia (I think) and there wasn't anything he could do to get us one of the lower-priced cabins - GTY or otherwise.