Guarantee cabin

[Seekup]

We're thinking about booking guaranteed balcony cabins for an upcoming Epic sailing. Right now, there's a big price spread between picking your cabin and a guarantee. I totally get that it's a risk and no fussing after cabin assignment:)

 

We're not concerned with upgrades, deck, forward or aft. Our only concern is that our cabins are fairly close together.

 

I'd like to hear from those with experience booking 2 or more guaranteed cabins. Did you end up close together?

 

Thanks in advance. Pam

[vince_g]

We're thinking about booking guaranteed balcony cabins for an upcoming Epic sailing. Right now, there's a big price spread between picking your cabin and a guarantee. I totally get that it's a risk and no fussing after cabin assignment:)

 

We're not concerned with upgrades, deck, forward or aft. Our only concern is that our cabins are fairly close together.

 

I'd like to hear from those with experience booking 2 or more guaranteed cabins. Did you end up close together?

 

Thanks in advance. Pam

 

Don't book a guarantee if you have any specific location needs. They might be close, but maybe not. You cannot tell.

[mjkacmom]

You could be on opposite ends of the ship, it’s not like they are going to try and keep you together.

[Seekup]

You could be on opposite ends of the ship, it’s not like they are going to try and keep you together.

 

Curious if your response is based on personal experience?

[fridaythe13th]

I personally don't have any experience but what I would do is be sure the reservations are linked AND if you are assigned cabins in different areas, look to see if there are any available cabins closer to one another (in the same category you were assigned) and ask to be move to that cabin number. Although that would only work if you're both assigned the same category. It's nice to be close to friends but not necessary. Now if it's family (kids) you're talking about, that's a different story and I'd be nervous we would be separated.

[Seekup]

I personally don't have any experience but what I would do is be sure the reservations are linked AND if you are assigned cabins in different areas, look to see if there are any available cabins closer to one another (in the same category you were assigned) and ask to be move to that cabin number. Although that would only work if you're both assigned the same category. It's nice to be close to friends but not necessary. Now if it's family (kids) you're talking about, that's a different story and I'd be nervous we would be separated.

 

Thank you! We'll def make sure the reservations are linked. And I agree with you, it's nice to be close but not necessary since we're all adults.

 

We've booked guarantee cabins twice on RCCL and ended up close together. I thought I'd throw the question out there to see what people have experienced with NCL.

[casofilia]

If I wanted to do that I would book direct with NCL Miami but would ask about getting the bookings linked with the cabins being as close as possible.

[ray98]

You have no way to assure the cabins will even be remotely close with a GTY.

[mjkacmom]

I personally don't have any experience but what I would do is be sure the reservations are linked AND if you are assigned cabins in different areas, look to see if there are any available cabins closer to one another (in the same category you were assigned) and ask to be move to that cabin number. Although that would only work if you're both assigned the same category. It's nice to be close to friends but not necessary. Now if it's family (kids) you're talking about, that's a different story and I'd be nervous we would be separated.

I don’t think guarantee cabins work the same on NCL as RCL. I believe you can ask to switch cabins on RCL as long as they are in the same category. I think with NCL, you get what you get, no switching.

[NMLady]

. ...

I think with ncl, you get what you get, no switching.

 

true!!

[gottagocruisin]

We booked two guaranteed cabins. We were advised by NCL about them "linking families" together so our odds of us at least ending up on the same floor would be good when cabins were assigned. When we received our cabin numbers 70 days out from departure date, one is on deck 9 the other deck 11. We knew this could happen so it didn't effect our thoughts on rolling the dice.

[Budget Queen]

I pretty much always get guaranteed cabins, and book with link with guarantee friends. NEVER have we been "close'. based on 5 cruises in the past year.

 

BUT it doesn't matter what happened in the past. It has nothing to do with what is going to happen to you. Might make you "feel" better, if you get a "I was right next door report", but meaningless otherwise, unless your crystal ball is working. :) :) :)

[Seekup]

I pretty much always get guaranteed cabins, and book with link with guarantee friends. NEVER have we been "close'. based on 5 cruises in the past year.

 

BUT it doesn't matter what happened in the past. It has nothing to do with what is going to happen to you. Might make you "feel" better, if you get a "I was right next door report", but meaningless otherwise, unless your crystal ball is working. :) :) :)

 

Gotcha. Good point, I was just trying to figure the odds. Thank you.

[leithbones]

Right now, there's a big price spread between picking your cabin and a guarantee.

Factor in that the Guaranty (or "SailAway") price 'spread' includes $0 value for perks on Gty (denoted by _X on room types) vs. You Select Cabin....

Bev pak, Specialty Dining, Wifi, Excursions, etc. If you want any of those, you'll be paying for them>> no promos included>>which in the case of UBP is prohibitive.

[sweetmelissa]

Factor in that the Guaranty (or "SailAway") price 'spread' includes $0 value for perks on Gty (denoted by _X on room types) vs. You Select Cabin....

Bev pak, Specialty Dining, Wifi, Excursions, etc. If you want any of those, you'll be paying for them>> no promos included>>which in the case of UBP is prohibitive.

 

This is actually not correct. GTY and SailAway are different. If you book SailAway, you don't get any perks. If you book GTY, you do. We booked Guaranteed Obstructed Ocean-View for our December cruise on Jade and got choice of 2 perks.

[Budget Queen]

This is actually not correct. GTY and SailAway are different. If you book SailAway, you don't get any perks. If you book GTY, you do. We booked Guaranteed Obstructed Ocean-View for our December cruise on Jade and got choice of 2 perks.

 

No you are wrong.

The other post IS correct. You ignored their "X" reference, which is always no perks.

[sweetmelissa]

My only point was that you can book a guarantee cabin category with the perks. I did not say anything about X. Previous poster made it seem as though you cannot book a guarantee cabin with perks.

[Seekup]

My only point was that you can book a guarantee cabin category with the perks. I did not say anything about X. Previous poster made it seem as though you cannot book a guarantee cabin with perks.

 

You're exactly right. Here's the difference on the cruise we are going on, mini suite, per cabin:

 

sailaway GTY w/o perks - $1,558

GTY with perks - $1,958

Assigned cabin with perks - $2,658

 

We went ahead and booked the GTY with perks. Not worth the extra $700/cabin to be close....

[Seekup]

Got our assignments today and they actually put us pretty close together. I'm happy.

 

12th and 13th floor, a short walk and one flight of stairs. Lucky!

[fridaythe13th]

Got our assignments today and they actually put us pretty close together. I'm happy.

 

12th and 13th floor, a short walk and one flight of stairs. Lucky!

 

Just wondering if you both got the same category and will you try to get cabins even closer by calling your TA or NCL? Thanks for the update!

[Seekup]

Just wondering if you both got the same category and will you try to get cabins even closer by calling your TA or NCL? Thanks for the update!

 

Sure thing! Different categories and from what I can see at NCL.com there's limited availability and it looks like they got us as close together as possible. All that to say we're happy and won't ask for anything else. At most, it's a two minute walk between cabins.