guaranteed mini suite

[athenagirl]

We will be on the Coral Princess on Sept. 12 and just received our cabin assignment which I'm very unhappy about as we got assigned an aft cabin:(:(. The vibration in the aft cabins ruins my sleep. I called Princess and the agent told me to ask for another cabin when we check in on the 12th but I'm concerned all the mini suites will be sold out by then. Has anyone had any luck changing cabins after it's been assigned?

[fishywood]

The check in agents have no idea what, if any, cabins may still be available.

If you go straight to the purser's desk after embarkation on 99.9% of sailings there will be a sign stating "no cabin changes available"

You can either wait until Tuesday to call your TA, or if you booked direct take a chance that someone working the call center on a bank holiday weekend will be able to help you. If there are other minis available in the same category you were assigned (not necessarily the category your minimum guarantee was for) you should be able to switch.

But get this done no later than Tuesday. Being told to wait until embarkation day was the worst possible advice.

[Thrak]

Wow. Sorry you are unhappy. I think my wife's favorite cabin to date was an aft-facing Caribe deck balcony. As I told her on that cruise, "We used to have to put a quarter in the bedside box to get this nice vibration." :D We have booked aft cabins on purpose. We booked an aft balcony (not aft-facing though) for 28 days last October and loved it. We had an aft-facing ocean view for 17 days in 2015 and loved it so much I have booked the same cabin for an upcoming 19 day cruise. Some folks seem to hate forward cabins and others hate aft cabins. We love them both but, of the two, prefer the aft cabins the most.

 

I sincerely hope you get your cabin issue worked out to your satisfaction. Not all people are the same and I am infinitely grateful that not all that many are like me. I'm guessing that the majority of people would also be grateful that most people aren't like me. :rolleyes: Enjoy your cruise and, if you don't get the ideal cabin, please don't let it ruin things for you. Just spend more time out of the cabin. If the aft vibration upsets your sleep just drink a few double bourbons before you go to bed and all will be well. (OK, that might not be great advice depending on who you are but it works for me. ;p)

[geoherb]

There are two forward minis shown as available right now on the Princess website: C217 (Cat. ME) and B203 (Cat. MY--no balcony). I changed our cabin location after getting assigned it for our cruise next month. But I was lucky to get the assignment when there were plenty of available cabins to switch to. Princess will switch you from the category you got assigned to another available cabin in that category.

 

Since you know you have sleep issues with aft cabins, you should not have booked a guarantee. I know that the way the Princess website works, people are sometimes misled into believing that they are booking a guarantee for a certain area of the ship, not realizing that booking a guarantee means that Princess can assign you to any cabin on the ship in that category or higher.

[weedpindle]

Best way to not get an unwanted cabin is to not book a guarantee cabin, book a slpecific cabin and request no upgrade.

[moki'smommy]

If you book gty, you agree to accept any cabin on the ship of that category or nicer. You lost any ability to discuss location, although sometimes a phone agent may agree to move you if there are cabins in the same category available. Call back and see if a different agent can/will do anything for you.

[skynight]

The chances of you getting a cabin change at check in are slim to none. Check in agents have no idea of cabin availability and almost all voyages are full. Work now to see what you can get. My experience is that aft cabins only vibrate when thrusters are in use. Otherwise it's just normal movement.

[MCC retired]

The Princess person brushed you off.

Bad advice to wait until boarding which can’t be done by shore staff.

Try again daily . The squeaky wheel gets the grease . OP is not the type that should ever book a Guarantee .

Leave Guarantee’s to those that are actually flexible.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Nrknits]

We always book a guarantee and they few times we haven't been thrilled with our cabin location, I've looked on line to see if there are any other cabins open in our assigned category (or lower) and if there are, have called the agent and had no trouble getting switched to another cabin in that category. Mostly I'm just happy my cabin is on the ship!

[john watson]

Best way to not get an unwanted cabin is to not book a guarantee cabin, book a specific cabin and request no upgrade.

 

 

Guarantee cabins allocated to people who have opted for this fare basis are always going to be the ones which nobody has specifically reserved. In the retail market they could be regarded as the leftovers. As weedpindle says booking a specific cabin and requesting "no upgrades" is the classic way to avoid cabin disappointment. The whole point of the "Guarantee Cabin" system is to allow people to get cheaper rates on a grade but you are foregoing choice.

 

 

Regards John

[Ellipooh]

I’ve never booked a gty cabin, am I correct that those are the “let us choose for you” options at booking?

Isn’t it possible that OP wanted a mini and the only option at the time was gty? I’ve learned from this thread (I think) that booking a gty while in the “mid-forward” section of the booking website doesn’t mean that’s where you’ll get placed. That’s news to me too, and rather unfairly misleading.

Definitely call again and ask to change cabins to a mini that’s still shows as available. No reason to not honor your request.

[deise17311]

We will be on the Coral Princess on Sept. 12 and just received our cabin assignment which I'm very unhappy about as we got assigned an aft cabin:(:(. The vibration in the aft cabins ruins my sleep. I called Princess and the agent told me to ask for another cabin when we check in on the 12th but I'm concerned all the mini suites will be sold out by then. Has anyone had any luck changing cabins after it's been assigned?

 

I would look in your category and see what is still available and then call princess and switch - you can switch within categories with no hassles - I am surprised that the agent didn't do this unless they are sold out - you also might ask about upgrading to a higher mini category for a small charge -

[jennybenny]

Please follow the advice here. Check out your sailing, see if there is another cabin, see if they will let you move to it. We were able to do that before. However if you booked through a travel agent, the TA must make the change

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[JF - retired RRT]

Vibration? What vibration?

All the way aft is my preferred location and never noticed or been bothered by vibration.

 

And do call Princess ASAP to get your assignment changed.

[JF - retired RRT]

I’ve never booked a gty cabin, am I correct that those are the “let us choose for you” options at booking?

Isn’t it possible that OP wanted a mini and the only option at the time was gty? I’ve learned from this thread (I think) that booking a gty while in the “mid-forward” section of the booking website doesn’t mean that’s where you’ll get placed. That’s news to me too, and rather unfairly misleading.

Definitely call again and ask to change cabins to a mini that’s still shows as available. No reason to not honor your request.

Not quite. Once a category of cabins is close to full or full, instead of "I'll choose my own" and "Let us choose for you" buttons, you'll see a button for "Reserve".

[Ellipooh]

Not quite. Once a category of cabins is close to full or full, instead of "I'll choose my own" and "Let us choose for you" buttons, you'll see a button for "Reserve".

Oh I see. But that must mean than one cannot book a guarantee cabin until the ship is nearly full. I thought I have seen posters who gamble with a gty in hopes of getting an upgrade, understanding that they must accept/be happy with the lowest cabin within the designated category. Are they all waiting to book until the last minute?

[moki'smommy]

Oh I see. But that must mean than one cannot book a guarantee cabin until the ship is nearly full. I thought I have seen posters who gamble with a gty in hopes of getting an upgrade, understanding that they must accept/be happy with the lowest cabin within the designated category. Are they all waiting to book until the last minute?

It doesn't necessarily mean that they ship is nearly full; it means that a particular cabin type is nearly full. Often those two things run in tandem, but not always.

 

Bottom line is that it depends on the cruise. We have looked at cruises more than a year out that have no cabins we can use or are on gty status. This is often on "different" cruises--things that don't happen every week or two. On the routine cruises, gtys can happen at any time. Princess knows that statistically a certain number of guests will cancel, often right before the start of the penalty period. Thus, they anticipate some cabins opening up and will fill those with the gty reservations. When those cabins don't fill, some people will get great "move over" offers.

[athenagirl]

There are two forward minis shown as available right now on the Princess website: C217 (Cat. ME) and B203 (Cat. MY--no balcony). I changed our cabin location after getting assigned it for our cruise next month. But I was lucky to get the assignment when there were plenty of available cabins to switch to. Princess will switch you from the category you got assigned to another available cabin in that category.

 

Since you know you have sleep issues with aft cabins, you should not have booked a guarantee. I know that the way the Princess website works, people are sometimes misled into believing that they are booking a guarantee for a certain area of the ship, not realizing that booking a guarantee means that Princess can assign you to any cabin on the ship in that category or higher.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions, much appreciated. I just called Princess again and spoke to a very nice lady who was able to reassign us to C217, thank you geoherb for checking. We have booked guarantees before and were usually assigned to mid ship but I don't think I'll take that chance again. Now we're really looking forward to our trip!!:D

[2pbears]

I'm so glad that this has been resolved to your satisfaction. We are on the same cruise and several weeks ago Princess "upgraded" us to a balcony cabin on Aloha deck just below the swimming pool deck. :eek: I called immediately when I read the email but they said our old cabin had already been assigned. They were able to move us to a balcony on Emerald deck which will be fine but we lost our large Caribe deck balcony (my bad for forgetting to mark it as "no upgrade"). Hope you enjoy the cruise and your new location. We plan to do the same.

[athenagirl]

I'm glad they were able to reassign you:hearteyes:. Being stuck in a cabin below the pool would've been such a downgrade. I must get you to add us in the roll call, in fact I will do that right now.

[athenagirl]

I'm glad they were able to reassign you:hearteyes:. Being stuck in a cabin below the pool would've been such a downgrade. I must get you to add us in the roll call, in fact I will do that right now.

Sorry Tom and Dianne, for some reason I thought you were in charge of the roll call. I have asked crawford to add us. It's been a crazy day!!!

[grannyp]

Wow. Sorry you are unhappy. I think my wife's favorite cabin to date was an aft-facing Caribe deck balcony. As I told her on that cruise, "We used to have to put a quarter in the bedside box to get this nice vibration." :D We have booked aft cabins on purpose. We booked an aft balcony (not aft-facing though) for 28 days last October and loved it. We had an aft-facing ocean view for 17 days in 2015 and loved it so much I have booked the same cabin for an upcoming 19 day cruise. Some folks seem to hate forward cabins and others hate aft cabins. We love them both but, of the two, prefer the aft cabins the most.

 

I sincerely hope you get your cabin issue worked out to your satisfaction. Not all people are the same and I am infinitely grateful that not all that many are like me. I'm guessing that the majority of people would also be grateful that most people aren't like me. :rolleyes: Enjoy your cruise and, if you don't get the ideal cabin, please don't let it ruin things for you. Just spend more time out of the cabin. If the aft vibration upsets your sleep just drink a few double bourbons before you go to bed and all will be well. (OK, that might not be great advice depending on who you are but it works for me. ;p)

Thrak, you always crack me up! Nicely done. :')

[geoherb]

Congrats on getting a cabin you like. I'm glad it worked out for you.

[Mary loves to travel]

Wow. Sorry you are unhappy. I think my wife's favorite cabin to date was an aft-facing Caribe deck balcony. As I told her on that cruise, "We used to have to put a quarter in the bedside box to get this nice vibration." :D We have booked aft cabins on purpose. We booked an aft balcony (not aft-facing though) for 28 days last October and loved it. We had an aft-facing ocean view for 17 days in 2015 and loved it so much I have booked the same cabin for an upcoming 19 day cruise. Some folks seem to hate forward cabins and others hate aft cabins. We love them both but, of the two, prefer the aft cabins the most.

 

 

 

I sincerely hope you get your cabin issue worked out to your satisfaction. Not all people are the same and I am infinitely grateful that not all that many are like me. I'm guessing that the majority of people would also be grateful that most people aren't like me. :rolleyes: Enjoy your cruise and, if you don't get the ideal cabin, please don't let it ruin things for you. Just spend more time out of the cabin. If the aft vibration upsets your sleep just drink a few double bourbons before you go to bed and all will be well. (OK, that might not be great advice depending on who you are but it works for me. ;p)

 

 

 

Thrak

 

How far aft on Caribe Deck do you get the vibrations? On a Grand cruise next year, we have a Caribe balcony booked that just forward of the rear elevator bank.

 

Thx

Mary

[JF - retired RRT]

I'm so glad that this has been resolved to your satisfaction. We are on the same cruise and several weeks ago Princess "upgraded" us to a balcony cabin on Aloha deck just below the swimming pool deck. :eek: I called immediately when I read the email but they said our old cabin had already been assigned. They were able to move us to a balcony on Emerald deck which will be fine but we lost our large Caribe deck balcony (my bad for forgetting to mark it as "no upgrade"). Hope you enjoy the cruise and your new location. We plan to do the same.

No upgrade doesn't necessarily work... it's a promise not an absolute. To avoid what happened to you, you can ask a Princess rep or your TA to mark your reservation "meta upgrade". That way the chances are good you'd go from a balcony to a mini or better.