Please share your experience with guarantee rooms?

[RalieghRanier]

First cruise since childhood and because of my lack of a preference for location, I decided to go with a guarantee balcony room on the carnival horizon. Just curious what everyone’s experiences are with this class of cabin? Have you had completely obstructed balconies? I was told by the booking agent “almost all of the views are great” but, he’s also paid to book cruises. Anyway, please share your experiences. Thank you!!

[Joe817]

3 minutes ago, RalieghRanier said:

First cruise since childhood and because of my lack of a preference for location, I decided to go with a guarantee balcony room on the carnival horizon. Just curious what everyone’s experiences are with this class of cabin? Have you had completely obstructed balconies? I was told by the booking agent “almost all of the views are great” but, he’s also paid to book cruises. Anyway, please share your experiences. Thank you!!

Welcome to the Carnival Cruise Critic forum RR! Glad to have you with us. There's a wealth of information on these boards, and a lot of good people who are willing to share their experiences.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with a guaranteed cabin since you haven't sailed in such a long time. I say that with a caveat. You will be getting a cabin that is not as desirable as the others. That's why you are getting such a good deal.   We took a GTY cabin on our first cruise. Our only requirement was that it be a balcony. We were given a COVE balcony. And we absolutely fell in love with it! So much so we booked another cove balcony for our upcoming cruise on the Vista. I wish you luck and happy sailing! 

[RalieghRanier]

Thank you so much, Joe!!!!

[5000]

Depends on how crowded the cruise is.  We had a gtd balcony on our very first cruise on Glory years ago.  It was right below where they stack all the chairs on the Lido deck... so at about 6:30 am we had about 30 minutes of dragging and scraping right over our heads... but we didn't know the difference!  Have Fun

[sgttami]

I've done OK

The best I ever got was booking a balcony guarantee and got an Owner's Suite.

Another time on a last minute cruise I booked an inside guarantee and got a regular balcony.

Booked  another balcony guarantee and got a regular one. mid ship deck 8 

You never know!

 

[ninjacat123]

Good to know!  Thx for posting this question!

[RalieghRanier]

Thank you to everyone for the info, everything helps! 

[leen50]

We had a balcony on the Vista (Horizon's sister). I believe deck 5 Starboard is the smoking area. If your balcony is over it, the smoke may waft up. Other than that, we have enjoyed our guarantee cabins.

[tm_aw_love]

Depending on the category it could be luck of the draw... did it for an interior once and it assigned my wife (then fiancé) and I a room where the beds couldn't be put together. Needless to say, I got that changed real quick. 

[Moviela]

I will roll the dice once in any casino. I have never booked a guarantee in the past because the difference in price was almost nothing. I find myself in Orlando next year, so I booked a cabin on Mardi Gras. My cost is only the taxes @ 233.48 for the TBA cabin. To pick my own cabin would have been $550. more. The selection of pick your own rooms was rather paltry, so I will save the money, and be delighted to sail in what I am dealt.  I am inclined to not do it again, though.

[firefly333]

I've only done IS gty. I got 2 not so good, under the kitchen and a quad on a older ship that had the rails out from the walls.

 

The best was a cabin on deck 9 I liked.

 

Never outside the category I booked or a upgrade like above.

[cruise to live]

I booked a guarantee for the Horizon Sept.18.  They put me on 6 forward.  Only bad thing is that it is a connecting room.  I don't mind, but I come in late and get up early.  Both times I like to put the TV on.  I don't know how it will effect the people in the connecting room.

[candasun]

DH and I are booked on a guarantee balcony under a casino deal this november. On my cruise manager it says 2 twin beds and will not let me edit it. Should I be worried or just wait and see what room is assigned right before the cruise? Sorry to hijack but this is a first time booking a guarantee cabin for us as well.

 

[wemjam]

We have had mixed luck as well.  Sometimes good and really like our location and the room assignment (one we could have picked ourselves if selecting the room).  Other times not so good.  Same as another poster right under the Lido deck with chairs and tables dragging across the floor.  Another one we were right over the kitchen and while there was no noise, the smells in our room were overwhelming!  At times we though we were in an onion and garlic factory, and some other funky smells I couldn't even identify.

 

As another poster indicated, they basically divide up whatever rooms are left that were not specifically picked by guests, and mostly this will be the rooms others know to avoid for one reason or another.

 

This is why the only time we do Guaranteed room is on short cruises, what we call our down and dirty.  Decide last minute to get away for 3 or 4 days as cheap as possible for cruise and air.

[Bxmt54]

2 hours ago, Moviela said:

I will roll the dice once in any casino. I have never booked a guarantee in the past because the difference in price was almost nothing. I find myself in Orlando next year, so I booked a cabin on Mardi Gras. My cost is only the taxes @ 233.48 for the TBA cabin. To pick my own cabin would have been $550. more. The selection of pick your own rooms was rather paltry, so I will save the money, and be delighted to sail in what I am dealt.  I am inclined to not do it again, though.

Are you saying the cabin was free and all you had to pay were the taxes?  I’ve never heard of a deal

that good!

[skrufy]

Have only done one guaranteed balcony rear of the ship and it turned out great. Had an OV wife decided to change to a balcony on the Miracle to Alaska. I was concerned that spending money on a blocked view  but the obstruction was a life boat midship. Had a great view.

[Banditswife]

We did a gty ocean view on the Vista in 2019.  Horrible outcome.  On deck 2 if I remember correctly--lifeboats fully covered the window & very little natural light got in around the life boat.  It was not that much cheaper than picking our own OV, would have been a lot less $$ to book an inside, which is what it truly was.

[audcc77]

2 hours ago, Bxmt54 said:

Are you saying the cabin was free and all you had to pay were the taxes?  I’ve never heard of a deal

that good!

Yes.

 

I’ll jump in here.  
 

They are found in your profile “offers”.  They come from the casino. 
 

I have never received any freebies until a few months ago.

I now have several options for free insides … 3 or 4 days all the way up to 8 days sailing from Galveston.  

 

I only play slots and not a lot really.  

[MistyRo76]

When I first started cruising, we almost always booked guarantee cabins. We usually got upgraded within the cabin type we booked (interior to a higher deck interior, etc.). But once, on the Fascination, we booked an Oceanview guarantee. My travelmate was claustrophobic and wanted to be able to see outside. When we arrived to the ship and got our cabin assignment, I pulled out my Carnival brochure magazine (I'm really dating myself - this was pre-online check-in, when you used to get the Blue little packet of documents mailed to you! LOL) and looked at the ship's deckplans. I couldn't believe it....we had been assigned an Grand Penthouse Suite! I was sure it was a mistake and was waiting for someone to come let us know we were give the wrong info. But that never happened and we enjoyed the heck out of that Suite for four lovely days! 

[TravelBluebird]

3 hours ago, candasun said:

DH and I are booked on a guarantee balcony under a casino deal this november. On my cruise manager it says 2 twin beds and will not let me edit it. Should I be worried or just wait and see what room is assigned right before the cruise? Sorry to hijack but this is a first time booking a guarantee cabin for us as well.

 

This exact thing has happened to us with a guarantee balcony under a casino deal for next April!  I cannot change 2 twin beds and also no place to edit it. It’s a long cruise (14 days) and DH and I will be mighty grumpy if we end up in 2 twin beds that cannot be re-arranged into a King.

[hurricane0226]

6 minutes ago, TravelBluebird said:

 

This exact thing has happened to us with a guarantee balcony under a casino deal for next April!  I cannot change 2 twin beds and also no place to edit it. It’s a long cruise (14 days) and DH and I will be mighty grumpy if we end up in 2 twin beds that cannot be re-arranged into a King.

We had a TBA room with the twin beds, and unable to edit, it was a oceanview, but today, received an email with a balcony room on the spa deck on the Magic in two weeks, so it worked out, I was so concerned because we had not heard anything since they had changed the Elation to the Magic. 

[Joe817]

7 minutes ago, TravelBluebird said:

 

This exact thing has happened to us with a guarantee balcony under a casino deal for next April!  I cannot change 2 twin beds and also no place to edit it. It’s a long cruise (14 days) and DH and I will be mighty grumpy if we end up in 2 twin beds that cannot be re-arranged into a King.

I wouldn't worry too much though. We requested twin beds on our guaranteed balcony, which turned out to be a cove balcony. And when we got into the cabin it was a king sized bed, no less. And omg! Those beds are heavenly! I'm sure a quick call to your steward(make sure you get his business card. They all have them), and request you'd like a king size set up...not twins. I'll bet they can accommodate you. Good luck!  

[kitten816]

how far in advance will you know your room?

[Moviela]

16 minutes ago, kitten816 said:

how far in advance will you know your room?

I have read anytime up to once on board. I could wait until after dinner if it was for a penthouse. I compare it to buying a lotto ticket. The time between buying the ticket and the drawing you can have the most wonderful dreams. I'll dream of a penthouse, but probably get a cabin next to the anchor chain or the fog horn. I have already told myself to be happy, I'll be cruising the Caribbean, is life any better?

Edited July 22, 2021 by Moviela

[mondello]

9 hours ago, candasun said:

DH and I are booked on a guarantee balcony under a casino deal this november. On my cruise manager it says 2 twin beds and will not let me edit it. Should I be worried or just wait and see what room is assigned right before the cruise? Sorry to hijack but this is a first time booking a guarantee cabin for us as well.

 

I wouldn't worry about it until you get onboard. Your room steward can move the beds, if necessary. You can double check your booking order before the cruise but sometimes it seems you can't fix it.

Edited July 22, 2021 by mondello
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