What kind of cabin did you end up with after booking a guarantee?

[jonthomas]

doesnt seem like deja vu to me...or I would not have posted the topic...

 

if it IS to any of you , please just ignore....

[pinotlover]

1 hour ago, jonthomas said:

doesnt seem like deja vu to me...or I would not have posted the topic...

 

if it IS to any of you , please just ignore....

I think he meant some posted the exact postings from earlier that were incorrect. It wasn’t about You! 😂

[Snaefell3]

5 hours ago, EJL2023 said:

I’d say it may depend  in which category you are doing it in.  So not always true. We did GTY on Vista for a B1.   We ended up with stateroom 8071.   I’d take that stateroom any time. 

To clarify...  You got 8071 because no one else wanted it on that voyage -- perhaps after upgrades and upsells, but in the end no one chose it.

[EJL2023]

3 minutes ago, Snaefell3 said:

To clarify...  You got 8071 because no one else wanted it on that voyage -- perhaps after upgrades and upsells, but in the end no one chose it.

Or I kept on top of the situation and was able to select it before someone else did. 

[Snaefell3]

1 minute ago, EJL2023 said:

Or I kept on top of the situation and was able to select it before someone else did. 

Huh?   Then it wasn't a GTY anymore...?

[EJL2023]

Just now, Snaefell3 said:

Huh?   Then it wasn't a GTY anymore...?

I guess you didn’t read my prior post. 

[Snaefell3]

1 hour ago, EJL2023 said:

I guess you didn’t read my prior post. 

Did, but between #5 and #22 lost track that both were yours.  I took "We ended up with stateroom 8071" as meaning that 8071 was GTY-assigned.   Glad it went well for you.

[Sthrngary]

This thread kind of went away from the OP's question.  "What did your guarantee end up with?" (Paraphrased).

 

On the other threat on this topic, many folks commented that got a small upgrade (PH3 to PH1), other got an obstructed view, others got the same category that their guarantee was purchased on. Most said that the assignment was the week before the sailing or even the day before.  One person said a week before the final payment was due.  

 

Although there are a lot of opinions on how to handle a guarantee stateroom on Oceania, being ok with the worst stateroom in your category was the wisest opinion. Since on Oceania, booking a Guarantee does NOT give you a price advantage, many say it is foolish.  The idea becomes a bit more appealing when you book a 4-Catigory upgrade to a Guarantee for best value.  You could still get the Worst Stateroom in that category and have no recourse or just what the luck draws. 

 

Reading this and other topics on Guarantee's give those folks that booked it, some other options that have been stated many times by frequent Oceania Cruises.  First, as the 90 days point when full payment is dues and real heavy penalties kick in, some folks cancel their reservations.  You could call Oceania and see what the cost would be to get one of those now open staterooms.  Second, after final payment, see if any staterooms open up and do the same as option one.  The timing of after Oceania has their final payment may offer new opportunities. Any brand want to finalize their paid staterooms and can't know what the final result could be without requiring final payment.  Third, just let it happen normally and remember, we all agreed for the worst stateroom in that category.  All of our hopes are for a modest upgrade but we knew the deal when we did it. 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

 

 

[jonthomas]

Thank you for the above.

We are approx 40  days away from our sailing on Regatta. 

We are on the previous sailing in a mid ship balcony.

I added this one as an inside guarantee when the extraordinary sale came out.

After that the ship quickly filled up.

I am not looking forward to having to pack up and switch cabins but knew that going in.

The only hope is that the inside that we get, will be somewhat mid ship.

Has anyone else ever booked an inside guarantee?

[willidc]

We have had three GTY bookings.

 

The first was on the third sailing of Riviera in 2012.  We were GTY Oceanview.  We were nervous and made several calls to Oceania since we had to leave for the airport and still did not have a cabin number.  When we got to the dock, they looked up our name and gave us the cabin number 10105.  Told them there must be some mistake since we had Oceanview GTY, but they tagged our bags with the Concierge cabin number and we boarded the ship.  

 

Second time, we ended up about two months prior to sailing with the same category we had booked.  But as previous posters point out, we were very happy to just be on the sailing.

 

Most recently was November 2022 on a MidEast sailing that was full with a backlog of people who had been cancelled during pandemic.  We cleared the GTY into cabin 7000 on Nautica which had a balcony with no roof.  Great if you want direct sunlight with lots of motion facing forward, but it was not the cabin we would have chosen.  We watched the booking daily until we saw another cabin open up in the same category in a location more to our liking and called immediately to have it changed.  So, the GTY got us on the ship so we could plan, but persistence paid off in moving to a more desirable location.  

 

My point is, we have had three GTY bookings with three different outcomes.  But all were happy endings.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

[jonthomas]

Its good to hear that happy endings are possible.

 

I am not stressing over it. It will be what it will be. It is only a seven day cruise. We will manage. 

[willidc]

17 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

Thank you for the above.

We are approx 40  days away from our sailing on Regatta. 

We are on the previous sailing in a mid ship balcony.

I added this one as an inside guarantee when the extraordinary sale came out.

After that the ship quickly filled up.

I am not looking forward to having to pack up and switch cabins but knew that going in.

The only hope is that the inside that we get, will be somewhat mid ship.

Has anyone else ever booked an inside guarantee?

Not related to a GTY booking, but we did do a BTB sailing once where we had to change cabins.  On turn around day, the cabin stewards do essentially everything for you.  The take anything hanging in closets and carry to new room, drawers do not need to be emptied since they merely switched drawers.  The did ask us to pack our bathroom items into either a carry on for transport to the new room.  But this was pre Covid, so things may have changed.  It is worth it to ask.

 

LOL, we thought we would help the cabin attendants since they are so busy on turn around day, but they said they were not permitted to let us help.  We don't know if that is still the procedure.

 

As far as the Insides go, on Regatta the only cabins that may have motion for you are 7002, 7003,  6010, 6011.  We had 7002 on Insignia for a sailing from Sydney to Papeete with quite a bit of wind. Motion typically does not bother us at all, but if I wanted to read or use my ipad/iphone, I needed to go down to Deck 4 since staying in 7002 doing those activities made me a bit queasy.  No problems ever in any other Insides on Deck 7.  If we book Inside we book Deck 7 since it is close to laundry.  We have been right next to laundry and have not been bothered by noise or traffic.  We are usually up before laundry opens in the morning and at night the laundry closes at 10 PM.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[jonthomas]

Believe it or not, we are travelling with carry ons. Our Air Canada is still losing luggage and is very unreliable. Yes for a 20 day cruise we are doing a carry on. Have done it before to Europe, so it IS doable.

We will pack up our own. Hope they dont mind.

 

the last cabin available when I kept checking was 7002, We will probably get that, but we will be on the ship sept 7, this sailing is on the 20, so while on the ship, if we do get 7002, we will keep asking for anything else, to minimize motion.

 

thank you for your comments. 

[LHT28]

5 hours ago, jonthomas said:

the last cabin available when I kept checking was 7002, We will probably get that, but we will be on the ship sept 7, this sailing is on the 20, so while on the ship, if we do get 7002, we will keep asking for anything else, to minimize motion.

 

thank you for your comments. 

Or they will move someone  there & you may end up in  a C 

It does not have to show available   for you to be moved 

Chances of moving from an inside to Concierge    is slim on a full ship but you never know

 Happy sailing

[aussietwo]

As of now, I can see a USA site showing there is Oceanview availability on that cruise for USD1849 which includes O’Life choice.  If that is of interest, I suggest you contact your TA  to ask for a price to upgrade your booking.  

Edited August 7, 2023 by aussietwo

[jonthomas]

Wow, the O site here shows the whole ship as waitlisted.

 

Will contact the agent.

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, aussietwo said:

As of now, I can see a USA site showing there is Oceanview availability on that cruise for USD1849 which includes O’Life choice.  If that is of interest, I suggest you contact your TA  to ask for a price to upgrade your booking.  

Maybe not updated  as O life is no longer an option

 

[aussietwo]

Interesting observation - I just went on to check availability for September for all Oceania ships.  Every cruise was showing fully wait listed.  The other thing O’Life was showing for all September cruises so perhaps any cabins that become available may be able to still choose O’Life.   Only cruises from October 1 could choose to change to Simply More.  

[LHT28]

9 minutes ago, aussietwo said:

Interesting observation - I just went on to check availability for September for all Oceania ships.  Every cruise was showing fully wait listed.  The other thing O’Life was showing for all September cruises so perhaps any cabins that become available may be able to still choose O’Life.   Only cruises from October 1 could choose to change to Simply More.  

As of  July 1st  all new bookings are SM

[jonthomas]

yes all sites show as only waitlisted...

 

we will wait for the surprise and will report back as to what we ended up with....

 

that will give others some guidance in booking guarantees...

[LHT28]

Just  do not book GTY  if you do not like surprises

 If you do not care about  what cabin or location  then a GTY will work out  for most people

JMO

[Sthrngary]

30 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

yes all sites show as only waitlisted...

 

we will wait for the surprise and will report back as to what we ended up with....

 

that will give others some guidance in booking guarantees...

@jonthomas I have read many of your posts on lots of subjects.  It is clear that this is NOT your first rodeo.  I obviously am interested in your results because selfishly, I still have one (1) Guarantee Stateroom for my guest that I am controlling for a November 9, 2023 Riviera Cruise.  The topic of Stateroom Guarantee's is the same intense debate as topics like "Simply More" or to use "Oceania Air Fare" or not. Lots of very strong opinions all valid and all usually based on some level of fact/experience.  

 

I think you and I are basically on the same page.  We hope for the BEST, understand the RISKS and will NOT complain to other live or online if we get a stateroom that is NOT ideal.  We will not allow it to effect our cruise experience because we made a business decision based on knowing the Potential outcomes.  

 

I am also very carefully watching the "Waitlists", occasional staterooms that open up, and how quickly they go away.  We both know that if a online guest goes to the Oceania website chooses a stateroom as a mock booking, that inventory disappears for a bit and then reappears if not confirmed.  

 

Your original op-ed simply asked for folks that gained a assignment from a Guarantee.  At no time did you ask for advice on if you made the right decision or not.  As I said, not your first rodeo nor mine.  Here is what my hope is for YOU.  I hope you get what you are hoping for.  I hope you get even a better stateroom than you thought you would get.  Stranger things have happened and with a fully waitlisted cruise, the available pool of staterooms is random (Based on Cancelations not current availability) not based on as some say, the worst stateroom in your guarantee category.  So live with a positive attitude knowing that you have a good shot at success.  However with the understanding you are clear as a bell on the strategy you took and why.  

 

"Live is a glass half filled with Vodka!!"

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[jonthomas]

Yes, over 50 cruises, in about 30 years, although only 5 with O, after September it will be 7.

Definitely know what it's all about but still relatively new to O.

Will be very happy with a somewhat mid ship inside.

If not yet assigned when we get on board, Sept 7, we will be able to check while on the ship what they have for us for Sept 20. I think it is an advantage to be on the ship and be able to do that.

I realize that it is Head office that controls the assignments and not the management on the ship. 

We have never been on a ship not knowing what the stateroom would be for the following sailing, should be interesting. 

[cruiserchuck]

4 hours ago, LHT28 said:

As of  July 1st  all new bookings are SM

Oceania’s website is showing O Life for September cruises.  I assume this is because SM does not start until October 1.  

[mauibabes]

@Sthrngary@jonthomas

We wish you both the best of luck on your Stateroom locations and eventual level.  Definitely can be a crap shoot. We have booked GTY before but never made it past FP before we had a specific booked room. 
I think a lot of DIY ers on CC can get hung out on the GTY but in the future, try to find a well connected TA (Connoisseur Club at a min.) because they are normally able to pull that rabbit out of a hat very early in the process and rid you of the anxiety and angst that goes with unknowing.  
I know Gary has been working with a TA, hence that great move up to the Oceania Suite (we absolutely loved our cruise in one years ago as we had a number of friends cruising with us so we became party central and we ALL enjoyed ourselves). 
Good luck as you approach your sailing date and make sure you find that amazing TA. I know a lot of folks like to chat about their “Deals” from their TA but a deal on a cruise that is not enjoyable due to accommodations is NOT a deal in my book, JMHO. BUT I do have to say, I have picked a “CLUNKER” of a location 🤬 before but that is on me. Riviera 11065 🤬 NOISY and DW was in tears and we know, “Happy wife, happy life”. .

Again, enjoy your cruises.

Mauibabes