?? about a guaranty balcony cabin

[Sandi149]

My husband and I are going to be booking the Carnival Miracle cruise and are thinking of doing a balcony guaranty because it will be 400 cheaper than picking out our exact cabin. My question is: would this guaranty include the 7A category obstructed view looking at the lifeboats? I really don't want that at all. When they assign the cabin do I have a choice of taking it or not? If I don't take what they pick, do they give me another choice? Also, if booking the guaranty what are the chances of being upgraded to a suite? Is that at all a possibility?

 

Thanks,

Sandi :)

[cuyahoga11]

We picked out balcony cabin for 799 each. Are you saying if I booked a guarantee balcony. I could have saved 400.00? That seems pretty cheap for a 8 night sailing

[Cruzman]

We picked out balcony cabin for 799 each. Are you saying if I booked a guarantee balcony. I could have saved 400.00? That seems pretty cheap for a 8 night sailing

Your cost ($799) can be significantly less than the cost of the same cabin on a sailing during peak season (such as holidays and summer). Having said that, when booking a guarantee, specify an 8A guarantee, which means that you will be assigned an 8A category or better (no chance of a 7A). Can you opt for a different cabin after you receive an assignment? That depends. If you get assigned, say, about 6 weeks out, and assuming there

still are an adequate # of cabins remaining unsold, you can contact your TA or PVP and request a change. You may or may not be successful, but a ggod TA in that situation would likely prevail on your behalf. In reality, however, you may not even be informed as to your cabin assignment until you get to the pier. In that case, you won't have any options but to proceed to your cabin, lol. Bottom line, be reasonably certain that you will be happy with any cabin in your guarantee category; upgrades are possible, but may not happen.

[habby]

My husband and I are going to be booking the Carnival Miracle cruise and are thinking of doing a balcony guaranty because it will be 400 cheaper than picking out our exact cabin. My question is: would this guaranty include the 7A category obstructed view looking at the lifeboats? I really don't want that at all. When they assign the cabin do I have a choice of taking it or not? If I don't take what they pick, do they give me another choice? Also, if booking the guaranty what are the chances of being upgraded to a suite? Is that at all a possibility?

 

Thanks,

Sandi :)

 

Yes, the guarantee would include the possibility of a 7A obstructed view, although those may be given to passengers who book a balcony guarantee at the last minute. (That's how I would handle it)

 

I don't know if you have a choice of taking the assigned cabin or not. If that were the case, you'd have to talk to whoever you booked the cruise through. Same as if you don't take what they pick.

 

Upgrades have no rhyme or reason. They just happen.

[cuyahoga11]

Thanks for the info Cruzman. I think I will continue to pick the cabin I want, then there will be no surprizes (you could get lucky but you could also get unlucky)

[Bruin Steve]

I booked a Balcony Guarantee for my 7/7/7 Liberty cruise and it's an "8A" Guarantee...

Of course, there are no "7s" on the Liberty...Only the Miracle and its sister ships even have those 7s...

 

Having never been on one of those ships myself, my question would be: Aren't those lifeboats really BELOW the level of your balcony? If so, I wouldn't bother worrying about it...You still have a balcony to sit out on and enjoy...you still have that open feeling in your cabin...You still can look OUT over the water...and look at all the money you save...

[SmooCruise]

When we booked our balcony guarantee we booked it for an "unobstructed view balcony". I'm not sure of the price differential between just booking balcony guarantee and unobstructed view balcony, but I wanted to make sure we weren't looking at lifeboats. Ask your booking agent about this...

[Sashalanda]

Or could look at it this way, with life boats beneath your balcony...woohoo first to jump in a boat lol. Well hehe that would be my thought :p

[Cholly]

We booked an balcony guarantee for our 12/2/06 cruise. We got our rooms assignment last week. We then called our TA and asked him if he could get move our rooms so we were closer to some friends who were going and he was able to do that. We booked 8A or better and recieved 8A. Which is fine with me.

[Sandi149]

As long as I don't get that obstructed view I will be ok with it.:)

[renza]

If you book a balcony guarantee room thats what you get. You can not get an obstucted view. I have been on carnival 4 times and every time I get upgraded to a higher deck. There are no life boats on balcony floors either. I am traveling on the liberty in Feb. and already got my room. Went from a 8A guarantee and now get a 8 E room on Panorama deck. So I never chose a room and I am always happy with my upgrade. BUT AGAIN U CAN NEVER GET A OBSTRCTION VIEW WITH A BALCONY ROOM QUARANTEE.

[gypsyrose]

I always save the $ and book a balcony guarantee. Never been lucky enough to get a suite but love every room I have been in. On next years cruise, our PVP assigned us a room during a sale that upgraded us to the panorama deck. So we have an assigned room almost 200 days out. And I have always verified when booking a guarantee that I will not have an obstructed view. So, look for the sales and you can upgrade to a higher deck for free:)

[Sandi149]

If you book a balcony guarantee room thats what you get. You can not get an obstucted view. I have been on carnival 4 times and every time I get upgraded to a higher deck. There are no life boats on balcony floors either. I am traveling on the liberty in Feb. and already got my room. Went from a 8A guarantee and now get a 8 E room on Panorama deck. So I never chose a room and I am always happy with my upgrade. BUT AGAIN U CAN NEVER GET A OBSTRCTION VIEW WITH A BALCONY ROOM QUARANTEE.

 

Ok great thanks.....then I think we will definitely book the guaranty balcony room.

[Sandi149]

If you book a balcony guarantee room thats what you get. You can not get an obstucted view. I have been on carnival 4 times and every time I get upgraded to a higher deck. There are no life boats on balcony floors either. I am traveling on the liberty in Feb. and already got my room. Went from a 8A guarantee and now get a 8 E room on Panorama deck. So I never chose a room and I am always happy with my upgrade. BUT AGAIN U CAN NEVER GET A OBSTRCTION VIEW WITH A BALCONY ROOM QUARANTEE.

 

renza: actually just looked on the carnival website and made believe that I was actually booking the bal. guaranty and I can get the obstructed view. This is what it said:

 

Includes stateroom categories: Standard Balcony 8A, 8B, 8D, 8F and 8H Extended Balcony 8C, 8E, 8G and 8I Balcony Stateroom (obstructed view) 7A.

 

If that is the case, I won't book the guaranty because I DEFINITELY don't want an obstructed view. What's the point, if you have to look at a lifeboat.

[momofzeke]

Sandi, have you checked what the price is for an 8A balcony guarantee? I think the only obstructed view balcony is 7A. If you book an 8A guarantee, then you will get at least an 8A or higher. That is different than just booking a "balcony guarantee" where you might be assigned to a 7A. Price should be lower than booking a specific cabin.

 

Have fun on your cruise! :)

[gypsyrose]

Sandi, can you wait until the next sale and book the guarantee with the free upgrade? That way you will already have an assigned cabin at the lower price?

[SmooCruise]

If you book a balcony guarantee room thats what you get. You can not get an obstucted view. I have been on carnival 4 times and every time I get upgraded to a higher deck. There are no life boats on balcony floors either. I am traveling on the liberty in Feb. and already got my room. Went from a 8A guarantee and now get a 8 E room on Panorama deck. So I never chose a room and I am always happy with my upgrade. BUT AGAIN U CAN NEVER GET A OBSTRCTION VIEW WITH A BALCONY ROOM QUARANTEE.

 

I beg to differ with you. My ex had a balcony....WITH an obstructed view. He only booked balcony guarantee. Which is why I made sure my booking was for an UNOBSTRUCTED view. There ARE balconies with obstructed views. Your view looking out across the water is ok. But looking down you look into a lifeboat. So yes....you CAN get an obstructed view with a balcony guarantee. Which is why if you want to be sure you get an unobstructed view that you state that when you book.

[VentureMan_2000]

Sandi, can you wait until the next sale and book the guarantee with the free upgrade? That way you will already have an assigned cabin at the lower price?

 

 

Every upgrade sale I have seen excluded the lowest Gty categories, except for some past guest specials.

 

Are you a past guest...?

[flczr]

We were told by our PVD that we are assured a balocny cabin no lifeboats in the way. But, our freinds who have an ocean view cabin would risk the lifeboat view if they get an up grade.

[GeekyMom]

When I booked my guaranteed balcony, I was told that it would not be obstructed based on the level of the deck that they had left available. I was told that the cabins were then all above the level of the cabins with obstructed view.

 

When I got my documents last week I had been upgraded twice with a balcony with an non obstructed view.

[Mugga]

I have sailed with an 8a Guarantee twice. I was given a deck 9 cabin to Mexico and a Deck 8 Cabin to Alaska.

We spend very little time in our cabin but I do like to have breakfast on the balcony. It would not bother me to have a lifeboat below me.

I think the savings for the guarantee warrants the chance of a less desirable location but I have never gotten one.

It is a very personal decision based on what you are looking for in your cruise. If it's all about the cabin then book the cabin.

IMO the balcony view is much more important in Alaska than Mexico but as long as I have some view I am happy.

If you notice some of the posters that have a zillion cruises listed it is probably because they book the absolute cheapest cabin they can, just to be on a ship.

They book two insides a year instead of one balcony or suite a year.

Again just a personal choice.:D