Booking Specific room vs Guaranteed room and tips

[kywildcatfanone]

Folks,

 

I just found Cruise Critic, and am looking forward to reading about everyone's adventures and tips. We went on the Caribbean Princess over Thanksgiving week, having only booked 10 days before, and had a wonderful time for a first cruise. We are planning another over spring break, and I am looking for good deals. Anyway, I have searched various web sites and most of them offer you to book a specific room or guarantee a room at that level without specifying. Which is better, or does it matter? Some sites say that you might get an upgrade if you select a guaranteed room, does that apply if you book a specific room?

Also, on the CB, we booked their cheapest room, but were booked on Lido deck, which my wife loved. However that is the most expensive interior room deck, and I really don't want to pay that much if possible. Did I just get lucky on my thanksgiving cruise? Just looking for booking tips! Thanks so much!

[cruisinsuzan]

... you like and will be dissapointed if you don't end up with that, then bite the bullet and pay for that category. If you are a gambling sort of fellow or gal, then book the gty. and see what happens. There are no guarantees of an upgrade on a guarantee, though often you may get a category or two upgrade.

[Nanatravel]

This is often a personal choice matter. You said you booked late, choose inside and "cheap" price is important to you. Inside cabins on newly built ships most often are the same exact size, it is just location that makes for a higher price. Thus, go for the guarantee cabin. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule especially with cruise ship cabins. A rule of thumb, is to book the lowest category where you would be content/happy for a week. Your service, food, shows and itinerary will be exactly the same. Check numerous (3 at least) agencies including web based for rate quotes. Make sure you are always comparing the same data; ship, sailing date and category of cabin/guarantee. Make sure they break out the Port fees and taxes also. I have seen quotes including them and port fees could be quoted higher! Buyer be aware. Princess is very good for upgrades on guarantee cabins. Watch that you avoid School break vacation weeks; Presidents week especially as there will be 700-1000 kids.

 

Bon Voyage

Nanatravel

[2boyzmom]

To Princess Regulars- we are thinking of booking a VF guarantee quad cabin on the Noordam President's week 2008. The availabilty of quad cabins is ridiculously low on this ship. So- if I book this- do you think it may be possible to be bumped up to something really great like a suite? My theory is there will be tons of kids on board so all the quads will fill up fast so they'll need my measly VF cabin .......

[Toto2Kansas]

To Princess Regulars- we are thinking of booking a VF guarantee quad cabin on the Noordam President's week 2008. The availabilty of quad cabins is ridiculously low on this ship. So- if I book this- do you think it may be possible to be bumped up to something really great like a suite? My theory is there will be tons of kids on board so all the quads will fill up fast so they'll need my measly VF cabin .......

 

You might pop over to the HAL board for this question since the Noordam is not a Princess ship.

Best of luck!

[Baseball fan]

Here is my take on guarantees. If you don't care specifically what cabin you get, than a guarantee may work for you. I booked the Diamond Princess in June for a January sailing (balcony guarantee). About one month after booking we had a cabin assignment (balcony, higher deck). Shortly before our final payment was due, we rebooked because the price dropped by approx $100 per person. Realizing we would most likely lose that cabin, we didn't care because all we wanted was a balcony and saving the $100 per person. About a month before sailing we received our cabin assignment (one deck down from the original). I was fine with that. Well 4 days before we sail, they upgraded us to a mini-suite.

 

I realize this isn't necessarily the norm but all I wanted was a balcony, so we took our chance on a guarantee.

 

I would think either way you go, will not make or break the cruise. As others have recommended, just book the lowest possible type of cabin you would be happy with and go with it.

[Blackrobe]

The advice thus far has been good but I have one other point you should consider. Virtually every class of cabin has at least one stinker room. It may be an obstructed view. It may be a beam running through the entire room. It may be a room with the band above and a noisy piece of equipment below. It may be a room with fixed beds. The cruise line cannot put you in a room lower than the class that you book when you book a guarantee unless you agree to such a downgrade. However, they can put you in one of the stinker rooms at the grade you booked or any higher grade. They are perfectly within their contractual rights to do so since you have booked whatever cabin the cruiseline gives you in that category or higher.

 

I have booked guarantees. I got a stinker of a cabin several times and decided that my vacation time and money were too important to take a crap shoot on a cabin.

 

By the way, upgrades are normally related to the price paid for the cabin. You may move one, two or three categories but you would more likely be struck by lightening than go from a low grade interior cabin to a balcony or higher.

[Toto2Kansas]

The advice thus far has been good but I have one other point you should consider. Virtually every class of cabin has at least one stinker room. It may be an obstructed view. It may be a beam running through the entire room. It may be a room with the band above and a noisy piece of equipment below. It may be a room with fixed beds. The cruise line cannot put you in a room lower than the class that you book when you book a guarantee unless you agree to such a downgrade. However, they can put you in one of the stinker rooms at the grade you booked or any higher grade. They are perfectly within their contractual rights to do so since you have booked whatever cabin the cruiseline gives you in that category or higher.

 

I have booked guarantees. I got a stinker of a cabin several times and decided that my vacation time and money were too important to take a crap shoot on a cabin.

 

By the way, upgrades are normally related to the price paid for the cabin. You may move one, two or three categories but you would more likely be struck by lightening than go from a low grade interior cabin to a balcony or higher.

 

Definitely a very true post. Only booked a guarantee one time and got lucky. Decided not to push it as the next time we might not be so lucky.

[Pam in CA]

I've booked GTY a couple of times and been happy with the cabin I got. I'd booked the GTYs because they were the only cabins left in the category I wanted. However, it's a crapshoot. I don't think there's any economic difference on Princess between booking a GTY vs. a specific cabin unless you're "hoping" to be upgraded, which you may or may not be.

 

If you've found a deal for a cabin category you want in a location you like, book the specific cabin. If where you are on the ship, fore, aft, mid, higher, lower, etc. doesn't matter to you, then book a GTY. There is a chance you'll be upgraded but don't count on it.

[Psee]

Folks,

 

I just found Cruise Critic, and am looking forward to reading about everyone's adventures and tips. We went on the Caribbean Princess over Thanksgiving week, having only booked 10 days before, and had a wonderful time for a first cruise. We are planning another over spring break, and I am looking for good deals. Anyway, I have searched various web sites and most of them offer you to book a specific room or guarantee a room at that level without specifying. Which is better, or does it matter? Some sites say that you might get an upgrade if you select a guaranteed room, does that apply if you book a specific room?

Also, on the CB, we booked their cheapest room, but were booked on Lido deck, which my wife loved. However that is the most expensive interior room deck, and I really don't want to pay that much if possible. Did I just get lucky on my thanksgiving cruise? Just looking for booking tips! Thanks so much!

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic (and Princess)!

 

Princess' guarantee policy seems to favor first time cruisers so I would count your blessings on your CB upgrade and book your preferred cabin in the future. We were upgraded on our first Princess guarantee and have never been upgraded since. There's a lot of factors involved but to be safe I'd go with a confirmed cabin. :cool:

[CFD130]

Anybody know of any stinker balcony cabins on Crown?