GUAR Balcony upgrades?

[vacruizer]

For those who are new to Carnival, it's helpful to know that Carnival's cabin categories are really simple. Although there are a few "odd" cabins to fit in around a stairwell or something, virtually all of the 8a-8whatever balcony cabins are identical; only the deck is different. So id you book a balcony guarantee, you are assured a cabin of a certain size and, unless you get the rare upgrade to a suite, the size of your cabin will not change. I think it makes it really easy to be pretty comfortable with a guarantee.

 

Spirit class ships also have extended balcony rooms with bigger balconies. I think they're the B,D,F and I categories.

[ilovethesun]

I'm just starting to investigate the gty thing and there's one thing I'm wondering about. I've heard people say to book when Carnival has a one day sale and you can get an automatic upgrade. Does this mean that you will be able to pick your room if you book an 8A gty? Also, does this mean that your potential to be upgraded after that is less than if you just stuck with the gty and didn't take Carnival up on their sale?

[mueller74us]

Did you book an 8D guarantee and you got upgraded to a category 11? Or, did you just get the upgrade "just because"?

 

 

a guarantee

[firefly333]

I'm just starting to investigate the gty thing and there's one thing I'm wondering about. I've heard people say to book when Carnival has a one day sale and you can get an automatic upgrade. Does this mean that you will be able to pick your room if you book an 8A gty? Also, does this mean that your potential to be upgraded after that is less than if you just stuck with the gty and didn't take Carnival up on their sale?

 

What it means is they are the same price only if the 8A and the balcony guarantee are the same price. If the guarantee is cheaper than the 8A, then it will not be the same price to get the free upgrade. i.e. you have to pay for the 8A to get the "free" upgrade, so it rarely works out to actually be free.

[sallyb]

Using a PVP, I have twice been given the upgrade to the deck and cabin of my choice for the price of a guarantee during a sale for past passengers.;)

[ilovethesun]

Sally, does this mean that once you pick your cabin you are going to stay there or do you still have the potential to be upgraded?

[sallyb]

Unless Carnival wants to move me for some reason, that is the cabin I will get. I got an aft for my upcoming Legend cruise for a balcony guarantee price, the exact one I wanted.

[ilovethesun]

You were able to book an aft at a gty price through your PVP? What category is that? I would love an aft! Thanks so much for answering my questions. You've been really helpful!

[sallyb]

ilovethesun,

The last sale they had, my PVP called and told me I could have an aft cabin and the price was the price on Carnival's website for a balcony guarantee. It's not a wrap, but I got to choose the deck and my preference to be right next to the wrap. I have also gotten large balconies with an L shaped room this way. I guess it pays to have a good PVP and to be a past guest.:cool:

[ilovethesun]

SO many questions... I know! But how do you get such a great PVP? In the past I've booked with a travel agent to take advantage of discover cash back but you can't do a guarantee that way. Will someone call me if I call them and tell them I'm interested in a certain sailing?

[sallyb]

Actually, my original PVP left, but the new one was already recommended to me by another cruiser. He gave me the same type of deal. It was a past guest discount.

[CardinalPilot]

We have booked a cruise for 12/09/07 in BL category. Website says we will get our room assigned at boarding. But I hear other people say they get their rooms assigned much earlier than that, even though they are booking guaranteed.

 

When can I realistically expect to find out what room I'm assigned?

[hogtyde88]

We booked a balcony guarantee and ended up with a cat 8H. We had a cabin assigned at about the 50 day mark.

[GwenyP]

Just another thing to consider about the Glory and the 8A cabins ... I originally booked a 8A guarantee, but then I read a thread on this board about how some people on that deck could hear the music and casino from the Promenade deck just below. There's been others on 8A who said they didn't hear anything, but just as many who said they could hear the disco or slot machines below. I guess if you know you'll be up late it won't be a big deal, but we're cruising with children. We opted to pay just a little more and book one deck higher on the Empress deck, which is sandwiched between two decks of cabins only. The chance of an upgrade wasn't worth it to me to risk having a cabin above a "noisy" area.

[NCTribeFan]

I guess I'm not the only one who doesn't totally understand the whole GTY thing.

 

I've always booked a specific cabin, especially after being in the bow on that 1st cruise and nearly being tossed out of my bed when we hit some high seas.

 

I've always just been afraid that I'd get stuck up in the bow, in the worst cabin left because no one else wanted to book there. But y'all make it sound like you "usually" end up with better cabins.

 

I used a different agent to book (I won't mention names but it was through a hotel frequent stay affiliate, so I get points toward free hotel stays). He was very helpful. I'd called Carnival directly and the woman I got told me there were no Past Guest specials or upgrades going on at that time. Since I could get the same cabin for the same price through him, plus the hotel points, I called him.

 

He informed me that there most definitely WAS a past guest special and for about $40 more p/p for the week, he could give me an 8A. THEN, he could apply the past guest upgrade and move me to an 8G - an extended balcony, close to midship, on a deck sandwiched between two other cabin decks.

 

Uh, OK! I'll take it!

 

He then informed me that I really shouldn't book the cruise air and that I should fly down the night before. So I waited until last week (final payment is due 10/3), found air for nearly $200 cheaper than cruise air, and booked a hotel for <$100. That will give me $100 more to spend on the cruise.

 

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. But I like to book a cabin because I'm so scared I'll be stuck in the bow and end up seasick the whole cruise that I'm willing to pay the few dollars extra. But I also hate to think I may be missing out on getting a fantastic upgrade.

 

If the ginger tablets turn out to cure me of my motion sickness issues, then I'll be more willing to try a gty next time.

[JeanG]

I didn't book guarantee but we got an upgrade......Got some good news a couple of weeks ago.....Phone rang and caller ID said unavailable (usually don't answer these, let the machine get them), but I did pick up and it was Carnival asking if I wanted an upgrade. We originally paid for two 8A rooms with the past guest discount and got two 8B rooms. Now they are offering a Category 11 Suite for both of our rooms Of course I accepted and can't wait. I was surprised that they gave us the upgrade for both rooms. They didn't give a reason why we were picked, maybe because I'm platinum or it is DD's birthday, who knows but I'm not declining.

[scgirard]

My wife and I just booked a balcony guarantee on the Legend for Sept 7, 2008. I was told by my PVP that when booking a balcony guarantee room that I would not be given an obstructed view balcony.

[LibrarianCruiser]

We booked a Balcony Guarantee for our November cruise on the Valor. We got an 8A - the lowest level balcony. We still paid less than we would have if we'd booked an 8A ourselves.

 

We wanted a balcony, we got a balcony. We're happy.

 

If you really want a suite, book a suite. If you'll be happy with any balcony level (including an 8A), then choose a guarantee.

 

Remember, Guarantee means that the *cabin* is guaranteed... not an upgrade!

 

:p

[dan40]

The cabin size may be identical, but if you think all cabins are the same you are fooling yourself! Have you ever had a cabin underneath the galley? Or underneath the disco? I have, and I will never ever book a guarantee because of that. Nothing but hand-picked cabins for me:D

 

FYI, All the 8x balcony ships are built with the balconies above the galley and disco, in fact more than one deck above them. OV or IS rooms would be the only ones below.

The only source of noise at nite in a balcony cabin would be from the aft pool bar/pizza area. [or honeymooning neighbors:eek:]

 

For the OP, as already posted ALL category 8 cabins are identical in size. The alpha designation indicates the deck only. On some ships alternating letter cabins have somewhat larger balconies [20sq.ft.] and a few cabins have very extended balconies. But they are known to CCers and TA's and are almost certainly SOLD

 

I am a Platinum cruiser and have NEVER been upgraded above the 8 category. Yes, from BL GTY to a high letter 8 but that's not any real upgrade [out of category is the only real upgrade] Real upgrades to another category are EXTREMELY RARE. But 8's are gr8. So don't worry.

 

Dan

[runcassrun_07]

I guess I'm not the only one who doesn't totally understand the whole GTY thing.

 

I've always booked a specific cabin, especially after being in the bow on that 1st cruise and nearly being tossed out of my bed when we hit some high seas.

 

I've always just been afraid that I'd get stuck up in the bow, in the worst cabin left because no one else wanted to book there. But y'all make it sound like you "usually" end up with better cabins.

 

I used a different agent to book (I won't mention names but it was through a hotel frequent stay affiliate, so I get points toward free hotel stays). He was very helpful. I'd called Carnival directly and the woman I got told me there were no Past Guest specials or upgrades going on at that time. Since I could get the same cabin for the same price through him, plus the hotel points, I called him.

 

He informed me that there most definitely WAS a past guest special and for about $40 more p/p for the week, he could give me an 8A. THEN, he could apply the past guest upgrade and move me to an 8G - an extended balcony, close to midship, on a deck sandwiched between two other cabin decks.

 

Uh, OK! I'll take it!

 

He then informed me that I really shouldn't book the cruise air and that I should fly down the night before. So I waited until last week (final payment is due 10/3), found air for nearly $200 cheaper than cruise air, and booked a hotel for <$100. That will give me $100 more to spend on the cruise.

 

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. But I like to book a cabin because I'm so scared I'll be stuck in the bow and end up seasick the whole cruise that I'm willing to pay the few dollars extra. But I also hate to think I may be missing out on getting a fantastic upgrade.

 

If the ginger tablets turn out to cure me of my motion sickness issues, then I'll be more willing to try a gty next time.

I'm still learning about the Guarentee also. I've booked rooms and done guarentees in which Carnival always gives me good rooms. But I'm not saying your wrong not wanting to experience risk of guarentee.

I see your going on Miracle cruise week after me and believe your leaving from the same area. So for flying in do you know what airport is the closest to Port Everglades and is Miami very far?

Thanks,Cassandra

[runcassrun_07]

I didn't book guarantee but we got an upgrade......Got some good news a couple of weeks ago.....Phone rang and caller ID said unavailable (usually don't answer these, let the machine get them), but I did pick up and it was Carnival asking if I wanted an upgrade. We originally paid for two 8A rooms with the past guest discount and got two 8B rooms. Now they are offering a Category 11 Suite for both of our rooms Of course I accepted and can't wait. I was surprised that they gave us the upgrade for both rooms. They didn't give a reason why we were picked, maybe because I'm platinum or it is DD's birthday, who knows but I'm not declining.

Great you got Category 11 Suite. I'm platinum too and right now were told our room no. on 8I and could get an upgrade. Is this how you were assigned and how long before your cruise was it when they called?

Cassandra

[JeanG]

Great you got Category 11 Suite. I'm platinum too and right now were told our room no. on 8I and could get an upgrade. Is this how you were assigned and how long before your cruise was it when they called?

Cassandra

 

I originally booked 2 assigned rooms with the past guest discount and were assinged 8B's. On Sept 18 Carnival called me at home and asked if I would like an upgrade to Cat 11. We sail Nov 17, so that would be 2 months out. I was real surprised as it wasn't a guaranty room, we had booked assigned rooms.

[SOLDSHORT]

booked a GUAR in august for oct 13th and received an 8G room.

[CardinalPilot]

Just got my guar balcony room assigned. Port side, Panorama Deck, class 8E.

 

I'm VERY happy.

:) :) :)

[scgirard]

We booked a balcony guarantee (8A) and were assigned an 8C, two decks higher than the lowest possible balcony. Last year my DB and SIL booked balcony guarantee and were assigned a 9A (bigger balcony room but not quite a suite). Some passengers get better upgrades than others. Some get an 8A. It's a crapshoot to try to figure out who's going to get what. If you will be satisfied with any balcony, a guarantee is the way to go. If the possibility of being assigned an obstructed view balcony cabin (numer of these cabins is extremely small) scares you to death, book a specific cabin.

 

We plan to book balcony guarantees from now on.

 

I was told by my PVP when booking a balcony guarantee room on Legend that I absolutley would not be assigned an obstructed view room. Is this not the case?