guarantee rate cabins vs picking your cabin?

[cruisingcats]

If you take the guarantee rate it's a lot cheaper but we have always picked our cabins because we were afraid we might get a noisy cabin next to an elevator or something and my husband is a fussy sleeper. Has anyone had much experience with the guarantee cabins? Are they lousy? Sure would be nice to save the bucks. thanks for the input.

[dforeigner]

If you take the guarantee rate it's a lot cheaper but we have always picked our cabins because we were afraid we might get a noisy cabin next to an elevator or something and my husband is a fussy sleeper. Has anyone had much experience with the guarantee cabins? Are they lousy? Sure would be nice to save the bucks. thanks for the input.

 

It depends on the cruise line. The price for picking your own room vs. a guarantee on Princess is the same.

[Travel Angel]

If you take the guarantee rate it's a lot cheaper but we have always picked our cabins because we were afraid we might get a noisy cabin next to an elevator or something and my husband is a fussy sleeper. Has anyone had much experience with the guarantee cabins? Are they lousy? Sure would be nice to save the bucks. thanks for the input.

 

If you are not willing to gamble because of noise concerns, possible obstructed views, stateroom located above or below a late night public area, etc.... a "Guarantee" is probably not for you !

 

Despite possibly paying a higher price (which is not usually the case if booked early on many cruiselines) for a specific stateroom assignment, sounds to me like you would be much happier, but oh wait... you picked a specific stateroom location and your next door neighbors are loud, there are kids running thru your corridors right by your stateroom, the balcony stateroom besides yours has a smoker on it and you are a non smoker......sounds like even that stateroom you selected was a gamble !

 

Point is, if it is specific stateroom location that concerns you, this is how you should book it.....at least you know you were located where you wanted to be from the start and hopefully the exaggeration made above will not occur !

[Keith1010]

My wife and I prefer that we know the location of our cabin. While doing a guaranty sometimes works very well for folks sometimes it does not and we know some folks who had a very bad time on their cruise because of location.

 

I always say book cruises early to get the optimal category that you are interested in and the best location within that catgegory.

 

If you are willing to take the risk and you don't care about location then a guaranty might be good for some.

 

Keith

[samiam0403]

I agree with Travel Angel - all cabins are a gamble. We started out picking our cabins when we first started cruising. However, after booking a suite and having neighbors with the children from hell (screaming, fighting on the balcony at 6:30am, screaming at the parents etc EVERY DAY and NIGHT!), we decided to gamble with guarantees. Since then, we've booked an 8A - upgraded to an 8D (twice), 6A - upgraded to a 6B, 4A - upgraded to a 5A, 4A - upgraded to a 6B, and a 4A - upgraded to a 5A. The way I look at it, I'm happy just to be on the cruise. If my room is noisy, that just wakes me up earlier in the morning to go and do something, as opposed to sleeping away my morning. :D And the money we save pays for all of our excursions!

[Grannycb]

We'll have fun as long as we are on the ship. We book the least expensive inside guaranteed cabins that don't have bunk beds. Been there and won't do that again! :eek: Always double check to make sure the beds convert to either queen or king!!!

[jayscore]

Signed up for a balcony guarantee last April on CCL Triumph. I played the game by watching rates drop, upgrades, etc. The rates dropped one more time, and when I called my PVP, she asked if I would be willing to take an extended balcony aft, and I grabbed it up! The balcony wound up being 1/3 wider than the others. So, when I signed up for the Valor recently, I spent the extra bucks and snatched up a similar cabin, after making sure it was the same setup as the last. So, the guarantee can be a good thing, but this time, I'm not taking any chances. Now, I bet I have you wondering what to do! Sorry about that!:rolleyes:

[tweety33]

I always book 1guarantee, cheapest fare. I spend little time in room. I feel lucky if located near elevators, never hear them. Never had a problem with anything. Happy with what I get which is what I paid for. Have been upgraded to a window, and upgraded to a balcony for this march. I like the adventure of trying different parts of the ship that they put me. Haven't been dissapointed yet even when on the bottom deck, front of ship.

 

To answer your question, this will be our 10th cruise booking a level 1 guarantee and have never had a lousy cabin. Save the bucks.

[BBfan316]

I agree with Tweety. Get me on the ship for the least amount of money possible. I am there for a whole lot more than hanging out in the cabin. If hanging out in the cabin is what you will be doing, by all means select a cabin that will fit your needs. My cabin needs....sleep, shower, change.

[cb at sea]

See, I'm particular about my cabin! I'd rather pay a bit more and KNOW I'll be happy, than save a few bucks and kick myself because I'm in a bad location!

[first2008time cruiser]

What about someone who has never cruised before? I have a feeling, we may spend some time in the cabin, but when I actually get there we probably won't. Anyway, I was originally thinking inside guarantee, who cares what room. Now I have gone to balcony, and I might want to pick. lol Quite a leap isn't it. I think the problem is I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I think, if we get seasick, we will be in the cabin. Might be nice to at least have a nice cabin. I really just don't know what to do??

[momofmeg]

this past crusie we could ahve pciked a cabin or go with a guanratee-same price-the only differance with the guarnatee is we oculd possibly be upgraded.

 

 

We have found that when we have done this beofre we receved wonderful upgrades-once we got an extended balcony when we just paid for a regualr balcony-and why did we gt this-we were close to the elevators! but we heard nothing from the elevator(this was on Carnival Miracle) because the ship's design was the elevator was seperated by the hallway where the staterooms were by a door-so no noise!

 

Another time we were right by a laundry room-this was on Disney Wonder-not a problem! we never heard anything- and I loved I could check and see how busy the room was and if there was a waiting line-before I ironed something.

 

I suppose we may find we regret this on this upcoming cruise-but I am banking we get a better room! If we do-we will learn it is not always in our favor and maybe we should not do this next time-that is all.

[tweety33]

First time cruiser I'd go for the guarantee cabin, because you don't have any expectations, so you can't be disappointed, then you will know for next time which way you prefer to book. I sure you will be happy with any cabin you get. Save the money for other parts of your trip.

[UlvaZell]

if your a more cabin oriented person or not. By that I mean, other than sleeping. How much time are you really going to spend in your cabin?

 

If you are going on excursions or bouncing around the ship all day versus wanting to get away from it all, the cabin selection obviously will take on a different level of importance.

 

I have friends who always get the cheapest inside cabin they can find because they are hardly in their cabin.

 

We usually opt selecting our cabin because we place more importance upon that than some do...