Picking a cabin vs. a "guaranteed" cabin

[Dukegirl5577]

What exactly does it mean to choose a "guaranteed" cabin. It seems that I'm guaranteed a cabin at least at that category or higher. Is this correct?

 

What are the benefits of choosing this method over choosing an actual cabin? Or of choosing an actual cabin? Do people often get the upgraded cabin due to their chosen category selling out? Or would I be better off to choose an actual cabin?

[NevadaHiRoller]

What exactly does it mean to choose a "guaranteed" cabin. It seems that I'm guaranteed a cabin at least at that category or higher. Is this correct?

 

What are the benefits of choosing this method over choosing an actual cabin? Or of choosing an actual cabin? Do people often get the upgraded cabin due to their chosen category selling out? Or would I be better off to choose an actual cabin?

 

 

Yes, that is correct. I don't see anything wrong with picking one. I enjoy all places on the ship. Have tried them all. So it doesn't matter to me. You usually would just be upgraded within that category on the position within the ship.

[rskalko]

A guaranteed cabin is almost always cheaper... and you are correct, you are guaranteed a cabin in the booked category (or above).

 

We have done it both ways... it depends on how picky you are with the location of your room. Some don't want to be close to elevators, some do. Some prefer to be further aft as you feel less motion.... some just like to know their cabin assignment way ahead of time! It is an individual preference I think...

 

I am sure others will share perspective on this... when we booked a balcony, we wanted to pick our cabin. When we booked an inside, we didn't really care...

 

Hopefully this helps somewhat....

[Dukegirl5577]

Thanks!

 

How often do people end up with a category above the one they booked?

[metney]

I am not sure with NCL, but with carnival I once booked a level 6 oceanview guarenteed cabin and when I checked in I was placed in a level 9 balcony stateroom! How about that for an upgrade?:D

[johnql]

Thanks!

 

How often do people end up with a category above the one they booked?

It happens but I wouldn't count on it. Typically, any upgrade that does happen is usually within a category (inside to better inside, OV to better OV, etc.).

 

As others have pointed out, the rule of thumb is to take a very close look at the deck plans if you're booking a guarantee. Be certain that you would be happy with the worst cabin in the category that you're booking since you might get it assigned to you. Don't count on an upgrade. Then, if you do receive an upgrade, you'll be thrilled.

 

Consider booking a specific cabin if you have specific concerns - noise (cabins below certain areas are often noisier than others - e.g., right under the treadmills of the gym), hypersensitivity to motion sickness (mid-ship and low is better), or preference in location (many people love the aft balcony cabins).

[iheartbda]

Thanks!

 

How often do people end up with a category above the one they booked?

 

There's really no way of knowing...don't count on it and be sure you'll be happy with the possibility of the worst cabin in the category you picked.

[rskalko]

(many people love the aft balcony cabins).

 

You got me there... we *LOVED* our aft balcony on the Triumph... it had much more room and the view of the wake was stunning... it also seemed less windy. Only downfall we noticed was increased salt on the railing and chairs, etc....

[Arwenmark]

I have never found any price difference between a guarantee and a chosen cabin of the same category. The main reason to do guarantee is the HOPE of a good upgrade. Depending on the fullness and how your ship is selling you may or may not get any upgrade.

The thing to remember is that you MAY also get the worst cabin in that category and I have the two times I tried guarantee.

 

If it matters to you at all then Pick your cabin. If you will be happy with any cabin in the category you selected then do a guarantee.

[webecruzin2]

We've booked guarantee cabins 3 times so far. The first 2 were on RCCL balcony guarantee and we were very pleasantly surprised we were given hump cabins on both (sort of an upgrade because of the location.)

I made a mistake doing an outside guarantee on NCL. The NCL agent said "sure go ahead, you never know you could get a balcony." I said I wouldn't count on it but the price was so low and our funds were as well.

Well they told us we were "upgraded" to a level H cat. It was an outside alright. But with a 100% obstructed view.

I am now in the process of negotiations with an NCL supervisor and we'll probably end up paying for a window that you can actually see out of.

So, for us, we would never book an outside guarantee again, only an inside or balcony, because it doesn't matter to us where we are for either of those types of cabins.

Hope that helped.

(OH, and please no posts telling me I should have known better, blah, blah, I'm just trying to help the OP)

[The Other Tom]

I have never found any price difference between a guarantee and a chosen cabin of the same category. The main reason to do guarantee is the HOPE of a good upgrade. Depending on the fullness and how your ship is selling you may or may not get any upgrade.

The thing to remember is that you MAY also get the worst cabin in that category and I have the two times I tried guarantee.

 

If it matters to you at all then Pick your cabin. If you will be happy with any cabin in the category you selected then do a guarantee.

 

Yep, we got the "worst" cabin when we booked a guarantee on our Alaska cruise on the Sun. It was an aft balcony. (OK, not quite aft, but at the very end of the hall before you make the turn to the aft). Turns out we loved it and would do it again in a heart beat.

[snorklinbarb]

We've booked guarantee cabins 3 times so far. The first 2 were on RCCL balcony guarantee and we were very pleasantly surprised we were given hump cabins on both (sort of an upgrade because of the location.)

I made a mistake doing an outside guarantee on NCL. The NCL agent said "sure go ahead, you never know you could get a balcony." I said I wouldn't count on it but the price was so low and our funds were as well.

Well they told us we were "upgraded" to a level H cat. It was an outside alright. But with a 100% obstructed view.

I am now in the process of negotiations with an NCL supervisor and we'll probably end up paying for a window that you can actually see out of.

So, for us, we would never book an outside guarantee again, only an inside or balcony, because it doesn't matter to us where we are for either of those types of cabins.

Hope that helped.

(OH, and please no posts telling me I should have known better, blah, blah, I'm just trying to help the OP)

 

Which ship are you on? On the larger NCL ships cat. G is the obstructed view. H will get you a porthole oceanview.

 

This is true for Dawn, Star, Jewel, Pearl, Gem so are you sure you have an obstructed view?

 

Good luck getting the cabin you'd like instead of a gty.

[bakerintn]

We booked recently on the Pearl with the lowest category of inside cabin (deck 5). We ended up with an inside on deck 10.

 

Downside: Higher in the ship and way forward -- more motion

Upside: Less noise

 

we got the assignment in less than 24 hours.

[Dukegirl5577]

Thanks!

[rubytue]

I booked a guarantee b/c there were 4 cabin choices in my category and I had absolutly no preference between them. So I took the guarantee, knowing I could get one of those or I could get a higher category. Ended up with one of the 4 choices I was given. Such is the roll of the dice. The only thing that I didn't like is some non-connecting cabine opened up after final payment, but I wasn't able to switch (no idea if NCL would have let me, my TA wouldn't help me unless I could call when NCL was open, and by the time I was actually available during the right hours, they were gone).

[webecruzin2]

Which ship are you on? On the larger NCL ships cat. G is the obstructed view. H will get you a porthole oceanview.

 

This is true for Dawn' date=' Star, Jewel, Pearl, Gem so are you sure you have an obstructed view?

 

Good luck getting the cabin you'd like instead of a gty.[/quote']

 

We are on the Pearl and I just looked at my docs again and on line also, it says cat H. deck 8 #8590, one of those sideways cabins.

[terrymtex01]

What I am about to post here is simply from reading postings here for some time about gty cabins. Really, with NCL there isn't a huge benefit to booking gty. I don't think there is much of a price difference, if any and I do not think your chance of upgrading are that much more than anyone else's. If you book gty and you do get an upgrade, expect it to only be an upgrade within the catagory. Anything else will be a call you will get from NCL asking if you want to upgrade to XYZ catagory for $x.xx. Rarely does NCL give out free upgrades from one catagory to another. I am sure there will be some post here that say they have gotten them, but if you consider how many read here and do not posting saying they got a free upgrade from one catagory to another, you can see it is very rare.

[romrai]

with princess, we booked guarantee in steerage;) was given 8 cat. upgrade to oceanview with huge windows. on carnival, we booked guarentee inside and was upgraded to a deluxe inside (just below oceanview) NCL we booked guarantee balcony and we were upgraded to top level. We've also booked certain rooms on some, but usually do great with a balcony.

[CC Help Michell]

with princess, we booked guarantee in steerage;) was given 8 cat. upgrade to oceanview with huge windows. on carnival, we booked guarentee inside and was upgraded to a deluxe inside (just below oceanview) NCL we booked guarantee balcony and we were upgraded to top level. We've also booked certain rooms on some, but usually do great with a balcony.

 

These stories (and others above) are great -- but it's ESSENTIAL to remember that if you book a guaranteed Category "X" cabin -- the WORST cabin in X category is all you are guaranteed to receive (even if it's obstructed view, as someone above points out). Someone above also said they hadn't noticed discounts for booking "guarantee," but I sure have, usually $100 or so per person to book a guarantee instead of a specific cabin. If after doing some research that "worst cabin" really is good enough for your party, then booking a guarantee may well save you some money.

 

In addition by booking a guarantee you MIGHT receive an in-category upgrade (closer to midships), an upgrade within cabin type (lower deck OV to higher deck OV), or even an upgrade to another cabin type (OV to Balcony) -- folks often do. But nobody has PROMISED you that. Booking a guarantee and letting yourself, even a little bit, mentally "count on" an upgrade could very well set up a disappointment for you. I've read a few reviews here at CC that read something like "we booked a guarantee OV and that's what we received -- I was a little disappointed because last time we booked a guarantee we received an upgrade to balcony. Anyway, we only had 4 towel animals instead of 7 on our cruise; the walk from the elevators was long; one night one washcloth was missing, we had noise from the disco overhead every night, and overall this cruise was much worse than our last one." I'm hoping those complaints either sound a bit petty, or sound like what one should expect from the "worst" cabin in a given class, because that's what I intended. That initial disappointment seems to magnify everything else, if that makes sense.

 

Folks magnify the importance of "woo hoo" upgrades from guaranteed cabins all too often. I prefer to book the cabin and location we want (in fact, my reservations always have a "contact passenger before upgrading" notation -- when the cruise line thinks something is an "upgrade" *I* often disagree). Were I younger and more flexible, traveling on a budget, I think a guarantee's a great way to go -- but it's not a "guaranteed" free pass to a much higher cabin category at no extra cost. Those who expect that are often disappointed, and then come here to vocalize about it and can't figure out why they receive replies pointing out that all they actually booked was the "worst cabin in category X."