Is it normal not to receive cabins until you check in?

[SirDomino]

The wife and I will be leaving in a few days and we still have not yet been assigned a cabin.

 

I called and was told that I was guaranteed a room and would probably get one when I arrived at the port.

 

Is this normal?

[njhorseman]

The wife and I will be leaving in a few days and we still have not yet been assigned a cabin.

 

I called and was told that I was guaranteed a room and would probably get one when I arrived at the port.

 

Is this normal?

 

Not usual, but it can and does happen that way.

 

Most of the time you get your assignment in advance, but once in a while you get it at the pier.

[GORDONCHICK]

If you book a guaranty instead of a specific cabin, yes, it's common.

[SirDomino]

If you book a guaranty instead of a specific cabin, yes, it's common.

 

Glad to hear, as the NCL travel adviser sounded concerned about it, as the ship is nearly sold-out.

[njhorseman]

Glad to hear, as the NCL travel adviser sounded concerned about it, as the ship is nearly sold-out.

 

The best scenario for you is a nearly sold out ship, because you could end up in a much higher category than you paid for.

 

Has anyone ever gotten an owner's suite for the price of an ordinary inside or outside cabin?

[SirDomino]

The best scenario for you is a nearly sold out ship, because you could end up in a much higher category than you paid for.

 

Has anyone ever gotten an owner's suite for the price of an ordinary inside or outside cabin?

 

That is what I am hoping. Would it be better to get on the ship first thing in the morning to get a higher cabin? or wait until they are about to depart?

[jp2001]

I called and was told that I was guaranteed a room and would probably get one when I arrived at the port.

 

Is this normal?

 

I would be VERY concerned if they said you will "PROBABLY'' get one when you arrive at the port.

 

I have read about people almost being boarding (and if I remember well, there were other people who simply didn't get on the ship at all).

[SirDomino]

So you are saying that the "Guarantee" might not really be guaranteed and it might be entirely possible for us to arrive to discover that there are literally no inside/outside/balconies/suites/penthouses left on the ship and will have to be turned away?

 

And there are confirmed cases of this happening before?

[Arwenmark]

So you are saying that the "Guarantee" might not really be guaranteed and it might be entirely possible for us to arrive to discover that there are literally no inside/outside/balconies/suites/penthouses left on the ship and will have to be turned away?

 

And there are confirmed cases of this happening before?

 

Yes there are though it is not very common except during holidays and other maximum times.

They then offer you an alternative ship and usually a Large discount or refund.

 

And as to getting there I would get there at 11:00 if I were you, you have to be ON BOARD at least two hours prior to sail away anyway and you are paying for that first day so get there early.

 

By the day of sailing they will have assigned you a cabin so arriving late is only to your disadvantage.

 

In the future you might want to book a specific cabin instead of a guarantee.

[SirDomino]

Yes there are though it is not very common except during holidays and other maximum times.

They then offer you an alternative ship and usually a Large discount or refund.

 

And as to getting there I would get there at 11:00 if I were you, you have to be ON BOARD at least two hours prior to sail away anyway and you are paying for that first day so get there early.

 

By the day of sailing they will have assigned you a cabin so arriving late is only to your disadvantage.

 

In the future you might want to book a specific cabin instead of a guarantee.

 

Thanks for the advice, the wife and I will get there first thing and fight the crowds I guess.

 

I just don't understand why they call it a "guarantee" if there are no guarantees. ;)

 

Maybe nothing will be left and I will get the owner's suite!?!? ;)

 

Oh well, one can dream...

[garycarla]

The guarentee is about the same as any cabin - works 99.9% of time or something like that. You could have an assigned cabin of 8987 and because of mechanical problems it is not available this week, and guess what - you do not get it.

 

With over a thousand cabins onboard, things do happen. Having a handful of people with GTY gives them some flexibility to move people around without anyone being upset, and they can do it right up until boarding time. There may be some other good reasons they have not assigned your room yet.

 

As to people not boarding at all, I have never seen anyone come here in the past two years saying it happened. I am sure it has, but nobody has reported it. About a month ago or so somebody with an ASSIGNED cabin did not get it and waited at the front desk until about 4pm before finally getting a cabin. They had a legitimate beef but came here very upset as if they did NOT get a cabin. They got one, but it took awhile.

[jp2001]

 

As to people not boarding at all, I have never seen anyone come here in the past two years saying it happened. I am sure it has, but nobody has reported it. About a month ago or so somebody with an ASSIGNED cabin did not get it and waited at the front desk until about 4pm before finally getting a cabin. They had a legitimate beef but came here very upset as if they did NOT get a cabin. They got one, but it took awhile.

 

I think it's the story I was reffering to. If I remember well, they said other people didn't get on at all. They had an assigned cabin? I thought it was a GTY but I guess you're right.

[garycarla]

Now that you mention it, I am not positive about the gty vs assigned, but remember something about how they went by their cabin and saw bags there for somebody else, so I assume they had been assigned.

 

What I remember very clearly is they went on and on about how NCL can just bump you off the ship and how terrible that is. They just did not want to acknowledge that they did get a cabin. It did take a few hours and did sound like they may not cruise that day, but in the end they did. NCL did a poor job communicating and taking care of them for that few hours, which I am sure was stressful.

[flashdog_1]

A "guarantee" category cabin is usually a little cheaper than an assigned category. If it is a guarantee for the lowest category on the ship (N?) you are guaranteed to have a room in at least category N. The couple of times we have heard about someone being denied entry was not because they had a guaranteed cabin, but because the computer had somehow canceled them.

 

Personally, I'd keep checking every day on "My NCL" to see if they'd assigned my cabin. Once I did not get my assignment until 10 days out. There was someone in our roll call who had won a free cruise and was negotiating to buy an upsell, and she did not get her assignment until she reached the dock.

 

You probably know about NCL's upsell policy. If there are empty high end cabins that have not sold, they start calling people in slightly lower categories to see if they would like to upsell to the suite. If they accept, and had a mini-suite, then the mini-suite becomes an upsell for some lucky balcony assignee. And on down the line.

 

Sometimes they'll get a request for a quad that they don't have, so they will call a couple who is booked in one, and offer to move them to a higher category, free or for a small fee, so that they can sell the quad, therefore making more money for NCL Until all this is accomplished, they cannot know their final number of passengers.

 

The ships have a certain capacity for a number of passengers and they may not exceed this number. For instance, if you think of 2 people in a cabin, and there are 1000 cabins, that'd be 2000 people on board and seemingly a full ship. But you may read in the vital statistics that the ship's capacity is 2200.

 

But if some of those cabins have 3 and 4 people in them, and the capacity of the ship is 2200, for instance, toward the end they have to be very careful.

 

You certainly should get at least the lowest category you booked a guarantee for. And since that is what you paid for, you should accept it. and if they give you a 12 category upgrade, so much the better for you!

[Mrs. H.]

I once took a gty, a/k/a 'run of the ship' on Carnival Triumph.

I bought bottom inside and got top floor, inside!:)

Was given my cabin # at the pier. Woman at pier

thought it was a balcony. Oh well. Friends paid for bottom and

got bottom and we paid for bottom and got top. Awesome!!

 

If I were you I would be getting excited on just wondering where

the room will be. Hey, people cancel out at the last minute so

you never know what you might get. Lets hope its the owners suite!!

 

Good luck to you. Have a wonderful time.:D

[SirDomino]

I don't mind getting what I paid for originally, although I better not have to share the room with anyone else other than my wife... ;)

[Mrs. H.]

I don't mind getting what I paid for originally, although I better not have to share the room with anyone else other than my wife... ;)

 

 

Bad enough we have to share dinner table. ;) lol

[newmexicoNita]

The wife and I will be leaving in a few days and we still have not yet been assigned a cabin.

 

I called and was told that I was guaranteed a room and would probably get one when I arrived at the port.

 

Is this normal?

 

yes, this does happen from time to time. Are you sure they said "you would probably get a cabin?"

 

guaranteed cabins can be assigned at anytime from the day you book until you get to the pier but you will have a cabin.. I think what was probably said or meant is: you probably wouldn't get your assigned cabin until you get to the port.

 

I don't think it will make any difference if you get to the port early or later but to be safe, get there early. The story about the assigned cabin, the other people etc was a few months ago and if I remember right, there was more to it than just not having a cabin. I don't remember all the details.

 

Nita

[njhorseman]

So you are saying that the "Guarantee" might not really be guaranteed and it might be entirely possible for us to arrive to discover that there are literally no inside/outside/balconies/suites/penthouses left on the ship and will have to be turned away?

 

And there are confirmed cases of this happening before?

 

 

The chance of this happening is virtually zero, and if it were to happen it would likely be the result of an unforseen emergency such as cabins having to be taken out of service for problems like fllooding due to a broken pipe. Otherwise it would take a royal screw up by the cruise line such as losing your reservation.

[insidecabin]

I would check on-line to see what cabins are left

 

won't take long 10mins.

[SirDomino]

I would check on-line to see what cabins are left

 

won't take long 10mins.

 

How do you check online?

[njhorseman]

How do you check online?

 

Go on NCL's web site, or those of any of the well-known Internet travel agencies and try booking the cruise from scratch, ignoring the fact that you are already booked. (Don't sign in if it's a site you're registered on.) You'll see what is available.

[SirDomino]

Go on NCL's web site, or those of any of the well-known Internet travel agencies and try booking the cruise from scratch, ignoring the fact that you are already booked. (Don't sign in if it's a site you're registered on.) You'll see what is available.

 

I tried that earlier and the cruise no longer shows up to book on NCL's Website... On other websites it shows a SUITE available.

 

So I am guessing it is almost completely sold out?

[njhorseman]

I tried that earlier and the cruise no longer shows up to book on NCL's Website... On other websites it shows a SUITE available.

 

So I am guessing it is almost completely sold out?

 

That would be a good guess.

[dtracker]

The wife and I will be leaving in a few days and we still have not yet been assigned a cabin.

 

I called and was told that I was guaranteed a room and would probably get one when I arrived at the port.

 

Is this normal?

 

One other thing might occur, as well. I would never buy a GTY: you never know if you're going to get a cabin that no one else wants for various reasons: noise, rocky ride, vibration, etc. I would rather pay the few $$ more to get the exact cabin I want...at least in that particular category! Of course, getting the GV would be sublime! :D

 

DT