Booking Guaranteed

[GAMOM4]

We booked a guaranteed oceanview room for our anniversary trip on August 25th. This is the first and the last time I will ever do that - I know that you take your chances when you book that way - but I booked about a year in advance so I thought I would at least get a main deck room. I received an e-mail last month offering an upgrade for $30.00 for the cabin (not per person) and I called my PVP and asked him if I should pay for the upgrade and he said "no" that we would be o.k. When I got the cabin assignment last week and it was on the Riviera Deck - I was so disappointed - it was my own fault and I know that - my PVP was on vacation but I called Carnival and they offered to upgrade me to a higher level at $70.00 PER PERSON and then offered me to move to the upper deck for $90.00 PER PERSON - now this was just for an oceanview room. I told them I would think about it and call back. I called back and had found the old e-mail and asked them if they would still honor it even though it expired - they told me yes and offered to move me to the empress deck for the $30.00 per cabin - but it was right under one of shows or dining rooms or something (and we have done that before it was extremely LOUD) so I asked them to put me on the upper deck. I now have a room on the upper deck - oceanview - by the elevator. I am happy but from now on I will choose my own room - that is what my PVP said, and both Carnival Representatives I spoke to said - unless you are willing to get a Riviera Deck cabin - don't book guaranteed.

[QLUVS2CRUZ]

That is correct...unless you are willing to take ANY room in the category, you shouldn't book a guarantee. Glad you were able to get another stateroom better to your liking.

[firefly333]

WOW, I never heard of them extending a upsell offer that late ... yes, sounds like you sure got lucky, big time.

 

As far as being under the theater, Iv been there, and it was not noisy for us. Maybe you were under a lounge?

 

It also sounds like your PVP isnt very good. Mine has always said with the upsells going on, dont count on a upgrade ... dont know why you expected one because you booked earlier?? Sounds like a lot of wishfull thinking to me.

 

I got a 4B last IS guarantee, forward of the forward elevators on Main ... not much difference from your riveria assignment to me.

[GAMOM4]

Yeah - I guess it was probably wishful thinking about the guaranteed part - and I've been on the Riviera Deck before in an oceanview room - so it probably wouldn't have been so bad - and I was surprised after the first representative quoted me $70.00 and $90.00 that 2nd call quoting the e-mail got me the $30.00 total upgrade. I usually delete all of those e-mails so I was really surprised I even still had it - but I just asked them upfront if the e-mail was still good and she said yes.

I might have been under a lounge or something - I go to bed really early (compared to most people) so probably if I stayed up later the noise wouldn't have been so bad.

But as they say live and learn. I'm just excited that the trip is in 20 days!!! :)

[celticd1]

We booked a guaranteed oceanview room for our anniversary trip on August 25th. This is the first and the last time I will ever do that - I know that you take your chances when you book that way - but I booked about a year in advance so I thought I would at least get a main deck room. I received an e-mail last month offering an upgrade for $30.00 for the cabin (not per person) and I called my PVP and asked him if I should pay for the upgrade and he said "no" that we would be o.k. When I got the cabin assignment last week and it was on the Riviera Deck - I was so disappointed - it was my own fault and I know that - my PVP was on vacation but I called Carnival and they offered to upgrade me to a higher level at $70.00 PER PERSON and then offered me to move to the upper deck for $90.00 PER PERSON - now this was just for an oceanview room. I told them I would think about it and call back. I called back and had found the old e-mail and asked them if they would still honor it even though it expired - they told me yes and offered to move me to the empress deck for the $30.00 per cabin - but it was right under one of shows or dining rooms or something (and we have done that before it was extremely LOUD) so I asked them to put me on the upper deck. I now have a room on the upper deck - oceanview - by the elevator. I am happy but from now on I will choose my own room - that is what my PVP said, and both Carnival Representatives I spoke to said - unless you are willing to get a Riviera Deck cabin - don't book guaranteed.

 

Yep. That is what everyone here will tell you if you ask about booking a gty cabin. Unless you will be happy in the worst cabin in the gty catagory you are booking, don't book a gty.

 

I think you were very lucky to get the upgrade deal that you did.

.

[Cruzman]

Dunno why some feel that Riviera Deck is such an undesirable location. That is my deck of choice since there is less motion, and the cabins are cheaper. Cabins on higher decks just cost more; everything else is the same. Now, the last guarantee that I booked with Carnival, I did not fare so well. Booked an OV guarantee and ended up in a porthole cabin far forward with two beds that did not convert. We were not happy, but the ship was sold out and we were stuck. That is the just chance you take.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

It is the Titanic mentality that the lower class people were trapped on the bottom deck while all the rich people were up on top. Although I have never stayed on the Riviera deck, it is all the same. The only reason I haven't stayed on the Riviera deck is because they assigned me a room on a higher deck when I booked guarantee. All a luck of the draw. If you aren't willing to accept anything on the Riviera, then don't book a guarantee. I'm not sure if it is still possible to do this but you used to be able to book a 4D guarantee which meant you would get nothing less than a 4D (meaning higher deck). Or 8A guarantee meaning you would not get an obstructed balcony. Just a thought to look into for the next time. I personally pick my own cabin now because I don't want to be placed under the lido deck or near a lounge due to noise levels. I want to be sandwiched between cabins so I pick my cabin.

 

I'm curious though that you said you didn't want to be under the dining room. I haven't found the dining rooms to be noisy and have picked cabins intentionally near the dining rooms for convenience.:confused:

[mclinns04]

On our last cruise DH and I had a modified OV on the Empress deck. My sister and husband had an OV on the Riviera. Except for minor modifications in the bathroom, our rooms were identical.

[mosel]

We prefer riviera deck..when the elevators come down they are always empty! And most of the time you are going down stairs instead of up. Cindy

[dan40]

We booked a guaranteed oceanview room for our anniversary trip on August 25th. This is the first and the last time I will ever do that - I know that you take your chances when you book that way - but I booked about a year in advance so I thought I would at least get a main deck room. I received an e-mail last month offering an upgrade for $30.00 for the cabin (not per person) and I called my PVP and asked him if I should pay for the upgrade and he said "no" that we would be o.k. When I got the cabin assignment last week and it was on the Riviera Deck - I was so disappointed - it was my own fault and I know that - my PVP was on vacation but I called Carnival and they offered to upgrade me to a higher level at $70.00 PER PERSON and then offered me to move to the upper deck for $90.00 PER PERSON - now this was just for an oceanview room. I told them I would think about it and call back. I called back and had found the old e-mail and asked them if they would still honor it even though it expired - they told me yes and offered to move me to the empress deck for the $30.00 per cabin - but it was right under one of shows or dining rooms or something (and we have done that before it was extremely LOUD) so I asked them to put me on the upper deck. I now have a room on the upper deck - oceanview - by the elevator. I am happy but from now on I will choose my own room - that is what my PVP said, and both Carnival Representatives I spoke to said - unless you are willing to get a Riviera Deck cabin - don't book guaranteed.

 

 

Riviera deck or Main deck, ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE. Empress deck yopu risk being under a public room. Main and Riviera, both silent and identical.

There is/was nothing wrong with your initial assignment. And booking an OV Guarantee cabin means you get an OV cabin, NOTHING ELSE. If you want a certain cabin in a certain location you MUST buy THAT cabin, not a guarantee. Since you booked, thousands of people have been paying more than you did and they have picked their cabins. GTY's get what is left. Doesn't matter how far out you book, you get what's left. Want a choice, pay for it.

 

I've booked many GTY cabins for myself. I look at the worst cabins and decide if I can put up with that, if so, I book it. NEVER HAD A BAD ONE.

[GAMOM4]

I don't know if I could have booked a certain category or not - I didn't even think about that - I just knew that I wanted an oceanview - and I guess the one on the Riviera Deck is the same - when I first saw the assignment though I was thinking porthole instead of window. One of the best pictures I have is when my son was sitting in the porthole window on our first cruise - he was really young then...and now he is a senior - that brings back priceless memories!