? on Guarantee Room

[irishgal432]

If I do not guarantee a room, how does that work? Do I pay for e.g. a Cat G and they will give you a G if not better. What is the likely hood that you will get a little better?

[Sequim88]

When you book a gaurantee for a category (say balcony) they are gaurantying that you will get a cabin in that category (or perhaps better but don't count on it). That's all. They pick where. You must willing to be OK with ANY location in that category. Sometimes they are great - sometimes not so good. In return gaurantees are usually a lower price than that category. So they can be a good deal if you are willing to take what they assign. On our last transatlantic we took a gaurantee upgrade from our booked inside to balcony for $80/pp more. Great deal and as it turned out we got a nice location. Win win. But we could have gotten a much worse location.... but still a balcony, gaurantied.

 

If you book a regular reservation and pick you cabin then upgrade (very slight chance) will be determined by your upgrade preferences in your profile. More than likely you would sail in the stateroom you selected.

[Camlott]

It's a crap shoot! You could get any room in the category you booked or better (sometimes way better but VERY rarely).

 

You have a high probability of getting the least desirable room in the category you book a guarantee for (near noisy crew area, over an anchor etc.).

 

Just be willing to accept the worst possible room within a category and anything better than that you can consider an upgrade! Not trying to scare you away from booking a guarantee, you just need to be prepared for what can and likely might happen.

[mjldvlks]

If I do not guarantee a room, how does that work? Do I pay for e.g. a Cat G and they will give you a G if not better. What is the likely hood that you will get a little better?

Maybe I misunderstand. But if not, I think you have the concepts backwards. If you pick a guarantee, the way that term is usually used here, that means basically what you describe. You agree to take any cabin assigned as long as it is in the guaranteed category or higher. We have done that several times and have always been pleased [because we saved a LOT of money]. I know upgrades happen, but the only upgrade we have ever gotten was from an E to a D. I wouldn't advise playing the game if you are angling for an upgrade -- you are likely to be disappointed more often than not.

 

If you do NOT book a guarantee, you book a specific cabin and that is what you get. There are times [but I think it is VERY rare] when they will upgrade people in this situation to make a cabin available they think they can sell to someone else. If you want a specific cabin you can ask to not be upgraded so that this will not happen to you.

[teddie]

It's a crap shoot! You could get any room in the category you booked or better (sometimes way better but VERY rarely).

 

You have a high probability of getting the least desirable room in the category you book a guarantee for (near noisy crew area, over an anchor etc.).

 

Just be willing to accept the worst possible room within a category and anything better than that you can consider an upgrade! Not trying to scare you away from booking a guarantee, you just need to be prepared for what can and likely might happen.

 

My guaranty experience was quite different. Once my balcony cabin was assigned, I was permitted to move to another cabin that became available in the same category; in fact, I moved it twice more in order to get to the mid ship location that I really wanted. I wasn't so interested in an upgrade (although I would have loved it!), as much as I was interested in location.

 

RCI informed me that once the cabin is assigned, you are no longer considered "guaranty" and you can move your location just the same as with a regular booking. Not sure if this still hold true; this was in September 2010.

 

Based on that experience, I would definitely go for a guaranty again. I sailed for ten days at well under $100/nite.

 

teddie

[kosmo886]

This still holds true. I booked a guarantee cabin for Oasis this November...once my cabin was assigned, I was able to switch to any other open cabin in the same category. I've switched twice already!