Best/worst guarantee cabin ever received?

[tbmrt]

Love reading stories of the great upgrades that people received on guaranteed cabin reso's.

 

Also curious as to the worst scenario ever received., i.e., booked a guarantee and was put in a cabin in a location that was awful because?????

 

We usually book an assigned balcony cabin because we like the higher decks, but on short trips, think it's OK to book a guarantee. Wouldn't like to spend a full week or more without a balcony to chill out on, but would be fine for just a few nights......Still a cruise and fun!

 

I'll share this story (forgive me if I already posted on this board..not sure...)

We went on a cruise, had an assigned balcony. Met CC friends who told me DH was out of work, but they booked a last minute inside cabin just as a last harrah before he had to find a new job.

 

We get on the ship, they invite us for drinks and I realize we are on the all suite deck...I thought this was a little odd due to what she had told me. They went on to tell me that they were upgraded from a bad inside cabin to a suite, complete with butler, free liquor, etc.

 

Wow!

[bearette]

Worst room I also liked because it was at the aft under the buffet but near the aft pool. Great for a quick bite or trip to the pool, but noisy the day of a pool party held back there. Another time I was forward and on port days they released the anchor at 6am. Gave me a heart attack until I knew what the noise was.

No matter where you go you will find a good and bad thing about it. I don't mind it since a guarantee can usually save me money.

 

 

 

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Edited May 13, 2014 by bearette

[debkaysmith]

My daughter and I sailed a few years ago on Caribbean Princess and booked a guarantee outside with no balcony. Three weeks before the cruise we were upgraded to a mid-ship verandah cabin - delightful! And then last year we sailed to Norway on Celebrity and wouldn't you know it... three weeks out our guarantee outside with no balcony became a lovely mid-ship verandah cabin with concierge service to boot. We felt very lucky.

[dickinson]

Great thread! We just booked an inside guarantee for a 4 day Calif Coastal in Feb. Can't wait to find out what we get! (we will be fine with an inside though. Never had one and the whole idea is to see what other cabins are like).

[miched]

The first was on our second cruise. We were rookies and didn't know anything about cabins. Our TA convinced us to take a outside guranteed on the old Westerdam. We got a cabin with 2 beds attached to the wall and couldn't be moved togetzher. They were also along the same wall with a wall divider in between. A very narrow cabin. It was almost across from the room stewards cabin as he invited us into his cabin showing us pictures of his family and living conditions. He was begging for the gratuities because at that time HAL didn't "charge" tips as they weren't expected but much appreciated. It was a phrase that was never ending, before, during and after every event or activity it was announced or mentioned. That and a few other things turned us off HALL.

 

Another TA said after that we should try a balcony guaranteed as any balcony is better that a outside and doesnt cost much more. And that was our next worse. It was a cove type bacony on the Dawn Princess that had 4 berth beds that folded into the wall. Not a great way to be celebrating a anniversary.

 

After that cruise we were really well schooled in the ins and outs, and never booked a guaranteed cat again. We know what we like and areas to avoid that have potential problems.

 

If we pick a bad cabin it is now our fault but have been pretty successful, especially now with all the info available on line that wasn't available years ago.

 

 

🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[JudithLynne]

We have completed 34 cruises. In 1999, we were booked a 10 day Alaska cruise on the Sky Princess which is now gone. We booked a standard cabin with a window on a lower deck. Balconies on older ships were practically unheard of. Shortly before sailing we received a 5 category upgrade to a huge mini-suite. It actually had a separate large living room and bedroom. It had a large picture window. We loved it. In those days, upgrades were more frequent.

 

We were also assigned seating, along with two other couples, at the Captain’s table in the MDR for the duration of the cruise. He bought us all wine every evening.

 

Judith

[jean s]

On our very first cruise in 1988 we booked an inside on the old Norway. It was a beautiful in its day. Well we had saved and saved and booked an inside. Just before the cruise we were upgraded to a suite. Boy did that spoil us for future cruises. This cruise hooked us on cruising.

[caribill]

Any cabin which has 3rd/4th berths hanging from the sides of the walls.

[redtop101]

Last June DW and I booked a14 night inside guarantee on Island Princess Vancouver to Whittier and back for $599 each. 10 days before sailing we were assigned an inside mid-ship. 3 days before sailing we got a call from Princess. Island Princess was oversold and could we switch ships the day after the call to Diamond Princess. The sweet deal was that we got a mid-ship balcony on Caribe that originally cost $2600 each.

 

 

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[dorisis]

Love reading stories of the great upgrades that people received on guaranteed cabin reso's.

 

Also curious as to the worst scenario ever received., i.e., booked a guarantee and was put in a cabin in a location that was awful because?????

 

We usually book an assigned balcony cabin because we like the higher decks, but on short trips, think it's OK to book a guarantee. Wouldn't like to spend a full week or more without a balcony to chill out on, but would be fine for just a few nights......Still a cruise and fun!

 

I'll share this story (forgive me if I already posted on this board..not sure...)

We went on a cruise, had an assigned balcony. Met CC friends who told me DH was out of work, but they booked a last minute inside cabin just as a last harrah before he had to find a new job.

 

We get on the ship, they invite us for drinks and I realize we are on the all suite deck...I thought this was a little odd due to what she had told me. They went on to tell me that they were upgraded from a bad inside cabin to a suite, complete with butler, free liquor, etc.

 

Wow!

 

There are no butlers on Princess and that story sounds like a Wopper to me.

[caribill]

There are no butlers on Princess and that story sounds like a Wopper to me.

It did not say it was a Princess ship. And since it was an all suite deck, it must have been on another line.

 

Several other posts have also been about other cruise lines.

[tbmrt]

It did not say it was a Princess ship. And since it was an all suite deck, it must have been on another line.

 

Several other posts have also been about other cruise lines.

 

I just gave an example..This occurred on another line...think it was Royal Caribbean.

[ontheweb]

We were upgraded from an inside guarantee to an OV on the HAL Noordam. It was right above a lounge, but the music was pleasant and not loud in our cabin. Actually, it was a lounge in which we spent many an evening dancing.

[pablo222]

Any cabin which has 3rd/4th berths hanging from the sides of the walls.

 

That's a tough call. I was alone, so I booked an inside.

I was upgraded to outside, with the beds on the walls.

 

I kept the two beds apart, so bumping my shoulder wasn't

a problem.

 

But, not much better than the inside after all.

[CruiseWookiee]

I've booked guaranteed balcony a couple of times. The first three times I got a normal balcony, everything was great. Then there was last February on Royal Princess...

 

 

I spent 10 minutes on that balcony over 7 days.

 

That's what can happen when you roll the dice though.

[Colo Cruiser]

There are no butlers on Princess

 

There used to be, Grand 1999.

[denmarks]

My worst room was an inside guarantee on the Carnival Elation. I believe it was in the center of an air vent circulation system. There was a constant rushing of air and the sound kept fluctuating. I was not able to sleep and complained to the front desk. They gave me ear plugs. After the second night I was ready to leave at the first port and take up their satisfaction guarantee. They were finally able to switch my room when an entertainer got off. That was my last cruise on Carnival. I now stay with Princess.

[JF - retired RRT]

We booked a mini guarantee for our first cruise to Hawaii. About 2 weeks out we were assigned the "infamous" partially handicapped mini on Dolphin deck at the aft end of the ship. DH was extremely upset on reading the description "twin beds only". He was so upset, he wanted to cancel (and lose all of our $$). I did some research here on CC and fond several posts that said it is possible to put the beds together, so I convinced him to wait and see. Boy am I glad we did! It was the best cabin we have ever had. HUGE balcony, HUGE bathroom, 2tvs, nice little sofa...and for the price of a standard balcony.

 

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[geoherb]

Our best upgrade ever was on the Sapphire Princess two years ago on an Alaskan cruise. We booked an obstructed view guarantee and received a deluxe ocean view cabin at the front of the ship on the Baja Deck. These are cabins that were originally designed to be balcony cabins. Due to strong winds, however, Princess removed the furniture and reclassified them. According to the signage, the balcony was supposed to be available to us only while the ship was in port. Our cabin steward said we could use it anytime. We just had to be sure to keep the curtains closed at night if we had the lights on because the light could interfere with the officers on the bridge.

 

It was the perfect cabin for that cruise. We really enjoyed having the balcony on both of our glacier viewing days--Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay. While the captain turned the ship to give both sides a good view, we still had a great view from our balcony.

[lkneller]

My husband & I usually have NO luck. Once at a Christmas party we sat with 10 other people. There were over 100 prizes drawn that night, and we were the ONLY 2 people at our table that won NOTHING. Some at our table had 2 or 3 prizes. This is normal for us.

 

We booked inside guarantee on the Disney Wonder because that was all we could afford. Our travel companions booked an Outside cabin. When we checked in at the pier we were BOTH upgraded to side by side balconies. I will NEVER forget the unbelievable thrill that day. Was way up there with one of the best days of my life!

[Croptop]

At the risk of jinxing our next cruise, I *believe* that our upcoming voyage on the Star Princess in late January/early February is about to become our best guarantee cabin.

 

For all but our first cruise, we have always booked the lowest category balcony guarantee. On the Caribbean and Ruby Princesses, this has worked out rather consistently for us as we have received a cabin on Baja each time and have been quite satisfied.

 

Flash forward to today when I received an "Upgrade" notice from Princess for our booking on the Star (another "BF" balcony guarantee). We've been assigned a midship cabin on Caribe deck in the B2 category.

 

Admittedly, we've not seen the cabin yet but based on past experience I suspect that we're going to be very happy with it.

 

Assuming we don't get reassigned again between now and February.

 

I'm tempted to call Princess and add a "No Upgrades" flag to our booking but I'm not sure if one can do that for a "guarantee" booking without losing the upgrade we've already been given.

[Thrak]

We've only cruised three time so far. Our second cruise was a 15 day to Hawaii. I booked the lowest category of balcony as a gty. We ended up in a balcony midship on Aloha. It was a much better location and we enjoyed it greatly.

[weedpindle]

First cruise to Alaska on the Dawn Princess,booked a minimum rate TBA cabin, at the pier got a balcony.

[caribill]

Remember if you book a specific cabin and do not have it marked "will not accept upgrade" then your selected cabin is no better than a GTY booking.

Edited August 15, 2014 by caribill

[sueandkent]

We've only gambled a couple of times and took a guarantee. The worst was the last cruise this past Feb. Booked a low cat OV and got P201 at the VERY front of Plaza deck right by the doors the crew uses to enter their area. Felt like we were cut off from the world up there. Only good thing was our proximity to the IC and dining room.

Best was the year prior but it wasn't a guarantee, we left the "upgrade" on and went from a BE to a nice mid ship balcony on caribe deck. Loved that balcony.