Guarantee.....woo hoo....so pleased

[Theodorable]

For the first time in years I booked a Princess cruise on the Golden Princess yesterday. As I am travelling solo this time I booked a guarantee obstructed ocean view category OZ. I have read on this site that a guarantee can be assigned anytime right up to the start of the cruise so I wasn't expecting anything when I went to check the Princess site last night. I was wrong! I found that I had been assigned an OC cabin P314!

 

This is a big upgrade and would have cost me many of hundreds of dollars more to book this actual cabin....I am so pleased. I love being in an ocean view close to the ocean with a large picture window.

 

Can't wait for my cruise....my poor husband has to work while I am having a lovely relaxing time!

[dedosr]

Happy for you!!

[Mrs.Gosse]

Congratulations! That is really the best place to relax! You don't have to drive anywhere or worry about traffic on any other resort vacation by yourself. Can someone explain to me what the guaranteed room system entails? I am just finding out about this.

[chrysalis]

Plaza Deck.....great location!

[cruzsnooze]

Great location for the IC. Gotta have coffee in the morning ya know :)

[Itasca]

Congratulations! That is really the best place to relax! You don't have to drive anywhere or worry about traffic on any other resort vacation by yourself. Can someone explain to me what the guaranteed room system entails? I am just finding out about this.

A "guarantee" booking does specify the specific cabin and costs less. You are "guaranteed" a cabin in the class booked or higher!

[Theodorable]

Great location for the IC. Gotta have coffee in the morning ya know :)

 

I saw that.....I can just wander out in the morning in all my glory without having to call room service and get a great cup of coffee!

 

Guarantees....for the person who asked, are where you make a booking, usually at a special reduced rate and you let the cruise line choose your cabin. We have done this lots of times in the past and I don't think we have had a bad cabin....we have been lucky. In my case, I really lucked out. We have always had an upgrade of sorts, usually one or two categories. We really like to save our money so this is a great way to be on a cruise without breaking the bank.

 

If you are worried about noise or being on too high of a deck, then guarantees might not be for you.

[SadieN]

A "guarantee" booking does specify the specific cabin and costs less. You are "guaranteed" a cabin in the class booked or higher!

 

 

The only caveat is you have to be willing to accept the worst cabin in your cabin class (or higher).

Sometimes you are assigned a good location. Other times you could be assigned a cabin under the galley.

[skf]

Can someone explain to me what the guaranteed room system entails? I am just finding out about this.

Let's say you want a cabin with a view, but do not have a preference...you book a Guarantee in the lowest-cost Obstructed View category. You may be assigned the exact category you paid for; or, as has happened sometimes with us, you could get a higher category or even an upgrade to some other type, possibly even a Balcony. We booked an Inside one time & got moved up to an Obstructed.

If you book an Inside anything could happen, but you cannot be assigned a lower category.

Your cabin may be assigned at any time, there is no telling when. We even got a serious upgrade two days before sailing in Emerald Princess, from a regular Mini-suite to a Handicap Mini. What a cabin!

Steve

[JF - retired RRT]

A "guarantee" booking does specify the specific cabin and costs less. You are "guaranteed" a cabin in the class booked or higher!

SOMETIMES costs less.

[Theodorable]

SOMETIMES costs less.

 

In my case yesterday for my booking it cost over $100 less than the lowest obstructed ocean view catergory (choose your cabin variety) and I received $50 onboard credit so I am happy!

[DrivesLikeMario]

In my case yesterday for my booking it cost over $100 less than the lowest obstructed ocean view catergory (choose your cabin variety) and I received $50 onboard credit so I am happy!

 

That's awesome! As much as I love traveling with my DH, sometimes it is SO nice to have that whole cabin all to yourself! And the bed too! And the bathroom! And, to be able to eat whenever YOU want! It is such a freeing feeling! Enjoy it! :)

[Theodorable]

That's awesome! As much as I love traveling with my DH, sometimes it is SO nice to have that whole cabin all to yourself! And the bed too! And the bathroom! And, to be able to eat whenever YOU want! It is such a freeing feeling! Enjoy it! :)

 

I have been on 3 cruises now on my own....out of many cruises. I absolutely love being able to do what I want when I want. I have even found I really like my own company in the dining room (with my Kindle), I never feel out of place and the waiters are always nice to me. It is also great sharing tables when I feel social.

 

Having a nap when I want, go ashore when I want...if I want....it is heaven.

 

Love, love, love cruises.....love cruising with my husband, but it is very special and relaxing on your own.

 

Nicola

[lake5298]

A "guarantee" booking does specify the specific cabin and costs less. You are "guaranteed" a cabin in the class booked or higher!

 

We booked a guarantee Inside cabin for our next cruise on Royal Princess.

 

They have given us a balcony! I don't know why - but I'm delighted!

.

[Theodorable]

We booked a guarantee Inside cabin for our next cruise on Royal Princess.

 

They have given us a balcony! I don't know why - but I'm delighted!

.

 

That's fabulous. I hope you have a great cruise. Arn't guarantees fun!

[shepp]

In my case yesterday for my booking it cost over $100 less than the lowest obstructed ocean view catergory (choose your cabin variety) and I received $50 onboard credit so I am happy!

 

That was on Princess, and for the exact same cabin category under the same sale terms? I understand that other lines do discount for guarantees, but in my experience on Princess, the only way a GUAR saves money is if you book in a "guarantee-only" category lower than one for which specific cabins are still bookable.

 

And counting on a sizable upgrade from a GUAR is foolish. On my last cruise I got exactly the category I'd booked as a GUAR, and was neither surprised nor disappointed. Actually, the best upgrade I ever got (iowest inside to balcony on the Royal) was from a specific cabin, not a guarantee. While a guarantee may increase your chances of an upgrade, I don't think anyone except the Upgrade Fairy knows the odds for sure.

[Theodorable]

That was on Princess, and for the exact same cabin category under the same sale terms? I understand that other lines do discount for guarantees, but in my experience on Princess, the only way a GUAR saves money is if you book in a "guarantee-only" category lower than one for which specific cabins are still bookable.

 

And counting on a sizable upgrade from a GUAR is foolish. On my last cruise I got exactly the category I'd booked as a GUAR, and was neither surprised nor disappointed. Actually, the best upgrade I ever got (iowest inside to balcony on the Royal) was from a specific cabin, not a guarantee. While a guarantee may increase your chances of an upgrade, I don't think anyone except the Upgrade Fairy knows the odds for sure.

 

I never said that I was counting on a sizeable upgrade! I also never book through the cruise line...yesterday when I compared the cruise line to the online agency I have used for years, there was no comparison. My online agency gives great discounts and OBC because they book groups and you become part of the group. We are not particular about which line we go with...it is all itinerary and price.

 

Guarantees are fun but you still have to accept that you could get a less desirable cabin...we have been lucky so far and we have had absolutely fine cabins and nice upgrades. I booked an OZ and received an OC...on this cruise coming up which I think is a good upgrade and it saved me over $350 from booking the OC direct...plus I got $50 OBC

 

I should also point out that with my online agency I could have chosen a number of different categories all of which offered guarantee or choose your cabin for the same rate. I chose to take a chance on the lowest category outside and ended up with one of the highest category outsides.

Edited March 11, 2015 by Theodorable

[Working 2 Cruise]

A "guarantee" booking does specify the specific cabin and costs less. You are "guaranteed" a cabin in the class booked or higher!

 

 

Actually, a guarantee does not specify a specific cabin, just that you're guaranteed a cabin in the category or higher.

 

To the OP, congress, it's a great upgrade!!

[geoherb]

Congrats on the great upgrade. I love being on that deck. It's so convenient.

[Thrak]

Actually, a guarantee does not specify a specific cabin, just that you're guaranteed a cabin in the category or higher.

 

To the OP, congress, it's a great upgrade!!

 

The only way I can see to do a "guarantee" is to use the "let us pick a cabin for you" thing. When you do that it definitely does list a specific cabin. You can either take it or else click on "choose my own" or whatever the verbiage is.

[timesurfer7]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Made the reservation for our transatlantic trip in July and it is a guaranteed balcony. But I don't like having to wait to see what we get!!! Every day I check and every day I smack myself for going for a guarantee!!! When we made the reservation with our TA I just said get us the cheapest balcony available. Two weeks later, when I returned from a vacation, I checked our reservations and saw that it was a guarantee!!! I think I prefer to pick where we will be as this waiting is killing me.

[pablo222]

For the first time in years I booked a Princess cruise on the Golden Princess yesterday. As I am travelling solo this time I booked a guarantee obstructed ocean view category OZ. I have read on this site that a guarantee can be assigned anytime right up to the start of the cruise so I wasn't expecting anything when I went to check the Princess site last night. I was wrong! I found that I had been assigned an OC cabin P314!

 

I really, really like Plaza deck cabins. Very close to international

cafe; and close to any-time dining rooms.

 

The only downside is if you are wonderful-husband, each morning

you are sent to retrieve dear-wife's coffee from the international

cafe when she awakens. :)

 

Also, in port, the gangways are usually on deck 4. It is great to be

able to easily get back to your cabin, without waiting for an over-crowded

elevator.

 

And, the same at the end of the cruise. Depending on the port, there

is usually a gangway on deck 5 to disembark.

Edited March 12, 2015 by pablo222

[JF - retired RRT]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Made the reservation for our transatlantic trip in July and it is a guaranteed balcony. But I don't like having to wait to see what we get!!! Every day I check and every day I smack myself for going for a guarantee!!! When we made the reservation with our TA I just said get us the cheapest balcony available. Two weeks later, when I returned from a vacation, I checked our reservations and saw that it was a guarantee!!! I think I prefer to pick where we will be as this waiting is killing me.

If there are still cabins available in your price category. Ask your TA to put you in one. That will lock you out from getting a higher priced balcony, but stop the suspense.

Usually, the guarantee cabins are the same price as the forward (and sometimes the aft) cabins. Those are the cheapest/least desirable cabins.

As long as prices haven't gone up, there should be no problem.

[caribill]

Usually, the guarantee cabins are the same price as the forward (and sometimes the aft) cabins. Those are the cheapest/least desirable cabins.

 

 

A GTY booking can be made in any price category.

 

The only way you could possibly end up in one of the cheapest cabins is to book a GTY in that category and be assigned a cabin in the category you booked.

[Theodorable]

for my sailing there are guarantees in just about all categories. You can also choose a cabin, but it makes no sense to take a guarantee unless you are going with the lowest category of the type of cabin you want e.g. lowest inside, lowest ocean view. It is the luck of the draw. In my case I went from the OZ to OC...if I paid for the OC, which I could have and chosen my cabin, it would have been considerably more.