Guarantee booking experiences

[gaechann]

Good on you Gae! Worth a try. :) most of the ones we have looked at worked out between $119 and $134 per person per night. Ticked our box on price.

 

Well - we got our other leg of the cruise allocated. We got Deck 9 cabin 9508, on Radiance Tas trip 20th Jan 2017. So we tried to ring and ask about going down to deck 7 more toward the middle (there are heaps available). Nope, not having a bar of any changes. Don't want to even discuss it. It is in your terms and conditions that you get what you are given and no changes. This is true, "no cabin requests can be made" is the exact wording.

 

You would think it would make sense if we are booked on a back to back that a cabin change in the same category could be considered. Nope. They said the staff will help pack and move us. We have done back to back cruises before. The loose items needed to be packed by us, and they then take anything hanging in the wardrobe. They do a good job, they don't pack for us though, and I wouldn't expect it.

 

I would have thought they might have had a little sympathy for a customer that had already done 7 cruises on Royal (some 18 nights), plus 2 on Celebrity, with another 3 booked besides the B2B we are looking at. We have spent a lot of money. If the rules were the same for US customers I would be more inclined to wear it, but the fact that they have such different conditions is a bit wrong. I think as time goes on they are whittling back the freedoms to change things for US customers though.

 

Anyhow, it was worth a quick phone call for the sake of the exercise. The sticking point for me is the NZ leg that is in cabin 1000. Cabin 9508 is a bit better as we are between accommodation decks. I totally understand the terms and conditions, but.... still not sure.

 

I've called in the past & been told NO when asking for changes but recently I've been booking for friends and have stumbled across a very reasonable booking agent who is apparently a senior with the company.

 

He gave me his name and said to always ask for him if I have need to call the Call Centre in the future. If not there he will call me back!!! He was so agreeable to making the changes I required so yes, I'll always ask for him in the future!

 

It seems to me that you just have to keep calling until you find a senior employee who knows how to "manipulate" the system! Much like calling any government authority here! LOL! :D

 

Gae

[The_Big_M]

Well - we got our other leg of the cruise allocated. We got Deck 9 cabin 9508, on Radiance Tas trip 20th Jan 2017. So we tried to ring and ask about going down to deck 7 more toward the middle (there are heaps available). Nope, not having a bar of any changes. Don't want to even discuss it. It is in your terms and conditions that you get what you are given and no changes. This is true, "no cabin requests can be made" is the exact wording.

 

You would think it would make sense if we are booked on a back to back that a cabin change in the same category could be considered. Nope. They said the staff will help pack and move us. We have done back to back cruises before. The loose items needed to be packed by us, and they then take anything hanging in the wardrobe. They do a good job, they don't pack for us though, and I wouldn't expect it.

 

I would have thought they might have had a little sympathy for a customer that had already done 7 cruises on Royal (some 18 nights), plus 2 on Celebrity, with another 3 booked besides the B2B we are looking at. We have spent a lot of money. If the rules were the same for US customers I would be more inclined to wear it, but the fact that they have such different conditions is a bit wrong. I think as time goes on they are whittling back the freedoms to change things for US customers though.

 

Yes, they are very firm on that here. I don't know why as it doesn't actually hurt revenue (although there is a cost to it). Given it improves the actual customer experience it doesn't make a lot of sense. It's one of those things that can improve the customer impression without costing a lot so typically a smart business choice to allow (or if you want to cost recover, allow but charge a fee). Again, both approaches much more sensible than blanket refusal.

 

Although revenue impacts are managed in the US, I wouldn't expect them to add restrictions to this cost issue there, unless all their booking conditions changed drastically.

[goodycruising]

It seems to me that you just have to keep calling until you find a senior employee who knows how to "manipulate" the system! Much like calling any government authority here! LOL! :D

 

Gae

 

Have had that advice when dealing with Telstra too. :) Not sure if I want to try ringing again, but I might talk to the C&A loyalty people on our next cruise and run it past them. Worst case is that we end up with "no change" answer again. :)

[meggs11]

Hi All :)

 

Have just put on hold a cabin on the 'guaranteed balcony' for 14 nights to NZ. The cost was about $2000 less than the next available cabin, so it seems to make sense...

 

We did it on Carnival Spirit and ended up with an aft facing large balcony room - I was a little worried as had only cruised midship but found it fine. Slight rumble and vibration from the engine and a bit noisier with the wake of the ship but fine all the same.

 

We don't use our balcony heaps, but I do like to have it.

 

I looked at Radiance and there don't seem to be any really bad balcony rooms, some have small balconies or partially obstructed view, again this won't worry me. My only slight concern is that we end up in a really forward cabin, and I think this is only because we have never cruised forward before. But I guess for $2000 saving we are willing to give it a go.... I will just keep swallowing all the drugs I can find :)

 

My travel agent said that our cruise was heavily booked which surprised me given it isn't till March 2017...

 

I was trying to book last night on RCCL website and it crashed for a few hours, then when I logged back on the price had gone up by almost $2500, I almost cried... then I was a bit cranky and emailed them.... waiting for a reponse... but in the meantime I just thought at the last minute to call into a travel agent on the way past and she pretty much gave me the same deal - so I was pretty happy (and slightly nervous about the lottery of the balcony guarentee)

 

Goodycruising - did you pay for your cruise in full and then get your room allocation? I will only pay the deposit for now.

 

I am worried if they give me a great cabin and then take it away again I will be really sad!!!! :)

 

Anyway... that has been my experience thus far!!!!

[rkmw]

Hi All :)

 

Have just put on hold a cabin on the 'guaranteed balcony' for 14 nights to NZ. The cost was about $2000 less than the next available cabin, so it seems to make sense...

 

We did it on Carnival Spirit and ended up with an aft facing large balcony room - I was a little worried as had only cruised midship but found it fine. Slight rumble and vibration from the engine and a bit noisier with the wake of the ship but fine all the same.

 

We don't use our balcony heaps, but I do like to have it.

 

I looked at Radiance and there don't seem to be any really bad balcony rooms, some have small balconies or partially obstructed view, again this won't worry me. My only slight concern is that we end up in a really forward cabin, and I think this is only because we have never cruised forward before. But I guess for $2000 saving we are willing to give it a go.... I will just keep swallowing all the drugs I can find :)

 

My travel agent said that our cruise was heavily booked which surprised me given it isn't till March 2017...

 

I was trying to book last night on RCCL website and it crashed for a few hours, then when I logged back on the price had gone up by almost $2500, I almost cried... then I was a bit cranky and emailed them.... waiting for a reponse... but in the meantime I just thought at the last minute to call into a travel agent on the way past and she pretty much gave me the same deal - so I was pretty happy (and slightly nervous about the lottery of the balcony guarentee)

 

Goodycruising - did you pay for your cruise in full and then get your room allocation? I will only pay the deposit for now.

 

I am worried if they give me a great cabin and then take it away again I will be really sad!!!! :)

 

Anyway... that has been my experience thus far!!!!

 

with any guarantee booking you are at the mercy of the cruise line so you can finish up anywhere but i know with princess they dont give out their cabin number until very late but we booked a guarantee one time and we got moved 3 times and the last one was when we checked in but i'm not sure if RCI give you a free upgrade

 

if your cruise is not till march 2017 you wont have to pay the final until late december 2016/early jan 2017

[goodycruising]

It's one of those things that can improve the customer impression without costing a lot so typically a smart business choice to allow (or if you want to cost recover, allow but charge a fee). Again, both approaches much more sensible than blanket refusal.

 

I would be open to paying some sort of fee, but then I guess you can book the exact cabin for a fee - the full price for that category. :) The "back to back" or consecutive cruises don't seem to attract any sort of interest from the cruise line either. It is hit and miss as to the offer of a lunch or other bonus, with them almost giving us the impression that we are a little bit pesky by still being around.

 

Goodycruising - did you pay for your cruise in full and then get your room allocation? I will only pay the deposit for now.

 

I am worried if they give me a great cabin and then take it away again I will be really sad!!!! :)

 

I have only paid the deposit and within a few days the allocation was showing on the website when I log on. It seems like the usual scenario is that you get the one allocation, but as has been said previously here on CC, it can be changed. You are only guaranteed a cabin in the guarantee category, but with the carrot of a possible upgrade. The discount price certainly makes it tempting. :) The good thing is that the deposit when booking direct with the company is fully refunded with in the $0 penalty window which at this stage is about 5 months before the cruise. Travel agents may charge their own fee or have different conditions.

 

I hope you get nice cabin allocation :)

[woodyren]

with any guarantee booking you are at the mercy of the cruise line so you can finish up anywhere but i know with princess they dont give out their cabin number until very late but we booked a guarantee one time and we got moved 3 times and the last one was when we checked in but i'm not sure if RCI give you a free upgrade

 

if your cruise is not till march 2017 you wont have to pay the final until late december 2016/early jan 2017

 

I have booked a number of gty's and have never been moved after allocation. It has been a variety of times until allocations have been made in the past but of late Royal have made them very quickly after the cruise has been first booked.

 

The issue is that if I book with a USA TA I have always been able to change my gty cabin if I wished after allocation as long as it is in the same category. Why are the rules different?

 

For those who tried. Did you try the normal call centre or C&A. I have used an agent this time so I am not even sure C&A will talk to me about the issue.

[goodycruising]

For those who tried. Did you try the normal call centre or C&A. I have used an agent this time so I am not even sure C&A will talk to me about the issue.

 

We rang the direct number which is the call centre. Is there a separate aussie number for C&A? Not keen to ring USA direct.

 

I know it is the terms of the special, but if others can do it in another country it doesn't seem to be a good policy.

Edited July 27, 2015 by goodycruising

[gaechann]

We rang the direct number which is the call centre. Is there a separate aussie number for C&A? Not keen to ring USA direct.

 

I know it is the terms of the special, but if others can do it in another country it doesn't seem to be a good policy.

 

As your booking is with a travel agent there is nothing you can do with your booking if you call Royal directly - which I'm sure you are already aware of.

 

I've had some good experiences calling the Call Centre as well as some not so good but each time it was a direct booking with Royal that I was enquiring about.

 

Hopefully your TA has a good relationship with someone in Royal's booking that they can speak to on your behalf.

 

All the best!

[The_Big_M]

I would be open to paying some sort of fee, but then I guess you can book the exact cabin for a fee - the full price for that category. :)

 

Even if you booked and chose a specific cabin, you still can't change the room.

 

e.g. you might book a year out, get an average room from all that's left. Then 3 months later, a nicer one appears. You still can't change cabins! (Well, you can cancel and re-book, but given how prices typically rise, that may well end up costing you substantially more. )

 

Again, I think you should be able to change your cabin in the same grade.

[The_Big_M]

As your booking is with a travel agent there is nothing you can do with your booking if you call Royal directly - which I'm sure you are already aware of.

 

I've had some good experiences calling the Call Centre as well as some not so good but each time it was a direct booking with Royal that I was enquiring about.

 

Hopefully your TA has a good relationship with someone in Royal's booking that they can speak to on your behalf.

 

All the best!

 

Yes, room changes definitely have to be done through the entity holding the booking - in this case the TA.

[woodyren]

As your booking is with a travel agent there is nothing you can do with your booking if you call Royal directly - which I'm sure you are already aware of.

 

I've had some good experiences calling the Call Centre as well as some not so good but each time it was a direct booking with Royal that I was enquiring about.

 

Hopefully your TA has a good relationship with someone in Royal's booking that they can speak to on your behalf.

 

All the best!

 

That's part of the problem. In my experience Aussie TA's just say "sorry it is a gty and the rules say you can't change". Maybe you can't but US TA's seem more willing to try to go in to bat for you, whatever the request.

 

While I am happy with the deals we are getting at present and any cabin is fine by us I will always be trying to do a little better if I can.

[sir-magoo]

Even if you booked and chose a specific cabin, you still can't change the room.

 

e.g. you might book a year out, get an average room from all that's left. Then 3 months later, a nicer one appears. You still can't change cabins! (Well, you can cancel and re-book, but given how prices typically rise, that may well end up costing you substantially more. )

 

Again, I think you should be able to change your cabin in the same grade.

 

I have changed cabins within grade a couple of times (specific cabin booking, haven't tried a guarantee). Did this directly with the line, have never really seen the benefit of a TA.

[GUT2407]

I must say that if/when they key you move it seems to me it defeats the who guarantee system why would you book a category?

[rkmw]

I have changed cabins within grade a couple of times (specific cabin booking, haven't tried a guarantee). Did this directly with the line, have never really seen the benefit of a TA.

 

booking directly with the cruise line you have control of your booking so you can talk to them for any changes to your booking but booking with a TA they have to talk to the cruise line for you but sometimes a TA can beat the cruise line with prices and extra OBC

[goodycruising]

As your booking is with a travel agent there is nothing you can do with your booking if you call Royal directly - which I'm sure you are already aware of.

 

I've had some good experiences calling the Call Centre as well as some not so good but each time it was a direct booking with Royal that I was enquiring about.

 

Hopefully your TA has a good relationship with someone in Royal's booking that they can speak to on your behalf.

 

All the best!

 

My booking is not with a TA. It is direct with Royal. You are mixing me up with a couple of other posters. I know I would have no chance at all with a TA. I may still try again to ring in a few weeks. Not sure.

 

 

I must say that if/when they key you move it seems to me it defeats the who guarantee system why would you book a category?

 

Yes, there is logic in your question.

 

Why request a change? because you can ask for a cabin change within the same category in the US after the allocation has happened. There are heaps of cabins available in the category I have been allocated. They have allocated us two different cabins on a back to back cruise, and we know the cabin we have on one leg is vacant on the other. Just asking for one crappy location cabin to be changed to one that is actually crappier!

 

Why book a Gty category? Because it is a good deal for the price and you hope you can get lucky and get allocated a cabin that ticks the boxes for less price. That is why we jokingly call it guarantee lotto :) I don't have much luck with lotto so the chances that this game was going to give me a win was slim.

 

Yes, I have been given what I paid for. Will I cancel those 2 cruise bookings? Maybe, I am now looking at Celebrity Solstice, where for the same price instead of 20 nights in a small cabin with lots of walking which I do have issues with, I am looking at 12 nights in a location I choose, going to a couple of ports I have not done before, with a drink package and $100 OBC. We have a small business, so every day I am not at work it costs me more for staff also. So it is not just the cost of the cruise by itself.

 

I do appreciate everyone's feedback. Still interested to hear how other people go with it all. :)

[icat2000]

Sometimes guarantee cabin lottery is not for everyone. Also, as we are all aware that some things that can happen in the USA do not happen in Australia. However, my policy is if you don't ask, you never never no.

 

You might want to make the call sooner rather than later. Never know with everyone scooping up the lottery cabins you might be left with slim pickings :D

 

Remind me again which cabin no and ship allocate is causing the problem?

Edited July 28, 2015 by icat2000

[gaechann]

Sometimes guarantee cabin lottery is not for everyone. Also, as we are all aware that some things that can happen in the USA do not happen in Australia. However, my policy is if you don't ask, you never never no.

 

You might want to make the call sooner rather than later. Never know with everyone scooping up the lottery cabins you might be left with slim pickings :D

 

Remind me again which cabin no and ship allocate is causing the problem?

 

 

My mantra is "If you don't ask you won't get" :)

 

Sorry goody I do believe that I have confused you with another poster! All the best with your final decision. :)

 

Gae

[goodycruising]

Thanks Gae! I don't want to be a big pest, but we thought it was worth asking :) Also for research for this post. Handy for others to know if they should call or if it is definitely a no go :)

 

Sarah - we have actually changed from the first result. We gave up the cabin 1000 in Radiance on another booking. We are now looking at Radiance cabins 9508 (E category) on one leg, and on the next leg we have been allocated 9518.

 

So we know from scanning on another site that on the second leg 9508 is vacant! That is the frustrating part. Not actually that keen on the cabin number, but we have not done a B2B and stayed in the same cabin.

 

It is not a big hassle to pack up half your stuff, as they take the hanging items for us, but the call centre person said that the cabin staff would pack everything up for us. NOT TRUE! I don't even expect or want them to! So to me, the request is so minor, to change the cabin on the second leg to one that is actually slightly more forward.

 

The only benefit I do see being that far forward is that it is close to the lift to get to the Park Cafe and the Diamond or Concierge lounges. It is a very long walk to the dining room and Windjammer though. Maybe that would be a good thing :)

[goodycruising]

Just a small aside... I was looking at the Ovation cruises yesterday, and it was for a very short time showing me a balcony to NZ for 14 nights at $238 total, for two of us! Then I clicked to see what would happen and it said that pop up of "would you like to upgrade to a Junior Suite ... FOR FREE!" Unfortunately the website froze at that time, and when I went back into it the prices were back to normal. It was so funny :) I am guessing there is a other promotion in the wind. We have noticed website glitches just before new promotions before.

[cassamanda]

Just a small aside... I was looking at the Ovation cruises yesterday, and it was for a very short time showing me a balcony to NZ for 14 nights at $238 total, for two of us! Then I clicked to see what would happen and it said that pop up of "would you like to upgrade to a Junior Suite ... FOR FREE!" Unfortunately the website froze at that time, and when I went back into it the prices were back to normal. It was so funny :) I am guessing there is a other promotion in the wind. We have noticed website glitches just before new promotions before.

 

We have just booked a gty balcony on Voyager direct, so will see what we get and then will have a go at asking for a location change and see what happens. Noted also that deposit was 50%.

 

Price was just under what the cheapest balcony was at first release. Same balcony now nearly $2000 dearer:eek:

 

Have on occasion been lucky with getting a JS for same price as a D1 - usually on shorter cruises eg Hobart.

 

Suspect a new "sale" will happen soon as the current promo finishes end if month with Royal.

 

Advantage of booking direct is that you can get instant answers/action and no cost in cancelling when within the cutoff.

 

Hugh

[goodycruising]

Be interested how you go Hugh. Yes the prices at first release do seem to be some of the best, and the sale prices are often just good in comparison to the higher general pricing. The double balcony upgrade had been extended once already. It will be interesting what the next one might be. :)

[cassamanda]

Be interested how you go Hugh. Yes the prices at first release do seem to be some of the best, and the sale prices are often just good in comparison to the higher general pricing. The double balcony upgrade had been extended once already. It will be interesting what the next one might be. :)

 

Cabin allocation came through within a few hours after paying deposit. Got 7286 on Voyager which is an E2 just forward of midship. Reasonable location but at half the price i cant complain.

Voyager class is quite different to Radiance in so far as balcony location is concerned and i would probably be more picky on Radiance with its very good hump and aft cabins.

Will see what happens.

[goodycruising]

Wow that was quick Hugh. I would be happy with that location. :)

[rkmw]

i came across this article on cruise critic, most regulars know what a guarantee is but just in case a newbie dosent

 

Not saying that guarantee cabins aren't worth the gamble for an upgrade, but if you want assurance that you won't be in a pitching, noisy cabin, these cabins aren't the way to go. A guarantee cabin isn't actually a type of cabin but, rather, a method of booking a cabin. You pick a minimum cabin level you'd be comfortable in, and the cruise line assigns you a cabin close to booking dates based on availability.

The potential for an upgrade is appealing, and if you're cruising on a budget and don't have a particular issue with any of the cabin dilemmas listed above, then it could be worth your while to see what a guarantee might deliver. But your guarantee also could place you squarely above the anchor, next to a crew entrance or below the theater. With guarantee cabins, you lose your ability to complain about what you end up with