Booked a guarantee and still no cabin

[flygirl2]

My husband and I along with our cousins each booked a balcony guarantee room for our Jan. 31 Caribbean cruise. We booked this around Jan 10. My husband and I were given a cabin about 3 days later, around the 13th. However our cousins who were booked the very same time we booked with the same travel agency have not been assigned a cabin. We called Princess yesterday to ask about this and they said they have until 2 days before the cruise to assign a cabin. When is the latest any of you have waited to have been assigned a cabin? The balcony cabins have been sold out since we were given a cabin. Anticipation!!

[moki'smommy]

"Sold out" doesn't mean that there is a person assigned to each cabin. It means that the cruise line has sold as many of that cabin type as they intend to sell. Your cousins may be assigned to a balcony cabin...or they may get lucky and be assigned to a mini-suite.

 

Princess may call some people in balconies and offer them an upsell to a mini-suite and then assign your cousins to that balcony cabin. In this way, Princess makes more money, the people who bought the upsell are happy, and your cousins get what they've paid for.

[Colo Cruiser]

My husband and I along with our cousins each booked a balcony guarantee room for our Jan. 31 Caribbean cruise. We booked this around Jan 10. My husband and I were given a cabin about 3 days later, around the 13th. However our cousins who were booked the very same time we booked with the same travel agency have not been assigned a cabin. We called Princess yesterday to ask about this and they said they have until 2 days before the cruise to assign a cabin. When is the latest any of you have waited to have been assigned a cabin? The balcony cabins have been sold out since we were given a cabin. Anticipation!!

 

 

They don't start serious assignments switches upgrades upsells etc until the week prior. As they told you everything should be done by 24-48 hours prior to the cruise. Bag tags/travel summary/boarding pass is available on the personalizer until the day of sailing. This will indicate any cabin assignments/changes.

Some say they were not assigned until arrival at the pier when in fact it was assigned before arrival but they never checked online.

Edited January 22, 2016 by Colo Cruiser

[paul929207]

Some people do not know their cabin assignment until they get to the pier. They just need to be patient.

[Marlster]

My husband and I along with our cousins each booked a balcony guarantee room for our Jan. 31 Caribbean cruise. We booked this around Jan 10. My husband and I were given a cabin about 3 days later, around the 13th. However our cousins who were booked the very same time we booked with the same travel agency have not been assigned a cabin. We called Princess yesterday to ask about this and they said they have until 2 days before the cruise to assign a cabin. When is the latest any of you have waited to have been assigned a cabin? The balcony cabins have been sold out since we were given a cabin. Anticipation!!

 

Did you cousins check to see if they are actually booked on the cruise. We were booked on a cruise and had a cabin number, but our friends hadn't heard anything so I told them to call the cruiseline and sure enough they had no record of even their booking, so off to the TA that was suppose to book it, they were lucky there was a wheelchair cabin available. So dont take things for granted, people do make mistakes.

Marlster

[Retiring cajun]

We'll be on same cruise:)

[rurdy2rk]

We are sailing on the Emerald on 1/30. We booked a balcony Guarantee as well, however we still have not been assigned a cabin with 6 days to sailing. We booked about 6 months ago, and this is the longest I have had to wait. Hoping for something good, but will NOT be upset if we get what we paid for. The anticipation is killing me LOL

[Woobstr112G]

We are sailing on the Emerald on 1/30. We booked a balcony Guarantee as well, however we still have not been assigned a cabin with 6 days to sailing. We booked about 6 months ago, and this is the longest I have had to wait. Hoping for something good, but will NOT be upset if we get what we paid for. The anticipation is killing me LOL

 

But you will be on a ship in six short days.....:D:D:D

 

Bob

[RocketMan275]

Did you cousins check to see if they are actually booked on the cruise. We were booked on a cruise and had a cabin number, but our friends hadn't heard anything so I told them to call the cruiseline and sure enough they had no record of even their booking, so off to the TA that was suppose to book it, they were lucky there was a wheelchair cabin available. So dont take things for granted, people do make mistakes.

Marlster

 

You can also check online to see if you have a booking even if you used a TA. I've two Princes cruises booked through TA and both are in my cruise personalizer. You do need to register though.

 

I always check the website to make sure the TA did what I asked.

Edited January 24, 2016 by RocketMan275

[idahospud]

We always book guarantee cabins and most of the time usually don't receive our cabin assignment until a couple days before. For a weekend sailing we are pretty good at predicting when the assignments will show up - Wednesday or Thursday evening the week of the cruise. It'll come.

[azbirdmom]

We mostly book guarantees and have learned not to stress over cabin assignments. We flew all the way to Auckland NZ without having a cabin assignment for a cruise to Australia a few years ago. It was assigned while we were in the air and our wonderful TA sent us an email immediately. We've had them assigned anywhere from a couple days before the cruise to several months before. Your cousins will be fine, just have them check the cruise personalizer periodically.

[napunani]

We did guaranteed cabin only once - NEVER, EVER, AGAIN!

[4cats4me]

We are still waiting for our assgt too. Booked in November, sailing in 4-5 weeks. Usually we are assigned a cabin shortly after booking. Last year I booked online with Princess and was assigned a cabin and upgraded within 3 days of booking. We booked that cruise one month out. Another time we didn't receive an assgt until 9 days before sailing, but we scored a tremendous upgrade on that one. Sometimes we received no upgrade, too

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[GUT2407]

Some people do not know their cabin assignment until they get to the pier. They just need to be patient.

 

Yes that has happened to us a few times.

 

People who are impatient about their cabin shouldn't book guarantees in my opinion.

[Shogun]

Hi

 

Have booked loads of guarantees, sometimes checkin before we got our cabin,

 

and once after we sailed, as they wanted to take a block of cabins out for

 

maintenance so waited to see who turned up,

 

yours Shogun

[peety3]

Explain to me this one simple thing: why does it matter?

 

You'll get a cabin, and your luggage will make it to your cabin. That's a fairly solid fact. You'll go to your cabin numerous times during the cruise, and then you'll go home.

 

If cabin placement matters to you, don't pick a guarantee, or pick your cabin appropriately then mark your booking as upgrade-eligible. Example: last August, we picked a mid-forward minisuite on Ruby. If Princess wanted to upgrade us, they could bump us to a midship minisuite (next category up), or to a suite (which could put us aft, but it's a suite!). It has to be an upgrade, so they can't just flip us to a mid-aft minisuite; those are the same category..

[TracieABD]

I sail in 5 days. I am sitting on an IF gyt- (Emerald Princess). I check my personalizer several times a day-- ok. maybe a bit obsessively, but I knew that when I agreed to a gty I could wait until I am on the ship to get a cabin.

 

As I frequently do a live-from, I already have my title worked out in the case that I do not have an assignment by Wednesday night.

 

I am pretty sure that I will not have to sleep in crew's quarters, on the Prominade Deck, or with any of my new sailing friends on board.

 

It is actually now getting kind of fun, as my friends are in on the adventure of a cabin assignment.

 

I think I will surrender and print my boarding pass...

[Musky Ike]

I think I will surrender and print my boarding pass...

 

That has worked for me. I print the boarding pass and luggage tags and bingo, the cabin is assigned or changed so I can print them again :rolleyes:

I agree the anticipation can be fun.

[cruiser113]

I sail in 5 days. I am sitting on an IF gyt- (Emerald Princess). I check my personalizer several times a day-- ok. maybe a bit obsessively, but I knew that when I agreed to a gty I could wait until I am on the ship to get a cabin.

 

As I frequently do a live-from, I already have my title worked out in the case that I do not have an assignment by Wednesday night.

 

I am pretty sure that I will not have to sleep in crew's quarters, on the Prominade Deck, or with any of my new sailing friends on board.

 

It is actually now getting kind of fun, as my friends are in on the adventure of a cabin assignment.

 

I think I will surrender and print my boarding pass...

 

I understand about the frequent checking......also booked gty and received cabin assignment Friday ......now can print all documents

 

received nice balcony on dolphin

 

hope you get a great room.........hate not having room printed on luggage tag.....always concerns that the luggage will ? make it

[TracieABD]

I understand about the frequent checking......also booked gty and received cabin assignment Friday ......now can print all documents

 

received nice balcony on dolphin

 

hope you get a great room.........hate not having room printed on luggage tag.....always concerns that the luggage will ? make it

 

Fortunately, it is a 4 day cruise. I will be carrying my luggage on, so I don't have to worry about a luggage tag.

[Retiring cajun]

What is the advantage or disadvantage on booking a guarantee room?

[peety3]

What is the advantage or disadvantage on booking a guarantee room?

 

The perceived advantage is the possibility of upgrade "earned" by the tradeoff of giving the cruise line flexibility to manage a certain amount of dynamic capacity (used to handle last-minute room repairs, etc.). At least by category count, we've had the best upgrade from just booking a guarantee (IE to IB on a one-nighter when cabin location didn't really matter to us) versus picking a cabin but marking it upgrade-eligible (not sure we ever got anything but an upsell offer).

[Cruise Raider]

What is the advantage or disadvantage on booking a guarantee room?

 

On some cruiselines (particularly Celebrity) there is a huge price advantage to booking a guarantee. On Princess, I see no difference in booking either a guarantee or just booking your own room. However, on Princess, oftentimes they have sold out all the rooms in a particular category but still allow you to reserve a room at that price point and you will receive at least that category and may get something better without paying the higher price.

 

I have gotten decent rooms, nothing special though, by booking a guarantee ... until that one time! Now, I always choose my cabin carefully. Never do I want to be assigned to a room that is right under the Trident Grill ever, ever, ever again!

[caribill]

On some cruiselines (particularly Celebrity) there is a huge price advantage to booking a guarantee. On Princess, I see no difference in booking either a guarantee or just booking your own room. However, on Princess, oftentimes they have sold out all the rooms in a particular category but still allow you to reserve a room at that price point and you will receive at least that category and may get something better without paying the higher price.

 

I have gotten decent rooms, nothing special though, by booking a guarantee ... until that one time! Now, I always choose my cabin carefully. Never do I want to be assigned to a room that is right under the Trident Grill ever, ever, ever again!

 

 

That's the benefit. You can still book a cabin in a category that shows no currently available cabins.

 

That is different than "sold out." If a category is "sold out," then no GTY will be available for that category.

Edited March 7, 2016 by caribill