booking a guarantee stateroom

[campingwhit]

:confused: This is my first post question, pardon me if this has been asked before. My hubby and I are looking into booking our second cruise for next december. I was thinking about booking a guarantee balcony. What ever cruise I go into I do not see any guarantee cabins available. Do you have to book further in advance or wait until closer to the sailing when they are released? We just got off the Navigator 2 weeks ago and I should have listened to him when he said"let's book again before we get off" He's hooked!!!!!!

[wrp96]

Not every cruise will have guarantees available, and even if they are available they won't necessarily be for a balcony. What you can do is book the cruise you want with a specific cabin and put down the deposit for it. Then watch to see if the guarantee balcony category opens up. If it does then you can switch your booking to the guarantee class. Depending on whether your December sailing is a holiday sailing or not, final payment won't be due until 60 to 90 days out so you'll have plenty of time to watch and see if the rates lower or if the guarantee opens up. If at final payment time, you aren't comfortable with what you've booked you can always cancel and get your money back.

[geoherb]

I suggest booking the best rate you can find now for a balcony cabin on the cruise you want to take. As WRP said, you can always switch to another category if prices change.

 

For instance, we booked a BD guarantee in July 2003 on the Golden Princess for December 2003. Around September, BA cabins were cheaper than our BD price. Our TA was able to book us a specific BA cabin. When final payment date came, we ended up paying less than we had originally planned and got a much better cabin.

[beaming90]

We are cruising on Carnival and booked a Guarentee balcony room but each time I try to see what is available it always tells me that there are no guarentee rooms available. But I know that I have one booked so I guess I won't worry too much. I do think it is strange though.

[wrp96]

We are cruising on Carnival and booked a Guarentee balcony room but each time I try to see what is available it always tells me that there are no guarentee rooms available. But I know that I have one booked so I guess I won't worry too much. I do think it is strange though.

 

Even if guarantees are offered, they are limited in number so all the guarantees on your sailing may be taken - that is probably why they are no longer showing up. Same with any other category of stateroom, once they are sold out they don't show up any more.

[kitty9]

December is one of the most popular, and earliest booked cruise time, and they limit the amount of guarantees for every cruise. Since you're looking at a very popular time, I would guess that all the guarantees are already taken.