Guarantee or Pick my cabin?

[coolio111]

This is my first cruise, and am not sure if I should do the guarantee my cabin or pay extra to pick my cabin.

 

The reason I would pick my cabin is based on peoples comments about not being near an elevator/ bar.

 

What has been your experience with the guarantee my cabin? Or why have you chosen to pick your cabin specifically?

 

Also if someone could briefly explain about the bidding that would help? Is it on both the guarantee and the pick my cabin?

 

Thanks

[easyboy]

We always pick our cabin so we know what to expect upon booking.

 

 

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[AndyCapn]

Most of the problems with bad cabins can be handled using ear plugs, and even the most meticulous research into picking the "right" cabin can go up in flames if your neighbours are loud, obnoxious jerks.

 

That said, guarantee balconies or oceanviews that end up with obstructed views can really put a damper on some people's holidays, spending seven nights with a view of a lifeboat. When travelling with my parents, I make sure to get a room that's not too far from the elevators, as they have some mobility issues. And I'd sooner drop a category level than have a cabin underneath a bowling alley or the weight room.

[CruisingUS]

if u have 2+ rooms, then pick

[purpletequila]

Pick your room.

I had a guarantee on the Escape last year and won't do it again as I was put 4 cabins from the very front of the ship. Let's just say, I logged miles per day. It wasn't horrible but it was inconvenient, especially after a night out and you're following their fish rugs for freaking everrrrr trying to get back to your room. Plus, you get the free at sea promotion when you pick your own room.

[dexddd]

What ship? E.G. the Star/Dawn have rooms aft on 8 that are right above the nightclub which even earplugs won't really help due to the bass.

[lucyintheskywithdiamonds]

I would say pick your own room! I'm sailing on the Breakaway in about 30 days out, booked with a TA . I paid for upgrade to balcony guarantee(from on Ocean view) for $240 plus $40 for insurance... they assigned me forward on the deck 13... the tiniest balconies on the entire ship.. it's a disappointment, but i have no choice,, they won't move me. cabin 13110 all the way forward,, on a good note the cabin is large,... :)

I think I would have been better off booking directly with NCL and making deals with them instead of a TA.. actually, i will try a new line next time. i want to try them all! live n learn!

[mjkacmom]

We always pick cabins by elevators (although we always take the stairs). Never had a noise problem.

[dacsmom]

I have booked a guarantee in the past and have not been disappointed yet. Just be prepared to accept any cabin. If you are ok with that and can save a bit of money, I say try it. If you are a light sleeper or just do not want to be in a certain area then definitely pick your cabin. With the guarantee sometimes the savings can be worth it to just roll the dice.

[Azure Moon]

Since this is your first cruise I would suggest booking a cabin rather than choosing guarantee. This way if you should find yourself having to get used to the motion of the ship you'll have that going in your favor. Low and in the middle of the ship is best. Of course, if you want a balcony, choose the lowest level of balcony, and as close to the middle of the ship as possible.

On our September cruise, we had chosen our own cabin (low and in the middle) due to my friend having a history of sea sickness on occasion, but we bid on an upgrade. The upgrade was to a higher floor and more towards the front. Due to rough seas (North Atlantic and possibly some effect from recent hurricane), she did have a problem and the cabin position, while not the worst it could have been, was not the best either. It was our doing for having wanting to upgrade, but we did like having the balcony over the Oceanview! :D

I've never had a problem with noise by the stairs and elevators other than occasionally a loud person/s. Try to keep away from loud public spaces above and/or below your cabin if you don't like noise or are a light sleeper. This is another reason, as previously mentioned, for choosing your cabin rather than rolling the dice on a guarantee cabin.

As stated by another poster, if you have more than one cabin needed for your party, it's best choosing your cabins as with guarantee you could be put on different decks, forward (front) and aft (back).

If you bid on upgrades to another cabin category, be aware it will become similar to booking a guarantee. You can be put into a different location, different deck, and if you are cruising with people in another cabin(s), your cabin may end up far away from the other one(s). That happened with us. We had four in our party - 2 people in 2 cabins. We went from two doors apart to a deck apart and different sides of the ship. It was okay, but not as convenient as being two doors apart.

No matter where you end up, you'll have a fantastic time! We definitely did!

Congratulations on your first cruise! It's sure to become your first of many :).

[ellie1145]

We normally choose our cabin, and cruise around 3 times a year. For a number of reasons we booked late and took a guaranteed ocean view on Star. We had 3 cabins. When we got our allocation I was concerned about the location of our cabin with the galley.

 

Two were on deck 5 and one on deck 8.

 

The deck 8 cabin was over the last lifeboat and the view was poor, very set back and with lots of metalwork outside, but worst of all a brilliant light on all night outside the window.

 

Our cabin on deck 5 was at the end of a corridor so no footfall but opposite a crew door which thankfully had a notice on it from the captain forbidding its use by crew. The main problem was that each night around 1.00 am there was a loud grinding noise, presumably from the galley, which woke us regularly. There was also a constant loud thrumming, which was particularly loud when the ship was going fast. With the bed against the hull the noise from the sea and the engine seemed to be magnified.

 

The third cabin was ok but with horrendously uncomfortable beds and a lot of cleanliness issues, but that could happen even if you choose your own cabin. The bed issue and the cleanliness were sorted out eventually.

 

I would certainly always opt for choosing my cabin if I could afford it. This time there were reasons for choosing a guarantee but i wouldn't do it again.

[sanger727]

The other thing to consider is what type of guarantee cabin you are looking at. Anything with a X designation doesn't come with any perks. There are guarantees that do come with perks, they just aren't X categories.

 

Personally I've never booked a guarantee. I'm a light sleeper and we prefer to pick our room. Though we usually book more than 6 months out and often there are no guarantees yet so it's no more expensive to pick your own room.

 

 

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[itchief]

Sure picking your room is the way to go. BUT, no one here has said anything about the price point on each. We just added someone to our sailing next week and the sail-away balcony was 1/2 the price of choosing a room. $750 vs $1300. The balcony that was assigned when we booked this last week is in a great spot. Yes we got lucky but money talks and only you can decide if it is worth it to you.

[rattla]

I would say pick your own room! I'm sailing on the Breakaway in about 30 days out, booked with a TA . I paid for upgrade to balcony guarantee(from on Ocean view) for $240 plus $40 for insurance... they assigned me forward on the deck 13... the tiniest balconies on the entire ship.. it's a disappointment, but i have no choice,, they won't move me. cabin 13110 all the way forward,, on a good note the cabin is large,... :)

I think I would have been better off booking directly with NCL and making deals with them instead of a TA.. actually, i will try a new line next time. i want to try them all! live n learn!

 

Just found out we have been given 13710 for around Christmas time - which is the same but on starboard. Will be interesting how you find it :)

[Nebr.cruiser]

We sometimes do guarantees depending on how good a deal it is. So far, never had a 'bad' cabin; but we don't just sail on NCL. At least on Norwegian you seem to lose all perks, so you have to figure out what the best deal is.

 

We actually like cabins near the elevators, less long halls to maneuver and have never had a noise problem.

[Vyhanek]

Cabins in every category are not created equal! The cabins with issues are always guarantee!

 

I've had several cabins that probably should have been on the guarantee list after 25 plus cruises. Like the Jr. Suite on the Jewel where our cabin was located right under the buffet. OMG, the noise at 3am, 4am. I could hear the freezer banging from above, I could hear chairs being drug across the floor. I could hear staff walking around in heels....click,click,click. Waking me up at 4am!

 

Then I remember another cruise I booked about 2 weeks before Xmas. There were only guarantee cabins left! So my cabin was an ocean view but directly above the anchor. So every time the ship anchored, the chains unrolling were so, so loud. My cabin shook. That one I could live with because anchoring only happened a couple times a day.

 

The Jr. Suite under the buffet on the Jewel sucked the most.

 

Even if it does cost more, choose your cabin. Try to choose a cabin where there are cabins above and below you. The crappiest cabins are kept for guarantee.

[coolio111]

Thanks all for your replies.

 

I will be on the Escape or Getaway, haven't finalized it yet. Where do I find the ship layout, and reviews of cabins if there are any?

[Gentgeen]

You can find the layouts here. https://www.ncl.com/cruise-ship/ Pick your ship, scroll down to the staterooms section, and click "deck plans".

 

For reviews, you can use CruiseCritic for that. The escape's cabin reviews are here: https://www.cruisecritic.com/norwegian-escape-deck-plans/dp/cabin-reviews/ You should also be able to find the deck plans there, and navigate over to the Getaway as well.

[Oldgoat61]

Pick your own cabin. Make sure you have a cabin above and below you. Avoid cabins that are close to lounges, and bars.:)