Guarantee Cabin warning. Lesson learned, check the ship map first.

[Iamcruzin]

On 4/2/2019 at 4:41 PM, LibertyGirl7 said:

Glad it worked out for you!  I wouldn't be happy with that cabin either.  I don't like even looking down at the lifeboats let alone sitting directly next to one.  Maybe Royal (if they don't already) could say guaranteed obstructed view balcony in their description to help with this.

Other lines sell guarantee rooms by category. In other words you would know if you were booking a guarantee obstructed view or a higher category for the same type room. The prices are based on what you choose but are still less than picking your room. There is a chance of being upgraded.  I wouldn't count on being upgraded on RC now that they have the Royal up program. I would never book a guarantee room with them knowing that I stand a good chance of getting an obstructed view. It's almost a guarantee that you will get the worst room in the category now that there is a bidding war to upgrade.

[The Sunset Glow]

11 hours ago, bradenj21 said:

Dumb question... are there different levels of GTY? Like a deck 13 GTY? Or a 6D GTY?

 

It depends on each sailing and what's available (how it's selling) I guess. We did book a 6D gty on Ovation for this coming sept Hawaii cruise. Obstructed balcony gty was also available.

[birdie16]

6 hours ago, SakeDad said:

You had a "travel agent" book this who had no clue what a GTY cabin could be??? Your problem is a bad TA, not the GTY cabin choice!

I am realizing that now.

[birdie16]

5 hours ago, copter said:

 

 

I know you won't be bidding, but out of curiosity what rates/room types are available to bid on?  I'm sailing on Ovation in a few months and hope to play the bidding game (even if unsuccessful, as most are).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry, I deleted the email.  Maybe someone else can answer your question.

[birdie16]

6 hours ago, SakeDad said:

Better than a snow covered front yard with a blizzard coming!

We live in Tucson, escaping snow is not an issue.

[birdie16]

6 hours ago, SakeDad said:

After reading most of these posts people either had LOUSY travel agents who had no idea what guarantees meant and were just trying to get you the lowest rates or you were looking at the RCCL website and booked yourself not having a clue what a guarantee really was. Either way this is NOT the cruise lines fault by any stretch of the imagination! Become an educated traveler or get a GOOD travel agent. And for those screaming you will change cruise lines....GOOD LUCK!!!...99% of them all handle guarantees this way.

Exactly the point of my thread, I want to inform people to pay more attention, don’t trust your TA, do your own research.  I have been saying all along that this was my mistake.  In the future I will be booking my own cruise through the cruise line  after doing my own research.

[SakeDad]

4 hours ago, birdie16 said:

Sorry, I deleted the email.  Maybe someone else can answer your question.

We JUST got our cabin assignment today on Spectrum Dubai to Singapore. We booked a GTY XB knowing it could be anywhere on the ship and obstructed but got such and amazing price we were OK with that. We got Deck 11 midship and couldn't be happier! But we also got a Royal Up email offer to upgrade. We have decided to stay where we are as they can't tell us where the upgrade would be. But the offers were as follow:

Spacious Balcony from $60 pp

Junior Suite from $230 pp

Golden Balcony from $450 pp

Golden Jr Suite from $590 pp

Grand Suite from $650 pp

Also they could wait until 24 hours before the cruise to let you know if you won the upgrade or not.

 

[nelblu]

8 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

Other lines sell guarantee rooms by category. In other words you would know if you were booking a guarantee obstructed view or a higher category for the same type room. The prices are based on what you choose but are still less than picking your room. There is a chance of being upgraded.  I wouldn't count on being upgraded on RC now that they have the Royal up program. I would never book a guarantee room with them knowing that I stand a good chance of getting an obstructed view. It's almost a guarantee that you will get the worst room in the category now that there is a bidding war to upgrade.

RCL website has 3 distinct guarantee balcony cabins:  See link below for Anthem's 9 nights NE/Canada.  The link shows obstructed guarantee balcony, guarantee balcony and cabins available at a higher price D2 and above.  The link does not show the RCL picks your room which is a screen before this.

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/mcb/booking/create/category?accessCabin=false&destinationCode=ATLCO&groupId=AN09BYE-833936399&packageCode=AN09N036&sailDate=2019-08-29&selectedCurrencyCode=USD&shipCode=AN&roomIndex=1

 

The only thing that the website does not show is the sub-categories for cabins.  Example what is show in the guarantee balcony is a 5D cabin, however, it does not show categories 4D, 6D, 7D, etc.  I forgot which website (Expedia, *****) shows the more detailed category and which deck these cabin categories are located.  Prior to the improved website, RCL showed all of these categories in distinct colors and deck location.

Edited April 4, 2019 by nelblu

[Biker19]

15 hours ago, SakeDad said:

Yes, most categories have GTY and you can get the worst of that category but never a lesser category...or you can luck out and get a great cabin in that category or above!!!

I have not found that to be true in the US market - a bit more common if you book UK or EU rules. Most of the time in the US on most ships you have only one GTY per major category (X, Y and Z for balcony, OV and interior and XN for neighborhood balconies on Oasis class) - sub category GTYs are rare. This assumes a sailing has GTY available at all, which it may not.