Read this before you book a "Guaranteed Cabin"

[gr8fulforcruising]

BEWARE: We found out today that booking a guaranteed cabin cruise early with Celebrity means they can give you the worst verandah they can find, even if it is 210 days before the cruise! I was shocked to see earlier today that I was given a cabin category 2D 210 days before our cruise. The Captains Club means absolutely nothing to them ( probably an inconvenience). I understand the risk and should have picked our room at a higher cost but in the past we always got a better room than the lowest one they can find. I guess loyalty is a thing of the past.

Happy Sailing!

 

[davekathy]

6 minutes ago, gr8fulforcruising said:

BEWARE: We found out today that booking a guaranteed cabin cruise early with Celebrity means they can give you the worst verandah they can find, even if it is 210 days before the cruise! I was shocked to see earlier today that I was given a cabin category 2D 210 days before our cruise. The Captains Club means absolutely nothing to them ( probably an inconvenience). I understand the risk and should have picked our room at a higher cost but in the past we always got a better room than the lowest one they can find. I guess loyalty is a thing of the past.

Happy Sailing!

 

Nothing new. Be advised, it's not just Celebrity. 

Edited December 8, 2019 by davekathy

[garyl62]

Previous posters have said once you are assigned a cabin you can call and request a change as long as you stay within the same category.  For example, if you were assigned a 2D veranda, you can change to any other available 2D.  

[gr8fulforcruising]

8 minutes ago, garyl62 said:

Previous posters have said once you are assigned a cabin you can call and request a change as long as you stay within the same category.  For example, if you were assigned a 2D veranda, you can change to any other available 2D.  

thanks Garyl62, I politely asked the girl from celebrity and her reply was there is nothing they can do... enjoy your day! seems like they don't care anymore. They must be traveling with full ships now or new people that don't know but will find out with blogs like this one.

[Redtravel]

Booking a gty cabin is always a gamble. I only book it if it will save me significantly.  Never book a gty in a category lower than you can stand.  Don’t book a 2D if you know that you will not be happy.  I have booked gty many times on Celebrity.  I have had a variety of experiences.  Just because you were assigned a cabin, don’t assume it will be set. On one cruise I was assigned and reassigned 3 times before embarkation.  Nothing is set until you board.  At embarkation, you may get a change.  Relax and just let it play out.

[BDL]

18 minutes ago, gr8fulforcruising said:

thanks Garyl62, I politely asked the girl from celebrity and her reply was there is nothing they can do... enjoy your day! seems like they don't care anymore. They must be traveling with full ships now or new people that don't know but will find out with blogs like this one.

Call back and ask someone else.   As someone said - once they assign you a category/cabin you should be able to change the cabin within the same category.  Can't hurt to call back a time or two.

[Denny01]

I’ve not gone the grty route and picked the SR locations I like because location is something I found important to enjoying a cruise. I realize there is a definite cost savings, but I would think since you don’t pick your SR and pay a lower price, there’s a better than average chance of getting SR locations that aren’t popular. I don’t see how being a Celebrity Club member comes into play since most all become members after their first cruise, and there are tens of thousands in the higher Club standings so it’s no a big deal. Heck, my last cruise had 500+ Elite and higher. 

 

Going Guaranteed means you don’t pick a specific SR and those that pay for a specific SR are going to, by definition, get a ‘better’ location. And 210 days ahead? There have been more than a few threads where the poster was very concerned they hadn’t been assigned a SR and it was after final payment and getting close to the cruise. 

 

You have three options: accept you will not get a preferred SR location and enjoy that SR at this lower price; hope they give you a better location later as some posts have said may occur; go back and pick a SR you prefer and pay the extra..

 

Den

[BettyCruiser]

Since you are 210 days out and before final payment, why don't you pick a room you like and change your reservation to pick your own room and pay the difference in price? When booking guarantee you have to assume you will be assigned the worst room in the category and be good with it when it happens. 

[yorky]

I think to be fair everyone knows when they pick a guarantee you are taking the chance of getting the “ worst cabin”on the ship, although I think worst is open to opinion. You pay a lower price so sorry I think that falls into being well aware of what you could get and as such I feel it’s unfair to feel hard done by. We personally would never pick a guarantee exactly because we know full well this could happen.

Edited December 8, 2019 by yorky

[RickT]

I’ve booked a number of guarantees and have also been given a 2D (best Luck when booking a guarantee verandah was a 2B).  While it does suck that loyalty doesn’t come into play it doesn’t change the fact that you can get the worst cabin on the ship when booking a guarantee.

 

Unless you booked with a non-refundable deposit you still have the option of cancelling and rebooking with a room you want.

[PTC DAWG]

You chose to roll the dice...I see zero issues

[Cruise Raider]

I've always gotten very nice cabins when booking a guarantee on Celebrity, except for one time, I preferred a different cabin that what was assigned.  I called the Captain's Club and the rep said she would change it for me ... but she didn't.  After a couple of days, I called back and just talked to another customer service rep and it was changed on the spot.  The best thing about this was that they actually upgraded me to one of the corner family verandas on an M-class ship ... so those calls were for none.  

But, on another line, I am so apprehensive about booking a guarantee.  I've ended up in bad rooms too many times and just won't book a guarantee on them anymore.  The only reason I book a guarantee, even on Celebrity where I've had phenomenal luck, is when those are the only booking option available.  

[cruisestitch]

The OP wrote “I understand the risk”. Ummm..... maybe not?

[rugerdog]

55 minutes ago, gr8fulforcruising said:

I politely asked the girl from celebrity and her reply was there is nothing they can do... enjoy your day

I'm making the presumption you booked directly through Celebrity and not a travel agent, but either way it can be changed as long as there are other cabins in your same category available.

 

On my most recent Celebrity cruise just a few weeks ago, I checked online to see what other empty cabins were in my "assigned cabin category" and found one I liked better.  Called my TA, she called Celebrity and they changed it on the spot, no problem.  

[Fouremco]

Even if the OP can't get assigned to another cabin, which he most probably can, I fail to understand the basis of his complaint that "loyalty is a thing of the past." As far as I know, Celebrity has never assigned guaranteed cabins based on Captain's Club status or points. Nor should they, as it would be an unmanageable system. Besides, the current method works quite well as long as you understand how it works and are willing to accept your assignment, good or bad, without grumbling about it.

[Algebralovr]

I don’t get it.  You booked a guarantee balcony room.  They assigned you a balcony room.  What is wrong with 2D rooms?  I book them regularly.  Never had any issues with them.  You should not expect any more when booking a guarantee class of room.

[mafig]

What amount of $$$ would make you consider a guarantee.

 

For a balcony?________________

For Conceirge or Aqua?__________________

For a Suite? _______________________

 

I have booked a Conceirge guarantee once on Celebrity and I got a C2...(not in the worst location).

 

I have a thread now asking your opinions on a suite guarantee on Edge for $400 per person.  For us, $800 is at least worth considering.

 

 

[fleckle]

1 hour ago, BDL said:

Call back and ask someone else.   As someone said - once they assign you a category/cabin you should be able to change the cabin within the same category.  Can't hurt to call back a time or two.

 

Totally agree with this suggestion, but want to add one more thing.

Before you call,  first check  to see what other cabins in your assigned category are available and pick out one (or 2 or 3) that you like.

 

Then when you call, ask specifically to switch  to stateroom number XXXX.

 

[Jim_Iain]

I would stick with you current cabin until you get closer to final payment date.   At that point you can upgrade to a higher classification as long as it is $1 higher than you booked at.   You can then select the cabin you wish.  

 

As others have said,  I have had a guarantee and once assigned I called my agent and had her change my room to one in the same classification that I preferred.  I also took an Aqua Guarantee and upgrade by the Move-Up bid and got a RS for $400 pp.  

[Georgia_Peaches]

20 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

I would stick with you current cabin until you get closer to final payment date.   At that point you can upgrade to a higher classification as long as it is $1 higher than you booked at.   You can then select the cabin you wish.  

 

As others have said,  I have had a guarantee and once assigned I called my agent and had her change my room to one in the same classification that I preferred.  I also took an Aqua Guarantee and upgrade by the Move-Up bid and got a RS for $400 pp.  

This is exactly how I would play it as well.  Although I have never booked a Guarantee cabin and I have no idea what is wrong with a 2D category, I have always continued to watch the pricing of categories up until final payment so as to make a final decision about my stateroom.  To me, a guarantee is just a place holder in the event that I find something that I like better.

Agree with those who have said that it has nothing to do with loyalty.  

[Want2Cruise 701]

You do have a few options.  1)  You can stay with your assigned cabin.  2)  Call back and switch to another 2D.  Yes, you can do this.  Maybe there's one in a better location.  3)  Pay a higher fare and choose another cabin in a different category.

 

When booking a guarantee, loyalty CC status is not given preference for cabin assignment.  You run the risk along with everyone else.  You are so far out.  210 days and alot can happen in that time.  Inventory changes as well as pricing.  Good luck.

[Caribbean Chris]

Early on in my Celebrity-booking years, I had three "worst cabin on the ship" experiences, the most regrettable one when I booked a suite guarantee. Called and was given the "nothing we can do" answer.

 

Finally woke up and stopped booking guarantees after that. (Had much better guarantee experiences with Holland America Line.)

[CoconutOne]

A 2D is definitely not the worst cabin on the ship. I don't think it's possible to classify a room as the worst based off category alone. I had a C3 on Reflection that was the worst. Right across from a crew door that was used ALL THE TIME.

 

I was in a 2C on my most recent cruise and liked it quite a bit. The location made it extremely convenient to everything on the lower decks. While the view was "obstructed" it didn't bother me at all.

 

I thought I read that people in the UK couldn't switch a guarantee room (even in the same category) so I wonder if that is the same for Canada. Nevertheless, I would call back and see if you can get a different answer. Another option is requesting to be put back in the room pool. In that case you would go back to GTY status.

[Fouremco]

9 minutes ago, CoconutOne said:

I wonder if that is the same for Canada.

While the Canadian website provides pricing in CAD, there are no separate Celebrity offices here and the policies are identical. All communications are with the US offices.

Edited December 8, 2019 by Fouremco

[drakes2]

3 hours ago, gr8fulforcruising said:

thanks Garyl62, I politely asked the girl from celebrity and her reply was there is nothing they can do... enjoy your day! seems like they don't care anymore. They must be traveling with full ships now or new people that don't know but will find out with blogs like this one.

Call back. 10 different agents 10 different answers. It's always worked for me.