GUARANTEE

[ROYALBOY]

We have a balcony guarantee for the Aug 15 TA. Does anyone have experience... are they generous or do they give you the dregs? 

[TheOldBear]

37 minutes ago, ROYALBOY said:

We have a balcony guarantee for the Aug 15 TA. Does anyone have experience... are they generous or do they give you the dregs? 

 

The upgrade fairy works in mysterious ways. Back in 2017 [M733B] our table mates booked an inside guarantee, and were upgraded to Q4 [they still elected to have dinner in Britannia].

[babs135]

We've had an upgrade from an inside cabin to a sheltered balcony.  Perfect for a winter crossing .

[BlueRiband]

Hope you mean Aug 15 2021 because nothing is happening until November at the earliest and even that is in doubt.

 

A guarantee is a risk.  If you can be happy with anything on the deck plan that is at or above what you booked then perhaps the Upgrade Fairy will wave her wand over you.  Sometimes what Cunard considers a move up might not be your idea of an upgrade.  We had somebody who booked a BB deck 11 forward balcony guarantee.  He was assigned deck 8 just after the lifeboats.  It was technically an upgrade because it's midship. 

[Austcruiser84]

12 hours ago, ROYALBOY said:

We have a balcony guarantee for the Aug 15 TA. Does anyone have experience... are they generous or do they give you the dregs? 

If it’s an in-hull balcony then you could end up with an obstructed view glass balcony, which Cunard considers an upgrade (personally I wouldn’t want a giant orange lifeboat opposite my cabin, unless the ship was sinking). 
 

My upgrade experience with Cunard has always been positive. Q6 to a Q1 was quite nice. But it’s hard to get a terrible suite. 

[david,Mississauga]

Some people have done very well with a guarantee, but I have not. The best I have had is a one-category upgrade which was just a few staterooms closer to midships. One time we booked a P2 on board the QM2 for a voyage more than a year away. We were persuaded to take a guarantee because the rep. said we would have a good chance at an upgrade to a P1 or maybe even QG. A fortnight before the crossing we received our assignment: the second-most forward of the PG staterooms.

 

We have, however,  been honoured with three fabulous upgrades and a couple of minor ones. One was from a Deck 8 balcony to a P1 and twice from PG to QG.  All of these ugrades were from staterooms which we had specifically chosen and were assigned at the time of booking.  As "TheOldBear" said above: the upgrade fairy moves in mysterious ways. Based on my experience I will no longer book a guarantee unless that is all that is available.

 

[BlueRiband]

8 hours ago, Austcruiser84 said:

If it’s an in-hull balcony then you could end up with an obstructed view glass balcony, which Cunard considers an upgrade ...

This was very true.  Some very old posts attest to that.  However some years ago the QM2 deck plan was reorganized to put the obstructed views to the bottom of the balcony subcategories. 

[BklynBoy8]

We enjoyed an Upgrade once and really was a surprise and a treat in Queens Grill.

 

It was at the pier's check-in desk at embarkation.

 

Always hoping that the Upgrade Fairy would do a visit.

 

 

[Austcruiser84]

1 hour ago, BlueRiband said:

This was very true.  Some very old posts attest to that.  However some years ago the QM2 deck plan was reorganized to put the obstructed views to the bottom of the balcony subcategories. 

It’s been too long since I’ve sailed Britannia class. Interesting to know! 

[MCC retired]

1 hour ago, BlueRiband said:

This was very true.  Some very old posts attest to that.  However some years ago the QM2 deck plan was reorganized to put the obstructed views to the bottom of the balcony subcategories. 

 This is correct . The obstructed view balcony cabins on deck 8 , are now the lowest Balcony categories DF-DB, as they should be.

[oskidunker]

I would not do guarantees with the capacity control that is going to happen. I am guessing if too many people book a cruise, the guarantees will be the first to be cancelled. 

[Colin_Cameron]

1 hour ago, oskidunker said:

I would not do guarantees with the capacity control that is going to happen. I am guessing if too many people book a cruise, the guarantees will be the first to be cancelled. 

Ah, but the problem with that is that you're thinking logically.😁

[oskidunker]

I never thought of that!