Inside guaranteed cabins

[Nlexi912]

Cruising for the first time and chose an inside guarenteed cabin. Can anyone comment on doing this category and where your room was assigned. Really don’t want deck 2, is this more then likely where I will be assigned?

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 minute ago, Nlexi912 said:

Cruising for the first time and chose an inside guarenteed cabin. Can anyone comment on doing this category and where your room was assigned. Really don’t want deck 2, is this more then likely where I will be assigned?

That would depend on which cruise line and which ship. Even then, there are inside cabin experiences and inside cabin experiences - mostly dependent on what happens outside the cabin (e.g. food quality, inclusions with your basic fare, etc).

Hopefully, this “test cruise” will give you some ideas about what you like and don’t like. Fortunately, this is an industry with what can be vastly different levels of quality and true value. Note that it may take time to find your niche. It took us years to find a preferred cruise line.

One bit of advice: Some folks here on CC will tell you that “the ship doesn’t matter.” Of course, that’s a ridiculous statement made by some folks who have never experienced different quality levels of hospitality.

Roman Antiquities and Polynesian beaches don’t change. But, your “home away from

home” certainly can be vastly different (starting with the difference between food you’d expect from Golden Corral vs a Michelin starred restaurant). And, whatever you do, don’t name the rookie mistake of only looking a cabin cost. Understand that the “higher” price of a “premium/luxury” line may include everything you’ll pay extra for on a mass market line (e.g., intercontinental

air fare).

I wish you “fair winds and calm seas.”

[Aquahound]

1 hour ago, Nlexi912 said:

Cruising for the first time and chose an inside guarenteed cabin. Can anyone comment on doing this category and where your room was assigned. Really don’t want deck 2, is this more then likely where I will be assigned?

 

Anyways, back to the actual question....🙄

 

Once the room is assigned, most cruise lines will allow you to switch to another open room that is of the same category.  That said, rooms are often categorized based on most/least desired locations so if you are assigned deck 2, it'll be tough to do much better.

 

What cruise line and ship are you sailing?   

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Aquahound said:

 

Anyways, back to the actual question....🙄

 

Once the room is assigned, most cruise lines will allow you to switch to another open room that is of the same category.  That said, rooms are often categorized based on most/least desired locations so if you are assigned deck 2, it'll be tough to do much better.

 

What cruise line and ship are you sailing?   

And so, your last question and my first statement said exactly the same thing. And both your and my responses helped to educate a newbie. Isn’t it wonderful when a query gets an answer that anticipates and addresses one of the next questions that will follow?  

[sparks1093]

OP, our first cabin was a guaranteed inside cabin and we didn't like the choice that was made for us. We haven't used a guarantee since. We look at the deck plans and pick which cabin we want. A guarantee is a crap shoot and sometimes you will win and sometimes you will lose.

[1025cruise]

If you select a guaranteed cabin, you can be placed in any cabin of that category or better. If you have a preference of where your cabin will be, you shouldn't book a guarantee.

[navybankerteacher]

5 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

OP, our first cabin was a guaranteed inside cabin and we didn't like the choice that was made for us. We haven't used a guarantee since. We look at the deck plans and pick which cabin we want. A guarantee is a crap shoot and sometimes you will win and sometimes you will lose.

Still, for a first-timer with cost concerns, booking a guarantee at lowest price point can be a good way of seeing if cruising appeals at all.  Once you know what you want, it is preferable to choose space yourself.

 

[sparks1093]

12 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Still, for a first-timer with cost concerns, booking a guarantee at lowest price point can be a good way of seeing if cruising appeals at all.  Once you know what you want, it is preferable to choose space yourself.

 

Very true, one just needs to make sure that they are comfortable with the worst cabin in the category. Ours wasn't horrific, it just wasn't what we would have chosen (and we did find out that cruising does appeal to us).

Edited May 11, 2022 by sparks1093

[shipgeeks]

On 5/10/2022 at 8:30 PM, Nlexi912 said:

Cruising for the first time and chose an inside guarenteed cabin. Can anyone comment on doing this category and where your room was assigned. Really don’t want deck 2, is this more then likely where I will be assigned?

I'm curious why you hope you won't be on deck 2.  The lowest decks have advantages not found on higher decks, including less movement in rough seas, and frequently, easier access to facilities such as dining rooms. Have you heard something negative about deck 2?

[shipgeeks]

Low decks are also best for access to going ashore, and coming back onboard when in a port!

[Nlexi912]

On 5/12/2022 at 4:56 PM, shipgeeks said:

Low decks are also best for access to going ashore, and coming back onboard when in a port!

Those are good points, just heard they are the less desirable cabins. I guess we will see what happens. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

34 minutes ago, Nlexi912 said:

Those are good points, just heard they are the less desirable cabins. I guess we will see what happens. 

Don’t buy that ridiculous “closer to getting on/off” BS. 

[ldubs]

On 5/12/2022 at 1:56 PM, shipgeeks said:

Low decks are also best for access to going ashore, and coming back onboard when in a port!

 

2 hours ago, Nlexi912 said:

Those are good points, just heard they are the less desirable cabins. I guess we will see what happens. 

 

Stating in line for the elevator after a long day and those lower deck cabins sure look appealing!  😀

 

We had a couple of cruises with our cabin on the same deck as, and a couple of doors away from, the main atrium.  On that particular ship it was not deck 2 however.   We enjoyed that location because we were near various guest services, a lobby bar, and a comfortable area to sit and enjoy the view outside or various musicians.  Access to many of the venues/lounges are just a flight or two of stairs.  Elevators were close by for access to higher decks, and, yep, at we could use the stairs when we boarded the ship.  .  

 

I'm not saying we always select a lower deck.    But we have sure enjoyed them in the past.   

[losfp]

On 5/12/2022 at 2:45 AM, navybankerteacher said:

Still, for a first-timer with cost concerns, booking a guarantee at lowest price point can be a good way of seeing if cruising appeals at all.  Once you know what you want, it is preferable to choose space yourself.

 

The other way of looking at it is that for a first timer, you want to give them as good an experience as possible. A seasoned cruiser might pick a cheaper or less desirable stateroom, knowing full well what they're getting themselves into.  A new cruiser might be put off the whole experience entirely if their allocated cabin just isn't suitable.

 

Anyway.  I hope OP has a nice time.

[cruiseaholic777]

The price to pick your room is next to nothing. So pay the extra couple bucks and get the room you want. I always book my room near the elevator. We go back and forth to our room often, so this makes it much easier.

[broadwaybaby123]

You may not have a choice.  A guaranteed cabin only means that you will be guaranteed to be on the ship, but you won't find out what cabin you're in until you arrive on the ship. 

[donaldsc]

On 5/11/2022 at 10:45 AM, navybankerteacher said:

Still, for a first-timer with cost concerns, booking a guarantee at lowest price point can be a good way of seeing if cruising appeals at all.  Once you know what you want, it is preferable to choose space yourself.

 

 

That logic is absurd in my opinion.  If you have never cruised and you get stuck in a bad cabin in a bad location you might have a really lousy cruise and never cruise again.  As a 1st time cruiser you should pick the best cabin that you can afford.  Once you know what you are doing you can then downgrade and save money.

 

DON

[Sancho_proudfoot]

On 6/4/2022 at 3:07 AM, broadwaybaby123 said:

You may not have a choice.  A guaranteed cabin only means that you will be guaranteed to be on the ship, but you won't find out what cabin you're in until you arrive on the ship. 

Not necessarily.  We're  booked in a guarantee cabin sailing on 11 September,  and we already have the cabin number!

[broadwaybaby123]

3 hours ago, Sancho_proudfoot said:

Not necessarily.  We're  booked in a guarantee cabin sailing on 11 September,  and we already have the cabin number!

That wasn't the case for us on Serenade in September 2019. They wouldn't tell us the cabin number until we got on the ship.

[Mum2Mercury]

On 5/10/2022 at 8:30 PM, Nlexi912 said:

Cruising for the first time and chose an inside guarenteed cabin. Can anyone comment on doing this category and where your room was assigned. Really don’t want deck 2, is this more then likely where I will be assigned?

I don't know what ship you're sailing, so I chose the ship we're sailing next:  Explorer.  Here's what the deck plans tell me:  

 

Deck 2 -- all Ocean Views, no Interiors 

Deck 3 -- approximately 60 Ocean Views, 19 Interiors 

Deck  6 -- lots of cabins -- not counting them, but looks like 60% are Interiors 

Deck 7 -- lots of cabins -- looks like 50% are Interiors 

Deck 8 -- lots of cabins -- looks like 60% are Interiors 

Deck 9 -- lots of cabins -- looks like 50% are Interiors

Deck 10 -- lots of cabins, though fewer than 7, 8, 9 -- looks like 25% are Interiors 

 

So if your ship is similar to Explorer, statistics would say your best chance is being on Deck 7, 8 or 9.  And you couldn't be on Deck 2.  Likely you're on a different ship, but you can search online deck plans and figure out what's where on your own ship. 

 

Having said that, I wouldn't worry too much about things if "you've heard" this or that.  If people didn't give you a solid reason to like /dislike something, let that fear go.  What we personally like /don't like about various areas of the ship: 

 

- Front of the ship is a long way from pretty much everything except the gym.  Could be good or bad, depending upon whether you're interested in "getting in your steps".  

- Front of the ship is quiet because you get no foot traffic going by your rooms.  

- Middle of the ship is convenient to the elevators, but it is more noisy (because foot traffic going to the elevators, and lots of people are not quiet in the hallway).  

- Middle of the ship /near the elevators is better for people with mobility issues.  

- People say the middle /lower decks are more stable /better for those who get sea sick, but I say people with sea sickness should take meds instead of counting on this.  

- If you're a stair walker, aft is convenient to pools (up) or MDR (down) the stairs.  

- Lower balcony cabins are great because you're closer to the ocean.  

- Higher cabins are great because you're closer to the pool and the buffet, and those are the places you'll likely go often.  

- The best cabins are surrounded (both sides, up and down) by other cabins -- not public areas.  Blank areas are almost certainly crew areas -- great if you're next to a storeroom, awful if you're next to the laundry, and you can't tell by the floor plans.  

- Pay attention to what's near your cabin.  Personally, we like to be near the library, as it provides a nice seating area if we need some "apart time".  But I'd hate to be right above the Pub -- we love the place, but we also like the ability to walk away from it.  

- If you're traveling with more than two people in the cabin, consider booking near the front of the ship so someone can go shower in the gym.  

- Likewise, if you're piling people into your room, booking near one of the far-forward, seldom used public restrooms can be a good choice.  Note that men's rooms are usually on the port side, while ladies' rooms are on starboard.  

- Lower aft cabins can be noisy, if they're near the engines.  

 

Having said all that, I don't have a problem with a guarantee room, but you must ALWAYS remember the golden rule:  If you wouldn't be happy in this category room, don't book it.  

Edited June 25, 2022 by Mum2Mercury

[Mum2Mercury]

On 5/11/2022 at 7:43 AM, sparks1093 said:

 A guarantee is a crap shoot and sometimes you will win and sometimes you will lose.

Agree.  When we were younger and traveled with our kids in the same room, the cabin mattered more to us.  Now that it's just the two of us, we're not so fussy -- we'd rather go with a low price and travel more often!

 

Your satisfaction with a cabin also depends upon the length of your cruise and the number of port days.  Said differently, the more you're going to be in your cabin, the more the cabin matters. 

Edited June 25, 2022 by Mum2Mercury

[Mum2Mercury]

On 5/12/2022 at 4:56 PM, shipgeeks said:

Low decks are also best for access to going ashore, and coming back onboard when in a port!

That's an awfully tiny benefit.  

[Mum2Mercury]

On 5/25/2022 at 12:40 AM, cruiseaholic777 said:

The price to pick your room is next to nothing. So pay the extra couple bucks and get the room you want. I always book my room near the elevator. We go back and forth to our room often, so this makes it much easier.

Well, I don't agree that the ticket price is "next to nothing".  

 

And I personally dislike being near the elevator.  I'd rather be at the far front or far back for a quieter experience.  

[Mum2Mercury]

On 6/14/2022 at 3:36 AM, Sancho_proudfoot said:

Not necessarily.  We're  booked in a guarantee cabin sailing on 11 September,  and we already have the cabin number!

Boo-hoo!  I'm sailing September 3, and I don't have my cabin number!  

 

Seriously, though, OP, you'll likely get your cabin number about a month before your sailing -- if you're average.  Obviously, that's no promise.  

[unrealHeather]

On 5/11/2022 at 9:39 PM, 1025cruise said:

If you select a guaranteed cabin, you can be placed in any cabin of that category or better. If you have a preference of where your cabin will be, you shouldn't book a guarantee.

This because worst case you are assigned a room below the disco.  I have read complaints on room assignment that make me want to book a guaranteed room.