Not sure about bookin on a guarantee??

[kd34wool]

This is the first cruise that I am going to be booking on a guarantee. I am still not exactly sure what that means. I was wondering how many people have booked like this and actually got upgraded. I want to book a cruise next year, but I also want a balcony and am not sure if to book an interior room and hope for a balcony or to just book the balcony. Any information??

[pryd]

KD

First rule of booking a GTY....Book what ever catagory you will feel comfortable in, example Interior, Ocean View, Balcony. that way if you are visited by the Upgrade Fairy....she will be kind to you and place you in the best of That Catagory. Rarely do you get upgraded to a different catagory, it does happen but so does winning the lottery, get the connection?

 

Now if you are traveling SOLO and want to book a Gty and don't want to pay 200% of your cruise costs (Paying for a missing cabin mate really sucks) then you might try to book a 1A catagory. That is an interior room but the cost is still reasonable (Only 150% of the cruise cost) The bad news about us SOLO travellers is that we are the Last ones to be treated by the Upgrade Fairy. She helps the couples threesomes and quads before she helps the solo traveler.

 

Hope this wan't too much info on your short question but I have been there lots of times and had stories to tell about the adventure.

[Fiestacruiser]

This trip is the first tiime we used a guarentee for a balcony room, and got upgrade 4 floors. We are excited about it!

[JulieMcCoy]

If you must have a balcony, then book the balcony guarantee. While we all hope for an upgrade, you can never assume that you'll get one. Look at all the rooms in the category for the guarantee. If you would be happy no matter which room you receive, then that's the category for you.

[Cotton]

.......to book an interior room and hope for a balcony or to just book the balcony. Any information??

 

Book the balcony cabin. It's highly unlikely that you would be upgraded from an inside cabin to a balcony. Usually upgrades are within the same category, just on higher decks.

[carnival crazy]

WE ALWAYS BOOK THE ROOM WE WANT! BUT WE ARE ON THE TRIUMPH IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AND MY BROTHER-IN-LAW BOOKED A OV GAR. AND GOT BUMPED ALL THE WAY UP TO A OV LIDO DECK, HE IS VERY HAPPY:cool:

[Djptcp]

DH and I booked our first guarantee in 10 cruises for an April sailing on the Celebration. We booked late, so mostly Gty's left. We booked a 5A (outside porthole) Guarantee and were upgraded to a 6D on the Empress Deck and a mid-ship starboard location. Nice upgrade, but we weren't expecting an upgrade since the ship seemed to be pretty full when we decided to go. We had a 5A on the Celebration the month before and would have been okay with that type of cabin. We didn't find out our cabin until embarkation -- the longshoremen have the manifest, so just ask them for your cabin number so you can put it on your luggage tags. Some people find out earlier where their Guarantee cabin assignment is, but we checked all the time and zippo until we arrived at the port. Not a big deal for us.

We are sailing on Holland America in December and have booked an exact verandah balcony cabin because that's what we wanted. I would never book a Guarantee for an inside or oceanview and expect to get upgraded to something like the cabin we have booked. If you aren't willing to take what you are assigned, then don't do a Guarantee. We only did it because there wasn't any choice at the late date we decided to book.

Holland America - 2004, 2006

Carnival - 1995, 1998, 2006, 2006

NCL - 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003

Royal Caribbean - 2002

[serene56]

Do not book an oceanview in the HOPES of getting the balcony coz you will be severly dissappointed.

My first 4 cruises were guarantees- and not one time did we get upgraded--not even one deck.

Reading there boards sounds like almost everyone gets upgraded- cruise critic members represent less then 1% of cruisers out there.

 

Book only what you will be happy with.

As a first time cruiser you have nothing to comapre it with so you have nothing to lose. Booking guarantee is a lot cheaper sometimes.

[serene56]

WE ALWAYS BOOK THE ROOM WE WANT! BUT WE ARE ON THE TRIUMPH IN LESS THAN 2 WEEKS AND MY BROTHER-IN-LAW BOOKED A OV GAR. AND GOT BUMPED ALL THE WAY UP TO A OV LIDO DECK, HE IS VERY HAPPY:cool:

OV on the lido deck-- did he get a balcony? or the Oceanviews across the front?

[virginiab]

The Triumph OV's on Lido are across the front. Partially obstructed view, with the nice little open deck area in front of them. We went out there to see the stars on the last night of our recent Triumph cruise. Nice upgrade from a 5A.

[GoinCruisin]

This is the first cruise that I am going to be booking on a guarantee. I am still not exactly sure what that means. I was wondering how many people have booked like this and actually got upgraded. I want to book a cruise next year, but I also want a balcony and am not sure if to book an interior room and hope for a balcony or to just book the balcony. Any information??

 

If you book an inside hoping for a balcony, chances are you will be disappointed... book the balcony if that is what you want. You may or may not get upgraded, but more than likely any upgrade will be up levels, not full categories...