lucky or unlucky with guarantee cabins?

[msmeltz]

We booked 9 cabins with an online travel agency...3 outside and 4 balcony (VF)

 

We received invoices with cabin numbers, but when the people with the balcony cabins checked on Hollandamerica.com we found guar, not cabin numbers.

 

We are still waiting for the agency to get us definite cabins. No luck so far.

 

Anyone have this experience?

[jtl513]

Anyone have this experience?

 

No, because we always book guarantees. Both times on Vistas our VF guarantees turned into VA cabins, so in my opinion you're better off with the guarantees. Unless, of course, you want all the cabins to be near each other. :)

[Jemima]

I'm not clear on what you booked. Did you book the cabins as guarantees? Cabins should be booked as either a specific cabin or a guarantee. If booked as a guarantee, inside guarantee or outside guarantee or whatever or a specific category guarantee such as a C guarantee.

Some TAs prefer not to bother with people chosing a cabin. That's not a guarantee; it is simply letting the agency choose the cabin.

[MercedMike]

If you booked all of them on a guarantee basis, you might not get a definite cabin assignment until you are actually at the dock. In fact, conventional wisdom is that the longer you wait for a cabin assignment the more likely you are to get an upgrade!

 

OTOH if your online TA promised you cabin numbers but hasn't furnished them-- ummmm -- well, guess what. If it were a local reputable Travel Agent you could walk into the office and stare at her and insist on the cabin numbers. With an online TA -- I guess you get to wait for a possible answer to your emails. Good Luck!

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[San Diego Cruzer]

Not sure if this answers your questions, but we generally book the lowest category we can on GTY and have almost always (exception of one occasion) been upgraded. By lowest category, I mean look at the deck plans and see what the "worst" cabin would be - if you are fine with that cabin - then book that category. On our upcoming cruise just found out from HAL that they upgraded us from a VF to a VA category. We booked through an on line travel agency. The other couple we are going with also did the same thing and received the same upgrade.

Sounds like you need to call your travel agency and get some clarification.

[msmeltz]

We booked 7 definite cabins, and got invoices with those cabin numbers. The 3 outside cabins are being recognized by HA.

With the 4 balcony cabins Holland America is denying that they were given to the agent. They say we were given guaranteed cabins. The agent says there was a HA computer glitch...HA denies this too.There doesn't seem to be any balcony cabins left now. I am just afraid that HA might offer an incentice for the 4 of us to back out.

[cruznon]

Do you have the paperwork with the cabin #'s when you booked? I would that think that might be a rather powerful piece of paper.