Guarantee Backfires!

[Ventura]

My family of 4 is booked on the Holiday sailing of the Westerdam. We wanted two cabins. When we booked last March (along with my parents and siblings and their families), we were able to secure a balcony cabin on the Upper Verandah deck, but there were no inside cabins available in the same vicinity. We agreed to take a guarantee on a "K" category, figuring if a K became available close to us that would be fine, otherwise the cabin would likely be upgraded, possibly to an outside. The cabin number finally posted this morning, and our second cabin in now on the Main deck (5 decks below) at the complete opposite end of the ship! Apparently there are five "K" category cabins down there, I didn't even know existed. When I looked at the deck plans, I only saw the K cabins on the Upper Verandah. All the other family cabins are located on the upper decks. I'm really upset. Our second cabin might as well be on another ship! We can't share stuff the way we always do, and it really isn't fair to a family to split us up this way. I know we took a gamble on the guarantee, but this simply is not fair. I've contacted HAL and my TA is trying as well, but I'm told the ship is sold out. This is really not what I expected.

 

Ventura

[pog27]

My family of 4 is booked on the Holiday sailing of the Westerdam. We wanted two cabins. When we booked last March (along with my parents and siblings and their families), we were able to secure a balcony cabin on the Upper Verandah deck, but there were no inside cabins available in the same vicinity. We agreed to take a guarantee on a "K" category, figuring if a K became available close to us that would be fine, otherwise the cabin would likely be upgraded, possibly to an outside. The cabin number finally posted this morning, and our second cabin in now on the Main deck (5 decks below) at the complete opposite end of the ship! Apparently there are five "K" category cabins down there, I didn't even know existed. When I looked at the deck plans, I only saw the K cabins on the Upper Verandah. All the other family cabins are located on the upper decks. I'm really upset. Our second cabin might as well be on another ship! We can't share stuff the way we always do, and it really isn't fair to a family to split us up this way. I know we took a gamble on the guarantee, but this simply is not fair. I've contacted HAL and my TA is trying as well, but I'm told the ship is sold out. This is really not what I expected.

 

Ventura

 

Sounds like bad luck. Did your TA not tell you this outcome was a possibility? If you are lucky a K cabin nearby might open up if someone else is upgraded or someone has to cancel their booking. Keep checking online and if another cabin does open up in the same category HAL can switch you to that cabin.

[lvtotrvl1]

It looks as if you knew your guarantee may not be located near you. Unfortunatly, that is the way guarantees work. I'm not sure how you can call this unfair? Upgrades happen very rarely. When families are travelling together, I explain in detail, that the children may end up on a different deck etc. I am sorry you are upset, but again, the cruiseline never promised anything but the category booked.

[kryos]

Apparently there are five "K" category cabins down there, I didn't even know existed. When I looked at the deck plans, I only saw the K cabins on the Upper Verandah. All the other family cabins are located on the upper decks. I'm really upset. Our second cabin might as well be on another ship! We can't share stuff the way we always do, and it really isn't fair to a family to split us up this way. I know we took a gamble on the guarantee, but this simply is not fair. I've contacted HAL and my TA is trying as well, but I'm told the ship is sold out. This is really not what I expected.

I don't know what to tell you. Surely, I feel for you, but when you take a guarantee, that's exactly what you get. A guarantee for AT LEAST that cabin category SOMEWHERE on the ship. Sounds to me like HAL gave you exactly what they were obligated to. If the other two in that second cabin are young children, sounds like you and your spouse are gonna have to split up ... one stay in the K cabin with one kid, and the other kid up in the Veranda cabin with the other parent. You can't leave kids unsupervised in a cabin by themselves ... especially when that other cabin is in a totally different area of the ship. HAL won't allow that.

 

As for not being able to share things ... I don't understand. Even if you were all located on the same deck, you would still have to go around the ship to do things together. So, use the phone in this case. "Meet you up in the Lido in ten minutes." "Meet you out by the aft pool at 10:00," etc. Even a couple of sets of walkie talkies would work for this purpose.

 

If the ship is sold out, you're stuck. If not, maybe your TA can work out a paid upgrade for the K cabin to get the other two in your party closer to you. Otherwise, if that's not possible, you might as well start thinking about ways to make the situation work ... because short of cancelling your cruise, it's gonna have to.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[cruiseco]

this simply is not fair.

 

Sitting on two face cards and having the dealer pull a blackjack isn't fair either but that's the nature of gambling. The only way to guarantee you don't lose is to not play the game.

[Randyk47]

I'm probably going to regret this but with HAL making their own share of bad decisions, in my opinion, I've having a whole lot of trouble with this particular situation with saying HAL is not being fair. Maybe it's a matter of semantics, though I doubt it for some reason, where not being fair is equated with feeling disappointed. Sorry but I just don't buy this one. Guarantees only guarantee a cabin, somewhere on the ship, at the guaranteed category or better. One of the main aspects of guarantees is just exactly what happened and it's one of the reasons we have no interest in guarantees.

[jhannah]

I can empathize with your disappointment ... but I, too, cannot buy any part of this being unfair. As the old saying goes, "Ya' pays yer money, ya' takes yer chances."

[Ventura]

I guess I'm not winning any sympathy votes, and that's fine. Yes, I'm disappointed, and perhaps the word "fair" wasn't the way to go. This is our third holiday cruise with our children, and we've been lucky in having a balcony or outside with an inside close by. We've had a lot of fun together, and I love how the boys wander in to our cabin to borrow my husband's cologne or get help with their ties on formal nights. This is my first experience with a guarantee, and it was nice to read about all the upgrades and unexpected surprises other passengers got. I too had hoped we would fall into that category. I never noticed the K cabins on the main -- I assumed they were all on the Upper Verandah. My fault. However, my main point, is that these two cabins are about as far apart as they can possibly be, and it would have been nice if HAL had tried to keep us closer together. That is where I find the unfairness (if you'll allow me to use that word).

[ekerr19]

We have done this configuration and I will tell you, I know many other people also like to do it as well. The only sure way to get it is to book it that way.

 

Sorry it turned out this way for you. We have had our sons on the bottom deck while we've been up top with our daughter and it is no picnic, especially on a full ship.

 

Your TA should have advised you that the chances of garnering the inside K on your Deck with a GTY were slim and none.

[lvtotrvl1]

You still seem to think it is unfair...Holland America is doing exactly how you booked the rooms. Why is this unfair? If they made an exception for you, why would they need to sell guarantees? To have two rooms near each other, you would need to book them that way with stateroom numbers.

[San Diego Cruzer]

I'm sorry to hear that you gty booking did not work out. I think this is a good example for others who are considering doing the same thing - it certainly doesn't work out every time. You need to be prepared for the worst cabin in the category you are booking the guarantee. Unfortunately this means scouring the deck plans and you need to be prepared that if you are going with a group - your cabins may not be close together.

 

We have done it 3 or 4 times and have actually been lucky each time and have received at least a small upgrade. However, those cruises have not been on holiday (more popular) weeks and of course, the location of the cabin was out of our control.

 

Hopefully, your TA and HAL can work on getting you closer. With small children it is unfortunate this had to happen - but I agree with the other posters - I do not see it as unfair.

[sail7seas]

My family of 4 is booked on the Holiday sailing of the Westerdam. We wanted two cabins. When we booked last March (along with my parents and siblings and their families), we were able to secure a balcony cabin on the Upper Verandah deck, but there were no inside cabins available in the same vicinity. We agreed to take a guarantee on a "K" category, figuring if a K became available close to us that would be fine, otherwise the cabin would likely be upgraded, possibly to an outside. The cabin number finally posted this morning, and our second cabin in now on the Main deck (5 decks below) at the complete opposite end of the ship! Apparently there are five "K" category cabins down there, I didn't even know existed. When I looked at the deck plans, I only saw the K cabins on the Upper Verandah. All the other family cabins are located on the upper decks. I'm really upset. Our second cabin might as well be on another ship! We can't share stuff the way we always do, and it really isn't fair to a family to split us up this way. I know we took a gamble on the guarantee, but this simply is not fair. I've contacted HAL and my TA is trying as well, but I'm told the ship is sold out. This is really not what I expected.

 

Ventura

 

I'm sorry for your disappointment but do not see why you think HAL is being 'unfair' when you did not read the deck plans clearly. It isn't their fault you were unaware of other category "K" cabins in a location you don't care for.

 

Also, I don't understand why you 'figured you would likely be upgraded'......that would be unfair to people who paid for a higher category that you want it for free. Why should guarantees automatically be upgraded? While I am aware cruise lines often upgrade people, they are under no obligation to assign you to anything higher than what you paid for.

 

The old adage works.....book the lowest style cabin in the location that you can be happy with. If you get something additional, that's great. But if you book and pay for what you require, you shouldn't be disappointed.

 

I hope it works out okay for you and you all have a wonderful cruise. There should be ways for you to be able to 'make it work'.

[San Diego Cruzer]

And I do have to add - on the upgrades we have received - only one time were we upgraded from an inside to an outside cabin. This was on RCCL and the ship was not in the least bit full.

[Cloud9 Bob]

Unfair? I don't think so. You are not being fair. HAL did exactly what they said they would do and that is to guarantee you a certain class of cabin. Where it is located is the luck of the draw. If location was that important to you then you should have paid the extra and booked specific cabins. On a side note, I just recently cruised with family in an adjoining stateroom and at times I think I would have preferred to be on another deck. ;)

[WeLoveCruising]

Unfortunately you had a number of things working against your chances that you probably didnt realize. First, it is a holiday sailing, and the ship will be totally full - not a lot of flexibility there. Secondly, most people would consider the Cat K insides on your deck more desirable than the K's on the Main deck - so those who reserved a specific K cabin would have chosen Verandah deck first, leaving the Main deck K's to be assigned as guarantees. Being a holiday sailing, there are probably several families who booked specific "cross hall" room combinations. We always book specific rooms when we take the kids to avoid what happened to you.

 

Sorry about your assignment, I hope you can make the best of it. Its worth a call to see if you can work something out, but I wouldnt get my hopes up being so close to the holiday sailing.

[twinkletoes4445]

That's exactly why we booked three specific cabins for our first cruise. We wanted to make sure we were all together (we had our three kids and a friend with us).

 

I don't think I'd ever book a guarantee. I want to know where I will be.

 

I'm sorry for what happened. I do understand your unhappiness.

[lvtotrvl1]

Here is your post when you booked...you say the boys are old enough to be on their own .

 

Hi everyone. Now that the summer is over it truly is time start getting excited about our Christmas vacation. When we cruise with our children, my husband and I usually take an outside or balcony cabin and put the boys in an inside cabin across the hall. However, this time, there wasn't an inside cabin available so we agreed to take a guaranteed. I'm assuming that there will be a cabin for them somewhere, but given the ship is almost sold out, I need some assurance that there will definately be a cabin for them. I guess there's a good possibility they could be upgraded even to an outside -- they'd be thrilled. My boys are 20 and 16 so they really don't need to be that close by -- except for help with their ties and borrowing hair gel! Has anyone else had experience with guarantees?

[kryos]

I never noticed the K cabins on the main -- I assumed they were all on the Upper Verandah. My fault. However, my main point, is that these two cabins are about as far apart as they can possibly be, and it would have been nice if HAL had tried to keep us closer together. That is where I find the unfairness (if you'll allow me to use that word).

HAL could care less about keeping your family together. If those K cabins on the lower deck were the only ones available for assignment, that's where HAL will assign your guarantee.

 

However, what I would believe is unfair ... and what I would be upset about ... is that you say you didn't notice those K cabins on the main deck. Well, that's fine. You easily could have missed it. But why didn't your TA point them out to you? She is in the travel business and should have done the legwork to ensure the only K guarantees were on the Veranda deck. So, in my opinion, she's the one who steered you wrong and caused this whole fiasco. Of course, I'm assuming you discussed this with her and she knew that you were assuming that the rest of your family would be close by to your cabin. If that's the case, then she should have informed you about that cluster of K cabins down on the main deck and about the possibility that the other two members of your party could wind up down there with a K guarantee. See if she can redeem herself and work out at least a paid upgrade on that K guarantee ... something that will get the other two members of your party back up onto your deck.

 

Personally, I'd select a new travel agent the next time I booked a cruise ... one who knows her business and her ships. But I wouldn't fault HAL. They're in the business of filling ships and when you book a guarantee, their only goal is to put a warm body into it. They're not about to go through the research steps to see if there's other people in the family booked somewhere else. They simply don't have the time for that.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I don't think I'd ever book a guarantee. I want to know where I will be.

There is a good purpose for guarantees ... and that is to keep the cost of the cruise reasonable for travelers on a budget ... especially couples and singles traveling alone. Since they're not traveling with other family members, it doesn't matter what deck they are assigned. In this case, the guarantee works out great in that it gives you a slightly better rate and at least a small possibility of a free upgrade. But if the location of the cabin matters at all to you, then a guarantee is just not the way to go ... cause even with an upgrade, you can wind up anywhere.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[bepsf]

I'm wondering why the OP opted to go for a guarantee inside cabin for their sons rather than book a specific stateroom? Surely the price difference wasn't that much...

Sorry that we're not buying the "unfairness" bit. Sounds like you were dealt quite a few hands and came out a winner, but like any gambler knows - just because you won the last 3 hands doesn't mean that you're gonna win the next hand too...

[michmike]

have to agree with the others that you took your chances and unfortunately it didn't work out.

 

Don't know if we just got lucky or whether it was because we booked 2 cabins of the same category on a guarantee for our recent (October) trip on Westerdam. 2 couples traveling together and we used the same online agent and he linked our reservations for meal purposes etc. Anyway, we both booked verandah guarantees and ended up next to each other.

 

Were there no category Ks available when you booked so that you could have booked a specific cabin that met your needs?

 

I'm with the others in feeling that your TA failed you on this one, not HAL.

[kryos]

My boys are 20 and 16 so they really don't need to be that close by -- except for help with their ties and borrowing hair gel! Has anyone else had experience with guarantees?

Doesn't one person in the cabin have to be over 21, though? I still don't think HAL is gonna allow a 16 and a 20 year old to be in a cabin by themselves. The parents are gonna at least have to "officially" list one of them as being in that cabin ... and then they can just swap cabin cards once onboard. Of course, that's a pain too ... because you gotta always remember to swap them back when getting off the ship. Wouldn't do for mom to be trying to get off the ship in port, and having the sixteen year old boy's picture coming up at the security desk. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[San Diego Cruzer]

Actually now knowing that the "boys" are really 16 and 20 - seems like they might actually prefer not to have their folks right on top of them. LOL

[Iamthesea]

Don't sweat it! The same thing happened to us on a Celebrity cruise...only we planned it that way.:D

 

We were up top on the aft, and our children were down 4 decks on the bow. We loved it because they couldn't easily come knocking at our doors all hours of the day and night. :eek: They were teenagers, but the oldest was still under 21, so we gave their room steward our name and cabin number, just in case there was a problem.

 

If your children need you badly enough, they can climb the stairs!

[cruiserfromohio]

Been there, done that, bought that tee-shirt! We were in a simliar situation on the old Noordam. Bought a guarantee for the lowest catehgory outside room and that's what we were assigned. That was OK until we got to the ship, the room stank of oil, the air conditioning didn't work and the room had several cosmetic defects (broken stuff, no door on the medicine cabinet, etc.) We complained to the cabin attendent as soon as we got on. After one sleepless night, because the room so too hot to sleep, I went to the front desk and asked for a new room. That's when I got an upgrade to another deck to a room which didn't have all the problems as the first one. We had booked guarantees before and had been upgraded about 1/3 of the time. The issue with guarantees is you get what you pay for, and sometimes that works out to something you don't want.