"Guaranteed" rooms?

[gomomgo]

Just what does a "guaranteed room" mean. I know that you cannot choose your specific room, so you may end up with a room in a place you may not like, but are there any benefits to booking this way?

[partybarbie]

Just what does a "guaranteed room" mean. I know that you cannot choose your specific room, so you may end up with a room in a place you may not like, but are there any benefits to booking this way?

 

I booked a balcony guarantee and was upgraded from a category BG to a nice BA stateroom on the Caribe deck for my upcoming cruise on Island Princess. The upgrade was over a thousand dollars per person, so I would say that was definitely to my benefit.:D

[Toto2Kansas]

A guarantee cabin means that you are 'guaranteed' that stateroom category OR ABOVE. All this will depend on how well other category cabins, and yours are selling. If they happen to sell out of the category you have booked, then there is a possiblity of an upgrade. These are NORMALLY inside to inside, outside to outside etc guarantees. Occasionally they are up to a higher cabin type such as inside to outside, but not usually.

[barbarah33]

If you aren't picky as to where on the ship your cabin is located a guarantee can be a great way to save a few dollars. But you do need to remember that you could have a cabin either all the way in the bow or all the way in the aft of the ship. I have booked them several times and always been upgraded at least one category.

[Kerry&LuAnn]

We booked a "Guaranteed Cabin" because it was the lowest cost. We didn't get a stateroom assignment until one or two weeks before sailing, but were pleasantly surprised to find that we had been upgraded to a better location. So it worked out well for us!

[gomomgo]

I'm a bit leary to book this way as it is our first cruise and I had heard we probably want to stick mid-ship for seasickness reasons. I'd really hate to be put on either end of the ship and be miserable. It looks like our sailing is quite full, so I don't know if that works for us or against us.

[coltahonas]

We booked in September 2006 for the New Years cruise on the Grand Princess using this guaranteed category strategy. It was our first cruise, so we trusted our travel agent as she said you usually get upgraded using this method.

They said our worst scenerio was an outside cabin on Emerald deck. We ended up being upgraded two foors higher to the Caribe deck (which, by the way, has the largest balcony space!). So for us, it worked out. As for location on the deck, we were close to the front (C218) and thought that would be a drawback, but we were pleasantly surprised at the lack of rocking.

[Beryl]

gomomgo...Since this is your very first cruise I would recommend that you look carefully at the deck plans and choose and book a cabin that you think will suit your needs (eg. being mid ship)! That way you will not stress in the weeks prior to your cruise. Once you choose and book a cabin have your TA mark it "No Upgrade" ! When you have at least one cruise under your belt and you know whether you suffer from sea sickness or not and whether you enjoy the motion of the ocean or not you will be in a better position to know if you would like to take the chance and book a guarantee room for your next cruise (which I'm betting is sure to happen!) Sometimes what "looks like an upgrade" is not necessarily an upgrade.

 

Things to look for when choosing a cabin...location on the deck (mid ship, fore, aft), port or starboard side for cruises where the passing scenery is important (Alaska), what is above and below your cabin, are you in a busy spot such as across from the laundromat or close to elevators.

 

Have loads of fun planning your cruise. I hope you enjoy the planning as much as the cruise itself!

[gomomgo]

Beryl, thanks for the suggestions of what to look for. I have booked an inside cabin midship on Baja deck, not close to elevators or laundry. The guaranteed oceanview rooms were listed at the same price as this, but I think you're right about knowing what I'm getting beforehand on our first cruise. I'm so excited about this trip I can't get off this board or away from looking at excursions! The planning seems to make the trip seem somehow like it's already started, as I dream my days away.