Balcony Guarantee Question.

[maxamuus]

New cruiser so trying to make head or tails.

 

There is BL, 5A, then 7A, and then 8A.

 

5A doesnt even have a balcony, yet its 10 dollars more then BL.

 

7A is 50 dollars more then BL, and 8A is 150 more then BL

 

So if you book BL what is it that your getting? A balcony with a life boat infront of it?:confused:

[SunnyinMA]

BL is an 8A Guarantee - you will get at least an 8A with a chance at an upgrade.

[cjm61]

You can look on many websites, including Carnival. If you feel better talking to someone for a "face-to-face" explanation, just contact Carnival via their 800 # and they will take the time to explain.

 

Here's the breakdown:

 

Cat 5A is normally an oceanview with a porthole. No balcony

Cat 8A are oceanview with balcony. I've never heard of a Cat 7A.

Maybe a &A is on a ship type I haven't sailed.

 

Your price difference on a balcony is the deck. The higher the deck, the higher the price.

 

Ocean View

Includes stateroom categories: 5A, 6A, 6B, 6E Category 5A staterooms feature two portholes instead of a picture window. C ategory 6E family staterooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows

 

Balcony

Includes stateroom categories: 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D and 8E.

 

If you choose a BL, it's a Balcony Guarentee, meaning that you will not get to pick your cabin #, but, they guarentee you will get a cabin with a balcony. Sometime BL is a little cheaper than 8A, 8B, etc, but then it's the luck of the draw. They put you where they want you. You can possibly be bumped up into a higher category at no charge or end up across from the launderette or under Camp Carnival. It's a 50/50 chance

 

I believe Cat 8A will get you on the Empress Deck. Excellent Deck as it is located between 2 passengers decks. :p No public rooms above or below you.

[maxamuus]

The Ship is the Pride out of Los Angles. I found a site that shows 7A as

Private Balcony Stateroom (Obstructed View) - 7A

Decks: Upper

 

Guess im just worried id spend the extra money for a balcony only to get a balcony with a life boat in front of it....

[celticd1]

If you book a BL, that is a BALCONY GUARANTEE. You will get an 8A or better cabin. An 8A has a balcony with no view obstructions. Because it is a guarantee cabin, you may get upgraded but you will not get anything less than an 8A.

 

7A is a PARTIALLY OBSTRUCTED BALCONY cabin. You will have a balcony with a view out to sea but the view directly below your balcony will be blocked by a lifeboat.

 

5A is an OBSTRUCTED VIEW cabin, no balcony, just french doors that open. You will have a lifeboat in front of your french door.

 

If you have your heart set on a particular cabin do not book a guarantee catagory. Booking a guarantee means that you will allow Carnival to pick your cabin. However, it can be a great way to save a little on your room. That's why it is cheaper than the 5A. We have booked a guarantee cabin on each of our 4 sailings. We were LUCKY enough to be upgraded 3 out of the 4. Best advice when booking a guarantee is to never book a catagory that you wouldn't be happy with, since you may or may not be upgraded.

 

Happy sailing!:)

[maxamuus]

Thanks for the advise folks....

 

So your saying if i buy the BL i would get atleast a 8A room? 8A is what i want i just didnt want to buy the least expensive BL room and get the life boat view.

[cjm61]

The Ship is the Pride out of Los Angles. I found a site that shows 7A as

Private Balcony Stateroom (Obstructed View) - 7A

Decks: Upper

 

Guess im just worried id spend the extra money for a balcony only to get a balcony with a life boat in front of it....

 

If you go to Carnival's website, you can see the deck plan for the Pride. 7A is upper deck on this class of ship and it does show the lifeboats on that deck. Normally an obstructed view is the lifeboat hanging in front of your window, door, french doors, etc. I'd pay the extra money and go for an 8B or an 8C. Try to get a balcony cabin on a deck located between 2 passenger decks.

[celticd1]

Thanks for the advise folks....

 

So your saying if i buy the BL i would get atleast a 8A room? 8A is what i want i just didnt want to buy the least expensive BL room and get the life boat view.

 

Yes.

 

And just to clarify, here is a pic off of the balcony of our 7A cabin on the Legend (same class/layout as the Spirit). The lifeboat does not completely block your view, just the view directly under your balcony.

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Thanks for the advise folks....

 

So your saying if i buy the BL i would get atleast a 8A room? 8A is what i want i just didnt want to buy the least expensive BL room and get the life boat view.

 

 

maxamuus

 

i booked a BL on the Pride back in March and saved myself alot of money. I didnt care what deck i was on. i did not book through Carnival but i called them and they told me i would get an 8A or higher. I was also told this by my TA.

I got something like a 8E. On deck 7.

you wont get the 7A, i was assured of it.

[ShedQueen77]

I believe Cat 8A will get you on the Empress Deck. Excellent Deck as it is located between 2 passengers decks. :p No public rooms above or below you.

 

I'm in an 8A on Destiny and it's on the Upper deck. I believe 8Bs are on Empress.

[maxamuus]

On more question -

 

How do they decide who gets upgraded and who doesnt? I'm guessing by who booked first?

 

I only ask as im wondering if i should book now on my CC. I was planning to save and then just pay cash in full. If im more likely to geta upgrade if i book now i will break down and pay the evil intrest to visa.

 

Thanks for all the info. I feel alot better about booking a BL room now.

[celticd1]

There have been countless threads debating that very question! Here are a few things I have learned. I am NOT saying they are written in stone, just my own personal observations/opinions......

 

1) Many first time cruisers are upgraded.

 

2) Booking early MAY have an impact. Many factors come into play. We have never paid for the cruise in full until final payment was due and we have been upgraded 3 out of 4 cruises.

 

3) The class of ship can be a plus or minus. For instance, if you book an ocean view GTY on a Spirit class ship you will have a better chance of being upgraded to a 7A (partially obstructed balcony) or better because there is only one deck of ocean view cabins. Your chances go down if you book the same ocean view GTY on the Triumph, Destiny or any Conquest class ship. Those ships all have 2 decks of ocean view cabins.

 

Like I said, these are just my personal observations. If you do a search you will find MANY threads discussing various theories. I even remember someone doing a chart or spreadsheet about it!

 

My best advice would be to book the BL GTY on the Pride. You shouldn't be disappointed if you end up with an 8A, but you still have a chance of being upgraded.

[maxamuus]

Ok just booked it. Sucks that you cant get the free Carnival on board credit with a BL room, but found a TA that pays the grats so thats something. :D

 

Last question i promise. I plan on buying drink coupons, but it wants your room number ? How do you do that with a BL room ? Anyone know?

 

Thanks folks!

[SunnyinMA]

Last question i promise. I plan on buying drink coupons, but it wants your room number ? How do you do that with a BL room ? Anyone know?

 

Thanks folks!

 

You have to call the 800 number to order...you can't buy them online if you don't know the room number which you don't right away with a guarantee.

[celticd1]

Ok just booked it.

 

Have a great cruise! Be sure to let us know which cabin you get!