Curious about guarantee rooms

[Marga]

Just curious in general about guarantee rooms. 

 

We have booked a guarantee balcony on Wonder of the Seas. 

Looking at our sailing all suites are sold out. If I wanted to book a balcony today I could only pick from about 20 staterooms. 

This made me wonder : I am sure they have sold more than 20 guarantee balcony rooms. So how does that work? Do they reserve a number of rooms for this that never go into normal sale? I always assumed guarantee cabins were leftover cabins that nobody had picked. 

[twangster]

I'm not sure any of us outsiders have a true and proper understanding of the guarantee process.

They have been doing this for decades and they know how to fill a ship and make money.  That's why they do this, they are a for profit business that exists to make money.  The guarantee option is a tool in their toolbox to fill the ship and maximize revenue.  

They could be leftover cabins but sometimes you can get an unexpected upgrade.  I wouldn't count on that, plan for the worse so there isn't disappointment if that is what you get, which it could be.

[GKMCruising]

I'd guess that guarantee rooms are sold about like airline tickets - they likely oversell based on percentages of how many people cancel, upgrade, no show, etc. 

 

But, as @twangstersaid, none of us *really* know how they work, just that they exist as an option to buy until they don't anymore, just like any other stateroom category.

[Ampurp85]

Also keep in mind that cruise lines sell to TA(travel agents) and third-party booking sites. So you might see only 20 rooms but there are a lot more available. It is just some other party has them on hold.

[Atlantix2000]

The US version of the Royal website is also known for not showing all available cabins.  People used to recommend viewing using the UK version of the website because it showed everything but I've heard they've got the "updated" version of the website too now.

If you call Royal (or a TA) to book, they can see all available cabins.  So if you call with the deck plans in front of you, you can work out the best option.

[twangster]

I'm not exactly sure about how it works but TAs do see cabins that public site doesn't show as available.  That's how I scored an aft balcony on Odyssey.  

My TA asked if I want one and I replied there aren't any.  Turns out I had a pick of 5 different aft balconies that were not on the public website for weeks.  I even changed my mind and moved to a lower deck and still had my pick of cabins a week later.  

I don't know that those cabins were being held by that agency or if all travel agencies had access to them.  Whatever the case, the public did not.

That's also why TAs can sometimes offer a better rate for a type of cabin.  There may be only a handful of cheap 4D balconies that a TA can see while the public site sees these as out of inventory so the public site offers the next higher priced 2D balcony as the lowest, meanwhile a TA can book the cheaper 4D balcony that does show in TA inventory.  

My first loft suite years ago didn't show on the public.  That's how I met a TA I used for many cruises.  They could book it for me and did.

[Linda R]

Not sure how they determine the quarantee cabins.    But there is always a number of people who cancel.  There are some who take Royal UPs and then have their original cabin available.  And blocks of cabins are sold to travel groups and 3rd parties that are not always filled.   People also decide to change their cabin class after already booking.   Just so many things.  But with your guarantee you will get that class of cabin, possibly better.    The cabins I had quarantees on were eventually cancelled, so have not had experience to see what cabin I ended up with.    Good luck.