Guarantee Cabins

[MKSglitz 15]

What are "Guarantee" cabins?     What are the pro/cons of making this choice?  If anyone has ever made this choice, were you happy with your decision? 

[BrianAlt 267]

I've never done it.  But in a nutshell, you pay less to allow the cruiseline to assign your room.  It usually happens around 2 weeks before the cruise.  

If you choose an OV Balcony, for example, you will definitely be assigned an OV Balcony.  The issue is, if the ship is very full, you'll probably get a partially obstructed view.  If not, you could end up at one of the higher categories for that class.  Many people like to take the chance for the potential savings.

[Matt 10,938]

To help fill in empty staterooms, Royal Caribbean will offer a guarantee room rate.  This means you pick a category of stateroom that you are promised you will receive nothing less than that.  In fact, you might even be upgraded to something higher.  On top of it, you will pay less than someone who picks their stateroom.

The "catch" to a guarantee room is that Royal Caribbean will assign your room number at some point between when you book the stateroom and your sail date.  You are essentially trading the ability to pick your stateroom location for a lower cruise fare.

[DocLC 2,014]

As the others have said, it's a way for Total to better manage their inventory, and in doing so they give you a discount and the possibility of an upgrade. Thus, if balconies are selling well and that's what you booked, they can sell everything more and then if they run out, move you up to say a junior suite. The downside is that you have no say in the location and no recourse if you dislike the assigned cabin. You could end up anywhere on the ship, including in less desirable areas where there might be added noise and/or traffic. 

[GrubbyGrubbles 20]

I've only booked  2 RC cruises but have gone with Guarantee rooms both times.  Last year it was an Ocean View Guarantee and when we were finally allocated a room we were initially disappointed to find it was on Deck 2.  However, I was actually really pleased with the room in the end.  The location was really quiet and there was nothing above us either.  We barely felt the ship move and I'd have no hesitation in having a room on deck 2 again.  This year we went to book and would have been happy taking the risk with another OV guarantee room but bizarrely, the balcony guarantee room was cheaper.  We were allocated our room a few weeks ago and we've got deck 9.  From the plans it doesn't look like it's in a bad location either but we'll see.

For me, it seems to have been worth the risk so far. 

[mom2mybugs 1,640]

I did a guarantee room once and it was a great choice.  While I didn't get upgraded, I was assigned my room within a couple weeks,  it had a great view and I saved a bunch of money!   Jane

[monctonguy 1,731]

I booked one for my last cruise...was an inside guar room...ended up on deck 10 with a virtual balcony which was great....but that's not the norm.

 

I wonder now that Royal is willing to sail with empty cabins in order to keep prices high and not offer last min discounts, if that will affect the rooms you may end up getting with a guar booking?!

[Madelyn D 34]

I will probably continue to book a guarantee cabin unless I am sailing with a group.  I booked an inside room and ended up with a promenade view and that was pretty cool.  I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. My next cruise is with a group and we wanted our rooms to be together so I was not able to for my Feb liberty sailing.

[DocLC 2,014]

36 minutes ago, monctonguy said:

I booked one for my last cruise...was an inside guar room...ended up on deck 10 with a virtual balcony which was great....but that's not the norm.

 

I wonder now that Royal is willing to sail with empty cabins in order to keep prices high and not offer last min discounts, if that will affect the rooms you may end up getting with a guar booking?!

Rather than lowering prices, I think they'd be more inclined to open up "cheaper" cabins (e.g., insides) by moving those with guarantees up and/or upselling people who are already booked to spend more for a better cabin.

Princess is doing some weird stuff. Because there was a demand for balcony cabins on our cruise close to sailing (or they simply oversold them, perhaps), they were offering people a full refund if they voluntarily downgraded from a balcony to an obstructed ocean view. For a free cruise, I'd do that in a heartbeat! Given that they can't manage their My Time Dining situation, I'm inclined to believe it's bad inventory management. ;)

[Big Dawg Ron 110]

I did a balcony guarantee on Anthem and the cabin was assigned 5 months out...so there is no set time for when they are assigned.  Second, and from what I've heard from a good source (Michael Poole), when your cabin is assigned, you can call Royal and ask to be switched to another location in the same category.  I haven't tried it yet but I've been told it can be done.  I for one don't mind Royal picking the cabin for me as long as it's a good savings, and I'm not looking at a lifeboat. 

[Sarah 39]

I've had a guarantee several times (usually an inside).  Cabin has been allocated within a few days each time and have been upgraded to an outside twice.  Never been disappointed with the location and not had any noise problems

[Lauren 26]

We did a guarantee ocean view once, the room was assigned about 2 weeks before sailing. We were on deck 2, felt every rock of the ship. We were given a handicap accessible room that had not been booked. The room was larger than a standard room. It was OK, but I haven't booked a guarantee again.

[monorailmedic 693]

I frequently book guarantees - in fact I have one booked right now for the Harmony Group Cruise!

If you're not picky about the exact stateroom you get, then I see no reason not to.  If you think "as long as I don't get a cabin that..." - don't finish that sentence, a guarantee isn't for you.  Further, while sometimes guests get a pleasant surprise, don't book a guarantee counting on that.  More often than not you're assigned a stateroom of the same type (inside/OV/verandah) which you booked.

[whitsmom 353]

I am too OCD to book a guarantee!! Just like traveling and not having a hotel already booked (did that once when traveling with others and that will NEVER happen again) My hubby just shakes his head ;0)

[MKSglitz 15]

Just how much of a discount do you really get when you book a guarantee cabin?  Is it substantial?  Will these guarantee cabins be a thing of the past with RCCL no longer offering last minute discounts to fill empty cabins just before sailing?

[DocLC 2,014]

3 minutes ago, MKSglitz said:

Just how much of a discount do you really get when you book a guarantee cabin?  Is it substantial?  Will these guarantee cabins be a thing of the past with RCCL no longer offering last minute discounts to fill empty cabins just before sailing?

It can vary. Often, it's not substantial, maybe $150, but otherwise it can be more. I was pricing a cruise yesterday on Harmony and an inside cabin guarantee was about $660 per person whereas the non guarantee was $300 per person more. 

[Matt 10,938]

33 minutes ago, whitsmom said:

I am too OCD to book a guarantee!! Just like traveling and not having a hotel already booked (did that once when traveling with others and that will NEVER happen again) My hubby just shakes his head ;0)

My mom refuses to book a GTY because she wants to be absolutely certain of where the room is

[DocLC 2,014]

9 hours ago, Matt said:

My mom refuses to book a GTY because she wants to be absolutely certain of where the room is

My wife is the same as she needs a midship cabin. Even in rough seas, she's been able to tolerate them done if we've been midship, but not when we've been elsewhere. 

[Michael Vitale 239]

That would be my question. I think I paid somewhere around $1K pp for our balcony on the Harmony GC. How much less would a room in the same category be ?  $800 pp ?  I think I agree with Billy, I see no reason not to take that savings, though I've never done it. But I am intrigued. Not sure my wife would agree with my intrigue though. Takes us 3 tries before she accepts a table at restaurants 😏

[coneyraven 2,065]

13 hours ago, DocLC said:

My wife is the same as she needs a midship cabin. Even in rough seas, she's been able to tolerate them done if we've been midship, but not when we've been elsewhere. 

Now, to a degree, my wife is just the opposite, she considers a cabin to be just a place to lay her head (although I do wonder if rough seas would affect her if she wasn't mid-ship - is it worth the gamble)..... Now granted, she loves the cabin we get on Grandeur so there's no deviating from that, but I think when we try a different ship, she may be open to the idea.  I know I'd like to, but that's mostly because I'm cheap and will try to save a penny wherever I can.

[DocLC 2,014]

51 minutes ago, coneyraven said:

Now, to a degree, my wife is just the opposite, she considers a cabin to be just a place to lay her head (although I do wonder if rough seas would affect her if she wasn't mid-ship - is it worth the gamble)..... Now granted, she loves the cabin we get on Grandeur so there's no deviating from that, but I think when we try a different ship, she may be open to the idea.  I know I'd like to, but that's mostly because I'm cheap and will try to save a penny wherever I can.

My wife is somewhat prone to motion sickness. When we got rough seas in Alaska in an aft corner cabin, she was miserable. When we hit similarly rough seas in the North Sea where was were crashing over our midship window, she was fine. So for piece of mind, that's where we book and even turned down a very nice upgrade because of it. 

[Melbae9 7]

I've booked guarantee cabins several times. Saved over $1000 on a junior suite on anthem once and over $600 on an upcoming Harmony ocean view balcony. Very happy not only with the savings every time but also the cabin location. Would not hesitate booking these cabins. Our room was assigned within a couple days of booking.

Good luck! 

Mel

[RestingBird 382]

On 8/1/2017 at 1:52 PM, DocLC said:

Princess is doing some weird stuff. Because there was a demand for balcony cabins on our cruise close to sailing (or they simply oversold them, perhaps), they were offering people a full refund if they voluntarily downgraded from a balcony to an obstructed ocean view. For a free cruise, I'd do that in a heartbeat! Given that they can't manage their My Time Dining situation, I'm inclined to believe it's bad inventory management. ;)

I'd downgrade as well for a free cruise!

[azfish 6]

We booked a standard oceanview balcony on Oasis 7 day cruise and got a normal balcony room on deck 6.  Then called in and asked what upgrades were available.  Options were: bigger balcony for $1000 more, JS for $2500 more, or guaranteed suite for $1700 more. I think the suggestion that you *might* get upgraded to a grand suite is a hoax, has ANYONE actually gotten a GS with a suite guarantee?  I would never pay more for a guaranteed suite, because you're going to get a JS, but I was happy to save $700 to let them pick the suite. There are no bad JS rooms.

Also, they didn't offer the guaranteed suite right away, and I'm not sure if it was available online or not.  I think it wasn't, so one trick to getting offered it is to call in and ask for it.  I didn't ask specifically for it, just asked about upgrades and it started with the bigger balcony and I said "Anything else?  I really want a bigger room, not a bigger balcony."  Then she offered the JS for $2500 more and when I was hesitating on deciding, she said there is also a suite guaranteed option.

[RestingBird 382]

10 hours ago, azfish said:

We booked a standard oceanview balcony on Oasis 7 day cruise and got a normal balcony room on deck 6.  Then called in and asked what upgrades were available.  Options were: bigger balcony for $1000 more, JS for $2500 more, or guaranteed suite for $1700 more. I think the suggestion that you *might* get upgraded to a grand suite is a hoax, has ANYONE actually gotten a GS with a suite guarantee?  I would never pay more for a guaranteed suite, because you're going to get a JS, but I was happy to save $700 to let them pick the suite. There are no bad JS rooms.

Also, they didn't offer the guaranteed suite right away, and I'm not sure if it was available online or not.  I think it wasn't, so one trick to getting offered it is to call in and ask for it.  I didn't ask specifically for it, just asked about upgrades and it started with the bigger balcony and I said "Anything else?  I really want a bigger room, not a bigger balcony."  Then she offered the JS for $2500 more and when I was hesitating on deciding, she said there is also a suite guaranteed option.

When did you call and check for upgrades?  Was is before or after final payment?  Just read @Matt's pre group cruise blog and he was able to upgrade as well.  Just curious, when is the best time to check?