Is "Guaranteed Veranda" too risky?

I noticed that "Guaranteed Veranda" rates are significantly lower. I know that you get your room assigned only when you get onboard. Is it worth the saved money or is it too risky? Are the veranda views really that obstructed on Solstice?

Thanks!

We did a Guarenteed Veranda for our upcoming TA and found out the room assignment within a day or two. We usually get an inside but the price was so good we "splurged" and figured even an obstructed view was worth it. So, ask yourself "Is there a room I would be unhappy with at the price I am paying" If yes, then don't take the chance. On the other hand, if you do find out early and don't like your room assignment you could probably still upgrade.

After 18 cruises, we learned to choose the particular cabin we want. We have saved a ton of money by suffering with a cabin in a noisy location. We have even been upgraded to suites---but in a noisy location. To us, it's not worth it. But, I am fussy about noise. Actually, cruise ships are pretty noisy and creaky. I just like to have some control, or I will complain the entire time.

DH and I are on the 12/7 sailing with a CC Aft Veranda.

After going to the Naming Ceremony and two day sailing I did something that I NEVER do. I booked a Veranda guarantee for the 4/12 sailing of Solstice.

The price was so much lower than choosing our cabin that I decided that I'd take the chance to be back on Solstice again. It was just a bit more than an inside so I'll take the chance and if our cabin is obstructed. considering the beauty of the ship it will be worth it. :)

On our October wine cruise our friends changed their cabin assignment at the last minute to oceanview guarantee. In a couple of days they got their cabin assignment and they had been upgraded to a CC Balcony Cabin in a very great location! We then decided to book a veranda guarantee in the Solstice and in a couple of days we were assigned our cabin. We got a cabin in the same category that we had booked in a pretty good location. No upgrade and not an osbstructed cabin. We got exactly what we had paid for.

Linda: I too am a noise fanatic...I'm still working on finding the least noisy cabins/areas.....What have you found? Seems wherever I am I hear weird banging & of course slamming noises all the time....Any recommendations?

OP: I agree w/Linda...it's really up to you & whether there are any cabins in that category you'd be particularly unhappy with. I'll tell you...I was under the main deck once & when they move the chairs around in the middle of the night/early morning...well, it ain't pretty....wasn't in my cabin anyway! LOL. If you're really flexible, though, I think you could save a lot of $$ by going w/a guarantee.

We're also looking at a veranda GTY on Solstice. Here's the wording from the X site: "**All Category 07 staterooms have a veranda with an obstructed view."

What exactly is the obstruction?

jayoldschool: I think it's that part of the tenders block your view (partially).

We're also looking at a veranda GTY on Solstice. Here's the wording from the X site: "**All Category 07 staterooms have a veranda with an obstructed view."

 

What exactly is the obstruction?

Life boats

If you look at a picture of each side of the ship you will see the orange life boats and at the middle of this row are three larger life boats. These are all Catagory 7. There is the chance with the Veranda GTY that you could get one of these larger boats in your line of vision. I didn't count how many of these on each side and didn't see them when I was onboard last weekend.

If you go the the Celebrity website and pull up Solstice you can see deck 7 and count how many thus giving a better idea of the chance you might be one of the people to get this type of veranda.

Life boats

 

If you look at a picture of each side of the ship you will see the orange life boats and at the middle of this row are three larger life boats. These are all Catagory 7. There is the chance with the Veranda GTY that you could get one of these larger boats in your line of vision. I didn't count how many of these on each side and didn't see them when I was onboard last weekend.

 

If you go the the Celebrity website and pull up Solstice you can see deck 7 and count how many thus giving a better idea of the chance you might be one of the people to get this type of veranda.

You can see clearly what the obstructions are in this Starboard view of the Solstice.

You can see clearly what the obstructions are in this Starboard view of the Solstice.

Oops, sorry.

You can see it much better if you go directly to Andreas Depping's invaluable website.

http://web8.506.bces.de/cruise_xxl/displayimage.php?album=48&pos=0

:)

So, we would be looking down on a lifeboat, correct?

Also, are 2A, 2B, 2C, and 1A, 1B category 7? They all have that same message ("obstructed view.") on the X site...

This is a little confusing...

Do not do an X gty on the Solstice. My Cat 2C balcony cabin was a good 55% obstructed... and even after the recategorizing - it is still a 2C.

If obstructions don't bother you, then the X gty would be okay.

OP didn't mention booking on Solstice, or did I miss something?

We did a veranda guarantee on Summit and were assigned a 2A (lowest veranda is 2C). It was WAY forward and we were concerned about motion. We easily switched for another available 2A by one call to our TA.

OTOH, when we boarded, we were able to upgrade to a CC for $200/pp--which was worth it to us for a 14 day cruise.

We had decided that we would be okay with the 'worst' balcony cabin--on Summit I don't believe any are obstructed views, however.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Cathy - I'll be booking on the Solstice...it's my first cruise EVER :D

We have decided to spring for the Concierge Class. Do you all think it is worth the extra money? I noticed that they have a GTY rate for Concierge Class as well and was thinking that this would be OK since all of the CC rooms are supposed to have unobstructed views. What do you think?

Cathy - I'll be booking on the Solstice...it's my first cruise EVER :D

 

We have decided to spring for the Concierge Class. Do you all think it is worth the extra money? I noticed that they have a GTY rate for Concierge Class as well and was thinking that this would be OK since all of the CC rooms are supposed to have unobstructed views. What do you think?

They are fine. Have a great cruise.

One advantage to booking the guarantee CC is that you have the possibility of being upgraded to a higher category--slim, but there. Also, as I mentioned, once you get assigned a cabin, you may have the option of switching to something available that you prefer--we switched fore for aft and it worked perfectly.

Good luck--wish I was in your shoes!

Cathy

Before reading this board, I booked a guarantee balcony on Solstice based on my TA's recommendation.

Two things....I was told I wouldn't be told my cabin # until a week before our sailing date of 12/14. Is this correct? Anyway I can find out sooner?

Probably dumb blonde question, but...

If I get the worst obstructed view would this mean the lifeboats would be out in front of my balcony or just below it?

If it is below it, than wouldn't the view from the deck above that still be looking down at the lifeboats also, thus being obstructed views?

Thanks so much

Barbara

Can't answer the 2nd question, but I received my assignment about a week after booking. . .and I believe that's more the norm than just before boarding. However with Solstice being new and popular, YMMV.

Have a great cruise wherever you end up!

One advantage to booking the guarantee CC is that you have the possibility of being upgraded to a higher category--slim, but there. Also, as I mentioned, once you get assigned a cabin, you may have the option of switching to something available that you prefer--we switched fore for aft and it worked perfectly.

 

Good luck--wish I was in your shoes!

 

Cathy

Oh thats an appealing gamble...the possibility of getting upgrading. The only thing that concerns me about booking GYT Concierge Class is that my boyfriend is convinced that he only wants a room on the side of the ship (meaning he doesn't want an aft room)...although I don't know where this is coming from since neither of us have ever been on a cruise LOL and it seems like everyone else is going crazy for the aft cabins. However I am thinking that because the aft rooms are so popular, they probably wont be available for GTY bookings anyways.

If I get the worst obstructed view would this mean the lifeboats would be out in front of my balcony or just below it?

 

If it is below it, than wouldn't the view from the deck above that still be looking down at the lifeboats also, thus being obstructed views?

 

Thanks so much

Barbara

If you look at the Solstice side shot photo below you can see that the tenders block the view to the top of the outside railing on the Continental deck cat 7 cabins here but your view above the railing or over the tender is OK thus your downward view is the one affected.

The Sunrise deck cabins just above here would have an obstructed view downwards also but not as bad as the Continental deck cabins at this location so I guess they aren't considered obstructed cabins and are sold as 1A and 2C cabins. If you look at the other balcony cabins on the Cont. deck with lifeboats in front their downwards view is almost as bad as the cat. 7 cabins and a lot worst than the cabins one deck above the Cat. 7s but according to X they don't have obstructed views.

We're on the Summit 12/20 out of San Juan. We booked a Veranda Guar about 6 weeks ago and within a few weeks found out that we were assigned an accessible cabin mid-ship with 271 sq feet. I hadn't requested an accessible cabin and I hope I don't need one by then!

A regular Veranda cabin is 170 sq. ft and a CC cabin is 191 sq ft. At the time I found out about the assigned cabin, I had been looking at upgrading to CC, but this cabin is so much larger, I decided it wasn't worth it.

A few years ago, we booked a Veranda Guar on HA over Xmas and was contacted by my TA a few weeks b4 the cruise to change to a longer cruise and get a discount. We ended up going New Year's week instead on a 1-night longer cruise and got 75% of our $$$$ back. Fortunately, we had used an airlines mileage award so we could rearrange our flights.

Hi!

i just booked a guarantee veranda yesterday and found out a day later that we got a CC for a cruise leaving in 4 weeks (almost a savings of $300 for 2 people for a 4 day cruise). As we used Celebrity for the booking I called up and requested nicely if we were able to change our location which they did to be closer to our other cabin that we had booked (aft century suite) on the Century! Saving this as a surprise for my kids until we board ;) !!

Melissa

Hi!

 

i just booked a guarantee veranda yesterday and found out a day later that we got a CC for a cruise leaving in 4 weeks (almost a savings of $300 for 2 people for a 4 day cruise). As we used Celebrity for the booking I called up and requested nicely if we were able to change our location which they did to be closer to our other cabin that we had booked (aft century suite) on the Century! Saving this as a surprise for my kids until we board ;) !!

 

Melissa

Hummmm Wondering just what sort of a surprise it will be...good or bad???:rolleyes:

If you look at the Solstice side shot photo below you can see that the tenders block the view to the top of the outside railing on the Continental deck cat 7 cabins here but your view above the railing or over the tender is OK thus your downward view is the one affected.

The Sunrise deck cabins just above here would have an obstructed view downwards also but not as bad as the Continental deck cabins at this location so I guess they aren't considered obstructed cabins and are sold as 1A and 2C cabins. If you look at the other balcony cabins on the Cont. deck with lifeboats in front their downwards view is almost as bad as the cat. 7 cabins and a lot worst than the cabins one deck above the Cat. 7s but according to X they don't have obstructed views.

I took the gamble but as my cruise is not until September 2009 I have no idea what my assignment is yet.

Does anyone know which rooms have the obstruction.

Does it mean you just can't see the water?