"Guaranteed" Bookings, Your Experiences.

We were wondering what other folk who booked a cabin grade on a guaranteed basis on the QM2 have experienced as a result. Have you had an upgrade ?? How does it work ??? Does it favor earlier bookings or what ??

It seems a like bit of black magic / pixy dust is involved in the final selection.

It seems a like bit of black magic / pixy dust is involved in the final selection.

Got it in one! I generally book Guarantees, and have been upgraded 0, 1 and 2 categories......

Peter

Hi Guerseyguy,

Could you discern any common denominators when you were upgraded e.g. did you book early, or late ??? Was it the TA

Hi Guerseyguy,

Could you discern any common denominators when you were upgraded e.g. did you book early, or late ??? Was it the TA

Thats why its Pixy Dust! No one really knows....Past Passenger, early booking, late booking....no real trend discernible. Book what you will be happy with and treat an upgrade as a pleasant surprise - don't 'underbook' in the expectation of an upgrade - that would almost certainly guarantee disappointment!

Peter

We were wondering what other folk who booked a cabin grade on a guaranteed basis on the QM2 have experienced as a result. Have you had an upgrade ?? How does it work ??? Does it favor earlier bookings or what ??

It seems a like bit of black magic / pixy dust is involved in the final selection.

upgraded 3x on guarantee basis all were discount fares>The one time i overpaid for an 18 day xmas cruise NO UPGRADE!!! there doesnt seem to be any rhyme or reason to their upgrade system

We booked several months ahead, past passenger inside guarantee...the cheapest cabin and were upgraded to deck 10, still an inside but was high up in the ship.

If you don't mind being very fore or aft on the ship, or having an adjoining door, or a cabin next to a noisy part of the ship, then a guarantee can be fine. There is always a chance you'll receive an upgrade. I have sometimes booked guaranteed cabins in the past (don't do it anymore), which were often fore or aft, etc (QE2). I did recieve an upgrade once on QM2, although it was still very aft.

when I was on the QM2 last August we booked 2 inside D6 cabins on guarantee and so it was a great surprise to discover that we had been upgraded to a two B2 balcony cabins which were next door to each other! I don't know how it works, but we weren't complaining! Guarantee is the way to go if you can handle the suspense!

Did you book early or late ???

We were upgraded to Caronia on the QE2 this past January and asked how that happened? We weren't complaining, but were told by a Cunard onboard travel agent that it is a lottery system. We thought it may have been since we just made "Platinum" status, but she said that any "status" had nothing to do with it. We originally had the cheapest inside cabin, and for what it's worth, got a port hole and Caronia dining. Pretty good for our liking.

We were upgraded to Caronia on the QE2 this past January and asked how that happened? We weren't complaining, but were told by a Cunard onboard travel agent that it is a lottery system.

Congratulations! I actually suspect its more to do with how the voyage is selling - if its not going too well they may bump people in cheaper cabins into more expensive ones to free up 'low sticker price' cabins as they attempt to fill the ship. How an individual voyage sells is not a function of what YOU or your TA does, how early or late you book, OR your past cruises status - truly I suspect it is beyond any individual's control or influence....

Peter

oldsilverfox,

we booked in January and sailed eastbound transatlantic on Aug 9th

We booked a D4 guarantee on the QM2 more than a year in advance and we got a D3 according to the old brochures, but it is a D4 in the new deck plans, so I don't really consider that an upgrade.

When booking guarantees, sometimes we get upgraded, sometimes not, it just depends on how well the ship is selling. It also pays to know people in high places, according to a pal who works for Cunard.:cool:

We have a guarantee booked and I am hoping for an upgrade. I will be happy no matter what. Happy Sailing, Joy