what type of cabin did you wind up having if you booked an inside guarantee?

[beachchairs2]

ah yes a bit of a saving maybe but on the whole could just be a waste of time...

 

will let you know how it 'churns' out...

 

 

there are more interesting topics here...like the sale that just happened...

[roothy123]

I didn't read all the responses; just your question. However, here's my experience:

 

On our last cruise (mid August, small ship) we booked a GTY on a G, which is the lowest category - although same staterooms as F's, just lower decks and maybe less desirable location. A few days pre-cruise, we were assigned to an F. A day later we were called and offered an Oceanview, top category, if we wanted to pay a bit more. We decided to take it. I know for a fact that the ship was very, very full right up to sailing, with mostly just oceanviews vacant. Therefore, I was not surprised with the placement into an F, and then what I call an upsell, into a D, or whatever category it is. I would have been happy with a G, F, or whatever. I really like the inside cabins, so it's no big deal if nothing comes our way. The oceanview was interesting as it was way down on 4 (forward), where we've never been. However, I (and my husband) ended up liking it a lot, as you're one deck away (on Insignia, anyway), from so many useful places. I wouldn't hesitate to take a room on 4 again. But then I've never really been picky as to location....

 

We have almost always had our travel agent book an F or a G guarantee, and almost always get upgraded or at least "upsold" to something we felt was worthwhile. Of course, obviously it's not guaranteed that you'll get anything - plus I don't know if Oceania gives preference to past cruisers or just has their list and goes down the list placing people into staterooms. This last cruise was our 9th. I also think you are probably less likely to get any kind of upgrade on the smaller ships, as they tend to sell out completely and there are fewer "moves" to be made, in my opinion.

 

I WILL tell you that you may end up waiting until just before the cruise, especially if you're flying to it a day or two or three early. You need to be flexible, patient, and reachable by phone! You also need to make sure that if you're using an agent, that person can contact you immediately if an upsell offer is received.

 

We've had good luck with our guarantees. Sometimes the move is a small one, but twice we've done really well with them. Hope the same is true for you! Also hope I didn't just repeat what others have already said, but as a person with a lot of F and G guarantee experience, all of it positive, I thought I should add my two cents' worth.

Edited September 5, 2014 by roothy123

[beachchairs2]

thank you for your comments...

 

we are fine in an inside....no big deal....it is mid ship....F and G ...are mid ship, more or less...

 

we are flying in on the day of the sailing....so will be able to be reached up to almost last day...however our agent is a very busy person and so I am not expecting that anything will come our way....

 

and thats just fine...it is our first experience with O...we are travelling with wonderful friends...what can be better....

Edited September 5, 2014 by beachchairs2

[roothy123]

You're welcome, and your attitude (not expecting miracles) is the right one to ensure you have a great cruise! Those Fs and Gs are pretty nice, in my opinion (been in both, on both sized ships), and the balcony cabins over-rated and too expensive! If you want to see what's going on outside, you can always make use of channel 3 or whatever it is on the TV - the channel that usually plays good music and shows the bow camera! My husband just shakes his head when he comes into the room and sees me blankly staring at a very slowly changing screen! Of course, it's only a short walk to get outside for a dose of fresh air and a view....

 

Hope you enjoy O as much as we do. Don't miss the "special salute" show with special guests toward the end of the cruise when 3/4 of the crew comes on stage at once. I'm not big on the shows, but that's one I don't miss, as I think the service on O is so fabulous.

[LHT28]

Hope you enjoy O as much as we do. Don't miss the "special salute" show with special guests toward the end of the cruise when 3/4 of the crew comes on stage at once. I'm not big on the shows, but that's one I don't miss, as I think the service on O is so fabulous.

 

That is a bit of an exaggeration don't you think :D

 

Not sure the stage could handle 300 or 600 crew members at once

[roothy123]

That is a bit of an exaggeration don't you think :D

 

Not sure the stage could handle 300 or 600 crew members at once

 

Yeah, I guess it is. I didn't see folks coming up from the engine room in coveralls, crew members who looked like they had been dragged out of bed, or the casino staff (who are contract employees anyway, so perhaps they & internet and spa people get off the hook) . However, I DID see almost all the folks that I made frequent contact with, and all the officers and entertainers, and a whole stage brimming with crew members. Maybe it wasn't 3/4, but it was probably a third of the Insignia crew, and that was enough for me! Yep, the stage was already overflowing....

[beachchairs2]

sounds great...

 

thank you...

[ChucktownSteve]

our deposits were $900 pp....that is huge....have never given that kind of deposit....

 

as I said, we paid for an inside guarantee.....on the first day of sales....and were given an inside cabin almost right away....

we were surprised at the speed that was done.....

.

 

We purchased our Marina cruise from Rome to Lisbon next month more than a year out. We paid the GTY rate through our travel agent and got an immediately assigned cabin of our choice...low and inside where the DW prefers. The TA got us a total of $600 OBC, the free internet and prepaid gratuities! I was thrilled to be able to pay bottom rate and get early cabin of choice. We only use the cabin for napping/sleeping and we're very port intensive anyway.

 

I'm just glad we're trying O for the first time since I've learned such positive things about the line. Even though it's more per night than other lines, I expect it to be a good value with quality.

Edited September 5, 2014 by ChucktownSteve

[roothy123]

.

 

We purchased our Marina cruise from Rome to Lisbon next month more than a year out. We paid the GTY rate through our travel agent and got an immediately assigned cabin of our choice...low and inside where the DW prefers. The TA got us a total of $600 OBC, the free internet and prepaid gratuities! I was thrilled to be able to pay bottom rate and get early cabin of choice. We only use the cabin for napping/sleeping and we're very port intensive anyway.

 

I'm just glad we're trying O for the first time since I've learned such positive things about the line. Even though it's more per night than other lines, I expect it to be a good value with quality.

 

That's great about so much OBC. You did better than I did with my TA, and I love my TA! As to the cabin, it's still possible Oceania, through your travel agent, will offer an upsell to you about a week or less before you sail. Of course you don't have to accept it, and it probably won't be a free upgrade, just an upsell, but hey, it's often worth it!

 

As to Oceania, you just may be disappointed. We just cruised with a couple who were disappointed, and will likely stick to another cruise line they're familiar with. However, I think there are a lot of intangibles about Oceania that are hard to quantify in dollars and cents. Those intangibles (able to get best dock locations, go places larger ships can't go, always improving and changing for the better (fill out those mid-cruise and final cruise evaluation forms - then watch your changes occur!!), having tourism reps come on board the ship, more ports and fewer sea days than most cruise lines, etc., etc.) add a lot of value. Then again, if you don't like the older passenger base (especially on the smaller ships, which I think attract an older crowd) or the lack of non-stop, younger-based entertainment (what Celebrity does better), you may feel that Oceania is just not your thing. But hey, it beats sitting at home, right?

 

You and beachchairs enjoy your cruises, whatever rooms you end up in! No matter what or where they are, you'll still have an immaculate bathroom, clean towels and sheets, and an absolutely fabulous cabin steward/stewardess and his/her assistant to keep it nice for you!

 

By the way, we just got back from Lisbon. I LOVED that city. Hope you get to see a little of it before going to the airport! If not, make sure to get up early for the sail-in - you'll see a lot that way, assuming it's light!

Edited September 6, 2014 by roothy123

[beachchairs2]

chuck/steve....that is a great deal.....

 

and roothy, you are just wonderful....

 

hope we meet one day on a cruise to somewhere....

[ChucktownSteve]

As to Oceania, you just may be disappointed. However, I think there are a lot of intangibles about Oceania that are hard to quantify in dollars and cents. Those intangibles (able to get best dock locations, go places larger ships can't go, always improving and changing for the better (fill out those mid-cruise and final cruise evaluation forms - then watch your changes occur!!), having tourism reps come on board the ship, more ports and fewer sea days than most cruise lines, etc., etc.) add a lot of value. Then again, if you don't like the older passenger base (especially on the smaller ships, which I think attract an older crowd) or the lack of non-stop, younger-based entertainment (what Celebrity does better), you may feel that Oceania is just not your thing. But hey, it beats sitting at home, right?

 

You and beachchairs enjoy your cruises, whatever rooms you end up in! No matter what or where they are, you'll still have an immaculate bathroom, clean towels and sheets, and an absolutely fabulous cabin steward/stewardess and his/her assistant to keep it nice for you!

By the way, we just got back from Lisbon. I LOVED that city. Hope you get to see a little of it before going to the airport! If not, make sure to get up early for the sail-in - you'll see a lot that way, assuming it's light!

 

You just happened to mention the things about a cruise ship that are important to me. I also prefer the smaller to mid sized ships They're more intimate.

 

Besides we happen to be one of *older* passengers in our mid 60's. :D

 

We're spending an extra two nights in Lisbon before flying home. So you have an uncanny knack for knowing our preferences. ;)

[roothy123]

You just happened to mention the things about a cruise ship that are important to me. I also prefer the smaller to mid sized ships They're more intimate.

 

Besides we happen to be one of *older* passengers in our mid 60's. :D

 

We're spending an extra two nights in Lisbon before flying home. So you have an uncanny knack for knowing our preferences. ;)

 

Well, I remember "Who Moved My Cheese" (were encouraged to read it, right before being reorganized), so that tells you I'm not a young person. I fit the Oceania demographics (or at least until so many newbies discovered it) pretty perfectly.

 

If you want something different in Lisbon, look into Bike My Side sidecar tours, and book right away, as they're popular. Yes, it's a fun and nice and comfortable thing for older folks as well as younger ones. (We're 64 and 63 and enjoyed it immensely). Daniel takes you all over a great part of central Lisbon, stopping at 5 or 6 places and telling you interesting things along the way. Here's a picture of my husband checking out the sidecar.

 

Also, if you want a slightly different place to stay, we really liked our one night stay at the Lisbonaire apartments. Each apt is decorated by a different artist. We were in apt. I and loved it. It's not extra cushy, but the neighborhood and location are great, the place is nice, and it's reasonable (as most places in Lisbon ARE). Having a kitchen was nice, too, although for one night we hardly used it.

[bbwex]

If there is one takeaway from this whole discussion, it would be that the OP should find a new TA -- one that has the time to devote to each customer. You got some bad advice, are getting some bad service, and deserve and should expect better. Our TA gives the same level of service to us and to others who book cheaper cabins. If I thought or heard that she was giving them less service than she gives us, I would a) tell her to shape up, or b) ship her right out.

 

You might be booking a cheaper cabin and providing less income for this one cruise, but bear in mind that you have booked a bunch of cruises on Celebrity, and likely more cruises than the average customer, so your total commissions are not insignificant.

[beachchairs2]

ben and susan, I agree with you completely...and will make other decisions pending on how this works out....

[zoncom]

Recently booked two Insignia WC segments. Only cat. that worked for us was sold out Es, resulting in a guaranty. Any results from same situation would be interesting. Thanks.

[orchestrapal]

Recently booked two Insignia WC segments. Only cat. that worked for us was sold out Es, resulting in a guaranty. Any results from same situation would be interesting. Thanks.

 

There is a L o n g thread running on this topic.

Bottom better be happy with whatever you book because that ' s probably what you'll get......

[zoncom]

Orchestra, saw it. Interested in Es in particular. Which I like. Very few of them so curious if many cancel them, especially on long cruises.

[LHT28]

Not trying to be argumentative but

Each cruise would have a different set of passengers with different needs & wants as I am sure you are aware of

So no one can really give you a definitive answer

What worked for someone before may not work for future passengers

 

If you like E cat then you are in a good place you may or may not get a better deal

 

Enjoy

 

Lyn

[hondorner]

Orchestra, saw it. Interested in Es in particular. Which I like. Very few of them so curious if many cancel them, especially on long cruises.

 

Category E cabins ate disliked by most, as they are the smallest. As you said, there aren't many. Much the time there are even fewer, as they often tend to be assigned to non-paying folks like entertainers. So, for those who prefer them, they may be less available.

[roothy123]

Also, don't most or all of the E cabins have obstructed views? Given a choice between an inside cabin and an E, I would probably pick an inside, if one was available. (They tend to get booked up really quickly.) Of course, that's just me. If you want a small glimpse to the outside world, E might be a fine choice.

Edited September 7, 2014 by roothy123

[mickieandlee]

there is no difference between cat F or G except in location and price...the cheaper cat is more central...but both are inside...so now I have a guarantee, so the worst I can do it get back the inside I gave up....

.

We booked a G category guarantee on a Marina Baltic cruise about 6 months in advance of sailing. We would have been happy in that category because we got it at a good price. We did not get a cabin assignment before we flew in two days early. On embarkation day we were assigned an A2 Veranda stateroom with all the extra privliges included!!! It was a gamble that paid off!!:)

[beachchairs2]

oh wow.....I am glad you were so wonderfully suprised....

 

I think I will just call that luck...

 

like you I will be ok to get what I paid for...

 

but arent suprises like that just incredible....

 

thank you for sharing it with us....

Edited September 9, 2014 by beachchairs2

[chrismch]

After reading this full thread, I thought I'd add my opinion. We've only done 30 cruises, so not as many as the OP, and we've done them with 8 different cruise lines.

 

Our earlier cruises years ago seem to give us better options for free upgrades with a guarantee. Our favorite was with NCL where we booked an inside and was upgraded to a suite on an inaugural cruise on the West Coast. Fantastic!

 

More recently on HAL we paid for an upsell which we considered a bargain from a verandah to a suite. Really loved the extra space and location.

 

One of the worst upgrades we were given happened to be on Celebrity. We had booked an aft verandah 18 months out and were "upgraded" to a sky suite with a butler at no charge. Thought the room was fabulous until we tried to sleep and were awakened by noise above us. We were below the Lido. Long story short, it took 3 days for us to figure out what caused the noise. It was the staff rolling carts full of china in our out of the storage locker above us. We got the sound and visual on video and mgmt agreed after seeing it that this was a problem. Couldn't be moved and did our best with earplugs, but we negotiated a hefty discount on another Celebrity cruise. Had some weird issues on that one as well and haven't been back to Celebrity again.

 

What that taught us is what a cruise line considers an upgrade, we may not. We prefer being more mid-ship. Can't handle full forward and don't want to be stuck there with a guarantee.

 

We now book a specific room, but tell our TA we will consider an upgrade only as long as we know the exact cabin. Don't want the Celebrity experience again!

[beachchairs2]

yes there are as many experiences as there are cruisers...

 

fortunately we have never been disappointed with any upgrade Celeb gave us...

 

and we hope we wont be disappointed with what O has in store for us ...we hope to have a long relationship with O, so a nice surprise would go a long way in making that happen....especially since we are new to O....

 

I hope they will try hard to lure us away from Celebrity....

 

but it is hard to give up all the perks we have with Celebrity....after this many cruises , you can imagine, we are treated royally....

[takemewithyou]

yes there are as many experiences as there are cruisers...

 

fortunately we have never been disappointed with any upgrade Celeb gave us...

 

and we hope we wont be disappointed with what O has in store for us ...we hope to have a long relationship with O, so a nice surprise would go a long way in making that happen....especially since we are new to O....

 

I hope they will try hard to lure us away from Celebrity....

 

but it is hard to give up all the perks we have with Celebrity....after this many cruises , you can imagine, we are treated royally....

 

Just curious.....if you were treated royally on Celebrity, why are you trying out Oceania?

 

we are Elite with Celebrity and we are trying Oceania because things on X aren't so royal for us anymore......