Guaranteed Assignment

[Cosmic Rays]

How far before sailing do Cunard assign guarantees these days? We are on a TA in November from New York to Southampton and have an inside guarantee, yet I see from the Cunard website that IA, IC and ID staterooms are already 'sold out'!!

[cunardaddict]

How far before sailing do Cunard assign guarantees these days? We are on a TA in November from New York to Southampton and have an inside guarantee, yet I see from the Cunard website that IA, IC and ID staterooms are already 'sold out'!!

 

Will be between 2 months and 2 weeks before sailing. Since there is no category below inside you can only win.

[ovccruiser]

Usually when I book a guarantee, we receive our cabin number 2 weeks prior to sailing, and even though the "higher" grades are sold out, you may still get one.

Edited March 26, 2014 by ovccruiser

[AGGSBAGGS]

We are 6 weeks out, got our etickets online today but still not got our rooms allocated from a guarantee cabin. Allison

[Salacia]

partial quote

... Since there is no category below inside you can only win.

 

With respect, I disagree that "you can only win"

Here's why: there are four different categories of inside cabins on QM2:

Standard Inside

Midships High Decks 10,11,12

Midships Low Decks 4,5,6

Forward High Decks 9,10,11,12

Forward/Aft Low Decks 4,5,6

 

 

Most often, upgrades are within the category booked. What one passenger might consider an upgrade, another might not. This is the risk we take when booking a guarantee category cabin. Just the facts - you can't only win. Youse pays yer money and take yer chances when booking a guarantee category.

[Austcruiser84]

partial quote

 

With respect, I disagree that "you can only win"

Here's why: there are four different categories of inside cabins on QM2:

Standard Inside

Midships High Decks 10,11,12

Midships Low Decks 4,5,6

Forward High Decks 9,10,11,12

Forward/Aft Low Decks 4,5,6

 

 

Most often, upgrades are within the category booked. What one passenger might consider an upgrade, another might not. This is the risk we take when booking a guarantee category cabin. Just the facts - you can't only win. Youse pays yer money and take yer chances when booking a guarantee category.

 

Even in QG? I have a GUAR Q6.

[Salacia]

partial quote

 

With respect, I disagree that "you can only win"

Here's why: there are four different categories of inside cabins on QM2:

Standard Inside

Midships High Decks 10,11,12

Midships Low Decks 4,5,6

Forward High Decks 9,10,11,12

Forward/Aft Low Decks 4,5,6

 

 

Most often, upgrades are within the category booked. What one passenger might consider an upgrade, another might not. This is the risk we take when booking a guarantee category cabin. Just the facts - you can't only win. Youse pays yer money and take yer chances when booking a guarantee category.

 

 

 

Even in QG? I have a GUAR Q6.

 

Alas, of the Grills, I have no experience. Are there any lousy Grill cabins?

[Al54]

Last year, my cabin was assigned only 4 days before departure, although the category has been "sold out" for a long time : no upgrade, but a very good midship cabin.

 

 

Envoyé de mon iPad à l'aide de Forums

[Deely]

slightly different, but we are sailing next week and yesterday we were informed about an upgrade from our specifically chosen cabin (deck 5, aft, inside) to deck 5 forward balcony !! This cruise is apparently also sold out so we were VERY surprised to be visited by the upgrade fairy, especially such a big jump.

[Salacia]

slightly different, but we are sailing next week and yesterday we were informed about an upgrade from our specifically chosen cabin (deck 5, aft, inside) to deck 5 forward balcony !! This cruise is apparently also sold out so we were VERY surprised to be visited by the upgrade fairy, especially such a big jump.

 

Hi Deely. Very happy for you. Deck 5 balcony - very nice. If I understand, you didn't book a guarantee category, but rather booked a specific inside cabin and got upgraded? I don't think I'll ever understand how upgrades work, but I'm always happy to hear when it works out well for a fellow passenger. Enjoy! :) Cheers, -S.

[Deely]

Hi Deely. Very happy for you. Deck 5 balcony - very nice. If I understand, you didn't book a guarantee category, but rather booked a specific inside cabin and got upgraded? I don't think I'll ever understand how upgrades work, but I'm always happy to hear when it works out well for a fellow passenger. Enjoy! :) Cheers, -S.

 

Exactly, we booked that specific cabin last year and exactly a week before sailing on a sell out, we were upgraded - no idea how or why but our TA says that they book a lot thru' Cunard hence why we were 'chosen'.

[david,Mississauga]

Hi Deely. Very happy for you. Deck 5 balcony - very nice. If I understand, you didn't book a guarantee category, but rather booked a specific inside cabin and got upgraded? I don't think I'll ever understand how upgrades work, but I'm always happy to hear when it works out well for a fellow passenger. Enjoy! :) Cheers, -S.

 

The general consensus is that having a guarantee gives you a better chance at being upgraded than having chosen a specific stateroom. But my experience has been the opposite. I have had two significant upgrades and both were from specifically assigned staterooms. From guarantees I have had no upgrades except once and it was just a minor one - one category - that moved us midships from forward. Our upcoming two crossings are guarantees, so I will join a future discussion on this subject with the results.

 

Along with many others, I believe in being content with the category booked and not expecting an upgrade. If it happens, great, but there's no way I want to be disappointed.

Edited March 28, 2014 by david,Mississauga
Typo

[ovccruiser]

partial quote

 

With respect, I disagree that "you can only win"

Here's why: there are four different categories of inside cabins on QM2:

Standard Inside

Midships High Decks 10,11,12

Midships Low Decks 4,5,6

Forward High Decks 9,10,11,12

Forward/Aft Low Decks 4,5,6

 

 

Most often, upgrades are within the category booked. What one passenger might consider an upgrade, another might not. This is the risk we take when booking a guarantee category cabin. Just the facts - you can't only win. Youse pays yer money and take yer chances when booking a guarantee category.

 

But when you book a guarantee, you always book the lowest grade within the category. So unless you are unlucky and get the lowest grade cabin, you will get an upgrade

[cunardaddict]

But when you book a guarantee, you always book the lowest grade within the category. So unless you are unlucky and get the lowest grade cabin, you will get an upgrade

 

Exactly. Since one can't be 'upgraded' on QM2 from deck 4-6 balcony to deck 8 'orange view' i cannot see a risk anymore.

[Salacia]

Exactly. Since one can't be 'upgraded' on QM2 from deck 4-6 balcony to deck 8 'orange view' i cannot see a risk anymore.

 

But when you book a guarantee, you always book the lowest grade within the category. So unless you are unlucky and get the lowest grade cabin, you will get an upgrade

 

You can book an in-hull balcony midships and get "upgraded" to a midships "unobstructed view" balcony on Deck 8. Just my personal opinion, but don't consider that an upgrade. So if I booked a guarantee category, it would have to be in a category above the deck 8 midships balcony - or I would select a specific cabin and mark it do not upgrade. (I understand others like those midships Deck 8 balconies - but it's my least favorite location for reasons I enumerated on a previous thread.)

 

I've booked guarantee cabins several times in the past, and it always worked out fine...except once when it didn't :)

Edited March 28, 2014 by Salacia

[PJ's]

We are 6 weeks out, got our etickets online today but still not got our rooms allocated from a guarantee cabin. Allison

 

We have also just received notification online that our etickets are ready to be printed but still have not got a cabin allocated - we booked a guarantee balcony and still have 6 weeks to go. Also noted that check in time is 1530 - seems a bit late to me. If we arrive at the terminal around 1200 will we be able to board??? :confused:

[LadyL1]

For the 2012 QE Christmas cruise, we had a chosen cabin, but our family had opted to book a G'tee cabin. Theirs was issued 3 days before sailing, and that was a fully booked out cruise.

[Sikwemu]

Exactly. Since one can't be 'upgraded' on QM2 from deck 4-6 balcony to deck 8 'orange view' i cannot see a risk anymore.

 

Got the cabin number this afternoon and they have done exactly that...a guaranteed "downstairs" up to Deck 8. You can guess how fast I shall be on the phone when getting home tomorrow

[Cosmic Rays]

.........because? Will it be to say 'thank you very much'?

[ToadOfToadHall]

Mr & Mrs Toad have sailed 4 times on Cunard (3 QV, 1 QM). All 3 QV cruises were booked directly with Cunard and each time we're been upgraded (nothing major, but we were happy enough). The one time we booked with a TA was on the QM and we got the grade we booked, but it was so much cheaper we were still very happy.

 

No cruise this year; we're off for 17 days on a coach tour around the States (southern). We're both big fans of America.

[david,Mississauga]

Alas, of the Grills, I have no experience. Are there any lousy Grill cabins?

 

Perhaps not lousy cabins as such, but some of both PG and QG can be very far forward. The P2s, formerly aft on 10 Deck on QM2, have been re-classed as P1s, so there are only a few P2s far forward. That's one thing I like about PG on the QE and QV (although I prefer the layout of the staterooms on the QM2): all rooms are mid-ships.

[Underwatr]

You can book an in-hull balcony midships and get "upgraded" to a midships "unobstructed view" balcony on Deck 8. Just my personal opinion, but don't consider that an upgrade. So if I booked a guarantee category, it would have to be in a category above the deck 8 midships balcony - or I would select a specific cabin and mark it do not upgrade. (I understand others like those midships Deck 8 balconies - but it's my least favorite location for reasons I enumerated on a previous thread.)

 

I've booked guarantee cabins several times in the past, and it always worked out fine...except once when it didn't :)

For the benefit of others, these are the deck 8 unobstructed midships (BA) cabins to which one could be upgraded from a deck 4-5-6 sheltered balcony (BC or BD). Note the life raft davits extending up into the line of sight.

 

 

The Deck 8 staterooms that are obstructed by lifeboats are DA and DC and it's conceivable to get moved into one of these from an inside or oceanview as a result of an upgrade.

 

We generally book a sheltered balcony on QM2 but DW misses being able to see the ocean while she's seated on the balcony. Some might consider a move from BC/BD to BA to be an upgrade for the glass-fronted balcony.

Edited March 28, 2014 by Underwatr

[Salacia]

For the benefit of others, these are the deck 8 unobstructed midships (BA) cabins to which one could be upgraded from a deck 4-5-6 sheltered balcony (BC or BD). Note the life raft davits extending up into the line of sight.

 

 

The Deck 8 staterooms that are obstructed by lifeboats are DA and DC and it's conceivable to get moved into one of these from an inside or oceanview as a result of an upgrade.

 

We generally book a sheltered balcony on QM2 but DW misses being able to see the ocean while she's seated on the balcony. Some might consider a move from BC/BD to BA to be an upgrade for the glass-fronted balcony.

 

Underwater, thanks for the photo. I believe that two of the cabins within the area circled in red are Q7 suites 8127 and 8129, which are wheelchair accessible (according to the QM2 deck plan effective 10 May 2015 - 3 Jan 2016). Unlike the other "unobstructed view" cabins within that circled area, those two Q7 cabins are the only cabins that do not have davits in view when looking straight ahead while on the balcony. -S.

[pepperrn]

These photos:

 

 

 

I took from the balcony of an "unobstructed" Deck 8 Cabin.

 

I didn't take one looking straight out to sea as (from memory) there would have been little but sea and the horizon in the picture (a little dull), I certainly didn't note davits blocking the view.

I would be happy with this as the view from my balcony in the future.

Whilst I wouldn't choose to see a "big orange thing" beyond the balcony :eek: (and haven't, so far... ), if these thin davits, that are an essential part of the emergency equipment, truly bothered me, I'd look to Decks 11 & 12.

Happy sailings to all :) .

Edited March 29, 2014 by pepperrn

[Austcruiser84]

I don't understand why Cunard didn't make the staterooms blocked by lifeboats into large windowed obstructed ocean views.

 

I guess they make more money out of having them as balconies, even if they are obstructed.