GTY Guarantee Rooms - Have you ever been upgraded?

[MerDub]

My friend and I just booked a Guaranteed Inside (GTY IX) for a Getaway sailing that is only 19 days away.

 

We cruised RCCL last year and booked a GTY balcony - and were very happy - but with the Canadian dollar as terrible as it is right now, we're both a little tight financially and decided to go with the Inside Guarantee.

 

I booked directly through NCL.com for our courtesy hold and then called our PCC to change the booking from USD to CAD and give him my credit card information.

 

Now we know that this booking literally leaves us open to receiving the tiniest/noisiest/farthest/most forward/aft/lowest room on the entire ship - except crew rooms :p

 

Our PCC is really great and I've spoken to him a number of times on the phone and he seems willing to fight for us - he tried multiple times (unsuccessfully) to get us the Free At Sea promo even though we missed it by a few days - the UBP would have sealed the deal for us right away, as it more than doubles the price of our cruise hah!

 

Anyways we haven't gotten a room assignment yet, so I imagine we should wait to see (or rather - we HAVE to wait to see) what we get assigned before calling to see if we can get an upsell to something higher. I know we can be assigned our room any time up to embarkation.

 

With that background info, we are obviously still hoping for the Deluxe Owners Suite in the Haven, so I have two questions...

 

a) Does anyone have any tales of getting upgraded from a GTY Inside to Oceanview or even a balcony or MS upon room assignment? Just to give me hope? (I know it's very unlikely - but I'm an optimist)

 

b) Has anyone successfully upgraded or gotten a decent upsell on the day of embarkation? (If we by chance end up not getting our assignment till then)

 

c) I booked directly with NCL because I figured if there was an upsell/upgrade offer, that might be the best way to get it, as opposed to booking with an online agent like Expedia or Costco - and I'm happy being my own advocate so didn't see a necessity in booking through a traditional TA - the prices were the same anyways. Does anyone have experience using expedia or costco and getting upsell/upgrade offers? I guess I just like the idea of being able to call NCL myself.

 

and I suppose here's one more if you're here and have the answer

 

d) Given that there's a 99.9% chance we will get an inside, do you think it would be worth it to purchase Vibe Beach Club passes (which I believe have gone up in price to $99 USD for the week) so we have somewhere quiet and relaxing outdoors to chill without having to fight for well located chairs? Can we access VBC 24 hours a day if we want to go lay under the stars after the bars?

 

Thanks in advance :)

Edited January 26, 2016 by MerDub

[MerDub]

Sorry sorry I know, lots of questions.

 

When I check the NCL website, it only shows me 15 available rooms in each category, where do you recommend I check to see how many of each room type is available in the coming days? I have seen people say "there are loads of mini-suites still available" or whatever so I was wondering where you would check that.

[lettienets]

I find with a Gty, you just get the category you booked but maybe a higher floor. Or instead of bow or stern, maybe midship. Or port hole to picture window. Not normally inside to ocean view or balcony. I guess it all depends what NCL can sell or upsell to somebody last minute. It all depends on inventory and last minute sales. Sometimes you get your cabin assigned long before last minute, but after final payment. I have gotten my Gty cabin once at the port!

I booked ocean view Gty on my next NCL Star and will be in same boat, wondering what I will get. First time I booked in Canadian $'s. Noticed all the excursions are now in Cdn. At least the $ rate the day you booked is the rate for all your expenses.

Edited January 26, 2016 by lettienets

[lettienets]

Sorry sorry I know, lots of questions.

 

When I check the NCL website, it only shows me 15 available rooms in each category, where do you recommend I check to see how many of each room type is available in the coming days? I have seen people say "there are loads of mini-suites still available" or whatever so I was wondering where you would check that.

 

Go on NCL website and make like you want a booking. Choose each category, for example balcony, continue the booking and you will see what cabins are still left. When you pick a cabin, the colour code will show what exact category it is, and the legend of categories is on deck plan diagrams below. Do same for each type, Ocean view, Etc

[MerDub]

Go on NCL website and make like you want a booking. Choose each category, for example balcony, continue the booking and you will see what cabins are still left. When you pick a cabin, the colour code will show what exact category it is, and the legend of categories is on deck plan diagrams below. Do same for each type, Ocean view, Etc

 

Yeah that's exactly what I did but every category was only showing a maximum of 15 rooms - never 17 or 25 or whatever so I was going with the assumption that maybe the NCL site only shows 15 rooms in each category even if there are more than that available. Or there's actually just exactly 15 rooms left in like 5 different categories. Obvs a different story with suites where there's only a handful to begin with but I'm less concerned with the availability of those, more concerned with OV or B.

 

Either way I'm keeping my eye on prices and hoping I can get an OV or B upsell closer to our sail date. Prices are already really low though. Not sure how much more they're going to drop at this point.

[Pat]

Yeah that's exactly what I did but every category was only showing a maximum of 15 rooms - never 17 or 25 or whatever so I was going with the assumption that maybe the NCL site only shows 15 rooms in each category even if there are more than that available. Or there's actually just exactly 15 rooms left in like 5 different categories. Obvs a different story with suites where there's only a handful to begin with but I'm less concerned with the availability of those, more concerned with OV or B.

 

Either way I'm keeping my eye on prices and hoping I can get an OV or B upsell closer to our sail date. Prices are already really low though. Not sure how much more they're going to drop at this point.

 

Normally you will only see 15 cabins at a time, if there are 15 listed there are probably allot more in that category. Call at the last minute for an upsell and maybe you can get a balcony at a real reduced rate.

[newmexicoNita]

Normally you will only see 15 cabins at a time, if there are 15 listed there are probably allot more in that category. Call at the last minute for an upsell and maybe you can get a balcony at a real reduced rate.

 

Your advise is the best I have seen. It is like calling your TA and asking them to check toward the end. it won't hurt. We have chosen GTY many times, never gotten a huge upgrade but have gotten a slightly better class. Sometimes the overall location hasn't been that much better.

[Pat]

Your advise is the best I have seen. It is like calling your TA and asking them to check toward the end. it won't hurt. We have chosen GTY many times, never gotten a huge upgrade but have gotten a slightly better class. Sometimes the overall location hasn't been that much better.

 

Make your on luck, start callng the upsell department yourself at 7 days, the longer you hold off buying the better deal you'll get, I was told that will sell cabins up until 2 days before the cruise leaves.

[Pat]

Sorry double post.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Pat

[sadiecat]

We were upgraded from a gty inside to a balcony when we arrived for embarkation. This was many years ago.

[Markanddonna]

We booked the lowest GTY on the Getaway and it was assigned right after I completed the online check in process. We were upgraded to an OV midship. I have taken two GTY sailings and was upgraded both times with the timing the same: right after the online check in was complete.

[bluesea777]

Twice we booked GTY on full cruises within 14 days and got better.

 

One was an inside GTY on a 2 nighter Breakaway CTN and we got balcony BA. Need I say any more :D

 

Other was an oceanview GTY on 6 day GEM and we got an OA. Nice picture window. This one was up in front of ship but we were pleased.

 

I would not book a GTY if booking a cruise months in advance, but these 2 were "last minute" cruises.

[biker@sea]

Make your on luck, start callng the upsell department yourself at 7 days, the longer you hold off buying the better deal you'll get, I was told that will sell cabins up until 2 days before the cruise leaves.

 

You CAN NOT call to up sell until After there is a cabin assignment .

 

You can't trade up if you don't have nothing to trade.

 

.

[cruiseelady]

In November I booked two days before sailing a guarantee balcony on Breakaway. They assigned my room the day of the sailing in the morning. What they gave me was family mini suite with balcony. I was shocked. Mind you I was on this cruise alone, and had a family mini suite all to myself.

[khaide612]

On the Jewel a few years back I had a IX booked. I called as the price had dropped after final payment and I wanted to know if they could do anything for me. They told me that there were no more IX cabins to book. I explained that I could log in & book one right then but they were adamant that there were no such rooms to book. The right answer is that after final payment you are locked in so no refund but no one ever said that - I was upgraded to Oceanview though. :)

[spanishguy1970]

On my last Transatlantic cruise we were upgraded from an Ocean View Guarantee to getting a picture window on the 8th floor the few weeks before sailing we were upgraded again to a Balcony Stateroom.

[eagle92]

We booked a guarantee Mid-Ship Mini-Suite (MA) on the Breakaway about 45 days out from embarkation. Got assigned a Mini-Suite with Large Balcony (M6) a few days after completing online check-in. This is for the Breakaway leaving February 14, 2016...

[MerDub]

So I've been religiously keeping an eye on these rooms. Inside GTY is sold out now, but there are still assigned inside rooms available in a few categories. I assume if inside GTY is sold out, that they've sold enough rooms to fill all of the inside rooms and some will end up with upgrades, especially if more last minute cruisers come and book those assigned insides.

 

OV is completely sold out except the GTY category so I assume anyone booking that will likely get an upgrade to a balcony unless they're getting a lot of upsells from OV to Balcony and trying to free up those rooms for the GTYs.

 

Loads of balconies left including a whole bunch of aft balconies, as well as spa mini suites and regular mini suites. If the price for the OV GTY drops enough I'll definitely be grabbing that. I do believe you can do an upsell from GTY to GTY even without a room assignment.

 

Fingers crossed!

[Lake Cheddar]

I booked a gty inside 2 months prior to our cruise. When the price of a mini-suite went lower than an inside, I upgraded to the mini. Within 2 weeks I received an email from the upsell department. About 2 weeks after that I called them. There were two Haven Suites available. A regular Haven Suite for an upsell of $1,000 and the Haven's Owners Suite for $1,500. Guess which one I grabbed:D

[MerDub]

I booked a gty inside 2 months prior to our cruise. When the price of a mini-suite went lower than an inside, I upgraded to the mini. Within 2 weeks I received an email from the upsell department. About 2 weeks after that I called them. There were two Haven Suites available. A regular Haven Suite for an upsell of $1,000 and the Haven's Owners Suite for $1,500. Guess which one I grabbed:D

 

Well that worked out well! Going from GTY inside to the Haven is amazing!

 

Was that $1000/$1500 per person or total for the room?

[Lake Cheddar]

Well that worked out well! Going from GTY inside to the Haven is amazing!

 

Was that $1000/$1500 per person or total for the room?

 

It was per person. We also kept our promotions, but didn't get the four promotions from being in the Haven

[MerDub]

We ended up getting assigned an IX room, lowest category :( but I called today and managed to get the Free At Sea promotion added to our booking so we lost that room and are waiting for another room assignment now.

 

Given how much we're saving now with the drink package included we'd be willing to pay to upgrade to a better room. Fingers crossed that we're able to!

[Sundiego]

We ended up getting assigned an IX room, lowest category :( but I called today and managed to get the Free At Sea promotion added to our booking so we lost that room and are waiting for another room assignment now.

 

I've been watching this thread! I think you are on my sailing (Feb 14??)

 

We booked BX balcony gty and got an assignment right away to a great balcony cabin on deck 13 (actually a location I would have hand picked mysefl!)

 

I've been watching the prices and they've gone down, and back up, but like you said they actually put the "pick one" perk out there yesterday, grrrr. My TA called on my behalf, even escalated to a "supervisor" and I was unable to get the drink pkg! Calling back tomorrow!

 

Keep us posted on your cabin assignment!

 

~Denise

[MerDub]

I've been watching this thread! I think you are on my sailing (Feb 14??)

 

We booked BX balcony gty and got an assignment right away to a great balcony cabin on deck 13 (actually a location I would have hand picked mysefl!)

 

I've been watching the prices and they've gone down, and back up, but like you said they actually put the "pick one" perk out there yesterday, grrrr. My TA called on my behalf, even escalated to a "supervisor" and I was unable to get the drink pkg! Calling back tomorrow!

 

Keep us posted on your cabin assignment!

 

~Denise

 

I booked directly through NCL and our Personal Cruise consultant knew that we were desperately trying to get the drink package added so he worked some things out and managed to get it sorted for us, I was literally ecstatic. It might have to do with room types or something? We nearly didn't book when we found out we had missed the promotion and we were going to book with an online cruise broker to get some OBC but ended up going with NCL directly for this exact reason.

 

We are on the Getaway leaving the 14th so yup, I imagine we're on the same sailing. I've been hassling our PCC to try and get us an upgrade/upsell, but so far nothing. We got our second room assignment and we're in one of the square-shaped inside cabins on deck 5. The original cabin that we lost when we got the promo added was on deck 11. I'm not that bothered about the location of the cabin, but we were definitely hoping to get something larger. The inside cabins are pretty tiny.

 

Keep trying for the promo though!! Keep us updated!

[Sundiego]

We got our second room assignment and we're in one of the square-shaped inside cabins on deck 5. The original cabin that we lost when we got the promo added was on deck 11. I'm not that bothered about the location of the cabin, but we were definitely hoping to get something larger. The inside cabins are pretty tiny.

 

Keep trying for the promo though!! Keep us updated!

 

I think I'm giving up the fight lol. We really like the cabin we got so I think I'll just chalk this one up to "sometimes you win, sometimes you don't!"

 

FYI, I did call the upsell number a few times. I wanted a spa cabin! They offered me a HAVEN H5 for $500 per person the first time I called. We've been in the Haven before and are booked there on the EPIC in October. But this Feb 14 is one of those last minute cheap cruises (been on the ship before, been to all the ports a bunch), so even tho the +$500 pp was a great deal, not so appealing to us for this cruise. I have called the upsell number a few times since then and have been offered that H5 again for $1,000 pp! So the price has gone UP, not down, closer to sailing. Also, the upsell does NOT include the current promo, so it was not really improving our situation.

 

~Denise