Booking a X balcony guarantee on Reflection

[richarduk]

This is one of those questions where I find myself thinking "Should I really be asking this?" but I still have to ask:D

 

I often cruise HAL and find that guarantees usually end up with quite a decent stateroom, but I'd like to know how Celebrity fair in this scenario i.e. do they upgrade if better ones are available or do they tend to stick you in the ones that nobody wants?

 

Also importantly, we use our balcony a great deal so it would be a disaster if we were allocated a cabin that does not allow accesss to the balcony whilst at sea. I say this as I have read recently that some ships (not Celebrity) have some cabins where the balconies are locked except whilst in port. Is this even possible on Celebrity Reflection?:rolleyes:

[CathyCruises]

This is one of those questions where I find myself thinking "Should I really be asking this?" but I still have to ask:D

 

I often cruise HAL and find that guarantees usually end up with quite a decent stateroom, but I'd like to know how Celebrity fair in this scenario i.e. do they upgrade if better ones are available or do they tend to stick you in the ones that nobody wants?

 

Also importantly, we use our balcony a great deal so it would be a disaster if we were allocated a cabin that does not allow accesss to the balcony whilst at sea. I say this as I have read recently that some ships (not Celebrity) have some cabins where the balconies are locked except whilst in port. Is this even possible on Celebrity Reflection?:rolleyes:

 

First of all, you can always access your balcony while you're at sea. I've never even heard of that so don't worry about that aspect. I just booked a guarantee on reflection and was assigned a 2B the next day. I did not like the location as it was very far forward, so I checked the celebrity UK site which shows all of the available cabins and I found one in the identical category that was exactly midship. I sent a quick email to my travel agent and received one back in five minutes saying I had been changed to my desired cabin. The bottom line is there really are no bad cabins, nothing that would be considered steerage. We got a 2C partially obstructed cabin last year on a guarantee and it was great, the obstruction was so minimal that we barely noticed. Hope this helps

 

I just noticed that you may be from the UK, you may not be able to switch once assigned, I'm not sure about that

Edited February 24, 2016 by CathyCruises

[az_tchr]

Changing cabins is likely to be an issue being from the UK. A GTY purchase gets what appears to be a totally random selection from the open inventory and have had stories posted here of getting aqua cabins with a Veranda GTY booking.

 

Your balcony comment is certainly a bit scary. Have never heard of that before and it seems over here it would be potentially a hazard. Definitely ask a bit to Celebrity or your TA as the rules there are VERY different from the US.

[DYKWIA]

Booked a GTY Balcony on the Eclipse twice and twice been upgraded - first time to a 1B (I think) - either way a very good cabin aft on deck 8. Second time upgraded to a 2B - one cabin from the front on deck 6. We wouldn't have picked a cabin so far forward but there was nothing wrong with it at all and the price we got it for was a steal.

 

Never had any issue with the balcony been locked at all. I wonder if the ones you've heard of on another line might be related to something like a transatlantic crossing in very bad weather - I've heard access out doors can be restricted I wonder if certain balcony's are restricted.

[villauk]

Booked a GTY Balcony on the Eclipse twice and twice been upgraded - first time to a 1B (I think) - either way a very good cabin aft on deck 8. Second time upgraded to a 2B - one cabin from the front on deck 6. We wouldn't have picked a cabin so far forward but there was nothing wrong with it at all and the price we got it for was a steal.

 

Never had any issue with the balcony been locked at all. I wonder if the ones you've heard of on another line might be related to something like a transatlantic crossing in very bad weather - I've heard access out doors can be restricted I wonder if certain balcony's are restricted.

 

What do you mean upgraded? A balcony guarantee just means that the minimum cabin you will be assigned is a balcony - it could be any category.

 

 

 

OP, if you book a GTY in the UK you will not be able to move that allocation if you do not like its position. Booking in the UK means you get whatever is allocated, no changing to another cabin in the same category like you can in the US. It's totally the luck of the draw ;). All the balcony doors will open, though, so no worries there :).

[DYKWIA]

What do you mean upgraded? A balcony guarantee just means that the minimum cabin you will be assigned is a balcony - it could be any category.

 

 

 

....

 

An upgrade against the expectation of getting a cat 2D cabin.

Edited February 24, 2016 by DYKWIA

[villauk]

An upgrade against the expectation of getting a cat 2D cabin.

 

So no upgrade, just a balcony cabin you expected you would prefer more :). I only highlight this fact as many say they have an upgrade, which it is not. Booking a GTY balcony assures you obtain at a minimum a balcony cabin - no other details are stipulated i.e. any category could be assigned ;).

[amber1002]

I booked guarantee cabin in the UK and got the very front cabin allocated. You cannot change it once it is assigned. If you are bothered about the location of the cabin don't book a guarantee would be my advice as you will get the cabins no one else wants!

Edited February 24, 2016 by amber1002

[DYKWIA]

... If you are bothered about the location of the cabin don't book a guarantee would be my advice as you will get the cabins no one else wants!

 

including the cabins those booking guarantees in the US don't want as well

[helen haywood]

Never had any issue with the balcony been locked at all. I wonder if the ones you've heard of on another line might be related to something like a transatlantic crossing in very bad weather - I've heard access out doors can be restricted I wonder if certain balcony's are restricted.

 

I think the OP is thinking of Carnival's Cove balcony cabins. They are basically almost at the water line and feature in hull metal balconies. The balcony's watertight doors are sometimes locked during rough seas (happened to me once in the Caribbean) which effectively turns your balcony cabin into an oceanview. Celebrity does not have any such balconies.

[richarduk]

I think the OP is thinking of Carnival's Cove balcony cabins. They are basically almost at the water line and feature in hull metal balconies. The balcony's watertight doors are sometimes locked during rough seas (happened to me once in the Caribbean) which effectively turns your balcony cabin into an oceanview. Celebrity does not have any such balconies.

 

I have two points:

 

1) I don't see why cruise lines treat US and UK customers differently. We can all vote with our wallets! How come cabin assignments can be changed in the US but not in the UK. That's very odd.

 

2) All Royal Princess front cabins have a symbol denoting "Balcony access when in port only". I think it's to do with light problems for the bridge. Seems ridiculous for a fairly new ship

 

Thanks for the info.

[richarduk]

I have two points:

 

1) I don't see why cruise lines treat US and UK customers differently. We can all vote with our wallets! How come cabin assignments can be changed in the US but not in the UK. That's very odd.

 

2) All Royal Princess front cabins have a symbol denoting "Balcony access when in port only". I think it's to do with light problems for the bridge. Seems ridiculous for a fairly new ship

 

Thanks for the info.

 

PS. I should have added that these cabins are on the Lido deck, quite high up.

[CathyCruises]

Couldn't uk travelers get around this by booking with a us travel agency? I sure would if booking a guarantee

[di T]

Couldn't uk travelers get around this by booking with a us travel agency? I sure would if booking a guarantee

 

I book most times with my US agent,and find them lots more flexible. Twice last year I had price drops applied after booking.

As for guarantee cabins I've had quite a few and never had a bad one!

If I book with a UK agent it's usually because of a special deal, at the moment I'm keeping an eye on the exchange rate because that is something that will make my cruise more expensive

[helen haywood]

To the OP, keep in mind that the reason for the difference in booking regulations to UK customers versus USA is not a capricious business plan of Celebrity but caused entirely by the customer protection laws of the UK. In this case you'd like a little less "protection" but it is not Celebrity's decision.

[villauk]

I book most times with my US agent,and find them lots more flexible. Twice last year I had price drops applied after booking.

As for guarantee cabins I've had quite a few and never had a bad one!

If I book with a UK agent it's usually because of a special deal, at the moment I'm keeping an eye on the exchange rate because that is something that will make my cruise more expensive

 

Sometimes that little extra in exchange fees is worth all the flexibility - plus the nice additional OBC that is offered from the US TAs ;).

 

I would never consider booking a guarantee in the UK. Now booking it in the States is another matter :D.