Guaranteed Staterooms?

[CLBSC]

Has anyone ever tried guaranteed staterooms or is this a risk? Approximately when do you get a stateroom assignment?

[MikeyB]

You will soon be told how great getting a Guarantee is.

My experience it was not good.  Viking doesn't accept the industry wide understanding as to what a Guarantee means.

Call Viking and ask if the cabin assignment is a random process assigned by their "computers".

Meaning, you might get an upgrade but you can also be assigned a random cabin in your purchased category, even though higher priced cabins are still available.

Sometimes it's best to pick your cabin.

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, CLBSC said:

Has anyone ever tried guaranteed staterooms or is this a risk? Approximately when do you get a stateroom assignment?

We did it for our first cruise and were assigned a cabin in the category we had booked about 4 months before sailing. It was the only thing available (at least that we could afford) to book when we did it. 

[LindaS272]

25 minutes ago, MikeyB said:

You will soon be told how great getting a Guarantee is.

My experience it was not good.  Viking doesn't accept the industry wide understanding as to what a Guarantee means.

Call Viking and ask if the cabin assignment is a random process assigned by their "computers".

Meaning, you might get an upgrade but you can also be assigned a random cabin in your purchased category, even though higher priced cabins are still available.

Sometimes it's best to pick your cabin.

Except when all they’re offering for a nearly sold out cruise is a category “GTY.” This is what we got when signing up for one of the last PV2s on the Barcelona-SJ TA in Nov. Your comment prompted me to check MVJ for our status today and it now says “stateroom assignment pending.” So we might give Viking a call to see what our options are.

 

We had one cruise in 2019 with a GTY at booking with no option at that time to pick our room. Soon after we were randomly assigned a room, about a month out, we were offered an upgrade and we took it.

[CLBSC]

If the cruise is sold out, just wondering why they haven't assigned the stateroom. We took a chance on this as the room size was the same and we didn't care about the mini bar or coffee maker. However, the dining reservations might be why we should not have chosen a guarantee stateroom. Just wondering with a sold out cruise if maybe some will cancel around the two week window.

 

[LindaS272]

13 minutes ago, CLBSC said:

If the cruise is sold out, just wondering why they haven't assigned the stateroom. We took a chance on this as the room size was the same and we didn't care about the mini bar or coffee maker. However, the dining reservations might be why we should not have chosen a guarantee stateroom. Just wondering with a sold out cruise if maybe some will cancel around the two week window.

 

My understanding is that the reason you get a category specific GTY is BECAUSE  that category is sold out. An onboard sales person told us that something like 10% of rooms cancel within a month of the cruise and that is when they start assigning the GTY rooms. The upgrades to other categories happen because sometimes they will offer an upgrade to someone with a specific room number in your GTY category so that you can get your GTY. It’s all a mystery to me how they calculate it but I’m not surprised if they rely on a computer. Luckily, the one time we had a GTY before, we got an assignment a few weeks out and didn’t have to wonder until the date of boarding.

 

We just called this afternoon about our Nov. cruise and no luck yet on an assignment. We’ll keep checking.

[LindaS272]

26 minutes ago, CLBSC said:

If the cruise is sold out, just wondering why they haven't assigned the stateroom. We took a chance on this as the room size was the same and we didn't care about the mini bar or coffee maker. However, the dining reservations might be why we should not have chosen a guarantee stateroom. Just wondering with a sold out cruise if maybe some will cancel around the two week window.

 

Perhaps you have a V GTY? A DV GTY would still get you guaranteed dining reservations. We have a PV2 GTY for our Nov. cruise and got our guaranteed dining reservations.

Edited October 2, 2021 by LindaS272

[Heidi13]

58 minutes ago, CLBSC said:

If the cruise is sold out, just wondering why they haven't assigned the stateroom. We took a chance on this as the room size was the same and we didn't care about the mini bar or coffee maker. However, the dining reservations might be why we should not have chosen a guarantee stateroom. Just wondering with a sold out cruise if maybe some will cancel around the two week window.

 

 

Depending on how far in advance the cruise is, if the cruise is showing "Sold Out", it could actually be oversold and they are waiting for cancellations.

 

When booking a Gty cabin, your cabin assignment could be anytime after booking, until arriving at the embarkation pier.

[Twitchly]

We booked a GTY room last spring on a cruise that was mostly sold out. We got the last PV available at that time. Within a month or two after booking, they assigned us a room in the category we booked. The cruise isn’t until next January. 

[formernuke]

We have a DV gay for the cruise leaving the 12th of this month and still haven’t gotten an assignment yet even though there are obviously many openings. Not worried. Figure we’ll find out at the pier

[sleepybobo]

We booked a V1 on West Indies Explorer in December. I realized we were “upgraded” to DV6 unexpectedly. I called Viking to change my flights yesterday and got a new invoice afterward. I saw our stateroom number was changed. 
 

Problem is I don’t like the stateroom, 3056, Viking assigned us because of potential noise issue. It’s much closer to Torshavn and next to tender boats. Viking arguably moved us from the best of V1 to the worst of DV6. For me, having a coffee maker in the room and early reservation time are simply not that important. So I don’t care for DV.  
 

I reached out to my TA. She spoke with a Viking agent. She was told the V1 stateroom I booked is scheduled for maintenance during the sailing. All other DV6 are sold as GTY. There are some DV4 left but I need to pay an up charge to get a DV4. 

 

I’m not at all happy. This change was not communicated to me. I’ll call Viking to see if they can assign one of those DV6 between 20’s and 40’s to us.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MikeyB]

Linda-

Your (our) Barcelona to San Juan TA is not really sold out.

When Viking determined that all 2021 cruises will be "Welcome Back", they held back some cabins.  The ship will not sail full.  But it will be pretty close to one.

[LindaS272]

13 minutes ago, MikeyB said:

Linda-

Your (our) Barcelona to San Juan TA is not really sold out.

When Viking determined that all 2021 cruises will be "Welcome Back", they held back some cabins.  The ship will not sail full.  But it will be pretty close to one.

Yes, I’m aware. I don’t think anybody knows exactly how many cabins they held back. When we booked they were showing 2 PV2s still available so we jumped on it. Soon after, it was showing sold out but it was obvious they would have to hold back cabins for possible quarantine. Later, someone posted Viking had told them there would be around 900 pax. It’s going to be interesting!

[MikeyB]

Viking agents are not the most knowledgeable about their own product. 

Ask 3 agents the same question and get 4 different answers.

[Triptkr]

On 10/2/2021 at 4:28 PM, CLBSC said:

Has anyone ever tried guaranteed staterooms or is this a risk? Approximately when do you get a stateroom assignment?

We tried the GTY on our next Viking cruise (Southern Transatlantic) as all the staterooms in the PV2 category were sold out so we were guaranteed at least a PV2 or above.  We figured, 'what the heck...we're really happy with any PV category and what if we got upgraded to a PJS? ...so how could this go wrong??'. 

 

Well we got assigned our stateroom a couple months ago and it was reinforced to us why we always pick our stateroom and don't 'gamble' for an upgrade.  We were assigned a PV2 that had a regular door to the balcony rather than a sliding door.  It never occurred to me that we may not get a sliding door (which is precious to us)....probably dumb on my part but I did learn a lesson.  Since it's a trans Atlantic cruise there will be numerous sea days and we love the balcony...don't want to constantly fight the wind when opening the door, plus my husband is tall and broad shouldered and the doorway to the balcony looks quite narrow.  Not something I want to put up with for 21 days. 

 

I ended up calling Viking and upgrading to a PV1 that has a sliding door and is in a great location(in my opinion).   

 

[formernuke]

To answer the original question, I just received my cabin assignment (random within my purchased category) for a cruise next week at about the T-10 day point.

[Eggtuary]

I just upgraded from DV4 to PV2 GTY.  
 

Is the wind problem only an issue if the door to the hallway is open at the same time one opens the door to the veranda?  If so, I’m not worried. But if it’s all the time…

[Triptkr]

44 minutes ago, Eggtuary said:

I just upgraded from DV4 to PV2 GTY.  
 

Is the wind problem only an issue if the door to the hallway is open at the same time one opens the door to the veranda?  If so, I’m not worried. But if it’s all the time…

I'm assuming you're referencing what I was talking about.   No, it's not reportedly an issue when hallway door is open although I can see how that could be the case, just hadn't considered that angle.  We just prefer the sliding door as we feel it lets in more light, and the issues with the narrow doorway don't seem appealing but also very much 1st world problems.  Some people had noted that when ship was under way and depending upon wind direction and ship direction--the door at times was hard to open.  

There is a chart that someone made up that has all the PVs with doors vs sliding doors.

 

[Twitchly]

We liked our PV sliding door when standing in the room but not when sitting on the couch. This time we’re trying the separate door/window combo so we can see outside when on the couch. I imagine there are pros and cons to each configuration, like anything else.

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, Triptkr said:

ended up calling Viking and upgrading to a PV1 that has a sliding door and is in a great location(in my opinion).   

 

Just to clarify for future readers, doors instead of sliders are spread evenly among the PV staterooms.  Choosing PV1 does not mean you automatically get a slider. 

 

Someone did post a list of cabins with doors a few years ago on another thread.  

[CCWineLover]

3 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Just to clarify for future readers, doors instead of sliders are spread evenly among the PV staterooms.  Choosing PV1 does not mean you automatically get a slider. 

 

Someone did post a list of cabins with doors a few years ago on another thread.  

Here it is again.  In PV's they go 2 with sliders, then 2 with doors, and so on.  Has to do with the Ship Frame Construction someone said.  We definitely use this list to pick our cabins.  We also have chosen to pay a bit more to get the cabin we want versus a GTY cabin, especially since we like the sliders.

 

Viking Ocean - PV Rooms with Sliders.pdf

[LindaS272]

23 minutes ago, CCWineLover said:

Here it is again.  In PV's they go 2 with sliders, then 2 with doors, and so on.  Has to do with the Ship Frame Construction someone said.  We definitely use this list to pick our cabins.  We also have chosen to pay a bit more to get the cabin we want versus a GTY cabin, especially since we like the sliders.

 

Viking Ocean - PV Rooms with Sliders.pdf 207.95 kB · 0 downloads

Just to reiterate, sometimes you can’t choose a cabin and must take a GTY. This is our situation on the Nov. TA. Booked when only 2 PVs were showing and they only gave us a GTY—no option to pick a cabin.

[JeriGail]

Our PV was originally more forward, but I decided I wanted to be more aft.  The PV that was available has a door, so I chose that one.  I've read that some prefer the door because the view from the couch is better, but I'm sure I would have been happy no matter which one I had. 🙂