Carnival Splendor - Charge for Balcony, but can be given interior?

[TwoWestAussies]

Just looking at Carnival Splendor Cruise to NZ in 2023, when I went through the booking process, you can select Balcony (for $1500 more than interior and $500 more than Ocean View Balcony) but there is no option to select level or cabin - then at the end of the booking process it states that you can be assigned any room including an interior room or Ocean View Balcony?  This does not make sense, is this standard for Carnival?  If you were assigned a lower grade, do they refund you the difference?

[mondello]

No. Says within selected room type. Would be assigned any balcony cabin. They have the option to assign a higher category cabin if necessary, but not a lower category. I prefer to pay a fee dollars extra and choose my own cabin. Technically they could assign a cove balcony or obstructed view balcony, if your ship has them. 

[ray98]

Huh?  It is telling you they will assign a room based on the room type you select.

[kdr69]

2 hours ago, TwoWestAussies said:

but there is no option to select level or cabin

because they are assigned cabins.  You dont get to pick where just what type you want.

[knagl]

22 hours ago, TwoWestAussies said:

at the end of the booking process it states that you can be assigned any room including an interior room or Ocean View Balcony?

 

As mentioned by some folks above, you're misunderstand what the site is saying.

 

See in your image where it says "ROOM WILL BE ASSIGNED"? That means if you select that, you're selecting what is called a "guarantee" cabin. A guarantee cabin means that you're guaranteed to receive the cabin class booked (at minimum), but you do not get to select which room on the ship you'll have. Instead, Carnival will assign a room to you closer to the date of sailing, and for the most part you're stuck with it. It may be a great room, it may have an obstructed view, it may be in an undesirable location, or it may be an upgrade.

 

It will never be a downgrade to a different cabin type, however.

 

The following article has a good explanation of the pros and cons of booking a guarantee stateroom:

 

https://cruiseradio.net/the-pros-and-cons-of-booking-a-guarantee-stateroom/

[TwoWestAussies]

8 minutes ago, knagl said:

 

As mentioned by some folks above, you're misunderstand what the site is saying.

 

See in your image where it says "ROOM WILL BE ASSIGNED"? That means if you select that, you're selecting what is called a "guarantee" cabin. A guarantee cabin means that you're guaranteed to receive the cabin class booked (at minimum), but you do not get to select which room on the ship you'll have. Instead, Carnival will assign a room to you closer to the date of sailing, and for the most part you're stuck with it. It may be a great room, it may have an obstructed view, it may be in an undesirable location, or it may be an upgrade.

 

It will never be a downgrade to a different cabin type, however.

 

The following article has a good explanation of the pros and cons of booking a guarantee stateroom:

 

https://cruiseradio.net/the-pros-and-cons-of-booking-a-guarantee-stateroom/

Thank you, but I do understand this, however, there is no option to choose your cabin during the booking process, it actually comes up with a message saying only a guaranteed cabin is available - you are unable to choose to select your own cabin like you can with RCI...  

Also, the booking clearly states 'What you get is an 'Interior' 'Ocean Balcony' or 'Stateroom' - does not say balcony at all? Yet selected a balcony cabin? so by rights they can actually assign an interior cabin, even though I would be paying for a balcony cabin...  

Wondering if this is because it may be full and just wants to fill up the last random cabins - as I found it unusual that it will not allow you the option to select your own cabin...

I think I will give this one a miss, too many unknowns, I like to know what I am getting - I hate surprises.

[knagl]

For the specific sailing you are looking at, it appears based on the screenshots you have provided that the only balcony rooms available to book at this time are guarantee rooms. Typically you can choose a specific room (generally for a higher cost than choosing a guarantee), but if the category is nearly sold out, or if Carnival is holding a large block of rooms, they may only offer a guarantee as the available option. For the sake of comparison, I would encourage you to look at a different sailing and you'll see that normally you can choose a specific room.

 

 

43 minutes ago, TwoWestAussies said:

so by rights they can actually assign an interior cabin, even though I would be paying for a balcony cabin...  

 

Respectfully, as I stated previously, you are incorrect in what you're saying here.

 

The exact text, as seen in the screenshots you provided, says:

 

"Your Stateroom Will Be Assigned Within The Selected Room Type (Interior, Oceanview Balcony, Suite)"

 

There is a typographical error -- there should be a comma between the words "Oceanview" and "Balcony" ("Oceanview Balcony" isn't a class of rooms).

 

Again, the statement says that your room will be assigned within the category of the guarantee room type you selected -- in this case, a balcony room.

 

I'm with you in that I don't care for surprises and would not book a guarantee room unless it was an incredible deal. But understand that if you book a balcony guarantee, you're not going to get the surprise of a downgrade to an interior room.

 

 

 

[kdr69]

7 hours ago, TwoWestAussies said:

Wondering if this is because it may be full and just wants to fill up the last random cabins - as I found it unusual that it will not allow you the option to select your own cabin...

This is probably a good assumption.  Whenever i get these offers if its a balcony and i click on it and it only comes up with interior it means the balconies have sold out already.  

[DallasGuy75219]

On 9/3/2022 at 2:32 AM, TwoWestAussies said:

Wondering if this is because it may be full and just wants to fill up the last random cabins - as I found it unusual that it will not allow you the option to select your own cabin...

If you can book a guarantee but not a specific cabin that means that category is currently sold out, the unbooked cabins are on hold (either individuals' bookings or travel agents holding blocks of rooms), or the open cabins have a higher maximum occupancy than you're booking.

 

If they'll sell a guarantee though it means they're expecting cabins to open up through cancellations, holds being released, upselling people to higher categories, and/or releasing the maximum occupancy restrictions. It's also possible your assigned cabin will be an upgrade to a higher category, but Carnival would prefer to upsell that cabin that give you a free upgrade.