Questions on Guaranteed Cabin Booking

[SBaker5080]

I’ve never booked a guaranteed cabin and was curious about your experiences booking one. Were you assigned a cabin in the same category? How soon before your cruise were you issued your cabin number? Thank you in advance! 

[startedwithamouse]

Same category with the exception of 3 voyages, which complimentary upgrade to the next category. Only one free upgrade since the bidding system commenced. 

 

Always varies when cabin numbers are assigned. Anytime from months to weeks to days to day of sailing. 

 

Saves us thousands of dollars, as we almost always end up in our preferred location.

 

 

[VibeGuy]

Since Princess introduced bidding for upgrades, getting upgraded out of a metacategory (for example, going from an Oceanview to a Balcony or a Balcony to a Mini-Suite) has been pretty rare.  
 

Getting “upgraded” in the sense that you booked, for example, a BF balcony and got assigned a BD, which is mostly a question of location rather than any distinguishing characteristic of the cabin?  That’s relatively common since they’re selling so many BFs as guarantees - every butt needs a bed and someone’s going to get something a little nicer than what they booked. 
 

A very few guarantees get assigned prior to final payment date for the sailing.  After that it’s a slow but consistent trickle.  If it’s a VERY full sailing (like, Alaska closed-loops with Glacier Bay), the assignments happen later.   If it’s empty; they can be very early or they’ll hold out until the upgrade bids are processed. 
 

less than 5-10% make it with two weeks of sailing with no cabin assignment.   Fewer still make it within a week.  A *very very* few, on very full sailings, make it to a day or less before sailing because cancellations have been lighter than expected and they’ve been busy trying to get people to reschedule  or downgrade their cabin for valuable rewards because the ship is oversold. 

[SCX22]

It's a waiting game where Princess will assign a cabin when it's convenient for them.  It can yield to some pretty sweet upgrades.  You also can't be particular about location.  You win some; you lose some.  
 

We pretty much always book guarantee and are pretty happy with the process.  We always get assigned the category we booked or better.  All the cabins are pretty much the same unless you go up in meta category.  Lucky for us we're deep sleepers and aren't bothered by much.  Much more concerned about AC that works and toilets that flush.

[rosevew]

We had a dreadful experience. Booked obstructed oceanview midship (deck 😎 and got complimentery upgrade to oceanview deck 5. The cabin was in the bow of the ship where the anchor is and so small the bed would only go against the wall one side as a double! Porthole only viewable if you stood on the bed.

We had to do an upgrade bid to get out of it. Certainly not a so called upgrade!

[WisCruiser2]

My hesitation in booking a Guarantee is that the deposit is nonrefundable. We did have a Guarantee Deluxe Balcony on the Enchanted this past year but only because that was all that was left for Balconies when we booked - so the deposit was refundable. We ended up with one that was way forward (we prefer the aft section) but it was fine, and we were on Dolphin Deck with the bigger balconies, so it was a win-win.

[rosevew]

34 minutes ago, WisCruiser2 said:

My hesitation in booking a Guarantee is that the deposit is nonrefundable. We did have a Guarantee Deluxe Balcony on the Enchanted this past year but only because that was all that was left for Balconies when we booked - so the deposit was refundable. We ended up with one that was way forward (we prefer the aft section) but it was fine, and we were on Dolphin Deck with the bigger balconies, so it was a win-win.

All depositis are non refundable now, as far as I am aware. At least they are in the UK

 

[Abercrombie2019]

29 minutes ago, rosevew said:

All depositis are non refundable now, as far as I am aware. At least they are in the UK

 

UK is different.  Deposits in US & Canada can be refundable or non-refundable.  Buyer beware (or buyer be aware).  The website usually shows both options.  If someone is booking through the call centre or their CVP, they should verify that the deposit they are paying is refundable before they book.

[Sea Hag]

12 hours ago, VibeGuy said:

Since Princess introduced bidding for upgrades, getting upgraded out of a metacategory (for example, going from an Oceanview to a Balcony or a Balcony to a Mini-Suite) has been pretty rare.  

I'm sure it is rare, but in August we got upgraded from an obstructed OV to a mini-suite. So it does still happen. We were very surprised.

[Sea Hag]

13 hours ago, SBaker5080 said:

I’ve never booked a guaranteed cabin and was curious about your experiences booking one. Were you assigned a cabin in the same category? How soon before your cruise were you issued your cabin number? Thank you in advance! 

Way back when we still used to book guarantees, we always got assigned the category we booked, with one exception. Once we went from an inside to a nice OV.

[Cruise Raider]

I learned my lesson with booking guaranteed cabins in 2006.  They were fine for awhile but seems if you are picky about your location, they don’t work out very well.  In my experience, they give you only cabins that are leftover.  

Even with bidding, we only do so if we would be happy with every single cabin in that category.
 
 

[AlibearNS]

We book GTY's often. Mostly we win, i.e., BF to BC or BB and get same cabin, better location. Sometimes we've had a jump to deluxe. Sometimes we get exactly what we paid for, as in our cruise this week. Went for BF, got a BF. Then last night our upgrade bid came through.

I kind of like the excitement of checking to see if we've got our cabin and where it is!

[deultgen]

We have booked a "guarantee balcony" four times.  All of them were "last minute cruises" within 90 days of sailing.  We are currently waiting for an assignment for a November cruise out of Galveston. Every time we saved a ton of money.

 

Three times we received a perfectly acceptable balcony room in the category we booked or better (usually a better balcony location).  Once we were under the seating area of the burger restaurant by the pool which was noisy with chairs moving during the daytime, but fine.

 

We have received our room assignment anywhere from 60 days before a cruise to the day before departure.    The one cruise where our assignment was the day before we were given a "deluxe" balcony with a sofa.

 

As long as you would be happy with the worst stateroom in the category you booked a guarantee then you should be fine, especially for the $$$ savings.

[disgirl]

Im booked in a BA balcony.  They didnt have any to book when I went in to pick my own cabin so it is a guarantee (I didnt take the lower guarantee only rate that is nonrefundable).  We are 20 days to sailing, balconies are sold out on the ship and I am patiently waiting for my cabin assignment.  

 

Do not book a guarantee if you are picky to where your cabin will be.

 

 

[rosevew]

26 minutes ago, deultgen said:

We have booked a "guarantee balcony" four times.  All of them were "last minute cruises" within 90 days of sailing.  We are currently waiting for an assignment for a November cruise out of Galveston. Every time we saved a ton of money.

 

Three times we received a perfectly acceptable balcony room in the category we booked or better (usually a better balcony location).  Once we were under the seating area of the burger restaurant by the pool which was noisy with chairs moving during the daytime, but fine.

 

We have received our room assignment anywhere from 60 days before a cruise to the day before departure.    The one cruise where our assignment was the day before we were given a "deluxe" balcony with a sofa.

 

As long as you would be happy with the worst stateroom in the category you booked a guarantee then you should be fine, especially for the $$$ savings.

Sometimes the worst stateroom in the category you book is better than the supposed complimentary upgrade!

[Arizona Wildcat]

10 hours ago, rosevew said:

We had a dreadful experience. Booked obstructed oceanview midship (deck 😎 and got complimentery upgrade to oceanview deck 5. The cabin was in the bow of the ship where the anchor is and so small the bed would only go against the wall one side as a double! Porthole only viewable if you stood on the bed.

We had to do an upgrade bid to get out of it. Certainly not a so called upgrade!

Learned to refuse complimentary upgrades as they are personal choice.  A guarantee cabin is just that.

[SBaker5080]

Thank you all for the info. If one does book the guaranteed cabin will they still send your medallions to your house if a cabin # has not been assigned? And will they give you luggage tags at the port? 

[disgirl]

39 minutes ago, SBaker5080 said:

Thank you all for the info. If one does book the guaranteed cabin will they still send your medallions to your house if a cabin # has not been assigned? And will they give you luggage tags at the port? 

 

My medallions shipped earlier this week and I dont have a cabin assignment yet.  I will print my luggage tags once it is.  They will have tags at the pier to put on your luggage if you need.