Deck 2 Inside Cabin: Horrible or Habitable?

[pcur]

cvbart: this is a nice, civilized thread. Don't scare the OP, and don't make trouble.

[caviargal]

To the OP, you did get what you paid for, unless you booked a GTY on Deck 3 or 4. GTYs are not specific to deck so I truly do not understand why you feel ripped off.

 

FYI, I booked my nephew into a Z GTY on SOV a few months ago at a great rate. He was almost immediately assigned a forward cabin on Deck 2, a lousy location and a small cabin, but within the rights of RCI to assign.

 

I checked the website continuously and have upgraded him 4 x over 8 weeks for no additional $$$ and he is now in a Deluxe Outside.

 

With some diligence, perhaps you will get lucky.

 

CG

[Guest cvbart]

cvbart: this is a nice, civilized thread. Don't scare the OP, and don't make trouble.

 

Very sorry if I offended you somehow.

 

I am puzzled as I don't think I know you at all.

 

Thank you.

[pcur]

Very sorry if I offended you somehow.

 

I am puzzled as I don't think I know you at all.

 

Thank you.

 

It's just that the OP already stated he really didn't want to make this any kind of controversy or argument. Your post seemed a little like that to me, and it was off-topic, too. I'm not offended at all. Just wanted to keep the thread open and not take the chance it would be removed if an argument started. Really none of MY business.

[nktwinpeaks]

Just returned 7/30 from Grandeur 9-night cruise, had deck 3 inside cabin (3911) so just one deck up from yours. It was smaller than insides on HAL or Carnival but plenty of storage. No noise at all. Agree with those who suggested a clock (projection clock is nice) and we also took a night light (be sure to take an extension cord and/or multi-plug to add more outlets). It was a great cruise--wonderful service, good food, no complaints.

[shellysuecrt]

I think I'm just easy to please and the way I see it is any time I am able to be on a cruise I am happy with whatever room I have! I have had the top of the ship on the Spa Deck and I have been on Deck 2 on the inside and with all honesty having the Mack-Daddy room didn't make our cruise any better! You may have some noise but you may not, I have had a balcony cabin that was awesome and it was near the Cabin Steward's utility closet so there was noise at all hours and it's just part of being on a self contained city on the sea! Utility rooms, kitchens, laundry rooms....they all have to go somewhere so if you happen to be located above or next to one of those rooms just rejoice in the fact and do the happy dance 'cause you're on a cruise! YIPPEE!!!!:D

[Cruiz'nTall]

Ok, I appreciate everyones response, but I am getting a little annoyed at the ones (like the one below) that are suggesting I some how am completely to blame for the room selection.

 

Let me make this perfectly clear. RCCL's guaranteed room is misleading, and I did NOT get what I was promised. That being said, I feel a lot better about what I have gotten - as someone mentioned it could have been worse.

 

The guaranteed class guarantees you a room at the rate class you are paying for with the "possibility" of an upgrade. I did not expect an upgrade - I expected something not on the last possible deck. When there are rooms still available (at the same class that we received on Deck 2) on a higher deck all the way up to Deck 4) but they STILL put us on the lowest possible deck - how is that guaranteeing us the possibility of an upgrade?

 

The guarantee rate says specifically that our room assignment would be made "AT THE PIER." It was not. It was made 1 week after we booked the guaranteed room and there were still plenty of rooms available at that class, at a lower class and a higher class on much higher decks.

 

They did NOT have to assign us to the lowest deck, but they chose to do so prematurely even though they had not yet determined what the best available room would be at that class rate.

 

Of course, what happened was that the rooms started selling out and they decided that instead of giving us a room on a higher deck - they could dump us on the lower deck and sell the higher deck rooms for a higher cost (since we booked the rates went up over $400 for the same room).

 

That's not what the guaranteed room rate states. It states our room assignment won't be made until we reach the PIER where they are supposed to give us the best available in our class and we could potentially be upgraded.

 

I completely disagree with your assessment of they lured you in. But if you want to be outraged because you made a bad choice, hey it is a free country.

 

I have sailed in mostly inside cabins mostly on the lower decks. The rooms are virtually identical with outside view cabins. So, were you happy with your inside our outside cabins in the past? If you were you will be fine. I have found my inside lower deck cabins to be be very quiet and pleasant.

 

jc

[Treven]

I generally try to book those cabins - intentionally. They are not in the normal passenger flow areas so you won't have a lot of people there except those other few passengers as well a the cabin stwards. They're very quiet & peaceful.

[iluvcruzin]

CruiznTall - my family had the first 2 cabins on the granduer on deck 2 outside. I agree with others that was just fine. I thought there would be lots of noise and movement but it was no problem.

 

I agree with the location. It's a GREAT spot to be in for a inside cabin. So close to the center and near the elevator which will make mobility for your Dad to get around so much easier.

 

As far as the guarantee - I am right with you 100%. RCCL has changed how they handle them from years ago. They don't assign them like they used to with leftover cabins a week out. They assign them prior to final payment in most cases and usually you get the worst of the choices. They then continue to sell guarantees in the same category and refuse to let you change back from the assigned cabin. Been there - done that a couple of times so know I know guarantee means the worst cabin available in that category at time of booking. I do go guarantee if it's based on price. However, if the price is only like $20 I go with a cabin of my choice. With your Dad's disability, you might want to think next time in looking into handicapped rooms. They have some nice inside ones that are a bit bigger than a regular room.

[njoyndride]

The guaranteed class guarantees you a room at the rate class you are paying for with the "possibility" of an upgrade. I did not expect an upgrade - I expected something not on the last possible deck. When there are rooms still available (at the same class that we received on Deck 2) on a higher deck all the way up to Deck 4) but they STILL put us on the lowest possible deck - how is that guaranteeing us the possibility of an upgrade?

 

The guarantee rate says specifically that our room assignment would be made "AT THE PIER." It was not. It was made 1 week after we booked the guaranteed room and there were still plenty of rooms available at that class, at a lower class and a higher class on much higher decks.

 

 

This is the description from the RCCL website for an inside guarantee, not bashing you Cruz'n Tall I just don't want others to misunderstand when they are booking a guarantee. I understand they assigned your cabin right away not at final payment as stated below.

 

 

Interior Stateroom Guarantee

Deck(s): N/A

Occupancy: N/A

Amenities: Two twin beds (can convert into queen-size), vanity area, and a private bathroom. (140 sq. ft.)

 

With this selection, you are guaranteed to receive an interior stateroom, which could be in any interior category, anywhere on the ship. Room assignments are determined after your reservation has been completed and paid in full.

[MercedMike]

When we were selecting rooms' date=' it was irresistable to do the guaranteed room selection....

 

I doubt there is any chance for an upgrade after they give you a room assignment. Anyone ever get lucky?

 

Thanks![/quote']

 

Hey, you gambled, you lost! Guess what, if you put a quarter in the slot machine on board, you might lose that too!

 

;)

 

But -- it is not entirely unheard of for an upgrade to still come through after you have a cabin number. A couple of weeks ago, our traveling companions got an upgrade from an assigned outside to a balcony when we arrived at the pier!

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[rubrrick]

We have friends that cruise with us.........that have almost always taken an inside cabin...........and their thinking is that "give us the most reasonable cabin" as we only use it for sleep and changing clothes.

 

I do know this..........if you are on deck two or three......and in the most forward cabins............when the ship anchors...........it won't only take you out of your bed(s) but you will be wide eyed for the whole day.........I can't miss you.:D

 

It truely does not matter what cabin you have picked..........inside or outside.............it's going to be a great cruise!!!

 

Rick

[iluvcruzin]

I do know this..........if you are on deck two or three......and in the most forward cabins............when the ship anchors...........it won't only take you out of your bed(s) but you will be wide eyed for the whole day.........I can't miss you.:D

 

I disagree when it pertains to GOS - note my post above - had the first 2 cabins foward outside deck 2. Most times the ship anchor's after one is awake anyhow except the last morning. We did hear the anchor come down but I wouldnt' say it would startle someone out of bed. Being under the dining room hearing carts roll overhead is worse.

[Cruiz'nTall]

iluvcruzin - Thanks for your post. My point exactly. I didn't articulate nearly as well as you did - but I echo your sentiments perfectly.

 

If they were more upfront about what they would have done, I would have spent that extra $20 at booking and just purchased the rooms on the higher decks.

 

However, given all the VERY helpful information I've received from everyone who has been kind enough to post (on the actual topic) I am actually feeling better about where we are (lemonade from lemons).

 

So thanks!

 

CruiznTall - my family had the first 2 cabins on the granduer on deck 2 outside. I agree with others that was just fine. I thought there would be lots of noise and movement but it was no problem.

 

I agree with the location. It's a GREAT spot to be in for a inside cabin. So close to the center and near the elevator which will make mobility for your Dad to get around so much easier.

 

As far as the guarantee - I am right with you 100%. RCCL has changed how they handle them from years ago. They don't assign them like they used to with leftover cabins a week out. They assign them prior to final payment in most cases and usually you get the worst of the choices. They then continue to sell guarantees in the same category and refuse to let you change back from the assigned cabin. Been there - done that a couple of times so know I know guarantee means the worst cabin available in that category at time of booking. I do go guarantee if it's based on price. However, if the price is only like $20 I go with a cabin of my choice. With your Dad's disability, you might want to think next time in looking into handicapped rooms. They have some nice inside ones that are a bit bigger than a regular room.

[Cruiz'nTall]

I appreciate you posting this njoy. I did misconstrue the actual wording somewhat, but my general point still stands.

 

They essentially noticed that rooms were starting to pick up in sales and decided to dump us in the lowest possible deck (even though assignmnt was supposed to happen later) and sell the higher deck rooms at a higher cost. If you go and look for GOS for 8/8/06 everything has now sold out and when I called they told me the only thing available was a balcony and they wouldn't upgrade me to that if I was the queen of England (I didn't ask to be upgraded to a balcony - just to move off of Deck 2 which I would have been willing to pay for).

 

 

 

 

 

This is the description from the RCCL website for an inside guarantee, not bashing you Cruz'n Tall I just don't want others to misunderstand when they are booking a guarantee. I understand they assigned your cabin right away not at final payment as stated below.

 

 

Interior Stateroom Guarantee

Deck(s): N/A

Occupancy: N/A

Amenities: Two twin beds (can convert into queen-size), vanity area, and a private bathroom. (140 sq. ft.)

 

With this selection, you are guaranteed to receive an interior stateroom, which could be in any interior category, anywhere on the ship. Room assignments are determined after your reservation has been completed and paid in full.

[TahoeBob]

 

The guarantee rate says specifically that our room assignment would be made "AT THE PIER." It was not. It was made 1 week after we booked the guaranteed room and there were still plenty of rooms available at that class' date=' at a lower class and a higher class on much higher decks.

 

They did NOT have to assign us to the lowest deck, but they chose to do so prematurely even though they had not yet determined what the best available room would be at that class rate.

 

Of course, what happened was that the rooms started selling out and they decided that instead of giving us a room on a higher deck - they could dump us on the lower deck and sell the higher deck rooms for a higher cost (since we booked the rates went up over $400 for the same room).

 

That's not what the guaranteed room rate states. It states our room assignment won't be made until we reach the PIER where they are supposed to give us the best available in our class and we could potentially be upgraded.[/quote']

 

this is from the RCI web page

 

"With this selection, you are guaranteed to receive a superior ocean view stateroom. Room assignments are determined after your reservation has been completed and paid in full."

 

I don't see on any place where it says the room wil be assigned at the pier, Unless I am missing something I have never seen on teh web page what you say you were told.

[wrp96]

You took your chances with a guarantee and got EXACTLY WHAT YOU BOOKED - an inside cabin anywhere on the ship. You had a choice when you booked and took the cheaper choice. You're complaining because they assigned you to a deck 2 cabin and when you booked there were cabins available on deck 3 and 4. But now you're complaining because they didn't wait to assign you a cabin at the pier. I have booked multiple guaranteed cabins in the past - and no where has it said anywhere on RCCL's website that assignments would be made at the pier. What they did is once final payments were made they assigned you a cabin - to make sure you had a cabin. What's to say that those same deck 2 cabins that you are now complaining about would not be the only ones left when you got to the pier - and have been the ones you would've gotten if they had waited until you got to the pier to assign you?

 

It is simple advice, if you care at all what cabin you are placed in, then you should not book a guarantee cabin. Only book guarantee cabins if you don't care which cabin you get, because you could get anything from the worse cabin location (or cabin) on the ship to the best - and the point about booking a guarantee is you don't have a choice. It is the risk you take by paying the cheaper fare for the guarantee.

 

I'm sorry you aren't happy with your cabins. I hope you will overcome your disappointment and have a great cruise with your family.

[iluvcruzin]

I don't see on any place where it says the room wil be assigned at the pier, Unless I am missing something I have never seen on teh web page what you say you were told.

 

TahoeBob & WRP96 - for those who have been cruising for many years, it used to be a very common practice for guarantees to be assigned either 1 week out or the passenger finds out at the pier. So for those who may haven't done the guarantee thing for a while, they may not know the procedure has changed. There was a time they didn't even have categories with guarantees on each level. It was a simple guarantee to be assigned cabin. It was always offered - not this "now you see it, now you don't" approach. I used to recieve amazing upgrades - 8 cat. or more in some cases.

 

They still are missleading with the wording because they do assigned cabins PRIOR (4 weeks prior may I add on my last guarantee). For those of us with a longer history of cruising, it's a bit disappointing now that guarantees don't work the same way.

[jwlane]

I understand they assigned your cabin right away not at final payment as stated below.

How do you know that? The cruise is only a couple of weeks away, so final payment was a couple of months ago (if not more recent).

[njoyndride]

How do you know that? The cruise is only a couple of weeks away, so final payment was a couple of months ago (if not more recent).

 

Per OP in post #1:

 

 

On our confirmation it says our room assignment will be given at the pier, but it appeared on my RCC account online fairly quickly with a specific room asssignment.

[masterbaker]

I wouldn't be so quick to be dissapointed by a lower level inside cabin assignment, you most likely will be surprised with how quiet it is down there. Insides are also great for afternoon naps since you can make it dark if you want just by turning out the lights. ;) We've had insides, outsides, promanade views, balconies and a JS that was the noisiest and had the most movement of them all. On most ships the space difference between an inside and an outside is so little it is hardly noticable, and there would be no difference of space between insides on different decks. Bon Voyage! I'm sure you will have a great time, no matter where you rest your head.

[vacationhappy]

My family likes lower inside because is so quiet. In fact, my kids are giving us a hard time because I just booked a balcony. My DH and I wanted a blacony this time around so we could get some quiet time....

[jwlane]

Per OP in post #1:

So in your mind "online fairly quickly" is the same as "they assigned your cabin right away not at final payment". Where did the OP said the cabin was assigned before final payment?

[njoyndride]

So in your mind "online fairly quickly" is the same as "they assigned your cabin right away not at final payment". Where did the OP said the cabin was assigned before final payment?

 

Correct...assumption on my part as I normally book futher out.

[JKHawaii]

I think the OP had a misunderstanding of what the concept of a guarantee cabin. It doesn't mean the cruise line is going to automatically assign you the best cabin for a lower rate. That would make no economic sense for the cruise line. Rather, the cruise line assigns your cabin based on sales. If all of the deck 2 cabins were booked up by people paying the regular rate, you would have gotten a cabin on another deck. If sales were slow and it took longer for cabins to be booked, you would have been assigned a cabin at a later date.

 

You were aware from the outset that it was possible to be assigned a cabin on deck 2, whether it was assigned immediately after booking, or at the pier. (would you have been happier finding out you were on deck 2 at the pier?). You chose price as the overriding factor over cabin selection. You act like RCCL suckered you into the deal, when no matter how you cut the cake, they made less money off you than other passengers. If I were you, I would be laughing all the way to the bank. You get to eat the same food, enjoy the same entertainment, utilize the same facilities, and visit the same ports as other cruisers who spent hundreds more. So try to be positive and enjoy your cruise.