All you need to know about guarantee cabins

On a daily basis it’s a question I get asked alot…”what is a guarantee cabin?” You may have heard the term if you have cruised before, it may be a new term to you so I thought I would explain it in a little more detail. Booking at guarantee cabin can be a great way of making a saving on your cruise, however, if you get this decision wrong it could spoil your cruise. You have to be sure about exactly what it is you are booking and I believe it’s not always clear especially when looking online at your cruise which lots of customers do.

You will often see a guarantee cabin with “gty” next to it rather than a cabin number. When you book a gty cabin it means that the choice of your cabin number is no longer yours and the cruise line will go ahead and allocate you a cabin. They will allocate you the grade you have booked or a higher grade, you will never be downgraded. Once your cabin has been allocated the rule is that it can’t be changed. For example, if you aren’t happy with your cabin allocated then it’s not a case of calling the cruise line to change it, the cabin the cruise line allocate you is the one you have for your cruise.

So when is booking a guarantee cabin a good move?  Firstly you have to be sure that you will be happy with your cabin being allocated by the cruise line usually on any deck of the ship and any position. If you can safely say that the position or deck of your cabin isn’t something that worries you then great this deal will work for you. Sometimes, not always, the gty option doesn’t come with the added benefits advertised such as drinks packages, wifi etc, it’s something you have to watch out for especially with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises. Again if you are happy with this then great, you will make a saving on your cruise.

What are the scenarios where it doesn’t work well you may be thinking?  Well for instance if you have families travelling together and they want cabins next door to each booking. Booking two or more gty cabins and linking them together won’t mean the cruise line automatically allocate the cabins together. It often is the case that the cabins will be on different decks and different positions on the ship and as you can imagine this can cause all kinds of problems especially for families with children.

Remember also that just because you choose a particular grade of cabin, let just say an inside mid ship high deck cabin grade, it doesn’t mean that you are going to get this grade of cabin and position. It could be that the cruise line chooses to upgrade your cabin, great you may think…but this upgrade could also mean a forward position or aft position oceanview cabin on a lower deck which you may have not wanted. It could also mean the difference between your balcony cabin having an unobstructed view or an obstructed view. There are so many things to consider when booking your cabin it’s always best to speak with your cruise specialist and we can give you the best advise and explain your options, also we usually have a few tips up our sleeves.

I sometimes get asked would I book a guarantee cabin….well the answer to this is yes. I have known customers book an inside cabin and be upgraded to a suite which can happen if you book a gty cabin! Look at the suite below ..this could be you it does happen!  Amazing I know and booking a gty cabin means you may get an upgrade at no extra cost

So there you have it the choice is now yours….and of course if you do have any questions or would like to find out more do get in touch.

As always thanks for reading, until next time Abbi x