What is a guarantee cabin?
Once you’ve selected your cruise line and itinerary, it’s time to choose your stateroom. When assessing your options, you might notice the name of an accommodation category followed by ‘guarantee’, for instance, Inside Guarantee, Oceanview Guarantee or Balcony Guarantee.
This means the cruise line chooses your specific cabin for you, assigning you a cabin in your selected category or a higher one. Guarantee cabins are sometimes abbreviated to GTY, and some cruise lines have their own lingo, but they all tend to operate in the same way.
Essentially, once you book, you could find out exactly where your cabin is at any point up until you embark. Most frequently, it's revealed a few weeks or days before sailing, though sometimes you're told as late as check-in.
What are the pros of a guarantee cabin?
1. Cost
The biggest advantage for many guests is that cruise lines frequently reward flexibility with more competitive prices. The discounts on guarantee cabins can range from around £50 to several hundred pounds. On top-tier luxury lines, savings can even run into four figures. Not bad when you’re enjoying all the same perks as guests who chose their stateroom.
2. Upgrades
Another major bonus is that, potentially, you could score an upgrade. This is by no means a certainty, and we don’t want to give you false hope, but there is a chance you’ll be bumped up a category or two, depending on availability.
For instance, I’ve heard of a number of cases of guests guaranteed an inside cabin being allocated outside ones. It makes sense if you think about it – the most affordable categories frequently fill up first, and if mid-priced staterooms aren’t selling as well, the cruise line may well want to free up a few lower cost options to tempt last-minute cruisers.
3. Freedom from decisions
Last but not least, guarantee cabins just suit some guests better. For a lot of people, a big appeal of cruising is that it offers freedom from logistical hassle and decision fatigue. Sometimes, having the decision made for you is actually a luxury.
What are the cons of a guarantee cabin?
1. An undesirable location
A guarantee cabin is always something of a gamble. While your minimum category is confirmed, your location is not. You might end up in a noisy spot near the elevators, or underneath a nightclub or casino, for instance, which makes getting to bed before midnight a pipe dream. Or you could be allotted a stateroom that makes your seasickness worse, like a high-up aft or forward cabin.
It’s also worth considering if it's right for you if you’re travelling as a group. You may not want your friends or family members a 15-minute walk away, which is entirely possible on the very biggest mega ships.
2. Upgrades are not guaranteed
I’ve met passengers bitterly disappointed by guarantee cabins because they were counting on an upgrade that never came. It’s crucial to go in with the right expectations: getting bumped up is possible, but not something you’re entitled to. If you book an Inside Guarantee cabin, don’t turn up assuming you'll be staying in a suite.
3. You have less control
If you’re a type A traveller who likes planning ahead, the truth is a guarantee cabin introduces a sense of unpredictability that might not suit you well. After all, one of the best things about cruising is the anticipation – the knowledge that whatever is going on in your life, in a few months or weeks you’ll be sailing away into the sunset. If not knowing your precise cabin introduces stress, it’s probably not worth it for you.
Which cruise lines offer guarantee cabins?
If you’re interested in taking advantage of a guarantee cabin, you’re in luck. A wide range of cruise lines offer them on selected sailings, often as part of promotional fares or when managing remaining availability.
Family-friendly favourites Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line offer them, as do adults-only cruise lines such as Virgin Voyages. Guarantee staterooms also appear on lines focused on the UK market, including Cunard and P&O Cruises, and on American lines like Holland America Line and Celebrity Cruises. Small-ship luxury lines like Windstar Cruises and Oceania Cruises market them occasionally too, along with more value-friendly options like MSC Cruises.
Got a question about cruising?
Ask us anything, and our team of experts will steer you right. Whether you’re looking for the perfect itinerary or cabin, we’re here to help. Submit your question on the ship, cruise line and destination page of your choice, and we’ll get back to you before you can say anchors aweigh.
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