What is a Guaranteed Cabin?

When you're planning your ocean cruise you might have come across the term ‘Guaranteed’ cabin in the booking process and hesitated to proceed. After all, if it’s your first time booking a cruise these are all new terms.

Let’s help you demystify cabins and cruising by helping you understand what it means to book a Guaranteed Cabin and what the benefits may be.

What is a Guaranteed Cabin?

When you're booking your cruise you'll come across terms like ‘Guaranteed Inside” but what does this mean? Booking a Guaranteed cabin means you are booking a cabin without a specific allocation. So instead of requesting and being assigned a specific cabin on a specific deck you're booking a Guaranteed cabin category. So, 'Guaranteed Inside' means you will be guaranteed an inside cabin, somewhere on the ship. 'Guaranteed Balcony' means you will be guaranteed a balcony cabin, somewhere on the ship and so on...

How Does it Work?

The cruise line will guarantee to assign you a cabin or suite in the category you have purchased. Potentially you may be upgraded to a higher priced cabin at no additional cost to you. This will only occur at the cruise line’s discretion and can occur anytime between booking your cruise and the departure date. Sometimes this only happens in the week before cruising, so you might receive a pleasant surprise before you leave.

While you wait to learn about your allocation, be aware that without a cabin number you may not be able to make special requests for items regarding the cabin, like bedding.

Why Would I Book a Guaranteed Cabin?

There are a few reasons to consider booking a Guaranteed cabin. Firstly, these cabins are often offered at a lower price. Secondly, if there’s limited availability on the cruise or if certain categories are only offered as Guaranteed cabins, this may be the only option. Finally, by choosing a Guaranteed cabin, there is the potential for a complimentary upgrade.

Will I Get an Upgrade?

Booking a Guaranteed cabin doesn’t mean that you will automatically receive an upgrade, so it's important that you book at a category level you will be content to be accommodated in for the duration of your cruise. Upgrades can and do occur, although it’s important you don’t book ‘guaranteed’ expecting an upgrade. You may receive an upgrade if the category you have booked in is oversold, or if the category above is undersold.

What are the Benefits of a Guaranteed Cabin?

Booking a Guaranteed cabin can save you money if you’re flexible with your cabin and onboard location. If saving on the cost of the cruise is your goal, this is an ideal way to save. If you're upgraded, this is just an added bonus!

Is there a downside?

If you're traveling with a group and wish to have adjacent cabins, booking multiple cabins doesn't guarantee proximity.

Once your cabin is allocated by the cruise line, cabin changes aren't allowed, and you may be assigned a cabin in a part of the ship you wouldn't have chosen yourself, and, this is important, if you select a 'Guaranteed Oceanview or Balcony' catergory, you may be assigned a cabin with an obstructed view. Therefore, if having an unobstructed view is important, it may be best to pay a little more and upgrade to a category where you can choose your cabin.

Insider Tips

Here are a few tips to help you be selected for an upgrade when you've booked a Guaranteed cabin.

If the cruise line you are travelling with has a loyalty program you can join, you might want to consider this. Upgrades are likely to go to loyalty program members or cruisers who have a higher loyalty status first.

Choosing to cruise in quieter seasons (avoiding school holidays) might mean there are more unsold cabins and more options for an upgrade.

Lastly, if you are hoping for an upgrade to a balcony cabin you might consider booking an Outside (Oceanview) cabin. It is less likely you will be upgraded to an outside balcony cabin from an inside cabin.