Booking a “guarantee” cabin used to be one of the easiest ways I could save money on a cruise. Instead of paying extra to choose a specific stateroom, I’d let the cruise line assign one to me.
With a guarantee cabin, you’re promised a room within the category you’ve booked, or higher, whether that’s an interior, ocean view, balcony, or suite.
As a budget-conscious cruiser, giving up control of my cabin location to save money was an easy trade-off. After all, I spend most of my cruises exploring ports of call and enjoying the ship rather than sitting in my room.
However, some people have always avoided the risks that come with guarantee cabins, including my own parents. Because staterooms are assigned closer to embarkation, these cabins are typically the leftovers that others didn’t book. These can include noisy locations near the buffet, theatre, pool deck, or elevators.
My dad always said, “Yup — there’s a reason no one wanted those!”
For years, the gamble paid off and saved me hundreds of dollars. Unfortunately, my luck ran out when a string of bad stateroom assignments proved my dad right.
After a few very disappointing experiences, I’ve sworn off guarantee cabins for good.
For years, my guarantee cabin assignments were perfectly fine — especially right after the pandemic
I always thought the risks of booking a guarantee cabin were overblown. The majority of my cabin assignments were completely acceptable, and a few were surprisingly good.
Technically, booking a guarantee cabin can even result in a complimentary upgrade to a higher cabin category. After more than 55 cruises, this has only happened to me once when my husband and I had booked an ocean-view guarantee cabin for a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska and got upgraded to a balcony room.
It felt like winning the lottery! We loved having a balcony to enjoy Alaska’s breathtaking scenery for no additional cost.
However, the upgrade likely only happened because this cruise was shortly after many pandemic-related shutdowns on a ship sailing far below full capacity.
A few months later, I booked an ocean-view balcony guarantee for a Mediterranean cruise and used Royal Caribbean’s “Royal Up” bid program to score a junior suite for only $310 extra per person. We couldn’t choose our location, but it was worth the risk, as we ended up with a spacious mid-ship suite.
After these experiences, I was sold on guarantee cabins and continued booking them whenever I could to save money. Some of my best room assignments came on Norwegian Cruise Line with modern designs, comfortable amenities, and convenient locations.
This only reinforced my decision to keep playing guarantee-cabin roulette.
When ships started sailing full again, my luck ran out
As demand for cruising rebounded, my luck began to change.
My first bad guarantee cabin was aboard a packed spring-break sailing on a Celebrity cruise. Although the interior cabin itself was spacious and well-appointed, its location was terrible.
We were assigned a stateroom at the end of the hallway directly next to a crew service door. Starting early each morning, the door slammed constantly as crew members moved equipment and supplies.
Between the noise and lack of sleep, I returned home exhausted and feeling sick.
A few months later, my husband and I booked a guarantee balcony cabin for a Royal Caribbean cruise to Iceland. We were assigned a stateroom directly above the nightclub, and we could hear the loud bass thumping through our cabin until midnight every night.
We took afternoon naps to stay rested, but my husband swore off guarantee cabins after that cruise.
The final nail in the coffin came aboard a Carnival ship. My guarantee interior cabin shared a wall with the elevator shaft, resulting in constant noise throughout the day and night.
Although some people may not be bothered by the sounds, I never would have willingly picked a cabin next to an elevator.
After four nights of barely sleeping, I finally admitted my dad had been right all along: There was a reason nobody else had booked those cabins.
Now, I spend extra to carefully choose where I’ll be staying
After one too many bad guarantee-cabin assignments, I decided the savings weren’t worth the risk anymore. With many cruise ships sailing at full capacity these days, the leftover cabins are rarely the hidden gems they used to be.
Now, I strategically choose my cabin location for every cruise. More specifically, I look for staterooms surrounded by other cabins and avoid proximity to any public venues, elevators, or high-traffic areas.
I’ll even review deck plans to ensure there are passenger cabins above and below my room.
Whenever possible, I prioritize a midship location and pay close attention to any unlabeled space on deck plans. I’ve learned the hard way that unmarked areas can sometimes indicate crew or service corridors that generate unwanted noise.
If you’re a really heavy sleeper and not bothered by noise, guarantee cabins may still be a worthy, money-saving gamble. Ultimately, though, I’ve decided that spending a little extra to secure a quiet and convenient cabin is worth it.
Vacations are meant to be relaxing, and after too many sleepless nights, I’ve learned that peace of mind is one upgrade I’m always willing to pay for.
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