A Guarantee Cabin or not, whats the choice?

Over the last few months there have been a large number of 'Getaway deals' or 'Guarantee' deals on the various cruise lines, so I am not sure recently how many times I have had the conversations about guaranteed cabins, but thought that this would be good to share.

So let’s start, what is a guaranteed cabin, well it means you will get at least a cabin of the category you book on but at the time of booking we do not know exactly which cabin it will be. Each cruise line has different descriptions, but if you book a guaranteed inside you will get at least an inside, a guaranteed suite means you will get a suite etc. 

 

You will certainly be advised before you sail of your assigned cabin, however if you don't like the position there is little or no chance that the cruise line will change the assigned cabin.

Simples, so far! But is it like a game of poker and can you improve the odds?

How many D8 inside cabins are there on Cunard ships, how many A7 cabins are there on QE and QV or how many BF cabins are there on some Princess ships? Can you find a Category W, X, Y or Z cabin on a deck plan for Royal? Well, the answer is not many and no respectively.

These are the ones that are generally sold on a guarantee basis; don't know why, probably so the lead price advertised by the cruise line is low and increases the 'popularity' of the sailing.

So choosing one of these or other guaranteed cabins may increase your odds of getting an upgrade, you might get a Royal Flush! or you might just have to stick. If you want to win it you have got to be in it! But beware, some of the balcony cabins in the categories on which the guarantees are sold may have a metal front or even an obstructed view.

Bit of anecdotal evidence, booked one of my regular customers last Sunday, I will call him Mr WXYZ. onto Queen Victoria, he does book late and look for the good cabin at the right price and we had a long discussion about what to do, he took a guaranteed Balcony cabin (A7). I have just had the upgrade notice and he has got an A1 balcony in an excellent midships position, what a result!

I have seen others, and not just from Cunard or Princess but don't forget someone will get the obstructed view cabin or the one right at the front and you can't complain if its you, the rub of the 'cheap' deal there!

Now there has been a lot of press about P&O and Cunard's new Vantage fares and also the re-categorisation of the cabins, so not sure what will happen next year. But if they do do Getaway fares on a guarantee the same principles will apply.

 

This approach is really no good if you want a specific cabin, want to be on Port or midships etc. but if you have no preference then is it worth your gamble? If it was me, I'd probably give it a go the more the bargain the better.

Independence of the Seas, did I forget her?

Over the last few weeks I have been doing that maintenance on my blog that you keep putting off! You will see some changes on the page 'Ships I have been on' and I have added a new page 'StuPendous Cruise Deals'.

But I noticed that I have not put up any information about Royal Caribbean's  Independence of the Seas, even though I did a ship visit back in 2009!

Indie on a damp October morning

Independence of the Seas is a Freedom-class ship and entered service in April 2008, there are 15 passenger decks and she can accommodate 4,370 passengers who are looked after by 1,360 crew. She was built in the Aker Finnyards drydock in Turku, Finland, builder and at 154,407 gross tons, she joined Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas as the largest cruise ships and passenger vessels ever built at the time. She is 1,112 feet (339 m) long, and typically cruises at 21.6 knots (40.0 km/h; 24.9 mph).

Independence of the Seas is the third of the Freedom-class vessel. In October 2009, Oasis of the Seas, the first ship in the Oasis-class replaced the Freedom-class as the world's largest passenger ships.

Independence will be sailing from Southampton throughout this summer, but will cruise from Southampton on November 22, 2012, en route to its Winter home port in Fort Lauderdale, where it will offer Caribbean voyages from December 2012 through March 2013, she will return to the U.K. in April.

Independence of the Seas features an interactive water park, the H2O Zone, a dedicated sports pool for volleyball and basketball, and whirlpools which extend from the ship's sides. It houses an internal shopping 'street', the Promenade lined with shops, pubs and wine bars, with a "bridge" which can be lowered from the ceiling void to provide a performance space above the crowds. There is also the two story Alhambra theatre, seating 1,200, and a complete conference centre. The show cabaret lounge is based on an ancient Egyptian theme, known as the Pyramid Lounge.

On a lower level is an ice skating rink named Studio B, home to a series of professional ice shows, and is also available for personal skating. This facility was first featured on the Voyager-class and the rink on Independence of the Seas is the eighth to feature this on a ship.

The ship also features a range of eating outlets, a rock climbing wall, wi-Fi and mobile phone connectivity throughout, and flat screen televisions in all staterooms. Independence of the Seas is also the first Royal Caribbean ship to feature heated, fresh water pools. On the Sports Deck, there is a rock climbing wall, a basketball/hockey court, a mini golf course, and a FlowRider for surfing. 

The features are amazing and I am not surprised that most of the people who sail on her love it! For me, the Morgan car in the Royal Parade is just that little extra, it helps that I had one for a short period a few years ago!

Why not look at the photo slide show below for more views of the ship.

Kung Fu Voyager

As my granddaughter is getting older, well she is nearly 14 months old now, I have been thinking about when we take her away on holiday. What have cruise ships got to keep children entertained?

Now I am not going to list all the feature, but I did notice this news article last week. Royal Caribbean International And Dreamworks Animation Expand Strategic Alliance To Voyager Of The Seas

Royal Caribbean International and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. have announced that they will extend the DreamWorks Experience to a fifth ship in 2012 - Voyager of the Seas, the largest cruise ship sailing in Asia and Australia.

Po and Shrek will be among the “celebrity” characters that will engage guests of all ages, with exclusive special events and parades, interactive character breakfasts in the main dining room, and plenty of photo opportunities. The DreamWorks Experience will be in place and available to guests at the start of the summer 2012 Asia season.

First launched aboard Allure of the Seas in November 2010, the DreamWorks Experience is now available on board Oasis of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, and features some of the studio’s most popular animated films – “Kung Fu Panda,” “Shrek,” “Madagascar” and “How to Train Your Dragon.”

Royal Caribbean International’s Adam Goldstein said:

“Expanding the DreamWorks Experience to Voyager of the Seas further illustrates our commitment to the China market, and the Asia and Australia region. This is really going to set us apart as an international cruise line that delivers the very best in family entertainment for guests around the world.”

DreamWorks Animation’s Lew Coleman added:

“At DreamWorks Animation we are always looking for new and expanded opportunities for our fans and for families in particular to interact with our characters and our brand. Royal Caribbean International offers a one-of-a-kind experience for their customers and we very much look forward to extending our entertainment offering in Asia.”

Now, there are a couple of points for me here, firstly I think I need a lesson on these children's characters as it is something I have little or no knowledge of. Secondly, I think Australia might be too far for her first cruise, I will need to look for something nearer home.

Fly Cruise from Barcelona

So as most of you know finding a 7 night cruise from Southampton is difficult, over the season there are few of them and in the main they will be to Norway, France or around the UK. So if you are looking for a bit of that Med sun then why not think about a fly cruise from Barcelona.

Why Barcelona you ask, well there is a choice of cruise lines doing 7 to 12 night cruises which can be boarded in Barcelona and it is easy to get to either go cruise only and findg your own flights with on of many low-cost carriers or as a cruise line package if their flight package is available.

So what are the choices, and this list is not exhaustive, Royal Caribbean have both Liberty and Brilliance of the Seas sailing from Barcelona, Celebrity Cruise Lines have Solstice, NCL have the Epic - see my review on this ship, MSC have Splendida and Fantasia.

The choice is massive, in terms of level of service, length of cruise, itinerary and cost.

So what would I do you ask, well having just got back from a few days in this beautiful Catalonian city, I would book my own flights and pick one of the cruises on a cruise only basis, but go a couple of days early to do a bit of sightseeing.

There is so much to see from La Rambla to Camp Nou to the Olympic site and of course the Gaudi architecture ending with Sagrada Familia.

So go on give it a go!