Okay, we're considering a Barcelona to Istanbul Cruise on Oceania in august. The TA says there is ONE cabin with balcony left. She says she can't tell me where it will be, but it will be a balcony, at least B2 (which is fine with us), but we could be upgraded. We took a Windstar cruise a couple years ago and picked our cabin. The TA says the guarantee is not uncommon on bigger ships. So, should I have any reservations (bad pun) about this?

Sorry, can't help. If you don't mind, how did you like Wind Star?

No, it just means that you'll be given a cabin in your class or above, but exactly which one won't be known until closer to your sailing (maybe even the day of sailing.)

The downside is that you won't know where you are on the ship - might be a bow cabin or a stern one, making the ship's pitch more pronounced, or making it a longer walk from facilities on the other end.

The upside is that you might well be upgraded to a better cabin class, if the cruise line doesn't get the number of anticipated cancellations in your class that they expect. (Cruiselines use the same sort of deliberate overbooking methods that airlines do, knowing that statistically somebody is going to cancel out before the sailing.)

We've gone with guaranteed bookings on several occasions, and if memory serves we got upgraded <i>every time.</i> No promises, but I'd do it.

BTW the Oceania boats are small enough that one end v. the other is small potatoes.

The previous post accurately summed up the pros and cons. The guarantee is that you'll get at-least that 'catagory of cabin' and perhaps, a nice upgrade to a higher class at no additional charge.

Most people seem to like this option, but we have gotten stung in the past when the &quot;better class&quot; cabin was in a less appealing area.

One upgrade put us directly under the main showroom which was noisy until 1 a.m, the other put us over the casino and the same noise issue was a problem.

With that said, I can almost guarantee that my post will be followed by others stating they had great luck and nice upgrades (and they are correct).

So, if you'd like to take a chance and perhaps get a nice upgrade...go for it. If you are a bit more conservative and what to pick your room in a specific location, then go that way. Hope this helps.

I love having a balcony so that for me would be the deciding factor.

When I submitted my requirements for an Alaska cruise last year, my TA told me the category was &quot;sold out&quot; but I could still buy a guarantee. In his opinion, we would probably get an upgrade.

I went to cruisedeckplans.com and checked out where the upgrade cabins were located. Most were in better locations, so we bought the guarantee. And it paid off...an upgrade with a larger balcony near the mid-ship elevators.

Do all guarantees work so well? No...but with a bit of homework, you can tilt the odds in your favor.

The worst you could end up with on Insignia would be a cabin on deck 6, near the bow or stern. We were near the bow in some poor weather several times and my wife, who could get seasick on the Queen Mary tour, (this is not a joke) had no problem. The other problem near the bow is the noise of the anchor chains and the bow thrusters. We learned to sleep through the bow thrusters, but not through the anchor chains. On your itinerary, there are only two anchor ports and one has a noon arrival.

In the stern, there is a harmonic &quot;slap&quot; when the propellers and stabilizers synchronize. Most people don't notice it at all, and I have never been aware of it above deck 6.

My travel agent says that on Oceania, like most other cruise lines, the best and least expensive cabins sell out first and then the others fill in. That would suggest you have a good shot at a cabin on deck 7. But, avoid central cabins on the port side of deck 7 as they are opposite the entrance to the noisy and hot laundry. (It operates from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.)

Thanks for all the input. I read a lot of info on Cruise Critic too, and I feel pretty good about the guaranty now.

mjz- My husband and I both LOVED Windstar. We actually wanted to do the Windsurf this time, but couldn't find a sailing that included Istanbul. We did Rome to Athens on the Windstar two years ago and it was great. I loved the small size and the 140 passengers. Food was very good. We got right into small ports, hopped off and back on the ship quickly. No long lines, no jockeying for position, etc. If you have any specific questions, happy to answer them.

JimM
&quot;I went to cruisedeckplans.com and checked out where the upgrade cabins were located. Most were in better locations, so we bought the guarantee. And it paid off...an upgrade with a larger balcony near the mid-ship elevators.&quot;

I don't understand your statement about upgrade cabins.Is there a certain section that is designated for upgrades? I have hesitated to go with a gty for fear even if we got a higher catagory it might not be in a good location such as near a laundry room etc.

Robin72 ==&gt;

Sorry I didn't make myself clear. I booked an SZ Guarantee. The TA was confident we'd get upgraded to a SY category. So I looked at where SY cabins were located and found that virtually none had a bad location. Of course we could have been given an even higher upgrade but the odds of that were ptetty slim.

This time the gamble paid off just fine.

But what if you stayed at SZ category - are there bad locations for these?

SZ are in great locations and there are very few so the chances of an upgrade from this to a better cabin are, IME, very good.

We had a great upsell offer last year from an SZ to a full suite.

JimM -
Thanks for the clarification. I get it now! Good information if considering a gty.

I looked at the cruisedeckplans.com. You must register and pay $12.00 to view the deck plans. What does this site offer that you can't find out by looking at a brochure or the deck plans on the internet sites?

Thanks for the kind offer PMJ.

It's a personal choice. For one who enjoys cruising, the $12 is a small price to pay.

The important thing is to do your homework...online, in brochures, wherever.

JimM
I agree, $12 is a small price but what the heck am I getting?
Robin