What's a cruise cabin guarantee — and will it save you money?

If you’re new to cruise vacations, you might wonder about cruise fares labeled “cruise cabin guarantee.” What does that mean, and can booking a guarantee cabin save you money or help convince the upgrade fairy to visit you? Let’s find out.

Cruise cabin types and categories

Let’s start with the basics. When you look at cruise fares, you’ll see that they can vary widely for the same itinerary. The price differential is due to the cabin type you select. An inside cabin with no windows will generally be much cheaper than a similar cabin with a balcony or one of the ship’s top suites.

Related: The 5 best cabin locations on any cruise ship

On a cruise ship deck plan and cruise fare rate list, categories are usually denoted by short alphanumeric sequences, like 1A. Each type of cabin can have multiple categories within it.

For example, aboard Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Celebration, you can pick a balcony cabin in categories 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D, 8E, 8F and 8G — and that’s excluding three different extended-balcony categories. What’s the difference? Location on the ship. Each category aligns with aft, midship or forward locations on specific decks.

Cruise fares within the same cabin type but for different categories vary in price. For example, when pricing out a cruise on Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Reflection, you can choose from five balcony cabin categories: partial view, standard, prime, deluxe and sunset veranda. (As those start to sell out, the mix can change to include a guaranteed option, as well.) The starting prices range from $392 to $633 per person, though each room is 246 square feet.

The difference? Cheaper cabins have obstructed views, while more expensive rooms are on higher decks or have larger balconies.

Booking a ‘guarantee’ cabin

When you decide to go on a cruise, you not only decide which category of cabin to book, but you also pick the exact cabin on the ship that you want. If you prefer a balcony cabin, you book that category and pick an available cabin number from the deck plan. If you’d like an inside room, you book that cabin category and then pick the one that best suits you.

But many major cruise lines, including Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, let you book what’s called a “cruise cabin guarantee.” Even luxury line Seabourn sells guarantee cabin fares. You choose the cabin type you want, such as a balcony cabin, but you don’t pick a specific category or a room number.

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Related: The ultimate guide to choosing a cabin on a cruise ship

These cabins are referred to as cruise cabin guarantees because you are guaranteed by the cruise line to get at least the type of cabin you booked, but you have no control over which room.

The guarantee rooms are often available in addition to the regular pick-your-cabin-number options. However, sometimes cruise lines use guarantee bookings as a type of waitlist when ships or cabin types are sold out or nearly full to hold your space until a room opens up.

What are the benefits of booking a guarantee room?

Travelers book guarantee fares because the pricing is often — but not always — advantageous. On some cruise lines, guarantees are usually the cheapest fare option in the room type you've selected. On other lines, there's no price difference between the lowest category in your room type and the guarantee. The only “savings” you’ll net is if you’re upgraded to the next cabin category.

Related: How to book a cruise using points and miles

You see, there’s a secondary benefit of booking a guarantee cabin beyond the cost savings: If the cruise line sells out of your cabin type, it will move you up to the next available category.

If you would pick the cheapest inside cabin anyway and don’t care about its location, why not book the guarantee? You might be bumped up to a better category within that cabin type if all the cheapest ones get booked. That could mean a slightly larger room or a better location on the ship.

And, if all rooms in the cabin type you selected sell out, you might be moved from your original cabin type to a higher one. Just be realistic. You won’t get the ship’s top suite if you booked an inside cabin, but you might get a room with a window.

Worst-case scenario: You get exactly what you booked — the cheapest room within a given cabin type on that ship. Hopefully, you got it at a discount.

Are there any downsides to booking a guarantee?

Yes. The perfect cruise ship cabin is in the eye of the beholder, and every traveler has different criteria to define perfection. Not all cabins — even within the same type and category — are created equal.

Some cabins can be noisy if they’re near the anchor or the tender platform or under the pool deck or nightclub, for instance. The balconies of some cabins can get sooty if they are in the path of the fallout from the cruise ship funnel. Some rooms in odd locations might have unusual layouts or bed arrangements.

If you are super picky about any aspect of your cruise cabin, don’t book a guarantee; instead, pick exactly the cabin type, category and room location you want. Every cruise ship has a deck plan that you can study, and you can pick your exact cabin number during the booking process.

Related: 8 cabin locations on cruise ships that you definitely should avoid

The guarantee gamble might not be a good idea for families or friends traveling together who need specific bed arrangements. If your family requires a specific family-friendly cabin, book that and don’t mess with a guarantee to save a few bucks.

In addition, sometimes these affordable rooms are not eligible for lucrative booking perks. For example, rooms in Norwegian Cruise Line’s best-fare Sail Away category (what it calls cruise cabin guarantee rooms) are not eligible for its Free at Sea or More at Sea fare inclusions. You cannot book the cheapest rooms in any category and still get included drinks, dining, Wi-Fi and more.

One last thing to note when you book a guarantee cabin: You usually won’t know your cabin number until one to three weeks before embarkation. If you can’t take that kind of suspense, don’t book a guarantee cabin!

Bottom line

Booking a cruise cabin guarantee is like playing a game of chance. You might win big with a low fare or a nicer cabin than you booked. Or you might lose out with the noisy, small or awkward cabin no one else wants.

If a cruise ship is oversold, a guarantee room is often the only option for possibly getting on board. Only you can decide if you’d rather take the risk in hopes of a bargain or pay more to get exactly the cruise room you want.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• Top ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin