Hidden negatives of guaranted rates?

asgur5

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jun 21, 2022
Messages
420
Hi, Im considering a guaranteed rate trip and was just wondering if there are any hidden negatives beyond the fact you dont choose the room and have to pay up front and non refundable.

I.e. if Im a silver member do I still get the silver member booking window for activities/restaurants or will I be pushed back in the queue in terms of booking window or boarding time options?

Any other minor negatives that may not be obvious? I.e. ban you from taking more than one Mickey churro waffle at a time at Cabanas?

Has anyone had any experience with Vgt on the wonder. Are the rooms ok? Im guessing I will be put in the aft. Are there major vibration issues on the Wonder like with the Fantasy that could ruin your stay?
 
You'll still get the silver booking window as long as you're booked before the date that the bookings open.

Generally, by the time GTY drop, you can only select late dining.

We did IGT for a Spring Break cruise and had a great experience. Even the worst room on a DCL ship is a great vacation.
 
You still get the same as all other silver members as long as you are booking guarantee rate before silver booking window opens for activities
Eat all you want at any dining rotation
Boarding time will be the same as all other silvers
We got early dining for our Wish OGT cruise
But changed to late per our preference

Don’t know the Wonder but we did OGT on the Magic and got midship connecting rooms which was a surprise. Also got connecting rooms on OGT for our Wish cruise next week
 

One negative is activities and excursions can be sold out because guarantee rates usually drop after PIF, so most everyone has already booked.

Another really terrible negative that we just faced for the first time was being assigned a truly awful stateroom. We have booked VGT and OGT many times and got great staterooms. Last cruise, we got such a bad stateroom that we were ready to leave to go home and get some sleep. The cabin was so noisy.
 
If you book before the checkin dates you’ll qualify to check in as your level- if that’s past you’ll check in as soon as you book-

Dining waitlist & limited availability for booking activities & port adventures

But once you’re onboard there is zero difference.
 
Ok thanks, cruise im looking at is still 5 months away so my booking window isnt open yet.

Late dining isnt an issue for our family. For this trip we probably even prefer it.
 
Just curious about the NOISY CABIN? Was it by a crew door? Bad neighbors? Near the theater? Mechanical noise? Under the pool deck? I complained about noise in my cabin and was offered a different one, which I felt was worse than the first, so I didn’t move. Transatlantic on the Magic a few years ago. Maybe 2017?
 
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Just curious about the NOISY CABIN? Was it by a crew door? Bad neighbors? Near the theater? Mechanical noise? Under the pool deck? I complained about noise in my cabin and was offered a different one, which I felt was wise than the first, so I didn’t move. Transatlantic on the Magic a few years ago. Maybe 2017?
Cabin 5500 on the Magic. Directly over the Walt Disney theater and a crew area. Right beside an exterior crew door that was slammed 24/7. The noise from the theater was so loud that we our cabin vibrated and we could hear everything going on below us. We just had to stay out of our cabin during all shows in the theater. Then there were the practices - most afternoons and some nights starting at 11PM. When the theater finally quieted down, then you could hear the slamming exterior crew door much better. It was honestly a nightmare. Never imagined a cabin could be so terrible and we cruise a good bit.

Several of our neighbors also complained to guest services about the theater noise. They luckily weren’t beside the crew door.
 
My first cabin (also a YGT something) was on Deck 1 which I initially was upset about BUT it actually was kind of cool with more perks than you’d think. But there was a clanging clanking noise at times.

I complained and was offered a cabin on Deck 2 . . I went up there and could hear music from the theater. It was really loud!

And I told them I’d stick with the clanging. They sent a sweet note and some chocolate covered strawberries.

That sounds really really awful. I travel with a little sound machine now but it probably wouldn’t drown out any of those sounds.

Since then I have always paid the extra to pick my cabin. And often switch from my first choice as more open up.
 
My first cabin (also a YGT something) was on Deck 1 which I initially was upset about BUT it actually was kind of cool with more perks than you’d think. But there was a clanging clanking noise at times.

I complained and was offered a cabin on Deck 2 . . I went up there and could hear music from the theater. It was really loud!

And I told them I’d stick with the clanging. They sent a sweet note and some chocolate covered strawberries.

That sounds really really awful. I travel with a little sound machine now but it probably wouldn’t drown out any of those sounds.

Since then I have always paid the extra to pick my cabin. And often switch from my first choice as more open up.
We had a noise machine and a fan going. Didn’t matter. Nothing could camouflage the theater noise. Earplugs at night while trying to sleep didn’t stop the theater noise or the noise from the slamming crew door. Our sailing was full, so they gave us an apology and $100. Didn’t make things any better.
 

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