Lost Booking

Just wondering if anyone has experienced this or if it happens often? What would happen if there was no cabin found? When we turned up at Portside only to find at check-in, our booking was lost and not on the ship's manifest! Worse still were told the cruise was sold out. Luckily we had all our boarding passes, travel summaries etc. and arrived early. After over an hour or so wait, with some distress, luckily an alternate cabin was found. No explanation was given as to where this happened in the system.

Just wondering if anyone has experienced this or if it happens often? What would happen if there was no cabin found? When we turned up at Portside only to find at check-in, our booking was lost and not on the ship's manifest! Worse still were told the cruise was sold out. Luckily we had all our boarding passes, travel summaries etc. and arrived early. After over an hour or so wait, with some distress, luckily an alternate cabin was found. No explanation was given as to where this happened in the system.

Well, just maybe someone would need an Aspro and a good lay down.. ... :rolleyes: And then go and read another good book

P

Fortunately I don't believe it would be in adults' or child's best interest to feed them aspirin randomly but thanks for your kind advice Big Kev!:cool: I always thought this forum was such a friendly place.

I think it was more the situation of that cruise, that it was a last sector rather than a normal entire cruise length, and they were shuffling a large number of people around.

As you saw they did find some space for you, and that would normally be the case even when 'sold out.' There are usually a few reserves to cater for different situations e.g. some cabins may be/become out of service, there could be some unused due to balancing the numbers (e.g. total pax capacity met, but not all cabins used). If there had to be some trade-off the worst case is to look at compensation, but that's not a preferred approach.

Thanks Big M - Our group of 4, when aboard and speaking to fellow passengers, did really think that this had happened aboard with the shuffling around and that our cabin was reallocated and our booking overlooked. 3 of our 4 were first time cruisers, had paid for flights, motels, meals etc and just really wanted to get on that ship for a birthday celebration and cruise to Sydney and not looking for compensation. And celebrate we did! I think this cruise prior to Brisbane had been a little difficult for some for a variety of reasons as well as a pleasure for most with whom we had conversations aboard.

That's just the kind of story I need to read while waiting for my cruise packet!!!!:eek:

I really don't think you would have to worry when starting a fresh cruise. This was a short cruise tagged onto the end of a much longer cruise and we were virtually just filling the cabins of the passengers who had disembarked at the previous port. But photocopy everything and get to your cruise terminal early, if possible - just my advice.

Hi Megsie, sorry to hear of your experience, that must have been stressful for you all, what ship were you on?

I had a experience at embarkation on my P&O cruise last year. I arrived with my DH, my 7 yo son and our friends to check in only to be told that they had no cruise card for me and had no record of me on the ship's manafest.:eek:

All the rest of my party was fine, nobody seemed to know what was going on, I showed them my Passport, paperwork from the TA and my etickets but they didn't seem to make any difference. After about 20 minutes of this woman telling me that I wasn't on the list, she eventually got a supervisor who contacted the purser's office on the ship by walkie talkie and confirmed that my name was indeed on the ship's computer system and they would produce a new cruise card for me. She sent someone on board to collect my cruise card and then I was told I could embark with the rest of my family & friends.

Anyway it didn't end there... when we boarded the ship and our photos were being linked to our cruise card, the dinger machine kept emitting an alarm and wouldn't let me on board. All the rest of my party were hurried in to the ship and I was placed in a little room behind a curtain, here I found other undesirables :rolleyes: (a family with 2 young kids and an elderly couple) who were having the same problem.

Eventually they realized that I wasn't allowed on because according to the ship's computer two cruise cards had been issued for me and was therefore a security risk. Eventually, they then fixed it up an I was allowed to join my party.

I can tell you though, every time I got on the ship at each port, I was kind of worried that I would be rejected and have to make my own way home.

Hi Bella Cruiser, we were on the Sun Princess. We really only wanted some reassurance that everything was being sorted but we were left to wonder for over an hour, the ship's purser sorted the booking and issued cards. We still had to chase our luggage, sort out dining room, credit cards etc aboard and still waiting for birthday celebration but most importantly we got aboard. Funnily when we arrived home, that evening in my inbox was an email from Princess with a satifaction survey to fill in! I understand mistakes happen but some good customer service would make it a little easier to deal with. I'm glad all your problems were sorted as well.

megsie,

So sorry to read of your unfortunate experience.

Hope your next cruise will be trouble free.

Scary stuff!

Like showing up without proper documentation except not your fault.

Oh Megsie and Jenny - I think I would have had an extreme panic attack in your circumstances. :eek: So far, (fingers crossed) the only trouble I've had is my cruise card/door key giving up the ghost half-way through the cruise. They just issued me with another one. The strange thing is that it also had the same quirk - would only open the door on the second try. DHs card worked first time, every time, though.

Glad you both did enjoy your cruises after the bad start. :)

Hi Bella Cruiser, we were on the Sun Princess. We really only wanted some reassurance that everything was being sorted but we were left to wonder for over an hour, the ship's purser sorted the booking and issued cards. We still had to chase our luggage, sort out dining room, credit cards etc aboard and still waiting for birthday celebration but most importantly we got aboard. Funnily when we arrived home, that evening in my inbox was an email from Princess with a satifaction survey to fill in! I understand mistakes happen but some good customer service would make it a little easier to deal with. I'm glad all your problems were sorted as well.

That's terrible Megsie. The excited smiles would have soon been wiped off your face that's for sure.

Did you book through Princess direct, through a front office Travel Agent or an online Travel Agent? Just interested to know.

Whilst we were on board we found out that we could have booked the return trip back up to Brisbane.... I was spitting tacks that I didn't know that. Tried to book it on board but had a worse that useless guy on the Pursers Desk and everytime I queued up to follow it up I got him...:( Needless to say we missed out on the return. Some did get it though.

After all the mess up do hope you went on to have a lovely cruise. The sail away weather was perfect wasn't it. Here's a photo I took from the pool bar not long before we sailed.

Jilly:)

Hi Jilly, we booked by online agent (whom we have used before) and they gave us our booking number and then we used Princess cruise personaliser system to complete booking details, print boarding passes etc. I had seen the return trip going for a quad from $149 (online agent) - bargain. We boarded for lunch and then had the pool deck almost to ourselves in glorious sunshine. Loved the pizza!

Hi Jilly, we booked by online agent (whom we have used before) and they gave us our booking number and then we used Princess cruise personaliser system to complete booking details, print boarding passes etc. I had seen the return trip going for a quad from $149 (online agent) - bargain. We boarded for lunch and then had the pool deck almost to ourselves in glorious sunshine. Loved the pizza!

Our son and daughter-in-law who were with us loved the Pizza too. They managed to squeeze a pizza in sometime over the couple of days.

DH and I didn't get time, or have the room to fit a pizza in....lol.

Jilly:)

Hi Bella Cruiser, we were on the Sun Princess. We really only wanted some reassurance that everything was being sorted but we were left to wonder for over an hour, the ship's purser sorted the booking and issued cards. We still had to chase our luggage, sort out dining room, credit cards etc aboard and still waiting for birthday celebration but most importantly we got aboard. Funnily when we arrived home, that evening in my inbox was an email from Princess with a satifaction survey to fill in! I understand mistakes happen but some good customer service would make it a little easier to deal with. I'm glad all your problems were sorted as well.

Not that I am one to focus on the negative...why spoil a good cruise...but having the satisfaction survey arrive when you got home is karma...hope you were truthful when you filled it in. Reasonable and appropriate responses are the only way any business can build customer satisfaction with their service or product.:)