Overpaid - What now?

Months ago, I booked a cruise which I'll be doing in a few weeks. I booked a guaranteed lower deck inside cabin midships, because I wanted to feel as little ship movement as possible. The guarantee said that I would be allocated a cabin in the grade I booked (any of those cabins would have suited me). Instead I've been given a higher up (top deck), originally more expensive cabin. In addition, the cost of an outside cabin in any grade is lower than I originally paid. What options, if any, do I have to feel happier about this? I hope someone can offer some useful advice. I persuaded my husband to do this. It is our first time with this cruise line and unless I make him feel better about what he considers as having been ripped off, it may well be my last early booked cruise. We booked direct with the cruiseline and not through an agent.:confused:

That is the problem with a GTY you get whatever they want to give you

You could try calling the cruise line & ask for a lower deck midship cabin

Most cruise lines will discount prices closer to sailing that is the risk you take

We book 18mths out so I try not to look at pricing after I book but I do get my cabin of choice by booking early

If the price you originally paid was a fair price when booked, then you did not get ripped off.

You've gotten more than you paid for.... But, since you wanted a cabin in a specific place, you should have booked a specific cabin number. A gty means they can give you AT LEAST what you paid for, but they can give you better, and they did!

Call, and see if they will move you to the area you want....you might even get an OBC to cover the difference in price, if there is a difference! If not, you will get what you want, for the price you agreed to.

Either you misunderstood a "guarentee" or it was not properly explained to you.

With a guarantee, you will be given a cabin in the category you have booked or any higher category. I would never book a guarantee if there was even one cabin they could give me that I would not want.

Is this before or after the final payment?

If before, call the cruise line and ask them to adjust your invoice so you will pay less.

If after, some cruise lines give credit on account, some don't.

As for your cabin... if there are many available, you may call and ask to move you.

"The guarantee said that I would be allocated a cabin in the grade I booked" - no, it does not say so. It says "grade you booked or higher" - meaning you agreed to accept anything they offered you, anywhere on the ship.

Depending on the cruise line - if the pricing went way down than what you paid, you or your travel agent can call them up and ask what freebies you can get for your room such as OBC or a room upgrade to a different category. Happen to me with NCL with my upcoming trip - I was originally in studio room that cost me about 1k in March then pricing with down by $100 in Octber and got $30 OBC. Then pricing with down again to about $400 in this month and someone on my roll call notice then told everyone that's solo traveling about it, so I gave NCL called to see if I can get additional OBC or at least wine or something. They gave me a unexpected offer that I just couldn't refuse and would be a fool to do so - a free upgrade to mini-suite GTY.

So yes, give your cruise line a call, the worst they can say is "No'. Who knows - you might get lucky and not have to pay anything for a upgrade.

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That is the problem with a GTY you get whatever they want to give you

 

You could try calling the cruise line & ask for a lower deck midship cabin

 

Most cruise lines will discount prices closer to sailing that is the risk you take

 

We book 18mths out so I try not to look at pricing after I book but I do get my cabin of choice by booking early

We're the same way. We've been booking specific cabins for the past several courses and then mark our booking "no upgrade requested." In the past, we've been given upgrades but not always desirable ones so this is a must for us. We've even turned down moveover offers that would be attractive to others (both have included a free upgrade to a balcony cabin for postponing our cruise for a few weeks).

If you book a guarantee, you're at the mercy of the cruiseline. And they can "upgrade" you to a higher category, but if you don't care for certain locations (for us, most of the time we don't want a far forward -- we did choose far forward for our Alaskan cruise but that was a very smooth cruise), then you need to consider this.

Once we book our cruise, we don't stress out over checking the prices as we've been booking popular cruises (itinerary and sailing dates) that sell out early.

Months ago, I booked a cruise which I'll be doing in a few weeks....

It is our first time with this cruise line and unless I make him feel better about what he considers as having been ripped off, it may well be my last early booked cruise. We booked direct with the cruiseline and not through an agent.:confused:

It doesn't seem fair at first but people who book first get their choice of cabins or categories and are sure to be booked on the cruise.

People who can wait until within 90 days or less of a cruise can get some fantastic clearance prices but it really is a clearance price. Like a clearance rack with a dress in your size but the wrong color even if it is 75% off.

There may or may not be a cabin available, you might be limited on number or ages booked at last minute. (I had tried to do 3 in a cabin and could not.)

There may not be space in kids club or muster station.

There may not be early seating available. Or late seating.

Excursions may be booked full already whether through the cruise or not.

Hotels may be booked full already(I had to book 4th choice hotel for a cruise a year away)

Airfare may be more expensive or not available for high demand travel times or only with a layover or bad flight times.

And finally, late bookers don't have the pleasure of anticipation. I am so looking forward to my next cruise. Whenever life is slightly crummy I can just remind myself "I am going on a cruise!" and feel better.

I have to travel school vacations so I do book cruise and airfare very early since prices usually stay high.

Once my children are all out of school I plan on catching some of those ultra affordable last minute cruises offered.

I may book airfare on points to Ft.Lauderdale or Miami and wait until well within final payment and book when something I like comes available. If nothing becomes available then I could cancel and get back my points.

So I hope you have a great cruise and find a strategy for booking that works for you.

I hope it works out for you. Too many people don't understand how guarantees work. You did not book "a guaranteed lower deck inside cabin midships." What you booked was a guarantee for that category of cabin or any higher categories. The cruise line's policies for guarantees allows it to place you in any cabin that category or higher. You could end up on the top deck at the very front of the ship if those cabins are a higher category.

Some cruise lines will move you to a cabin in the same category that you were assigned. They can also put you back into the guarantee pool. Depending on how full the ship is, you may be stuck in the cabin you think is undesirable. If you are, try not to dwell on it. I bet if you go with an open mind you'll have a great time as long as the seas are not too rough.

Generally sales after the final payment date are for new bookings only. It doesn't hurt to ask the cruise line directly since you booked with them. If you had booked through a travel agent, you'd have to go through him or her. We once got an upgrade when we asked after the final payment date.

The guarantee said that I would be allocated a cabin in the grade I booked

Whomever told OP that was incorrect or OP misunderstood ?

Guarantee is always the booked category or above .

The guarantee said that I would be allocated a cabin in the grade I booked

 

Whomever told OP that was incorrect or OP misunderstood ?

Guarantee is always the booked category or above .

I thought it was a guarantee of that room category unless the upgrade fairy or yourself makes a call to make a change. For example- if you book a interior GTY, you're guaranteed a room of that category but that does not mean it will be your choice of deck/location nor if the room will be big or not. Nor are you guaranteed a balcony or up unless you pay extra for the change.

Edit: Depending on the cruise line, you or may not get an additional amenity with the guaranteed room lotto such as spa interior.

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I thought it was a guarantee of that room category unless the upgrade fairy or yourself makes a call to make a change. For example- if you book a interior GTY, you're guaranteed a room of that category but that does not mean it will be your choice of deck/location nor if the room will be big or not. Nor are you guaranteed a balcony or up unless you pay extra for the change.

 

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I thought it was a guarantee of that room category unless the upgrade fairy or yourself makes a call to make a change. For example- if you book a interior GTY, you're guaranteed a room of that category but that does not mean it will be your choice of deck/location nor if the room will be big or not. Nor are you guaranteed a balcony or up unless you pay extra for the change.

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Nope , 17+ years selling cruises and a Category Guarantee has always been for the Category that you booked or better .

Most hope that they do get better .

Booked many Category guarantees for ourselves over the years and always received at least 1 Category better than what I paid for , somtimes times much better.

Months ago, I booked a cruise which I'll be doing in a few weeks. I booked a guaranteed lower deck inside cabin midships, because I wanted to feel as little ship movement as possible. The guarantee said that I would be allocated a cabin in the grade I booked (any of those cabins would have suited me). Instead I've been given a higher up (top deck), originally more expensive cabin. In addition, the cost of an outside cabin in any grade is lower than I originally paid. What options, if any, do I have to feel happier about this? I hope someone can offer some useful advice. I persuaded my husband to do this. It is our first time with this cruise line and unless I make him feel better about what he considers as having been ripped off, it may well be my last early booked cruise. We booked direct with the cruiseline and not through an agent.:confused:

It is helpful if you let people know what cruise line and where you are booking. The policies & rules that govern cruises booked outside the US, especially in the UK, Australia & New Zealand, are significantly different from those encountered by US cruisers.

As a general rule . . .

Any price reductions that occur after final payment date are only available to new bookings. I may be wrong but I believe UK bookings on UK lines are final and any price reductions that may occur would not be passed along to you. Even if you had booked through an agent. Once you booked, looking at future cabin prices serves no purpose other than to drive yourself crazy.

Cabin assignment may be on you. You booked direct and it is your responsibility to monitor whatever cabin assignment P&O may have given you. By its very nature, booking a "guaranteed cabin" means that the cruise line must give you a cabin that is not in a lower category. They assigned you a cabin in a higher category than the one you booked, current price having no bearing. You were given an upgrade. Often an upgrade from the cruise line's perspective isn't a desirable thing for the customer. It may be possible to get a cabin on the original deck but that is something you will have to work out with the cruise line.

This is a 24 night cruise spanning Christmas & New Years. I think you should have booked a specific cabin on the deck you wanted for a cruise of this length.

Enjoy!

It is helpful if you let people know what cruise line and where you are booking. The policies & rules that govern cruises booked outside the US, especially in the UK, Australia & New Zealand, are significantly different from those encountered by US cruisers.

 

As a general rule . . .

 

Any price reductions that occur after final payment date are only available to new bookings. I may be wrong but I believe UK bookings on UK lines are final and any price reductions that may occur would not be passed along to you. Even if you had booked through an agent. Once you booked, looking at future cabin prices serves no purpose other than to drive yourself crazy.

 

Cabin assignment may be on you. You booked direct and it is your responsibility to monitor whatever cabin assignment P&O may have given you. By its very nature, booking a "guaranteed cabin" means that the cruise line must give you a cabin that is not in a lower category. They assigned you a cabin in a higher category than the one you booked, current price having no bearing. You were given an upgrade. Often an upgrade from the cruise line's perspective isn't a desirable thing for the customer. It may be possible to get a cabin on the original deck but that is something you will have to work out with the cruise line.

 

This is a 24 night cruise spanning Christmas & New Years. I think you should have booked a specific cabin on the deck you wanted for a cruise of this length.

 

Enjoy!

Ah, I see you checked the OPs other two posts (I just did too) and it really is helpful to know which cruise line and how someone booked (through a TA, through an online site --without naming names of TAs or sites, or course, or through the cruise line. And whether it was an US, UK, or another kind of booking as that can affect the matter.

And many of us agree, that the line's idea of an upgrade may not be yours. Many intentionally book a guarantee because they are hoping for a mega upgrade (say from inside to balcony, and so forth) and not just a mere category upgrade. So you have to be willing to accept what is given to you -- you're saying, hey, cruise line, pick our cabin for us. Some of us have preferences and rather select our cabin. In fact, before I booked our last cruise, hubby asked me to see if our previous cabin (on the same ship) was available. Sadly for him, that cabin and the ones in that area and corresponding ones on the port side were all taken. As it turned out, that one of the ones offered to us -- I had waitlisted several categories -- turned out to be an acceptable one for the three of us.

I also am sorry you had the wrong impression but what booking a guarantee cabin means. The cruise line is only restricted to assign you to a cabin at least in the pricing category you selected. They can put you anywhere on the ship that is at least that category. We never book a guarantee but always choose the exact cabin we want.

Seeing you booked without a TA, the cruise line will speak with you directly if you call. I would suggest call, telling a rep your story as nicely as possible :) and ask if they can give you a bit of OBC or some other extra to make up for the price differential. You could ask to be moved to another cabin. They probably won't agree but there is nothing to lose by asking.

Good luck and please be kind enough to return here and tell us how it works out for you. So many never tell us the 'end of the story'. :)

Welcome to Cruise Critic , Call your TA up ..

Welcome to Cruise Critic ' date=' Call your TA up ..[/quote']

 

Read the last sentence of the OP's post. They booked directly with the cruise line, not a TA.

 

OP, you obviously don't understand how a guarantee booking works. You book a category, not a cabin or a specific deck, and the basic rules are you get the category you booked, or higher. You got the higher category. You were not ripped off, as you got what you paid for. In the future, don't do a guarantee and pick your own cabin. That way you won't be disappointed.

OP it would also be helpful to complete your profile.... Your other 2 posts are on UK and Australia board so any info US or Canadian cruisers give may be way way wrong.

Please fix your profile!

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I get 'ripped off' every time we take a flight, cruise, or book into a hotel.

Why? Because there is no doubt in my mind that someone has paid less than me for the air, cruise, and hotel.

That is how supply and demand works. If you wait for the absolute lowest fare I suspect that you will be spending more time at home.