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Cabin changed at last minute - how best to tackle?


Bernard1
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So leaving this Sunday on Ventura and picked and booked guaranteed numbered cabin superior deluxe balcony with the nice end balcony for 3 - from the off (special birthday/ anniversary). Considered suite but ultimately thought we could get best of both worlds, on balance, with this one.

 

So paper booklet arrives - looks all OK. Had been checking throughout period in any case (dummy bookings) that our cabin remained unavailable to book to others. Now getting to point of printing out tickets to find that we have been moved. On phoning P and O advised that sofa bed not working since end July and now a two berth - hence move. Same facilities (er...... no....... get to see wake and have extra balcony space otherwise would not be quite so upset....) Ship now full perhaps one other option available out of whole ship left, but even then can't guarantee that until the morning. While this DA grade not an upgrade to us and is actually a downgrade in terms of the overall, they are magnanimous in offering it to us free of charge - only if it is still there...? Suggested swapping around sofa beds with another three berth with a working sofa bed to no avail. Feel that that would be more saleable for P and O because of the extra balcony space and let the other 3 berth become a 2 berth.

 

 

They said they called us late July early August but I do not have any voicemail messages, nor e-mail messages - albeit I do have more than a few unknown numbers on my records, but as I have a lot of nuisance calls I wouldn't pro-actively follow these up. I do feel that they could have done more to flag this up - a voicemail message or email 'contact us' even the post could have alerted us to this before all the cabins were sold out.

 

So I guess we are stuck where we are, but I do feel bitterly disappointed and slightly cynical about this - is the change actually for someone who has greater pull with P and O? Breakages happen all the time and they do have people on board to attend to these etc... and besides things could be moved around. As relatively new cruisers to P and O it has left us with not a good impression, but one hopes that late unexpected moves are a relative rarity in occurrence for customers and we are just unlucky.

 

 

So apologies all - but I am here to see if anyone has any useful tips or indications whether there are other avenues to pursue or any other form of recompense is likely - I gather from the Boards that the complaints dept is probably an avenue of little action. And at the end of the day I do know this is a first world issue - I am just a little disappointed - as I have been looking forward to the expected canine for so long - but that should subside!

 

 

Thanks

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Sorry, am not being awkward but I can't understand what the issue is exactly. Did you do a select fare and pick your cabin or a guarantee cabin which is a bit hit and miss?

 

What cabin did you want and where have they moved you too?

 

We've just got off Ventura in a superior deluxe cabin so may be able to help.

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Sorry wasn't clear - booked select - D732 specifically - now moved along the corridor quite a bit but still nominally DD grade. The only thing missing is the long end balcony (2.5 times wider than the norm albeit curving inwards at the end - just provided that bit more space for 3. Now we are several doors down the corridor. As mentioned - coming to terms with this - just a change to what was expected and up until last month all was OK. Not the best result but - hey - still going on a cruise!

 

 

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I would not have been to happy either. P&O should have tried in every way possible to alert you of the problem with the cabin booked and made sure you were aware of the change in cabin as then you would have had options of selecting another cabin which was then available.

 

I hope you get it resolved and don't let it spoil your cruise.

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No I would not be happy. If there was a major issue with plumbing then I can see why they would have to move you however it is not beyond the wit of man to fix a sofa bed.

 

If you suspect you have just been bumped then if I were you I would also try to check out the occupancy of the cabin you were moved out once on board.

 

I would also be looking for a refund of the difference between a select and a guarantee price as effectively they have treated you like a guarantee saver by moving you out of your chosen cabin for what looks like no cogent reason (again a sofa could be fixed or as you suggested, moved).

 

I hope they make it up to you and give you a junior suite or some such. Have a lovely cruise.

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If there is a "Sofa Bed" malfunction and this item no longer works in the cabin you have booked why does the cruise line not remove your defective sofa bed from your cabin and exchange it with a working sofa bed from another cabin where only two persons have been booked in as passengers. The sofa beds are not like pullmans attached to the wall or ceiling they are just like a settee at home which ones wife can decide should be in a new position in ones lounge.

 

Regards John

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I don't understand your comment about the seeing the wake, we have stayed in D732 and it does not look out of the stern, it is the last cabin on the port side of the ship. I believe that the cabin overlooking in the stern is D734. If you had booked D732 then the move to the upgrade means that the cabin will be the same as your original cabin just in a "better" position.

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I would be very unhappy because they haven't properly notified you and it is a fixable problem. I would ask for their official complaints procedure and follow this, ultimately taking it beyond P&O if necessary - does it really take two months to fix a sofa bed? Ask the Steward if there is a problem with it. Grrrr

 

 

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As mentioned - coming to terms with this - just a change to what was expected and up until last month all was OK. Not the best result but - hey - still going on a cruise!

 

 

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I sort of agree with everyone who has posted before me and have to add that I admire your attitude to all of this. I would ask the question about the sofa being moved etc before you go -- don't go on a mission on the ship. If it was me it would ruin my cruise and just wind me up even more if I found something I didn't like!!

 

I hope that you have a fabulous cruise

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I sort of agree with everyone who has posted before me and have to add that I admire your attitude to all of this. I would ask the question about the sofa being moved etc before you go -- don't go on a mission on the ship. If it was me it would ruin my cruise and just wind me up even more if I found something I didn't like!!

 

 

 

I hope that you have a fabulous cruise

 

 

The voice of reason [emoji4]

 

 

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Apologies for radio silence on my part. I was hoping to report back by now a conclusion one way or the other but not quite able to yet. The one other (DA) cabin left on the ship which pot was available has now gone as suspected. However on calling P &O did mention time enough to repair/replace and I did ask why the sofa bed from the cabin we are now located in can't be moved to D732 - but apparently H&S - these are really heavy duty things (although I have moved sofa beds on ships around in the past to find things caught behind the back etc, but there you go) wonder if decision has just been made and done the underlying programming for future cruises - if so- then fait accompli.

 

Anyway P&O chap showed a great deal of empathy which helped not to rub up wrong way. Offered some OBC as goodwill in recognition that customer service (notifying change) fell below usual standards, but obviously hands tied to degree.

 

But I was really pleased to receive a voicemail message from the nice chap and a follow up call to advise this - now I am just waiting on audit trail re this, which was promised would be forthcoming. (I have noted on boards that there have been disputes re extra OBC on ship that have only been settled from showing the audit trail.)

 

I must be honest and perhaps I am being rather delicate, but all of this extra hassle is just leaving a distinct down to the upcoming holiday - the unexpected issue and lack of promised resolution - even if falling far short of initial expectations - but we have had quite a year and as said this really is a first world issue and determined to do what I can to not feel let down. However I always wonder if the P &O behemoth reads these boards and realises that much angst is really really easily cured?

 

Hey ho and apologies to all as this is not meant to be any kind of vent. This is is a first for me - but perhaps I have been lucky up til now? (Although the first post did help [emoji6]) I want to have a big shout out to Nigel at P &O and hoping he'll come through with what has been mentioned to date) and OK..... still rooting that they'll come through with D732 for 'the little guy' but it doesn't hurt does it? We can all dream!

 

Lessons learnt

 

Notwithstanding issues that crop up during cruise......

 

- a select numbered cabin is never guaranteed so don't see yourself in that cabin until you are there (obvs if serious issue - serious issue but then expect fix in realistic times regardless)

 

- don't expect to be to be told about any changes to your select numbered cabin - follow through regularly your travel info up until check in (at least I found out by myself 4 days before the cruise - would not have been happy to be in this position in the cruise terminal)

 

Good cruising all!

 

 

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Apologies for radio silence on my part. I was hoping to report back by now a conclusion one way or the other but not quite able to yet. The one other (DA) cabin left on the ship which pot was available has now gone as suspected. However on calling P &O did mention time enough to repair/replace and I did ask why the sofa bed from the cabin we are now located in can't be moved to D732 - but apparently H&S - these are really heavy duty things (although I have moved sofa beds on ships around in the past to find things caught behind the back etc, but there you go) wonder if decision has just been made and done the underlying programming for future cruises - if so- then fait accompli.

 

Anyway P&O chap showed a great deal of empathy which helped not to rub up wrong way. Offered some OBC as goodwill in recognition that customer service (notifying change) fell below usual standards, but obviously hands tied to degree.

 

But I was really pleased to receive a voicemail message from the nice chap and a follow up call to advise this - now I am just waiting on audit trail re this, which was promised would be forthcoming. (I have noted on boards that there have been disputes re extra OBC on ship that have only been settled from showing the audit trail.)

 

I must be honest and perhaps I am being rather delicate, but all of this extra hassle is just leaving a distinct down to the upcoming holiday - the unexpected issue and lack of promised resolution - even if falling far short of initial expectations - but we have had quite a year and as said this really is a first world issue and determined to do what I can to not feel let down. However I always wonder if the P &O behemoth reads these boards and realises that much angst is really really easily cured?

 

Hey ho and apologies to all as this is not meant to be any kind of vent. This is is a first for me - but perhaps I have been lucky up til now? (Although the first post did help [emoji6]) I want to have a big shout out to Nigel at P &O and hoping he'll come through with what has been mentioned to date) and OK..... still rooting that they'll come through with D732 for 'the little guy' but it doesn't hurt does it? We can all dream!

 

Lessons learnt

 

Notwithstanding issues that crop up during cruise......

 

- a select numbered cabin is never guaranteed so don't see yourself in that cabin until you are there (obvs if serious issue - serious issue but then expect fix in realistic times regardless)

 

- don't expect to be to be told about any changes to your select numbered cabin - follow through regularly your travel info up until check in (at least I found out by myself 4 days before the cruise - would not have been happy to be in this position in the cruise terminal)

 

Good cruising all!

 

 

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I am sure that Nigel will come through for you, we had a problem earlier this year and Alessya at P&O arranged extra OBC for us for our cruise last month and when we got to our cabin she had also arranged a "Welcome on board" package for us too. Hopefully everything will go well on the cruise.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

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That's the thing about P&O, when something goes wrong it's the customer who has to do all the work to reach a satisfactory solution - we feel the pain of their internal complexities IMO.

 

Good for Nigel!

 

 

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The voice of reason [emoji4]

 

 

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Never been called that before ...... and if truth be told, if it was me I don't think I'd probably not be as calm about it all .........

 

Have a great cruise though Bernard 1 and I hope that the new cabin is better than the 1st was .... and that that bloke Nigel sorts things out for you.

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