Ship overbooked question?

What happens when a ship is overbooked? Even if I have booked a selected cabin number, could I still loose it?

What happens when a ship is overbooked? Even if I have booked a selected cabin number, could I still loose it?

The simple answer here is "No." But everything is negotiable.

If the ship really, really wants your cabin, they can't simply take it from you (except for a mechanical or some other unavoidable problem.) But they certainly can make you an offer that you'd be sorely pressed not to accept.

Cruise lines are not particularly known for constantly overselling cruises.

Scott & Karen

It doesn't happen often, remember final payment is about three months out so f someone misses final payment they have three months to sell the cabin again (and keep the first persons deposit so can afford to give a pretty good discount).

Some lines do make move-over offers. that's where they offer you a big discount and/or OBC on a future cruise to cancel the one you've booked.

Then they have cabins that are set aside for entertainers (and even staff) that can be shuffled around.

When I say staff I mean land based staff not crew, who may be getting a discount cruise, or even travel agents they'll all go before anyone paying normal fares.

The simple answer here is "No." But everything is negotiable.

 

If the ship really, really wants your cabin, they can't simply take it from you (except for a mechanical or some other unavoidable problem.) But they certainly can make you an offer that you'd be sorely pressed not to accept.

 

Cruise lines are not particularly known for constantly overselling cruises.

 

Scott & Karen

Just looking at your cruise history and I just have one question.

Do you like cruising?:D

Impressive!

The simple answer here is "No." But everything is negotiable.

 

If the ship really, really wants your cabin, they can't simply take it from you (except for a mechanical or some other unavoidable problem.) But they certainly can make you an offer that you'd be sorely pressed not to accept.

 

Cruise lines are not particularly known for constantly overselling cruises.

 

Scott & Karen

Actually every cruise line regularly oversells their ships--but just precisely up to the point where their yield management software indicates that enough passengers will accept last-minute 'move over' offers so that on embarkation day no more than the ship's exact capacity show up expecting to sail.

Oh and there certainly are plenty of tales of passengers who reserve a very specific cabin and mark their booking 'no upgrade' but find themselves assigned a different cabin upon boarding. If in your long cruising history you have not encountered either of the above--wonderful and bon voyage on you next one. (But the odds will catch up to you one day :o)

It rarely happens and when it does it normally will happen with someone who does not have a room assignment but rather a guarantee.

Keith

It has happened on several of our HAL cruises.

We never got the call asking us if we would consider another date. But we have met up with people where this did happen. These people were able to arrange for another date and got some shipboard credit.

I have no idea how they choose to call and see what can be done.

Cruise line are very good at managing the passengers on their ships. Most times there will be enough cancellations to open cabins for everyone.

On rare occasions, there will not be enough cancellations and the line will be forced to make what are called "Move Over" offers. These are usually generous offers, but require the people accepting them to change their plans. They might get a full refund plus a 50% or more discount on a future cruise.

Very few ships are fully sold out until just a few days before sailing. And there are always a fair number of "guarantee" cabins - which give the line a lot of leeway in shuffling people around. I have heard of people with a "guarantee" being told that -for some reason - no cabin was available - but never anyone who had booked a specific cabin.

It happened to us on a Princess cruise.

TA called at the end of December and said that Princess had a 'move over' offer for us. We were booked on a Mid Feb South American cruise. it seems that the cruise was oversold.

The offer was good. We got a full refund, we got to select another 14 day cruise, any one, at no charge. we were upgraded from a balcony to a mini suite. Princess reimbursed our $200 charge to cancel our reward air tickets.

It took me two seconds to say yes! And another 2 seconds to request a confirmation of the offer in writing.

I met two couples(one was top cruisers that week) who were among "many" bumped off Independence the end of June. They were called on Wednesday before their cruise on Sunday and offered a cruise on Oasis that Saturday or any other 7 night Caribbean cruise the next month. Top cruisers had booked b2b2b on Independence, and had their flights for FLL Saturday. They asked RCI if they would assist in changing flights since they would go on Oasis for one week. They were not helped at all with flight changes from RCI, but fortunately, Delta agents were sympathetic to their situation and changed their non refundable, non changeable flights to earlier times. They did have a confirmed cabin on Independence and are very frequent cruisers. I have never heard of this happening before, but we met both these couples in the Diamond lounge, and the one was top cruiser on Oasis that week. They were assigned a neighborhood balcony on Oasis from an Oceanview cabin on Independence.

They will usually make passengers offers to "move over" or cancel with a cash incentive

You do not have to accept any offers

they will just keep asking people until they have enough cabins opened up or keep sweetening the deal until they do

The handful of people I personally know who took a voluntary bump when it was offered lived in the embarkation city or close to it, so the cruise line knew they wouldn't have flights and hotels booked, and would be more likely to take the offer.

Roz

Princess seems to be the leader in over booking.

They will offer "Move Over" requests and sweeten the offers until they get enough volunteers .

You will not have to accept the offer , they will move on to others until they get enough. Some offers can be real good if you are asked, and accept :-)

We have just had a phonecall saying our cruise departing this Sunday has been overbooked and could we move dates which we cannot but only have a guaranteed state room so don't even have a cabin number yet... panicking a bit that we won't be able to go even though we booked it months ago

We have just had a phonecall saying our cruise departing this Sunday has been overbooked and could we move dates which we cannot but only have a guaranteed state room so don't even have a cabin number yet... panicking a bit that we won't be able to go even though we booked it months ago

You will still go on this cruise. The cruise line will approach a number of people asking them to forego their cruise in favour of an alternative. The offers will be better and better until they get enough people shifted to alternative cruises. This will not be you if you simply stand your ground and say you are going as originally booked on the guarantee basis.

Regards John

We have just had a phonecall saying our cruise departing this Sunday has been overbooked and could we move dates which we cannot but only have a guaranteed state room so don't even have a cabin number yet... panicking a bit that we won't be able to go even though we booked it months ago

Relax you do not have to accept the deal

They will find others willing to take the bump

Just say NO THANK YOU

Enjoy your cruise

The simple answer here is "No." But everything is negotiable.

 

If the ship really, really wants your cabin, they can't simply take it from you (except for a mechanical or some other unavoidable problem.) But they certainly can make you an offer that you'd be sorely pressed not to accept.

 

Cruise lines are not particularly known for constantly overselling cruises.

 

Scott & Karen

Hi Scott & Karen,

Since you are loyal, frequent Holland America Cruisers, do you by chance know Alan and Sandra Benson? They also are frequent HAL world cruisers? Just curious.

Cathy

This is happening now on our Princess med cruise that we board next week. Several of us on our roll call received a move over offer. But so far no one on our roll call has taken it. Too much of a hassle to change flights, time off work, etc.

I wouldn't call it 'losing a cabin' but 4 days before our 1st Princess cruise I was phoned by Princess with a 'voluntary upgrade' If I agreed to give up my stateroom on the upcoming sailing we would instead get a 14 days cruise in a mini suite with 2000 to spend onboard plus the cost of penalty in changing our flights. We had booked an oceanview 7 day voyage. We took it, booked a last minute RCCL for 399.99 p/p and went on Princess the following year.

...Oh and there certainly are plenty of tales of passengers who reserve a very specific cabin and mark their booking 'no upgrade' but find themselves assigned a different cabin upon boarding...

Actually, only once were we faced with a reserved cabin number (no upgrade please) and upon boarding, were presented with a different cabin. When I questioned the situation, we were told "It's an upgrade and we thought you'd be happy." When I said no thank you, I was then told "I'm sorry, but we've already moved someone else into the room." My reply was that the other people simply had to be moved out of the room. And if the cruise line didn't want a rather messy and possibly legal problem, I'd suggest they do it post haste. I spent 20 to 30 minutes at the check-in counter in the Ft. Lauderdale terminal, and the cabin became available. Amazing, huh. Just stand your ground and expect to receive what was contracted.

Contrary to your assertion of "plenty of tales," I have never heard of any cruiser, against his or her will, being not given the cabin or cabin category on his or her reservation. The offers to change will get sweeter and sweeter until the cruiser agrees, but in the end, the cruiser can demand the reservation be honored. This is assuming, of course, that some unexpected problem hasn't arisen that makes the cabin unavailable.

Scott & Karen

Just looking at your cruise history and I just have one question.

Do you like cruising?:D

Impressive!

No, actually we’re not at all fond of cruising. We’re both simply masochistic and love the coffee on Holland America ships.:-)

Scott & Karen