Help - Princess booted us out of our cabins

[inghilch]

Help - extended family with small kids booked 3 cabins booked Royal Princess 12/22 - 12/29 holiday cruise. I had connecting mini suites and a interior cabin across the way. While completing online check in I noticed different cabin numbers. I'm told we were upgraded MA....To 3 different decks and they took away our connecting cabins ME On the Aloha deck. What can I do to get them back???? Princess basically told me too bad. Can you believe this? My husband and I and suppose to be on different decks and split up our children. Has anyone had this happen to them??

[trabeler]

This can happen and the only way to avoid it is to be sure that your booking is noted as 'no upgrades'.

 

I just made a booking today for two nearby rooms for a family trip and the Princess agent mentioned this before I even brought it up. According to the agent, they do not have the ability to flag multiple cabins to allow upgrades but still keep them together.

[geocruiser]

Help - extended family with small kids booked 3 cabins booked Royal Princess 12/22 - 12/29 holiday cruise. I had connecting mini suites and a interior cabin across the way. While completing online check in I noticed different cabin numbers. I'm told we were upgraded MA....To 3 different decks and they took away our connecting cabins ME On the Aloha deck. What can I do to get them back???? Princess basically told me too bad. Can you believe this? My husband and I and suppose to be on different decks and split up our children. Has anyone had this happen to them??

 

Call Princess back. And tell them by Princess rules a minor children is NOT allowed in a cabin by them selves. This is a rule made by Princess. Ask for some one higher up than the phone rep. Keep us posted on how you make out please.

 

From Princess's web site

 

minimum Passenger age is 6 months on Alaska, Canada/New England, Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, Trans-canal and Australia/New Zealand cruises, and 12 months on all other cruises, including transatlantic and transpacific itineraries. Passengers under the age of 21 years must travel in a stateroom with a Passenger 21 years or older who shall assume responsibility for their care during the cruise. For family groups booking multiple staterooms, the minimum age for at least one person in each stateroom is 16 years of age, provided they are traveling with a parent or legal guardian. We are unable to accept group reservations for student or youth groups that do not conform to our minimum age requirements. Each passenger agrees and warrants that he/she will supervise any passenger in his/her care at all times to ensure all policies, along with all other rules of the Carrier and ship, are strictly adhered to by all Passengers under their supervision..

Edited December 4, 2013 by geocruiser

[RickEk]

Call Princess back. And tell them by Princess rules a minor children is NOT allowed in a cabin by them selves. This is a rule made by Princess. Ask for some one higher up than the phone rep. Keep us posted on how you make out please.

 

From Princess's web site

 

minimum Passenger age is 6 months on Alaska, Canada/New England, Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, Trans-canal and Australia/New Zealand cruises, and 12 months on all other cruises, including transatlantic and transpacific itineraries. Passengers under the age of 21 years must travel in a stateroom with a Passenger 21 years or older who shall assume responsibility for their care during the cruise. For family groups booking multiple staterooms, the minimum age for at least one person in each stateroom is 16 years of age, provided they are traveling with a parent or legal guardian. We are unable to accept group reservations for student or youth groups that do not conform to our minimum age requirements. Each passenger agrees and warrants that he/she will supervise any passenger in his/her care at all times to ensure all policies, along with all other rules of the Carrier and ship, are strictly adhered to by all Passengers under their supervision..

 

This doesn't matter... they had to have made the original bookings with adults in each cabin in the first place. Since they were probably not marked "no upgrade", they were fair game to upgrade.

[kontraxed]

Princess upgraded our cabin but then said we had 48 hours to let them know if that was not acceptable. We preferred the upgrade so we did not respond. The point is that they did not just unilaterally change our rooms without letting us know.

[geocruiser]

Even with your cabin marked "no upgrades" Princess can change your cabin with out asking you. It happened to me and few years back.

[inghilch]

Thanks for the replies! I will keep you posted. After 1.5 hours on the phone talking to various people they told me to standby and give them 48 hours to work on it. My husband and I are each booked in the cabins with the children. You are exactly right they did not allow me to book the children alone. Note though no one called me. I just happen to notice it today with less than 3 weeks before sailing. Ill be patient and hope for the best but I'm thinking we are out sadly out of luck....

[geocruiser]

Thanks for the replies! I will keep you posted. After 1.5 hours on the phone talking to various people they told me to standby and give them 48 hours to work on it. My husband and I are each booked in the cabins with the children. You are exactly right they did not allow me to book the children alone. Note though no one called me. I just happen to notice it today with less than 3 weeks before sailing. Ill be patient and hope for the best but I'm thinking we are out sadly out of luck....

 

Good luck. Princess just has to move the PAX in your old cabins to your new cabins. Let the other PAX have the upgrade.

[Bucky3]

Even with your cabin marked "no upgrades" Princess can change your cabin with out asking you. It happened to me and few years back.

 

And the same happened to my daughter last summer. In her case it turned out well, but she had to call to change the "upgrade" cabin category to a different location on the ship.

 

OP - If you can't get your cabins back, (I know it is late for a Christmas sailing), but look and call Princess to see if there are cabins together in the category they upgraded you to. Family Christmas cruises are wonderful, and this is certainly a big problem for you. I would go as high up in the Princess chain of command as possible with my complaint - and hope it works for you. Let us know how it turns out, and I hope you have a wonderful holiday cruise with your family.

[skf]

We have had cabin changes, but always have gotten an e-mail notification.

[paul929207]

Princess upgraded our cabin but then said we had 48 hours to let them know if that was not acceptable. We preferred the upgrade so we did not respond. The point is that they did not just unilaterally change our rooms without letting us know.

Sometimes Princess tells people (like you) that they are being offered an upgrade and given an opportunity to decline it. Other times it is just done.

[baronessk]

I was going to say the same thing. I'm sure the passengers that are now booked in the op's original cabins would take the upgrades and the op can get the cabins back.

[TracieABD]

Just to add---- If you don't hear back tomorrow, call again. A lot of times, it really depends on who you get on the phone and their level of experience in solving complex and multi-faceted problems. If you don't like that answer, hang up and call again.

 

I will keep you and your family in my thoughts for a good outcome!

 

Keep us posted...:)

[mamaboss]

We booked 2 caribe mid balconies And We're Upgraded To 2 Mid Dolphin minisuites. Didn't have a clue till 3 days prior when TA called and ask if I saw we were upgraded. I have no idea when they upgraded us as I printed our documents and did a last check about 5 weeks prior. Happened to be in our favor but you can bet I check our booking every couple weeks and more often during the last 6 weeks. I have "no upgrade" for our cruise on the Royal as we have a larger midship balcony we don't want to lose.

[Pam in CA]

As long as your booking wasn't marked, "Do not upgrade," they can change your cabin. Stick by your guns and keep calling. And, in the future, mark your booking to not upgrade. Having a TA would have been a big help in this instance.

[Bucky3]

As long as your booking wasn't marked, "Do not upgrade," they can change your cabin. Stick by your guns and keep calling. And, in the future, mark your booking to not upgrade. Having a TA would have been a big help in this instance.

 

It doesn't always happen! Our daughter booked a mini midship and was "upgraded" to an aft full suite. This was a med cruise. Her booking was marked "no upgrade!" Because of seasickness, she made sure to have her booking marked "no upgrade." The Princess website did not list any midship cabins as available, but by putting in several midship suite cabin numbers on the Princess website, there were several cabins available there. She called Princess and they made the change to a midship suite, so it all turned out well for her.

 

Good luck to the OP!

Edited December 5, 2013 by Bucky3

[Pam in CA]

It doesn't always happen! Our daughter booked a mini midship and was "upgraded" to an aft full suite. This was a med cruise. Her booking was marked "no upgrade!" Because of seasickness, she made sure to have her booking marked "no upgrade." The Princess website did not list any midship cabins as available, but by putting in several midship suite cabin numbers on the Princess website, there were several cabins available there. She called Princess and they made the change to a midship suite, so it all turned out well for her.

Very true but you have a much better chance of keeping your cabin or getting it back if you have it marked, "No upgrade."

 

A few years ago, my sister and brother-in-law were booked in the Emerald deck mini-suite next to me. Our bookings were linked and marked, "No upgrade." These cabins were towards the aft. I was moved to a far forward Dolphin deck mini-suite (an upgrade according to Princess but for me, a real downgrade.) My TA got my cabin back right away as she had the documentation that I was not to be moved.

[Ethel5]

The OP said "extended" family with small children in 3 cabins. That indicates that there is at least a third adult. I'm not quite clear on this.

Edited December 5, 2013 by Ethel5

[sea_u_onboard]

First cruise with Princess and I booked directly through them. Agent NEVER mentioned "No Upgrade" option and I didn't know to ask. Selected the mini-suite I wanted and went on. Got an email saying I was UPGRADED to a mini on the Dolphin deck (exposed balcony) - to me not an upgrade as I could have purchased a cabin on the Dolphin deck cheaper when I purchased the cabin I selected.

 

I called immediately and asked to be changed back, which they were able to do since the original cabin was still available. The second agent made a point of saying that the No Upgrade option wasn't checked and I should have requested the No Upgrade option - well how am I to opt out of something when I didn't even know there was an option.

 

It seems to me the system should default to No Upgrade and if you are interested in being upgraded then check a box.

[inghilch]

The OP said "extended" family with small children in 3 cabins. That indicates that there is at least a third adult. I'm not quite clear on this.

 

 

Thanks again for all your responses. You're right. We will try and call again tomorrow. Different contacts may yield different results. I just wanted to see if there could be favorable outcome out of this. I was hoping to have a fabulous holiday cruise. We pack a small tree and Santa does come to visit!

We did not have trip insurance either or I would have even considered to cancel.

The way I book the rooms and have done so on the past 4 holiday cruises I've taken with RCC, NCL and Carnival are - 1 cabin with my husband and I and 1 son. The connecting cabin with my mom and my daughters and the third cabin with my dad and my 5 year old son. This way the grandparents can help or babysit... not always.. but then usually we reconfigure so its my husband and I in one room, the kids in the other and the g-parents across the hall.

We booked this in February. I don't recall if I had asked for an upgrade but it's possible. My thoughts on an upgrade would be a full suite not to have my children (ages 5-8) separated on 3 different decks. We were originally on Aloha and 1 cabin stayed the same and they gave up our connecting mini suites catagorty ME and upgrades changed one cabin to the Carib deck and and one to the Baja deck... So that's where we are...

[Ethel5]

...........................SNIP.................................

The way I book the rooms and have done so on the past 4 holiday cruises I've taken with RCC, NCL and Carnival are - 1 cabin with my husband and I and 1 son. The connecting cabin with my mom and my daughters and the third cabin with my dad and my 5 year old son. This way the grandparents can help or babysit... not always.. but then usually we reconfigure so its my husband and I in one room, the kids in the other and the g-parents across the hall.

..

 

Thanks for clarifying the composition of the family. I do hope you get a satisfactory outcome. Have a great cruise.:)

[Liz54]

This is very disappointing. Hope you will come back and let us know how it is resolved.

[skf]

Our bookings were linked and marked, "No upgrade."

Princess could & should have a "NO UPGRADE & DO NOT CHANGE MY CABIN FOR ANY REASON" button for those with a particular cabin in mind. After the customer has gone to all the trouble of locating their choice, I do not see why they would make this kind of change. They do have your telephone number.

[sea_u_onboard]

Our bookings were linked and marked, "No upgrade."

Princess could & should have a "NO UPGRADE & DO NOT CHANGE MY CABIN FOR ANY REASON" button for those with a particular cabin in mind. After the customer has gone to all the trouble of locating their choice, I do not see why they would make this kind of change. They do have your telephone number.

Wish they had these type of options (buttons) in the My Princess section. This way you could select or unselect based on your choice.

[inghilch]

I'm still waiting. I called a couple of hours ago and they still had no resolution. They told me to call back again in a little while. Agree I was surprised no phone call with the "upgrade". Fingers crossed this works out.