Help our cabin is not what we expected!

[PORT ROYAL]

Nope, none. When I rang our TA on Friday in the morning they said they would talk to P&O and get back to me but never did. So I rang them again late afternoon and they told me there was nothing they could do. Then, I rang P&O directly and they said they would ring me Monday morning but still NOTHING! Starting to get very impatient.

 

 

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What they could do is give you a massive refund because if their unhelpfulness. From them, not via P&O

[eddiecat]

Hi eddiecat.

 

I could understand that if they had a spare cabin available, then they might possibly be able to change your booking. However, I have just looked at the P&O website and the cruise is still showing as completely sold out. Can I ask you what in these circumstances you are expecting P&O to do?

 

 

Yes P&O has already explained that to us so we understand that there hands are tied and it’s a difficult situation. They didn’t say what they could do however he said he would speak to managers over the weekend and see if there were any spare cabins or cancellations, but they could at least have a bit of courtesy and ring me back when they promised they would yesterday.

 

 

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[Happyhummingbird]

Hi eddiecat. I'm really not sure if this is even possible, but have you considered asking them if they would be willing to transfer you to another (similar itinerary) cruise on Oceana later in the year, perhaps? Or is the date of this cruise fixed in stone for you? :)

[eddiecat]

Hi eddiecat. I'm really not sure if this is even possible, but have you considered asking them if they would be willing to transfer you to another (similar itinerary) cruise on Oceana later in the year, perhaps? Or is the date of this cruise fixed in stone for you? :)

 

 

 

We live in Guernsey and have already booked our flights to Gatwick. Flights are incredibly expensive and we wouldn’t be refunded so no chance of changing the date.

 

 

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[Tom Baker]

If a double bed is more important to you than a balcony it may be worth suggesting to P&O that you would be willing to swap with someone who booked an outside. I'm fairly sure that someone in a standard outside with a double would be willing to swap to a railway balcony with single beds. It would only take a few phone calls from them.

[eddiecat]

If a double bed is more important to you than a balcony it may be worth suggesting to P&O that you would be willing to swap with someone who booked an outside. I'm fairly sure that someone in a standard outside with a double would be willing to swap to a railway balcony with single beds. It would only take a few phone calls from them.

 

 

 

Well what we can’t understand is why they wouldn’t swap our cabin with someone who has bought the same grade cabin as us, but has asked for a twin bed configuration with non fixed beds. (So beds could be pushed together)

Like I’ve said before, if we are stuck with this room then that’s fine, I just want to exhaust every possibility of getting a better cabin before giving up.

 

 

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[Happyhummingbird]

We live in Guernsey and have already booked our flights to Gatwick. Flights are incredibly expensive and we wouldn’t be refunded so no chance of changing the date.

 

 

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Oh, that's a pity. Have you tried appealing to their better nature? You never know, they might have a heart and transfer your air tickets. (It's a long story that I won't bore you & others with on here, but we once found Flybe most understanding for regional flights changes we needed. Hopefully other airlines may do too). You never know until you ask...

 

:)

[Tom Baker]

My opinion is they have looked at your age and decided that you are more likely to put up with the cabin than someone who is over 60 and will complain endlessly once aboard, but again this is speculation on my part.

 

It may have something to do with those who booked the same grade as you and their loyalty numbers or may just simply be down to computer generated random allocation.

 

I would have thought that allocating you a double and then being able to sell a 4 berth for more money makes better business sense, but P&O work in mysterious ways.

[eddiecat]

My opinion is they have looked at your age and decided that you are more likely to put up with the cabin than someone who is over 60 and will complain endlessly once aboard, but again this is speculation on my part.

 

It may have something to do with those who booked the same grade as you and their loyalty numbers or may just simply be down to computer generated random allocation.

 

I would have thought that allocating you a double and then being able to sell a 4 berth for more money makes better business sense, but P&O work in mysterious ways.

 

 

 

Our thoughts exactly. A party of 4 would be better suited ( and more money for P&O) than us! Anyway I’ll ring at lunch time and see if they’ve actually kept their word about trying to arrange something.

 

 

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[Slugsta]

It could be that your muster station is up to its limit, so the cabin could not be used for 4 people anyway.

[vwgolf]

I'm intrigued on which cruise this is. You can book a balcony on a 14 night Eastern Med cruise departing 19th July on Oceana, the start of the school holidays, for £2,500 and that's select price.

[eddiecat]

I'm intrigued on which cruise this is. You can book a balcony on a 14 night Eastern Med cruise departing 19th July on Oceana, the start of the school holidays, for £2,500 and that's select price.

 

 

 

Ours is 2 weeks, starting on the 14th of June.

 

 

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[rangersgirl]

Ours is 2 weeks, starting on the 14th of June.

 

 

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Good luck eddiecat I would be upset too I wouldn't expect to go on holiday as a couple and be given twin beds . Let us know how you get on . I guess why they can't just switch you with someone else is that maybe all the rooms have been allocated and once you get a room I don't think they move you unless it's an upgrade . Can u imagine being given a room then getting moved to a worse one that customer would end up complaining too

[eddiecat]

Good luck eddiecat I would be upset too I wouldn't expect to go on holiday as a couple and be given twin beds . Let us know how you get on . I guess why they can't just switch you with someone else is that maybe all the rooms have been allocated and once you get a room I don't think they move you unless it's an upgrade . Can u imagine being given a room then getting moved to a worse one that customer would end up complaining too

 

Very true, thank you for understanding. As you said, as it's a couple holiday it's disappointing to have fixed twins. We will sort it out hopefully, I will definitely post what the outcome is when we find out.:)

[DamianG]

We've been on Oceana 5 times and have never heard of or noticed this cabin type previously. I am hopeful that polite persistence on your part with P&O will lead to some kind of resolution either beforehand or once on board. At the very least maybe a little extra on board credit would ease the disappointment?

Personally I think that a lot of the fault lies with your TA, particularly given your comment "Yes, to be fair it was a guaranteed booking, however the TA informed us that the cabin would be like any other balcony cabin! We trusted them with this holiday...."

 

With that in mind (and if it is not resolved to your satisfaction) I wonder whether you may be able to make a case with ABTA? Whilst not exactly the same I was thinking about the following:

 

 

https://abta.com/holiday-help-and-complaints/how-can-we-help-you/im-on-holiday-and-im-not-happy-with-my-hotel-room-what-should-i-do

I sincerely hope that once on board you quickly forget about all this pre-holiday stress (who needs it?) and have a great time.

 

All the best

Damian

[eddiecat]

Called P&O AGAIN, to no avail. Told once more that we would be “called back at some point today”. Fingers crossed they actually call us back. They did say we had been put on a wait list, so I suppose that’s good, however just feeling as if they think we are lying or being difficult.

 

 

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[wowzz]

Can you confirm again that you paid £3000 each. Seems unbelievably expensive.

 

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[janny444]

Hi....I know I have suggested this before to you a couple of times but I would phone them again...today....and tell them you will accept a lower grade balcony cabin and let P&O upgrade a couple who want twin beds into your balcony cabin.....if I was on your cruise I would accept the " upgrade" into your cabin as we prefer twin beds.

[bee-ess]

Can you confirm again that you paid £3000 each. Seems unbelievably expensive.

 

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Seems the going rate for these fly cruises to Eastern Med on Oceana - I looked at one for 30th August for 2 weeks for my Wife's 60th birthday and that is 3k+ for a balcony on Select. I didn't look for long !!

[AnnieC]

Can you confirm again that you paid £3000 each. Seems unbelievably expensive.

 

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Looking at a certain website whose name must not be mentioned on this forum, the highest price for the most basic balcony on the OP's cruise was £3106pp in January 2018.

[wowzz]

I'm obviously clueless about pricing! Much as I like cruising, for £6000 my wife and I could get a fantastic holiday virtually anywhere in the world, with better food and accommodation.

 

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[pete14]

Called P&O AGAIN, to no avail. Told once more that we would be “called back at some point today”. Fingers crossed they actually call us back. They did say we had been put on a wait list, so I suppose that’s good, however just feeling as if they think we are lying or being difficult.

 

 

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Whilst I have sympathy with the predicament you find yourself in, your agent is the one at fault here, not you and not P&O. You accepted a guarantee Cabin in a certain grade and that is exactly what you have got. If the agent told you that it is a cabin just like all other balcony cabins, it is they who are at fault. Proving you were told that will be difficult though because the agent will presumably deny having said it.

 

Hopefully P&O can sort it out for you although it will be out of goodwill and not obligation. I don’t suppose you are the first people this has happened to. If you both choose to sleep in one of the single beds, at least you will be cosy but try to avoid garlic with your evening meal.😴🤢😷

[eddiecat]

Looking at a certain website whose name must not be mentioned on this forum, the highest price for the most basic balcony on the OP's cruise was £3106pp in January 2018.

 

 

 

Yep, we booked the cruise on the 5th of January.

 

 

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[daiB]

Looking at a certain website whose name must not be mentioned on this forum, the highest price for the most basic balcony on the OP's cruise was £3106pp in January 2018.

And people wonder why we book on day one when these cabins would not have been these prices. I would be booking a suite for that price.

 

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[Tom Baker]

And people wonder why we book on day one when these cabins would not have been these prices. I would be booking a suite for that price.

 

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That's the difference between a wise old owl with many, many, many P&O cruises under your belt and a 19 year old. Mind you, given the opportunity I know which I'd prefer to be ;)

Edited May 8, 2018 by Tom Baker
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