Feels like I’m getting hosed

[DHP1]

21 minutes ago, memoak said:

Takes 2 minutes on my phone. Also when they saw a different cabin on their luggage tags why didn’t that set off bells.  Something here doesn’t ring true

This is so interesting I need to find out what exactly took place. We need to contact Sherlock Holmes. Lol

Edited January 15, 2023 by DHP1

[PescadoAmarillo]

1 hour ago, cruisequeen4ever said:

You did technically receive an upgrade, though to you, I recognize it was a downgrade. Hopefully your TA didn’t forget to mark your booking as “No Upgrade” after your wife requested it.
 

As for being separated from the rest of your traveling party, if you have linked bookings and are next to each other, that should have prevented you from being separated. I wonder if your TA ever linked your bookings. 
 

I think fat this point, you’ll probably never know the reason, but I hope you end up enjoying your new stateroom and can enjoy your cruise!

It used to be that bookings were only linked for dining purposes, not for cabin proximity purposes. While it can still be done, I’m not sure if it has any value at all with DMW. 

[cr8tiv1]

21 minutes ago, DHP1 said:

This is so interesting I need to find out what exactly took place. 

 

I highly doubt any of us will ever find out "what exactly took place." 

 

 

[DHP1]

5 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I highly doubt any of us will ever find out "what exactly took place." 

 

 

For Princess not explaining the reason for the cabin change is so out of character.  As I said before, what happen to Customer Service and does it still exist. They deserved an explanation. Something missing in this story. 

Edited January 15, 2023 by DHP1

[cr8tiv1]

4 minutes ago, DHP1 said:

For Princess not explaining the reason for the cabin change is so out of character.  As I said before, what happen to Customer Service and does it still exist. They deserved an explanation. I know I would. 

 

I agree with you, but don't think that will ever happen.  

[DHP1]

Just now, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I agree with you, but don't think that will ever happen.  

You maybe right. 

[Cruise till you drop]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

Now, I am more confused.

 

Did you book a guaranteed cabin (to be assigned by Princess) or did you specifically select S209?

 

I know this this is so unsettling, but there is not much you can do until you return from your cruise.  Maybe you can make an appointment with the Hotel General Manager via the Customer Service Desk.  

 

I do hope you are able to enjoy the rest of your cruise.  Not worth the time, aggravation, frustration, and effort to get your cabin back while on the ship.

Sorry I guess I don’t understand how Princess uses that term but we booked S209 specifically and trusted it was guaranteed to us

[Guest ldtr]

41 minutes ago, DHP1 said:

For Princess not explaining the reason for the cabin change is so out of character.  As I said before, what happen to Customer Service and does it still exist. They deserved an explanation. Something missing in this story. 

Actually not out of character. Customer Service or for that matter is very limited and has been in what they can say.  When my cabin got changed for an entertainer the only thing I was told was that cabin has been removed from inventory for operational reasons. Only found out that it was an entertainer because I saw him going into the room once.

 

Thr other likely answer that one is likely to get is you were upgraded.

 

Or that the change was made by inventory management.

 

They are not going to really give any other information. Nor should they. Anything else is more likely to extend the conflict instead of resolving it.

 

We might be curious, but they are not going to get that room. 

[Guest ldtr]

6 minutes ago, Cruise till you drop said:

Sorry I guess I don’t understand how Princess uses that term but we booked S209 specifically and trusted it was guaranteed to us

what did you luggage tags say when you printed them? When was the change made?

[Cruise till you drop]

15 minutes ago, ldtr said:

what did you luggage tags say when you printed them? When was the change made?

In retrospect, they did say the new cabin number but as this has NEVER happened in 25 cruises, we didn’t even think that we needed to check.  Better believe we’ll never do that again

[Guest ldtr]

17 minutes ago, Cruise till you drop said:

In retrospect, they did say the new cabin number but as this has NEVER happened in 25 cruises, we didn’t even think that we needed to check.  Better believe we’ll never do that again

So the major remaining question is exactly when the change was made. That is a question that should be able to get answered, though the shipboard staff would most likely not had any information. 

 

Your TA says that never got any notification? And you never got an updated booking information form?

[dog]

To OP- enjoy your cruise, let others enjoy theirs and do not go to your first choice cabin. It doesn’t do either of you any good.

 

This sort of thing is not new.

You did not catch it in time to get your cabin back,   Luggage tags etc.

 

I have had No Upgrade, No notification twice, but I check these things in email, website & app frequently.  Finding a lot of businesses are Not giving the service we expect, anymore.

[ontheweb]

18 hours ago, ldtr said:

Actually the no upgrade system generally worked prior to Covid. It largely broke down during restart due to people being able to book in decks that were used for quarantine ares on those cruises. As well as the need to balance passenger locations with crew staffing during periods of low staff.

 

I expect that as ships get back to normal occupancy and staffing periods return to normal, the no upgrade function will also get better. Though it has also been limited if they need to make a change for operational reasons.

I don't know about the system working so well pre-Covid. They tried to upgrade us (and it was an actula upgrade from an inside to an OBV) in 2014. Did not want it because I did not want to be directly below the casino bar, preferring having cabins above and below us. I had read at the time on these boards of unwanted upgrades from Princess, but our TA assured us that it would not happen to us as he had it marked no upgrade.

[ontheweb]

14 hours ago, ldtr said:

So the major remaining question is exactly when the change was made. That is a question that should be able to get answered, though the shipboard staff would most likely not had any information. 

 

Your TA says that never got any notification? And you never got an updated booking information form?

When this happened to us in 2014 (Ocean Princess, British Isles cruise). I noticed it in the personalizer . Our TA said he never got the notification while Princess said they sent it. I have a feeling that the e-mail just might have got lost in cyber space.

[Cruisindad]

I’m on this same sailing and will share my experience as my cabin was also arbitrarily changed, although under different circumstances.

 

i prefer larger balconies than the standard balconies on the Royal class, so I booked one of the 10 “deluxe obstructed” balconies at the front of Emerald. They have larger balconies , and since they taper down in size toward the bow, I chose the furthest one back on the starboard side, my preferred side. I think all 10 were available at time of choosing.
 

My reservation was marked no upgrade, though my change was not an upgrade.

 

At some point, don’t remember if it was before or after final payment, I noticed my cabin had been moved from starboard to port side, and one cabin closer to the bow, thus a little smaller balcony. Still, larger than standard, but I lost a few square feet of balcony  real estate. Curiously, they didn’t move me to the corresponding port balcony which was still available to book.

 

No notice from Princess of the move, and if the (big box) TA was notified, they didn’t pass it along.

 

Now I could have raised a stink right then, but I had put in a bid for an upgrade to a non-obstructed premium deluxe balcony, which were still plentiful, so I figured, if I get one of those, (and I put in an above minimum bid), it would be a moot point anyway.

 

Long story shorter, I did not win my upgrade bid, and ended up in a smaller balcony cabin for some unknown reason. 
 

it wasn’t a big enough deal to get worked up over, but would have certainly liked to know why I was arbitrarily moved. 
i may never get an explanation, but it was very puzzling and certainly annoying.

 

[Cruise till you drop]

2 hours ago, Cruisindad said:

I’m on this same sailing and will share my experience as my cabin was also arbitrarily changed, although under different circumstances.

 

i prefer larger balconies than the standard balconies on the Royal class, so I booked one of the 10 “deluxe obstructed” balconies at the front of Emerald. They have larger balconies , and since they taper down in size toward the bow, I chose the furthest one back on the starboard side, my preferred side. I think all 10 were available at time of choosing.
 

My reservation was marked no upgrade, though my change was not an upgrade.

 

At some point, don’t remember if it was before or after final payment, I noticed my cabin had been moved from starboard to port side, and one cabin closer to the bow, thus a little smaller balcony. Still, larger than standard, but I lost a few square feet of balcony  real estate. Curiously, they didn’t move me to the corresponding port balcony which was still available to book.

 

No notice from Princess of the move, and if the (big box) TA was notified, they didn’t pass it along.

 

Now I could have raised a stink right then, but I had put in a bid for an upgrade to a non-obstructed premium deluxe balcony, which were still plentiful, so I figured, if I get one of those, (and I put in an above minimum bid), it would be a moot point anyway.

 

Long story shorter, I did not win my upgrade bid, and ended up in a smaller balcony cabin for some unknown reason. 
 

it wasn’t a big enough deal to get worked up over, but would have certainly liked to know why I was arbitrarily moved. 
i may never get an explanation, but it was very puzzling and certainly annoying.

 

And that seems to be the moral of this story in that (1) it would be to everyone’s best interest to have Princess communicate in advance if this happens as it definitely raises the stress level once you’re onboard and (2) you need to watch room assignment almost daily as you near your cruise, although if it changes in advance and you catch it, seems like you’re still hosed.

 

Happy sailing everyone.  We’ve gotten over this debacle long ago but thought it would be of public interest to hear your stories and spread the word

[latserrof]

On 1/14/2023 at 4:39 PM, GUT2407 said:

Good reason to mark your booking no upgrades.

I always do that. Usually it works

 

But on a Discovery cruise last month, I had booked my favorite cabin, B730, for quiet  -- low, inside, aft-most, with cabins above and below. But it was only upon check-in that I was told I was in a different cabin. The new cabin was a balcony, but just off the piazza.  An "upgrade" to Princess, but not to me. So I went to GS, calmly explained that I had booked my favorite cabin for its quiet, and I asked for my original cabin back. Not possible (as I later deduced --from the names on the cabin doors--because my original cabin had been given to a family group). I was told to wait in the new cabin until after sailaway, and GS would call me. After five hours of waiting, I finally went back to GS, and the same agent gave me a very nice mid-ship balcony with no other cruisers anywhere nearby.  It was great.

Edited January 16, 2023 by latserrof

[MileHighAko]

When traveling with companions, we always have our CVP link the bookings. It seems to provide extra protection against unwanted upgrades.

 

I'm also afraid to bid on any upgrades because it seems that once you do that, there is a good chance you'll lose your original cabin.