Overbooking

[jakers]

There has been some discussion on the other boards about Quantum of the Seas and the overbooking of the cruise in Australia. Yesterday our friends were in LAX preparing to fly to Miami and they ran into a couple that related their recent experience with HAL and the Oosterdam. The couple was offered a 50% credit if they would move their reservation from December 2nd to the 16th. It was followed with a 100% credit offer shortly before the cruise. They declined. I am on the December 16th cruise on the Oosterdam. Normally I don't pass on gossip that comes to me second hand, but it has been confirmed by a couple that recently joined our Cruise Critic group. While it is good that ships are getting back to full capacity, I haven't heard about this happening before. One time on a Royal Caribbean ship I had booked two outside cabins and received an upgrade to a Gran Suite as long as the four of us would stay in the suite. Since it was my daughter and a friend it was worth it. No explanation was given as to why, I just figured they need the extra rooms. I'm concerned about the fact that the tone of the article insinuated that people on the Quantum were bumped because they were only "Guaranteed". Classism seems to be creepy into cruise ships.

[CruiserBruce]

It's very rare, but it has happened. The resolution is offering incentives to move to another. It seems to happen 2 or so weeks prior to sailing

[RuthC]

I have heard stories such as you describe happening on the HAL ship in years past. 

You will note in the HAL report that the couple was 'asked' to change their cruise date, and offered an incentive to do so. Twice, as a matter of fact, with an increase in the incentive the second time. 
They were likely not the only ones offered the opportunity to change dates, and walk away with a monetary bonus. Someone took HAL up on the offer, undoubtedly, and everyone was happy (except the accountants, probably). 
There was nothing in your report to indicate anyone was forced to give up their cruise, nor 'bumped' from the cruise. 

Now, there are some fare classes that can be 'bumped', but those are interline rates, and not available to the general public. 

If I were you, on a HAL cruise, I wouldn't be worried one bit. 
I wouldn't know how Royal Caribbean does business, so won't speak to that. 

[0106]

@jakers As I stated on your Roll Call, the people who were bumped from the overbooked 12/2 Oosterdam stated they were traveling on a “friends & family” (also known as an interline fare as @RuthCpointed out). There are risks with this type of fare.  It is not the same as a guaranteed cabin.  
 

The couple in your friend met in the airport were offered compensation twice and declined.  It appears to me that the new member of your RC took advantage of the offer and are now able to sail at a reduced price.  In addition, they will now get to see Antarctica on a 22 day cruise as opposed to a 14 cruise that doesn’t include Antarctica.  

[Mr. Boston]

29 minutes ago, RuthC said:

I have heard stories such as you describe happening on the HAL ship in years past. 

You will note in the HAL report that the couple was 'asked' to change their cruise date, and offered an incentive to do so. Twice, as a matter of fact, with an increase in the incentive the second time. 
They were likely not the only ones offered the opportunity to change dates, and walk away with a monetary bonus. Someone took HAL up on the offer, undoubtedly, and everyone was happy (except the accountants, probably). 
There was nothing in your report to indicate anyone was forced to give up their cruise, nor 'bumped' from the cruise. 

Now, there are some fare classes that can be 'bumped', but those are interline rates, and not available to the general public. 

If I were you, on a HAL cruise, I wouldn't be worried one bit. 
I wouldn't know how Royal Caribbean does business, so won't speak to that. 

 

The accountants don’t care whether you’re making money or losing money as they will always have a job. Management should probably take notice though.  
 

   -Retired Accountant

[FlyingCruiser2]

I saw a way yesterday this could happen.  Booked a Nov 24 Eurodam trip for 11 days.  Not paying attention, apparently I clicked the “let us choose your room”.  The confirmation email showed as “guaranteed”.  There are only 2 rooms in the category we chose that exist on the ship. Tried to call in to change the reservation but waits were too long (we are currently on Rotterdam and I didn’t want to wait).  I figured I’d just make another reservation ($50 deposits) and cancel the guarantee one.  Made the new booking with the room we wanted, and got the correct confirmation - so at this point we supposedly had both rooms booked for a short amount of time.  Out of curiosity, I started a dummy booking and it showed a room still available when there should not have been.  Onboard concierge was able to cancel the guarantee reservation we had, so we weren’t impacting someone who desired the other cabin, but I wonder what would have happened if we had just kept the original reservation and other people snagged the two “available” cabins.  

[Tampa Girl]

18 hours ago, jakers said:

There has been some discussion on the other boards about Quantum of the Seas and the overbooking of the cruise in Australia. Yesterday our friends were in LAX preparing to fly to Miami and they ran into a couple that related their recent experience with HAL and the Oosterdam. The couple was offered a 50% credit if they would move their reservation from December 2nd to the 16th. It was followed with a 100% credit offer shortly before the cruise. They declined. I am on the December 16th cruise on the Oosterdam. Normally I don't pass on gossip that comes to me second hand, but it has been confirmed by a couple that recently joined our Cruise Critic group. While it is good that ships are getting back to full capacity, I haven't heard about this happening before. One time on a Royal Caribbean ship I had booked two outside cabins and received an upgrade to a Gran Suite as long as the four of us would stay in the suite. Since it was my daughter and a friend it was worth it. No explanation was given as to why, I just figured they need the extra rooms. I'm concerned about the fact that the tone of the article insinuated that people on the Quantum were bumped because they were only "Guaranteed". Classism seems to be creepy into cruise ships.

What classism?  People who prefer to choose their own cabin are somehow in a different class than those who choose to perhaps pay a slightly lower fare?  

[Taters]

This has been going on for years. 

 

We were booked on a 7 night cruise on Carnival's Sensation to the Eastern Caribbean for January, 1998.  We had two outside cabins - One for us and our 8 year old daughter, and one next door for our teenage sons. 

 

About 2 weeks before the cruise they called and explained that the Sensation was overbooked, and would we mind changing to the Imagination, which was leaving the same day, but on a Western Caribbean itinerary.  I told them, "No, thank you" because we'd taken that exact same Imagination cruise in 1996 when the ship was brand new.  We wanted to try something different.  Then they offered us 2 Grand Suites if we traded!  I told them yes without hesitation.  My oldest turned 16 on that trip, and those boys had the best time in their suite.  We all had an amazing time.  I've never been offered anything like that since.

[Andi Land]

In 2009, my very first cruise was supposed to be a short 4 day cruise round trip Seattle to include Victoria and Vancouver. We received an email a couple weeks beforehand that the cruise was over booked. We were offered a full refund and any 7 day cruise of our choosing if we were willing to be booked. Since we live close to the cruise port, we agreed. And that’s how we got our first Alaska cruise and fell in love with cruising. We’ve been back to Alaska 9 times now so I think they made their money back 😂 

 

So, as others have said, this type of thing has gone on for years. It’s just that normally they give you advance notice unlike what RC did. 

[Roz]

1 hour ago, Tampa Girl said:

What classism?  People who prefer to choose their own cabin are somehow in a different class than those who choose to perhaps pay a slightly lower fare?  

 

A Neptune suite can be booked as a guarantee, so I agree with you, where's the classism?

[CGinMTL]

I was on a transatlantic many years ago on royal 

They needed balcony cabins and started sending out offers 

Thanks to cruise critics and the roll call, people knew what the offers they were making 

My friend finally gave in 48 hours before sailing 

If I remember, they moved her to an inside family suite, she was sailing for free, and she got OBC 

Win / win

[mawvkysc]

7 hours ago, FlyingCruiser2 said:

I saw a way yesterday this could happen.  Booked a Nov 24 Eurodam trip for 11 days.  Not paying attention, apparently I clicked the “let us choose your room”.  The confirmation email showed as “guaranteed”.  There are only 2 rooms in the category we chose that exist on the ship. Tried to call in to change the reservation but waits were too long (we are currently on Rotterdam and I didn’t want to wait).  I figured I’d just make another reservation ($50 deposits) and cancel the guarantee one.  Made the new booking with the room we wanted, and got the correct confirmation - so at this point we supposedly had both rooms booked for a short amount of time.  Out of curiosity, I started a dummy booking and it showed a room still available when there should not have been.  Onboard concierge was able to cancel the guarantee reservation we had, so we weren’t impacting someone who desired the other cabin, but I wonder what would have happened if we had just kept the original reservation and other people snagged the two “available” cabins.  

Your gty cabin would’ve been upgraded if both cabins were booked. 

[TiogaCruiser]

8 hours ago, FlyingCruiser2 said:

I saw a way yesterday this could happen.  Booked a Nov 24 Eurodam trip for 11 days.  Not paying attention, apparently I clicked the “let us choose your room”.  The confirmation email showed as “guaranteed”.  There are only 2 rooms in the category we chose that exist on the ship. Tried to call in to change the reservation but waits were too long (we are currently on Rotterdam and I didn’t want to wait).  I figured I’d just make another reservation ($50 deposits) and cancel the guarantee one.  Made the new booking with the room we wanted, and got the correct confirmation - so at this point we supposedly had both rooms booked for a short amount of time.  Out of curiosity, I started a dummy booking and it showed a room still available when there should not have been.  Onboard concierge was able to cancel the guarantee reservation we had, so we weren’t impacting someone who desired the other cabin, but I wonder what would have happened if we had just kept the original reservation and other people snagged the two “available” cabins.  

Just because a cabin isn’t showing as available doesn’t mean it’s booked. There may have been other cabins in inventory that were not yet booked.

[kazu]

My only experience with over booking was on NCL.

 

Back when the millennium was arriving we had booked our first Transatlantic cruise with out TA at the time.  The price started to skyrocket and we got offer after offer to switch to other cruises.

 

DD DH and I were both working at the time and three 7 day cruises not consecutive were not exciting to us and time off and flights and hassle weren’t worth it so we declined.

 

I don’t know if the ship was really overbooked or not, but my TA said it was.  We stuck fast and sailed without an issue.

[ontheweb]

12 hours ago, kazu said:

My only experience with over booking was on NCL.

 

Back when the millennium was arriving we had booked our first Transatlantic cruise with out TA at the time.  The price started to skyrocket and we got offer after offer to switch to other cruises.

 

DD DH and I were both working at the time and three 7 day cruises not consecutive were not exciting to us and time off and flights and hassle weren’t worth it so we declined.

 

I don’t know if the ship was really overbooked or not, but my TA said it was.  We stuck fast and sailed without an issue.

Yes, it would seem that at some point someone took one of those offers, and you sailed.

 

But, in the OP's post he mentions reading an article where passengers were left at the dock by Royal Caribbean. (I have also read that article.) And that is quite different than what you and others have described in these posts.

[FlyingCruiser2]

13 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Just because a cabin isn’t showing as available doesn’t mean it’s booked. There may have been other cabins in inventory that were not yet booked.

It was for the Pinnacle suite - only 2 are on the ship.  

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, FlyingCruiser2 said:

It was for the Pinnacle suite - only 2 are on the ship.  

And the Pinnacle Suite(s) frequently show as unavailable from the minute bookings are allowed.

[retird]

5 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Yes, it would seem that at some point someone took one of those offers, and you sailed.

 

But, in the OP's post he mentions reading an article where passengers were left at the dock by Royal Caribbean. (I have also read that article.) And that is quite different than what you and others have described in these posts.

And didn't the Royal Caribbean incident involve Interline fared passengers and not “Guarantee Cabin” fared passengers?

[shadow 123]

On 11/30/2023 at 7:54 PM, jakers said:

There has been some discussion on the other boards about Quantum of the Seas and the overbooking of the cruise in Australia. Yesterday our friends were in LAX preparing to fly to Miami and they ran into a couple that related their recent experience with HAL and the Oosterdam. The couple was offered a 50% credit if they would move their reservation from December 2nd to the 16th. It was followed with a 100% credit offer shortly before the cruise. They declined. I am on the December 16th cruise on the Oosterdam. Normally I don't pass on gossip that comes to me second hand, but it has been confirmed by a couple that recently joined our Cruise Critic group. While it is good that ships are getting back to full capacity, I haven't heard about this happening before. One time on a Royal Caribbean ship I had booked two outside cabins and received an upgrade to a Gran Suite as long as the four of us would stay in the suite. Since it was my daughter and a friend it was worth it. No explanation was given as to why, I just figured they need the extra rooms. I'm concerned about the fact that the tone of the article insinuated that people on the Quantum were bumped because they were only "Guaranteed". Classism seems to be creepy into cruise ships.

I watch YouTube and Tony on La lida loca said that. They were guaranteed rooms

 

[ontheweb]

15 minutes ago, retird said:

And didn't the Royal Caribbean incident involve Interline fared passengers and not “Guarantee Cabin” fared passengers?

IIRC, the article said they were sailing on a guarantee.

[*Miss G*]

Aren’t interline fares all guaranteed?

[retird]

45 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

Aren’t interline fares all guaranteed?

Usually they are standby fare.  But quite usually they firm up a few days before sailing but occasionally they wait right up until day of sailing.  My nephew gets interline fares and it has happened to him 

[0106]

First, what happens on Royal Caribbean and NCL might not be the same as what happens on HAL so I feel stories about experiences on other cruise lines are not relevant. This is the HAL board.  
 

Second, it is important to understand that the “friend & family” cruiser mentioned by the OP was an interline fare, not a guarantee fare.  All interline reservations are guarantees. (But not all guarantees are interline fares) With an interline fare, your cabin could be downgraded based on what is available after all other passengers (including those with guarantees) have received their cabin or you could be told the cruise is overbooked and be denied boarding. The rules for interline travel on HAL are clear:

Interline Eligibility

Booking may be subject to cancellation after confirmation based on availability. Cancellation is a possibility up to departure time with Interline fares.  

Booking may be subject to downgrade at HAL discretion due to availability 

Edited December 2, 2023 by 0106

[Torquer]

5 hours ago, FlyingCruiser2 said:

It was for the Pinnacle suite - only 2 are on the ship.  

Interesting...we have never seen a "let us choose your room" for the Pinnacle suites and that is what we always book.  Of course, there are very few times when both PS suites are available for a given cruise, so that you would have a choice.  Was the price the same between the two options?  If so I'm not sure why HAL would even offer it.  Perhaps you might have the following scenario:  both PS rooms are available, the first person to book doesn't care if port or starboard so he picks a guarantee, the second person to book gets his preference of side of the ship, and the first person gets whatever PS wasn't chosen.  That is the only scenario I can see of what the purpose of a guarantee for the PS would benefit anyone.

[retird]

12 minutes ago, 0106 said:

First, what happens on Royal Caribbean and NCL might not be the same as what happens on HAL so I feel stories about experiences on other cruise lines are not relevant. This is the HAL board.  
 

Second, it is important to understand that the “friend & family” cruiser mentioned by the OP was an interline fare, not a guarantee fare.  All interline reservations are guarantees. (But not all guarantees are interline fares) With an interline fare, your cabin could be downgraded based on what is available after all other passengers (including those with guarantees) have received their cabin or you could be told the cruise is overbooked and be denied boarding. The rules for interline travel on HAL are clear:

Interline Eligibility

Booking may be subject to cancellation after confirmation based on availability. Cancellation is a possibility up to departure time with Interline fares.  

Booking may be subject to downgrade at HAL discretion due to availability 

The policy statement contradicts your statement that all interline reservations are guarantees.   For the most part they are stand by without actually naming them that

Edited December 2, 2023 by retird