Frontera2 Posted March 7, 2014 #1 Share Posted March 7, 2014 My Wife and I are booked on Ventura N408A from Venice on the 9th April, travelling in a GC (Balcony with Shower) at the aft end of the ship. I received an email today stating that P&O were pleased to tell me that we had been "upgraded" to a GA cabin, midship on C deck to be precise. We actually prefer to be at the aft end of the ship, we like listening to the noise of the wash, and as the cabin dimensions etc are identical I phoned P&O and declined the upgrade and asked to be moved back to our original cabin. The reservations agent seemed a bit snooty with this request and told me off for not selecting the "no upgrade" option at the time of booking. Although she did move us back. Had ween been upgraded to a superior balcony or suite then I would have indeed seen this as an upgrade but I didn't see this as much of one. Im more than happy with what I have booked and paid for, but does this mean I have now effectively destroyed any chance of getting anything better should it come up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiB Posted March 7, 2014 #2 Share Posted March 7, 2014 My Wife and I are booked on Ventura N408A from Venice on the 9th April, travelling in a GC (Balcony with Shower) at the aft end of the ship. I received an email today stating that P&O were pleased to tell me that we had been "upgraded" to a GA cabin, midship on C deck to be precise. We actually prefer to be at the aft end of the ship, we like listening to the noise of the wash, and as the cabin dimensions etc are identical I phoned P&O and declined the upgrade and asked to be moved back to our original cabin. The reservations agent seemed a bit snooty with this request and told me off for not selecting the "no upgrade" option at the time of booking. Although she did move us back. Had ween been upgraded to a superior balcony or suite then I would have indeed seen this as an upgrade but I didn't see this as much of one. Im more than happy with what I have booked and paid for, but does this mean I have now effectively destroyed any chance of getting anything better should it come up? Well I do not think they will like being messed about a second time. C deck balconies in the middle are possibly the best ordinary cabins on the ship as the balconies are very big and give you sun and shade. They are at least double the size of any other balcony. Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_uk Posted March 7, 2014 #3 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Possibly. There is a 'no upgrade' flag that can go on a booking (and we always out it on). The booking agent may have done that after your rejection of the upgrade you were offered. The trouble is that only some of the 'upgrades' are what most people would regard as real upgrades. GC cabins are usually those fore and aft, while GA cabins are midships, and P&O regard a switch from GC to GA as an upgrade. But simple numbers means that there won't be many real upgrades available, at least not from balcony cabins. It's not unusual to be upgraded from an Outside to a balcony, or even from a an Inside to a balcony, but real upgrades from a balcony aren't as common. If you're in a position where you're perfectly happy with the cabin you've booked, the best thing to do is to say 'No Upgrades' when you book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the english lady Posted March 8, 2014 #4 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Possibly. There is a 'no upgrade' flag that can go on a booking (and we always out it on). The booking agent may have done that after your rejection of the upgrade you were offered. The trouble is that only some of the 'upgrades' are what most people would regard as real upgrades. GC cabins are usually those fore and aft, while GA cabins are midships, and P&O regard a switch from GC to GA as an upgrade. But simple numbers means that there won't be many real upgrades available, at least not from balcony cabins. It's not unusual to be upgraded from an Outside to a balcony, or even from a an Inside to a balcony, but real upgrades from a balcony aren't as common. If you're in a position where you're perfectly happy with the cabin you've booked, the best thing to do is to say 'No Upgrades' when you book. That is what I was going to suggest. Say no upgrades when you book. fore/aft to middle has always been an upgrade, as more stability midships. If you want a particular cabin then pay the select fare. State no upgrade and what you have chosen you will get. If you just booked a grade from april you will get that grade and no higher. So if you booked fore/aft that is what you get...ofcourse could end up at the pointy end instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecttr Posted March 8, 2014 #5 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I just booked a select fare for a cruise in December and the TA's screen showed three options for upgrades. I think they were: 1. No Upgrade 2. Upgrade within same cabin type 3. Upgrade only if a different cabin type is offered. The wording is mine but I think this means that 2. would offer you upgrades from fore/aft to centre and 3. would offer upgrades from inside to outside, outside to balcony, balcony to suite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrierjohn Posted March 8, 2014 #6 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Unless you were already on C deck then IMO I think you have missed a great upgrade. As the others have said C deck balconies are twice the size of all other standard balconies and give you 50/50 sun and shade, beats listening to the wake every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontera2 Posted March 8, 2014 Author #7 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I booked the Select fare back in December so happy with what I've got. I also find the aft end cabins a bit more "private" - other half doesn't like the sound of being overlooked Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daiB Posted March 8, 2014 #8 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I booked the Select fare back in December so happy with what I've got. I also find the aft end cabins a bit more "private" - other half doesn't like the sound of being overlooked Sent from my iPhone using Forums That's why the C deck cabins are so good, only a small area is overlooked the rest is not. Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontera2 Posted March 8, 2014 Author #9 Share Posted March 8, 2014 We are prepared to pay for an upgrade to a suite - when would be the best time to call P&O to get an upgrade price? Assume nearer sailing date price would come down? Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the english lady Posted March 8, 2014 #10 Share Posted March 8, 2014 We are prepared to pay for an upgrade to a suite - when would be the best time to call P&O to get an upgrade price? Assume nearer sailing date price would come down? Sent from my iPhone using Forums Sorry it has always been the case when paying for upgrades they always go by the price when you booked, not the price that it is now. By all means ring them but be prepared that if there was a £500 difference when you booked , there would still be a £500 difference. Let us know how you get on...With all the changes in fares, that might have changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson2579 Posted March 8, 2014 #11 Share Posted March 8, 2014 I tried to upgrade just before I went on my last P and O cruise and was quoted the price when I booked which was a year previous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denarius Posted March 9, 2014 #12 Share Posted March 9, 2014 (edited) IMO the question of whether to rule out the possibility of an upgrade depends on why you booked your cabin and what the potential for upgrade is. As others have said, P&O regard an upgrade as being a move to a higher grade of cabin, which may in some cases be to the same type of cabin in a more expensive location. So if you have booked a standard balcony cabin in the front or rear sections of the ship you may be upgraded to a standard balcony cabin midships, which is a higher grade but is exactly the same type of cabin. The upgraded cabin may not be on the same deck, so if you have booked a cabin at the front or rear of C deck for the big balcony you may find yourself upgraded to a midship standard cabin on a higher deck with a smaller balcony. On the other hand, you may be upgraded to a larger superior deluxe cabin. If however, you have booked the top grade of standard balcony cabin then any upgrade will be to superior deluxe or higher as you cannot be upgraded to the same cabin grade. Edited March 9, 2014 by Denarius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemug Posted March 10, 2014 #13 Share Posted March 10, 2014 My Wife and I are booked on Ventura N408A from Venice on the 9th April, travelling in a GC (Balcony with Shower) at the aft end of the ship. I received an email today stating that P&O were pleased to tell me that we had been "upgraded" to a GA cabin, midship on C deck to be precise. We actually prefer to be at the aft end of the ship, we like listening to the noise of the wash, and as the cabin dimensions etc are identical I phoned P&O and declined the upgrade and asked to be moved back to our original cabin. The reservations agent seemed a bit snooty with this request and told me off for not selecting the "no upgrade" option at the time of booking. Although she did move us back. Had ween been upgraded to a superior balcony or suite then I would have indeed seen this as an upgrade but I didn't see this as much of one. Im more than happy with what I have booked and paid for, but does this mean I have now effectively destroyed any chance of getting anything better should it come up? We were upgraded on Cunard. The first thing they did was to lose our luggage. I eventually found it languishing in a corridor three decks below. Asked for a steward to relocate our luggage and was told all stewards were busy right now so I had to hump it all myself,(i'm 71). The next thing was the dining area was also upgraded. O.K. the service was superior etc but it also meant that I had to wear DJ every evening. O.K. for now and then but not my idea of a holiday. I would have preferred a more relaxing time on my hols. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
she11ey Posted March 10, 2014 #14 Share Posted March 10, 2014 We have also been upgraded on 16th April Ventura cruise, We booked obstructed E205 and on the P&O site it was not showing any obstruction, so we were hopeful of it not been a big one! Our upgrade is to E512 and on the site it shows a flipping whole tender right out side the window!!! We booked online and dont remember any options to upgrade or not. So we dont know what to do, what do you think.:confused: shell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_uk Posted March 10, 2014 #15 Share Posted March 10, 2014 We have also been upgraded on 16th April Ventura cruise, We booked obstructed E205 and on the P&O site it was not showing any obstruction, so we were hopeful of it not been a big one! Our upgrade is to E512 and on the site it shows a flipping whole tender right out side the window!!! We booked online and dont remember any options to upgrade or not. So we dont know what to do, what do you think.:confused: shell Best thing - call P&O customer services and ask if the upgrade can be rejected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson2579 Posted March 10, 2014 #16 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I still think upgardes are cabins that nobody else wants. P and O try and flower it up by telling you how wonderful it is to be upgraded.:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Midsomer Madness Posted March 10, 2014 #17 Share Posted March 10, 2014 There is no facility to decline an upgrade if you book online. You would need to ring customer services as soon as possible to advise them. We too have booked an obstructed view and took ages to find a cabin without too much of an obstruction, our TA automatically ticks the no upgrade box for us. However I am aware of people who have said no automatic upgrade and p&o have rang them to ask if they would like cabin xxxx, as they were in an obstructed cabin and were offered a balcony for no extra charge they accepted but they could have declined if they wished. I think that is a far better way of doing things I would always want the option to decline if the cabin was in a position I wouldn't want to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majortom10 Posted March 10, 2014 #18 Share Posted March 10, 2014 I still think upgardes are cabins that nobody else wants. P and O try and flower it up by telling you how wonderful it is to be upgraded.:confused: Not all the time some upgrades are due to last minute cancellations and these can be good cabins. We had a fantastic upgrade from inside cabin to midships balcony on Azura maiden cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilson2579 Posted March 11, 2014 #19 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Not all the time some upgrades are due to last minute cancellations and these can be good cabins. We had a fantastic upgrade from inside cabin to midships balcony on Azura maiden cruise. Lucky you, just wish my upgrade had been as good as this:eek: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotjune Posted March 16, 2014 #20 Share Posted March 16, 2014 That's why the C deck cabins are so good, only a small area is overlooked the rest is not. Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app I most certainly agree, Dai - mid ships C Deck on Ventura - if you like a balcony - this is the best for the price! Scotjune Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denarius Posted March 17, 2014 #21 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I most certainly agree, Dai - mid ships C Deck on Ventura - if you like a balcony - this is the best for the price! Scotjune Agree! And as you are in the highest grade of standard balcony cabin any upgrade will be to a larger superior deluxe cabin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tartanexile81 Posted March 17, 2014 #22 Share Posted March 17, 2014 (edited) We were on Azura in September and had originally booked a c-deck midship balcony cabin then someone on our roll call had to cancel so I jumped in and got their aft cabin. To us, they are the best cabins on the ship: we love the view to Port and starboard, the privacy and the balconies are huge - as big as those on C deck, particularly those on the corners. In P&O terms this was a downgrade so we even got extra OBC as a refund. Edited March 17, 2014 by tartanexile81 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurakdy Posted March 21, 2014 #23 Share Posted March 21, 2014 My Wife and I are booked on Ventura N408A from Venice on the 9th April, travelling in a GC (Balcony with Shower) at the aft end of the ship. I received an email today stating that P&O were pleased to tell me that we had been "upgraded" to a GA cabin, midship on C deck to be precise. We actually prefer to be at the aft end of the ship, we like listening to the noise of the wash, and as the cabin dimensions etc are identical I phoned P&O and declined the upgrade and asked to be moved back to our original cabin. The reservations agent seemed a bit snooty with this request and told me off for not selecting the "no upgrade" option at the time of booking. Although she did move us back. Had ween been upgraded to a superior balcony or suite then I would have indeed seen this as an upgrade but I didn't see this as much of one. Im more than happy with what I have booked and paid for, but does this mean I have now effectively destroyed any chance of getting anything better should it come up? This is exactly what happenend to us back in November. We had booked over a year beforehand and wanted C deck aft, as we had been on Azura the year before and loved the postioning of our cabin. We got the letter stating we were being upgarded and it was the same thing, moving us more midship. (6 cabins along...lol..) At first I was really annoyed, as one, I didnt class it as an upgrade and also we love the aft and dont see what thefuss is about being midship. Unknown to us though, we didnt realise you had tick the box thats say NO upgrade. We left it alone and to be honest it made absolutely no difference to our cruise whatsoever. Same deck and cabin still lovely, with the bigger baconies. Cruise was still as wonderful. I will tick the box next time though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontera2 Posted April 4, 2014 Author #24 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Well, the upgrade fairy has paid us another visit. We've now been moved to cabin C305. Hope we won't be dissapointed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurakdy Posted April 4, 2014 #25 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Well, the upgrade fairy has paid us another visit. We've now been moved to cabin C305. Hope we won't be dissapointed! What was your original cabin ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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