Unwanted upgrade

[Sandgroper]

Has anyone any suggestions on how i can keep my booked cabin class? I booked BZ , forward balcony cabin on the QM2 due to sail 14th March. Requesting a quiet room. I have been involuntarily 'Upgraded' to BY, aft, above the Queens room which hosts late night music events. After suffering breast cancer at the same time as losing my husband to oesophageal cancer, my nerves are already in tatters. I'm an early to bed, early riser, light sleeper. I'm now dreading 18 nights with base pounding below me. I've tried to call many many times! 102 mins on hold yesterday morning.  I requested my travel agents help. He was on hold for 2 hours only to be told, no, you cannot change an upgrade. I didn't WANT or request an upgrade. The fare was 'guaranteed or better'. Well, this isn't better! Cunard, who i have always considered a quality company falls way short with customer service.  

Trying to book shore excursions is impossible.  Even the staff on the number provided are unable to!!! They have been upgrading the site for more than a month according to cruise critic reviews. 

Will keep trying! Any suggestions of my next move are appreciated! 

[clo]

I'm not on Twitter (I'm old!) but I've read that calling out a business on Twitter has amazing and fast results. If you're not on it, maybe get someone to help you. I recently very sweetly asked an airline "would it be better if I communicated with you via social media?" I had an email taking care of my problem when I awoke the following morning 🙂

[wishIweretravelling]

Unfortunately, if you booked a guarantee, you ran this risk. The "or better" is by THEIR standards, not yours.

 

[1025cruise]

Did you book a specific cabin or a guarantee? If it's a guarantee, you are guaranteed a cabin in that category, or better.

[Shmoo here]

24 minutes ago, wishIweretravelling said:

Unfortunately, if you booked a guarantee, you ran this risk. The "or better" is by THEIR standards, not yours.

 

^^^^This^^^^

[leaveitallbehind]

Unfortunately with the guaranteed or better fare Cunard would see the new stateroom as a better category than that first booked, and moving you to it would be their option under the terms of that booking.  All I can suggest is to have your travel agent continue to try to reach his Cunard rep for assistance to see if anything can be done. If there are other similar category staterooms available in a different location, they may be able to move you to one.  As you booked through a TA it is part of his responsibility to act as an advocate for you on any issues you have and he would be in the best potion to assist.

Edited February 23, 2020 by leaveitallbehind

[frantic36]

Sandgroper I am sorry for your loss of your husband and your health problems. 

 

I haven't sailed Cunard yet but will in 3 weeks. On other lines I have sailed if you book a guarantee room it is always the ship's choice. I'm sorry but your TA should have explained this. If you want to choose a particular room you pay a higher price. Since we are fussy with our room we generally always do this unless it is a last minute booking with little choice. 

 

Your TA might have some luck getting it changed but not definite, especially at the moment with all cruise lines being swamped. I know I had to call two different cruise lines yesterday and both had me on hold for over an hour...I just put them on speaker and did other things while I waited.

 

Julie

[leaveitallbehind]

34 minutes ago, frantic36 said:

On other lines I have sailed if you book a guarantee room it is always the ship's choice. I'm sorry but your TA should have explained this. 

 

Not criticizing, but how do you know the TA didn't explain this?  It seems from the information posted describing that type of fare that the OP knew that the fare was guaranteed or better.  It also seems by their comments that they just don't feel that the upgrade was to a better stateroom as the location is not to their liking. Maybe they will come back to confirm this.

 

Other cruise lines will allow a change to another location within the same category with a guarantee booking if available - hopefully the same will be the case here.  

Edited February 23, 2020 by leaveitallbehind

[bluemarble]

Sandgroper, I know you are looking for suggestions rather than more explanations, but a BY category cabin on QM2 is most definitely considered an upgrade by Cunard from category BZ. The forward BZ category is the least expensive category of sheltered balconies on QM2 with aft category BY being the next category up from BZ. There is no way to book a BZ category "guarantee" without the possibility of being assigned to a BY category cabin instead.

 

I am seeing no specific cabins available to book any more on your voyage in any of the sheltered balcony categories (BU through BZ) which is going to make it difficult for you to be moved back to a BZ cabin (although ironically it looks like they are still accepting BZ category "guarantees" on your voyage). About the best I can come up with off the top of my head might be for you to pursue upgrading to a glass-fronted balcony cabin. There is exactly one of those available at the moment on your voyage in category BF forward on deck 8 although that may not be available for long. And you would presumably have to pay the fare difference for that upgrade.

Edited February 23, 2020 by bluemarble

[Sandgroper]

Thank you for your responses. Does anyone know what time the Queens room closes at night? Probably different each night depending on the function.Thinking of taking my swag to bed down in a quiet spot somewhere if it is unbearable! Maybe on deck!!

I'll try to 'If you can't beat them, join them' and have a sleep in the afternoon if i can! I've never been a party-person or a late nighter,  even in my teens..... My motto was "If i wasn't in bed before 10, I'd go home! (Lol!  It was the '70's!)🤪

Must find the roll-call for this cruise.

[bluemarble]

23 minutes ago, Sandgroper said:

Thank you for your responses. Does anyone know what time the Queens room closes at night? Probably different each night depending on the function.Thinking of taking my swag to bed down in a quiet spot somewhere if it is unbearable! Maybe on deck!!

I'll try to 'If you can't beat them, join them' and have a sleep in the afternoon if i can! I've never been a party-person or a late nighter,  even in my teens..... My motto was "If i wasn't in bed before 10, I'd go home! (Lol!  It was the '70's!)🤪

Must find the roll-call for this cruise.

 

The typical evening schedule for the Queens Room (as listed in the daily programmes) is for the events with a live band to wrap up at midnight followed by an additional half hour of recorded dance music (until 12:30am). I haven't been up that late myself in the Queens Room to be able to say how accurate that published schedule is in reality, but I hope that helps provide a general idea at least. I imagine some of our many Cunard dance enthusiasts on this forum will be able to provide some more precise information about the late night Queens Room schedule from actual experience.

[PORT ROYAL]

6 hours ago, Sandgroper said:

Thank you for your responses. Does anyone know what time the Queens room closes at night? Probably different each night depending on the function.Thinking of taking my swag to bed down in a quiet spot somewhere if it is unbearable! Maybe on deck!!

I'll try to 'If you can't beat them, join them' and have a sleep in the afternoon if i can! I've never been a party-person or a late nighter,  even in my teens..... My motto was "If i wasn't in bed before 10, I'd go home! (Lol!  It was the '70's!)🤪

Must find the roll-call for this cruise.

 

Have no doubt your TA is well connected with Cunard, and they will achieve a successful outcome for you.  After all, Cunard only wishes you to have a wonderful cruise.  Trust your TA.

 

[exlondoner]

It may not be as bad as you fear. The balcony cabins are over the side sitting areas of the QR, some distance away from the dance floor and orchestra. There may be little if any noise transmitted.

[david,Mississauga]

4 hours ago, exlondoner said:

It may not be as bad as you fear. The balcony cabins are over the side sitting areas of the QR, some distance away from the dance floor and orchestra. There may be little if any noise transmitted.

 

A few years ago I made an on-board future booking for a Deck 5 forward sheltered balcony (BZ). The rep. said I should definitely indicate "no upgrades" because some passengers had been upgraded to Deck 4 aft (BY). He said there were many  complaints about the considerable noise and it was deemed intolerable for those at the very aft over G-32 which is even noisier than the Queen's Room. 

 

If booking a guarantee or willing to take an upgrade I suppose the safest sheltered balcony cabins would be the highest ranked ones mid-ships (BU). An upgraded category would have to be to a regular balcony stateroom on Decks 8, 11 or 12 or maybe better.

Edited February 23, 2020 by david,Mississauga
typo

[Jack E Dawson]

11 hours ago, Sandgroper said:

 

I'll try to 'If you can't beat them, join them' and have a sleep in the afternoon if i can! I've never been a party-person or a late nighter,  even in my teens..... My motto was "If i wasn't in bed before 10, I'd go home! (Lol!  It was the '70's!)🤪

Must find the roll-call for this cruise.

 

Sandgroper

First of all, I am inspired by your attitude! 

After doing a little research, I think you are going to be fine. When I look at the QM2 deck plans, it appears that BY cabins are on both deck 4 and deck 5. So, unless you know your specific cabin assignment now (not clear from your original post), there appears to be a 50/50 chance you will be on deck 5 which should be VERY quiet. It might be a good idea to have your TA pursue a deck-5 BY cabin for you. But even if you are on deck 4, directly above the Queens Room, I still think you will be OK. Looking at the Cruise Critic deck plan and comment section, noise in BY-deck 4 cabins was rarely mentioned as an issue. Plus, I think you will find BY cabins to be very convenient to the Main Dining Room and other  key locations. 

All the best on your voyage and looking forward to your trip review.

Jack

[57eric]

Elaborating on David, Mississauga's point about G32, while the last set in the Queen's Room ends at 12:30, the last set in G32 STARTS at 12:30 and goes "until late", whatever that means.  If you are on 4 in one of the aft-most cabins, you might be unhappy.

 

Moral: If cabin location is important, never book a guarantee and always specify no upgrades.

 

I hope this works out for you.

[JennVT]

Would bringing a pair of soft earplugs along help? Or a white noise app for your phone if you can find one to download that doesn't need wifi/or data to function? A small fan?

Hopefully none of these will end up being needed but having them along might give you some peace of mind.

[Germancruiser]

The OP can always make lemonade out of lemons- partake in the festivities- it may even do you some good!

[Neuhoftraveler]

On 2/22/2020 at 9:26 PM, clo said:

I recently very sweetly asked an airline "would it be better if I communicated with you via social media?" I had an email taking care of my problem when I awoke the following morning 🙂

Well played, clo.  I love it.