How easy is it to switch staterooms?

[atexsix]

I have just over 5 weeks until I sail and I'm having 2nd thoughts on the aft balcony, is Princess accommodating if I call and ask for another room, I know some are available, I just checked the website. 

[Coral]

As long as they are in the same category - I think they will switch you to another cabin.

[atexsix]

1 minute ago, Coral said:

As long as they are in the same category - I think they will switch you to another cabin.

Actually we want to go up in category to mini suite, from premier deluxe.

[jwattle]

They will let you do that at the prevailing price; if you booked through a trael agent, you will have to work through them.

[Coral]

2 minutes ago, atexsix said:

Actually we want to go up in category to mini suite, from premier deluxe.

That becomes more complicated. They may or may not give it to you at the current price. It depends on if the current price is "for new bookings only". You can always ask  for a complimentary upgrade or ask how much it would be to upgrade.

 

You do need to contact who you booked through. If you booked through Princess - contact them. If a TA - contact them.

[atexsix]

1 minute ago, Coral said:

That becomes more complicated. They may or may not give it to you at the current price. It depends on if the current price is "for new bookings only". You can always ask  for a complimentary upgrade or ask how much it would be to upgrade.

 

You do need to contact who you booked through. If you booked through Princess - contact them. If a TA - contact them.

I don't care about price, I'm fine with paying more, although I do believe a few of them actually dropped a bit, a bunch of minis became available for my sailing, I don't know if they started upgrading people or what.  

[Coral]

8 minutes ago, atexsix said:

I don't care about price, I'm fine with paying more, although I do believe a few of them actually dropped a bit, a bunch of minis became available for my sailing, I don't know if they started upgrading people or what.  

Contact them. I would ask for a free upgrade and then if they don't give it to you - ask how much. I think they have been very accommodating lately!

[gamblinmon]

Before you switch, I’ve read the balconies for the mini suites are small compared to aft balconies, depends what you want.

[MileHighAko]

I'm curious as to why you would chose to move away from an aft facing room?

[riffatsea]

We don't like sailing backwards so we'd never book an aft facing cabin

We also don't like being at the back of the ship

I don't know why the OP is choosing to switch

[Mike45LC]

Riff, you forgot to mention the soot issues that some people have reported with the aft balconies.  

 

OP, check the diagrams carefully, because Gamblin' Mom is right, the mini-suites on the Royal class ships have TINY balconies.

 

[brisalta]

On 4/12/2022 at 5:37 PM, atexsix said:

I have just over 5 weeks until I sail and I'm having 2nd thoughts on the aft balcony, is Princess accommodating if I call and ask for another room, I know some are available, I just checked the website. 

 

I had my booking marked as "meta upgrade only".

A while after do that I got an upsell offer from balcony to mini-suite. Total cost with upsell was much lower than booking a mini-suite directly and that was even with the current booking rate for a mini-suite being heavily discounted.

[atexsix]

18 hours ago, brisalta said:

 

I had my booking marked as "meta upgrade only".

A while after do that I got an upsell offer from balcony to mini-suite. Total cost with upsell was much lower than booking a mini-suite directly and that was even with the current booking rate for a mini-suite being heavily discounted.

I called and asked if I could switch my booking to a mini suite and the CSA said there'd be a $1000 change fee.  Seriously!  I do have full insurance, I could have brought that up, but I wasn't in the mood to spar with this woman.  And it's besides the point, the truth is I've never heard of any other cruise line charging a change fee for wanting to transfer a booking, especially if it's on the same ship/date and they stood to make more money.  I might reconsider if they offer an official upgrade, but for now we're staying put, although I'm going to remember this the next time Princess wants me to book another trip with them. 

[Sea Hag]

57 minutes ago, atexsix said:

I called and asked if I could switch my booking to a mini suite and the CSA said there'd be a $1000 change fee.  Seriously!  I do have full insurance, I could have brought that up, but I wasn't in the mood to spar with this woman.  And it's besides the point, the truth is I've never heard of any other cruise line charging a change fee for wanting to transfer a booking, especially if it's on the same ship/date and they stood to make more money.  I might reconsider if they offer an official upgrade, but for now we're staying put, although I'm going to remember this the next time Princess wants me to book another trip with them. 

Wow! I've never heard of a change fee on Princess. It wasn't the difference in price between the aft balcony and the mini?

[johnmik1]

On 4/21/2022 at 4:43 PM, gamblinmon said:

Before you switch, I’ve read the balconies for the mini suites are small compared to aft balconies, depends what you want.

Depends on which ship.Some minis have huge balconies.

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Call again and see if you get a different answer.

[Ombud]

8 hours ago, atexsix said:

switch my booking to a mini suite and the CSA said there'd be a $1000 change fee. 

Sounds like the difference from a balcony to mini-suite of $500pp. I was offered an upgrade from a balcony to a mini-suite of $300pp 1 week before sailing so $500pp 5 weeks out could be about right depending on how many are available 

 

The days of nearly empty ships are over for many itineraries 

 

 

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Ombud

[atexsix]

15 hours ago, Sea Hag said:

Wow! I've never heard of a change fee on Princess. It wasn't the difference in price between the aft balcony and the mini?

No, the price for the mini was slightly higher, but roughly the same, and we would have gladly paid it.  

 

11 hours ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

Call again and see if you get a different answer.

I'm sure calling 5 different times would get me 5 different answers.  🙂

7 hours ago, Ombud said:

Sounds like the difference from a balcony to mini-suite of $500pp. I was offered an upgrade from a balcony to a mini-suite of $300pp 1 week before sailing so $500pp 5 weeks out could be about right depending on how many are available 

 

The days of nearly empty ships are over for many itineraries 

 

 

 

I checked the price on Princess' website before calling and it was roughly the same because we're in an aft "Premier Deluxe" balcony.  Which is still fine for a week, but the mini would have gotten us a little lower in the ship which would have been better for movement.  

 

I'm assuming Princess has personal travel advisors once you've taken a cruise with them, and I would hope I won't have to experience anymore dismal customer service if we decide to sail with them again. 

[julia]

"Change fee"???  How absolutely ridiculous is that?  Please call again, and kick this up the ladder.  One should EASILY be able to upgrade one's cabin by simply paying the difference in fare. 

Again, another example of Princess bull💩!

[Ombud]

56 minutes ago, atexsix said:

No, the price for the mini was slightly higher, but roughly the same, and we would have gladly paid it.  

 

I'm sure calling 5 different times would get me 5 different answers.  🙂

I checked the price on Princess' website before calling and it was roughly the same because we're in an aft "Premier Deluxe" balcony.  Which is still fine for a week, but the mini would have gotten us a little lower in the ship which would have been better for movement.  

 

I'm assuming Princess has personal travel advisors once you've taken a cruise with them, and I would hope I won't have to experience anymore dismal customer service if we decide to sail with them again. 

Call 1-800-901-1172 M->F and tell them you want to switch. They'll assign you to someone but you might even get a better price than you can see. Mine does (I refared 4 weeks out)

 

My last one was a mini-suite. Same sq footage as a deluxe balcony with just a half wall down the middle. Not worth it unless you need a bathtub or going club class JMHO 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Ombud

[candy4040]

We've waited until the day of embarkation prior to going to our cabin and ask if they have any upgrades available and the cost.  Sometimes we won and sometimes we lost.

 

 

[brisalta]

On 4/22/2022 at 3:47 PM, atexsix said:

I called and asked if I could switch my booking to a mini suite and the CSA said there'd be a $1000 change fee.  Seriously!  I do have full insurance, I could have brought that up, but I wasn't in the mood to spar with this woman.  And it's besides the point, the truth is I've never heard of any other cruise line charging a change fee for wanting to transfer a booking, especially if it's on the same ship/date and they stood to make more money.  I might reconsider if they offer an official upgrade, but for now we're staying put, although I'm going to remember this the next time Princess wants me to book another trip with them. 

 

I have never heard of Princess in the USA charging a separate change fee in addition to the difference in price for different types of stateroom.

[atexsix]

23 hours ago, Ombud said:

Call 1-800-901-1172 M->F and tell them you want to switch. They'll assign you to someone but you might even get a better price than you can see. Mine does (I refared 4 weeks out)

 

My last one was a mini-suite. Same sq footage as a deluxe balcony with just a half wall down the middle. Not worth it unless you need a bathtub or going club class JMHO 

 

 

 

 

It was really just for the mid-ship location, I could care less about an extra tv and a curtain; and we aren't going club class. 

 

Much has been said about the TINY (IMO) bathtubs.  I normally sail on HAL and most HAL staterooms have them (not just suites) and they are not designed for the average guy at say 6' 200 lbs.  They are super shallow and short, making it impossible to stretch your legs out unless you're under 5 feet tall and even that would be a stretch.  So if someone's idea of a soak is in about 3 inches of water with their legs hanging out over the side, then a cruise ship tub would be great.  I have yet to see a cruise review test out the tubs, but I did attempt it once due to a sore back and it was a joke!  

 

15 hours ago, brisalta said:

 

I have never heard of Princess in the USA charging a separate change fee in addition to the difference in price for different types of stateroom.

I hadn't either, but that's what she was shoveling, and I didn't want to argue with someone who could make my life miserable with one or two misplaced clicks on her keyboard.  I walked away more amused than mad, since cruise line customer service is at it's absolute worst. I don't know why there hasn't been a revolt, people seem to condone it after spending thousands of dollars on something they really don't need, I mean I can find more pleasant people to deal with at my local Macy's or Walmart.