Cabin changed - no discussion - no compensation

[Mollys dad]

We booked our cruise several months ago to visit western Europe over 10 days on the P & O VENTURA. We particularly spent a lot of time selecting our cabin on C deck due to the bigger baloneys & paid the full asking price. We get notified 1 week before we go that they have moved us to another deck - this being A. P & O have decided to take out Deck C for COVID reasons!!!. Covid was around when we booked this & P & P knew that it would have to take out rooms or a deck - so why did they not anticipate this & not advertise the rooms as available. P & O have offered no compensation, not even an upgrade to the room as none are available - surprise, surprise, with only a week to go !!!. We are absolutely disgusted by the lack of sympathy & thought by P & O. How do they expect to get returning customers. If this is not resolved, I will take this to the highest authorities possible - P & O do not care about what people think. We could have gone for the fee saver & have the deck & cabin chosen for us via P & O but we chose "Select Price" & paid extra so that we could chose our room - this we paid extra for - what was the point when P &O decided themselves. You would think we could have the extra funds we paid reimbursed  - not according  to P & O "Guest Services".

Moral of this rant - do not pay for extra's & expect your wishes to come true.

[Bin man]

What was the cabin area chosen 

[Son of Anarchy]

Unpleasantly surprised that this poor treatment of customers continues...

[Trevor Fountain]

This is another example of poor customer service.

How does the grade compare with your original choice?

[Fionboard]

C deck aft cabins - 700 plus - have been isolation cabins all year. If one of these is involved P&O should not have sold it. Terrible treatment of customers. So disappointing for them. 

[Tablelamp]

Yesterday  I booked C726 for next March and requested no upgrade.

[Bazrat]

The sign of the time's not a nice thing to happen but it is the chance we all take booking in these times, or they could go down the other cruise lines and just ditch the protocols.

[pete14]

We have an aft suite on C deck for the end of October which we booked when the bookings opened. The other suites are sold out so if this area is still for isolation, they will have to downgrade us. There are 3 adults booked in the suite but I don’t suppose any downgrade will be available to comfortably house 3 people. Interesting times ahead perhaps.

[jeanlyon]

That is so bad.  We always choose C or D decks on Aurora.  They once upgraded us to A deck even though I had requested not to be moved.  They moved us back when I complained.  But that was before Covid.

[bbtablet]

"We particularly spent a lot of time selecting our cabin on C deck due to the bigger baloneys"

 

It seems P&O's Select booking system is a load of baloney too!

[TangerineWillow]

On 8/31/2022 at 3:30 PM, Mollys dad said:

We booked our cruise several months ago to visit western Europe over 10 days on the P & O VENTURA. We particularly spent a lot of time selecting our cabin on C deck due to the bigger baloneys & paid the full asking price. We get notified 1 week before we go that they have moved us to another deck - this being A. P & O have decided to take out Deck C for COVID reasons!!!. Covid was around when we booked this & P & P knew that it would have to take out rooms or a deck - so why did they not anticipate this & not advertise the rooms as available. P & O have offered no compensation, not even an upgrade to the room as none are available - surprise, surprise, with only a week to go !!!. We are absolutely disgusted by the lack of sympathy & thought by P & O. How do they expect to get returning customers. If this is not resolved, I will take this to the highest authorities possible - P & O do not care about what people think. We could have gone for the fee saver & have the deck & cabin chosen for us via P & O but we chose "Select Price" & paid extra so that we could chose our room - this we paid extra for - what was the point when P &O decided themselves. You would think we could have the extra funds we paid reimbursed  - not according  to P & O "Guest Services".

Moral of this rant - do not pay for extra's & expect your wishes to come true.

We have the same issue on Azura, paid select and get moved to a cabin we would never choose. It also happended on Iona in May. We complained direct to Sturemyrmel@carnivalukgroup.com, he is the CEO, they gave us the diff between select and saver fares as obc. This time I will not just accept that I want much more.

[Son of Anarchy]

24 minutes ago, TangerineWillow said:

We have the same issue on Azura, paid select and get moved to a cabin we would never choose. It also happended on Iona in May. We complained direct to Sturemyrmel@carnivalukgroup.com, he is the CEO, they gave us the diff between select and saver fares as obc. This time I will not just accept that I want much more.

We'll struggle to spend our OBC, let alone add anymore if they move our chosen cabin.

 

For our Iona cruise we initially booked a smaller balcony on Select fare.  The OBC "reduced" the price to less than Early Saver, so we weren't bothered if we got moved (unless the dreaded deck 8).

 

However, we recently upgraded to a extended balcony cabin.  We're not going till November, so hopefully a bit more time for the isolation cabins to reduce 🤞. 

 

In the event that our cabin becomes unavailable due to isolation areas, operational reasons, alien invasion etc, I will probably simply go down the section 75 route and claim back the cost of the upgrade.  P&O have will have failed to supply what was paid for, in this case quite simply a specific cabin with a larger balcony.  Hopefully it won't come to that, would rather try out one of these cabins.

[TangerineWillow]

38 minutes ago, TangerineWillow said:

We have the same issue on Azura, paid select and get moved to a cabin we would never choose. It also happended on Iona in May. We complained direct to Sturemyrmel@carnivalukgroup.com, he is the CEO, they gave us the diff between select and saver fares as obc. This time I will not just accept that I want much more.

Can i ask what cabin number you had on Ventura before being moved, I ask as my in laws are on Ventura soon and also on C Deck

 

[TangerineWillow]

On 8/27/2022 at 11:37 AM, True Devonian said:

We are on Ventura, which is the same lay out as Azura, at the end of October and are now concerned. We have booked an aft balcony cabin and certainaly would not be happy to be moved to an obstructed view cabin. Could you confirm which cabin you were moved from and which cabin you were moved to. Thank you.

 

On 8/31/2022 at 3:30 PM, Mollys dad said:

We booked our cruise several months ago to visit western Europe over 10 days on the P & O VENTURA. We particularly spent a lot of time selecting our cabin on C deck due to the bigger baloneys & paid the full asking price. We get notified 1 week before we go that they have moved us to another deck - this being A. P & O have decided to take out Deck C for COVID reasons!!!. Covid was around when we booked this & P & P knew that it would have to take out rooms or a deck - so why did they not anticipate this & not advertise the rooms as available. P & O have offered no compensation, not even an upgrade to the room as none are available - surprise, surprise, with only a week to go !!!. We are absolutely disgusted by the lack of sympathy & thought by P & O. How do they expect to get returning customers. If this is not resolved, I will take this to the highest authorities possible - P & O do not care about what people think. We could have gone for the fee saver & have the deck & cabin chosen for us via P & O but we chose "Select Price" & paid extra so that we could chose our room - this we paid extra for - what was the point when P &O decided themselves. You would think we could have the extra funds we paid reimbursed  - not according  to P & O "Guest Services".

Moral of this rant - do not pay for extra's & expect your wishes to come true.

 

[TangerineWillow]

We had the same on Iona in may, got the same sorry pathetic message, so emailed Sture the Carnival CEO, his executive office again tried the sorry message but I gave them the facts like you quote, I got the difference between select and Saver fares as obc. The same has just happended on Azura so am waiting for even higher levels of compensation this time. It will also be my last P and ao cruise, they simply dont respect their customers

[Bin man]

Does anybody know if there are any isolation cabins on Iona deck 10 aft at the moment ?

[Cruisemeister2002]

On 8/31/2022 at 3:30 PM, Mollys dad said:

We booked our cruise several months ago to visit western Europe over 10 days on the P & O VENTURA. We particularly spent a lot of time selecting our cabin on C deck due to the bigger baloneys & paid the full asking price. We get notified 1 week before we go that they have moved us to another deck - this being A. P & O have decided to take out Deck C for COVID reasons!!!. Covid was around when we booked this & P & P knew that it would have to take out rooms or a deck - so why did they not anticipate this & not advertise the rooms as available. P & O have offered no compensation, not even an upgrade to the room as none are available - surprise, surprise, with only a week to go !!!. We are absolutely disgusted by the lack of sympathy & thought by P & O. How do they expect to get returning customers. If this is not resolved, I will take this to the highest authorities possible - P & O do not care about what people think. We could have gone for the fee saver & have the deck & cabin chosen for us via P & O but we chose "Select Price" & paid extra so that we could chose our room - this we paid extra for - what was the point when P &O decided themselves. You would think we could have the extra funds we paid reimbursed  - not according  to P & O "Guest Services".

Moral of this rant - do not pay for extra's & expect your wishes to come true.

I'm no expert in this. But would think that if they advertise "Select Price = Choice of Cabin Number" Then they have to give you what you have chosen. Alternatively, if they have a clause in this due to covid, which I doubt they have, then you should be entitled to choose another Cabin. Falling that you should get some sort of compensation such as a bit of OBC.

[Cruisemeister2002]

At a time when although we are aware cruise lines need to make up for two years of lost revenue. You would think bearing in mind what is happening in this Country and what is about to happen come the winter that they would sharpen up on their desire to make cruises everything they purport them to be. No good coming on a video and proclaiming you have been on several ships recently and are appreciative of those loyal customers to P&O and then doing basically the opposite by alienating travellers by not making their cruise a once in a lifetime experience even if they are having their lifetime experience on a regular basis. As with any form of holiday there's always another option. We cruise again, God willing, next year and we hope the experience is just as good as before. After all our money is just as good as before.

[Yorkypete]

18 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

I'm no expert in this. But would think that if they advertise "Select Price = Choice of Cabin Number" Then they have to give you what you have chosen. Alternatively, if they have a clause in this due to covid, which I doubt they have, then you should be entitled to choose another Cabin. Falling that you should get some sort of compensation such as a bit of OBC.

The cruise industry seems to be a law unto itself.In any  business you pay for a specific item and if that item is changed then it is breaking a contract. You sign and pay for a particular cabin (in advance unlike many businesses) then if you are changed to another cabin, either better or worse, the cruiseline has broken its contract. How the hell do they get away with it?

[Bin man]

I think they have covered themselves in point 40 in terms and conditions. I think each individual case will be different if the cabin is changed so I guess each person has to try their luck getting some kind of compensation  if the cabin is a lower grade

 

[Yorkypete]

5 hours ago, Bin man said:

I think they have covered themselves in point 40 in terms and conditions. I think each individual case will be different if the cabin is changed so I guess each person has to try their luck getting some kind of compensation  if the cabin is a lower grade

 

My point is ANY change of cabin if you have paid select for a certain cabin and ticked no upgrade then it is breaking your contract with P&O. I wonder if anyone has taken them to court on this point.

Edited September 3, 2022 by Yorkypete

[Windsurfboy]

10 hours ago, Yorkypete said:

My point is ANY change of cabin if you have paid select for a certain cabin and ticked no upgrade then it is breaking your contract with P&O. I wonder if anyone has taken them to court on this point.

 

Completely agree, MCOL (new small claims) , is cheap and easy online ,a £100 fixed which you get back if you win. Given cabin choice is main reason for select, hence name 

Edited September 4, 2022 by Windsurfboy

[janny444]

Some years ago I booked a holiday with an extremely well know high street TA & airline. At the point of booking I was  given a choice of flights and I made it perfectly clear...No night flight....I stipulated the point  more than once. Several weeks later they changed the flight to a night flight and said I would have to accept it and quoted their T&Cs.

I didn't accept that and said they had broken their contract with me and MY T&Cs at the point of booking. After being like a " dog with a bone" and many bog standard letters from them which on their part was a take it or leave it attitude  they eventually conceded and returned my deposit.

So while people just " suck up" whatever the cruise companies throw at us they will continue to do whatever they want....you sometimes have to fight your corner and not just roll over.

[amfc_lenny]

I’m going to be honest we’d booked deck d aft corner mini suite. I was fearing this was going to be us.

To the op, I’d be kicking up hell, writing to the ceo and anyone who’d listen as other than another cabin on deck c there isn’t an equivalent they can give.

 

I don’t get why they didn’t use another standard cabin deck, as surely ppl could be more easily moved to something equivalent 

[molecrochip]

22 hours ago, Yorkypete said:

My point is ANY change of cabin if you have paid select for a certain cabin and ticked no upgrade then it is breaking your contract with P&O. I wonder if anyone has taken them to court on this point.

No it’s not breaking your contract. I’ve said time and time again, you chose your cabin, but the terms and conditions reserve P&O the right to change it.

 

Airlines have done this for years with paid seat reservations - you can only get your money back if you don’t end up in a similar seat.

 

It is however shocking customer service not to offer any compensation / acknowledgement of change.

 

It’s doubly worse that again it’s being done so close to departure.