Cabin Upgrades

[AndyLovesCruises]

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience in upgrading their cabin once on board?   I want to upgrade from a standard balcony to Conservatory suite on Iona. The upgrade program is over £1000 extra for the two of us.   Its not a MUST have, buit if I was prepared to run the risk of not getting one BUT maybe getting a better price once on baord.... is than an option ?  

 

P&O would tell me no (if I could actually get through to them) ! 🙂

[david63]

I have not heard of anyone getting an upgrade once onboard for quite some time and with the new bidding system I would hazard a guess that it will be highly unlikely - and certainly not at a highly reduced price.

[Cloudyrain]

We have been twice on Iona this year and both times there was a sign at reception saying “There are no rooms at the Inn” (well, something along those lines). One of our party needed to move rooms because of a problem with theirs, but there was no room available so they had to remain and put up with the problem.

[Megabear2]

6 minutes ago, Cloudyrain said:

One of our party needed to move rooms because of a problem with theirs, but there was no room available so they had to remain and put up with the problem.

It's been well documented by me that this is the standard response.  I believe DamianG has recently seen a new take on this on Arvia that no upgrades are available due to their "complex itinerary".

 

With over 100 cabins on Arvia apparently having noise issues I'm not surprised there's no room at the inn as you put it so nicely.

[AndyLovesCruises]

If I were to upgrade to a deluxe Balcony, is the space inside any larger or is it just the Balcony that's bigger?  

 

Thanks for the above responses 

[Megabear2]

6 minutes ago, AndyLovesCruises said:

If I were to upgrade to a deluxe Balcony, is the space inside any larger or is it just the Balcony that's bigger?  

 

Thanks for the above responses 

Have a look at DamianG's current live thread from Arvia.  First couple of pages he has photographs of his deluxe rear balcony cabin.  The midships ones are narrower.

[Gettingwarmer]

1 hour ago, AndyLovesCruises said:

If I were to upgrade to a deluxe Balcony, is the space inside any larger or is it just the Balcony that's bigger?  

 

Thanks for the above responses 

The mid ship ones are the same width as a standard balcony but longer and the balconies are on the curve part of the ship. 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Gettingwarmer

[Cloudyrain]

4 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

It's been well documented by me that this is the standard response.  I believe DamianG has recently seen a new take on this on Arvia that no upgrades are available due to their "complex itinerary".

 

With over 100 cabins on Arvia apparently having noise issues I'm not surprised there's no room at the inn as you put it so nicely.

I found the whole situation quite frustrating: but it was a holiday cruise and “at maximum capacity”. Also the cabins were selected to be near each other specifically due to care needs, so it was a case of “put up and shut up” and accept the bad bottle of wine as compensation. We aren’t the sort to complain, but sometimes I wish we were when I see what others in similar situations get.

 

I now know that there are a number of noise-complaint cabins on the Iona, but we booked pre-launch so this wasn’t known at the time. It’s annoying that P&O must know and yet still do nothing about it. 

[Megabear2]

21 minutes ago, Cloudyrain said:

I found the whole situation quite frustrating: but it was a holiday cruise and “at maximum capacity”. Also the cabins were selected to be near each other specifically due to care needs, so it was a case of “put up and shut up” and accept the bad bottle of wine as compensation. We aren’t the sort to complain, but sometimes I wish we were when I see what others in similar situations get.

 

I now know that there are a number of noise-complaint cabins on the Iona, but we booked pre-launch so this wasn’t known at the time. It’s annoying that P&O must know and yet still do nothing about it. 

I wasn't aware of Iona having the problem but I assume they are in the same places as on Arvia. It was hinted to me that the reception staff were fed up with having to deal with this problem every voyage and possibly they'd acquire some sort of separate grading in the way balconies are listed as obstructed but I've yet to see anything.

 

I have noticed on looking at late select fares, ie just after final payment date, that a lot of the ones I know have problems on Arvia are not available and I assume late savers are getting them as its take it or leave it with those fares.

[Harryjacobs]

I had a cabin on Iona affected by noise from the Theatre.  Not ususally a problem for us as the last show finishes at 11.15pm and we are usually up well past that, but on our first night we had a dreadful jouney to Southampton and I felt really ill so decided to go to bed at 10pm.  After enduring the boom boom boom for 10 minutes I rang reception to complain.  The ship was fully booked so they couldnt give us another room but instead there and then over the phone offered us £100 OBC!

Edited August 10, 2023 by Harryjacobs