TBA cabin not assigned and time for check in!!

[Joanne G.]

Perhaps what @mz-smeant was that it is unacceptable that Carnival didn't complete the process of assigning guarantee cabins until hours after boarding started.   To me, that's a big screw-up that shouldn't be a normal risk of booking a guaranteed cabin.  

 

@PayneAS, did you get your cabin before or after sailing?

[mz-s]

30 minutes ago, Gamecock_Cruiser said:

Then make sure you book a specific cabin... and you will avoid it. Cheaper isn't always the best option...

 

I am OK with letting Carnival assign my cabin a lot of times, the cabin location isn't usually a big deal to me. But I still want a cabin. I feel like that's reasonable. Are you seriously saying that not having an assigned cabin for 5 hours of a cruise is acceptable to you? Being forced to carry on all your luggage and lug it around all day during crowded and busy embarkation, not being able to make any purchases, all of this is acceptable to you? It's the cruiser's fault because they were being cheap right? Give me a break.

[mz-s]

3 minutes ago, Joanne G. said:

Perhaps what @mz-smeant was that it is unacceptable that Carnival didn't complete the process of assigning guarantee cabins until hours after boarding started.   To me, that's a big screw-up that shouldn't be a normal risk of booking a guaranteed cabin.  

 

@PayneAS, did you get your cabin before or after sailing?

 

Right, I'm cool with getting my cabin assigned at the pier. But to wait after boarding? After all these stories of overbooked cruises (granted not CCL but still...) - no way, they'd put me in the presidential suite or something. I'm not getting on that ship without a cabin number. If that's a problem, they can deal with my credit card company if they refuse to give me my money back.

Edited January 25 by mz-s

[PayneAS]

22 minutes ago, Joanne G. said:

Perhaps what @mz-smeant was that it is unacceptable that Carnival didn't complete the process of assigning guarantee cabins until hours after boarding started.   To me, that's a big screw-up that shouldn't be a normal risk of booking a guaranteed cabin.  

 

@PayneAS, did you get your cabin before or after sailing?

Surprisingly it was after. As the ship pulled away from the dock I was thinking to myself, "Well there's no way they can kick me off now. I'll eventually get a spot somewhere." 

It's been a few months (I think it was my August trip) but if I remember right, I got to the port at 11, ship sails away at 3, I got my cabin around 5. 

[bar1068]

8 minutes ago, PayneAS said:

Surprisingly it was after. As the ship pulled away from the dock I was thinking to myself, "Well there's no way they can kick me off now. I'll eventually get a spot somewhere." 

It's been a few months (I think it was my August trip) but if I remember right, I got to the port at 11, ship sails away at 3, I got my cabin around 5. 

Oh wow...I read your previous posts...didn't see that the cabin was assigned after the pulled out of the dock!!! Whoa!!!

A curious question. I recall you did get into a balcony cabin? Did you book a balcony QTY or something else? Also...while you waited for them to get their...stuff in order...what did you do....head to a bar (my choice) get something to eat etc? You didn't have to hang at guest services did you?

 

 

Edited January 25 by bar1068
words missing

[PayneAS]

56 minutes ago, Gamecock_Cruiser said:

Then make sure you book a specific cabin... and you will avoid it. Cheaper isn't always the best option...

In my case it was a Last Minute Deal (essentially a free cabin). Offered the deal on Thursday for a Sunday cruise. It's the offer they send out to fill up the boat at the last minute so they can continue their claim that they sail completely full. No choice to pick a cabin. And yes, I'm well aware that's the risk I take being cheap so I wasn't mad about it. I'm lucky enough to live 45 mins from the port and am able to work remotely so I can snatch up those cheap deals. If ever there is a time where they are like "Sorry we don't have a room for you," I can just Uber home and maybe they'll give me a FCC for the trouble.

[Joanne G.]

5 minutes ago, PayneAS said:

Surprisingly it was after. As the ship pulled away from the dock I was thinking to myself, "Well there's no way they can kick me off now. I'll eventually get a spot somewhere." 

It's been a few months (I think it was my August trip) but if I remember right, I got to the port at 11, ship sails away at 3, I got my cabin around 5. 

Wow!  That's incredible.  True they couldn't kick you off, but I would have been wondering if the captain's quarters had a couch!

[PayneAS]

Just now, bar1068 said:

Oh wow...I read your previous posts...didn't see that the cabin was assigned after the pulled out of the dock!!! Whoa!!!

A curious question. I recall you did get into a balcony cabin? Did you book a balcony QTY or something else? 

 

I booked an GTY inside. I was upgraded to a balcony. Some platinum member that hadn't shown up. (I know this because his card and chocolates and everything were delivered to the room already). 

[joe/jack]

1 minute ago, PayneAS said:

I booked an GTY inside. I was upgraded to a balcony. Some platinum member that hadn't shown up. (I know this because his card and chocolates and everything were delivered to the room already). 

I have GTY inside for 3/8 with no assignment yet. I hope I get that lucky

Dont need the Chocolates but a balcony would be sweet 

 

[mz-s]

9 minutes ago, PayneAS said:

I booked an GTY inside. I was upgraded to a balcony. Some platinum member that hadn't shown up. (I know this because his card and chocolates and everything were delivered to the room already). 

 

I wonder if they actually did have a room for you had that platinum member shown up...hmmm...I guess it all worked out so it doesn't really matter

[bar1068]

1 hour ago, Gamecock_Cruiser said:

Then make sure you book a specific cabin... and you will avoid it. Cheaper isn't always the best option...

I'm. going to disagree in part. Yes, a QTY/TBA you sign up for there is a possibility the cabin will  be assigned at the port, sure, thats is a known risk. But, to check in, board the ship with your luggage when that was not what you planned for, to have the ship LEAVE THE PORT, and while sailing take hours to locate a cabin, no, that part is not acceptable, or even reasonable.

[Elaine5715]

6 minutes ago, bar1068 said:

I'm. going to disagree in part. Yes, a QTY/TBA you sign up for there is a possibility the cabin will  be assigned at the port, sure, thats is a known risk. But, to check in, board the ship with your luggage when that was not what you planned for, to have the ship LEAVE THE PORT, and while sailing take hours to locate a cabin, no, that part is not acceptable, or even reasonable.

I would bet that there was a computer issue and they needed to manually check rooms before assigning

[PayneAS]

3 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

I wonder if they actually did have a room for you had that platinum member shown up...hmmm...I guess it all worked out so it doesn't really matter

Well I figured that even if they "sail full" there is always a room or two set aside for emergencies (or maybe my optimism is showing) for like people who have their cabins flood or any other number of things that could go wrong that they have to move someone. I figured I'd get put in one of those. It was a nice surprise to get a balcony.

My latest adventure, a couple of weeks ago, I got one of the handicap accessible rooms. Unless someone specifically requests those, they probably keep those set aside for as long as possible in case someone actually needs one. I was so nervous the whole time that I was gonna hit or pull one of the "help me" cords/buttons.

[jsglow]

Yeah, in light of the overbooking fiascos over at RCCL I too would be really, really upset if my cabin wasn't assigned by the time I arrived at the terminal.  That 5 hour wait onboard wouldn't be OK whatsoever.

 

And one more gripe, I don't know exactly what was offered anymore to the RCCL folks who got turned away but I do recall that it was so inadequate that I would have seriously considered contacting my attorney. I would argue that the only reasonable compensation would be 100% refund, 100% FCC, and reimbursement of ALL unrecoverable out of pocket costs.

[StephPS79]

While yes, I agree that not having a cabin assigned before sailing is unacceptable, I don't think there is any chance the ship would have sailed if there was even the slightest possibility that there wouldn't be enough cabins.

 

I'm sure this has happened a time or two, but I doubt it is a common occurrence for the ship to sail before all rooms are assigned.