Help! Need cabin change on upcoming cruise

[cocopuff123]

I've cruised Princess 5 previous times, and have a New England cruise scheduled for 9/28. We booked 2 cabins, and asked at the time of booking that they be close together, since my husband and I are taking my 80 year old mother and our 14 year old daughter with us.

 

When we received our cruise info, our cabin is on Deck 8, and my mother and daughter are on Deck 15, which will be very inconvenient for us. Without going into detail, just know that it is important that their cabin be close to ours for several reasons. Repeated calls to Princess have been made to correct the problem. They claim they can't do anything. Since both cabins were on a "guarantee", and the Deck 15 cabin is a higher category than the same cabin on Deck 8, I've asked Princess to try to move someone else with a guarantee to the better cabin on Deck 15, and put my mother and daughter on Deck 8 near us. They claim they can't do this, which makes absolutely no sense. I am extremely disappointed in their lack of concern to resolve this matter.

 

Has anyone else experienced a problem like this, and does anyone have any additional suggestions. We've already spoken to supervisors with no luck.

[oskidunker]

I would have booked specific cabins if this was an issue. I don't mean to be cruel, but we all know the rules.You got a better price by booking a non specific cabin and thus Princess gets to pick em.

[CruiseAholic]

A cabin 'guarantee' is just that, they ensure you have a cabin on the ship. Your agent should have certainly recommended that you book specific cabins, it may have been more expensive but you'd be where you needed to be.

 

If there are no cabins close to each other, what do you expect Princess can do?

[chrysalis]

I am sorry that you are having difficulties, but the problem really lies with the fact that you booked 2 cabins as "guarantees". When you do so you take your chances of where you will end up. It goes without saying now, that if you wanted 2 cabins close to each other, then you should have booked them that way and selected the cabins you want.

 

Did you book with Princess in the first place, or with a TA? If you made your booking with a TA, then Princess will not do anything for you anyways.

 

If Princess started moving people around for your situation, they would find themselves in that situation for dozens of other people with other reasons for requesting a moved cabin.

[Samcorl]

Cocopuff, I have to agree with Oskidunker. When you choose a guarantee, then you really are at the mercy of Princess. If you used a travel agent, he/she should have made this very clear. However, if you did use an agent, then I would have the ta contact Princess, explain the situation, and request the cabins be closer. Sam

[Atomica]

Unfortunately, since both cabins were guarantees, they are chosen at random. The chances of the cabins being close together are remote at best. Due to the fact you are sailing on the 28th, it is very likely that they may not be able to do anything - the majority of the ship would be booked at this point.

 

Did you book through a travel agent, or through Princess? At the time of booking, you should have been advised that choosing a guarantee will not produce cabins that are close to each other - the only way to do that is to actually pick specific cabins out.

 

The only thing I could suggest is to keep calling Princess, and if that fails, visit the pursers desk once onboard to see if there are any vacant cabins closer to yours (there rarely are, unfortunately). Best of luck to you.

[cocopuff123]

That's the last time I'll let my husband do the booking! I've cruised 25 times before, but never on a guarantee, and never will again either, but that's because I did the booking through my travel agent. My husband booked directly with the cruise line, and their agent promised that they would keep the cabins together since that's the way we booked them. Promises...Promises!

[gargoyle999]

Oh boy. Getting ready for all the if it was so important the cabins be close together you should have never booked a guarantee comments. Here we go again...

 

To the OP, good luck with your situation. But as you've found out, booking multiple guarantee cabins even under the same booking doesn't mean they will be close together.

[Pam in CA]

As has been said, the only thing guaranteed, no matter what your TA or Princess has said, are cabins in the category you booked or better. When you book a GTY, it could be anywhere -- literally. As as you have learned, if you have two cabins and want to be near each other, never book a GTY. :( You'll get cabins in your category or better wherever they are or deck they're on.

[Toto2Kansas]

I totally understand your problem here, what a nitemare.

But alas, I have to agree with the others that responded.

Your husband is actually more to blame then princess on this one (if you must place blame somewhere). Guarantees are booked when you don't much care where you end up onboard, never when you HAVE TO HAVE them close together, or on the same deck, or side by side, etc. Staterooms in different categories are scattered all over the ship. I am only guessing here but I can't see an agent actually 'promising' the staterooms would be together. They might promise to see what they could do about keeping them close, or promise they would try to get them next to each other, or many other terms, but I find it hard to believe they promised the staterooms would be together on a guarantee, as that is close to impossible.

 

With your sailing so close, you need to go to plan B and see how you can move your group around to best suit this situation. Possibly you with your mother and your husband with your daughter. They can change the occuppants of the stateroom onboard after you check in to reflect who you want in each stateroom. Just see the purser after boarding. Sorry, that's my only suggestion. Aside from that, it is probably way too late to do anything about this.

 

BUT (always a but). I would continue to call Princess, since your booking is direct with them, and let them know what a hardship this has put on you and just possibly, you might find someone willing to help. Good Luck!

[cocopuff123]

Thanks to all who have replied. I've learned a valuable lesson. Like I said, after 25 cruises with chosen cabins, this was my first booking a guarantee. Obviously this was a big mistake since I wanted two cabins close together, and even a bigger mistake for the cruise line reservationist who assured my husband that the cabins would be together, no matter what.

 

Having been on the Star Princess when it caught fire a few years back, I have concerns about not having my family members close by. I realize there is only a remote chance a situation like that would present itself again, but it was a one in a million chance back then and it happened. I can't tell you how frightening that experience was, especially when the life boats were lowered. Fortunately, they brought the fire under control at the same time, so we didn't have to abandon ship. Unfortunately, that memory will live with me forever, especially when I cruise.

[DonnaK]

There's a reason why guarantee cabins are less expensive than specific cabins.

 

I'd like to second the recommendation that you keep calling Princess back. It's been my experience that different customer service agents give different answers, and you might get lucky and reach one who can work something out for you. Can you ask to speak to a supervisor or someone in the resolution department?

[Toto2Kansas]

Thanks to all who have replied. I've learned a valuable lesson. Like I said, after 25 cruises with chosen cabins, this was my first booking a guarantee. Obviously this was a big mistake since I wanted two cabins close together, and even a bigger mistake for the cruise line reservationist who assured my husband that the cabins would be together, no matter what.

 

Having been on the Star Princess when it caught fire a few years back, I have concerns about not having my family members close by. I realize there is only a remote chance a situation like that would present itself again, but it was a one in a million chance back then and it happened. I can't tell you how frightening that experience was, especially when the life boats were lowered. Fortunately, they brought the fire under control at the same time, so we didn't have to abandon ship. Unfortunately, that memory will live with me forever, especially when I cruise.

 

I would call Princess and tell them just what you said here, and why you have concerns that still haunt you today. It won't cost you more than a phone call and having to hear them again telling you there is nothing they can do. But it is worth a shot IMHO. Again, good luck on this one.

[Pam in CA]

With that experience, I'd do as Toto says: keep calling and if you don't get the help you need, ask to speak to a Supervisor and explain your previous experience and concerns. Your fear is not irrational; it's based on your actual experience on a Princess cruise. In another 2 or 3 days, there probably isn't anything they can do but I think there's still time for them to shift people around a little.

[Toto2Kansas]

There's a reason why guarantee cabins are less expensive than specific cabins.

 

 

 

Actually, on Princess, booking a guarantee is not less expensive then booking an assigned stateroom. If you book and pay for a BB balcony (or any other category stateroom), whether you book it assigned or as a guarantee, the price is exactly the same. ;)

[DonnaK]

Actually, on Princess, booking a guarantee is not less expensive then booking an assigned stateroom. If you book and pay for a BB balcony, whether you book it assigned or as a guarantee, the price is exactly the same. ;)

 

Really? I wasn't aware of that, and assumed it was the same as on other lines. I stand corrected.

 

So then, what's the incentive to book a guarantee over an assigned room if there is no savings? (Better chance of an upgrade, perhaps?)

[Toto2Kansas]

Really? I wasn't aware of that, and assumed it was the same as on other lines. I stand corrected.

 

So then, what's the incentive to book a guarantee over an assigned room if there is no savings? (Better chance of an upgrade, perhaps?)

 

If a category you booked a guarantee in sells out, then your chances of getting a better category is higher. It's like the times we have booked an AE mini suite, we usually end up in an AA or AB mini by the date of the cruise. Because there are only a handful of the AE's onboard and they are usually less expensive. They oversell them and place those that booked in a higher mini suite category. The problem with it is, you have to be happy no matter where you end up, as you could end up in that AE (somebody does) or an AA AB AC or AD.

 

You are correct, some lines do discount the price when booking a guarantee status, but Princess does not. :)

[Pam in CA]

So then, what's the incentive to book a guarantee over an assigned room if there is no savings? (Better chance of an upgrade, perhaps?)

Wishful thinking, perhaps there are no cabins in inventory at the time in that type of cabin, TAs who aren't knowledgeable and infer to their clients that they'll get upgraded -- a whole range of reasons. I think the biggest reason is people believe they'll be upgraded if they book a GTY but really, there is no financial benefit to booking a GTY since you can be upgraded even if you've booked a specific cabin.

[DonnaK]

If a category you booked a guarantee in sells out, then your chances of getting a better category is higher. It's like the times we have booked an AE mini suite, we usually end up in an AA or AB mini by the date of the cruise. Because there are only a handful of the AE's onboard and they are usually less expensive. They oversell them and place those that booked in a higher mini suite category. The problem with it is, you have to be happy no matter where you end up, as you could end up in that AE (somebody does) or an AA AB AC or AD.

 

You are correct, some lines do discount the price when booking a guarantee status, but Princess does not. :)

 

Ahhh.... it makes sense now. Princess also waitlists cabins, and the other lines do not, which accounts for the overselling, and then the moving up within the category.

[Solara]

My advise would be to call and keep calling. You might finally get someone that would do something for you.

 

In the future when you book your cabins close together & need them to be, make sure your reservation is marked for "NO UPGRADES".

[Woobstr112G]

To the OP, good luck with trying to get the cabin change. Like previous posts, don't give up and make sure you try...It's like the lottery, you can't win if you don't play......

 

Bob

 

Future: Diamond Princess Aus/Nz 01/09

Future: Emerald Princess Med/Trans Atlantic 10/08

Constellation British Isles/Norway 07/06

Summit Alaska Repositioning 05/05

Summit Panama Canal 10/02

Rhapsody Of The Seas Alaska 09/01

Spledour Of The Seas Baltic 09/99

Veendam Eastern Caribbean 07/96

Holiday Western Carribean 07/93

[jpg1747]

Can you upgrade your cabin level, and pay a bit more, to be able to pick two cabins that would work for you?

[Solara]

Can you upgrade your cabin level, and pay a bit more, to be able to pick two cabins that would work for you?

OP is sailing on 9/28, highly unlikely this late!

[G'ma]

I've cruised Princess 5 previous times, and have a New England cruise scheduled for 9/28. We booked 2 cabins, and asked at the time of booking that they be close together, since my husband and I are taking my 80 year old mother and our 14 year old daughter with us.

 

When we received our cruise info, our cabin is on Deck 8, and my mother and daughter are on Deck 15, which will be very inconvenient for us. Without going into detail, just know that it is important that their cabin be close to ours for several reasons. Repeated calls to Princess have been made to correct the problem. They claim they can't do anything. Since both cabins were on a "guarantee", and the Deck 15 cabin is a higher category than the same cabin on Deck 8, I've asked Princess to try to move someone else with a guarantee to the better cabin on Deck 15, and put my mother and daughter on Deck 8 near us. They claim they can't do this, which makes absolutely no sense. I am extremely disappointed in their lack of concern to resolve this matter.

 

Has anyone else experienced a problem like this, and does anyone have any additional suggestions. We've already spoken to supervisors with no luck.

 

When you chose to buy a guarantee cabin, you get what they assign you. Just because you have requested a certain assignment doesn't mean you'll get it.

 

Alway remember, if you want specific cabins or cabin arrangements, always buy it outright, not as a guarantee.

 

You can be moved around right up to sailing day. There's no reason to be upset with Princess....you get exactly what you pay for. Sometimes there might be an upgrade, most times, not.

[willysgrandma]

Thanks to all who have replied. I've learned a valuable lesson. Like I said, after 25 cruises with chosen cabins, this was my first booking a guarantee. Obviously this was a big mistake since I wanted two cabins close together, and even a bigger mistake for the cruise line reservationist who assured my husband that the cabins would be together, no matter what.

 

 

Sorry this happened to you, but it goes to show you that many times the people you book directly with at the cruiseline can give you misinformation. Everyone always blames the travel agent when something like this happenes, even though an agent may say that "the cruiseline did it." I hope people remember this if they ever book with a TA and there is a problem with a booking because the cruise lines DO make mistakes, many more than you may think.

 

Since you've booked with a TA before, I'm sure you know that a good TA would have told you not to book a guarantee when you needed the cabins near each other.