Just got call from Vantage

So, I just got a telephone call from Vantage. I leave day after tomorrow and they want me to give up my category A-1 room with a french balcony for a B-2 level room, which is a deck lower and has no french balcony and in return they will give me a refund of the difference in room price (you're damn right) AND $500 credit per person toward another cruise and I think he might have said or $500 cash but I was starting to have palpitations at this time and I really don't remember much after that.....so just to be absolutely certain (and to give myself time to collect my thoughts) I said, B-2 doesn't have a french balcony right? And he said yes, that's correct....so I said "No, thank you, the french balcony is a requirement for me" . He sounded a little annoyed and said "OK" and hung up!! I've dealt with this person before and quite honestly if you're trying to convince someone to give up what they have for something that is less, he's not the person you want doing that. I went on the web site, thinking someone wants to book this trip and really wants the A-1 cabin TWO DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE (not yelling, well maybe a little) bottom line is the only two cabins unsold are B-1 and B-2, so my feeling is let the person who waited this long take it. But I have this sour taste in my mouth. Usually when a company wants you to give up something for them, they offer you something worth more than what you already have, no? :confused:

I'd be more than annoyed, too!!! I agree with your expectations and am glad you stood your ground.

I hope that this unpleasantness will not affect your enjoyment of your cruise and that you will write a letter when you get back.

I'd be more than annoyed, too!!! I agree with your expectations and am glad you stood your ground.

 

I hope that this unpleasantness will not affect your enjoyment of your cruise and that you will write a letter when you get back.

I've sailed with Vantage 7x...this is my 8th trip, I think that's what got me so ticked off...If they wanted me to change from an A-1 to a suite that would be one thing, but to ask me to give up my cabin so someone else can have it....that's really nervy. It won't effect my trip though...I know Vantage will deliver a wonderful cruise, I just have this nagging feeling that somehow I'm going to wind up in a different cabin than the one I paid for.

I'm a newbie to river cruising, but that seems really odd to me. Is that a common practice?

!.

 

I've sailed with Vantage 7x...this is my 8th trip, I think that's what got me so ticked off...If they wanted me to change from an A-1 to a suite that would be one thing, but to ask me to give up my cabin so someone else can have it....that's really nervy. It won't effect my trip though...I know Vantage will deliver a wonderful cruise, I just have this nagging feeling that somehow I'm going to wind up in a different cabin than the one I paid for.

Oh, I sure hope your feeling is wrong!!! I don't think I'd want to be on the other end of the phone or letter if they did downgrade your stateroom. As you say, if they upgrade you, fine, but not a downgrade - at least, not without significant perks.

I took this as a sign that their crack IT crew finally finished their wort on "My Portfolio" so I went to look. No dice, still under maintenance.

Keep us posted on where you wind up on the ship.

!.

 

 

 

I've sailed with Vantage 7x...this is my 8th trip, I think that's what got me so ticked off...If they wanted me to change from an A-1 to a suite that would be one thing, but to ask me to give up my cabin so someone else can have it....that's really nervy. It won't effect my trip though...I know Vantage will deliver a wonderful cruise, I just have this nagging feeling that somehow I'm going to wind up in a different cabin than the one I paid for.

HydroKitty, I would fire off multiple e-mails to Vantage management outlining what happened that that you ABSOLUTELY expect to get THE cabin (insert cabin #) you paid for...

Says the outraged control freak in me!

So, I just got a telephone call from Vantage. I leave day after tomorrow and they want me to give up my category A-1 room with a french balcony for a B-2 level room, which is a deck lower and has no french balcony and in return they will give me a refund of the difference in room price (you're damn right) AND $500 credit per person toward another cruise and I think he might have said or $500 cash but I was starting to have palpitations at this time and I really don't remember much after that.....so just to be absolutely certain (and to give myself time to collect my thoughts) I said, B-2 doesn't have a french balcony right? And he said yes, that's correct....so I said "No, thank you, the french balcony is a requirement for me" . He sounded a little annoyed and said "OK" and hung up!! I've dealt with this person before and quite honestly if you're trying to convince someone to give up what they have for something that is less, he's not the person you want doing that. I went on the web site, thinking someone wants to book this trip and really wants the A-1 cabin TWO DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE (not yelling, well maybe a little) bottom line is the only two cabins unsold are B-1 and B-2, so my feeling is let the person who waited this long take it. But I have this sour taste in my mouth. Usually when a company wants you to give up something for them, they offer you something worth more than what you already have, no? :confused:

If you think they might go ahead and downgrade you (as if by mistake), I would call Vantage and confirm your stateroom number now. Then ask for an email confirming it. Sounds like there must be a waitlist for staterooms and by paying you $500, they can make thousands. Not your problem!

I'm a newbie to river cruising' date=' but that seems really odd to me. Is that a common practice?[/quote']

 

No absolutely not and in my 7 trips with Vantage it has never happened to me.

HydroKitty, I would fire off multiple e-mails to Vantage management outlining what happened that that you ABSOLUTELY expect to get THE cabin (insert cabin #) you paid for...

 

Says the outraged control freak in me!

We are SO much like, Jville!! I just got off the phone with Vantage and they have absolutely guaranteed that I will NOT be changed from the cabin I booked a year ago. In fact, it was noted on my file that "passenger declined to change cabins" and she said they would not and could not mess with that because nobody would stand for it. In all my trips, I have never had anything like that happen before. On Costa Rica trip they called about 2 weeks ahead of time and asked if we would be able to go the following week because cruise was over-booked and I pointed out we were traveling with 2 other people and rep. said OK, forget I called. But this is 2 days to departure. and who books a trip 2 days before departure and then demand an upgraded cabin level???

Well, I'm done venting now.....thanks for listening! :D

!.

 

I've sailed with Vantage 7x...this is my 8th trip, I think that's what got me so ticked off...If they wanted me to change from an A-1 to a suite that would be one thing, but to ask me to give up my cabin so someone else can have it....that's really nervy. It won't effect my trip though...I know Vantage will deliver a wonderful cruise, I just have this nagging feeling that somehow I'm going to wind up in a different cabin than the one I paid for.

Wow, this would certainly be very disappointing to me, also. And, if I wound up in a different cabin (especially after such a call), they'd have to prove to me that NO ONE could be in that cabin and that's why they needed to move me. PLUS a full refund (especially if someone is, indeed, in that cabin).

I agree with a confirmation request, and make a copy of it.

Glad you called!!!! Now have a glass of wine ;)

If you think they might go ahead and downgrade you (as if by mistake), I would call Vantage and confirm your stateroom number now. Then ask for an email confirming it. Sounds like there must be a waitlist for staterooms and by paying you $500, they can make thousands. Not your problem!

I never thought about a waitlist situation....makes perfect sense. They over-sold the cabin level and don't want to refund the money. I did call them, and they have confirmed that my cabin will not be changed. And you're absolutely right, Not my problem.

It would appear problem has been solved and I will NOT be moved to a different cabin. Thanks for the support...you guys are the best!!!

Now where's my wine glass....:D

Kitty and fellow alum husband,

Have a wonderful trip---have a few glasses of wine and have a safe journey.

Pat

Thanks Pat...go Wildcats! :D

YIKES. I would be having a stroke. Glad it worked out for you!

YIKES. I would be having a stroke. Glad it worked out for you!

Oh I did have my stroke...but I took Dr. J'Ville's advice and poured a nice cold glass of wine. I won't be driving tonight. :D

Hydrokitty, just a little off topic, but what does you CC name mean?

Have a great cruise... so glad you called to "clear" up THEIR problem! I sure would be asking a ton of questions!

Hydrokitty, just a little off topic, but what does you CC name mean?

DH and I used to race hydroplanes and our class was C hydro and I'm a cat lover who used to have a petsitting business.:D

DH and I used to race hydroplanes and our class was C hydro and I'm a cat lover who used to have a petsitting business.:D

Thanks for explaining. Thought maybe you had a cat that liked water :D.

Also, have a wonderful trip.

HydroKitty- Glad this worked out for you, I know you don't need headaches so close to cruising. Enjoy your trip.

Vantage's overhaul of the cabin classes almost bit us. My wife and I signed up over a year early for the Bucharest to Budapest sailing. After booking, we upgraded from C2 cabin to a C1 (cabin 325). A week ago they updated my portfolio to reflect that they now only have one C class, and I was now in cabin 331, second to last cabin on the middle deck. So much for booking early.

I called Vantage, at first the agent hemmed and hawed about how there were no other C class cabins. I reminded him that we had booked 18 mths early, paid for the upgrade, and to date have had our trip direction changed once and dates changed twice (now we are Budapest to Bucharest, two week earlier departure from original booking, and $500 credit/person for our troubles).

He relented and now we are in cabin 315, B class. Hope this stays the same.

We will now have to take an extra vacation day as the trip doesn't overlap w/ Columbus day. So to this point a bit rough, but it has worked out.

The perils of "Lock in 2015 pricing for 2016 sailings", things do change.

Hydo- have a wonderful trip, tailwinds on your flights, and ice for your red wine! :)

interesting story. have not heard of cabins being potentially changed like that.

for each of our 8 river cruises our cabin numbers were always confirmed in writing at time of booking and never changed.

perhaps this is a new trend.

It is not unusual for ocean cruise lines to offer people downgrades a few days before sailing. I received a telephone call from my travel agent offering a downgrade from an oceanview to an inside on a Princess New Zealand cruise when I was in a Los Angeles hotel waiting to board my plane to New Zealand the next morning.

However, they offered me a substantial refund if I would take the downgrade. I accepted, and used the refund to book another cruise. There was no pressure. If I hadn't accepted it, they would have offered it to someone else. If no one accepted it, they would have upped the offer until someone did.

The Vantage offer was not acceptable to you, and you didn't take it. No problem. If they need the cabin, they would have continued making offers until they found one that was accepted. I don't think the telephone call offering the downgrade was a problem, but it appears the attitude of the person calling was.