Cabin downgrade!

An open email sent to to Thomson Cruises. I think it's self explanatory. Hopefully they will resolve the situation properly and promptly - as the call centre could not / would not help.

Hopefully I will be able to update this thread praising Thomson for admitting they made a mistake and putting it right.

Booking Reference 2020/130454/35023

Dear xxxxx

I have recently booked two cruises with your company, and on 30 May telephoned in order to choose cabins as the web site does not cater for this.

After a long period on hold (despite a message saying that calls would be answered in around 1 minute) I was able to arrange cabins for my two cruises.

The cabin for my May 2016 cruise was chosen and booked, and then I was given a free upgrade for my July 2016 cruise, reference number as above, to cabin 100 which I was advised was a larger double cabin on deck 7 with a double bed and apicture window.

I was of course pleased with this upgrade, but as a regular cruiser I am aware that upgrades do occur – in March of this year Princess upgraded me from an inside cabin to a balcony cabin on Royal Princess. I posted on line how happy I was and that it was certainly worth the long period on hold for the result.

Today a message was left for me to call Thomson – on so doing I was told that I could not have cabin 100 – and told that it was unfair for me to have it as a disabled passenger would need the extra space. I was of course extremely annoyed. It is grossly unfair of your company to promise a cabin and then renege on that promise – indeed I believe that it may well come under “breach of contract” legislation.

I therefore request that you provide me with a cabin with a double bed and a picture window or reduce the price of my holiday accordingly. Your web site currently shows a price of £378 per passenger – so if you are unable to provide a cabin as promised I shall require an appropriate price reduction.

Sincerely

xxxxxxxxxxx

I do hope you get the results you are looking for but I think it may take them sometime to answer you. Just cannot understand the logic of building your hopes up over this period of time to let you down.

Fingers crossed for you and keep us informed.

PS could you give them a time limit for response.

Sorry - I do not see this as a breach of contract per se.

Thomson do not ( unlike other companies ) give free upgrades as a matter of business policy.

Sadly the operative has put you in an adapted cabin and this was an error - they are likely to refund your £42 and give you the choice of another cabin but that is probably as good as it will get. You had already booked the cruise with a specific grade of cabin and Thomson will no doubt provide this. However this complaint is a subsequent contract and you can not rely on this as a basis of your complaint against the whole cruise contract price.

The payment for your cruise was one contract and the payment for the specific cabin was a later separate contract so asking for a reduction using your figures quoted are in my opinion immaterial.

I do understand your disappointment but feel the best you may be offered is a refund on the pre book fee of £42 and then some other specific cabin possibly/probably specified free of charge in the cabin grade you paid for when you booked.

If you get offered anything more I would say take it with thanks if it is at no cost.

As an aside I do not know any cruise company who will sell an adapted cabin to able bodied passengers well in advance of the cruise date but they may do as a very last minute sale.

Don't let it spoil your cruise - both I and possibly the other poster in reply to your posting feel you may be either doing that or letting it spoil your build up to the cruise.

I dunno about thomsons? (i havnt known them to give free cabin upgrades ever before?) but on most other lines, it is written in their t&c that any free upgrade offers are subject to availability and can be withdrawn at any time

also cruise lines (like resort operators) are within their rights to cancel peoples bookings if cabins/rooms are overbooked or become unavailable

The Robots who answer email just reply with small print from their terms and conditions and say that there is, "Nothing that they can do". I found the email address of the CEO of Thomson on the web and emailed him about a complaint about them wanting to charge me £200 extra for changing some minor details.

9pm at night a got a call from Thomsons director of cruising apologising for the error. The CEO had forward him the email and told him, "to get it sorted." The director of cruising told me one of his managers would be in touch within 1/2 hour to resolve. 5 minutes later a senior manager called followed by a call from a junior.

Me and the missus spend then night laughing at how quickly things change when the big boss gets involved :):):):)

I think H T & Geo have got a couple of good points regarding the T&C's.

The cruise is booked first before they let you choose a cabin , so at worst

it could be they only owe the £42 paid for the cabin , which they could

claim they need to withdraw (sect23...23.2) or sect 24 which they say is law

even if you have not read it.

Even if this causes you distress ,they cover that as well read sec 34 . T&C'S

What they do not seem to cover is Goodwill , so maybe John's advice may work for you.

Good luck and lets hope things go in your favour , have a good cruise :).

Have I understood this correctly?

They want to take away your free upgrade and give you a cabin which you have originally paid for so that a disabled passenger can have some extra space!!

That's disgusting!!

I would feel ashamed that I had sent that email to Thomson never mind posting it on a forum.

The £378 price would be for a basic 1/2 inside cabin ( but definately not that price for next year, the may cruises for 2016 have just come out ) what cabin did you book, if you want a bigger cabin with a picture window you will have to pay for an upgrade, as a disabled cabin is not classed as an upgrade just an adapted cabin for wheelchair users and disabled, and a lot of people can't get this and struggle with a normal cabin, thomson do not give out free upgrades very rarely hear of this at all, i imagine if you want the bigger cabin you want you will have to pay the upgrade price, or accept the cabin you paid for or cancel, they do have picture windows or deck 4 but they are standard size cabins

Have I understood this correctly?

 

They want to take away your free upgrade and give you a cabin which you have originally paid for so that a disabled passenger can have some extra space!!

 

That's disgusting!!

 

I would feel ashamed that I had sent that email to Thomson never mind posting it on a forum.

Of course I don't want to deny a disabled passenger the cabin they need.

What ship and what cabin have you paid for?

I'm pleased to update - Thomson have admitted that they were wrong to have offered cabin 100, understand that it was a disappointment to be "downgraded" and have arranged a nice cabin upgrade to say sorry.

Very good of Thomson to handle things promptly and fairly. It certainly gives me the confidence to travel with them again.

I'm pleased to update - Thomson have admitted that they were wrong to have offered cabin 100, understand that it was a disappointment to be "downgraded" and have arranged a nice cabin upgrade to say sorry.

 

Very good of Thomson to handle things promptly and fairly. It certainly gives me the confidence to travel with them again.

I'm pleased for you. You were given something you hadn't asked for then rather unceremoniously relieved of the cabin you had been told was yours. An error on their part but credit due they have owned up and put the matter right. Good PR can't be overestimated. Enjoy your cruise and cabin!

Maybe you can also park in the disabled space at the airport. But glad stamping you feet got you your upgrade.

I still don't understand the downgrade bit.

I am glad to hear that you have an acceptable outcome to your complaint.

Another feather in the cap for Thomson backroom staff - I emailed them on Sunday evening to make special requests for our cruise at the end of the month; the automatic response said an 8 day wait for a reply. This afternoon (less than 48 hours since I wrote) I received a very pleasant email from 'Lisa' who is doing everything she can to help.

It is nice to be able to able to give a bit of praise and a thank you.

I'm pleased to update - Thomson have admitted that they were wrong to have offered cabin 100, understand that it was a disappointment to be "downgraded" and have arranged a nice cabin upgrade to say sorry.

 

Very good of Thomson to handle things promptly and fairly. It certainly gives me the confidence to travel with them again.

yay!...well done... result:cool:

credit were credits due.... well done thoms (thumbup)

imo thoms do try (sometimes) to put problems right if they can, they gave us £50 obs for airport debacle at christmas.... and that wasnt really their fault? it was the jamicans

Good to hear that it's been sorted.

Not sure why Princess were brought into this - totally irrelevant IMO.