How does a cruise line ensure cabins dont overbook?

Especially when they use a number of agencies including high street travel agents, cruise agents and their own promotional efforts?. We are booked on the 26 night no fly cruise from Southampton xmas 2017 through an agency. It has ocurred to me that parts of the cruise could be oversold as it can be broken down into the 3 or even 4 sailings over the 26 night period. If one portion of the cruise was to be oversold the package could be null and void for an unfortunate customer.

Agencies have either purchased blocks of cabins to re-sell to passengers or they book online which shows real time cabin availability. As a guess based on what I've read and seen discussed.

The problems come when the cruise line oversells guarantee cabins. This can result in an upsell offer ( pay to upgrade to the next category); downgrade offer (generous incentive to move down a cabin category); move over offer ( very generous incentive to move your cruise to another date). Princess is notorious for this. But you can refuse these offers, and still sail. Someone else will be tempted, and they will sweeten the offer until enough people bite. EM

The problems come when the cruise line oversells guarantee cabins. This can result in an upsell offer ( pay to upgrade to the next category); downgrade offer (generous incentive to move down a cabin category); move over offer ( very generous incentive to move your cruise to another date). Princess is notorious for this. But you can refuse these offers, and still sail. Someone else will be tempted, and they will sweeten the offer until enough people bite. EM

Excellent reply! (y)

Cruise lines deliberately overbook. They know from experience that there will be cancelations. Occasionally, there are fewer cancelations than expected. That is when they make offers to passengers to get them to change to another cruise.

Cruise lines deliberately overbook. They know from experience that there will be cancelations. Occasionally, there are fewer cancelations than expected. That is when they make offers to passengers to get them to change to another cruise.

I aint changing to nothing. I paid the full amount before anyone else who booked with my agency so far as I am aware. I have a better understanding now of how it works.

Overselling a cruise can happen. And it happens a lot more than the public knows.

I can remember a couple of years when HAL oversold several Canada/New England cruises and several 7 and 14 day cruises out of Tampa. We just happened to be on one of the 14 day cruises and HAL was calling people to change dates. We weren't called but I did know of a couple of people who were called.

The problems come when the cruise line oversells guarantee cabins. This can result in an upsell offer ( pay to upgrade to the next category); downgrade offer (generous incentive to move down a cabin category); move over offer ( very generous incentive to move your cruise to another date). Princess is notorious for this. But you can refuse these offers, and still sail. Someone else will be tempted, and they will sweeten the offer until enough people bite. EM

Thank you as well. How are these people chosen for these offers? Is it based on sailing history?

Thank you as well. How are these people chosen for these offers? Is it based on sailing history?

On another cruise, we received a move-over offer for our inside cabin. They would have given us another cruise in the spring in a balcony cabin and our cruise fare back. The offer would not have worked out for us, but it must have for some folks.

The only time I've heard of a cruise line bumping passengers involuntarily was Carnival when it first started sailing out of Baltimore many years ago.

I aint changing to nothing. I paid the full amount before anyone else who booked with my agency so far as I am aware. I have a better understanding now of how it works.

Another example of it not being a one-size-fits-all world. I would love to get one of those move over offers, since we are retired and specific dates don't matter much to us. But a good move over offer could mean a whole extra cruise. Clearly this is different for anyone who has constraints on their travel dates.

The good news for you is that there are plenty of people like me, so their is no chance you would be involuntarily bumped. The good news for me would be that if there are enough people in your situation the move over offer might be pretty generous.

It's easy NOT to "overbook" when you are assigning a specific cabin to a specific group.....that way, all is accounted for. When travel agents "hold" a block of cabins, and the entire block gets taken, that's when trouble can occur...but they do offer great incentives to those they are trying to "bump".

Another example of it not being a one-size-fits-all world. I would love to get one of those move over offers, since we are retired and specific dates don't matter much to us. But a good move over offer could mean a whole extra cruise. Clearly this is different for anyone who has constraints on their travel dates.

 

The good news for you is that there are plenty of people like me, so their is no chance you would be involuntarily bumped. The good news for me would be that if there are enough people in your situation the move over offer might be pretty generous.

Whereas specific dates do matter to me because I can only take a trip of 26 nights over christmas because of the shutdown patterns of my employer. There would be no way I could do a cruise of similar length at any other point in the year. The cabin aboard NCL Gem has been assigned cabins aboard qm2 have yet to be assigned and I made down payment 11 months ago and full amount 3 weeks before the due date.

It's easy NOT to "overbook" when you are assigning a specific cabin to a specific group.....that way, all is accounted for. When travel agents "hold" a block of cabins, and the entire block gets taken, that's when trouble can occur...but they do offer great incentives to those they are trying to "bump".

My cabin is held in a block I suspect and I don't think the agency whom I shall not name in this thread would offer me anything but a voucher to be used with them which I would never use. You would not get refunded money which is all wrong the agency messed up in the first place. There is no way we would go with this agency again even if everything works out ok. I don't like the way they do business. The cruise lines would not offer anything I suspect as it not a direct booking. If anything goes wrong I will take the agency to court.

Especially when they use a number of agencies including high street travel agents, cruise agents and their own promotional efforts?. We are booked on the 26 night no fly cruise from Southampton xmas 2017 through an agency. It has ocurred to me that parts of the cruise could be oversold as it can be broken down into the 3 or even 4 sailings over the 26 night period. If one portion of the cruise was to be oversold the package could be null and void for an unfortunate customer.

You haven't said who you're cruising with or where you booked it, which complicates matters; but in the UK with a UK company and a UK travel agent, the agent doesn't "own" the cabins; the travel agency books direct with the cruise line when you ask them to. That creates a binding contract between yourself and the cruise line, not a contract with the agent; if you cancel, you lose the deposit and (depending how close to departure) a percentage (up to 100%) of the amount you paid. On the other hand, if the cruise line cancels, they have to pay you not only your money back, but also reasonable other expenses you have already incurred - eg. non-refundable flights.

But anyway, only the cruise line issues the bookings, so there's no reason to overbook.

You haven't said who you're cruising with or where you booked it, which complicates matters; but in the UK with a UK company and a UK travel agent, the agent doesn't "own" the cabins; the travel agency books direct with the cruise line when you ask them to. That creates a binding contract between yourself and the cruise line, not a contract with the agent; if you cancel, you lose the deposit and (depending how close to departure) a percentage (up to 100%) of the amount you paid. On the other hand, if the cruise line cancels, they have to pay you not only your money back, but also reasonable other expenses you have already incurred - eg. non-refundable flights.

 

But anyway, only the cruise line issues the bookings, so there's no reason to overbook.

It is Cunard and NCL. Got the NCL cabin on the Gem the day I paid the deposit nearly a year ago now. Have not got the Queen Mary 2 cabins nor the voyager personaliser numbers from cunard for the west and eastbound sailings despite paying deposit 11 months ago and full amount to the cruise agent 3 weeks ago. And Cunard when I checked didn't have me on their system yet,,though it was a few months ago. NCL do because the cabin was assigned at time of booking. As has been discussed the cruise agent has probably purchased the cabins to sell at a profit but I am still concerned.

If you money was paid but Cunard hasn't given you a record of the booking, it suggests that your travel agent never paid Cunard.

If you money was paid but Cunard hasn't given you a record of the booking, it suggests that your travel agent never paid Cunard.

Indeed. Yet NCL got paid? The agent said "it was too far in advance" for cunard to assign the cabins. They have the cabins in block and are attempting to sell them at profit. They will issue the tickets x weeks before travel so cunard will get their money eventually. But as I have said if anything goes wrong i will take these guys to court.

That's one reason I hate working with travel agents. It's not worth the aggravation of waiting for them to solidify my arrangements, and they're far smaller so "taking them to court" doesn't hold the same promise of being made whole that I could expect were I to be doing business with the cruise line instead.

Indeed. Yet NCL got paid? The agent said "it was too far in advance" for cunard to assign the cabins.

Did you book on a guarantee basis? Even if it's too early for Cunard to assign the cabin they would still give you a booking number for a gty booking if the down payment went to Cunard.

They have the cabins in block and are attempting to sell them at profit. They will issue the tickets x weeks before travel so cunard will get their money eventually.

"Cunard will get their money eventually" says that your travel agent is holding your down payment. You don't have a booking number because your TA is speculating with your money.

But as I have said if anything goes wrong i will take these guys to court.

The biggest risk is that the company folds before your money gets to Cunard. Make sure your travel insurance covers the risk of their financial default (most policies won't cover your TA going under while holding your money).

A reputable agent won't take your money but instead provides the payment details (credit card number) to the line directly. You verify this by looking at the credit card statement to see who charged the card. In my experience it's always Cunard. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Make sure your travel insurance covers the risk of their financial default (most policies won't cover your TA going under while holding your money).

And folks should also beware who they give deposits to, because some insurances have an acceptable vendors list, such as this list from Allianz insurance: https://partner.allianztravelinsurance.com/Documents/Library/uploadedfiles/CoveredSuppliers/Covered%20Supplier%20List.pdf

When we book with our on line TA our cruise fare is billed by the cruise line, not the agency.

About a half hour after booking, sometimes even less we get two separate items emailed to us. The first is our cruise line reservation number with either a cabin number or a gty category listed. We follow up by logging into the cruise line site to verify the reservation details with the TA's memo.. There is sometimes a lag of a few hours on the cruise line site.

The second is a statement of account detailing the price, our payment, the terms, and the agents OBC information.

Same procedure, regardless of the cruise line.

Two years ago we were offered, and we accepted, a move over offer from Princess. They wanted us to give up our reservation. We did. In return....a full refund, a free 14 day cruise upgraded to a mini suite, and $300 to offset cost of changing our air. Not certain if they oversold or not. But we did meet someone on our replacement cruise that had the same experience but on a different itinerary. Not certain why, but we would welcome another one of these. Our on line TA relayed the offer to us, was on on the three way con call when we agreed to the details, and ensured that the paperwork followed.

Did you book on a guarantee basis? Even if it's too early for Cunard to assign the cabin they would still give you a booking number for a gty booking if the down payment went to Cunard.

"They" means your travel agent?

 

"Cunard will get their money eventually" says that your travel agent is holding your down payment. You don't have a booking number because your TA is speculating with your money.

 

 

You're assuming there will still be a company to take to court.

 

The biggest risk is that the company folds before your money gets to Cunard. Make sure your travel insurance covers the risk of their financial default (most policies won't cover your TA going under while holding your money).

 

A reputable agent won't take your money but instead provides the payment details (credit card number) to the line directly. You verify this by looking at the credit card statement to see who charged the card. In my experience it's always Cunard. I wouldn't have it any other way.

They is the agent. I shalll ring cunard and then the agent 2moro from my workplace where I can have a recording of the calls. I work in a call centre.

It works differently in the UK, we pay the agent if we book through them.

Have they not given you a Cunard booking reference ? Usually 6 digits, a mixture of letters and a number. There is nothing sinister about not having cabin numbers yet but the booking reference is issued at the time the booking is made.

I'm not sure they do. Twice we've been asked if we would switch to the next sailing for a 50% discount because the ship was "overbooked". I guess they anticipate some cancellations , but on some sailing the number of cancellations aren't as many as expected.

It works differently in the UK, we pay the agent if we book through them.

Have they not given you a Cunard booking reference ? Usually 6 digits, a mixture of letters and a number. There is nothing sinister about not having cabin numbers yet but the booking reference is issued at the time the booking is made.

I have looked at the receipt they sent to after I paid outstanding balance and there is NO CUNARD booking reference. Sorry about the capitals. There is an agent booking reference. Yet the cabin aboard the NCL Gem was assigned very very quickly.