Unhappy with cabin assignment - what can I do?

[rooben]

Having asked my TA for outside cabin with unobstructed view on the Crown Princess, they booked me a DD grade on guarantee. On my cruise personaliser I see they have assigned me cabin E115 which is, it would seem, a DD with partially obstructed view. Looking at the deckplans, this location is not what I would have chosen. I want to change - also I see that the prices have come down since I booked 2 weeks ago and a balcony is now the same price as an outside cabin. The TA tells me that DD is fully booked. I am upset that I specifically asked the TA for unobstructed - it did not occur to me that I would end up with partially obstructed. I am concerned that Princess will argue that the cabin is the grade that was booked and will not change. The TA is offering to change to a balcony if I pay an extra £350.

I don't really care which deck I'm on or whether I have a balcony - but I do want an obstructed view. Any suggestions as to what Princess are likely to offer when The TA approaches them on Monday?

[Shogun]

Hi Rooben,

 

My guess is Princess will say they have done what they were instructed to do by your TA.

 

How much deposit have you paid, can you avoid to lose part of this.

 

Its just here in UK if price goes down all you can do is cancel pay a fine

 

and re book to get a cheaper cabin.

 

However there is another tick that you can do which is to transfer the

 

booking to a future cruise, and then rebook this cruise some times you

 

can do this with no loss. However if cabin is not to your liking what about

 

taking a lower grade cabin . I only book in side cabins now as we prefer to

 

take as many cruises a year as we can.

 

However you have nothing to lose buy phoning Princess in Southampton

 

direct and asking for help.

 

yours Shogun

[cruisin36]

This is a common problem with booking a guarantee room. You get what they give you. We always book a room that we are happy with and specify no upgrade.

[BratDet]

I booked a guarantee balcony. I asked my TA (online agency) to request RIVIERA deck. It was NOT a demand, but there were health reasons for asking. I called Princess to make sure it was on my request for our booking & NOTHING was on my booking. I explained things and was pleased they were going to add my request on. (It never hurts to ask)....

We WERE given RIVIERA DECK.....

so if you explain what your TA was SUPPOSED to do...maybe Princess can help you!

 

Bernadette

[geoherb]

If you need a particular location, it's best to book a specific cabin. Princess considers your cabin to be a DD. The cruise line calls the shots when deciding what to classify its cabins. Anytime you book a guarantee, you should look at all the cabins in that category--and all the cabins in high categories--and decide if there are any you really don't want. If there are, you're better off booking a specific cabin.

 

Some people have reported success at having Princess move them to another cabin in the same category after being assigned one. You can try to see if there are better DD cabins available.

[Casey12]

 

Some people have reported success at having Princess move them to another cabin in the same category after being assigned one. You can try to see if there are better DD cabins available.

 

They said the DD cabins are totally booked.

 

This is an issue with your travel agent and not Princess. If what you said is true. I would have your travel agent deal with it.

[FLACRUISER99]

Anyway, looks like you better start shopping for a new TA.

[rooben]

I did think that TA was at fault but, the more I look at the Princess website, the more it looks as if Princess are at fault. Princess, in their stateroom descriptions, say that there is a category called Oceanview Obstructed where cabins have fully or partially obstructed views - the list of cabin codes in this category does not include DD. DD is included on the list of "Oceanview Double" - there are only DD and EE and the note the floats up says that types E-G have partially to fully obstructed views (i.e. not DD). So, I cannot see that any DD cabin should have a partially obstructed view. Am I missing something? I suppose Princess might claim that E115 is "unobstructed" but since it is on the upper promenade deck and has a solid steel waist-high obstruction between the window and the ocean, how can that be unobstructed?!

[jeffstew]

Having asked my TA for outside cabin with unobstructed view on the Crown Princess, they booked me a DD grade on guarantee. On my cruise personaliser I see they have assigned me cabin E115 which is, it would seem, a DD with partially obstructed view. Looking at the deckplans, this location is not what I would have chosen. I want to change - also I see that the prices have come down since I booked 2 weeks ago and a balcony is now the same price as an outside cabin. The TA tells me that DD is fully booked. I am upset that I specifically asked the TA for unobstructed - it did not occur to me that I would end up with partially obstructed. I am concerned that Princess will argue that the cabin is the grade that was booked and will not change. The TA is offering to change to a balcony if I pay an extra £350.

I don't really care which deck I'm on or whether I have a balcony - but I do want an obstructed view. Any suggestions as to what Princess are likely to offer when The TA approaches them on Monday?

 

That cabin is not partially obstructed. It will have people walking past from time to time, as the Upper Promenade deck is right outside your window, but all DD's on the Crown are unobstructed- i.e. there is no life boat in front of your window. You got exactly what your agent requested and exactly what you paid for. I don't see a problem, except for the fact that you might have thought you'd get a better location?

[FLACRUISER99]

You are right rooben, you can see out but not down. These rooms should be reclassified.

[rooben]

No, jeffstew, it's not that I thought I'd get a better location - simply that I thought unobstructed meant "without anything obstructing my view". How stupid of me!

 

If, as you seem to be saying, unobstructed means "without a lifeboat in front of the window", that should be made clear somewhere because the word obstruct (and therefore any word derived from obstruct) in my language doesn't include any reference to lifeboats in its definition. In my book, people and vertical steel structures are obstructions.

[jeffstew]

No, jeffstew, it's not that I thought I'd get a better location - simply that I thought unobstructed meant "without anything obstructing my view". How stupid of me!

 

If, as you seem to be saying, unobstructed means "without a lifeboat in front of the window", that should be made clear somewhere because the word obstruct (and therefore any word derived from obstruct) in my language doesn't include any reference to lifeboats in its definition. In my book, people and vertical steel structures are obstructions.

 

Relax- you will have a very fine view. You're getting worked up over nothing, really.

[FLACRUISER99]

See if you can get on a wait-list for a "D" cabin on the Plaza deck. How long before your cruise?

[rooben]

I want to believe you Jeff. It sounds as if you know the ship. Have you stayed in one of these cabins? When on the upper promenade deck outside the cabin, what is above your head? It looks as though there is the floor of the deck above you - i.e. that the upper prom deck is sandwiched between the deck beneath your feet, the solid handrail upright and the underside of the deck above your head. So what exactly can you see from inside the cabin? Really, I want to relax about this and start to look forward to my holiday again. A cruise is a rare and expensive luxury for me and I want to feel excited about it, not upset.

[rooben]

Thanks for the support jtutak. That is what I was going to book until the TA persuaded me to go "up" to the DD. I think they're sold out of all Ds and DDs. Sailing on 29 July.

[Duck Duck Cruise]

We learned a long time ago that if we were going to book a guarantee cabin we expected the absolutely worst cabin in that category to be assigned. If we could live with that cabin, then we would book the guarantee.

 

Your TA should have explained this to you when they were going to book a guarantee cabin for you. Many people book a guarantee expecting an upgrade (why I don't know). I'm not saying this is why you or your TA booked the guarantee, just an observation by people who post here.

 

You can have your TA ask for a change of cabin or pay for an upgrade to a cabin you might like (although this late your choices may be small). In the future I would re-evaluate my choice of TA and determine if the error was theirs or yours or the cruise line.

 

Good luck to you and whatever happens enjoy your cruise.

[jeffstew]

I want to believe you Jeff. It sounds as if you know the ship. Have you stayed in one of these cabins? When on the upper promenade deck outside the cabin, what is above your head? It looks as though there is the floor of the deck above you - i.e. that the upper prom deck is sandwiched between the deck beneath your feet, the solid handrail upright and the underside of the deck above your head. So what exactly can you see from inside the cabin? Really, I want to relax about this and start to look forward to my holiday again. A cruise is a rare and expensive luxury for me and I want to feel excited about it, not upset.

 

You will look straight out over the railing to the ocean. Imagine having a balcony cabin and standing at your sliding glass door and looking out to the sea. You will see a lot. Do you see the Upper Promenade Deck? Yes. Will it obstruct your view? No. Oh, and although you may see people walking by, they can't see you- the windows are treated.

[wg6530]

I'm sorry that you are unhappy with your assignment and wish you luck in changing it. Since you are in the UK, different rules probably apply, and I don't know the odds of Princess allowing you to upgrade or downgrade.

 

Princess has allowed me to change from my gty assigned cabin to another cabin in the exact same category. Unfortuanately that probably won't help you if all the DD cabins are similarly located. Even if another DD came available, you wouldn't be happy.

 

So, I guess the big lesson is to look carefully at the deck plans; before you book a gty cabin be sure you will be happy with any cabin in your category or higher. If the travel agent did not encourage you to look at the deck plans, shame on him/her. The agent may have thought you had a chance of a free upgrade as there are only a few DD cabins, but no dice--you were indeed assigned one of those few DD cabins.

 

While I understand your feelings, I'd be perfectly content with that cabin. I hope you have a great cruise no matter which cabin.

[FLACRUISER99]

Thanks for the support jtutak. That is what I was going to book until the TA persuaded me to go "up" to the DD. I think they're sold out of all Ds and DDs. Sailing on 29 July.

The reason I asked is that some rooms will open up after final payment date.

[rooben]

OK jtutak, tell me more. When is the final payment date for a 29 July sailing? As we booked very recently, we paid in full at the time of booking and have no idea of what deadlines would have been. Has the final payment date passed yet? Are you saying that, at that time, Princess will find that they have cabins available that had been booked but have not been paid for. How would I go about getting myself on a waiting list?

I see you have cruised many times and must have a lot of experience with all this.

[Toto2Kansas]

Final payment for a July 29th sailing has long passed, so availability would be spotty at best with last minute cancellations.

[caribill]

It might also be a concern that E115 can handle 3rd and 4th passengers. If this is done with fold down beds which stick out from the inside walls, then there is an inside obstruction.

[lovevacadays]

Sorry to hear you aren't happy with your cabin assignment. I know it does make a difference in your cruise experience. It's probably a warning for those booking a guarantee to review all cabins and locations within the category they are booking - even the worst of those cabins. I would think if looking at DD cabins on Promenade people would realize others will be walking by, there will be rails or solid structures so people don't fall of the Promenade deck as they walk around. Perhaps first time cruisers who have never been on a Promenade deck might not realize this.

 

Anyway, I hope you are able to get a better cabin. The unobstructed on Plaza are good cabins.

[Colo Cruiser]

Have you ever sailed in a cabin in this location?

IMO these are excelllent cabins being very close to the door that leads outside.

This cabin would be set back away from the stairs so not many people coming near your window.

I don't consider the steel railing outside an obstruction. ;)

[cherylandtk]

Here is an idea of what your view will look like.

I think these are fine unobstructed rooms but if they do not meet your standards or expectations, the time to specify that was at booking, not now. This is partly why you hired a TA, to take care of your needs and expectations when choosing a room.