My turn to be annoyed with Princess

[bjboothman]

I booked a cruise about a month ago (over the phone, with Princess directly). Chose a specific minisuite cabin directly adjacent to the lift/stairs so DH could have a straight shot driving into the cabin in his travel mobility scooter, no turning in the hallway or dodging stewards' carts. Had the reservation marked "no upgrades" because I wanted that specific cabin.

 

Today I opened the personalizer to remind myself when final payment is due so I could mark it on my calendar and was surprised to find that my cruise has been cancelled.

 

Called Princess, they reinstated my reservation, but could only give me a different cabin in the middle of a long corridor, not one near the elevators as I'd had previously. I have to say that I'm disappointed by this. Location is important to me. I feel like I'm not getting what I paid for, but what am I going to do about it?

 

Yeah, I know, in the grand scheme of things, we'll manage. But traveling with a scooter and oxygen are difficult enough. It would have been nice to have the cabin I'd paid for. When I booked, I was choosing between two very similar dates and itins. I could have chosen the other, had I known they were going to cancel me (a glitch in the system, they called it). Guess I'm glad I discovered their error while there were still cabins in my category available at all.

 

So the lesson is --- check the personalizer periodically, if the system burps again, your reservation may mysteriously disappear as well.

[paul929207]

Sorry you lost the ideal cabin. Did they say why the reservation was cancelled?

[bjboothman]

The reservationist blamed it on a computer glitch. She may or may not know how it happened but she wasn't saying.

 

Just glad I discovered the mistake when I did, I guess.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thats too bad. :(

[mtaylor04]

Yes, that really stinks and I would be mad as well.

 

Call me crazy, but I check my cruise personalizer a couple of times a week. Just to make sure they have not changed my room, any of the ports etc. I also check pricing a couple times a week.

[snrlnd]

Had you printed anything that would show your booking number and cabin number that you chose? If so you might want to consider pursuing this further with Princess. You never know, they might give you back your original room.

[BandK10]

Can someone direct me to where in the web site (Personalizer I assume) that I indicate "no upgrade"?

 

Thanks!

[Cruisin' Chick]

Sorry to here about that. Amazing how we're at the mercy of the ol' computer. Hope that's the only hiccup to happen for your cruise.

[RickEk]

Can someone direct me to where in the web site (Personalizer I assume) that I indicate "no upgrade"?

 

Thanks!

 

You have to call Princess to request "no upgrade"...

[BandK10]

You have to call Princess to request "no upgrade"...

 

Super...thanks! :)

[wizard-of-roz]

Wow! That's very disappointing. I would speak to the supervisor and insist because of a computer "glitch" [as was said] and because of your need to have such a cabin due to your DH's circumstances; you MUST have your cabin re-instated and, they will simply have to explain it to the party who the cabin was mistakingly given to, when the "glitch" happened.

This is something that they will have to take the "blame" for and you should be made whole again.

Be insistent and assertive! I think they can do it. Afterall, they did it to you......make them reinstate your cabin and do it to someone else!

[sultan_sfo]

If you booked through a TA, call your TA and TA will call Princess or TA will access your booking and make the change. On recent bookings (both Princess direct and TA), at the time of booking we were asked whether we wanted no upgrade.

 

Can someone direct me to where in the web site (Personalizer I assume) that I indicate "no upgrade"?

 

Thanks!

[CALMOM]

I would be very upset too. I have traveled with a person who was disabled and can certainly understand your situation. It takes someone who has gone through it to totally understand.

 

I think you have been too calm and I would making some calls to Princess and ask that they correct THEIR mistake, whatever it takes. Why should you be inconvenienced, it's their fault. I would call and ask for a supervisor but use a calm & sympathetic tone. Maybe they can ask the passenger that received that cabin to switch with you. There are many passengers that prefer not to be next to stairs or elevators. I really think they will work it out with you.

 

I hope it works out for you and your DH.

[lbryant]

A very similar thing happened to our reservation a few weeks ago. I went to the Cruise Personalizer and had a notification that our reservation had been canceled. When I called my travel agent, they said Princess was upgrading their computers and that many reservations were messed up and had to be rebooked. (this was back on 7/24).

 

If it were me, I would contact Princess again (perhaps speak with a reservation manager) to try and get your cabin back. You should have gotten an email confirmation from Princess with your cabin # and original reservation #. It does not seem unreasonable to ask for your reservation to be reinstated. Being polite, but persistent may help solve the problem.

Good Luck!

[Colo Cruiser]

If you booked through a TA, call your TA and TA will call Princess or TA will access your booking and make the change. On recent bookings (both Princess direct and TA), at the time of booking we were asked whether we wanted no upgrade.

 

I agree if you booked through a TA then Princess will not talk with you about the booking.

Your TA would have to call.

[wizard-of-roz]

Please let us know what happens either way.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

This is not good, you book a cruise a cabin you expect to get it,

 

you need to chase Princess and get your cabin back again or a better one.

 

yours Shogun

[COMBOY]

You should call Princess and ask to speak to a supervisor. Let them know your situation with the scooter and see if there is anyway to switch you back to your original cabin or at least one closer to elevator. Please be polite and assertive. If they can't make a cabin switch now; ask to see if they might be able to waitlist you for a closer cabin or even a comp up grade you to a more convenient cabin for all your hassles. Explain to them that you selected this cruise and this cabin due to mobility issues and it wasn't your fault your reservation got canceled. Keep moving up the food chain until you get some sort of resolution. There are so many cabin changes up until departure that I can't see them not being able to move you to a more convenient cabin.

[Northender]

Oh my, the old "computer glitch" excuse. :( Princess, I am sure, has backup tapes of everything and I would suggest you contact them again, ask for a supervisor and keep going up the line until you can talk to someone who can make a good decision for you.

 

Don't let too much time elapse. Who knows, maybe a better cabin in your future:):)

 

By the way, this thread made me look at my 2011 sailing..

[geoherb]

I saved all of my booking confirmations with Princess. I hope the OP did as well. We met a couple on our last cruise where the husband used a wheelchair. He said the stewards' carts in the corridors were a major pain.

[rugbypopsie]

We had our booking on an upcoming cruise cancelled too by the computer..luckily we noticed (obsessive personaliser watcher here) and it was re-instated. Princess said for some reason the deposit had not been processed so it automatically concelled by the computer.

 

Like someone said I would politely ask Princess to find you a cabin which accommodates your scooter needs.

 

 

[Clutterlady]

Agree with everyone! Please persue this.....this mistake was made by Princess and they should make it right! Good luck:)

[IDRATHERBCRUISN]

So did money exchange hands? Sounds to me like a deposit was never made on the booking. If it was there would not be a computer glitch as there would be a paper trail with Princess and very easy to fix. I would be coming up with a credit card statement and a copy of my reservation.:)

[Whimsy]

I always keep a copy of my booking confirmations. If they cancelled your booking and you had a deposit paid I would think it would be up to them to fix this problem. Have your paperwork ready and call them back, asking to speak to a supervisor. Like others have stated, be polite but firm in asking them to fix this issue.

[Pam in CA]

I agree with Roz. I'd be spitting mad and ask to speak to a supervisor until the cabin were re-instated. And, if they hesitate or tell you it can't be done, I'd tell them I'm contacting the media and a lawyer. This is absolutely, positively unacceptable and not right. Any company that has a "glitch" like that and is updating computers has back-ups and can re-install data from before the update. Which means that their excuse is flimsy and inexcusable.