Princess moved us from covered mini to open one

[Dena]

We booked a covered mini AD, but did not get a cabin assignment until today. We booked directly and had the booking marked "no upgrade." I called and was told that the booking should not have been marked no upgrade because this was a guarantee. I have only ever seen these cabins available as guarantees, so I tried to find out how anyone is ever able to get one without relying on chance. I was told they can be booked when the sailing first opens for booking which is usually at least a year in advance.

 

How do I find out when a particular sailing opens for booking? By the time we find out about a sailing, isn't already open for booking. Also, it is not easy for us to plan our vacations over 1 year in advance, does this mean I cannot be assured shade unless I either forgo a mini suite or cruise with a different line?

 

Anyway, we are now nearly all the way forward on Dolphin deck. I guess this is a good location for avoiding smoke which is also important to us. After seeing Pam's photos on another thread, I am very concerned. It looks like every other balcony has an ashtray. If this is the case, maybe having no roof is better. This way any smoke from a neighbor will waft upwards. Also since smoke rises, Dolphin looks like a good location since it is so low. I have heard that people on Dolphin sometimes find cigarettes on their balcony. This is not that big a deal to me as long as they are not lit. Anyway, we will not be using the balcony as much as planned due to lack of shade. We will see if having a sofa and tub is good compensation for a less usable balcony. If not, I will stick with regular balconies on Princess or try Celebrity and give up the tub but still have a sofa in regular balcony cabins...and hopefully no smoke, but with their odd new slogan, "X the rules," who knows?

[Pam in CA]

If you booked a specific cabin and had it marked "No upgrade", they shouldn't upgrade you. If you didn't have a specific cabin assigned, it's a GTY and you cannot mark it for no upgrade. However, you can refuse the cabin assignment but unfortunately, you would most likely be assigned another cabin on Dolphin deck. This is where a TA can make a difference as some have AD (covered balcony) cabins reserved for their clients.

 

The smoking situation I experienced on the Sapphire is the first time I've experienced so many smokers. I don't know if it had anything to do with the fact that the ship wasn't sold out and this was a very cheap cruise, or not.

[Dena]

Thanks, Pam.

 

I know you can't mention specific travel agents here, but could you give a hint to get me on the right track?

[Pam in CA]

Thanks, Pam.

 

I know you can't mention specific travel agents here, but could you give a hint to get me on the right track?

Sorry, no can do. :(

[Toto2Kansas]

Princess is correct, if you book a guarantee, you can not mark your booking as no upgrade. We have often booked assigned AD mini suites, and not way in advance. You just have to keep checking for an available assigned stateroom in that category.

A travel agent would not have been able to help you out on this one, as whoever told you that your guarantee would be marked do not upgrade was incorrect.

Keep in mind that when you book an assigned stateroom, and have your booking marked do not upgrade, if they move you, you do have a bit of leverage to argue the point, but not with a guarantee.

 

Sorry, none of us can drop any 'hints' about good TA's, even a 'hint' is a no-no.

[Dena]

It was worth a try.

[Cruzman]

It was worth a try.

 

Try some TA's that advertise on this site. As for the AD's, I have found for most sailings, that you do have to book far in advance in order to secure one. Perhaps, not 12 months out, but at least 9 months.

[paul929207]

When you book a guarentee, you are saying you will take any cabin in that category and any higher category. You cannot have it marked do not upgrade, as there may not be any cabins in that category available.

[billyvegas]

This Topic has got me wondering if I have done the right thing with my booking on the Grand in December. I have booked an AD GTY hoping for an upgrade to a full suite. There are cabin assignments available for this catergory at the moment and AE's at the same price, at the AFT of the ship. We are non smokers. What are the advanages of having an allocated AD as opposed to chancing an upgrade and getting a Mini Suite elsewhere.

 

Mainly how do we avoid the smoke? Is it that bad?

 

Sorry about the hijack!

 

Billy

[paul929207]

Smoke is purely chance. In any cabin, you can get a heavy smoker nearby whose smoke drifts your way.

[Toto2Kansas]

This Topic has got me wondering if I have done the right thing with my booking on the Grand in December. I have booked an AD GTY hoping for an upgrade to a full suite. There are cabin assignments available for this catergory at the moment and AE's at the same price, at the AFT of the ship. We are non smokers. What are the advanages of having an allocated AD as opposed to chancing an upgrade and getting a Mini Suite elsewhere.

 

Mainly how do we avoid the smoke? Is it that bad?

 

Sorry about the hijack!

 

Billy

 

The difference between booking an assigned AD and marking your booking 'do not upgrade' or booking a guarantee AD, is if you want to make sure you receive an AD mini suite with a covered balcony go the assigned route. If you booked a guarantee AD, you are more likely than not going to receive an upgrade to an uncovered balcony somewhere in the mini suite category, as AD's that have a cover over the balcony are very popular and usually sell out, which would mean you would be assigned a higher category mini suite. Keep in mind, the inside of the mini will be the same, just location and balcony cover will be different. The changes of being upgraded from an AD to a full suite are probably in the range of maybe 1-2% (if that). It all depends on what type of balcony you would like, covered or uncovered.

As for smoke. It all just depends on who your neighbors are, there is no way to predict. And this can happen whether in a mini suite or a full suite, you just never know.

[G8RH8R]

This Topic has got me wondering if I have done the right thing with my booking on the Grand in December. I have booked an AD GTY hoping for an upgrade to a full suite. There are cabin assignments available for this catergory at the moment and AE's at the same price, at the AFT of the ship. We are non smokers. What are the advanages of having an allocated AD as opposed to chancing an upgrade and getting a Mini Suite elsewhere.

 

Mainly how do we avoid the smoke? Is it that bad?

 

Sorry about the hijack!

 

Billy

 

AD to full suite would be a 4 category upgrade. Probable odds are equivalent to hitting the lottery. Good luck. Only issues with smoke we ever encountered are in the casino and on the starboard side of the Promenade deck. Please let us all know how the Grand looks after her refit!:)

[Caribensun]

I thought AD at least on Sapphire is not a guarantee stateroom, the AE is a guarantee stateroom. I did book an AD with a stateroom number and marked "no upgrade", should I be worried about getting bumped to the Dolphin deck?

Thanks, Seadeck2

[Loonbeam]

Any category can be booked as a guarantee as long as there is space. If you don't get a room assignment at booking, its a GTY.

 

I thought AD at least on Sapphire is not a guarantee stateroom, the AE is a guarantee stateroom. I did book an AD with a stateroom number and marked "no upgrade", should I be worried about getting bumped to the Dolphin deck?

Thanks, Seadeck2

[Coral]

AD to full suite would be a 4 category upgrade. Probable odds are equivalent to hitting the lottery. Good luck. Only issues with smoke we ever encountered are in the casino and on the starboard side of the Promenade deck. Please let us all know how the Grand looks after her refit!:)

 

Ironically, AEs and AAs have the same chance of getting an upgrade to a full suite - the chance is slim but I have seen where someone with an AE gets an upgrade and someone who books an AA gets an AA.

[LARGIN]

Ironically, AEs and AAs have the same chance of getting an upgrade to a full suite - the chance is slim but I have seen where someone with an AE gets an upgrade and someone who books an AA gets an AA.

 

Agree.. We were on a b2b in a Cat AC mini this past May. On the second leg we were told that we were upgraded to a Cat PH Suite.

[Katie333]

If you don't get a cabin number when you book you are booking a guarantee, even if you have a category. Since Princess considers those Dolphin minis an upgrade, they probably feel you are thrilled!

 

I've booked with many online agencies that will show available cabins in any given category and have been successful getting the AD cabin. I also ensure my reservation is marked 'no upgrade' since it can get changed even without a guarantee.

 

And finally, in regards to sailings, most are open at least a year in advance. We booked for November 2011 in the late summer if I'm remembering correctly. We got an AD, but even our TA is surprised when they are free.

[Dena]

Thanks Billy and Katie,

 

I have a good idea of what I need to do in the future.

[geoherb]

If you don't need the extra room of a mini suite, I'd suggest looking at the Caribe Deck balcony cabins. They have the wonderful larger balconies that are half covered/half uncovered.

[Tapi]

As for the AD's, I have found for most sailings, that you do have to book far in advance in order to secure one. Perhaps, not 12 months out, but at least 9 months.

 

We booked our sailing on the Sapphire LITERALLY on the day that it opened for sale hoping to grab an AD mini. They NEVER showed up on any of the websites that we checked, and this was over 15 months before departure!

 

We still check periodically to see if AD's have opened up, but so far, no luck...

[Dena]

Hi Tapi,

 

This has been our experience as well. The AD are only ever available as guarantees. That is why I posted this. I think if I read the answers very carefully, I get an idea of what I need to do to get one. I even talked to the future cruise desk onboard once and couldn't get one. It sounds like you need to use a travel agent and not book through Princess.

[Wishing on a star]

But, it sounds as if Tapi DID check many of the big online sites?????

 

Just who is it that has the market cornered on these???

 

This thread is good information, because I didn't know that these were impossible to get.

 

Looking at Alaska in the future, I have recently realized that the sleeping arrangements are less than desirable with our son in a regular stateroom (separate twins only - thanks a bunch Princess). And now I hear that a covered AD is impossible to get, even on the first day the sailing opens up.

 

I do know somebody who sailed on our shortie last December (2009) who had a wonderful AD.... And, I would consider contacting her to find out how she did it. But, I suspect it was sheer luck that, since it was a shortie, whomever it is that is taking these over didn't do so on this one.

 

I know that other lucky CC posters have gotten these cabins.

 

There has to be some way to spread the word....

[Toto2Kansas]

For those that think AD's are only available on a guarantee basis, go check out the Princess website. Check sailings that are way out from today, and you will see that you can book an AD mini suite with a cabin assignment and pick your own mini suite. These are not only sold as guarantees, we have booked them many times in the past. Yes, we do book through a TA, but we have found the AD's that are available for booking through the Princess website by cabin number. The main reason you might be having problems finding them is that many desire a covered balcony and they often sell out first! Best way is to go have a look for yourself, with all due respect, the information being supplied here about AD's being only available on a guarantee basis is just not fact at all. Good Luck!

[Dena]

Hi Toto,

 

That is good advice and I will spend more time on Princess site. Another alternative could be Celebrity. It seems like on the new ships all of their cabins with balconies have sofas and many are covered ( no tubs though, unless in a full suite). The non-smoking balcony would be nice too, but Princess has many other features we like. We will see in a few weeks what an uncovered balcony, a sofa, and a tub is like and we will be better able to evaluate the trade offs.

[Wishing on a star]

Toto could be right.

 

I just pulled up a cruise way out in 2012, just to look, and it looked like it was going to let me select an AD, not just GTY.

 

I also do think that, on select, more popular cruises for the big agencies, that they do have a corner on these as well. And there are only a few, so one has to be prepared to book way in advance.