May 28th Sea Princess -- OVER SOLD

[Karkies]

Just rec'd a phone call from Princess. They have oversold the May 28th Sea Princess out of Southampton. They are offering a $700 onboard credit to rebook for the same itinerary in Sept of this year.

 

Our plans are set and we can not change our plans. I guess it will be a FULL ship!

 

Anyone else on this cruise receive similar phone call?

 

Off to London in 10 days!

[about2travel]

Hi

We received our tickets yesterday. No phone call from Princess. Looking forward to the 27th when we travel to Southampton for overnight stay at hotel could'nt afford the one nighter on the ship far too expensive. Hope to see the fireworks from the hotel.

[ourlol]

Princess were 'oversold' on the first sailing of Sea Princess (28th April) and my parents-in-law were approached by Princess here in the UK to change dates. In their case they are retired so were fairly flexible so have now switched to an August sailing. They were offered a 50% refund, £250 ($460) on board credit, free insurance and their coach paid to and from Southampton. It was an offer too good to refuse. Bear in mind they had no flights to reschedule.

 

Laura

[Cat-Nik]

Just rec'd a phone call from Princess. They have oversold the May 28th Sea Princess out of Southampton. They are offering a $700 onboard credit to rebook for the same itinerary in Sept of this year.

 

Our plans are set and we can not change our plans. I guess it will be a FULL ship!

 

Anyone else on this cruise receive similar phone call?

 

Off to London in 10 days!

 

Wow - surely it can only ever be full though, there must be a cap on it?

[julieh]

Hi, we are on the Sea on the 28th May. Just got our tickets yesterday no mention of overbooking. We are ready to go so wouldn't change now.

 

Julie

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

about2travel & julieh:

If you see this message, come on over to the Princess Roll Call thread and check in. We're planning a Meet & Greet for Cruise Critic members on the Sunday, May 29th.

See details there.

The more the better.

 

BobK/Orlando

SEA PRINCESS MAY 2005 yeah baby!

[Cruisin' Chick]

Two years ago we received a call the day before our first cruise with Princess. They had overbooked, according to the message, and would refund our full amount and upgrade us to a balcony if we willing to postpone our cruise for a few weeks. We figured we got a call because we were within driving distance of the port.

 

We turned it down because: 1) we were packed and ready, 2) had my daughter's homework -- for kindergarten, believe or not -- and didn't want to go through getting it for a different week, 3) didn't want a balcony because of our little one, 4) had great deal to begin with -- an employee discount from girlfriend of someone who worked for my hubby, 5) wanted to go before the war with Iraq started as a couple of militiary men work for hubby and the place may be shorthanded if they got called up (fortunately they didn't), 6) who wants to wait.

[cdfev]

I gotta say that I took them up on their offer for our 2 cabins.

 

We had planned to spend three days in London prior to the May 28th departure of the Sea Princess...when they offered to give us back the cost of one of the occupants' fare in each of our 2 cabins, give us an additional $ amount to help with a change in the airfare...I asked if we could move to the May 25 sailing of the Star Princess. They worked it out and we are now just going on to Copenhagen instead of stopping in London for three days. We actually get backto London on the same day that we had originally planned and we can go on with our original plans in the UK.

 

We are kinda making emergency plans for the excursions in the Baltics but we have always wanted to go there as well. Princess handled this very professionally and we are satisfied with their arrangements.

[cdfev]

I thought that I would give a little feedback on this circumstance. (Please see the above listing).

 

The change in booking (from the Sea Princess on 5/28/05 to the Star Princess on 5/25/05) was an unbelievable bargain for us. I'd encourage everyone to consider these offers seriously as we saved enough for another cruise by simply changing at the last minute. Sure, we were excited about going to the Iberian Peninsula on the Sea Princess but the Baltic Cruise on the Star Princess could not have been better. The Star Princess was not full and made for a more enjoyable trip than our last cruise when we are on a completely full Caribbean Princess in 5/04.

 

There was no problem with making last minute excursion reservations and we would do the same thing again; in fact, my wife wants to figure out which Princess cruises will be overbooked in the future, so that we can work out a similar deal. Be flexible and creative and these offers are just about the best thing going.

[Flintstone]

So great to hear that this worked out to your benefit!!!!!!!

 

I am fully packed and ready to leave on Friday on a sold-out Sapphire to Alaska. I don't think anything they could offer would make me change at this point. I guess if I lived near the port and was retired....it would be a "no-brainer" and I'd grab the deal in a heart-beat! (Princess..are you listening...I retire in 3 years! Put me on that list!!!!)

 

Did you do a review?? I would love to do the Baltic "someday"!!!!

 

Deb

[Druke I]

Oversold trips do happen.

 

Way back in Feb 96, they oversold a Hawaii/Ensenada trans-Pacific on Pacific Princess (old).

 

We got phone calls as late as one hour before our flight time, with varying offers to take a bump. Some were pretty attractive - but we were not as flexible then as now, as we were still working, etc., etc.

 

That was the last time we were booked on an oversold trip, but have talked to others who have been - and again, "bump" offers can be attractive.

[Toto2Kansas]

It seems the Sea Princess is selling like hotcakes on this new 14 day Caribbean Itineary also.

Our cruise for November 5th isn't even showing up on some of the online booking sites and hasn't for several weeks now. I knew there were no cabins available but you can't even find the sailing on some sites.

The overbooking fairy might be making a lot of calls in the coming months as that seems to be the case for most of the upcoming voyages. We will know more after final payment is made if staterooms begin to show up where at this time there are none.

 

Not sure what we would do at this point if we ever got that call. Guess it would totally depend on the incentive to sail on another ship at a different date.

[Coral]

I always thought I would love to have these "overbooked offers" and so far, I have been called 3x with very good offers. Once, it was upgrade and a free cruise. Unfortunatley, I was unable to change plans both times :( - I had to turn down their offers each times.

[land lover]

so someone give me the deets....how do these cruises over book....is it because they sell to many guarantees...to many TA's selling.....group sales with no room assignment..........they plan on a % cancelling before final payment, I thought if there were no cabins you were put on a wait list.............just curious..........:)

[seattlekckckc]

Another story about overselling a ship...In January we were booked on the Caribbean Princess with a group that had a total of 5 cabins. They were oversold by 18 beds we found out by getting a call from Princess. 4 of our cabins were Outsides, and one was an inside. They offered us to move 2 outsides and the 1 inside into a family suite, which basically is a mini suite and a inside hooked together. Negatives - really only 1, having to now share the bathroom and closet with 4 (in the mini suite area) rather than the 2 that were in the Outsides. Positives - we now had access to a balcony we didnt have before. We found out we also each got $175 is shipboard credit credited to each of our accounts (the 6 of us in the room). That covered everything for me! I dont really drink, so that was my pop card, and all of my incidental shopping, and even a little bingo! We all had a great time in the room together, it turned out to be a great place to meet as a group!

 

So That is always an option, if you are traveling as a group. Ask if they want you to occupy the family suite. There were only 2 onboard, and they normally are pricey! (Even though the balcony is basically unusable at sea, it is at the front of the ship.) But it was still a bonus balcony in port!

 

Casey