Cabin L107 with huge balcony on Royal Princess

[najones58]

I booked L107 and M107 on the Royal Princess for a trip to the Carribean April 20,2014. I booked these rooms with trepidation because they were so far forward.I also knew they were huge rooms with exremely large balconies. After reading early reviews I thought these were going to be great rooms. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from princess saying we were upgraded. Well my upgrade was M210 and 214. I called princess and told them I wanted my original rooms and the rep told me that L107 could not accommodate 3 people. It is a huge room and I really doubt that this is true. My daughter will be 12 on this cruise so I do not know if they did not want a child in this room or what. I have had to settle for 2 minisuites B415 and 417 which cost a whole lot more money in the first place but I thought I had booked 2 great rooms to begin with and I thought reading the reviews on this forum I probably knew more about this ship than the princess reps. This whole incident was very disappointing. I am a planner and do things like this way in advance. I wanted to share what happened.

[melody hounddog]

Maybe they don't have the drop down bed in that cabin so it really only does sleep two? Not all cabins can sleep 3 or 4 passengers.

[CI66774]

I booked L107 and M107 on the Royal Princess for a trip to the Carribean April 20,2014. I booked these rooms with trepidation because they were so far forward.I also knew they were huge rooms with exremely large balconies. After reading early reviews I thought these were going to be great rooms. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from princess saying we were upgraded. Well my upgrade was M210 and 214. I called princess and told them I wanted my original rooms and the rep told me that L107 could not accommodate 3 people. It is a huge room and I really doubt that this is true. My daughter will be 12 on this cruise so I do not know if they did not want a child in this room or what. I have had to settle for 2 minisuites B415 and 417 which cost a whole lot more money in the first place but I thought I had booked 2 great rooms to begin with and I thought reading the reviews on this forum I probably knew more about this ship than the princess reps. This whole incident was very disappointing. I am a planner and do things like this way in advance. I wanted to share what happened.

 

I believe Princess is wrong. These are mini-suites and have a sofa bed in them - albeit a smaller sofa bed than regular mini-suites. It appears they have the same size sofa bed as a deluxe balcony. I would call back and get back those cabins - they appear to be much larger than regular mini-suites and they certainly can hold three (but not four).

[RickEk]

I believe Princess is wrong. These are mini-suites and have a sofa bed in them - albeit a smaller sofa bed than regular mini-suites. It appears they have the same size sofa bed as a deluxe balcony. I would call back and get back those cabins - they appear to be much larger than regular mini-suites and they certainly can hold three (but not four).

 

Well, that rep was wrong... the website itself shows that the cabin is a triple. Get your cabins back! Escalate the call if necessary.

[chamima]

Don't let this go.

Speak to a supervisor if you need to.

Someone posted pictures of L107.

 

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/114133842550415618680/RoyalPrincessMiniSuiteL107Deck16Forward#

 

 

This couch looks just fine for a 12 year old.

And, I also just checked and there is a small triangle in the deck plan for L107, which means it can accommodate a third passenger! (And M107 has a triangle also!)

[CI66774]

I booked L107 and M107 on the Royal Princess for a trip to the Carribean April 20,2014. I booked these rooms with trepidation because they were so far forward.I also knew they were huge rooms with exremely large balconies. After reading early reviews I thought these were going to be great rooms. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from princess saying we were upgraded. Well my upgrade was M210 and 214. I called princess and told them I wanted my original rooms and the rep told me that L107 could not accommodate 3 people. It is a huge room and I really doubt that this is true. My daughter will be 12 on this cruise so I do not know if they did not want a child in this room or what. I have had to settle for 2 minisuites B415 and 417 which cost a whole lot more money in the first place but I thought I had booked 2 great rooms to begin with and I thought reading the reviews on this forum I probably knew more about this ship than the princess reps. This whole incident was very disappointing. I am a planner and do things like this way in advance. I wanted to share what happened.

 

I also suspect Princess may be "pulling one over" on you and maybe another party wanted those rooms (maybe wanted a block of rooms) and the rep made up the excuse. Who knows? I'm pretty confident that cabin can accommodate three people!

[najones58]

Thank you so much for the picture. I now believe someone else with some clout wanted these two rooms and princess just decided to bump us out with a fake upgrade. I will be calling again in the morning to take this up with a supervisor.

[najones58]

Thank you for the picture.

Edited July 5, 2013 by najones58

[JimmyVWine]

Please report back what happens. I suspect that a VIP is trying to squeeze you out. Given that most balconies on Royal only accommodate 2 people, those who sail with 3 people would be very interested in these cabins and will want to know if they will allow you to keep them.

[Big Foot]

I booked L107 and M107 on the Royal Princess for a trip to the Carribean April 20,2014. I booked these rooms with trepidation because they were so far forward.I also knew they were huge rooms with exremely large balconies. After reading early reviews I thought these were going to be great rooms. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from princess saying we were upgraded. Well my upgrade was M210 and 214. I called princess and told them I wanted my original rooms and the rep told me that L107 could not accommodate 3 people. It is a huge room and I really doubt that this is true. My daughter will be 12 on this cruise so I do not know if they did not want a child in this room or what. I have had to settle for 2 minisuites B415 and 417 which cost a whole lot more money in the first place but I thought I had booked 2 great rooms to begin with and I thought reading the reviews on this forum I probably knew more about this ship than the princess reps. This whole incident was very disappointing. I am a planner and do things like this way in advance. I wanted to share what happened.

 

Hello Najones58,

 

I stayed in L107 on one of the 2 night preview cruises & posted the photos on CC.

 

Here is a link to the photos of the mini suite

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/114133842550415618680/RoyalPrincessMiniSuiteL107Deck16Forward

 

Whilst I'm not saying it is right the only thing I can think off is that if / when the sofa bed is made up you wouldn't be able to walk past it & therefore the passengers sleeping in the main bedroom area wouldn't be able to get to the bathroom & or the door {balcony or stateroom} in case of emergency.

 

If you look at all my pictures {sorry I am at work & cannot upload individual ones into this message} you'll see how different the layout of this mini suite is to most.

 

You should just be able to see from one of my photos where it shows the 2 TV's just where the sofa is located.

 

I hope this helps.

[Dorset Cruiser]

I think you have been treated badly by Princess. The minis you chose are obviously very popular and I would think it must have been in Princess's interests AND NOT YOURS to move you into two other minis. The size of balcony alone on your original minis would make them a premium cabin to have in the Caribbean.

 

We were similarly upgraded on our forthcoming Caribbean Princess New England/Canada cruise. We had booked on Caribe deck for the larger, partly covered balcony and Princess very kindly decided to 'upgrade' us to a Baja cabin with the regular open balcony.

 

We have managed to get our original cabin back and you should insist that Princess reinstates your original booking. It would have been a different matter if you had been offered an upgrade to a full suite ;)

[CI66774]

Hello Najones58,

 

I stayed in L107 on one of the 2 night preview cruises & posted the photos on CC.

 

Here is a link to the photos of the mini suite

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/114133842550415618680/RoyalPrincessMiniSuiteL107Deck16Forward

 

Whilst I'm not saying it is right the only thing I can think off is that if / when the sofa bed is made up you wouldn't be able to walk past it & therefore the passengers sleeping in the main bedroom area wouldn't be able to get to the bathroom & or the door {balcony or stateroom} in case of emergency.

 

If you look at all my pictures {sorry I am at work & cannot upload individual ones into this message} you'll see how different the layout of this mini suite is to most.

 

You should just be able to see from one of my photos where it shows the 2 TV's just where the sofa is located.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Big Foot - interesting thought, but the "regular" minis are much narrower and the sofa bed basically abuts the desk in those - blocking ingress and egress with respect to the balcony. So if a person was on the balcony and a fire broke out (and someone was asleep on the sofa bed), the person on the balcony would be "blocked" from exiting through the cabin door. Look - if the room doesn't sleep three, then it's a regular balcony cabin - not a mini-suite as ALL mini-suites are defined as sleeping three. As such, it should be priced as a balcony - not a mini-suite. I tend to believe that some VIP wanted these rooms and Princess made up some barely believable story to appease the OP while at the same time charging her more for less space.

[Cruiserkenn]

I think you have been treated badly by Princess. The minis you chose are obviously very popular and I would think it must have been in Princess's interests AND NOT YOURS to move you into two other minis. The size of balcony alone on your original minis would make them a premium cabin to have in the Caribbean.

 

We were similarly upgraded on our forthcoming Caribbean Princess New England/Canada cruise. We had booked on Caribe deck for the larger, partly covered balcony and Princess very kindly decided to 'upgrade' us to a Baja cabin with the regular open balcony.

 

We have managed to get our original cabin back and you should insist that Princess reinstates your original booking. It would have been a different matter if you had been offered an upgrade to a full suite ;)

 

Yes, this happened to me, too. I have an Emerald deck mini suite, with covered balcony, for an upcoming coastal cruise on the Sapphire.

Princess "upgraded" me to an uncovered balcony mini on Dolphin deck. After insisting, they gave me back my Emerald deck covered balcony mini suite.

 

Gosh.

 

Hang in there.

Edited July 5, 2013 by Cruisin'Rabbit

[CI66774]

Yes' date=' this happened to me, too. I have an Emerald deck mini suite, with covered balcony, for an upcoming coastal cruise on the Sapphire.

Princess "upgraded" me to an uncovered balcony mini on Dolphin deck. After insisting, they gave me back my Emerald deck covered balcony mini suite.

 

Gosh.

 

Hang in there.[/quote']

 

Did you mark the "no upgrade" option? Or did Princess just relocate you despite that?

[CI66774]

I booked L107 and M107 on the Royal Princess for a trip to the Carribean April 20,2014. I booked these rooms with trepidation because they were so far forward.I also knew they were huge rooms with exremely large balconies. After reading early reviews I thought these were going to be great rooms. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from princess saying we were upgraded. Well my upgrade was M210 and 214. I called princess and told them I wanted my original rooms and the rep told me that L107 could not accommodate 3 people. It is a huge room and I really doubt that this is true. My daughter will be 12 on this cruise so I do not know if they did not want a child in this room or what. I have had to settle for 2 minisuites B415 and 417 which cost a whole lot more money in the first place but I thought I had booked 2 great rooms to begin with and I thought reading the reviews on this forum I probably knew more about this ship than the princess reps. This whole incident was very disappointing. I am a planner and do things like this way in advance. I wanted to share what happened.

 

Another reason why I think the Princess rep either is uninformed or duping you - let's say I'm taking a cruise with my best friend but she has an irritating habit of singing herself to sleep and I want some "distance" from her at night. I would book us (party of 2) into L107 (or one of the other corner minis) and request the bed as a "queen." My friend would sleep on the sofa bed. How is Princess going to regulate this arrangement if, in fact, the sofa bed is the issue? Doesn't make any sense - and if it doesn't make any sense, it's not true. Get your cabins back!

[Loonbeam]

It's important to note (bad rep info aside) that upgrades are considered strictly on category. L107 is an MF so any other mini-suite is an upgrade. Given the perceived appeal of these cabins, no-upgrade or class only reservations are a MUST.

[CI66774]

It's important to note (bad rep info aside) that upgrades are considered strictly on category. L107 is an MF so any other mini-suite is an upgrade. Given the perceived appeal of these cabins, no-upgrade or class only reservations are a MUST.

 

I have a sneaking suspicion that, sometime in the future, Princess may re-classify these cabins into a more expensive category.

[Pam in CA]

I booked L107 and M107 on the Royal Princess for a trip to the Carribean April 20,2014. I booked these rooms with trepidation because they were so far forward.I also knew they were huge rooms with exremely large balconies. After reading early reviews I thought these were going to be great rooms. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from princess saying we were upgraded. Well my upgrade was M210 and 214. I called princess and told them I wanted my original rooms and the rep told me that L107 could not accommodate 3 people. It is a huge room and I really doubt that this is true. My daughter will be 12 on this cruise so I do not know if they did not want a child in this room or what. I have had to settle for 2 minisuites B415 and 417 which cost a whole lot more money in the first place but I thought I had booked 2 great rooms to begin with and I thought reading the reviews on this forum I probably knew more about this ship than the princess reps. This whole incident was very disappointing. I am a planner and do things like this way in advance. I wanted to share what happened.

All cabins are by default marked "Will accept an upgrade" so unless you had your TA mark the cabin(s) "No upgrade," Princess can do what it wants because they have your tacit agreement. Sometimes they notify you, sometimes they don't. It's assumed that because you didn't have the cabins marked "No upgrade" that you'd be happy with whatever you get. It doesn't matter whether you have cabins linked or not.

 

If your TA makes a big enough stink you may get your cabins back but don't be surprised if you don't. :( This is something many people don't realize and is a lesson to anyone who books a specific cabin: make sure you have it marked "No upgrade"!

[chamima]

I booked L107 and M107 on the Royal Princess for a trip to the Carribean April 20,2014. I booked these rooms with trepidation because they were so far forward.I also knew they were huge rooms with exremely large balconies. After reading early reviews I thought these were going to be great rooms. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from princess saying we were upgraded. Well my upgrade was M210 and 214. I called princess and told them I wanted my original rooms and the rep told me that L107 could not accommodate 3 people. It is a huge room and I really doubt that this is true. My daughter will be 12 on this cruise so I do not know if they did not want a child in this room or what. I have had to settle for 2 minisuites B415 and 417 which cost a whole lot more money in the first place but I thought I had booked 2 great rooms to begin with and I thought reading the reviews on this forum I probably knew more about this ship than the princess reps. This whole incident was very disappointing. I am a planner and do things like this way in advance. I wanted to share what happened.

 

All cabins are by default marked "Will accept an upgrade" so unless you had your TA mark the cabin(s) "No upgrade," Princess can do what it wants because they have your tacit agreement. Sometimes they notify you, sometimes they don't. It's assumed that because you didn't have the cabins marked "No upgrade" that you'd be happy with whatever you get. It doesn't matter whether you have cabins linked or not.

 

If your TA makes a big enough stink you may get your cabins back but don't be surprised if you don't. :( This is something many people don't realize and is a lesson to anyone who books a specific cabin: make sure you have it marked "No upgrade"!

 

 

Pam

You're right except did you read what I highlighted in red?

That's the problem.

[CI66774]

Pam

You're right except did you read what I highlighted in red?

That's the problem.

 

Therein lies the mystery.....was the rep just lacking in knowledge or did some VIP want those rooms?

[MustangGT]

Therein lies the mystery.....was the rep just lacking in knowledge or did some VIP want those rooms?

 

Probably both true:(

 

OP - sure hope you get your original cabins back!

[Dorset Cruiser]

All cabins are by default marked "Will accept an upgrade" so unless you had your TA mark the cabin(s) "No upgrade," Princess can do what it wants because they have your tacit agreement. Sometimes they notify you, sometimes they don't. It's assumed that because you didn't have the cabins marked "No upgrade" that you'd be happy with whatever you get. It doesn't matter whether you have cabins linked or not.

 

If your TA makes a big enough stink you may get your cabins back but don't be surprised if you don't. :( This is something many people don't realize and is a lesson to anyone who books a specific cabin: make sure you have it marked "No upgrade"!

 

Then the system needs changing and instead of checking a box to say 'No Upgrades', it should be ticking a box to say 'Upgrades Accepted'. That way there would be no similar problems.

 

I can see why the cruise companies might change cabins if they have been booked under the guarantee system, but if someone has booked a particular cabin (and the OP had booked the same cabin on 2 different decks, so very obviously wanted those particular cabins), then they should be contacted prior to any action being taken.

[Loonbeam]

The lines want to be able to offer upgrades by default, as that gives them maximum flexibility on yield management. In MOST cases, the upgrade is a positive, but not all (like this scenario).

 

Then the system needs changing and instead of checking a box to say 'No Upgrades', it should be ticking a box to say 'Upgrades Accepted'. That way there would be no similar problems.

 

I can see why the cruise companies might change cabins if they have been booked under the guarantee system, but if someone has booked a particular cabin (and the OP had booked the same cabin on 2 different decks, so very obviously wanted those particular cabins), then they should be contacted prior to any action being taken.

[Dorset Cruiser]

The lines want to be able to offer upgrades by default, as that gives them maximum flexibility on yield management. In MOST cases, the upgrade is a positive, but not all (like this scenario).

 

Seems to be happening too many times. Where is the problem in the cruise companies asking if someone really wants an upgrade before presenting them with a 'fait accompli' :(

[Pam in CA]

Probably both true:(

Definitely. However, there wouldn't have been a problem in the first place if the OP had requested "No upgrade."

 

As for which should be the default, just read all the threads about people hoping/wanting a free upgrade. Those who book a specific cabin and want to stay there are in the minority. There's no good answer other than to force a choice at booking. Even then, I bet lots of people, particularly those who book directly with the cruiseline, don't understand the possible consequences. When you book directly, you don't get the knowledge or assistance that a TA will give you and are responsible for doing your own research.

Edited July 5, 2013 by Pam in CA