Booking A Cabin ... GGRRR !!!!!

[Oh-But-Is-It]

Phoned today to book a specific cabin for my October cruise (as Travel Agent couldn't be persuaded to do it for me) 'grrr'

 

'' 26 '' Minutes ................ (no its not a typo) 26 minutes to book a cabin.

 

The first 10 minutes was on hold waiting to be connected, and the remainder 16 minutes were spent with a woman who operated at the speed of a sloth.

 

at 10 pence plus network extra's per minute I felt quiet irritated.

 

Grrrrrrrrr

[kruzseeka]

That really is deplorable isn't it? Perhaps it would be a good idea if booking with a TA in future to make that a condition of you booking - that they make the cabin reservation for you at the time. After all what if you booked then found there were only cabins available in an area you wouldn't want to be (like the stern on some ships which can be noisy)? Perhaps if you knew that you wouldn't have booked at all!

[Jim The Scot]

Persuaded?I`d be looking to use an alternative TA in future

 

Can I ask why your TA would not pre book your cabin?All our cruises have been booked through a TA and not the same one may I add and they have always pre booked our cabin with no fuss and without being asked or persuaded. Dont see why you should need to make it a condition of your booking its part of the booking process

[lovecruise22]

Our travel agent also booked ours for us, I have them a list of the ones I wanted and they rang booked it then called me back to confirm

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Sheila49]

Our travel agents have always booked our cabin for us. We have used several different local independents. I have tried to book a cabin by phone in the past and been told that as I booked through a TA they had to book the cabin for me!

[ormy]

Part of the TA service, you should have been more persistent with them - TA always does this for us, guess they may have lost a customer.

[Wacktle]

That really is deplorable isn't it? Perhaps it would be a good idea if booking with a TA in future to make that a condition of you booking - that they make the cabin reservation for you at the time. After all what if you booked then found there were only cabins available in an area you wouldn't want to be (like the stern on some ships which can be noisy)? Perhaps if you knew that you wouldn't have booked at all!

 

When we booked on Thomson Dream for last January, the Thomson travel agent rang to check what cabins were available before I finalised the booking. He was told that all were available in my chosen grade, so I went ahead. He said that a cabin could not be reserved until the next day. When I went back and he rang up to book our selected cabin, all the possibles that I had selected were booked! The ones available were all on another deck. Why can't Thomson let you pre-select a cabin at the time of booking in the same way as all other cruise lines?

[mtt]

our ta always prebooks our cabin when we book, he calls and sees what cabins are available then calls us back confirms and then we book and pay deposit, they have always done that

[geomagot]

When we booked on Thomson Dream for last January, the Thomson travel agent rang to check what cabins were available before I finalised the booking. He was told that all were available in my chosen grade, so I went ahead. He said that a cabin could not be reserved until the next day. When I went back and he rang up to book our selected cabin, all the possibles that I had selected were booked! The ones available were all on another deck. Why can't Thomson let you pre-select a cabin at the time of booking in the same way as all other cruise lines?

 

yep...same thing happened to us, we were told while booking that our (list) of cabins would be available but by the time the TA made the call all the cabins on our chosen deck had gone?? (in a matter of hours??):confused::( (and we booked a year in advance!)

[jem16]

Phoned today to book a specific cabin for my October cruise (as Travel Agent couldn't be persuaded to do it for me) 'grrr'

 

'' 26 '' Minutes ................ (no its not a typo) 26 minutes to book a cabin.

 

The first 10 minutes was on hold waiting to be connected, and the remainder 16 minutes were spent with a woman who operated at the speed of a sloth.

 

at 10 pence plus network extra's per minute I felt quiet irritated.

 

Grrrrrrrrr

 

Just used this number to book a specific cabin - 024 7628 2828.

 

All done within 5 minutes and as it's a normal geographic number it was included in my inclusive minutes so no charge.

[geomagot]

Just used this number to book a specific cabin - 024 7628 2828.

 

All done within 5 minutes and as it's a normal geographic number it was included in my inclusive minutes so no charge.

 

unfortunately (I know not why??) but (for some unfathomable reason??) if you book thru a TA that TA has to make that call for you??:confused:

 

you cant just call thoms up yourself....they wont do it and just refer you back to the TA:(

[Bilje]

Thanks for posting that number jem16. I booked a short cruise on line then spent 25 mins on telephone just to book a cabin. Seemed to be deliberate delay to extract extra phone costs. When I book at a TA I get them to price cruise then ring to ring Thomsons as to which cabins of my choice are available when I choose she asks them to hold, pushes computer key to book my cruise and then gives the booking number to the Thomsons person who books my cabin. Job done

[Wacktle]

Thanks for posting that number jem16. I booked a short cruise on line then spent 25 mins on telephone just to book a cabin. Seemed to be deliberate delay to extract extra phone costs. When I book at a TA I get them to price cruise then ring to ring Thomsons as to which cabins of my choice are available when I choose she asks them to hold, pushes computer key to book my cruise and then gives the booking number to the Thomsons person who books my cabin. Job done

 

our ta always prebooks our cabin when we book, he calls and sees what cabins are available then calls us back confirms and then we book and pay deposit, they have always done that

 

Hi Bilje & mtt,

 

I know you can't specifically divulge the names of your TAs on here, but can you drop any hints? I booked at the TA with the same name as the travel company and the first name of all the ships we're talking about, and they told me I couldn't book a cabin until the next day as the booking had to go through the system. As I said in a previous post, the TA had made a call to ask if my preferred cabins were available and was told they were, and that in fact none were booked at all. I was surprised as it was only a few weeks before sail date, but as it was my first cruise with Thomson, I assumed that few people fork out the cabin booking fee and so take pot luck. However the next day there was hardly anything of my selected grade on the deck I wanted. They couldn't all have been booked overnight, so someone must hav given out duff info. The TA himself was quite embarassed. It didn't feel very joined-up, and it does put me off booking another Thomson cruise. With today's real-time updating of computer systems, there should be no technical reason why a cabin cannot be selected at the time of booking. I wonder whether it's a ploy to extract a deposit from someone, and then they really have to accept whatever is available as there's little you can do.

[mtt]

Hi Bilje & mtt,

 

I know you can't specifically divulge the names of your TAs on here, but can you drop any hints? I booked at the TA with the same name as the travel company and the first name of all the ships we're talking about, and they told me I couldn't book a cabin until the next day as the booking had to go through the system. As I said in a previous post, the TA had made a call to ask if my preferred cabins were available and was told they were, and that in fact none were booked at all. I was surprised as it was only a few weeks before sail date, but as it was my first cruise with Thomson, I assumed that few people fork out the cabin booking fee and so take pot luck. However the next day there was hardly anything of my selected grade on the deck I wanted. They couldn't all have been booked overnight, so someone must hav given out duff info. The TA himself was quite embarassed. It didn't feel very joined-up, and it does put me off booking another Thomson cruise. With today's real-time updating of computer systems, there should be no technical reason why a cabin cannot be selected at the time of booking. I wonder whether it's a ploy to extract a deposit from someone, and then they really have to accept whatever is available as there's little you can do.

my ta is just our local thomson shop

[ormy]

When we booked last years cruise late April 2012 the TA was able to book our cabin at the same time as booking. This year we are on the Celebration and had lots of problems getting the cabin we wanted, but that turned out to be due to balconies being added - but it took Thomson months to finally explain why we had problems.

[Huddersfieldtourist]

Hi Bilje & mtt,

 

I know you can't specifically divulge the names of your TAs on here, but can you drop any hints? I booked at the TA with the same name as the travel company and the first name of all the ships we're talking about, and they told me I couldn't book a cabin until the next day as the booking had to go through the system. As I said in a previous post, the TA had made a call to ask if my preferred cabins were available and was told they were, and that in fact none were booked at all. I was surprised as it was only a few weeks before sail date, but as it was my first cruise with Thomson, I assumed that few people fork out the cabin booking fee and so take pot luck. However the next day there was hardly anything of my selected grade on the deck I wanted. They couldn't all have been booked overnight, so someone must hav given out duff info. The TA himself was quite embarassed. It didn't feel very joined-up, and it does put me off booking another Thomson cruise. With today's real-time updating of computer systems, there should be no technical reason why a cabin cannot be selected at the time of booking. I wonder whether it's a ploy to extract a deposit from someone, and then they really have to accept whatever is available as there's little you can do.

 

 

You can book your cabin immediately after the booking has been made - your Thomson TA can do it within moments of getting the booking reference or if you are booking yourself "online" you can do likewise

[Wacktle]

You can book your cabin immediately after the booking has been made - your Thomson TA can do it within moments of getting the booking reference or if you are booking yourself "online" you can do likewise

 

Thanks. Maybe the lad at our local Thomson shop was inexperienced, and I was a first time Thomson cruise booker so knew no better. I'll know for next time.

 

I'm having difficulty seeing what grades are available for the cruise (Celebration in Jan, the one that does Guadeloupe). The online deckplans don't seem to match with the new layout now some balconies have been added to ships - i.e. it doesn't show any balcony cabins. It's all quite puzzling. I do have a good old paper brochure fortunately.

[andy mac]

our ta booked our cabin for free,said not to tell everybody

[mtt]

we got a price from cruise deals and thet quoted in free booked cabins and our ta matched that, 2 cabins too

[joeholiday2]

Thanks for the number Jem, used it last night, without any problems.

 

After studying the email confirmation they send the number is actually in the small print at the bottom, but they tell you to phone the premium line.... well they would wouldn't they.

 

Ta

Joe.

[jem16]

Glad the number has come in useful.