Upgrade Fairy

[pbgv/hound dog]

Be careful what you wish for, I have booked the Oriana 19 Sept Med cruise

for my partner and my 90 year old aunt we had two cabins next to each other on f deck as they have showers, as my aunt cannot get in the bath(she's in a wheel chair most of the time).

Our information packs arrived with the right cabin numbers and I had an email the next day to say I could print the e tickets, when I checked on cruise personaliser, we had been upgraded to A deck with a cabin each end of the ship and baths.

Now I thought I had made it clear to the travel agent that the cabins on f deck were the only ones we could book, but maybe not clear enough.

I called P&O who were are helpful as they could be but Mine and David's cabin had already been reallocated, but thankfully they were able to put my aunt back in her cabin and we now have one 9 cabins away from her.

So upgrades are not always good.

[storeman]

Looking forward too New ship ,New Cruise Line 2016 its a special year as we are Celebrating our silver Anniversary 25yrs only seams like yesterday :) may I ask what recommendations do you suggest to Celebrate our Big year ie which Island beach ,trip, etc would you do :)

Thank you

David & Angela

[jeanlyon]

We have Booked Front of ship Deck A PF

just looked at my Cruise Personaliser

Deck:TO BE ASSIGNED

Cabin: GUAR

Category:

if this makes any sense please enlighten me

so does this mean they have not made there minds up where they are putting us

David & Angela:confused:

 

Yes, you must have booked a Saver fare? You will get at least the grade you asked for, but cabin will not be assigned until nearer the date.

[storeman]

That would be lovely Jeanlyon will let you all know what ever happens

any recommendations to take my dearest soul mate too on our 25

like to know what other cruisers did to celebrate there silver wedding when cruising :)

[storeman]

That would be lovely Jeanlyon will let you all know what ever happens

any recommendations to take my dearest soul mate too on our 25

like to know what other cruisers did to celebrate there silver wedding when cruising :)

 

Select fare we booked

[the english lady]

oOhers have posted they booked a select fare with no cabin nos, just a guarantee.

So do pando sell more of a certain type of cabin at select fare, than they have. Then hey presto thos people who paid a select fare, but not a certain cabin, do they get an upgrade.

In that sense people paying a select fare, get upgraded first. just a thought as to how/why pando sells select fares without people having an actual cabin.

[storeman]

oOhers have posted they booked a select fare with no cabin nos, just a guarantee.

So do pando sell more of a certain type of cabin at select fare, than they have. Then hey presto thos people who paid a select fare, but not a certain cabin, do they get an upgrade.

In that sense people paying a select fare, get upgraded first. just a thought as to how/why pando sells select fares without people having an actual cabin.

 

Thank you English Lady for kind understanding feedback :)

[shallwe]

Just received an upgrade email confirming a move from 'F' deck to 'B' deck on Oriana.

 

The cabin is still an inside which is as expected and still forward, but just like our original cabin, is still sandwiched between cabins above and below - just what we wanted :)

 

The missus will be pleased, not so far to walk to the gym, and I don't need to walk so far to the Crows Nest ;)

[storeman]

Well done on upgrade Shallwe where /when you off too

[shallwe]

Well done on upgrade Shallwe where /when you off too

 

Western Med, next month. And it couldn't come sooner!

 

The upgrade wasn't massive, only one grade up. But as P&O paid for most of the cruise because of our disastrous February cruise, I for one aren't complaining about the upgrade :D

[storeman]

Western Med, next month. And it couldn't come sooner!

 

The upgrade wasn't massive, only one grade up. But as P&O paid for most of the cruise because of our disastrous February cruise, I for one aren't complaining about the upgrade :D

Have Fabulous time enjoy your upgrade , hope this makes up for last cruise :)

[groovechick]

Interesting.

 

I booked Select for Britannia online for December 2015 and was given a choice of cabins within my grade to choose from.

 

That's what I find so infuriating, because I've heard of other people who booked Select and were allocated specific cabins at the time of booking. We particularly wanted to know what cabins we would have, within our price bracket, because for the first time we will have two cabins, one for us and one for the children. By and large as teens they are old enough to look after themselves, but I would like to be close enough to keep an eye on them and for mutual reassurance, not at opposite ends of the ship. P&O said they could not in any way guarantee that this will not be the case.

 

The cruise advisor we spoke to said they were heavily overbooking on the premise that lots of people would cancel between Jan 2014 and Dec 2015.

[jeanlyon]

That's why I usually book with a TA so you can choose your cabins. The only time we have booked direct with P&O was when we were on board and then we also had our choice of cabin, plus extra OBC

[groovechick]

oOhers have posted they booked a select fare with no cabin nos, just a guarantee.

So do pando sell more of a certain type of cabin at select fare, than they have. Then hey presto thos people who paid a select fare, but not a certain cabin, do they get an upgrade.

In that sense people paying a select fare, get upgraded first. just a thought as to how/why pando sells select fares without people having an actual cabin.

 

I don't think there is any rhyme or reason to how and why P&O markets/sells its cruises and cabins, english lady. We spoke to one cruise advisor, but before making a booking had to talk over a couple of points. Of course when we called back just a few minutes later, we spoke to a different advisor, who told us a completely different story, insisted we should never have been given the original information and was adamant that we could not be allocated cabins because P&O were heavily overbooking on the expectation that there would be lots of cancellations in the intervening two years (nearly). I have no expectation that we will get an upgrade; I'll just be happy if we end up with cabins next to each other/across the corridor/a few doors away. Opposite ends of the ship or upper and lower extremes and I will not be a happy bunny!

[FAB1]

So, why would P&O be expecting lots of people to cancel when they would all lose their deposits :confused:

[jeanlyon]

Doesn't make any sense at all. We've always been able to choose what cabin we wanted.

[Scriv]

And so have we.

[the english lady]

Doesn't make any sense at all. We've always been able to choose what cabin we wanted.

 

But it does seem on Brittania they have been overselling cabins at select fare prices , on the assumption that people would/may cancel.

Heavens knows how they will sort this mess out if no one cancels. As someone else has said this would mean people losing their deposits, so why pando are banking on them cancelling heavens knows.

So do we assume all this who have paid a select fare ,but do not actually have a cabin number at the time of booking, will get upgraded?

[davecttr]

So, why would P&O be expecting lots of people to cancel when they would all lose their deposits :confused:

Looks crazy, unless they think they will end up with a surplus of passengers that they can either upgrade or offer a refund or different cruise, all of which would solve the problem as far as they are concerned.

 

I don't understand not being able to book a specific cabin with a Select Fare, as booking a cabin is one of the perks :confused:

 

Unless of course ALL the cabins have already been booked.

[davecttr]

But it does seem on Brittania they have been overselling cabins at select fare prices , on the assumption that people would/may cancel.

Heavens knows how they will sort this mess out if no one cancels. As someone else has said this would mean people losing their deposits, so why pando are banking on them cancelling heavens knows.

So do we assume all this who have paid a select fare ,but do not actually have a cabin number at the time of booking, will get upgraded?

no, those who booked select and chose a cabin plus being happy with an upgrade will get upgraded first :confused::confused:

[the english lady]

no, those who booked select and chose a cabin plus being happy with an upgrade will get upgraded first :confused::confused:

 

It just says in the T and C select fare payers get offered upgrades first. Doesn't say those who have a cabin number get upgraded first

:confused::confused::confused::confused:

[rickpo]

I don't understand why those who have booked select with a cabin should get priority over those who have booked select with just a cabin grade guaranteed.

It seems to me that both have booked select and so should have the same chance of being upgraded.

 

Rick.

[FAB1]

I don't understand why those who have booked select with a cabin should get priority over those who have booked select with just a cabin grade guaranteed.

It seems to me that both have booked select and so should have the same chance of being upgraded.

 

Rick.

 

Because those with a cabin number most likely booked before those without. It's only fair that upgrades are offered first to those who booked the earliest.

[groovechick]

As I said, there is no rhyme or reason, but the fact remains that we do not know which cabins we will occupy and on the Cruise Personaliser are just down as "Guar." We were offered more expensive cabins (balcony with a heavily obstructed view rather than an inside) at the time of booking and would then have been allocated specific cabins, but we are on a budget and felt a) we should not have to pay more to get an allocated cabin when we are booking Select and P&O is contravening its own T&Cs, and b) if we're going to pay more for a balcony cabin we want an unobstructed view, not a view of stanchions with a glimpse of sea or port beyond.

Maybe if P&O has oversold on the cheaper grades of cabin and people do not drop out, they will have to upgrade some passengers to the unsold balcony cabins and up. Goodness knows what will happen if they've overbooked on lots of grades and they don't get the expected drop-out rate!

 

Jean, on the day we were trying to book my husband actually made a special trip into town to a TA to see if we could get specific cabins that way, and the same answer came back from the TA - no allocation, only guaranteed grade.

The lovely TA we used when we first resumed cruising after many years away was unceremoniously dumped by P&O 2 years ago. Our understanding was that P&O were trying to cut out TAs and bring all sales in-house. Will have to find ourselves a good TA for future bookings, although if P&O mess up this future cruise (celebrating our silver wedding anniversary) it may be the last with them!

 

Anyway, sometime next year I hope to let you know whether this saga has a happy ending.... or not.

[daiB]

As I said, there is no rhyme or reason, but the fact remains that we do not know which cabins we will occupy and on the Cruise Personaliser are just down as "Guar." We were offered more expensive cabins (balcony with a heavily obstructed view rather than an inside) at the time of booking and would then have been allocated specific cabins, but we are on a budget and felt a) we should not have to pay more to get an allocated cabin when we are booking Select and P&O is contravening its own T&Cs, and b) if we're going to pay more for a balcony cabin we want an unobstructed view, not a view of stanchions with a glimpse of sea or port beyond.

 

Maybe if P&O has oversold on the cheaper grades of cabin and people do not drop out, they will have to upgrade some passengers to the unsold balcony cabins and up. Goodness knows what will happen if they've overbooked on lots of grades and they don't get the expected drop-out rate!

 

 

 

Jean, on the day we were trying to book my husband actually made a special trip into town to a TA to see if we could get specific cabins that way, and the same answer came back from the TA - no allocation, only guaranteed grade.

 

The lovely TA we used when we first resumed cruising after many years away was unceremoniously dumped by P&O 2 years ago. Our understanding was that P&O were trying to cut out TAs and bring all sales in-house. Will have to find ourselves a good TA for future bookings, although if P&O mess up this future cruise (celebrating our silver wedding anniversary) it may be the last with them!

 

 

 

Anyway, sometime next year I hope to let you know whether this saga has a happy ending.... or not.

 

 

P&O are only doing what they have always done when there are only a few cabins left they go to Guaranteed. They then wait until people have dropped out of cabins close to the sailing day. They then fill the cabins left with the Guar. Passengers and upgrade some who have already had cabins allocated.

 

The only thing difference now is that all upgrades will be given to Early bookers. And that anyone on a saver will not get an upgrade past the type of cabin they have booked eg inside, outside etc. on the other hand if you have paid full fare on a Guar basis you would be available for an upgrade.

 

I have serious doubt that the company would overbook any grade.

 

Last point, clearly the bookings for this year have gone far better than the last few, the lack of deep discounting on a large scale shows this. I would expect that there would be far fewer upgrades than over these past few years.

 

As we used to say before this 'upgrades are as rare as hens teeth'.

 

 

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