guarantee cabin q's

[jasperado]

Just thrown caution to the winds and have upgraded from an inside to a balcony on a ventura cruise end September ( booked cruise January and now with double OBC,( the February promotion) an inside is £300 cheaper than I paid, so just to punish myself, I have spent £600 more.... I like rolling in nettles!! )

Fact.....select booking and price, but balcony grade is now "guarantee".....so I cannot choose actual cabin. So P and O are not fulfilling a portion of the benefits of paying premium. My TA tried to explain that P and O don't release all the cabins for the various grades, they "hold some back"..????

Can someone please explain this anomaly to me,and also give me some idea when I will know what cabin I have been allocated. I feel I am paying "select" money for a "saver" service.

Thankyou

[Thejuggler]

If you have a GTY booking you should be paying a GTY fare. I would not be happy paying full whack and not getting a choice of cabin.

 

Our Celebrity GTY fare was about 50% of launch fare, but we booekd about 6 weeks before departure. Cabin was confirmed as soon as we booked.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Thejuggler

[jasperado]

Whoops!! Just re-read my post, and it comes over as rather prickly and pompous which was not my intention. :o

[jasperado]

If you have a GTY booking you should be paying a GTY fare. I would not be happy paying full whack and not getting a choice of cabin.

 

Our Celebrity GTY fare was about 50% of launch fare, but we booekd about 6 weeks before departure. Cabin was confirmed as soon as we booked.

 

Thankyou for responding.

On P and O there are 2 tiers...select (choose actual cabin, choose dining options, many pennies!)

saver...( no choice dining, choose cabin category, not so many pennies!)

I have paid select......I have chosen my dining option, but I cannot choose my actual cabin, I have been "guaranteed" a cabin of the grade I have paid for. And still with 7 months to go so this is not a "last minute deal, pay less money, take what is left" option.

[netchells]

We have booked "early saver" ....picked the type and grade of cabin but not the number.....I have requested the dining I would prefer but it's not guaranteed....paid £640 less than the select price where I could have picked cabin number and dining options and would have got £640.00 onboard credit if I'd booked it a week after I'd actually booked it. I find it quite exciting waiting to see which cabin we'll be allocated :-)

[Thejuggler]

Thankyou for responding.

On P and O there are 2 tiers...select (choose actual cabin, choose dining options, many pennies!)

saver...( no choice dining, choose cabin category, not so many pennies!)

I have paid select......I have chosen my dining option, but I cannot choose my actual cabin, I have been "guaranteed" a cabin of the grade I have paid for. And still with 7 months to go so this is not a "last minute deal, pay less money, take what is left" option.

 

Your case demonstrates there aren't just 2 tiers of booking. If you have paid a select fare you should benefit from everything this offers.

 

What you have now is a halfway house. If P&O are offering a third way the price should reflect it, but its down to you whether to press for a reduction in fare.

[BrianI]

There are three types of fares.

 

Select

Early Saver

Saver

 

The differences are shown here

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/before-you-sail/fare_types

 

It looks like you have booked an early saver if you cant specify the cabin.

 

Brian

[the english lady]

There are three types of fares.

 

Select

Early Saver

Saver

 

The differences are shown here

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/before-you-sail/fare_types

 

It looks like you have booked an early saver if you cant specify the cabin.

 

Brian

Just to muddy up the waters I remember when Brittania bookings first opened people were paying select fare prices, but were not being cabin numbers. People on here at the time felt they were selling more cabins at each grade than they actually had, on the assumption that at final payment time people would drop out, so then they already had people to slot into those cabins.

we wondered what would happen if no one dropped out..thread died down then so we will never know.

Maybe this is a similar scenario. Plus if no one drops out at your grade, you would be upgraded (maybe from a fore/aft cabin to midships or low deck to high). You get an upgrade, but as you would have paid a select fare you would not be pushing in front of other select fare payers.

Would the above explain it?

[BigJH]

You have said in your initial post that your TA has explained......have you spoken to P&O and asked them, pointing out the terms of their Select Pricing, and that you seem to be missing one vital element? Out of interest, have you been on the P&O site to see if you are able to select a cabin of the grade you have booked? Cheers, good luck!

[chh]

It IS possible to book a select fare with a guarantee cabin.

 

We did so last year. We booked select but there were only guarantee cabins available. In our case taking into account the free on board spend the price worked out cheaper than the early saver fare.

 

We did receive a one grade cabin upgrade (we booked an inside guarantee cabin at a specific grade, we had a one grade upgrade.....still inside).

 

I came on here to ask something and people did not believe it was possible to book select on a guarantee basis......it is! We definitely booked select!!!

[groovechick]

Just to muddy up the waters I remember when Brittania bookings first opened people were paying select fare prices, but were not being cabin numbers. People on here at the time felt they were selling more cabins at each grade than they actually had, on the assumption that at final payment time people would drop out, so then they already had people to slot into those cabins.

we wondered what would happen if no one dropped out..thread died down then so we will never know.

Maybe this is a similar scenario. Plus if no one drops out at your grade, you would be upgraded (maybe from a fore/aft cabin to midships or low deck to high). You get an upgrade, but as you would have paid a select fare you would not be pushing in front of other select fare payers.

Would the above explain it?

 

English lady, I was one of those who booked Select in Jan/Feb last year on Britannia's Christmas/New Year Caribbean 2015 cruise and they refused to allocate us a cabin number. I was told at the time by our Personal Cruise Consultant that P&O was deliberately overbooking, with the expectation that people would drop out come Christmas 2015.

As 12 months later there was still no cabin number showing on the Cruise Personaliser, I phoned my PCC and asked again to be allocated a specific cabin and was given exactly the same answer. I was in fact told they do not expect to be allocating them until about 4-6 weeks before the departure date. I am absolutely disgusted and am torn between telling there where to shove their cruise, or going to Trading Standards, but it is DH's present to us for our silver wedding anniversary. Or do any of you lovely people on here have any other suggestions as to how I might get what I am paying for from P&O? No amount of insistence/pleading and quoting their T&Cs has moved them at all so far.

[netchells]

It IS possible to book a select fare with a guarantee cabin.

 

We did so last year. We booked select but there were only guarantee cabins available. In our case taking into account the free on board spend the price worked out cheaper than the early saver fare.

 

We did receive a one grade cabin upgrade (we booked an inside guarantee cabin at a specific grade, we had a one grade upgrade.....still inside).

 

I came on here to ask something and people did not believe it was possible to book select on a guarantee basis......it is! We definitely booked select!!!

 

English Lady I know you definitely can book select on a guarantee cabin basis.....you get all the benefits of select but have all the anticipation of waiting for your cabin number.....I love waiting to see which cabin I've been allocated and whether I've been upgraded......for our September cruise we've booked select and booked a cabin we loved last year and opted for "no upgrade" .....it's cost us £560.00 for the pleasure but we have £610.00 onboard credit for a week :-)

[jasperado]

Hi again.

Update!! Just been down to TA to get full explanation.

I accept the "hard luck" of not so much OBC because the deal changed, the lesson learnt is do not book in January if a deal has a cut off time of end of February, chances are the deal will be enhanced.

Regarding select fare but only guaranteed cabin.......TA stated that P and O have planned their deals and only allocate a fixed number of "cabin number choices" per deal, say 10 cabins per grade, so they can legally advertise that deal and honour the benefits of that precise deal.

But when the (say) 10 cabins in that particular deal are sold, P and O will take your money, promise you a cabin and then when the next deal hits the calendar (1st March?) they can sell the next 10 numbered cabins.

TA is going to contact P and O to (politely) air my grievances and then I will start the "dissatisfied customer campaign".

I still have my original dining choice following the upgrade and OBC so 2 out of the 3 benefits of the Select Fare are in place, just not the choice of actual cabin.

Tally Ho!!

[groovechick]

There are three types of fares.

 

Select

Early Saver

Saver

 

The differences are shown here

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/before-you-sail/fare_types

 

It looks like you have booked an early saver if you cant specify the cabin.

 

Brian

 

We definitely booked Select and our cruise consultant has confirmed this. We have the other benefits associated with Select, but to us the cabin choice is the main point of paying Select prices. We only wanted an ordinary inside cabin, but that's not the point. At the time we were told we could have an allocated cabin if we were prepared to move up to the next category (the lowest grade of obstructed view balcony), but we didn't see why we should pay an extra £1000 for an obstructed view to get what we should and what is clearly stated in P&O's T&Cs.

[groovechick]

Out of interest, have you been on the P&O site to see if you are able to select a cabin of the grade you have booked?

 

Inside cabins are listed as sold out on our cruise. The next grade costs at least £1,000 pp more.

[netchells]

Inside cabins are listed as sold out on our cruise. The next grade costs at least £1,000 pp more.

 

Fingers crossed you get the cabin you want.....if not fingers crossed for a good upgrade :-):)

[the english lady]

So all as thick as oozy mud, but they can and do sell cabins at select fare prices, with all the choices for that fare, except for the cabin number itself.

Groovechick I guess they will not allocate you a cabin number until final payment is due (90days before) as up until that date is passed they will not know who or if anyone has dropped out. At that stage they will be able to allocate to you.

What made you still book it at a select fare price ,if you could not chose your cabin.

Not sure if I would play this particular game. If they said the only cabins left in your grade are guarantee I would possible consider waiting for saver fares or not go.

Or waiting for saver fares that never appear ,and still not go.

[ladywales]

I find this thread really interesting as we are looking to book next Jan or Feb to Caribbean again. We have only ever booked select price but may wait for early saver now and see how we get on. Not sure how far ahead they offer saver prices but will keep my eye out now.

[wilson2579]

I was one of the many people who pre registered for Britannia and was told that we could only book guarantee. I was advised to give them a list of 3/4 cabins that I would like. When allocated it was a cabin I didn't want, so I phoned up and asked about the 3/4 I had requested and was then given one of them. Why I wasn't given one of them in the first instance I will never know.:eek:

[the english lady]

I find this thread really interesting as we are looking to book next Jan or Feb to Caribbean again. We have only ever booked select price but may wait for early saver now and see how we get on. Not sure how far ahead they offer saver prices but will keep my eye out now.

 

Each to their own,but personally I am not sure early saver is worth it.

Sometimes the price reduction from select is not that great, you do not first dibs on things, but you are quite possibly paying a lot more than saver fares, if it gets down to saver fares that is.

I always feel if its a one of type of cruise better to go select ,as they are the type that will get booked up.....Caribbean transatlantic for example.

If its a week in week out type...fly cruise to the Caribbean for example..then book later...as long as the flights are not a problem.

I am still not sure I would ever book select with no cabin number. Are they sold to people with the...you will have a much better chance of being upgraded if you book this grade as a guarantee.

Who knows.

[jasperado]

My problem was that I had already paid a deposit for an inside cabin of £345. If I didn't continue with a booking of some sort I would lose the deposit and I didn't want to just kiss goodbye to a sum of money that takes quite a time to earn.

I could not downgrade from a select fare to a saver or early saver fare. P and O welcome paid upgrades, but will not entertain customers doing a cheaper deal without loss of deposits or penalties.

Once you give P and O money, they hold on to it as well as grab you by the short and curlies!! :mad:

[the english lady]

My problem was that I had already paid a deposit for an inside cabin of £345. If I didn't continue with a booking of some sort I would lose the deposit and I didn't want to just kiss goodbye to a sum of money that takes quite a time to earn.

I could not downgrade from a select fare to a saver or early saver fare. P and O welcome paid upgrades, but will not entertain customers doing a cheaper deal without loss of deposits or penalties.

Once you give P and O money, they hold on to it as well as grab you by the short and curlies!! :mad:

With a select fare you can ask to change to a later cruise. Proviso is that it has to be booked with in a year, and you have upto 6 months (?) after that for it to sail. It also must be the same price or higher than the one you had booked. Is that not an option for you? Maybe on another cruise you will be able to book and get a cabin number at the same time. Is there anything round about the same time that fits the above?

[Luvs2Crooze]

We also booked a select fare, did have a cabin number but we upgraded.

 

When we upgraded from larger outside to balcony they cold not book the cabin we picked for the balcony cabin because it was marked up for sale under guarantee.

 

Was advised at the time we would most likely get one of them or better. We still have not got a cabin number and are due to sail 1st April, no doubt will get it soon (adds to the excitement)

 

We still got all the other benefits, table size, mdr times and larger obc. We are happy what we chose to do.

 

Hayley

[Big Stevie]

Could somebody kindly explain when the different types of booking become available, e.g...

 

Select

Early Saver

Saver

 

Does the Early Saver option become available first as soon as the new brochure becomes available, or do they al become available at the same time?

Edited February 21, 2015 by Big Stevie

[groovechick]

Groovechick I guess they will not allocate you a cabin number until final payment is due (90days before) as up until that date is passed they will not know who or if anyone has dropped out. At that stage they will be able to allocate to you.

What made you still book it at a select fare price ,if you could not chose your cabin.

 

The personal cruise consultant has told me they will not be allocating the cabins until 4, at most 6 weeks, before departure, which I think is disgraceful, as they expect customers to book excursions etc. and to have paid the full price up front before knowing what they are getting.

 

We still booked for several reasons. We had tried to book on Ventura for Christmas 2014 and it was all going great until we found the customer service person at P&O had quoted us for our choice of dates in November, not December, and therefore we couldn't do it because the children would still be at school/college and it made a significant difference to the price.

 

The Britannia Christmas/New Year 2015 dates fitted perfectly with school holidays, work etc. and DH has his heart set on going back to the Caribbean, where we honeymooned, for our silver wedding anniversary. If it were up to me we wouldn't have done it, but he prevailed.

 

I have spoken to Trading Standards and will be writing to P&O.