Cruise oversold! How often does this happen?

[Durkman]

I just received an email from my TA that my upcoming cruise on Serenade (July 3 out of Stockholm) has been oversold. Royal is looking for someone willing to be bumped and is offering the following:

• Royal would cover any incremental airfare costs for the guests switching sail dates;

• Full refund on their current Serenade sailing; and

• 50% credit towards their new cruise (the 50% can be taken off the old or new sailing, whichever is higher).

How common is this? For all the talk of cruise ships (possibly) sailing with empty cabins or offering low rates at the last minute to fill them, here is an opposite example.

 

This would be a tempting offer if my family had the flexibility to do it. But DW and I are sailing with our teen boys in connecting balcony cabins and working around school/work schedules so it just won't work for us. The thought of getting that second cabin for free on another sailing is enticing though! :)

[molly361]

I have heard of it on other cruise lines but I have not heard of it on RCL

[Clarea]

I agree with Ellen, not common on Royal Caribbean.

[dani negreanu]

I've helped friends book (through my US TA) the Serenade July 17th, same itinerary. This date is sold out for months. In January I've convinced them to book at least a balcony GX, they've been assigned, but I'm constantly looking to see if there is a better cabin for them -- no such luck.

 

I'm guessing the ship & the itinerary r very popular :)

[heatherb1958]

A few years ago there was a situation where balcony GTYs were oversold on Brilliance. Guests were contacted asking if they would give up their balconies for insides and OVs plus

OBC and I think.FCCs. It was for the TA and was discusssed.on the roll call.

[Funbobby68]

Had that happen once to us on radiance Alaska sailing

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[heatherb1958]

Found it. It was the Sept 8th 2012 Brilliance TA. Post 2094 was first mention of the oversold ship.

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1395231&page=105

Edited June 10, 2016 by heatherb1958

[suzyluvs2cruise]

I think the Brilliance 2012 TA was oversold. I remember reading about offers to passengers. As time went on, and they still needed cabins, the offers got better. Good Luck! :)

[Durkman]

Our family has talked about whether we'd be willing to change our cruise/itinerary to take advantage of the offer but it just doesn't work for us. There is no availability for any other Baltic or Mediterranean cruises in July (which is when we need to go since school starts the first week in August).

 

Also, I suspect that Royal would balk at covering the difference in airfare, since we were able to find discounted business class fares on British Airways for our travel to/from Stockholm. It would cost Royal over $8k to cover that cost for a comparable business class fare to another departure port.

 

I'm sure there are others who will jump at the offer. Too bad we can't.

[DkswartzFamily]

Wow! I have never heard of that happening with Royal! That sounds like a very tempting offer if your dates were more flexible!

[Tina-Obk]

We are on the Harmony 5-day sailing from Barcelona right now.

We were originally booked in a Centralpark Balcony, our Teens in an Oceanview Cabin.

6 days prior to our sailing I got a call from my travelagent: Royal called them an wanted us to sail all 4 in the Oceanview Cabin. The price for the Centralpark Cabin would be refunded.

I told them 'no'. We would only give up the second stateroom if Royal would offer us a bigger cabin.

The next day my travelagent called again. She told me, Royal must need our stateroom quite urgently, because they overbooked the ship: They offered us a Grand Suite for the price of the Oceanview Cabin. The price for the Centralpark Balcony would be refunded...

I couldn't say 'no' to that offer :-D

 

Now we are enjoing more space, Voom Internet for the 4 of us and the new Suite Class Program and even our OBC linked to the Oceanview Cabin was still there.

 

So my guess is, overbooking is quite common ( or starts to get common) with Royal too.

[GUT2407]

It's never happened to us, but it does happen.

 

I guess they have a good idea of the number that cancell, and sometimes less do so.

[eldolko]

Wow. Just a couple of summers ago I sat in our vacation home in southern Sweden, watching some really good last minutes deals on these Baltic cruises from Stockholm. Obviously they struggled to fill the ship to full capacity then.

We didn't go, but came very close in our planning of taking a last minute deal.

 

Last year I went with my father and payed some top dollars compared to the last minute deals I saw just two summers earlier.

 

But I'm not complaining. Having a couple of cruises out of Stockholm i great for us and I'm thinking of booking another Baltic cruise next summer. Better hurry before they all are sold out.

[PeaceOfCake]

@eldolko Do you remember when RCCL used to sell baltic cruises on Tradera (its Swedens local ebay) and an inside stateroom for two usually sold for a very attractive price? :)

They never do that with anymore.

[heatherb1958]

Wow. Just a couple of summers ago I sat in our vacation home in southern Sweden, watching some really good last minutes deals on these Baltic cruises from Stockholm. Obviously they struggled to fill the ship to full capacity then.

We didn't go, but came very close in our planning of taking a last minute deal.

 

Last year I went with my father and payed some top dollars compared to the last minute deals I saw just two summers earlier.

 

But I'm not complaining. Having a couple of cruises out of Stockholm i great for us and I'm thinking of booking another Baltic cruise next summer. Better hurry before they all are sold out.

 

Since the sailings out of Harwich have been cancelled the supply of the Baltic itineraries has been reduced . Obviously the demand is still there.

[eldolko]

@eldolko Do you remember when RCCL used to sell baltic cruises on Tradera (its Swedens local ebay) and an inside stateroom for two usually sold for a very attractive price? :)

They never do that with anymore.

 

I had completely forgotten about that. But now that you remind me I also remember you could get som really great deals on train tickets at the same site. :)

[Brit-Cruiser]

We were travelling with friends on the Splendour in Feb around the Arabian Gulf.

 

Two days before sailing, our friends received a call asking them if they would give up their balcony cabin and move to an inside as RCI had oversold that category. They were offered a full refund of their cruise fare plus $200 OBC to seal the deal.

[PeaceOfCake]

I had completely forgotten about that. But now that you remind me I also remember you could get som really great deals on train tickets at the same site. :)

 

 

Lol, so now we can be "real" Swedes and say that things used to be better before

[cello56]

A similar thing happened to us on Freedom a few years ago. Week before the cruise an RCI agent called and asked if we would be willing to switch to Allure sailing the same date. She really sounded desperate, she had been calling all the Florida people booked on Freedom that cruise. Ended up being about three dozen cabins over sold. Stupid me, I agreed without asking for anything in return. I ended up out money, since we had to drive three hours farther each way, plus pay for an extra night of dog sitting $80. The Allure cruise was actually cheaper than the Freedom cruise at that point too since it was western and Freedom had been eastern. Oh well, I would know better now! :D

[Durkman]

On Tuesday Royal called our TA and offered us a full refund of our entire cruise fare (minus port and other fees) if may family (2 adults and 2 boys, 13 and 14) were willing to move from our two balcony cabins (connecting E2 balcony cabins) into one slightly larger D1 balcony cabin.

 

We seriously considered it but passed; the loss of space/comfort was not worth it for a cruise that was already bought and paid for.

 

On a whim I called my TA yesterday and told her we would be willing to do it if Royal would also give us a 50% cruise credit on a future cruise. I figured it was a reach, but what the heck right?

 

This afternoon my TA called and Royal has accepted our offer! We are getting almost $10k in refunds and cruise credits, and we still get to cruise next week. And we were able to get a pullman bed with our D1 balcony, so the boys will be able to sleep by themselves.

 

Was I crazy to do it? Or to pass on the first offer? Hopefully we won't be too uncomfortable next week with 4-adult sized humans in one cabin. I figure the port-intensity of this itinerary (Baltic capitals) will mean we won't be doing much in the room other than sleeping.

 

Now we just need to start planning our next cruise! :)

[swoopy2110]

On Tuesday Royal called our TA and offered us a full refund of our entire cruise fare (minus port and other fees) if may family (2 adults and 2 boys, 13 and 14) were willing to move from our two balcony cabins (connecting E2 balcony cabins) into one slightly larger D1 balcony cabin.

 

We seriously considered it but passed; the loss of space/comfort was not worth it for a cruise that was already bought and paid for.

 

On a whim I called my TA yesterday and told her we would be willing to do it if Royal would also give us a 50% cruise credit on a future cruise. I figured it was a reach, but what the heck right?

 

This afternoon my TA called and Royal has accepted our offer! We are getting almost $10k in refunds and cruise credits, and we still get to cruise next week. And we were able to get a pullman bed with our D1 balcony, so the boys will be able to sleep by themselves.

 

Was I crazy to do it? Or to pass on the first offer? Hopefully we won't be too uncomfortable next week with 4-adult sized humans in one cabin. I figure the port-intensity of this itinerary (Baltic capitals) will mean we won't be doing much in the room other than sleeping.

 

Now we just need to start planning our next cruise! :)

 

Sounds like a great deal :D

 

I hope I get something similar - "sorry sir, we've oversold oceanview cabins, we need yours and we'll upgrade you to the Royal Suite and we'll give you a full refund"... Oh well, go on then :P

[Captain Underpants]

On Tuesday Royal called our TA and offered us a full refund of our entire cruise fare (minus port and other fees) if may family (2 adults and 2 boys, 13 and 14) were willing to move from our two balcony cabins (connecting E2 balcony cabins) into one slightly larger D1 balcony cabin.

 

We seriously considered it but passed; the loss of space/comfort was not worth it for a cruise that was already bought and paid for.

 

On a whim I called my TA yesterday and told her we would be willing to do it if Royal would also give us a 50% cruise credit on a future cruise. I figured it was a reach, but what the heck right?

 

This afternoon my TA called and Royal has accepted our offer! We are getting almost $10k in refunds and cruise credits, and we still get to cruise next week. And we were able to get a pullman bed with our D1 balcony, so the boys will be able to sleep by themselves.

 

Was I crazy to do it? Or to pass on the first offer? Hopefully we won't be too uncomfortable next week with 4-adult sized humans in one cabin. I figure the port-intensity of this itinerary (Baltic capitals) will mean we won't be doing much in the room other than sleeping.

 

Now we just need to start planning our next cruise! :)

 

You would have been crazy to NOT do it. 10k savings this time basically goes towards your next trip !!

[Durkman]

Thanks, that's what I figured! On our way to the airport now - overnight flight to Stockholm (through London) tonight!

[heatherb1958]

See , it paid to hold out and my motto is "if you don't ask you don't get"

Congrats and enjoy the cruise. The Baltic itinerary is fantastic.

We did it in 2010, think it is time to return.:)

[Newtoncruise]

Not quite the same but on our way home from Atlanta last year virgin Atlantic were overbooked.

 

We got vouchers for free flights anywhere they fly if we gave up our seats and flew the next day......

 

We had the time so it was a good deal for us.......and the other 20 on the same flight!

 

New York here we come....thanks Richard!