P & O cabin allocation

[lexussteve2016]

Apologies but advised to post this here.

 

Hello,

After browsing this site for some time I now have a question to ask and have joined up.

We are due to travel on a P & O cruise shortly (Britannia)  and booked nearly a year ago with a saver fare which guaranteed us a DC cabin grade  ( deluxe balcony A deck).

We have today been notified that our allocated cabin is a DA grade and this is B427.

Having checked the deck plan this appears to be an “adapted cabin” so is fitted out for disabled guests so has a wet room with all the associated aids and no bath (one of the reasons we booked the cabin type was for the bath which I prefer to a shower and we have never had a cabin with a bath on previous cruises)

My questions are ..is a DA grade a lower grade than a DC and do we have to accept an adapted cabin when we are both able bodied?

Thank you.

[davecttr]

I believe DA grade is higher than DC.

 

Get back to P&O soonest and tell them you want the original cabin back as you wanted a cabin with a bath

[jh1809]

I think P&O view it as an upgrade (DA being higher than DB being higher than DC), but you clearly wouldn't agree. If you book a select fare, you can specify "no upgrades" to make sure you get the precise cabin you have chosen, but I don't think that's possible with a saver fare. The short description of DA, BC and DC grades is "deluxe balcony with bath/shower", in other words in any of those grades you could have either a bath or a shower.

Your best bet is to talk to P&O, but as you are on a saver fare if they say they can't help then I don't think you have any recourse.

[terrierjohn]

I think if you booked a grade that specifies a bath, then even an upgrade to a higher one without a bath should be able to be rejected.

However before you do, take into account that this cabin will be 50% wider than a normal one giving you a lot more room, and that will include a bigger balcony as well, longer but not deeper.

[majortom10]

If you book a Saver fare then the grade booked is the guaranteed minimum if higher grades have showers that is the risk you take by paying a lower price. If you specifically want a bath then the only guarantee is to book a Select fare and tell them "no upgrades" but of course this costs more money

[Eglesbrech]

This is the description on the web if you book a delux cabin on Brittania, whether you look via a select or a saver fare route.

 

•Balcony, lounge area, bathroom with full-size bath

[lexussteve2016]

Thank you for all the responses, as advised I rang P & O today and explained that we booked the cruise knowing the cabin grade had a bath. ( Really fantastic telephone response time!).

The CSA left me on hold for a minute and came back with cabin B414 which is an upgraded DC to DA cabin which has been confirmed by email, just hoping the luggage tags also get changed.

Really good customer service, an upgrade still and now two happy people.

Now where’s my plastic duck 😀

 

[Eglesbrech]

That’s good news. Glad P&O were obliging.

[AndyMichelle]

4 minutes ago, lexussteve2016 said:

Thank you for all the responses, as advised I rang P & O today and explained that we booked the cruise knowing the cabin grade had a bath. ( Really fantastic telephone response time!).

The CSA left me on hold for a minute and came back with cabin B414 which is an upgraded DC to DA cabin which has been confirmed by email, just hoping the luggage tags also get changed.

Really good customer service, an upgrade still and now two happy people.

Now where’s my plastic duck 😀

 

Fantastic to hear good feedback about P&O customer service.

Every time I have called them, they have always tried to help the best they can, but I know others who would not agree...

Just make sure the only thing you leave floating is your rubber duck...

Have a fantastic time.

Andy

[john watson]

16 hours ago, lexussteve2016 said:

 

 

 

We are due to travel on a P & O cruise shortly (Britannia)  and booked nearly a year ago with a saver fare which guaranteed us a DC cabin grade  ( deluxe balcony A deck).

We have today been notified that our allocated cabin is a DA grade and this is B427.

Having checked the deck plan this appears to be an “adapted cabin” so is fitted out for disabled guests so has a wet room with all the associated aids and no bath (one of the reasons we booked the cabin type was for the bath which I prefer to a shower and we have never had a cabin with a bath on previous cruise

 

I think technically you did not book a guaranteed DC grade cabin.  I believe you made a booking where the cruise line guaranteed you a cabin which has a minimum grade of DC.  Therefore any cabin of the grade DC or higher would also be acceptable within the contract.  The grade first letter "D" stands for Deluxe and the second letter gives the quality within that classification so A grade is best then B and so on.

 

P&O usually only allocate adapted cabins to people who have not requested "adapted" until they cannot find a passenger who is disabled and requests one accordingly.  So you are not short changing a disabled traveller for example.  The cabin in question looks a lot bigger than the standard deluxe balcony type so to me the lack of bath is the only issue.  I would sit tight if I were you and risk travelling with a wet room.  There is a possibility up to sailing date that a disabled traveller might want an adapted cabin, at any level, which a very rare cabins and displace a whole chain of disabled passengers upwards with the top of the chain displacing your good selves.  If this happened I am thinking you got to be shifted into a suite which is why I would risk it.

 

Regards John

[Harry Peterson]

Good outcome - well done!

[lujaha]

38 minutes ago, lexussteve2016 said:

Thank you for all the responses, as advised I rang P & O today and explained that we booked the cruise knowing the cabin grade had a bath. ( Really fantastic telephone response time!).

The CSA left me on hold for a minute and came back with cabin B414 which is an upgraded DC to DA cabin which has been confirmed by email, just hoping the luggage tags also get changed.

Really good customer service, an upgrade still and now two happy people.

Now where’s my plastic duck 😀

 

Well done you!  Oh the luxury of having a bath, even though it might be on the small side, in your cabin.  We booked an outside with bath on Aurora and were asked whether we would accept an upgrade, bearing in mind that could be a cabin without a bath.  I said no!  I didn't know such a thing existed unless you at least had a mini suite.  Never been on p&o before,  but one plus in their favour.  Two weeks to go for us.  Happy cruising.

[lexussteve2016]

1 hour ago, lujaha said:

Well done you!  Oh the luxury of having a bath, even though it might be on the small side, in your cabin.  We booked an outside with bath on Aurora and were asked whether we would accept an upgrade, bearing in mind that could be a cabin without a bath.  I said no!  I didn't know such a thing existed unless you at least had a mini suite.  Never been on p&o before,  but one plus in their favour.  Two weeks to go for us.  Happy cruising.

Also 2 weeks for us, Barbados by any chance?

[jh1809]

4 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

This is the description on the web if you book a delux cabin on Brittania, whether you look via a select or a saver fare route.

 

•Balcony, lounge area, bathroom with full-size bath

That's interesting, as it differs from what it says in the last full brochure I had from P&O, where for all three grades of deluxe balcony cabins it says "bath/shower".

[lujaha]

1 hour ago, lexussteve2016 said:

Also 2 weeks for us, Barbados by any chance?

Exact opposite - Norway Arctic Circle!!  Will need a soak in a nice hot bath after being outside in those temperatures.

[Eglesbrech]

1 hour ago, jh1809 said:

That's interesting, as it differs from what it says in the last full brochure I had from P&O, where for all three grades of deluxe balcony cabins it says "bath/shower".

 You can google it and see it for yourself.

[jh1809]

21 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

 You can google it and see it for yourself.

I didn't mean to imply that I disbelieved you. It doesn't in the slightest surprise me that P&O are saying different things in different places. Not through any intent to mislead on their part, I'm sure, just general incompetence.

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, jh1809 said:

That's interesting, as it differs from what it says in the last full brochure I had from P&O, where for all three grades of deluxe balcony cabins it says "bath/shower".

Yes but that signifies they have a bath with a shower over them, it does not mean either or.

Edited February 14, 2019 by terrierjohn

[Selbourne]

13 hours ago, john watson said:

 

P&O usually only allocate adapted cabins to people who have not requested "adapted" until they cannot find a passenger who is disabled and requests one accordingly.  So you are not short changing a disabled traveller for example.  The cabin in question looks a lot bigger than the standard deluxe balcony type so to me the lack of bath is the only issue.  I would sit tight if I were you and risk travelling with a wet room.  There is a possibility up to sailing date that a disabled traveller might want an adapted cabin, at any level, which a very rare cabins and displace a whole chain of disabled passengers upwards with the top of the chain displacing your good selves.  If this happened I am thinking you got to be shifted into a suite which is why I would risk it.

 

Regards John

 

Although I would like to think that what you describe should happen John, our experience suggests differently. 

 

There have been a few occasions when we have called P&O to enquire about availability of accessible cabins on cruises, only to be told that none are available. Not once has it been suggested that they would try to move people to accommodate us, the best we have been offered is to go on a wait list should anyone cancel. 

 

In the OP’s case, it sounds as though the cabin allocation was very close to sailing and the cruise wasn’t full, so it’s conceivable that this could happen but, as I say, this has never been suggested as an option.

 

Finally, although accessible cabins and balconies are indeed bigger, we met a couple on one cruise who had been allocated one when they didn’t need one (the lady had slight disability but not enough to require an accessible cabin) and they felt very uncomfortable about it as, in their words, they felt that they might have been depriving someone who really needed it. 

[john watson]

P&O must know if they have general passengers in adapted cabins and which cabins/grades.  Should a disabled person make a late enquiry about an adapted cabin and be put on a "wait list" one would hope the cruise line would remember the score.  If a late cancellation came, in the scenario we are thinking about, a cabin above deluxe balcony level, i.e. a suite, one would hope the cruise line would take stock of the situation and displace general passengers so that disabled passengers can be incorporated into an adapted cabin at some level (it may be the newcomers are seeking "inside" and w hole upgrade chain of disabled passengers should take place).

 

It would not be difficult to manage with a computer programme.

 

Allocating adapted cabins to anyone is understandable as it is better to have someone in a cabin than an empty cabin.  The trouble is I think people should have some information given to them beforehand in these circumstances.  The OP seems to be saying that they have only worked out the cabin status by looking at their cabin number and a deck plan and presumably has no idea of the policy allowing them into this situation.  It would be better if people were sent an email explaining the policy and how they are not hogging a disabled persons cabin.

 

Regards John

 

 

Edited February 15, 2019 by john watson

[Selbourne]

45 minutes ago, john watson said:

P&O must know if they have general passengers in adapted cabins and which cabins/grades.  Should a disabled person make a late enquiry about an adapted cabin and be put on a "wait list" one would hope the cruise line would remember the score.  If a late cancellation came, in the scenario we are thinking about, a cabin above deluxe balcony level, i.e. a suite, one would hope the cruise line would take stock of the situation and displace general passengers so that disabled passengers can be incorporated into an adapted cabin at some level (it may be the newcomers are seeking "inside" and w hole upgrade chain of disabled passengers should take place).

 

It would not be difficult to manage with a computer programme.

 

Allocating adapted cabins to anyone is understandable as it is better to have someone in a cabin than an empty cabin.  The trouble is I think people should have some information given to them beforehand in these circumstances.  The OP seems to be saying that they have only worked out the cabin status by looking at their cabin number and a deck plan and presumably has no idea of the policy allowing them into this situation.  It would be better if people were sent an email explaining the policy and how they are not hogging a disabled persons cabin.

 

Regards John

 

 

 

The theory is faultless John and, yes, it should work just like that. The reality, sadly, is somewhat different. And as for P&O’s computer systems well, I think we know, it’s never been their strong point with IT problems taking many years to resolve - if ever! 

[daiB]

34 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

 

The theory is faultless John and, yes, it should work just like that. The reality, sadly, is somewhat different. And as for P&O’s computer systems well, I think we know, it’s never been their strong point with IT problems taking many years to resolve - if ever! 

Most of the occasions when this has happened, that I have heard about have been on fly cruises. As with us many disabled people are put off flying because of all the hassle. We all know that these cabins are in short supply and have to be booked very early so if someone is allocated one close to the cruise time then it will be a cancellation. And yes it would be better if they had a stand by process.

[john watson]

There is a lot P&O could do to increase business.  The number of disabled cabins is very few even on the most modern ships.  In addition to this if you want to take a scooter on board you need to book a disabled cabin or a very large cabin such as a mini-suite.

 

Taking a scooter on a fly cruise is not realistic and some people only need to use one ashore.  it would make sense to me if they increased the choice for some disabled travellers by building new ships with their large cabins fitted out with more user friendly facilities.  This may well suffice for many disabled travellers who do not need everything fully adapted.  Scooter storage is still an issue though.

 

P&O have a special department which oversees the problems in this respect.  It would be sensible if they had a scooter hire service on board for off ship use.  They could also have BMX bikes for hire for fit people.  Could be run on a commercial basis similar to the UK shop mobility schemes. It would be ideal for the Caribbean Fly-Cruise market.

 

Regards John

[Eglesbrech]

It is a difficult one as it is unfair on people who need the disabled facilities or need a scooter for mobility that appropriate cabins are so limited and /or expensive.

 

I can however see why P&O restricted scooters as on some cruises before the policy change, there were far too many, they blocked corridors by being parked outside cabins etc.

 

John,s idea of having some for hire for on shore could solve the problem if the “fleet” was stored on lower decks so did not cause the previous issues. It could be a commercial proposition as well as helpful to customers.

[jh1809]

16 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

Yes but that signifies they have a bath with a shower over them, it does not mean either or.

Thanks. I'd assumed "bath/shower" meant either/or,  as that's what it usually means.