The Downgrade Fairy just called.

[Mary Ellen1]

Well, when my phone rings, with a California area code, at 8:30am on day-before-cruise day, I instantly wonder, "Is it Princess?"

 

Why yes!  But I didn't think the offer was very good.  We sail tomorrow (July 27) on the Royal out of Whittier, southbound to Vancouver.  Princess offered a downgrade from a Balcony (BB category on the Dolphin deck) to a partially-obstructed balcony, one deck lower, on Emerald deck.  And $300/person in refundable OBC.  They made the same offer to the other 2 cabins (DH's brothers) who are sailing with us.  We turned it down.  To me, sailing Alaska is all about the scenery, the wildlife, and THE BALCONY!  

 

Anyway, just thought I'd report in on this.  First time I've received a last-minute offer like this from Princess.  If they'd offered a move-over offer, to a completely different sailing, with all kinds of refunds, upgrades, airfare credits, etc...  AND if we weren't sailing with 4 other family members, we would have jumped on that kind of an offer.  This one, not so much.

 

Happy cruising, y'all!

[azbirdmom]

Agree, that's not a very good offer, especially this late in game.  The day before is awfully late for them to need cabins, and I would think they would have offered more in OBC.  We just got off the Royal last Saturday and agree - you need to be able to see Alaska as much as possible.  

[Jeter02]

I've had during holiday sailings where Princess has called me asking to give up my cruise for a 100% free cruise with an upgrade from balcony to mini suite, as they have overbooked sailings. As much as as I love free, and upgrades.... I work off. School teacher schedule, and j value my vacation time especially my annual holiday cruises to help unwind. This is when I wish I were retired so I could take advantage of these kinds of opportunities.

[JF - retired RRT]

I would have taken it.

Many have stated a balcony is nice, but the best views won't be there. You still would have had a balcony (partial obstruction). I've had partial obst. balconies and it's no big deal. AND you would have had an extra $300 each which would likely be refundable.

[Italy52]

Just out of curiosity, when Princess calls does your phone caller ID show Princess?  If not, I probably would never connect with Princess should they call me because I don't answer numbers I don't recognize.

[Jeter02]

5 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

I would have taken it.

Many have stated a balcony is nice, but the best views won't be there. You still would have had a balcony (partial obstruction). I've had partial obst. balconies and it's no big deal. AND you would have had an extra $300 each which would likely be refundable.

Agreed. Sometimes those labeled obstructed aren't actually obstructed 

[satxdiver]

I had never read about a downgrade and am not sure I would characterize it as a fairy but more like the devil.  I would not have accepted it as I feel the amount of OBC was puny at best.  It sounds like they had more guaranteed balconies than they had balconies so they were in a bad situation.  I am with the OP and would have just laughed and hung up. 

 

On our sailings to AK we always have a balcony.  It is nice to be able to get out of bed with housecoat on and go out on the balcony to just watch the ocean and land with or without binoculars which we keep right by the sliding door.  Most times it is a short watch before returning to bed.  We retire to the cabin on most seaday afternoons to spend time on the balcony just watching the world go by and if we are lucky a pod of whales.   

[satxdiver]

6 minutes ago, Jeter02 said:

Agreed. Sometimes those labeled obstructed aren't actually obstructed 

 

You roll the dice and take your chances.

[Jeter02]

Just now, satxdiver said:

 

You roll the dice and take your chances.

So very true 😉

[geocruiser]

To me it just sounds like they are giving you very little.  I would think if you booked the partially-obstructed balcony in the first place , it might have been  $300. cheaper PP than the Balcony (BB category on the Dolphin deck).  So to me ,Princess  looks like it just gave you the downgrade at what it would have cost to have a partially obstructed cabin in the first place.

Edited July 26, 2019 by geocruiser

[richmke]

$300/person is not that much different from having booked it that way in the first place. So, no-go for me. I would only have accepted a free cruise, and they could have downgraded me to an inside.

Edited July 26, 2019 by richmke

[Coral]

That wasn't a very good offer. I would not have taken it either.

[Coral]

22 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

I would have taken it.

Many have stated a balcony is nice, but the best views won't be there. You still would have had a balcony (partial obstruction). I've had partial obst. balconies and it's no big deal. AND you would have had an extra $300 each which would likely be refundable.

Maybe for a free cruise but not $300.

[BarbinMich]

1 hour ago, Mary Ellen1 said:

Well, when my phone rings, with a California area code, at 8:30am on day-before-cruise day, I instantly wonder, "Is it Princess?"

 

Why yes!  But I didn't think the offer was very good.  We sail tomorrow (July 27) on the Royal out of Whittier, southbound to Vancouver.  Princess offered a downgrade from a Balcony (BB category on the Dolphin deck) to a partially-obstructed balcony, one deck lower, on Emerald deck.  And $300/person in refundable OBC.  They made the same offer to the other 2 cabins (DH's brothers) who are sailing with us.  We turned it down.  To me, sailing Alaska is all about the scenery, the wildlife, and THE BALCONY!  .  . .

This makes no sense at all and certainly isn't good PR for Princess.  One hears about upgrades from time to time, but this is the first time anyone has reported a downgrade (and a really bad one).  Wonder if they think they can sell your cabin for more than you paid?  Can't think of any other reason, rational or irrational.

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, BarbinMich said:

This makes no sense at all and certainly isn't good PR for Princess.  One hears about upgrades from time to time, but this is the first time anyone has reported a downgrade (and a really bad one).  Wonder if they think they can sell your cabin for more than you paid?  Can't think of any other reason, rational or irrational.

we here at Princess ... prefer it to be called a for limited time only , first come, first served, fantastic opportunity to keep the same sailing date, but to move 'down' to a different category room, and we will provide you with a fabulous FULLY REFUNDABLE amount of OBC !!!

 

due to our 'maximum generating inventory control procedures'

[JF - retired RRT]

20 minutes ago, BarbinMich said:

This makes no sense at all and certainly isn't good PR for Princess.  One hears about upgrades from time to time, but this is the first time anyone has reported a downgrade (and a really bad one).  Wonder if they think they can sell your cabin for more than you paid?  Can't think of any other reason, rational or irrational.

Downgrades are reported here all the time.

Balcony to inside, free cruise + OBC

Mini to balcony (or lower)

If they want your inside, you might be offered a moveover (my dream) or a move UP.

It all depends on what's been sold and what's available.

 

Of course they'll sell your old cabin for more than you paid...that's the whole point. PROFIT

[Coral]

25 minutes ago, BarbinMich said:

This makes no sense at all and certainly isn't good PR for Princess.  One hears about upgrades from time to time, but this is the first time anyone has reported a downgrade (and a really bad one).  Wonder if they think they can sell your cabin for more than you paid?  Can't think of any other reason, rational or irrational.

Some of the offers are very reasonable and people are thrilled for the offer and often take it. Princess counts on so many people to cancel and they often over sell a type of cabin (balconies in this circumstance). Just like airlines - they oversell.

[BarbinMich]

1 hour ago, Jeter02 said:

Agreed. Sometimes those labeled obstructed aren't actually obstructed 

But they'll be partially obstructed, most likely by a tender/life boat.  We had a partially obstructed balcony cabin on the Royal (E222, I think).  It was only obstructed when looking down so no biggie plus we were on a TA with a lot of sea days, many of them rainy.

[mcrcruiser]

Agree not a good deal especially Alaska where you need unobstructed  views

[cougaraz]

28 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Downgrades are reported here all the time.

Balcony to inside, free cruise + OBC

Mini to balcony (or lower)

If they want your inside, you might be offered a moveover (my dream) or a move UP.

It all depends on what's been sold and what's available.

 

Of course they'll sell your old cabin for more than you paid...that's the whole point. PROFIT

The most common term is a move-over offer, as opposed to downgrade.

 

For the OP, I am curious whether they offered you a discount on the fare in addition to $300 OBC.  Also, did you make any counter offer?

 

In general, for those with flexible travel schedules, move-over offers can sometimes be very lucrative.  Basically a free cruise and big money for the next cruise if you can shift one week to the right or left.

[Colo Cruiser]

I agree not good.   🙄

[hydrodriver831]

I received an email yesterday (for an Alaska cruise July 27) with a move-over offer from a Balcony (BE) to an Obstructed Oceanview.  Compensation was 100% of cruise fare in refundable OBC.  I called and left a message, but have not heard back.  I suspect I was not fast enough.

[Steelers36]

I have several comments, but I am thinking the Upgrade Fairy's newfound companion be called the Downgrade Devil.  Because the choice may not be easy.

 

The OP did not mention, not has anyone asked, just which Emerald Deck partially-obstructed was offered.  Location is everything.  Was it in the 400-range perhaps?  For all we know, Princess may have been offering a mid-ship, extended balcony in exchange for the puny one that comes with a BB.

 

We also don't know what was paid originally, but I would expect the BB price to be more than $300/pp over a BW price point.  I agree with most that the offer may not be worth it.

 

 

[Mary Ellen1]

OP here.  Thanks, all, for the replies.

 

JF - retired RRT: you should go for it!  Sounds like the offer would work for you.  For us, it didn't.  For Alaska cruises, I want an unobstructed balcony.  And yes, the OBC they were offering was refundable.

 

Italy52: the caller ID didn't say Princess.  It was a 661 area code, and said it was coming in from California.

 

Jeter02: I didn't want to take the chance that a balcony they described as "partially obstructed" wouldn't actually be "partially obstructed.  Nor did I ask which specific cabin # they were offering, so I could research it.  I just passed on the offer, because it didn't sound that great.

 

satxdiver: Downgrade Devil!  ha ha!  Totally agree.  Definitely the naughty little brother of the Upgrade Fairy...  You're probably right that they oversold their Guarantee Balcony cabins.  That's what we booked, and we'd received our cabin assignment this past Monday.  I agree with you that Alaska cruising is all about the (unobstructed) balconies...

 

geocruiser: agree it was a pretty paltry offer.  I don't know what they were selling that category for, originally (because I wasn't interested in an obstructed balcony, right?)

 

richmke: totally agree.  If they're going to downgrade me, they're going to have to offer something better than $300/pp.

 

Coral: Completely agree with you.  "Maybe for a free cruise but not $300."  RE: your 2nd comment, yes, some of the offers I've read about are reasonable.  Compelling, even.  Not this one (for me...).

 

BarbinMich: I'd read about the Downgrade Fairy on here, but only  in regards to a much better offer!  Also, as Satxdiver said, they probably oversold their regular Balconies, and had leftover Obstructed Balconies that they were putting on a clearance sale.  RE: your 2nd comment, an Obstructed Balcony would probably be just fine for a Trans-Atlantic cruise.  But in my opinion, not for Alaska.

 

voljeep: ha ha!  yeah, their offer was pretty lame!

 

mcrcruiser: yes, Alaska definitely calls for unobstructed views!!!

 

cougaraz: to me, this was definitely a Downgrade...  A worse cabin on the same sailing.  No thanks!  And I didn't counter their offer, because I didn't want the Obstructed Balcony they were discussing.  A move-over offer, to a different sailing, with lots of perks and OBC and upgrades, would have been sweet!  But difficult to coordinate, in this case, because we had 4 other family members in 2 other cabins.  If it was just the DH & me, a move-over offer would have been accepted on the spot!

 

hydrodriver831:  did you hear back?  100% of your cruise fare in OBC is a great offer!

 

Happy cruising!

 

[paradiselivin1]

Agree with need for a balcony. It's great to know you always have a great viewing "space". Rear decks that weren't often used on our first AK cruise are now crowded all of the time. Balcony for me!