Room Selection - False Advertising

[cruiser3775]

 If you are still getting nowhere, can I suggest you escalate your complaints online, using any forums you can think of.  Someone at P & O marketing is going to be reading these as part of their job.

Write a comment on cruise forums like this one and others like FB, write a review on review forums like Product Review, Trust Pilot and Trip Advisor. Keep it short and factual, but add enough detail without saying your name, that the company might be able to work out who you are, and get back to you.

Edited July 18 by cruiser3775

[LxLx12]

2 minutes ago, cruiser3775 said:

 If you are still getting nowhere, can I suggest you escalate your complaints online, using any forums you can think of.  Someone at P & O marketing is going to be reading these as part of their job.

Write a comment on cruise forums like this one and others like FB, write a review on review forums like Product Review, Trust Pilot and Trip Advisor. Keep it short and factual, but add enough detail without saying your name, that the company might be able to work out who you are, and get back to you.

Great idea. Thanks

[Bubbeh]

19 hours ago, colourbird said:

I found that by calling P&O every day and wasting their time, you can get some service. One of the guys realised I had called up so many times and in total over 100 minutes, they finally relented.

My experience is that you have to be harder to ignore than to satisfy.  Works for me.

[Bubbeh]

17 hours ago, cruiser3775 said:

Write a comment on cruise forums like this one and others like FB, write a review on review forums like Product Review, Trust Pilot and Trip Advisor. Keep it short and factual, but add enough detail without saying your name, that the company might be able to work out who you are, and get back to you.

This is a good strategy but, whatever you do, be factual avoiding emotional or pejorative language.  And never threaten to withdraw custom,  once you do that there's no reason to satisfy you.

[LxLx12]

UPDATE: I received an email from NSW Fair Trade regarding my complaint (impressive service). I decided to give PO one more shot and mentioned my official complaint. Finally, got it sorted.  Initially, all available interior rooms in the 1A category were for three or four people. They suggested a 1B category room on Deck 8, which I declined. Then, they offered one on Deck 11 directly under the pool—not ideal. I suggested a room on Deck 10 meant for a couple, which surprisingly was available. The person I spoke to was helpful, though it's unfortunate that being persistent is what gets things done. Anyway, thanks everyone for your assistance!

[Rassa]

I don't like that with P&O, you have to pay first before you see your cabin choices.  These days I ring and ask for the cabin choices first, pick one over the phone and then book.   If they won't let me do it that way, I don't book.   

[Bubbeh]

6 minutes ago, Rassa said:

I don't like that with P&O, you have to pay first before you see your cabin choices.  These days I ring and ask for the cabin choices first, pick one over the phone and then book.   If they won't let me do it that way, I don't book.

The power of the consumer.  Not happy?  Walk, plenty more options.

[cruiser3775]

7 minutes ago, Rassa said:

I don't like that with P&O, you have to pay first before you see your cabin choices. 

I booked my first P & O cruise for December this year (and now it will be my last one, too). I booked it through my good cruise speciality travel agency, and they offered me a choice of cabins before I had to pay anything. Maybe not the case if you booked directly with P & O?

[Aus Traveller]

30 minutes ago, LxLx12 said:

UPDATE: I received an email from NSW Fair Trade regarding my complaint (impressive service). I decided to give PO one more shot and mentioned my official complaint. Finally, got it sorted.  Initially, all available interior rooms in the 1A category were for three or four people. They suggested a 1B category room on Deck 8, which I declined. Then, they offered one on Deck 11 directly under the pool—not ideal. I suggested a room on Deck 10 meant for a couple, which surprisingly was available. The person I spoke to was helpful, though it's unfortunate that being persistent is what gets things done. Anyway, thanks everyone for your assistance!

I am glad it is sorted out, but it shouldn't have been that difficult. All the best.🙂

 

I am trying to select a cabin for our son and his family. I definitely don't want one with the retrofitted double decker bunks. I phoned P&O. The girl I spoke to tried to help, but as I expected, they don't have details on which cabins were built with an additional bed/s and which ones were retro-fitted.

[Yaya_in_Oz]

I booked my first P&O cruise last August through the website with $1 deposit. A few months later I decided to tack on the 4 days up to Exmouth. I then rang them sometime before Xmas and asked if I could stay in the same cabin for both legs. The lady I spoke to assigned me the same  BA balcony for both legs on the spot and I still have it even though I don't pay in full till Nov. It is a balcony set up for 2 people. However, I'm not fussed where I go, so booking the midship option is fine as I know I won't end up crap BF cabins or whatever they are called on P&O in a noisy or irritating location. I'm sure there will be plenty of laughter in the corridors 😄

[Ondine]

21 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I am glad it is sorted out, but it shouldn't have been that difficult. All the best.🙂

 

I am trying to select a cabin for our son and his family. I definitely don't want one with the retrofitted double decker bunks. I phoned P&O. The girl I spoke to tried to help, but as I expected, they don't have details on which cabins were built with an additional bed/s and which ones were retro-fitted.

 

 

Edited July 19 by Ondine

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, Ondine said:

 

Perhaps if you look at deck plans for Grand Princess they should be similar layouts to what Golden Princess and Star Princess were before converting to P&O.

I have been comparing the deck plans of the Star Princess and the Pacific Encounter because they are the same ship. I thought I had it sorted out until I looked at a video of a cabin that is shown as four-berth in both the Star P and the Encounter. The video shows a bed on the wall opposite the balcony door and I don't know where the fourth bed is. That one is a bit of a concern. I might stick with one that is shown on both sets of deck plans as being 3-berth because that is all my son's family needs.

[arxcards]

Not that it will matter for much longer, booking via P&O's website lacks flexibility. I want to know our cabin options before we book, not to even have to pick from a list afterwards as P&O offers. If booking direct with P&O, I would recommend doing it over the phone. Personally, we email our T/A and will give him a block of cabin numbers to pick from. The difference in price between Go and Value is mostly absorbed with OBC, so "value" is usually worthwhile.

 

I am glad you got it sorted. I don't think it is a case of false advertising, but an inability to deliver on a promise. Not deceptive, just incompetent.

[ceeceeDee]

21 hours ago, Aus Traveller said:

I am glad it is sorted out, but it shouldn't have been that difficult. All the best.🙂

 

I am trying to select a cabin for our son and his family. I definitely don't want one with the retrofitted double decker bunks. I phoned P&O. The girl I spoke to tried to help, but as I expected, they don't have details on which cabins were built with an additional bed/s and which ones were retro-fitted.

Yep, when it comes to details they rarely have any.☹️

[Jean C]

On 7/19/2024 at 12:50 PM, LxLx12 said:

... it's unfortunate that being persistent is what gets things done.

I'm very pleased you finally got a positive result. The unfortunate part about having to be persistent in these situations is that it becomes stressful for the aggrieved person, not being able to "get through" to these people, ie too many of them fobbing you off to get rid of the call/end the email query 😖 

[MicCanberra]

The fine print is where they get people, in anycase, glad it is sorted.

[Aus Traveller]

I don't know if this applies in the case of the OP, but some special deals are sold on a 'guarantee' basis where you can't choose your cabin, just a category of cabin.

[paddingtonbear]

I think, in this case, it’s more a problem with P&O employees not listening to the customer and nor really understanding the product they are selling. In this case LxLx22 was clearly in the right. 
 

Glad it got sorted but what a hassle and so much unnecessary angst. 

[mr walker]

OP, glad you got the result you wanted, and if the threat of Fair Trading helped the cause, then that is good luck. From my experience, not cruise related, NSW Fair Trading would have been as useful as udders on a bull.

[Porky55]

On 7/19/2024 at 11:21 AM, Aus Traveller said:

I am glad it is sorted out, but it shouldn't have been that difficult. All the best.🙂

 

I am trying to select a cabin for our son and his family. I definitely don't want one with the retrofitted double decker bunks. I phoned P&O. The girl I spoke to tried to help, but as I expected, they don't have details on which cabins were built with an additional bed/s and which ones were retro-fitted.

Can I suggest cruise deck plans and have a look at the ships deckplans when they were Princess :- Dawn, Star and Golden? (You need to search for old ships 😏)

They include legends with 2, 4 passenger etc. perhaps this will identify cabins with Pullman's instead of those horrible looking retrofitted "double decker bunk beds" on P&O 🤔 Perhaps this will help.

 

I have a P&O Cruise planner who I ring and confirm which cabin I want to book, but a good TA should be able to do this too - good luck.

 

Rose 🌹

Edited July 23 by Porky55

[Aus Traveller]

24 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

Can I suggest cruise deck plans and have a look at the ships deckplans when they were Princess :- Dawn, Star and Golden? (You need to search for old ships 😏)

They include legends with 2, 4 passenger etc. perhaps this will identify cabins with Pullman's instead of those horrible looking retrofitted "double decker bunk beds" on P&O 🤔 Perhaps this will help.

 

I have a P&O Cruise planner who I ring and confirm which cabin I want to book, but a good TA should be able to do this too - good luck.

 

Rose 🌹

That is what I did. I compared the deck plans of the old Star Princess with the plans of the Pacific Encounter. This showed whole sections of cabins at the aft section of decks 10, 11 and 12 that have been converted from twin share to three or four berth cabins.

 

I was surprised that my TA didn't already have this info. P&O staff at the call centre had no idea which cabins have the double-decker beds and I am pretty sure that the person I spoke to didn't know that the Pacific Encounter was formerly the Star Princess.

Edited July 23 by Aus Traveller

[ceeceeDee]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

That is what I did. I compared the deck plans of the old Star Princess with the plans of the Pacific Encounter. This showed whole sections of cabins at the aft section of decks 10, 11 and 12 that have been converted from twin share to three or four berth cabins.

 

I was surprised that my TA didn't already have this info. P&O staff at the call centre had no idea which cabins have the double-decker beds and I am pretty sure that the person I spoke to didn't know that the Pacific Encounter was formerly the Star Princess.

It's absolutely amazing what they don't know at the P&O call centre. Half the time I'm telling them!🤣

I remember the first time we booked a Byron Mini suite, I asked if it had a Nespresso machine (at that stage the info on Byron minis on the website didn't mention it). Was told that only suites had them. Wrong! Surely to goodness staff should be issued with 'cheat sheets' with this sort of basic information, along with cabin information regarding retrofitted cabins, etc. I guess it is now or soon will be a moot point given the changeover next March. However, one wonders if the Carnival staff will be any better informed.

Edited July 24 by ceeceeDee

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, Aus Traveller said:

 P&O staff at the call centre had no idea which cabins have the double-decker beds and I am pretty sure that the person I spoke to didn't know that the Pacific Encounter was formerly the Star Princess.

At the time, there were P&O staff and mainstream T/As that were telling customers that Pacific Dawn was a brand new ship. Nothing much changes when some staff only learn about cruising from internal memos.

[ceeceeDee]

9 minutes ago, arxcards said:

At the time, there were P&O staff and mainstream T/As that were telling customers that Pacific Dawn was a brand new ship. Nothing much changes when some staff only learn about cruising from internal memos.

Ye gods and little fishes!! It's a bit of a worry when the customer is better informed than the so called 'experts'. To my knowledge P&O have NEVER had brand new ships!! New to the fleet, yes, but definitely not newly minted straight from the ship building yard. The world and his wife knows that P&O always had Princess cast offs. The mind boggles.

[arxcards]

1 minute ago, ceeceeDee said:

Ye gods and little fishes!! It's a bit of a worry when the customer is better informed than the so called 'experts'. To my knowledge P&O have NEVER had brand new ships!! New to the fleet, yes, but definitely not newly minted straight from the ship building yard. The world and his wife knows that P&O always had Princess cast offs. The mind boggles.

Good spin beats a good product, until you try to sell it a 2nd time.