Bumped!

[sail7seas]

Ruth......You and I were posting at the same time and it seems both of us hope for more info to help us understand. I have this gnawing kind of thing that there might be a little more info OP can share with us to help us understand.

 

It is an awful thing to lose out on your vacation. HAL has never been known to do this to people.

[Aussie Gal]

I know that when T.A.'s go from Oz on tours or cruises, they actually do not have to pay any money, it is gratis, so perhaps this was the case. I know that they all love to get these "educationals".

 

Jennie

[newmexicoNita]

I am exploring my options. I have train tickets already purchased so I will probably put together a land itnerary. My problem with the situation is such sort notice for a cruise leaving from Rome. Miami... Ft. Canaveral ..not a problem but when it is so far away and such short notice, it's a problem.

Just out of curiosity, did you have a travel agency rate or were you paying full price? NMNita

[newmexicoNita]

That is such an awful thing to happen so close to departure and especially as you have to fly to Europe.

 

I am wondering if you were on a special sailing for T.A's or on a special deal for T.A's whereby they could cancel you for someone who would be paying the full fare. I know that T.A's here do get special trips overseas so that they can pass on first hand information to their clients.

 

Otherwise, if it happened to us I would be causing such a fuss as we have so far to travel, air fares are not cheap and we would also have all our accommodation organized in Europe. I certainly would not be taking this lightly.

 

Good luck.

 

Jennie

I just asked a similar question. Even if she is on a TA rate, to cancel 3 days out is unbelievable. Normally when they once take your money you are assured the cruise. NMNita

[DesertDogs]

Beware.... not only do I have airline flights and hotel resrevations but Holland America who told me that

I could not sail in 4 days is now telling me that I cancelled and maybe I will get a refund but it may take a while.

 

I am confused.:confused: You stated that you cancelled and maybe will get a refund. Why did you cancel the reservation? Why didn't HAL cancel?

 

Did they select you because you are a TA on a special rate? Were you traveling as a single? If so, HAL probably wanted to book 2 passengers rather than one.

 

Sounds like a strange situation. I hope this is not a policy of HAL. I would hate to have my trip cancelled after waiting for 18 months!

[dakrewser]

Take a deep breathe step back and please give us all the excruciating details rather than dribs and drabs.

 

When did you book?

With whom?

Regular rate, TA rate or gratis?

What do your docs say?

And, yes, insurance covers a cruise line cancellation. I know that and I'm no TA.

Who called you?

What options were you given?

[kryos]

I was booked in the Noordam for Aug 9. Today Aug 4, I was notified that the ship was overbooked and I could get a refund or sail on Sept 18.

I have a flight booked for Aug 7. This is awful.

Was the entire ship chartered by some group? If not, I've never heard of a "forced" bumping. They may come to you with an incentive ... offering you a partial refund PLUS booking you on another similar cruise ... or some other such inducement to get you to "stand down" from the overbooked cruise. But I've never in my life heard of being bumped against your will.

 

On my cruise last January some people (myself included) were offered 90 days of the World cruise for the same price as the 30-day Hawaii/South Pacific itinerary they were to sail on. This was a great deal and some very lucky people were able to jump on it (sadly, I could not due to work commitments) and HAL was able to recoup the necessary cabins it needed for the Hawaii/South Pacific sailing. Everyone was happy, and that's the important thing. No one was "forced" to give up their booking ... not with a deal like that.

 

Are you working with a travel agent on this booking? If so, I suggest you get her involved ... because I have never in my life heard of such a thing as being involuntarily bumped from a cruise you had booked and paid for.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[thomasale]

Info incomplete. It is kinda like being fired vs. resigning.(your cancellation vs. the cruise line cancelling you) I think we are not getting the whole story here.

[qe2]

I booked this cruise in June at a travel agent rate ( not gratis) for the Noordam sailing August 9 from Rome. I had to submit a written application and wait 24 hours for my application to be accepted. I received a confirmation with in cat M with no cabin asignment.

I received my documents about 3 weeks ago. I went online and did my pre-cruise form and at that time, I had a cabin assignment.

At 5pm on Aug 4, I received a call from Holland America saying that the ship was overbooked and I had a choice of cancelling and getting a refund or sailing on September 18 at the same rate.

I could not re- schedule my airline tickets so I had to cancel. After I cancelled, I was told by the reservation agent that I was in full penalty, as if I had CHOSEN to cancel. After 15 minutes on hold , they finally told me that my money would be refunded in about 3 weeks.

I contaced my travel insurance company and they said that I can file a claim for my losses ( train tickets, airline penalties ) but they didn't think that it would be paid .

That's the whole story. This would not be such a problem except that they didn't notify me until 5pm Friday and I am scheduled to fly out on Monday morning. It doesn't leave much time for plan B. This can't be something that "just came up." They must have known when they accepted my reservation and charged my card that the ship was overbooked. They told me that they were canceling 10 reservations.

At this point, I hope to reschedule something this weekend so that I can leave on Monday. My husband has lost his enthusiasm .

[ocngypz]

TA's can be bumped if paying ta rates. HAL can also pull your reservation if you are not a producing agent. Yes, HAL does refund your fare in full. As for the plane and train tickets, I've never not had an insurance claim denied when the cruise was cancelled if I had insured the air/rail as well.

 

We as agents are the first to be bumped. That's the lay of the land as they say. Should they have bumped a passenger paying regular tariff instead?

[helenp2]

Excuse me for being skeptical, but they are a travel agent in Central Florida and call it Fort Canaveral???

 

TA's usually travel on a stand-by basis and like the airlines they are the first to be bumped. Was it a free ticket? A fam trip? An interline rate? There are different scenarios here. Also, very few TA's ever purchase insurance since they usually aren't paying for their trip. I know that Cunard is famous for bumping TA's while they are in line waiting to board, so this being a TA is not that surprising.

[Namvet4]

Perhaps a "legal mind" CC'er can review this and offer an opinion....

All Holland America Line cruises and cruisetours are sold subject to the terms and conditions in the Holland America Line Cruise and Cruisetour Contract that you will be issued prior to departure; a copy is available for review on this web site. Holland America Line policies and information that apply to every booking are also available for review on this web site.

http://www.hollandamerica.com/policies/onlineterms.do

Cruise and cruisetour contract

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE

300 Elliott Avenue West

Seattle, WA 98119

ISSUED SUBJECT TO THE IMPORTANT TERMS AND CONDITIONS ON THIS PAGE AND THE FOLLOWING PAGES. READ TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PASSENGERS:

THIS DOCUMENT IS A LEGALLY BINDING CONTRACT BETWEEN YOU AND US. THIS CONTRACT CONTAINS ALL TERMS OF OUR AGREEMENT AND SUPERCEDES ALL OTHER ORAL OR WRITTEN AGREEMENTS, COMMUNICATIONS OR REPRESENTATIONS. THE WORD "YOU" REFERS TO ALL PERSONS TRAVELING UNDER THIS CONTRACT INCLUDING THEIR HEIRS, SUCCESSORS IN INTEREST AND PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES. THE WORDS "WE" AND "US" REFER TO THE OWNER, HAL AND THE OTHER HAL COMPANIES, ALL OF WHICH ARE DESCRIBED IN CLAUSE A.1 BELOW. CERTAIN OTHER PERSONS AND ENTITIES, AS WELL AS THE SHIP ITSELF, ARE ALSO GRANTED RIGHTS UNDER THIS CONTRACT.

NOTICE: YOUR ATTENTION IS ESPECIALLY DIRECTED TO CLAUSES A.1, A.3, A.4, A.5, A.6, A.7, A.9 and C.4 BELOW, WHICH CONTAIN IMPORTANT LIMITATIONS ON YOUR RIGHT TO ASSERT CLAIMS AGAINST US AND CERTAIN THIRD PARTIES.

THIS CONTRACT ALSO INCLUDES THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH HAL BOOKS AIR TRANSPORTATION IF YOU ARE PARTICIPATING IN HAL'S FLY CRUISE OR FLY CRUISE AND TOUR PROGRAM. IF ANY OF THESE CONDITIONS DO NOT MEET WITH YOUR APPROVAL, YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF ARRANGING AIR TRANSPORTATION INDEPENDENTLY IN WHICH EVENT THE AIR ADD-ON OR CRUISE ONLY CREDIT AMOUNT PAID TO HAL WILL BE REFUNDED.

ALL DISPUTES AND MATTERS WHATSOEVER ARISING UNDER, IN CONNECTION WITH OR INCIDENT TO THIS CONTRACT, THE CRUISE, THE CRUISETOUR, THE HAL LAND TRIP OR THE HAL AIR PACKAGE SHALL BE LITIGATED, IF AT ALL, IN AND BEFORE THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON AT SEATTLE, OR, AS TO THOSE LAWSUITS AS TO WHICH THE FEDERAL COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES LACK SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION, IN THE COURTS OF KING COUNTY, STATE OF WASHINGTON, U.S.A., TO THE EXCLUSION OF ALL OTHER COURTS.

http://www.hollandamerica.com/policies/cruise.do

[Writeratsea]

I booked this cruise in June at a travel agent rate ( not gratis) for the Noordam sailing August 9 from Rome. I had to submit a written application and wait 24 hours for my application to be accepted. I received a confirmation with in cat M with no cabin asignment.

I received my documents about 3 weeks ago. I went online and did my pre-cruise form and at that time, I had a cabin assignment.

At 5pm on Aug 4, I received a call from Holland America saying that the ship was overbooked and I had a choice of cancelling and getting a refund or sailing on September 18 at the same rate.

I could not re- schedule my airline tickets so I had to cancel. After I cancelled, I was told by the reservation agent that I was in full penalty, as if I had CHOSEN to cancel. After 15 minutes on hold , they finally told me that my money would be refunded in about 3 weeks.

I contaced my travel insurance company and they said that I can file a claim for my losses ( train tickets, airline penalties ) but they didn't think that it would be paid .

That's the whole story. This would not be such a problem except that they didn't notify me until 5pm Friday and I am scheduled to fly out on Monday morning. It doesn't leave much time for plan B. This can't be something that "just came up." They must have known when they accepted my reservation and charged my card that the ship was overbooked. They told me that they were canceling 10 reservations.

At this point, I hope to reschedule something this weekend so that I can leave on Monday. My husband has lost his enthusiasm .

HAL only offered you two options. Couldn't you have said that this is unacceptable and tell HAL to come up with creative ideas. They didn't have other cruises nearby to switch you to? Or simply say that I have my documents, I will be on the dock ready to board and you better straighten out the problem. This situation was not of your creation, why do you have to accept the cancellation. I would have refused to accept the cancellation. Now that you have accepted the cancellation, I think your options are very limited and the cruiseline wins. I wonder how the other people who were canceled handled this.

[sail7seas]

Her being a TA traveling on a TA vastly reduced rate puts her into a totally different category than the full fare paying passenger. Had she purchased a ticket at the price we all pay, this would not have happened to her.

 

Other TA's here have said it is understood this can happen to TA who travel on the $25 pp (or something very low) rate. Usually they are lucky; sometimes their luck runs out. It is the cost of saving a great deal of money the rest of us pay.

 

Same as guaranty bookings. You pay less and you take a chance. That is the price of saving some money. Guaranty fare paying passengers would not be bumped in this manner but they may not get a cabin they would have specifically chosen.

 

I'm sorry this happened to you but I think you started this thread giving less than the full story. You got some folks worked up it could happen to them.......full fare paying pax. It wouldn't happen to them.

 

I hope you find a suitable substitute vacation and enjoy. I certainly understand you disappointment.

 

[Bramcruiser]

I very confused---must be missing something here. Please help me understand.

Why is it that you are deemed to have "cancelled" if HAL said "no sale/sail" on the original date and you couldn't accept the substitution offered.

Why are you saying there only two choices? Isn't there the choice of "No, I'm not changing my plans"?

 

I'm not doubting your story, but I don't feel I'm understanding the full picture. Please elaborate.

 

Ruth, what the OP is saying is almostly the same stunt that Oceania pulled about a month or so ago on two fellow cc'ers. The cruise line never really gave out a verbal choice of the passenger being allowed to keep the room (even though that option is there in my opinion) so made it sound like the only options were to cancel (and get refund) or change sailings. The OP has been strong armed in this particular situation and his cancellation was forced as far as I am concerned. Unfortunately, this was exactly what got Oceania the bad publicity and it took that line's CEO to intervene to restore the original reservations.

 

This isn't standard procedure Ruth and not like HAL or any other cruise line as I am concerned. Carnival has nothing to do with any of this. I think too many HAL people are stunned and not believing the OP simply because they just can't believe something like the OP has described can happen. Thankfully its rare but the Oceania stunt earlier proves that it sometimes does happen. When desperation for clearing up rooms at the last minute is mixed with inexperienced reservation agents who possess bullying tactics you get the mess the OP is in.

 

Unfortunately, I don't know the contracts or procedures well enough to say whether a TA rate is treated legally any different that a regular passenger rate and thus whether our OP is truly up a creek without a paddle. Our OP did volunteer that bit of info which might make the situation different from what went wrong with the Oceania passengers.

 

To those who quote the legal contracts. Yes, the cruise lines really do have the ability to cancel anyone for "whatever reasons". They usually do for changes of itineraries and weather or mechanical related issues. They rarely do for overbookings simply because they can get enough people to change sailings or cancel with nice incentives. I don't think the OP can legally win a case in court on this one but they can certainly win the public relations battle especially since the option of letting someone else change was never mentioned by the agents who called.

 

What happened here is indeed a rarity.

 

Now the OP might be without a means to fight this because of the TA situation but let this be a lesson to us full fare travellers wearing rose coloured glasses.

[Stevesan]

At 5pm on Aug 4, I received a call from Holland America saying that the ship was overbooked and I had a choice of cancelling and getting a refund or sailing on September 18 at the same rate.

I could not re- schedule my airline tickets so I had to cancel. After I cancelled, I was told by the reservation agent that I was in full penalty, as if I had CHOSEN to cancel. .

 

I don't understand why you would voluntarily cancel.

 

It seems very odd that HAL would ask you to cancel. I could understand if they threatened to cancel you if you didn't accept the reschedule.

 

What would have been the consequences if you had refused to cancel? The worst is HAL would then have to cancel you, thus leaving you in a better position regarding refunds and related insurance claims.

 

Isn't that the advise you'd have given a client in the same situation?

[newmexicoNita]

Was the entire ship chartered by some group? If not, I've never heard of a "forced" bumping. They may come to you with an incentive ... offering you a partial refund PLUS booking you on another similar cruise ... or some other such inducement to get you to "stand down" from the overbooked cruise. But I've never in my life heard of being bumped against your will.

 

On my cruise last January some people (myself included) were offered 90 days of the World cruise for the same price as the 30-day Hawaii/South Pacific itinerary they were to sail on. This was a great deal and some very lucky people were able to jump on it (sadly, I could not due to work commitments) and HAL was able to recoup the necessary cabins it needed for the Hawaii/South Pacific sailing. Everyone was happy, and that's the important thing. No one was "forced" to give up their booking ... not with a deal like that.

 

Are you working with a travel agent on this booking? If so, I suggest you get her involved ... because I have never in my life heard of such a thing as being involuntarily bumped from a cruise you had booked and paid for.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

Rita, I think the crux of this story is: Travel Agent. I still think it sucks, but from what she has said she was on a TA rate. This isn't free by any means but certainly a lower rate than the rake rates. Again, bumping anyone the last minute is totally uncalled for and yet, being a TA I do see what probably happened. She said earlier her docs even have a cabin number and nothing about space available only. You are right about no one ever being totally bumped; at least to my knowledge except one line that is no longer in business. They used to give what we call interline rates. These rates are for airline and some other industry people: they would offer the rate and yes, cancel them the last week. For this reason our agency stopped selling the line. It is the only time I have even not sold a product. They went under (a good line btw) came back and soon were under again. Of course this isn't going to happen to HAL. The sad thing, sure, if someone came along that was paying top rate up front HAL would have lost letting the OP keep her cabin, but think of the future business they just lost, especially if she is involved with a large agency. I do get the impression and I don't know why, she is an independent contractor and not a full time TA, but I could be wrong. Don't ask me where I got this, just reading between the lines. NMNita

[newmexicoNita]

TA's can be bumped if paying ta rates. HAL can also pull your reservation if you are not a producing agent. Yes, HAL does refund your fare in full. As for the plane and train tickets, I've never not had an insurance claim denied when the cruise was cancelled if I had insured the air/rail as well.

 

We as agents are the first to be bumped. That's the lay of the land as they say. Should they have bumped a passenger paying regular tariff instead?

My last answer to rita says about the same thing> I still think it is a very bad move, but, I of course TAs and anyone on special rates are the first to be bumped. This is one reason I quite often choose not to bother with TA rates, as you know, we don't get the deals the public thinks we get, we quite often have to wait to book and this is something that can happen especially to a part time agent that produces little and I think that is what we have here. this still does not explain the late notification. Wouldn't you think HAL knew more the stiuation sooner.

 

For Helen, no we do not cruise on a stand by situation after being confirmed, nor do interliner cruise on stand by after conformation and docs. When airline employee fly that is different. I am both a TA and a mother of 2 airline employees, one has been employeed for 27 years, the other 18. I just wanted to clear that up. NMNita

[MercedMike]

Her being a TA traveling on a TA vastly reduced rate puts her into a totally different category than the full fare paying passenger....

I'm sorry this happened to you but I think you started this thread giving less than the full story. You got some folks worked up it could happen to them.......full fare paying pax. It wouldn't happen to them.

 

 

I agree with this totally. This is so typical of people who jump on the boards to trash a cruise company. We get a distorted version of the facts. I would think that an experienced TA would know better.

 

My DW is a MCC with a local Travel Agency, and she is fully aware of the problems with these "wonderful" TA deals. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don't.

 

Guess what -- if you go on the ship and drop a quarter in the slot machine, you might lose it too!

 

>:-)

[dakrewser]

QE2 - I'm guessing you haven't been a travel agent for very long, have you? It seems the experienced ones are all familiar with this scenario.

 

AS to you plane tickets, was that another low,low TA fare? Because, otherwise, I've never heard of any that couldn't be changed if you paid a small fee - and the difference in airfare.

[newmexicoNita]

QE2 - I'm guessing you haven't been a travel agent for very long, have you? It seems the experienced ones are all familiar with this scenario.

 

AS to you plane tickets, was that another low,low TA fare? Because, otherwise, I've never heard of any that couldn't be changed if you paid a small fee - and the difference in airfare.

Not only is she a relatively new agent I would guess but also new at posting. Check how many she had posted before this. Just a guess, but from my own experience she is a relatively new outside agent who who has gotten in the business for TA discounts. I am not taking a stand on this one way or the other as it is a whole different thread, but to those of you who are agents, whether full time, part time, working in a TA office or from home; what is the first thing you would have done? I would have run to my boss who then would have either said; 1-Nita you have not a leg to stand on or 2-let me call our sales rep and see what we can do. NMnita

[kryos]

Rita, I think the crux of this story is: Travel Agent.

Oh, okay. Now I understand. I didn't realize she was paying a reduced rate for the cruise. While I agree with you ... and it shouldn't happen ... now at least it's a bit more understandable.

 

I remember reading something a couple of years back ... some big shot cruise line executive was supposed to be on this particularly "special" sailing ... might have even been with HAL. Of course, he got his suite free (or close to it). A couple of weeks before the cruise was to sail, however, he got "bumped." Seems the boat was full and they were short of suites. "His" suite had to go to a paying passenger.

 

I know that on some "Cruise University" sailings marketed for travel agents, you will get a good rate, but if you booked as a solo in a cabin and the ship is sold out (hence, the people putting on the Cruise University can't get anymore cabins for additional people who'd like to go along), you will get a phone call a few days before sailing basically telling you that your single supplement is going to be refunded and you will have to now share your cabin with another agent (of the same sex, of course). If you don't like that, you can opt to cancel with no penalty and the group operator will just assign another person to share that cabin. I've also heard of cases where agents have been planning to share the cabin with a friend or family member (non-agent) and lost that person's slot due to high demand for the sailing and lots of agents who wanted on.

 

So, I guess it works differently for travel agents and maybe the cruise line is justified in bumping them if demand is such that they can sell that same cabin at full price.

 

But, other than a case such as this, I can't see a cruise line EVER bumping a fully paying passenger who has made final payment and secured a cabin ... regardless of how badly the cruise line overbooked the sailing. In such a case, they just have to keep "sweetening the pot" until they get enough people to voluntarily step down in order to have enough cabins available. Like I said, that's what HAL did on my Hawaii/South Pacific cruise this past January ... and that deal was soooooooo good that I was almost in tears that I couldn't take advantage of it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[newmexicoNita]

Oh, okay. Now I understand. I didn't realize she was paying a reduced rate for the cruise. While I agree with you ... and it shouldn't happen ... now at least it's a bit more understandable.

 

I remember reading something a couple of years back ... some big shot cruise line executive was supposed to be on this particularly "special" sailing ... might have even been with HAL. Of course, he got his suite free (or close to it). A couple of weeks before the cruise was to sail, however, he got "bumped." Seems the boat was full and they were short of suites. "His" suite had to go to a paying passenger.

 

I know that on some "Cruise University" sailings marketed for travel agents, you will get a good rate, but if you booked as a solo in a cabin and the ship is sold out (hence, the people putting on the Cruise University can't get anymore cabins for additional people who'd like to go along), you will get a phone call a few days before sailing basically telling you that your single supplement is going to be refunded and you will have to now share your cabin with another agent (of the same sex, of course). If you don't like that, you can opt to cancel with no penalty and the group operator will just assign another person to share that cabin. I've also heard of cases where agents have been planning to share the cabin with a friend or family member (non-agent) and lost that person's slot due to high demand for the sailing and lots of agents who wanted on.

 

So, I guess it works differently for travel agents and maybe the cruise line is justified in bumping them if demand is such that they can sell that same cabin at full price.

 

But, other than a case such as this, I can't see a cruise line EVER bumping a fully paying passenger who has made final payment and secured a cabin ... regardless of how badly the cruise line overbooked the sailing. In such a case, they just have to keep "sweetening the pot" until they get enough people to voluntarily step down in order to have enough cabins available. Like I said, that's what HAL did on my Hawaii/South Pacific cruise this past January ... and that deal was soooooooo good that I was almost in tears that I couldn't take advantage of it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

rita, a did see it happen one time when they had paid and had a cabin, but it was still like 6 weeks from sailing, they were told they were totally bumped but given the option with a great incentive: I think they were offered the next cruise, just a week or so later with an upgrade and at a lower rate. It was either HAL or Princess, that much I remember. I saw it happen a couple other times as well, but certainly not a week or less from sailing. NMNita

[ocngypz]

Not only is she a relatively new agent I would guess but also new at posting. Check how many she had posted before this. Just a guess, but from my own experience she is a relatively new outside agent who who has gotten in the business for TA discounts. I am not taking a stand on this one way or the other as it is a whole different thread, but to those of you who are agents, whether full time, part time, working in a TA office or from home; what is the first thing you would have done? I would have run to my boss who then would have either said; 1-Nita you have not a leg to stand on or 2-let me call our sales rep and see what we can do. NMnita

 

 

LOL..I could just hear my sales manager now!!! Actually, it has happened to him, too. It happens to all of us. I would never have even considered a prime time European cruise on a ta rate.........because experience tells me that it "ain't gonna happen". You just know how it's going to be. Heck when I win free cabins, I have a hard enough time getting the cabin!

 

Experienced agents know, the least expensive way to cruise is via an invite to an onboard seminar.. and that is confirmed space.

 

Now.. as to overbooking. We get a fax from the cruiseline stating that the cruise is overbooked in cat N-I, and would any of my clients booked in those categories care to switch to such and such cruise, with an upgrade, obc.. or whatever. They do ask for volunteers first.

 

Unless you are traveling on published tariff rates, you are immediately preemptible.. this includes agents, interline and journalists.

[newmexicoNita]

LOL..I could just hear my sales manager now!!! Actually, it has happened to him, too. It happens to all of us. I would never have even considered a prime time European cruise on a ta rate.........because experience tells me that it "ain't gonna happen". You just know how it's going to be. Heck when I win free cabins, I have a hard enough time getting the cabin!

 

Experienced agents know, the least expensive way to cruise is via an invite to an onboard seminar.. and that is confirmed space.

 

Now.. as to overbooking. We get a fax from the cruiseline stating that the cruise is overbooked in cat N-I, and would any of my clients booked in those categories care to switch to such and such cruise, with an upgrade, obc.. or whatever. They do ask for volunteers first.

 

Unless you are traveling on published tariff rates, you are immediately preemptible.. this includes agents, interline and journalists.

exactly; I am actually booked on an interline rate for the canal, last week of Nov/first Dec and am already worried a little. The cruise is still wide open, we have been flying space A as I mentioned for over 25 years and know how quick things can change. I wouldn't be concerned except we are with friends booked on a regular rate; would hate to see them have to cruise alone. NO, we are not flying space Available, we bought air tickets. It is just getting to hard anymore. Like you, I wouldn't think of trying a special rate during high season nor would I fly using passes. We have learned when you can and can't do this. As I said, we haven't heard anything back from her but still think she is a very part timer with no real ties and possibly new at the same time. If she is one that is in the business just for her discounts and yes, we know there are lots of them, I really don't have much sympathy; if she is just new, doesn't work for a major company and no one explained to her this could happen, I really feel sorry for her. NMNita