Travel Agent changed my booking

[Cholly]

I booked a balcony guarantee about 5 months ago for a cruise in Dec 06. I was checking my reservation on Carnival last night and my stateroom came up as an oceanview when previously it said balcony. I called my travel agent and he told me that he changed my booking to get me a better deal ($100.00 on board credit and changed me to a 7A. But then he said there are no more 7A available for your cruise so you will be upgraded to a regular balcony room. He said he does this all the time.I think he should have checked with me first. "Obstructed view" means what? Could I end up in an ocean view room anyway? This will be only my second cruise and first balcony so I know I would be really disappointed to get an oceanview room. What should I do?

Thanks for any help!!!

[deborahjo]

If you get an Obstructed View it means that the lifeboats or a pole is in front of your window. You do not have a clear view. I would have thought that they would have contacted you before doing this because it is not a good cabin if you are expecting a balcony.

[EngIceDave]

Sounds like I'd be ticked

 

Don't do jack to my res without asking first.

 

Sounds like he downgraded you in hopes of you getting a free upgrade which there is no guarantee of

 

I'd be really upset

[Kudos2Fly]

What time in December? I bet that would make a difference if you will get your balcony. We are sailing the week before X-mas and on your ship there are no balconies left. They all sold out 9 months ago.

 

But if you are going at the bigging of Dec it probably will be a chance that you will get your balcony.

 

I would take to your TA about getting your balcony back since he didn't talk to you before the switch.. If you didn't give him the okay to do something like that. If wanted a balcony thats what you should get.

[zqvol]

It sounds to me like your TA had no authority to change your booking.

 

I would tell him you want it put back to the original category that you booked. If that is not available tell him that he will book you in a balcony and that HE will pay any costs difference.

 

He is your agent. You are the principal, and he is not authorized to act without your permission. If he refuses to comply, you should fire him, transfer to another agent and go to small claims court for what it cost you to get your original booking category back.

 

By all means, in addition to anything else that you do , report him to the owner of the agency and report the agency to your local Better Business Bureau.

[EngIceDave]

Also, I believe TA's are state licensed, like a contractor or a Real Estate agent

 

Threaten to contact the state licensing for fraud

[virginiab]

Maybe I'm just in a suspicious mood today, but if the agent neither called to ask your permission nor called with the good news about saving you $100, was he planning to tell you about the $100 at all?

 

If you are booked as a 7A guarantee, you will not get a regular ocean view room with no balcony, but it is possible that you could end up with a 7A, which is a balcony right above the lifeboats, so you look down on the deck of a lifeboat at the same level as the floor of your balcony. Personally, I find this to be a fine cabin, but some folks do not like them at all. Search for "7A" here at CC and you will find some photos and you can decide for yourself.

 

Your cruise is still not at final payment date, so it is likely that some 7A's may open up when reservations are cancelled or just forfeited at final payment time, so it is possible (although not terribly likely) that you will get a 7A. It is more likely, based on what your agent said about all 7A's being booked, that you will get upgraded to an 8A or better.

[Cholly]

He told me that "If I knew him better I would trust him". He said he does this all the time with good results. I am going to e-mail him and tell him I want my original booking.

[voyagerfl]

I'm willing to bet that some extra money ended up in the Travel Agents Pocket on this Deal..........

I would not accuse him.......BUT.......Tell him you expect to be put back at the price you expected to pay...NOW

[Cholly]

No, he didn't call me or tell me. I found out because last night we met with our friends we are going on the cruise with to plan our excursions. When we went to the Carnival page and my booking came up I clicked on it so we could see the balcony room again and it said Oceanview. That is when I called him and he told me about changing the reservation and that we now have a $100.00 on board credit. We also called Carnival and they told us we are booked as oceanview. But tthen he said it was a 7A. But wouldn't that show as balcony?

[lvtotrvl1]

I am a travel agent, and I would NEVER change a cabin or category without the clients permission. It really doesn't make sense why they would do it. I would definately inquire as to why this was done and if you want to be sure you are in a balcony, I would have him change it back....if I were you, I would still expect the 100.00 OBC because he changed you without your permission.

 

I would also be leery of the fact that "he does this all the time"..I have been a TA for 12 years and never have heard of such a thing!

[cherylandtk]

Cholly, this is the Legend right? A 7A is a balcony room with an 'obstructed' view. Meaning that you have a balcony, and you are waist level even with the top of a lifeboat. You can see sky and ocean straight out, but you cannot look down and see the water. You still have a balcony with chairs and table, and it is NOT an obstructed view oceanview room (meaning blocked window and no balcony).

 

That said, your TA should NOT have done this without checking with you first. While it is possible that you will get upgraded your TA really has no control over that. I would have your TA explain exactly why he can guarantee that you will get an 8A or better and what he is willing to promise you in writing as compensation if it does not work out. If you are happy with that arrangement, then fine. If not, tell the TA you want to go back to your original booking.

[seamama1]

Your travel agent has absolutely NO right to change anything in your reservation until he has talked with you. What he did is wrong and illegal. Get in touch with him and tell him to reinstate your original reservation immediately. If what you had is no longer available, then he is liable for payment of the next category up.

 

Obstructed view means that the view from your window/balcony is blocked or partially blocked - usually by the lifeboats....

 

If I were you, I would be outraged at this TA's behavior....and I would change agents, fer sure.

[Knights on the Beach]

This doesn't sound right at all. I would be furious if my TA changed my booking without talking to me first.

[cherylandtk]

Here is what a 7A looks like:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/387233377/1387234659000485065CUZkje

[Cholly]

Yes, it is the Legend. Carnival told me I have an Oceanview guarantee, but the travel agent told me it is a 7A. Isn't a 7A catagorized Balcony? I am so new at all this!!! It almost sounds like he changed my booking to Oceanview guarantee then charges me for a balcony guarantee, pockets the leftover money knowing I most likely will get a upgrade and if not I am on the ship by then anyways What could I do at that point?

[celticd1]

If you called Carnival and they say you are booked as oceanview guarantee cabin AND it shows oceanview guarantee on the website, then my guess is that you ARE booked in an oceanview guarantee! That is not good. I would be VERY upset. Maybe you can get your TA into a 3 way call with Carnival?

 

Good luck!

[silentbob007]

I've seen an OV picture come up on the Carnival site for my 7A GTEE, so no biggie there, I think. Definitely feels shady, though, because if the cruise is not yet in final payment mode, people in 7As could still cancel and then that is the room you end up with.

[marty30907]

Not to belittle anyone, this is just another reason I prefer dealing with our PVP and not a TA. Our PVP works very hard for us and she has been taking care of us since 2000. She knows what we like and what we do not like. If fact, when we booked the Elation, she was shocked that we decided to go during Master's Week instead of Nov/Dec time!:eek:

 

But, to each, their own.

[redskin80]

Wow, I would be a little more than PO'd. No way would I accept this from the TA and I would not ask, I would demand he get back what you had booked. I would be concerned as I know we are on the LIberty for the 8th of December and all the Balcony cabins are booked.

 

Just because the TA has done this before with good results doesn't mean it will work this time or even the next. I would say the TA is gambling with your money and the house generally wins.

 

If you have to settle for less than what you had booked, it will probably shed a little bit of a bummer for the entire cruise.

[halos]

Not to belittle anyone, this is just another reason I prefer dealing with our PVP and not a TA. Our PVP works very hard for us and she has been taking care of us since 2000. She knows what we like and what we do not like. If fact, when we booked the Elation, she was shocked that we decided to go during Master's Week instead of Nov/Dec time!:eek:

 

But, to each, their own.

 

I don't think this is common practice for a TA....what he/she did to the OP is very unethical.

[gfsmith]

You need a new Travel Agent!

[EngIceDave]

I would also serously consider bringing this directly to Carnival's attention if not resolved to your satisfaction.

 

Carnival basically owns all the cruiselines, they can cut the TA off from future bookings.

 

Major loss of revenue for the TA

[virginiab]

IF you would be happy with a 7A and the $100 credit, then you may want to ask your TA to mail or fax you a copy of the Carnival invoice that shows your new reservation, so you can see for yourself if you are booked for an OV (ocaenview guarantee) or for a 7A guarantee or for something else.

 

The 7A cabins show up in the "oceanview" category on the Carnival booking page, so I wouldn't be TOO crazed that you show as "oceanview" on the website, but I would sure want written confirmation of the 7A status of your reservation. And, as someone else suggested, I would want a written guarantee from the TA that if you are not upgraded to an 8A or better that he will do X for you as compensation.

 

Oh, yeah, and my lawyer/spouse also suggests reporting the TA to Carnival.

[salty dingo]

To the OP: when you first made your booking, you should have received a written confirmation of what you were purchasing. This would include the price you paid and the caregory you received for that price.

 

If you originally booked an OV guarantee, then you should not even be thinking about a balcony. That is a possible upgrade but not a sure thing by any means, and the TA should make that clear.

 

On the other hand, if you purchased an Balcony Guarantee, then Carnival, not the TA, decides which balcony cabin you are in.

 

Unless you authorized a change, and received an updated confirmation in writing, you should be able to get your originally booked and paid for category reinstated, if that were changed without your permission.

 

I am thinking you booked an OV guarantee originally, got placed in a 7A, and then the TA changed the booking to a non-guarantee 7A and got you a $100 credit to boot - which is a great thing, and nothing to be upset about.