When a cabin upgrade is not an upgrade

[spoona]

My elderly parents returned from a Pacific Dawn cruise on 6 Feb.

They had booked a 2 berth cabin but were 'upgraded' to a 4 berth cabin.

The 4 berth cabin had less floor space and the overhead bunks made it difficult for my parents to get in and out of bed. My mother hit her head several times trying to get into the bed.

They complained on board but were told that it was an 'upgrade' and that they couldn't have the cabin that they were ticketed.

 

Has anyone else suffered one of these P&O 'upgrades' that is actually a DOWNGRADE ?

 

:mad:

[fishtaco]

What cabin was on their ticket and what cabin did they get?

 

Den

[spoona]

What cabin was on their ticket and what cabin did they get?

 

Den

I haven't got their ticket, but they went to the cabin that was on their ticket and someone was in it ( so they actually saw the inside of it ). A crew member showed them to the 4 berth cabin and said "this is an upgrade". The big issue was the fact that the 4 berth had bunks rather than just two regular beds.

[pink poodle]

I am so sorry that happened to your parents. How can going from a two berth cabin to a smaller four berth cabin be an upgrade? Was the new cabin on a higher deck? You should write a nasty letter to P and O on their behalf. Good luck, Pink Poodle

[arxcards]

My elderly parents returned from a Pacific Dawn cruise on 6 Feb.

They had booked a 2 berth cabin but were 'upgraded' to a 4 berth cabin.

The 4 berth cabin had less floor space and the overhead bunks made it difficult for my parents to get in and out of bed. My mother hit her head several times trying to get into the bed.

They complained on board but were told that it was an 'upgrade' and that they couldn't have the cabin that they were ticketed.

 

Has anyone else suffered one of these P&O 'upgrades' that is actually a DOWNGRADE ?

 

:mad:

Not personally.

It does happen (not just P&O either), but not often as upgrades are based on the category \ location on the ship. Many book inside guarantees at bargain prices and are happy to have the upgrade box ticked, hoping for outside or balcony cabins. Many here have happily reported getting cabins several categories better than the price they booked at too.

 

If you book a specific cabin to suit your preference, ask not to be available for upgrading.

 

All 2 and 4 berths on Pacific Dawn are supposed to be the same size cabin area, although the pullman beds on the wall would make it look smaller

[spoona]

I am so sorry that happened to your parents. How can going from a two berth cabin to a smaller four berth cabin be an upgrade? Was the new cabin on a higher deck? You should write a nasty letter to P and O on their behalf. Good luck, Pink Poodle

The 4 berth was very close to the 2 berth, on the same deck. The letter to P&O Australia will be mailed tomorrow.

[Blue Boys]

The 4 berth was very close to the 2 berth, on the same deck. The letter to P&O Australia will be mailed tomorrow.

 

Hi spoona,

 

Let them have it. I would be asking for some form of compensation as well, too much maybe, but I would be furious. Regardless whether they opted for the bargain price, a 2 berth to a 4 berth is not an upgrade. I think I would prefer to be in a 2 berth inside cabin than an outside 4 berth.

 

Let us know how you go with the letter. I would be interested to know what P&O's offical reply is.

 

Cheers

Marg

[fishtaco]

The 4 berth was very close to the 2 berth, on the same deck. The letter to P&O Australia will be mailed tomorrow.

 

i have tried to post this many times so here goes again.

 

Did your parents have a wheelchair access cabin to start with and was then moved to allow sombody less able to have it?

 

the reason i ask is that the twins and quads are the same size inside apart from an extra wardrobe(which is very handy) And did they move the two bottom bunks together under the one top bunk? I can see your parents concern but basicaly they are the same cabin with the top bunks folded away and they dont really stick out much! I had a cabin the same on my Pacific sun cruise (upgrade) and was happy with it as i ended up with a window. I can honestley say that my quad converted to a twin/queen was better than the standard twin because of the extra storage space and didnt find the folded bunks a problem at all.

 

have your parents cruised before? A lot of people are dissapointed in the cabins at first as they are expecting a hotel room and standard staterooms are far from it.

 

If you want a hotel type room then mini suite and above is the way to go.

 

Now I have experianced a mini suite on the Dawn I dont think I could cruise any other way,so my future cruises will be fewer but suited as this is my real idea of a cruise.

 

Den.

[spoona]

i have tried to post this many times so here goes again.

 

Did your parents have a wheelchair access cabin to start with and was then moved to allow sombody less able to have it?

 

the reason i ask is that the twins and quads are the same size inside apart from an extra wardrobe(which is very handy) And did they move the two bottom bunks together under the one top bunk? I can see your parents concern but basicaly they are the same cabin with the top bunks folded away and they dont really stick out much! I had a cabin the same on my Pacific sun cruise (upgrade) and was happy with it as i ended up with a window. I can honestley say that my quad converted to a twin/queen was better than the standard twin because of the extra storage space and didnt find the folded bunks a problem at all.

 

have your parents cruised before? A lot of people are dissapointed in the cabins at first as they are expecting a hotel room and standard staterooms are far from it.

 

If you want a hotel type room then mini suite and above is the way to go.

 

Now I have experianced a mini suite on the Dawn I dont think I could cruise any other way,so my future cruises will be fewer but suited as this is my real idea of a cruise.

 

Den.

 

My parents have cruised about 10 times in the past, on different ships/cruise lines. It was not a wheelchair accessible cabin. Their ticketed cabin was given to two girls in their 20s who had been sold an upgrade two weeks before departure.

The 4 berth definitely had less floor space, and my mum definitely struck her head on the overhead a number of times. My parents are most likely much older than you and not as agile. They saw the 2 berth cabin they were ticketed and the 4 berth cabin WAS smaller in terms of floor area.

[fishtaco]

My parents have cruised about 10 times in the past, on different ships/cruise lines. It was not a wheelchair accessible cabin. Their ticketed cabin was given to two girls in their 20s who had been sold an upgrade two weeks before departure.

 

Ah then they didnt get an upgrade! I also feel sorry for them espesially if it spoilt the cruise a bit which I am sure it did.

 

On the tickets it states that P&O have the right to re asign cabins and the one on the ticket may be changed on the day of embarkation.

Looks like this as happened at the expence of your parents and monetary gain to P&O.

 

Just another step a way from quality cruising from the P&O,s era of new cruising.

 

Den

[spoona]

Ah then they didnt get an upgrade! I also feel sorry for them espesially if it spoilt the cruise a bit which I am sure it did.

 

On the tickets it states that P&O have the right to re asign cabins and the one on the ticket may be changed on the day of embarkation.

Looks like this as happened at the expence of your parents and monetary gain to P&O.

 

Just another step a way from quality cruising from the P&O,s era of new cruising.

 

Den

That's exactly what happened. Let's see what P&O Aus management has to say...

Thanks for your posts ! :)

[arxcards]

Sorry for all the questions Spoona, just trying to make sense of what has happened.

 

Was the cabin they expected one that they booked, or an upgrade they were assigned after booking.

ie - did they book a lower category guarantee cabin, to be assigned a twin upgraded cabin, to be then bumped by a paid for upgrade.

 

It is the one downside to booking guarantees. You often can't be sure of your cabin until you board. The reason P&O sell guarantees so cheap, is it allows them a lot more flexibility when assigning cabins on a full ship.

 

Hope you receive a favourable response from P&O. I would certainly be peeved if it happened to me too!

[Star-Man]

1the overhead bunks made it difficult for my parents to get in and out of bed. My mother hit her head several times trying to get into the bed.:mad:

 

Just curious, wouldnt they have been able to fold the upper bunks back into the wall so they were out of the way? Or were they fixed in the down position?

[spoona]

Sorry for all the questions Spoona, just trying to make sense of what has happened.

 

Was the cabin they expected one that they booked, or an upgrade they were assigned after booking.

ie - did they book a lower category guarantee cabin, to be assigned a twin upgraded cabin, to be then bumped by a paid for upgrade.

 

It is the one downside to booking guarantees. You often can't be sure of your cabin until you board. The reason P&O sell guarantees so cheap, is it allows them a lot more flexibility when assigning cabins on a full ship.

 

Hope you receive a favourable response from P&O. I would certainly be peeved if it happened to me too!

The cabin that was printed on their ticket was what they had booked. Once they boarded the Dawn, they were told they couldn't occupy that cabin and had to take the 4 berth.

[spoona]

Just curious, wouldnt they have been able to fold the upper bunks back into the wall so they were out of the way? Or were they fixed in the down position?

When folded, the bunks don't go into the wall. They fold up AGAINST the wall and stick out half/third of the way over the lower bunks

[Star-Man]

When folded, the bunks don't go into the wall. They fold up AGAINST the wall and stick out half/third of the way over the lower bunks

 

Wow, that seems pretty dodgy. At least the upper berths on the star folded flush into the wall.

[Ela 2]

Wow, that seems pretty dodgy. At least the upper berths on the star folded flush into the wall.

I don't think the upper berths folded flush with the wall when not in use. We travelled with my mother-in-law (on the Pac Sky and the Pac Star) and only used three of the four bunks on each occasion. The upper one, when folded away stuck out by at least 30cm (ie the depth of the bunk when in use). It did not fold into a wall cavity, because there isn't one. We felt that with the unused top bunk folded away, it was not in the way at all.

 

However, if your parents are not happy with the cabin they were given, then write to P & O.:)

[LuckiePuris]

Sorry to hear Spoona what happened to your parents.

 

Personally, when booking a cruise, I like to be mid-ship, as I find it moves less.

 

So when booking my April cruise, I had a look at the Pacific Dawn floor plans and compared it to the list of available rooms P&O gave me over the phone.

 

I chose a room that was midship, and even though it did cost me an extra $100 to book that room because it was a higher category, I wanted to ensure I was going to be midship.

 

Although, by choosing and booking your actual room as I did, you forfeit any opportunity of upgrades, or as in ur parents case, down-grade.

 

I think that by leaving an option open for upgrades you also risk a downgrade.

 

Perhaps the best way to avoid this is by requesting and booking an actual room, and forfeiting any "upgrades".

 

Or alternatively, if you are happy with the opportunity of an upgrade and will not be too upset if you are unfortunately down-graded, then i'd say you are ok to book as per normal.

 

I hope your parents still enjoyed their cruise :)

[kaseyoz]

Maybe this one of the cabins that was altered to suit 4 when it became the dawn.

If there was no room for the top bunks maybe they do stick out more than on the sun (,that wasnt much)

On the sapphire princess you couldnt tell which was 3 or 4 berth as the beds did come down from the ceiling.

 

what cabin number did it say on their cruise cards as surely this is the cabin to go to not one you thought you had

[arxcards]

Maybe this one of the cabins that was altered to suit 4 when it became the dawn.

Very good point Karon. Maybe the software used to book the Regal Princess was transferred for Pacific Dawn, and the computer incorrectly still rates the 4 berth one higher than the original twin

[karmac]

They do stick out a little bit but not much (the sam as on the Sun). The 2 bert & 4 berth cabins are the same size and in a 4 berth cabin the lower bunks can be pushed together & postioned in the middle so it's not under the upper berths, making it the same as a double cabin.

 

Karen

[spoona]

Maybe this one of the cabins that was altered to suit 4 when it became the dawn.

If there was no room for the top bunks maybe they do stick out more than on the sun (,that wasnt much)

On the sapphire princess you couldnt tell which was 3 or 4 berth as the beds did come down from the ceiling.

 

what cabin number did it say on their cruise cards as surely this is the cabin to go to not one you thought you had

They went to the cabin number that was printed on the booking receipt and on the cruise card. It was occupied. Then they complained. Please read my earlier posts

[Megagirl]

Hi Spoona,

 

I too was on the cruise your parents were on.

 

I observed no 'elderly' passengers so please tell them they look very young.

 

The cruise was full of people aged between 18-30 who I must say were beautifully behaved, at least while I was awake. It may have been a different matter after midnight.

 

Cheers

 

Megagirl

[mum and son]

This thread got me thinking... a lot of people must book a twin cabin and not realise that they might be in a 4 berth cabin that only utilises the bottom beds - and in most cases the passengers probably couldn't care less, but in some cases it could cause mobility problems or something.

 

From memory there's not a massive number of twin cabins on the Dawn (except for balcony cabins and above) as a lot of the twin cabins have been converted to 4 berth to accommodate the extra passengers.

[cheznandy]

 

 

 

 

Heres a pic of the 4 berths on the PD, sorry Gail and jen to use you as an example:p xxxx

 

Chez

xx