Cabins switched at boarding!

[my3kids]

I just read this on another board. A family booked 6 months in advance and secured 2 connecting cabins on deck 6 for the parents and 4 children. They got the numbers when booking and they were on the documents. When they arrived, the rooms had been given to someone else! They got 2 rooms on deck 5 that DID NOT connect!!! Suddenly their family was split into 2 groups because of course a parent had to stay in each cabin. I was shocked. Does this happen often??? I can't imagine how much of a hissy fit I'll have if I arrive to find out we've been moved to non connecting rooms.

 

[Michelle]

I have never, ever heard of such a thing on DCL. It seems like there must be more to the story?

 

[RellingTwin]

With as many connecting cabins on the ship I can't help but wonder if there is something about this story, that we don't know.
Also the cruiser says the attitude of GS was "too bad"!
I am not sure what the ship's policy is with connecting rooms. I KNOW with hotels the policy is always " requests can be made but NOT gaureented" . This goes for room location, connecting rooms, floor requests ect.
I would be very upset if it happened to me! If it happens, it MUST not happen too often. This is the first time I have ever heard of this in 2 years of reading this board.

 

[Pugdog007]

On our first DCL cruise last Sep (3-night) our room was also changed at checkin. We had been given our cabin# a few months in advance, and it appeared on our cruise docs, then at checkin she said we'd been moved. It was a pain and it took forever to get our luggage.

So in short... it does happen

 

[prymsu]

I think most folks are thrilled if it is to get an upgrade, but when you have a family in connecting rooms, that really would throw a wrench in your plans...

 

[bethsg]

To the story. I know even in WDW, if you request connecting rooms, and you are a family, with 2 adults and no children under 18, (that is our family) you ARE guaranteed connecting rooms. We as a family of that make up have received connecting rooms at Disney many times, and on DCL as well. They will guarantee that, for families. My confimation will even say, guaranteed connecting rooms for families.

 

[my3kids]

I copied the post from the Cruise Critic Board :


"Author Topic: Switched my Cabin
Scott99
Cool Cruiser posted 08-11-02 08:11 PM
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We just returned from a cruise on the Wonder. We had a great time, with one exception: our cabins were switched at the last minute.

We were traveling with our 4 kids, so we booked connecting cabins (6140 and 6142). Our trip was booked six months in advance, and our rooms were confirmed in the trip packages received three weeks before the cruise. However, when we got to our rooms, we found that they had been given to someone else. As first time cruisers, we were confused about what to do next, but after wandering around for a while, someone finally pointed us towards guest services. Guest services told me our new rooms were on level 5. When we finally found the rooms, I was disturbed to find that the rooms, while next to each other, were not connecting.

With 4 kids, the connecting rooms were very important to us. We stressed this when we booked the cruise. With unconnected rooms, we were effectively split into two groups, and often had to communicate via the phone. This also split my wife and I up at night as we could not leave any of the kids unattended at night.

When I complained to guest services they very politely said "sorry." No further explanation was available.

As I said above, we had a great time on the cruise, but I am very angry that they could switch my cabin without even telling me. Am I overreacting? Has this happened to anyone else? Any suggestions? "
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This is the link to the thread. http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=767097554&m=8733069056

 

[ducklite]

How ironic. The other day I had a terrible dream that when I got to the port DCL told me that I had been moved from my Category 3 cabin to a Cat 12 cabin. They told me that the people in the cabin on the previous sailing had decided not to leave the ship, and there was nothing else they could do for me. And I wouldn't be getting a refund, but they'd give me $100 off my next booking.

I agree though, I think there is more to this story...

Anne

 

[bethsg]

At check in they were given their room keys, but when they got to the room, they were occupied? Still this whole sequence of events doesn't pass the smell test. I would think at check in, they would have been told they changed rooms, and it would have been discussed. I still think there is more to the story. But if the facts are straight, I would think DCL would have been able to do more for this family, and I know they do guarantee connecting rooms for families.

 

[papa]

When my DW and I cruised on the 09/22/2001 cruise last year our room was changed at check in. We had reserved a room midships on deck 6. When we recevied our documents it had the correct room number. When we went to check in our room had been changed and we had been placed aft with a metal verandah.

DCL said that it had been changed due to our being grouped with a large number of dreams clients. After much discussion and a lot of phone calls by cs they found us a room midships. That is the reason that we booked directly with DCL this year. Didn't want any changes.

 

[BeanoC]

I don't like the sound of this, but I guarantee they ain't changin' my room! They won't like me much if they try that.

We booked our cruise over 8 months ago and it took me that long to pay for a cat. 3 suite. I just don't understand how they could possibly do such a thing, especially with a family of 4 kids. You can't force them to split up like that! That's just unacceptable.
Like a previous poster said, it just doesn't pass the smell test. If it's booked ahead of time, and it's on your docs, how can they move you? I wouldn't stand for it. Nobody should have to compromise their vacation that they PAID FOR because of somebody else's error. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr



'Beano'

 

[taswira]

Since they went to the room and it was occupied by someone else, doesn't it sound like they didn't change their room at check-in, but onboard at Guest Services <I>after</I> they boarded and discovered someone else had their room? If <I>that</I> was the case, then it sounds like a computer glitch - that somehow two separate families were booked into one room. On rare occasions, I've seen that happen on airlines, where two people actually had tickets for the <I>same</I> seat, so someone had to be moved. So if that was what happened, it was a computer error, not simply a matter of switching staterooms at check-in.

 

[4nana]

Mistakes do happen...
I was once assigned to someone elses airline seat.....then
we also had a recent trip to England...registered at the hotel, were given the key to our room, opened the door, turned the light on and you guessed it...another couple was in nana's and pop pop's bed! It was not fun and I don't know who was more embarrased

However, having our cruise booked for over 2 yrs I would have
'0' tolerance if something of this nature happened. We have had 2 sets of connecting cabins(4rooms) plus another adj room booked for over 2 yrs. We have rooms assg on the contract and have checked with TA and Disney several times and been assured our grp linked together on cruise and dining.
It is not fair that poor family was split up! They deserve some kind of compensation and to only get a 'sorry' is simply not enough.

 

[Chattyaholic]

We booked our first cruise with a local TA and had the same room when we got on board that was printed on our documents, so no problem. This time we decided to book with Dreams Unlimited, and now after reading one of the posts here I'm very concerned! The poster said their room was changed because they were lumped together in a group of people who had used Dreams. When I contacted Dreams to get a quote I was told what the room number would be and what the cost would be. When I accepted that and paid my deposit I trusted that my room would be the one that was quoted. Now it may not happen that way? I would definitely not be happy if they move us from mid-ship (category 6) to the back with a navigator's verandah!! And even after people have received their documents, their room was still changed when they got to the ship?! Yikes!! Doesn't seem at all a fair thing to do, and then just say they're "sorry" about the switch?!!!!!

 

[rcostello1]

When we boarded the Wonder last month we went to lunch and then went to our room. Our luggage wasn't outside so we went on in. As we walked in there was a suit jacket hanging on the wall and a towel animal on the bed. For a second I thought "how nice--they hung up my jacket and oh my, do you get a towel animal when you board now?" Then I realized the jacket wasn't mine, the suitcase I then saw wasn't mine, and there was a calculator and some other stuff on the dresser.

So we exited the room (in retrospect we should've/could've had some fun no? maybe these people had better clothes!) and one of the room attendants mentioned that he thought we had been moved to deck 6 (we were on deck 2). Nothing was mentioned at check in and our new keys did work the door lock.

In the end we were moved up to deck 6 in the same type of room. Deck 6 was more convenient anyway, not too far up or down whereever you may be going. From the looks of our "original" room whoever had it on the previous cruise did not leave or something along those lines...since the room hadn't been cleaned or prepped (the towel animal and turned down bed is my evidence). I guess they didn't have time to figure it out before we checked in (11amish). And since the last day is always in castaway...is there a stowaway in castaway?

 

[bethsg]

Needs some help with their computer system. Giving out keys to an occupied room, is a major computer glitch. So now when I think back of my friends recent cruise in June, where they left the family on St. Thomas while the child is in kids club, and they had to turn around and go back for them. I knew it had to be in some way Disney's fault to make the effort to go back. Sounds to me like they need to do some work on their computer system. Not good at all.

 

[Michelle]

Chattyholic, please don't worry. It is NOT common for someone's room to get switched and if you have a confirmed number you almost certainly will get the room already assigned to you.

 

[mcnuss]

And if you do not get the room you were assigned, make sure to make your complaint promptly and to the highest-level person you can. Do not go to a new cabin until you are satisfied that it is equivalent to what you reserved. Do not let them intimidate you. They are hoping you will just acquiesce and not make a stink. If you do not get an equivalent (or better) cabin, put your complaint in writing before you get off the ship, and make sure a copy of your complaint goes to the Captain. Do not accept any compensation unless you are SURE you want it. You may politely refuse gifts, etc... by saying that it is not adequate to make up for being given the wrong cabin. Only take compensation if you are sure it will compensate you adequately for your loss. You cannot change your mind later, as others on these Boards have learned, DCL will take your acceptance of their tokens to mean that you are satisfied.

 

[CathyCanada]

Good advice mcnuss! I have never heard of stateroom changes at checkin with DU clients and I wish I knew about papa's situation so that we could have investigated it and ensured it never happened again.

To those booked with DU, I WILL be calling tomorrow and speaking to someone in groups to ensure that this DOESN'T happen to any of our clients.
Cathy
(President of Dreams Unlimited Travel)

 

[CarolAnnC]

I happened to have been on the same 9/22/01 cruise as Papa. I am glad he was able to get his room switched back to where he wanted it. I had also booked that same cruise through Dreams Unlimited, however. I must say that I was assigned a room midship on deck 6 prior to my cruise, and I remained in that room after check in and boarding too. I don't understand why DCL would have told him he was changed due to booking thru Dreams, since I had booked the same way and was not relocated at all. Sounds like a misunderstanding to me, but I am happy it all worked out in the end! Papa and Mrs Papa are great people and I was happy to have had the pleasure of meeting them on board too!!