Just returned from a cruise on the Queen Victoria. Mexico through Panama Canal.
No complaints about the ship with Cunard, it was beautiful.
However I booked over six months in advance with Virgin to make sure I had the unobstructed view balcony suite required for the passage through the canal.
It was to celebrate my husbands 65th birthday and I wanted it to be special.
Virgin Cruises assured me that the suite had an unobstructed view but when we arrived on board I was horrified to find that we were on the part of the ship where the lifeboats were and the view immediately below us was the roofs of all the lifeboats.
I asked for a change of suite with Cunard after explaining the situation but although they were very helpful they could not move us as the ship was full. They did say,however, that Virgin would have known the position of this suite at the time of booking.
I am very disappointed because we had no view from the balcony of the transit and all the work involved at the canal side and had to go up on deck to see this. (we might well have had an inside cabin) The Panama Canal crossing was to be the highlight of the cruise for us.
I would like some advice as I think Virgin should compensate us for misrepresenting this as unobstructed.
Check the Ts and Cs.
We looked into a cruise with Thomson and it did say in the blurb that with some outside cabins, the view may be obstructed due to life boats.
Was this particular view that was promised to you done in writing by Virgin?
Mark
We looked into a cruise with Thomson and it did say in the blurb that with some outside cabins, the view may be obstructed due to life boats.
Was this particular view that was promised to you done in writing by Virgin?
Mark
Hi Marc,
Alas no. I was just assured in the telephone calls that it was unobstructed. Which was the first thing I requested when booking.
I haven't looked at the T's and C's yet but will do so now.
Jaybee
Alas no. I was just assured in the telephone calls that it was unobstructed. Which was the first thing I requested when booking.
I haven't looked at the T's and C's yet but will do so now.
Jaybee
I can see grounds for misunderstanding here. In the normal senses I suspect they'd mean an unobstructed view horizontal towards the sunset, approaching land etc. (and maybe even upwards to the stars) rather than downwards where you needed it. I'm with you that the most interesting part of the cruise would be the workings in the canal but that point may have been lost on many who wouldn't be interested in the oily bits! This is something that anyone arranging a cruise that involves an interesting local navigational procedure needs to consider - may even be an idea to get a picture of the ship to check first.
I used to work in travel, and I must admit that if a customer had asked for an unobstructed view I would have presumed they meant horizontally, unless they had specifically said otherwise.
I would suggest calling Cunard to check which suites they class as having an obstructed view and take it from there. It may even tell you in their brochure.
luci
luci
From what you have said I think that they never booked you an unobstructed view cabin in the first place. Did they give you a cabin number when you booked? They should have done and then you could have looked it up in the brochure under the ship plan and seen whether it was unobstructed or not. Unobstructed views are also more expensive than obstructed view cabins, so did you actually pay more to have an unobstructed view?
Next time i'd book with the cruise company direct and then you can get accurate information and they'll give you cabin numbers!
Next time i'd book with the cruise company direct and then you can get accurate information and they'll give you cabin numbers!
An unobstructed view in my opinion is one where you can see the sea and the horizon. I would never of thought of the view looking downwards, it wouldn't have entered my mind. It could be that cruise ships think the same way? I guess for the majority of cruises it wouldn't matter that you couldn't see 'down below'?
if you go onto the Cunard website and look at the deck plans it tells you if balcony staterooms are obstructed by lifeboats.
E.g:
A3 Staterooms 7001 & 7002 shaded by Bridge Wings. A6 Staterooms have views partially obstructed by lifeboat mechanism. A6 4003-4042; A7 are metal fronted balconies
So this information will have been available to Virgin at the time of booking and you should have been give a cabin number. Looking up the cabin on the deck plan would have told you if the balcony was obstructed by anything.
E.g:
A3 Staterooms 7001 & 7002 shaded by Bridge Wings. A6 Staterooms have views partially obstructed by lifeboat mechanism. A6 4003-4042; A7 are metal fronted balconies
So this information will have been available to Virgin at the time of booking and you should have been give a cabin number. Looking up the cabin on the deck plan would have told you if the balcony was obstructed by anything.
Thanks for all the comments. On all previous cruises I have had a balcony cabin with the sea directly below, which gives a full view when docking etc. I assumed that this would be the same as it was supposed to be unobstructed. The cabin grade was A4 on deck 5.
I paid £5300 for package which is not cheap, and booked well in advance to secure a suitable cabin.
Normally it would not have been too much of a hindrance, but as the objective of this cruise was for my husband to see the mechanics of the wondrous Panama Canal in all it's glory, it certainly was.
I have checked the T's and C's for Virgin and it doesn't mention anything about possible obstruction due to lifeboats.
Thanks again for the replies.
Jaybee
I paid £5300 for package which is not cheap, and booked well in advance to secure a suitable cabin.
Normally it would not have been too much of a hindrance, but as the objective of this cruise was for my husband to see the mechanics of the wondrous Panama Canal in all it's glory, it certainly was.
I have checked the T's and C's for Virgin and it doesn't mention anything about possible obstruction due to lifeboats.
Thanks again for the replies.
Jaybee
Looking on the Cunard website and in the brochure it states that on the Queen Victoria:
A3 Staterooms 7001 & 7002 are shaded by Bridge Wings.
A6 Staterooms have views partially obstructed by lifeboat mechanism.
A6 4003-4042 and A7 have metal fronted balconies
Looking in the brochure none of the A4 cabins on deck 5 are obstructed whereas it states that A6 cabins are, so I think it must have been an A6 stateroom that they gave you. At the time of booking you should have been asked that if a free upgrade of cabin became available would you accept it. If you said yes this may have been why you were given an A6 cabin and not an A4. Accepting an upgrade means that you are given a higher grade of cabin than you have already booked but it can be located anywhere on the ship and may have an obstructed view.
What cabin number were you given?
A3 Staterooms 7001 & 7002 are shaded by Bridge Wings.
A6 Staterooms have views partially obstructed by lifeboat mechanism.
A6 4003-4042 and A7 have metal fronted balconies
Looking in the brochure none of the A4 cabins on deck 5 are obstructed whereas it states that A6 cabins are, so I think it must have been an A6 stateroom that they gave you. At the time of booking you should have been asked that if a free upgrade of cabin became available would you accept it. If you said yes this may have been why you were given an A6 cabin and not an A4. Accepting an upgrade means that you are given a higher grade of cabin than you have already booked but it can be located anywhere on the ship and may have an obstructed view.
What cabin number were you given?
Hello,
I was given cabin no.5082 at the time of booking and this is the cabin we stayed in. I was not asked about any upgrade. I was just told that this had an unobstructed view.
I did complain to the pursers office and I have the letter they sent to me stating that at that time there were no suitable staterooms available but they would monitor the situation and contact me should something become available. They did tell me that Virgin would have known the position of the cabin. I didn't hear from them again so obviously no stateroom became available.
Jaybee
I was given cabin no.5082 at the time of booking and this is the cabin we stayed in. I was not asked about any upgrade. I was just told that this had an unobstructed view.
I did complain to the pursers office and I have the letter they sent to me stating that at that time there were no suitable staterooms available but they would monitor the situation and contact me should something become available. They did tell me that Virgin would have known the position of the cabin. I didn't hear from them again so obviously no stateroom became available.
Jaybee
Post a Reply
Please sign in or register an account to reply to this post.
Similar Topics
-
SEA VIEW...to pay or not to pay????
Posted by ang69 in Cyprus Discussion Forums
-
Sea View
Posted by Goretti in Holiday Complaints
- Sea View
-
Sea View What a Con
Posted by Dawnlee in Greece - Rhodes Discussion Forum
-
Sydney - somewhere to eat with a view
Posted by Babs135 in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific