Overbooked Cruise Ship Turns Away 65 Passengers

[Paul Motter]

{ story excerpted from NEWS.com.au - Australia}

P&O Pacific Star turned away 65 passengers less than 24 hours before they were due to leave. The ship had been over-booked and 65 passengers were asked to leave.

All would have their fares refunded and offered a free seven-night cruise anytime in the next 12 months, with $500 credit each to use on board.

OK, when it happens with the airlines it is bad enough - but a cruise where you tale a week off, buy airfare, clothes, make other plans, etc. I have actually heard of this happening, but thankfully not on a regular basis.

PLUS - this is the same cruise line where Dianne Brimble died from an overdose of a date-rape drug and alcohol and eight Adelaide men have been named as "persons of interest."

I have heard my share of other bad news coming out this Australian area, it makes me wonder if the whole cruise business is just somehow different down there, more "loosey goosey" so to speak.

[Marc]

Paul, I don't know if you would blame this on Australia cruise industry as this is a Carnival Corporation. With the generous offer, I am surprised that they didn't get enough "volunteers" even at the last moment. Maybe they did get volunteers as the story you quoted says that they were notified the day before. And, if they were all "local," this wouldn't have caused as big a problem as Oceania involuntarily telling at least two couples on a European cruise that they were being bumped last year.

[Paul Motter]

True...

My worry is that overbooking will become more common, that would be a bad thing.

[Trip]

Can I just tell you, that this would make me cry..If a cabin is booked and paid for, why book it twice...If someone had to cancel at the very last minute, its paid for..and it would sail empty...

[Paul Motter]

I agree, its a terrible thing to do to someone, but I don't think they did it on purpose (at least I hope not). It isn't like the airlines where they sell refundable tickets and a certain percentage just don't show up.

[Marc]

Paul, this subject sounds like a good topic for a CruiseMates investigative report. Maybe you can interview cruise lines executives to find out the why this occurs; I don't think they will tell you how much it occurs. In fact, CruiseMates used to have cruise line executives as guests in chat; maybe it would be good to start that up again.

[Rev22:17]

Linda,

Originally Posted by You

Can I just tell you, that this would make me cry..If a cabin is booked and paid for, why book it twice...If someone had to cancel at the very last minute, its paid for..and it would sail empty...

The issue is the loss of onboard revenue from the no-shows. In many cases, onboard revenue is now two or three times the cruise fare.

Norm.

[mehawk]

I also hope the passengers were all locals. I would be devastated if I had a flight from Houston to the West coast, had a room for the evening, get on the ship and told I had to do it all in reverse! Not to mention the time off from work that is precious!

[kryos]

Originally Posted by Rev22:17

The issue is the loss of onboard revenue from the no-shows. In many cases, onboard revenue is now two or three times the cruise fare.

Maybe the legal system in Austraila makes it possible for cruiselines to engage in this practice there, but I can't imagine it happening here in the States. If people here in the US were turned away at the port, after having documents in hand, I can imagine a major law suit erupting. After all, you take off from work, book airfare in many cases to get to the port, and make all necessary arrangements to be away for the duration of the cruise. To get to the port and find out you're not sailing is a major, major life disrupting event!

Cruiselines will continue to overbook, of course. But then if they find themselves coming up "short" near sailaway date, they'll make juicy offers to people who will voluntarily move. It's worked in the past, and I can't imagine it won't continue to work.

Example: On my Hawaii/South Pacific cruise in January 2006, HAL made some AMAZING offers to people when they found themselves short. Who was targeted with these nice deals? The single supplement cabin holders. Why? Because to move a couple into one of those cabins generally doubles the onboard revenue.

And, by the way ... when I say AMAZING deals. How's this? 90 days of the World Cruise ... leaving one day sooner than this one, only from Fort Lauderdale. TA also told me that if I wanted to move, she was sure HAL would throw in HAL air to the embarkation port, and perhaps even return airfare from Rome. Only wish I could have taken it. 90 days sure beats 30, right?

Blue skies ...

--rita

[IBCRUZIN']

If at all possible, since I travel solo, I would volunteer to take the "bumped passenger compensation" offer.

If the cruise line replaced any airfare I had purchased or paid for rebooking my airfare, I would take the offer. I would get my money back, plus get a free cruise, plus get $500 to spend on the ship.

Yup, count me in. I can make this change -- easy.

[venice]

From an inventory management perspective..there must have been a computer glitch in their system that would produce that high of a number of denied boardings. There is more to this story then meets the eye because the line would "firm" their paid cabin inventory 120-90-60-30 days out which would have highlighted the problem. A group booking might have been at the base of the problem.

Everyone is right about volunteering. The more in a jam the cruise line is the better the offer and if the offer is made far enough in advance it is a win/win for everyone

[Dave the Wave]

I would volunteer to sleep on deck or in steerage, shower in the gym and travel for free with a free cruise in the future.

[msblackjack]

Originally Posted by Dave the Wave

I would volunteer to sleep on deck or in steerage, shower in the gym and travel for free with a free cruise in the future.

- now why would there be steers on board anyways

[Salty Dog]

Being retired and living near Tampa I'd love them to bump me and get a freecruise and $500. Can't believe they did'nt get vollenteers.

[beenie weenie]

Last year I got a call a few days before departure from NCL that our Sun cruise out of NOLA was overbooked. I was really unhappy that I was not in a position to take the generous offer the made us.
They offered a full refund of our cruise fare and a free cruise on the Sun the following week. Unfortunately we couldn't take it that time. I sure hope they overbook us again lol!

[Rev22:17]

venice,

Originally Posted by You

From an inventory management perspective..there must have been a computer glitch in their system that would produce that high of a number of denied boardings. There is more to this story then meets the eye because the line would "firm" their paid cabin inventory 120-90-60-30 days out which would have highlighted the problem. A group booking might have been at the base of the problem.

When it's that many cabins, the more likely scenario is that something unexpected happened that took cabins out of the expected inventory -- and there are several possibilities.

>> 1. If authorities are investigating a crime onboard a cruise ship, they often seal the cabin(s) that were involved in the crime to preserve evidence. If the crime occurs in a passageway on a cabin deck, it would take all cabins off of that section of passageway out of commission.

>> 2. If a ship has contractors coming onboard to do repair work while the ship continues to operate, the ship needs cabins to accommodate those contractors. This sometimes happens on short notice, and usually involves specialized work that the ship's personnel cannot perform, and it could also affect cabins within which the contractors are working. Still, it's less disruptive to "bump" three or four dozen passengers than to cancel the whole cruise.

>> 3. If a cruise line receives a request to transport somebody who requires special security arrangements (a head of state or a victim of stalking, for example), the security arrangmeents could take a block of cabins out of service while the party is onboard. In many cases, the security detail accompanying the party would occupy some of the affected cabins.

>> 4. There are various failures of the systems that provide hotel services that might arise with a ship's systems that would make a few cabins uninhabitable, but not necessarily require a yard visit to fix. For example, a blockage in the sewage system might make a couple dozen cabins uninhabitable until the ship can correct it.

So the situation that triggered the "bump" might not have been foreseeable.

Norm.

[spikedafort]

I also had friends that were actually called from NCL on that springbreak Sun cruise last year that were already driving from Arkansas to New Orleans that the ship was overbooked and was offered the same. But they couldn't take it either, since they had already taken that week off work and was literally driving to the port. So yes, it does happen here in the US.

[sidari]

There is No way this should happen!! Why?? because when you as an individual are booking online, or a TA is booking or the actual company is Booking for you then only one of the 3 people can actually view a particular cabin for sale!! the reason for that is to stop cabins being overbooked.....

I know its true because the cabin we have booked on Ruby princess for Late November was being viewed by Me online and the person from Princess could not open that cabin on their system until i closed my connection to that particular cabin!
they also confirmed that to be the case so there should never be any overbooking.

[cruise dreaming]

Could this be because of 'guarantee' bookings ? Aren't those are assigned after final payment or just before the cruise - thus filling the cabins that were previously assign but cancelled ?

[skymaster]

Originally Posted by cruise dreaming

Could this be because of 'guarantee' bookings ? Aren't those are assigned after final payment or just before the cruise - thus filling the cabins that were previously assign but cancelled ?

My thoughts exactly. I've had them assign my cabin for a GTY booking at the pier! I'd probably take them up on an offer like was mentioned above, even though it would make it a bit difficult to juggle around the vacation schedule at work. At least, we live close to the Florida ports, and don't have to worry about airline bookings, and schedules. Bring it on!

Ken
"Sky"

[Delft]

If over booking were to become an issue, my business is gone. Its not like a flight where I have been over booked on, but I always get to where I am going quite quickly, one day I was over booked in Sint Maartin, and had to stay an extra day, all expenses paid, not bad! I didnt mind at all. I would mind if a cruise was cancelled, it takes me longer to get to one, flights, a ride to new york, and it is more planning and its not like I can get another flight the next day and still get most of my trip in. No if that became a regular feature, I would be gone as a customer.

[bgsimp]

If this were a cruise out of Florida, I would love it if it happened to us. We live in Florida & are retired so for us it would be a good deal. If I had to pay airfare & this happened, it wouldn't be a pretty site !!!