CissyFuss

Finally a reason to buy an iPhone in preference to an android phone:

Princess MedallionClass app for iPhone:  4.6 star rating

Princess MedallionClass app for android:  1.7 star rating (severley overrated!)

Enough said.

Whoops, newbie mistake.  Edited.

32 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Did your TA handle that cancelled cruise?

If they did they should be able to flow up for you.

I would imagine Princess is inundated with all these canceled cruise etc so it may be some time.

Unfortunately, rather than using our usual TA, we had been lured by a terrific online deal which combined the cruise with three nights accommodation in Singapore.  They have offered a total refund for the deal and it should arrive in about 30 days time.

Can't argue that Princess admin must be extremely busy at the moment refunding cancelled cruise passengers.  Just glad they eventually made the decision to cancel their "Asia" cruise season, what turmoil.

Thank you for your answers, JF - retired RRT and Colo Cruiser.  We use a TA so that is our issue.  Can't believe that this info isn't available to see online.  Was hoping to get advance warning of when to expect a refund for our cancelled Asian cruise.

On 1/9/2017 at 9:38 AM, blkspy said:

Just curious...How many pages do you have to go back to respond to a post from 2008? 9 years ago?

 

Just Asking

I find the Princess site difficult to navigate around at times so I googled "can i find out how much i owe on my princess cruise on their website" and this thread was one of the search results.

Still no wiser about where to see payment or balances on the Princess site.

Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences.  Unfortunately, I won't need to take advantage of some good advice as our Sapphire Princess cruise has been cancelled,

Some great info here and I no longer need it as our Sapphire Princess cruise has been cancelled.  The taxi mafia might be out-of-pocket with so many Asian itineraries not going ahead this year.  Sure they'll work out some way to make up the shortfall, beware.

Disappointed to say our cruise on Sapphire Princess has been cancelled and so we won't need to apply for e-visas for Vietnam.  Thank you for your help, Expat Cruise.  Frustrated that Princess insisted that e-visas would not be acceptable when it is patently obvious that they are.

Sorry to hear about the abrupt end to your cruise, cruisehabits.  Hope you are adequately compensated.

Thank you so much for such a detailed reply, NeilonBoard.  Really resent being scammed, especially by taxi drivers. Just reread your first reply on this thread, 1200 baht sounds a lot friendlier than the other prices I'm seeing.

As of a few days ago, Princess cruises no longer stop at Sihanoukville due to "ongoing construction and unfavourable road conditions".  Check your Princess personalizer for your updated itinerary.

When you return home, cruisehabits, please share your taxi experience to and from Pattaya.  We're also looking at an overnight stay in Pattaya and trying to avoid being ripped off.

Will definitely be checking out private transfer options for an overnight stay in Pattaya.  Thanks for your recommendation, Expat Cruise.  Get tired of the dreaded ferang (falang) prices in Thailand.  Currently feeling that Princess has greedily copied the same pricing model for it's shuttles, tours and visas.

Usually when we're in Thailand we rely on our feet or the baht bus to get around.  Hate being treated like a walking ATM.

On 1/8/2020 at 10:55 AM, NeilonBoard said:

I have seen private taxis waiting at the port gate and it is only a 200 metre walk if you allowed to access them. We have used them in the past but the rules may have changed.

 All my research about the distance from the ship to the port gate indicates a distance of 3km.  Would be pleasantly surprised if it were only 200m.  Please confirm, NeilonBoard.

12 hours ago, dogs4fun said:

We obtained our visas (3year, multi entry) ourselves through ILS (we are US citizens). Our travel agent was not able to assist with a visa - we had to complete the Russian visa application ourselves & obtain the letter of invitation. Australian travel agents are able to help obtain your Russian visa?

Very pleased that our travel agent can help as the paperwork seems horrendous.  Find it hilarious that any accommodation house can provide the letter of invitation, even if you don't plan to be their guests.

We looked at the effort involved in getting a Russian visa and decided that even though it's expensive to go through our travel agent, there is no way we would attempt to get the visa ourselves.

We need multi entry visas as we fly into St Petersburg the day before heading off on an ocean cruise of the Baltics,  arrive back in St Peterburg for a couple of days touring by ourselves and then join a river cruise to Moscow.  Even if we'd only done the river cruise we would have needed a single entry visa.  FYI  Travelling on Australian passports.

Researching what to do by ourselves in St Petersburg and can't believe some of the wonderful architecture we can expect to see.  Counting down to the end of June.

I can't understand why you are uncertain of the use of e-visa at Hon Gai Seaport, Aradom.  The Vietnamese government's list of e-visa ports lists Hon Gai Seaport as #28 on it's acceptability list:

https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/documents/20181/117155/List-of-evisa-port.pdf/c774e24b-1ab8-4fb6-9ac1-dcdfaccecf8e

What timing!  Just received this email from Princess Cruises this morning.

"Please Share Your Thoughts About Princess Cruises

Dear CissyFuss
    
We'd like to ask you a few questions about cruising and about Princess Cruises.

Please click the link below to participate in this brief survey:

Click here to take the survey

Please note, we kindly ask that you keep the contents of this survey confidential.

Best regards,
Princess Cruises"

I don't think I dare share my thoughts with them at this stage or they mightn't let me board the Sapphire Princess at the end of March.  Thanks to Princess, my struggles for clarity on procuring a Vietnam visa have turned my hair grey!

datone, can you please tell me what Entry through checkpoint and Exit through checkpoint you listed on your e-visa application.

Don't want to believe that Princess is charging such high prices for providing visas and are unwilling or unable to provide accurate information.

Just when I thought it was safe.  The following is the new Princess advice for visa requirements:

VIETNAM VISA/PASSPORT REQUIREMENT

A Vietnam visa is required for most guests on this voyage, including Australian, Canadian, New Zealand and U.S. passport holders. You may either obtain the visa on your own before your cruise, or a visa will be issued upon arrival in Vietnam. If you choose to have the visa issued on board, a visa fee of USD $56.00 per person (USD $76.00 per person for those participating on an overland package) will be charged to your stateroom account. If you obtain the visa on your own it cannot be an electronic visa (eVisa).

That last sentence has only been recently added as I previously made a copy of Princess' visa requirements and no reference was made to eVisas.  Frustrating that Princess appear to be stating something that does not appear to be true.

Finally I can rest easy thanks to Expat Cruise and hubofhockey.  Thanks also to others who have shared their visa experiences.  The vietnam visa has been an incredibly difficult visa to get facts about as far as which ports accept e-visas.

The Vung Tau Commercial Port's own website confirms that Phu My is part of Vung Tau which is #33 on Vietnam's list of ports where e-visas are accepted:

http://www.vpa.org.vn/vungtau-commercial-port/

It is one of the South Area ports listed on the right of the page.