basil92008

@cr8tiv1 - I received an email with booking information that included the following, emphasis added by me:

IMPORTANT REMINDERS FOR YOUR CRUISE

It's almost time for your cruise vacation! Please make sure you remember to:

- Download the MedallionClass app to complete cruise check-in and the

mandatory Health Questionnaire (MUST be completed by each guest at least 24 hours before your cruise).

- Bring proof of COVID-19 vaccination and acceptable proof of a negative viral

COVID-19 test (PCR or antigen) taken before the start of your cruisetour (for guests 2 years and older). For required timing, visit *****/pcl_ustest

- Select an arrival time to the pier on the MedallionClass app. For the health

and safety of all, do not arrive prior to your assigned check-in time.

- The ability to go ashore in ports of call is controlled by the ports we

visit and may depend on your vaccination date and booster status.

- Complete ArriveCAN in advance of your cruise and enter proof of vaccination

and travel information. Visit https://*****/pcl_arrivecan for instructions.

- We are unable to provide debark COVID-19 tests on voyages ending in Canada.

If you require a test to fly home, please make independent arrangements.

It would be nice if the app or the email would say if you didn't need to select an arrival time! Obviously the computer knows it, since it's not allowing me to chose. It would be as simple as a different error message stating "you don't need to chose an arrival time, all set". 

We are going on a cruise tour to Alaska in a little over a week. We are doing the land portion first. I am still unable to select an arrival time in the Medallion app, even though I am getting emails to do so. I just keep getting an error that "arrival groups will be available closer to the start of your journey".

I kind of figured since we are arriving on the train, which arrives in Whittier at 6 pm, that that would be our arrival time. I don't want to be delayed getting on, though, if there is something more I should be doing?

Anyone had this experience? I kind of thought maybe it was common, but I did a search and did not find any similar experiences.

Thanks!

They tested you twice? or some were tested on Thursday and some tested on Friday?

Interesting about the pretesting being on the honor system!!

When is the COVID test done? We are staying at Denali Princess and then taking the long 9 hour train to board the ship in Whittier. Will it be done that morning?

Do you get to swab yourself or does someone do it for you?

I thought I would come back to update this, in case someone was dealing with a similar scenario. 

I tried a few more times to get through to someone on the phone but was not successful. I work full time and my kids have a lot of activities and I just don't have hours to spend on the phone on hold. My husband encouraged me to just let it go as the cost of doing business/traveling in these crazy times. 

Someone suggested to me that I should contact them through social media. I send PMs on Twitter and Instagram but received no response. 

Finally, I posted on their Facebook page, basically a 2 sentence description of what happened. I had never done such a thing before, and was a bit embarrassed when I realized all of my friends could view it. However, I received a reply to send a PM on Twitter or Instagram, which I had already done, but I resent it.

Within hours, I received a reply that they would look into it. Later that evening, I received a call from an representative who already understood what had happened and admitted the error. There were some remaining confusion about reservations and card numbers, and he stated he would call me back the next day. He did, in fact, call me back, and process the refund. It is now credited to my original credit card. 

I am disappointed that I had to resort to social media shaming in order to access a representative who was trained to deal with such issues. I am disappointed that the first representative had such poor training as to mis-process the change in the first place. But I am glad to have my money back! And looking forward to my cruise.

Thank you all. It seems like Hapster is most likely correct. The person I spoke to did not seem confident/competent and seemed to struggle with the project of changing the flights (6 people across 2 different reservations). It's just SUCH poor customer service to say that there is no charge, and then charge what amounts to about $2200 on my credit card!!!

Caribill - United cancelled the flight. There were other suitable itineraries available, just increased in price from the original. I was promised there was no charge, but then charged $2200 for the change (to another United flight). If I had known of the charge, I obviously would have waited, but I was either lied to or dealt with someone so incompetent that they didn't know what they were charging. If I were dealing with United directly, I assume I would have been rebooked without a charge.

I suppose I should have waited for Princess to change it, but I did not know any better. This is my first cruise with Princess and my first time using EZAir. I was nervous that the flights would fill and I would have difficulty getting seats together with my young children. It seemed like calling was the right thing to do at the time, as that's what I would have done if dealing directly with an airline. I would NEVER imagine being told they were charging my credit card $1 but then being charged $2200!

I haven't had time to sit on the phone for hours since I posted, I'm not even sure when I can get to it. It's really so much money and it's so upsetting to me. 

We are 42 days out now. 

I booked the flights at 130 days out. The flights were changed at 76 days out. As stated, I chose EZAir because of the flexibility to cancel if the cruise had cancelled (or we decided not to go). But now really regret the decision. (and I feel REALLY stupid for not noticing until now)

As Steelers stated, and as noted in the message I got when I tried to log into the cancelled flights - "The flight itinerary you are trying to retrieve is not available because of a schedule change. Your flights will be updated shortly or you may search for new flights." Kind of implied that they would change the flights at no charge since the itinerary we had selected was no longer available. And that's also what I was told on the phone by the EZ Air agent I spoke to at the time.

Steelers is also correct that I could have rebooked the flights online myself if I had wanted to pay the extra money, that's why I called them in the first place!

I mean, if I booked a flight on United/American/Southwest/Delta, and then the flight was cancelled, they are obligated to put my on a different flight at the same price, right?

I feel trapped/scammed/hoodwinked/lied to 😞

Any tips on how to resolve, would much appreciate it. Will try calling Princess again and try to get customer relations as Steelers said when they open today.

Transferred to "resolutions" but they hung up on me after 1.5 hours on hold.

Try to call via TA but their hold time is between 1-1.5 hours.

this is actually a thread I made about it at the time 

I just talked to a Princess agent who basically said "well of course, if you chose new flights, you would be charged more" So mad.

I reserved EZ Air flights for my trip to Alaska this summer on 3/19/22. Each ticket was $682.

The original flight was cancelled by United, but Princess failed to update the trip details. So I called them to rebook the flights on 5/9.

The agent I spoke to said there was no charge, but requested my credit card number for some nominal fee - I can't remember if it was $1 or $2. 

However, I am just now noticing that they actually increased the price of each ticket to $1073 and charged my credit card for the difference. This is a substantial amount of money.

What is my best recourse? 

3 minutes ago, Steelers0854 said:

 

I have never heard of an at home PCR test, but yes if its a PCR (and not an antigen test) then your time frame is correct (within 3 days of departure).  But the question is when does your cruise tour actually start?  I would say at hotel checkin but do they consider the next day the start of your cruisetour?  If they do then no you would be outside the window.  It’s a total cluster.

Oops, sorry, I not a home test, but at a pharmacy near my home, instead of trying to schedule it while traveling. Seems simpler that way!  Yes, that was my question, do they count the cruise tour starting at hotel check in or when you get on the bus the next day? 

I strongly doubt this rigamarole is adding to our safety.

My goodness, tough for those of you who are leaving soon! I am annoyed at this extra step (when I could travel to Alaska and get on the bus/train and do the exact same activities without a COVID test, and not even have to wear a mask on the plane), but would be really mad if I had to scramble last minute for it.

If our cruise tour starts on 7/26 PM (hotel check in 4 pm), we can get a PCR (at home) on 7/23 and that would count as 3 days? We fly on 7/24 and have a few days in Anchorage beforehand. 

Thank you! That's the way I was leaning, just not sure if I was missing out on something significant.

The rooms I'm looking are on deck 11 and seem to be under the spa...that should be ok in terms of noise?

Is it better to be on port or starboard side for Bermuda?

Considering booking a trip on Norwegian Pearl from Boston to Bermuda next April. Family of 4, kids 8 and 11.

I was looking mainly at either the 2 bedroom family suite, or the Haven 2 bedroom family villa. Seems to be about a $2k price difference. It's confusing what you actually get for upgrading to the Haven in this case? The floor plan looks exactly the same.

Any advice on which to choose? Thanks!

We are going on an Alaska cruise tour, and reserved plane tickets through EZ Air from Boston to Anchorage (United), and then Vancouver back to Boston (Air Canada).

United changed schedules and the flights we reserved do not exist anymore. Reserving a new flight is significantly more expensive (>$300 pp and there are 6 of us). The itinerary has not been updated on the Princess site, but if you click on "change flights" it does display the message "The flight itinerary you are trying to retrieve is not available because of a schedule change. Your flights will be updated shortly or you may search for new flights."

I am worried we will need to pay more or not get flights. Or, end up with undesirable 12+ hour layovers, 2 stops, etc. What should the course of action be at this point?

Thanks!

It seems the same price to book the Crabfishing tour via the Princess website vs via the Costco shore excursion website vs via the Alaska Crab Tour website. 

I guess I am kind of leaning towards doing the kayaking my DH wants to do in Skagway via taking the ferry to Haines and either kayaking on the lake or in the ocean. Any opinions on which of those is better?

Maybe do a whale watch in Juneau and then explore the town and take on of the short hikes to the glacier.

I haven't been on a NCL ship since my honeymoon in 2008, so all this about The Haven is new to me 🙂

I am considering booking a trip in July 2023 on NCL Prima from Rekyavik to Southhampton. My 2 kids will be age 9 and 12 at that time. I'm trying to decide whether or not to pay the extra money for a Haven 2 bedroom villa vs a non-Haven family suite. The price difference is substantial, but I am not a very patient person and I don't love crowds (even pre-COVID).  So being in a less crowded restaurant, having a bar to go to that is not crowded, getting on/off the ship quickly, and not having to jockey for space outside to watch the scenery sounds appealing. 

But reading/watching some Youtube reviews, it seems like the Haven sundeck on the Prima is limited to 16+? Is there another outdoor place where Haven passengers of all ages can go to avoid crowds? Or will the benefit then just be the restaurant and butler service? With that itinerary we won't be swimming/sunbathing but it would be nice to be able to see the ship come into port, etc. 

Anything else I should be aware of? Sorry if these are silly questions!

The eagle feeding is on the crab fishing excursion? I didn't see that listed in the description. That's even more appealing then..

11 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

Is it one for all and all for one or will you go your separate ways depending on interests? 

We would prefer to stick together, I think.

We are booked on the Sapphire Princess from Whittier to Vancouver July 30, 2022.

My DH and I (early 40s) are going with our 2 kids (ages 11 and 8 then) and my parents (early 70s, in good health, active). Kids are good and can usually handle moderate activities but haven't been tested in different time zones in a long time.

My father and I are huge photo buffs. Could spend the week hunting for scenery and wildlife to photograph. The others...not so much.  No one wants to get on a helicopter or small plane.

My DH wants to kayak at least once. Everything sounds good to my kids right now, I'm not sure how they'll feel 10 days into a trip (we are also doing Denali before the cruise). Price is never NOT a consideration, but we aren't buying souvenirs and have budgeted to take some once-in-a-lifetime excursions.

Skagway - am considering taking the ferry to Haines and doing one of the boating excursions. Kayaking on Chilkat lake vs. Rafting through the eagle preserve (though some reviews said there weren't many eagles) vs. kayaking in the inside passage. Any advice which to pick?

Juneau - would like to see the Mendenhall Glacier but doesn't seem like we need a tour to do this. Same for tram. There are also kayaking or rafting excursions but not sure if those are better than the ones in Skagway or not? Should we do a specific whale watching tour or will we see enough whales from the cruise ship to be bored of them?

Ketchikan - the Bering Sea fisherman's tour seems to get good reviews, but seems pricey for what it is. Fishing sounds fun but not sure what one actually does with the fish afterwards? There are a variety of zodiac/inflatable tours but not sure if that's going to be too much small boating. Looked at taking the ferry to Misty Fjords but didn't seem to get great reviews, and don't want to do the plane after the recent accident.

Thanks in advance for any recommendation!