Just love 2 cruise

47 minutes ago, twincheryl said:

Totally agree with this situation.  As with the great evening buffet debacle of January 2023, I suggest that as many people as possible email executiveoffice@celebrity.com.  While I don't imagine that the response will be the same as many of us received last January (with a very quick phone call from a rep and buffet soon back to almost normal), they really need to know that this is not ok.  As with several issues over the years, possibly this will make a difference. Possibly the new executive team will just ignore us... no way to know unless we try.

 

I already emailed and expressed my sadness that after many Celebrity cruises over the years, I will not be booking more than I already have booked before this ridiculous price increase.  Just sad for those who cruise solo through no choice of their own... like having a spouse die or being divorced... not to mention those who choose to be single.  I have never complained about paying the price for double occupancy, but this new pricing strategy has significantly increased even that.  Here is an example... 10/1/24 11nt Canaries & Portugal... double occ $6559 cruise only... solo cruise only $9320.  More than ridiculous!

For what it is worth..I  Spoke to my Vacation Planner who told me the current ‘deal’ which is 75% off second guest was not carried over to the solo traveller. However IF that deal is taken off the table then the pricing for solo travellers would balance that of double occupancy. She said HO is aware but she has not heard of any changes coming down the pipeline

On 12/27/2023 at 1:23 PM, Jim_Iain said:

I would do the exact same.     Just make a dummy booking with any name as second passenger and unfortunately they got sick and couldn't make the cruise.

Do you tell the cruise line 48 hours before boarding or wait until you are on board to tell them that one is a no show so they do not try to reprice you as a singe? Does a last minute cancellation affect the manifest or cause an issue to the one cruising? 

I just did a mock booking for a cruise in July 2024. If I book as two people the prices is $8,994.52 (Canadian funds…cruise only…included gratuities…non refundable…concierge cabin) then I did the exact same thing but as a solo and the price jumped to $11,938.26 how is that possible? I am waiting to speak to Vacation planner at Celebrity in case it is just a web issue but from hearing from others the pricing might actually be accurate. 
why should I be paying $3000 more as a solo? How does one get around this gouging? 

Oh dear..I feel your pain and frustration. Your credit card company has provided proof that the funds were returned to Princess or do you just have proof the funds were deducted from your CC? 
My bank’s credit card company would not return the money saying the transaction was an International one and once funds were given to me by my credit card company and the 45 days to dispute by Princess had expired they say the case is closed. According to my CC company once a charge is disputed outside of Canada they get Visa International involved to follow through on the dispute. They never go back through Visa International to return the duplicate money and that is why I had to deal with Princess directly. However, in my girlfriend’s case her bank is ‘returning’ the money to them so not sure how that process will work. But I will tell her of your situation too because I suspect that while the money has been returned their accounts receivable are a mess to track down a returned deposit with no reference booking # that went into a USD account and therefore the amount would have been  changed. 
I am sorry about your losing the FCC and hopefully that can be reinstated. 
if you can show Princess the day funds were taken  from your CC then at least they can start looking at that day. As others have suggested perhaps a call or letter to the CEO would help as it would appear they need more staff in AR to sort this out. 

20 minutes ago, SJunie said:

@Just love 2 cruise Thank you for sharing your experience. I too, am in the same boat as you were. Because I no longer even have that credit card, I have to wait for my hard copy statements to arrive from the bank, so that I can double check everything.

Even though I have apprised Princess of this, I still get weekly emails and phone calls. How interesting that they are so quick to return all my emails and phone calls now when they weren't at all when I was trying to get MY refund.

This happened to my girlfriend who was taking the cruise after ours. She made her deposit in the fall of 2019 and Her card was compromised in January 2020  so she got a new card. However, when Princess was slow in returning her deposit her credit card company got involved and refunded her the deposit. Princess did eventually refund her the deposit (approximately June 2020) but because it went automatically to the old card she was not able to see the refund as she no longer got statements. It was a mess but eventually 7 months later and her persistence to her credit card company to look for the refund as she was getting biweekly letters from Princess she demanded Visa return the money to Princess. (Personally I think she should have paid Princess directly as I had done because now she waiting for proof from Visa that the deposit was returned so she can forward the confirmation to the contact on the letter at Princess).
Getting the credit card company involved at the beginning when things were crazy and Princess was so slow in processing the refunds was great, especially with my large deposit outstanding ($1000 +) but the after effect of returning the funds is a bit of a nightmare. 

I hope you have success in proving that you did receive the refund from Princess on your old credit card and then can reimburse Princess and close the file. As an after thought....did you get a different credit card with the same bank? In my girlfriend’s case since her old card was closed and a credit showed up (the refund) the credit balance was transferred to her new card but did not show as a Princess transaction but just as a credit with no reference as to where it came from and that credit transaction showed up about 2-3 months AFTER the initial refund was processed by Princess back to credit card. I mention this because it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. 

good luck
 

I have not checked our FICO (Equifax in Canada) but I do not believe it was affected as the collection was still part of Princess’s department within their Accounts Receivable and had only just been started by them (first letter was December 15, 2020). Having worked in Financial Institutions for most of my career I was not too worried about the issue going on to affect my credit score. I knew I owed the money but assumed it was to my credit card company not Princess. Miscommunication from my credit card company and then the letter from Princess with an mailing address as a PO Box that differed from the envelope, an email that was not addressed as Princess, Customer Service not knowing anything about the person who had written the letter and finally a payment demand in USD for a deposit paid in Canadian were all raising the hairs on the back of my neck for authenticity. In the end, the letter was legit and the balance was paid within 30 days of the initial letter. And I have a follow up letter confirming the balance has been paid in full.

But you are right, if there were/are repercussions To my credit score I will be bringing it to Princess’s attention. If only they had not taken 3 months to refund a fully refundable deposit none of this would have happened. But that is my 20/20 hindsight. Let us hope sailing can resume by the end of the year or early 2022 at the latest. 

No, I was not able to pay in CDN dollars but I did negotiate a decrease in the amount payable to cover the fluctuating exchange rate. Every demand letter I got had a different amount payable and when I used my bank’s rate of exchange the value was different and higher than what I actually paid in the beginning! . Super glad that fiasco is over with!

20 hours ago, brisalta said:

 

hagroup.com is Holland America Group which is part of CCL. Princess Cruise Lines is part of the Holland America Group.

Various back office functions are shared by the constitutent cruise lines of Holland America Group.

It would be nice if Princess and the other lines listed on their web sites which functions are shared with Holland America Group.

Thank you, your answer has put most of my concerns regarding legitimacy of the letter to rest. I had assumed correspondence would have come from princess.com not hagroup.com

2 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

Same contact. I have only been able to call outside of office hours as I am at work during their office hours. I would prefer to correspond via email so I have a paper trail.

 

Despite the fact they claim to only take USD there is. nothing to prevent you sending a cheque in CAD for the exact amount you owe. Any bank accepts cheques in different currency. The exchange tate is then factored theirend.

Good point! I did get an email response from E. Perez

48 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

It's very simple, you owe the money, pay it.

Princess can't talk to you, or collect the funds directly  from you because they have turned it over to a collections agency. The collections agency is not Princess. They bought the debt from them, and if they only accept US Dollars, so be it. The fact that you don't like the exchange rate has no bearing on the situation. Pay them.

Thank you for your direct response. I know I owe the money and the collection department is still part of Princess as that is the letterhead used. 

59 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

Princess just sent me an invoice! - Princess Cruises - Cruise Critic Community

 

This thread shows lots of others have started receiving these letters, too. I am in the same boat as you - Canadian, paid in Canadian Dollars but payment demand in USD. I have received 2 demands in 2 days, each for different amounts (maybe due to exchange rates?). I have yet to hear back from them, despite having left 2 voicemails and 2 emails. Ball is in their court now.

I am wondering if your contact is the same as mine..E. Perez? I have had no problem speaking to her directly, in fact she picks up the telephone immediately! If others are getting these letters then can I assume that the letter is legitimate and not very well thought out for guests who are not American?

25 minutes ago, dog said:

I would call Princess and ask for a Supervisor. Ask if you can repay Princess directly in CAD. 
I can see the problem, as too much time has passed, but would still  be Leary with so many scams. 

I did call Princess and ask and because it is now over in ‘Collections’ apparently that department can only take USD. 

I am hoping my fellow Canadians who had booked a Princess cruise and went through their credit card company for the refund for their deposits have possible answers to my current problem. 
 

Like many fellow cruisers who cancelled cruises in 2020 I too cancelled my TA In April 2020 but Princess was extremely slow in refunding my fully refundable deposit of $1297.00 CDN. So, like many I got my Credit Card company involved who did refund me the deposit in June 2020. About three weeks later Princess also refunded the deposit. I called my CC immediately to ask them to stop the process and they advised they could not do it but must follow their procedure to investigate the claim. I called the CC three times over the next few months to tell them I have a double refund and to take their money, they said the would look Into it. 

Advance 6 months and I now have a letter from Princess’s Accounts Receivables and Collections  saying I owe them a USD $1015.62. I checked with my CC first and they confirmed they did get their money from Princess so their accounts are balanced and they advised me to deal with Princess regarding the double payment. I know I do owe the money back but it is the manner in which I am being asked to pay up.
 

The return address on the envelope is different that where I am to send money, the telephone number provided by the writer cannot be found on reverse telephone lookup. The email address for any communication was hagroup.com (not Princess) and the letter itself looks to have been photocopied. One cannot be too careful with scams out there,  so I called Princess’s 1-800 and they washed their hands of dealing with it and referred me back to the letter. 
I did call the writer who said their department can only take USD funds, they have no way of dealing with another currency. Our exchange rate is not the best and I do not want to pay in USD for a Canadian purchase. How is this possible that a company as large as Princess cannot deal in my currency? They certainly booked my cruise in Canadian dollars! 
 

How can I be sure that the letter is legitimate and I can safely give this person my credit card number over the telephone? Has anyone else received such a letter and responded to them? I really just want to be sure this is not a scam because of all the discrepancies in the communication. 
 

Jan

On 1/20/2009 at 9:26 PM, Mysticks1 said:

Cabin reports on this thread have been compiled into a spreadsheet that can be read online or downloaded to Excel for further review and research. The date of the spreadsheet reflects the last update.

 

 

Thanks for your contribution.

 

 

Google Spreadsheet

 

 

Please use this format for posting your cabin reviews. Feel free to add photos or links to photos also.

 

SHIP: REFLECTION

CABIN #: 1243

DECK #: 10

CLASS: C2

AREA: NEXT DOOR TO A ROYAL SUITE

BED NEAR: BATH

QUIET?: EXTREMELY QUIET

BALCONY VIEW: UNOBSTRUCTED - ON THE HUMP

BALCONY SIZE: LARGER THAN MOST

WIND A PROBLEM?: NO

SOOT A PROBLEM?: NO

PROBLEMS/COMMENTS: EXTRA DEEP BALCONY WITH TWO LOUNGERS, TWO CHAIRS, TWO FOOT STOOLS AND A TABLE. ALMOST TOO MUCH FURNITURE. THE ROOM STEWARD'S STORAGE CLOSET WAS OUTSIDE OUR ROOM BUT ABSOLUTELY NO NOISE TO BE HEARD FROM THEM. 

Thank you for the information, I was also thinking it might be noisy next to splash academy. May I ask how old your children are...would they enjoy going to splash academy. Also do you know how much evening child minding costs? I see that it is possible to have a children’s group evening event so the parents could enjoy some time alone and I am not sure if it is an extra charge? 

Since my nephew has not cruised I want their first experience with their young children to be positive and relaxing for all. 

Connecting would be ideal but it appears the ones with the larger balconies are not connecting. With a family of four I do not think my nephew and his family would be comfortable with those tiny balconies unless they take turns going outside...lol. So I think I will give up connecting and be next door. Outdoor space is important to me

That is excellent feedback..thank you bonvoyagie. I will go back to my TA and ask to switch, after all it is a 7 day cruise of which 3 are sea days

Yes I should add that it is the Breakaway. I dismissed the aft cabins due to the price. So would deck 8 forward with the larger balconies be better than deck 12 with joining cabins? 

Anyone have an issue with noice from the Splash Academy? 

Hello fellow cruisers

I am an experienced cruiser with another cruise line and am taking my first cruise on Norwegian with my nephew, his wife and two children 8 & 6 yrs next May. They are not cruisers. I am in the process of trying to decide on the various cabin categories..there are so many...that might be suitable. They would be in one cabin and I in another. 

My TA has indicated she can get me joining cabins on deck 12 directly opposite the Splash Academy. Both are called Family mini suites, M2 and a M3. Not sure the room is big enough for the family of four even with one bed dropping from the ceiling for one of the children. Once the couch is made up into a bed is there still room to move around? The balcony looks so tiny I cannot imagine a family of four being able to sit outside on it but perhaps the picture is deceiving? If the cabin is joining does anyone know if the balcony can be opened between cabins as well? 

Another option is the mini suites with larger balconies on Deck 8 but I am wondering if noise will be a factor as it appears many of the restaurants are there and it is the front of the ship (I must admit I usually cruise aft) so being in the front may be bumpy or noisy when the drop the anchor?

I have been reading the reviews that others have posted and I have a lot to learn about this cruise line especially with the multitude of dining options, however first things first...location, location, and size.

What cabin category or deck level would you recommend? 

Thank you

Jan

Aka...Just Love 2 Cruise

On 10/16/2018 at 5:02 PM, hcat said:

Best  post of the day...

but I am using the Help Thread to work through my issues and ignoring all the added stuff  I don't want or need!

Cheers!

I cannot even find the *help thread*..I am seriously technically challenged. 

Two factors at play.....

 

The fare class you book into defines what the cost of seat selection is. There is no guarantee that the fare class you are booked into with Choice Air is one that Air Canada offers to the general public.

 

The extra fees on Air Canada are independently priced in CDN and US dollars. They don't normally change thouse due to currency variations. So depending on Trump, the price of oil, or any host of other factors the CDN dollar may be up or down relative to US dollar. However Air Canada is not constantly changing the advance seat selection fee to reflect this. End result is sometimes it is cheaper one way or the other.

 

Choice Air being a US company it is not surprising they have purchased the flight in US dollars.

Thank you for your input and perhaps I was not clear in my post.

I understand that Choice Air being a US company would purchase the flight in USD and calculate that rate into CDN dollars and advertise that price in CDN and then charge me in CDN dollars. Which they have done. I accept that. Had I bought my cruise in USD my flights would have been in USD pricing as well. But since my cruise is CDN so is my cost for the plane ticket. I cannot have cruise payment in one currency and flights in another.

What I was upset about was the lack of communication to the purchasers to understand that any upgrades either a seat selection, paying for luggage or even pre-ordering a meal will now be in USD ONLY, even though I paid for my ticket in Canadian dollars. I never expected seat selection or luggage to be free as someone was thinking I was assuming. That is not the case. It was In which currency I would be charged.

6rugrats...yes, I have spent too much time and aggravation on this. I just wish I had known in advance that I would be paying for things in two currencies. And I am obviously the only person that did not know this is what happens when booking with Choice Air.

Hello fellow travelers,

Sorry this is a bit long winded...

I am hoping someone can explain or confirm how Choice Air operates its relationships with airlines outside of the US.

I am a CDN flying to FLL in January. I checked Canadian airlines individually and then looked at my options through Choice Air. Choice Air had the best prices (approx $110 in savings) and the times I wanted for my flights so I called a Choice Air agent and booked my flights with my CDN credit card

After the call, I went on the AIr Canada website to select a seat. I wanted more leg room. And here is where I found a ‘big unknown’ to me. The price for the seat selection was $48 USD. (Had I booked directly with AC The price for the same seat was $35 CDN). I paid for my ticket with Canadian funds. I called AC directly and they said because the third party had paid for my seat in USD then all subsequently purchases (seats, food, luggage) will be in USD. Is that true? No-one at Choice Air EVER told me that any subsequent purchases are in USD. Note..I do understand that if my flight is from a USA city, my seat upgrade would be in USD (same with extra luggage fees). If I am starting my travel from a CDN city should not all prices be in CDN for that portion of a trip?

So 30 minutes after booking my flights through Choice Air, I called them back and cancelled the flights. The *deal* for the flights was not a deal when I would be paying for any upgrades in USD. BTW, that $48 seat was charged as a USD amount to my CDN credit card so the final price in CDN was $63.00! I did cancel that too and got my money refunded on the seat. I was told by Choice Air that because I cancelled within the 24 hour period of booking I would get a refund but it would take 7-10 business days. We are now up to 15 business days and all I am getting is a run around.

To be clear..I will continue to deal with Choice Air to get my money back as that is my problem to resolve and not the reason for my posting. If you do have an answer..I would love to hear it.

My question to the forum...am I the only one who did not know that if you book with Choice Air your upgrades, baggage are in USD even though your cruise and credit card are in CDN? Would the same thing happen if traveling to Europe?

Hi, I have used AirBnB quite a few times.

Tip- put in whether you want a share house (ie a room) or the place to yourself (ie- whole house/flat).

look at the map as it's easier to see where they are. Click on ones that are your price range.

Read the reviews. beware of ones that only have a photo of a bedroom for example. The room may look nice but the place my be awful. We read one listing where the owner cancelled the booking close to the date a few times. Obviously we didn't look at that one.

We have only had one that was less than expected but the price should have alerted us to that.

We started with places to ourselves but the last 3 we just had a room. 2 were OK, one was fantastic. Lovely single guy in a new apartment.

Check out the cleaning fees. Some have a low price but high cleaning fee. AirBnB better for a few nights because of this.

Also there are many illegal ones (eg Hawaii) and people have stated that they are being closed down. I don't know what happens with your money in that case. Bit of a worry. Our Hawaii one, no one was there and we panicked a bit. She turned up 25minutes later.

Thank you - this information has been very helpful.

hello fellow cruisers,

My two girlfriends and myself are travelling together next summer on a British Isles Cruise and are currently exploring using Airbnb or Homeaway to find a place to stay in London post cruise. As there are three women we figured this might be a better option than a hotel so we all have comfortable beds and a bit more space. We have never used Airbnb and wanted to hear from those that have used either one how they enjoyed the experience and what we should look for. Location is key and from what I have read as long as we are close to public transportation we can pretty much get anywhere.

In the places you stayed, were the pictures posted to the Airbnb website accurate or if not how were they not? What would you tell a first time person to ask the host or what should we look for (besides location) in finding the perfect accommodation within our budget? Is air conditioning important in London in August? What was your biggest disappointment in using Airbnb/Homeaway?

Was your Airbnb a 'walk-up' flat? How far out in advance did you book or recommend we book.

Any suggestions or comments on your experience are greatly appreciated. Thanking you in advance for taking the time to respond.

Would I specifically book another President's Cruise? Nope!

I was on one in the Mediterranean in 2014 when Michael Bayley was President. We were treated to a lovely dinner on shore but bussing the 1200 guests to the venue was a nightmare and although Elite Plus, only the Zeniths really got the extra special attention.

Yes there were a few nicer gifts delivered to the stateroom and when the Captain's hosted the Elite cocktail hour the Executives were there. Once you moved through the receiving lines I never saw them again. The VP's closed ranks around the president and only a few select got to talk to them. I would see several VP's walking around the ship in groups too large to walk up and say hello. The overall feeling I had At any venue where the President was present was 'You can look, but don't touch/talk" definitely not my idea of a cruise. Certainly not one that costs more money.

The Q&A was interesting though.

Perhaps the new President is more approachable and encourages her staff to truly interact with those that pay her salary. Personally, I would not book a cruise because it is a President's Cruise.