Strange Phonecall from Princess & AMEX

[AFT_LOVER]

I just was pre approved for a Platinum Amex card. I get $300 OBC on each Princess cruise I book. SO I wanted to expedite getting to Elite by booking a suite for short cruises. I saw Saphire Princess from Seattle to Vancouver & then back to San Francisco. SO 1 & 2 days cruises booked on 2 invoices for 4 points & we are Elite. So I phoned Amex Platinum Travel dept. I booked the 1 days trip in a suite. Then I called back, got a different person & booked the return, so it would no be a true B2B getting us 2 points not 4. SO now I book Saphire from Vancouver to San Fransico. All set, great price & 2 $300 OBC to use.

 

Then later in the afternoon I get a phonecall and it is Princess. He tells me that I booked an illegal cruise & they are voiding it. He tells me that I cannot sail the same ship to a foreign port & then back out. I could stay the night & sail out on Golden the next day to LA on a 3 day cruise. Then AMEX calls asking why I cancelled the cruise they booked. I want to scream!

 

Is this true?

[Druke I]

AMEX should not have booked you B2B. The combined cruises would be a violation of the Passenger Vessel Services Act.

[Toto2Kansas]

Is this true?

 

YES, this is true, they will not allow it. Sorry, but no way around it.

[luvs2travl]

I just was pre approved for a Platinum Amex card. I get $300 OBC on each Princess cruise I book. SO I wanted to expedite getting to Elite by booking a suite for short cruises. I saw Saphire Princess from Seattle to Vancouver & then back to San Francisco. SO 1 & 2 days cruises booked on 2 invoices for 4 points & we are Elite. So I phoned Amex Platinum Travel dept. I booked the 1 days trip in a suite. Then I called back, got a different person & booked the return, so it would no be a true B2B getting us 2 points not 4. SO now I book Saphire from Vancouver to San Fransico. All set, great price & 2 $300 OBC to use.

 

Then later in the afternoon I get a phonecall and it is Princess. He tells me that I booked an illegal cruise & they are voiding it. He tells me that I cannot sail the same ship to a foreign port & then back out. I could stay the night & sail out on Golden the next day to LA on a 3 day cruise. Then AMEX calls asking why I cancelled the cruise they booked. I want to scream!

 

Is this true?

 

100% true! Nice try though - I admire your ingenuity!! ;):D

[Krausssj]

Can she book them as a back to back with the one agent and just not get the credit? Is that legal? Can someone explain why doing that is illegal?

[RickEk]

Can she book them as a back to back with the one agent and just not get the credit? Is that legal? Can someone explain why doing that is illegal?

 

No she can't, because it's a violation of Federal law... Here's a link...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

 

Take the alternative and sail on the Golden the next day...

[TracieABD]

Also known as the Jones Act of 1920...

Sorry, It was a good plan!:)

[VibeGuy]

Unless the OP is cargo that can't unload itself, it's not the Jones Act. It's the PVSA.

 

No matter how clever you get, Princess is extremely interested in avoiding violations of the coastwise trading provisions of the PVSA and will stop you from doing anything that looks like sailing from one US port to another on the same ship without at least a 24 hour break or a stop at a port not in North or Central America.

 

People have tried various clever options like using one traveler's name on the booking and then changing to the real traveler closer to the sailing date or other subterfuges, but the penalty, contrary to popular myth on Cruise Critic, is applied to the cruiseline, not the traveler, and they are extremely motivated to avoid a $300 violation.

[rearadmiral]

The issue of legality has nothing to do with Amex, the travel agency or trying to accrue credit.

 

Back to back with the same line starting and ending the B2B in 2 different US ports violates the PVSA and the cruiselines dilligently self regulate or else they can face hefty fines.

 

There are several threads on the ins and outs of the PVSA.

[weberman]

Unless the OP is cargo that can't unload itself, it's not the Jones Act. It's the PVSA.

 

 

It also falls under the Jones Act in the Cabotage Section. The Cabotage provisions restrict the carriage of goods or passengers.

 

Having enforced the PVSA and Jones act for almost twenty-five years, IMHO both should be repealed. Both were built with the intent to protect American ship building which has been a failure. Just think of all the jobs and dollars it would provide to the U.S. if we could get some of those mega-cruise ships built in the U.S instead of Europe. The cost of the ships, for the most part, would have been less.

[caribill]

Having enforced the PVSA and Jones act for almost twenty-five years, IMHO both should be repealed. Both were built with the intent to protect American ship building which has been a failure. Just think of all the jobs and dollars it would provide to the U.S. if we could get some of those mega-cruise ships built in the U.S instead of Europe. The cost of the ships, for the most part, would have been less.

 

 

These acts were meant to encourage such ship construction in the USA, not discourage it.

 

If cruise ships could be built in the USA at a lower cost than elsewhere, then they would be, as no USA law prevents such construction.

 

Of course, the USA does not have the capability to do such ship construction any more, no matter what the price.

[caribill]

I saw Saphire Princess from Seattle to Vancouver & then back to San Francisco. SO 1 & 2 days cruises booked on 2 invoices for 4 points & we are Elite. So I phoned Amex Platinum Travel dept. I booked the 1 days trip in a suite. Then I called back, got a different person & booked the return, so it would no be a true B2B getting us 2 points not 4. SO now I book Saphire from Vancouver to San Fransico.

 

Then later in the afternoon I get a phonecall and it is Princess. He tells me that I booked an illegal cruise & they are voiding it. He tells me that I cannot sail the same ship to a foreign port & then back out. I could stay the night & sail out on Golden the next day to LA on a 3 day cruise.

 

 

Actually, you are fortunate that you received the call from Pricness the same day.

 

Others have reported being notified as late as the date for boarding the first of the two cruises. At least you have a chance to either cancel or book the option on the Golden.

[highheel girl]

I agree, could have been denied boarding on the second cruise.

[RickEk]

These acts were meant to encourage such ship construction in the USA, not discourage it.

 

If cruise ships could be built in the USA at a lower cost than elsewhere, then they would be, as no USA law prevents such construction.

 

Of course, the USA does not have the capability to do such ship construction any more, no matter what the price.

 

The US still has the capacity to build ships. It's just that our best shipyards build warships.

 

I agree, could have been denied boarding on the second cruise.

 

No, WOULD have been denied boarding. :)

[AFT_LOVER]

I was told I have to have 2 separate invoices to get the 4 points for 2 cruises. So that I had. I was sailing from USA to a foreign country, then from a foreign country to USA, but greatful to Princess for telling me that I cannot sail on the same ship.

 

Yesterday I get a call from Larry at Princess with 2 ships: Sapphire & Golden and again 2 different invoice numbers to get the 4 points. I will sail Sept 25 from Seattle to Vancouver on Sapphire & then on Golden Sept 26 to Los Angeles. Then in the mail we get 4 booklets advertising 2 for 1 sales and the Coastal has the ships & dates in it.

 

So will this be legal??? Would hate to be stuck or lose all that money.

[pablo222]

Is this true?

 

Why wouldn't we believe you?

[pgintct]

Yesterday I get a call from Larry at Princess with 2 ships: Sapphire & Golden and again 2 different invoice numbers to get the 4 points. I will sail Sept 25 from Seattle to Vancouver on Sapphire & then on Golden Sept 26 to Los Angeles. Then in the mail we get 4 booklets advertising 2 for 1 sales and the Coastal has the ships & dates in it.

 

So will this be legal??? Would hate to be stuck or lose all that money.

Based on the Princess website and the brochure which I also received, Sapphire Princess will be in the middle of the Pacific somewhere between San Francisco and Hawaii on the 25th of September. Sapphire is scheduled to arrive in Vancouver on the 20th of September.:confused:

[Hulagirl]

From the Princess web site it shows the Sapphire sailing from SEA to Vancouver on September 19 and the Golden sailing from Vancouver to Los Angeles on September 26. I think Larry at Princess had his dates wrong. Would hate to see you get to the pier and the ship had already sailed.

[COMBOY]

I was told I have to have 2 separate invoices to get the 4 points for 2 cruises. So that I had. I was sailing from USA to a foreign country, then from a foreign country to USA, but greatful to Princess for telling me that I cannot sail on the same ship.

 

Yesterday I get a call from Larry at Princess with 2 ships: Sapphire & Golden and again 2 different invoice numbers to get the 4 points. I will sail Sept 25 from Seattle to Vancouver on Sapphire & then on Golden Sept 26 to Los Angeles. Then in the mail we get 4 booklets advertising 2 for 1 sales and the Coastal has the ships & dates in it.

 

So will this be legal??? Would hate to be stuck or lose all that money.

 

Well, this is legal; however, according to my schedule SEA/VAN is Sep 19-20; and VAN/LA is Sep 26-29. You would have to do a hotel for 6 nights in VAN. As long as your stop over is over 24 hours this is OK. Again, double check your dates.

[pablo222]

So will this be legal??? Would hate to be stuck or lose all that money.

 

Brenda -- why don't you just spend the money on your next cruise, on whatever benefit you think you're going to get by being elite?

 

Personally, I wouldn't pay hundreds to get a drink setup, and laundry.

(as you're already platinum and have internet benefit)

 

Being elite doesn't guarantee you the most traveled pax lunch/reception,

that's number of days.