Cowardly Princess Cruises treats passengers with contempt

[Shogun]

Hi Ooops

 

Sorry that you find yourself in this mess, you did not go a cruise to get

 

stressed out by all these changes, Princess is bad at telling its passengers

 

things, and should do more to assist you.

 

We only ever book packages when traveling so far away from home,

 

so have always had Princess to look after us when things go wrong.

 

Hope you can get flights.

 

yours Shogun

[robgvic]

I can imagine how upset the OP is but agree with Pam that they just came here to vent. I am surprised that no one else on the ship has come on here.

The thing to remember is that is you arranged air and cruise with Princess then they are responsible but if only the cruise they are responsible only for Shanghai to Osaka. They did agree to pay for any change fees which they should have as the final destination changed.

Why should they apologize . Did Princess cause the earth quake? I doubt Princess made the decision to cancel Osaka much before they were told. Even if told early th OP would have not been able to cancel without losing the full fare. As someone here said, Princess reserves the right to change ports.

[Pam in CA]

A BIG 'THANK YOU' for all those who understand our situation. For those of us who didn't purchase air with Princess, our travel arrangements home are through Osaka...which we will now have to change to Hong Kong...at our own expense (less the change fees...whoopie) through our limited resources on the ship. Princess has allowed us free internet and phone calls up to the evening of March 23 (we embarked on March 20th). I would have rather they help us with our air arrangements than to give us free internet/phone calls.

I understand where you're coming from but it was your choice to book air, hotel, etc. independently. If you'd booked through Princess, they would do as you're asking and you'd be taken care of. That's one of the benefits of booking through the cruiseline; they take care of you. Yes, it can be more expensive but that's not the route you chose. When you book independently, you're on your own. I think Princess is doing the right thing by giving you free Internet and phone calls, and I'm guessing since people on the ship have posted on this forum, the Internet couldn't be that bad. It sounds to me that some people want their cake and eat it too: they didn't want to pay Princess for air even though they know they'd be taken care of in the event of a problem, and now they want the same benefit that they weren't willing to pay for.

[Loonbeam]

A couple of factors to be aware of here. While the area around Osaka is not directly affected, it would not surprise me at all to know that port has been retasked for the import of supplies and may not be available to Princess (I cannot confirm this). In addition, the route to Osaka may be through a potentially contaminated zone (it looks like it would be on the map, requiring a large detour that may have to change again depending on wind conditions). Add into that the demand for exit flights from Japan and I can see why Princess did not port there.

 

That said, there are some things Princess could obviously do to assist the situation. They cannot directly help with flights not booked through them as they don't have access to the PNRs. But they might consider arranging a charter flight from HK to Osaka for those who are willing to take the risk (with a waiver signature at minimum). Or arranging phone or internet resources at the next port if possible.

 

As far as port cancellations, yes, that really sucks, but they don't have a lot of options there, and other than the final port, the best scenario is to play it day to day until a decision MUST be made.

 

Finally, situations like this, as rare as they may be, are my #1 reason for sticking with a tried and true TA with whom I have an ongoing relationship, OBC and discounts be damned. That's because I know if something like this happens, my only actions needs to be sending an email to the agency "Help! Princess reroute, now disembarking Hong Kong 4/1" and they will take care of it from there, up to and including handling travel insurance claims. Even a basic online TA should be assisting in this matter.

 

Also, while Travel Insurance may not cover all actual expenses depending on policy, most have a 24 hour line for assistance with rebooks, etc, which may also help (the company I use does at least).

[gertz]

It happened to us but nothing on the order of what is going on with these people.

This is the 1st thread I have gone back and read every post twice and the posts from the OP and ooops more than twice.

I have been through something like this with Princess but on a much much smaller scale. We were held at sea due to a hurricane for 2 days which meant all air connections were missed but if you did air with Princess they did all the changes for you at no cost you had to do nothing, maybe a lesson. If you did your own air, which I always do you got a phone call and free internet which we had any way. Princess would not help in no way shape or form. This was a terrible mess and we were just off the coast of FLL. These people are on the other side of the world. This is apparently Princesses MO in this situation. I think it is wrong.

This is what I think and this is based on taking care of your customers not on the contract we all agree to which in this case I'm not sure would stand up.

The Ocean, Tahitian when I was on it is a small ship think 670paxs. Princess has a big air department which probably does nothing but air. It would be a simple matter for Princess to redo all passenger tickets out of the new departure point, with the paxs approval, instead of disrupting the cruise at the start which was already disrupted due to the disasters. It just makes since.

[ooops]

I totally agree with Paul. This is where travel insurance is so important. It will pay for out of pocket expenses, changes to itineraries, and trip delays. I would have appreciated Princess keeping me away from potential damaging effects of radiation, rather than complain.

 

I wasn't trying to complain...just stating the facts (ok...maybe a little bit of complaining...which under the circumstances, I think I'm entitled to). Yes, we have travel insurance, but this rerouting of the Ocean Princess can be construed as due to an act of god and as such we would not be compensated (as I am on the ship, I am unable to contact my travel insurance to confirm or deny this). Regardless, this is not what I had in mind when I booked this vacation. It's three in the morning here in Asia and I can't go bed because I have to call my travel agent back to know what he can do for me in regards to changing my return flights (What will my change fees be? What will the extra costs be to flight out of HK instead of Osaka? Will I even get to leave HK early April since it's Spring Break? And so many more questions to be answered.) What a nightmare! (Although nothing compared to what many Japanese people are going through.) I just wished Princess could have made their decision earlier (I'm assuming that head office didn't make the decision till the day before we embarked) & notified us when we were able to make changes at home (or at least not on the ship where the internet is slow at best and the reception on the phone via satellite is horrendous. (oops...I think I may be complaining now...better stop).

[Loonbeam]

Unfortunately its not that simple.. #1 - Princess pretty much tells you in advance that individual air is not supported (see below), the location is irrelevant.

 

#2 - The contract will stand up. In fact, its the only binding document. Anything ELSE is at Princess' discretion.

 

#3 - Princess' travel department can't do a thing with a ticket they did not book. When you book a ticket, that booking record is owned by the entity that handled the booking, be it a TA or the airline direct. Princess not only has no access to that information, once a trip is in process the booking is generally locked to that provider and only that provider or the airline can make changes. Every airline that I am aware of does not allow 3rd party changes. And since we are talking international travel here, its very possible more than one airline can be involved per booking.

 

With the resources on ship, there is not much Princess can do other than communicate the situation to passengers and apologize. Given the number of ports missed, I think Princess would be well served by offering some future OBC at a minimum, BUT they are under no obligation to do so.

 

Side note - The advisory against travel to and for evacuation from Japan was issued on March 18th. Assuming Princess had to arrange the alternative porting, I am not sure how they could have given notice before late on the 19th at best...

 

 

. These people are on the other side of the world. This is apparently Princesses MO in this situation. I think it is wrong.

 

This is what I think and this is based on taking care of your customers not on the contract we all agree to which in this case I'm not sure would stand up.

 

The Ocean, Tahitian when I was on it is a small ship think 670paxs. Princess has a big air department which probably does nothing but air. It would be a simple matter for Princess to redo all passenger tickets out of the new departure point, with the paxs approval, instead of disrupting the cruise at the start which was already disrupted due to the disasters. It just makes since.

[ONT-CA]

The posting is not about radiation. It is not about insurance and it's not about Osaka or Hong Kong. It's about the lack of concern that Princess showed the passengers by not advising them of the situation when it would have been more advantageous for them to alter plans and take corrective action.

[sunsetbeachgal]

It is really an unfortunate no-win situation...there were similar unhappy threads posted right after the Chilean earthquake and the Princess ship that was in South America. I hope everyone affected gets home safely and can enjoy their cruise on the Ocean.

[Loonbeam]

This makes one assumption that's not in evidence. Namely that Princess made a decision prior to embarkation. It's entirely possible the final decision was made as the gangplank was being pulled up, based on when they got final information.

 

I do agree that Princess should have communicated this bit of information, but can also see why they may not. Either way, I think its very unlikely that Princess had made a decision days earlier and chose to wait just to annoy the passengers.

 

The posting is not about radiation. It is not about insurance and it's not about Osaka or Hong Kong. It's about the lack of concern that Princess showed the passengers by not advising them of the situation when it would have been more advantageous for them to alter plans and take corrective action.

[Katie333]

Clearly the situation in Japan is horrendous but unfortunately AoG situations can and do happen. I count myself lucky that I have never had to live through anything like this.

 

I understand when you book and pay for a dream vacation having that disrupted and being offered very little in the way of assistance is a crappy situation. Like another poster said, this is a lesson to be learned. If you book your own air, tours, hotels etc, then YOU are the travel agent. I don't deny that I would be upset if I was in the same situation, but I think you get what you pay for. I am considering booking Princess Air for my Asian cruise next year. This thread is convincing me even further that it is the best way to go.

 

To those onboard, best of luck finding alternative arrangements and try to enjoy whats left of your cruise.

 

PS - I think many people who find CC via google or other search means truly take the name literally. This is THE place to be critical of cruises. :confused:

[SJ27]

I know this thread is not "about insurance" but seeing as so many people have responded with "that's why we get insurance" ... CHECK YOUR POLICIES! A colleague has had to cancel a holiday to Japan. He was told that his insurance wouldn't cover this on 2 counts: natural disaster (Act of God) AND nuclear exposure are both excluded! I know not all policies are the same but it really does pay to check exactly what you are covered for. (Incidentally he wasn't on a cruise, but was thankful to find his airline would re-route the ticket to a new destination at no extra cost/fees, and that the prepaid hotels were all happy to refund him under the circumstances.)

Given what is going on in the Middle East, it's maybe also worth noting that "acts of war" which seems to include all kinds of riots etc are also not covered.

 

Add: the princess insurance as I understand covers cruise cancellation for any reason in terms of allowing you to take another cruise at a future date instead? is there a time by which the cruise has to be cancelled - i.e. is it possible that the reason princess did not inform people till they were onboard was so that the passengers would not 'cancel' the cruise and be able to use that part of their own insurance offering?

[Bob++]

I have often been in the situation where fellow passengers are boasting about the cheap deal they got through some bucket shop, and thinking what a stick-in-the-mud I am for taking a more expensive option.

 

The chance you always take with a cheap deal is that if something goes wrong then you are on your own. Insurance is always a minefield of small print - we only have to think back to the dust cloud where some people were thousands out of pocket because their insurance Co wouldn't pay up. On the other hand the guy who took a taxi from Barcelona to London was pushing his luck...

 

This is a similar situation to the people who booked flights and accommodation seperately. When the flights were cancelled due to dust, they lost the full cost of their pre-payed hotels.

[Bill B]

... and if Princess had decided to keep Osaka on the itinerary, there'd be people posting about how unconcerned Princess is for their passengers' welfare.

 

The developments in Japan with regard to the Fukushima plant have been ongoing and continuous since the earthquake/tsunami. At some point, Princess had to make a decision; and it seems they've decided to err on the side of caution.

 

While I understand the OP's anger/frustration, I also understand Princess is caught 'between a rock and a hard place' - no matter what decision, or when they made the decision, there would be complaints. It seems to me Princess has done all they can (and informed pax in a timely manner).

 

Unfortunately, the OP is caught in circumstances beyond their control. Fortunately, The OP is alive.

[RickEk]

This makes one assumption that's not in evidence. Namely that Princess made a decision prior to embarkation. It's entirely possible the final decision was made as the gangplank was being pulled up, based on when they got final information.

 

I do agree that Princess should have communicated this bit of information, but can also see why they may not. Either way, I think its very unlikely that Princess had made a decision days earlier and chose to wait just to annoy the passengers.

 

You've made great points Loonbeam... it is a no-win situation and you are completely correct that Princess cannot change the air travel for folks who did not book through them... and btw, their air department consists of only 6 people... :rolleyes:

[cormike1]

We were scheduled to go to Egypt at the end of Feb. and of course look what happened. There were similar situations there...namely people scheduled on river cruises and flying into Cairo, etc. There were some people slamming a certain river cruise company because they wouldn't give them a full refund...they were scheduled to sail mid March I believe. Well that company was cancelling things day-to-day as I believe Princess was doing. It is pretty hard to know exactly when is the best time to cancel/change something such as this. It is a no win situation as Princes cannot make everyone happy. I know we had cancellation insurance and we were covered for our trip once the Canadian government posted a "no travel to Egypt" warning on their website. When it was only a "non-essential travel" warning we would not have got all our money back had we cancelled. It pays to read the fine print of your insurance package before you choose it. Also if you have a good TA, they know which insurance company is the right one for your trip. One thing I might add is that of course you don't get your money back right away and I would hope that these passengers that have to fly out of Shanghai now, can afford the upfront cost of the flights!!! Good luck to all of you. I know how disappointed you are as we had planned our trip over a year before and then to have it cancelled 2 weeks before was very sad. I hope everything works out for you.

[Embracedbylife]

I know this thread is not "about insurance" but seeing as so many people have responded with "that's why we get insurance" ... CHECK YOUR POLICIES! A colleague has had to cancel a holiday to Japan. He was told that his insurance wouldn't cover this on 2 counts: natural disaster (Act of God) AND nuclear exposure are both excluded! I know not all policies are the same but it really does pay to check exactly what you are covered for. (Incidentally he wasn't on a cruise, but was thankful to find his airline would re-route the ticket to a new destination at no extra cost/fees, and that the prepaid hotels were all happy to refund him under the circumstances.)

Given what is going on in the Middle East, it's maybe also worth noting that "acts of war" which seems to include all kinds of riots etc are also not covered.

 

Add: the princess insurance as I understand covers cruise cancellation for any reason in terms of allowing you to take another cruise at a future date instead? is there a time by which the cruise has to be cancelled - i.e. is it possible that the reason princess did not inform people till they were onboard was so that the passengers would not 'cancel' the cruise and be able to use that part of their own insurance offering?

 

 

Not sure what they are covering, but I had to call Travel Guard regarding an oustanding claim that I am putting in for for a trip back in the fall when our luggage was lost, and their 1800 number says that they are assisting those affected by the disaster in japan if they purchased their insurance before march 11. So if anything, they are helping with the coordination of those in need, and they may even process claims, not sure though.

[Pam in CA]

The Princess insurance would cover "trip interruption" costs but it would not cover air unless you purchased Princess air. When one makes independent travel arrangements, as Loonbeam says, you are now acting as your own travel agent and assuming responsibility for any changes or cancellations. Also, as Loonbeam says, Princess cannot make flight changes for you. I'm not sure what sort of "assistance" is being asked for or found Princess is lacking, but all they could do is check for flight options, which you or your TA can do just as easily. Their priority is the passengers who booked air arrangements through them.

 

Unless I've missed it, I haven't seen any sympathy or concerns for the Japanese people from those demanding Princess provide services they previously rejected when they thought nothing would ever happen to them.

[Astro Flyer]

It has to be a very stressful situation for those onboard the Ocean but it was even more shocking that the OP never once mentioned the tragedy being experienced in Japan. I bet there were a lot of Japanese who would have gladly changed places with the OP. :rolleyes:

 

The various factors under the control of the OP pre-cruise (independent air, etc) have already been discussed with well thought out replies. But there are limits to what Princess can do & they are probably doing whatever possible to help their passengers. I generally book air independently because I don't like to bother my TA to do it for me. However she has worked with me in similar situations because being a good client it's her way to say thanks. So it is an option for me to email her "help" & for her to work on a solutuon.

 

No one knows all of the facts on how this situation was created after the horrendous quake/tsunami & now radiation threats. I read a travel author's post on Travel Weekly while onboard the Azamara Quest in Japan. His behind the scenes insights were an eye opener for me because it was such a fluid situation in Japan with things constantly evolving. They had already been in a Japanese port & gone through immigration. But after the quake all Japanese ports were closed (except for small boats like fishing ones) so they planned to go to another country. Then they were informed this would be illegal because they didn't clear Japanese immigration. Japanese law forbids the use of satellite communications within its territorial waters, so they looked at routes that would take them at least six miles from any Japanese islands...another problem to solve in a chaotic, evolving situation.

 

Some problems appear to be related to the inflexibility of the Japanese to waive some regulations like the immigration clearing & satellite communication. Even the LA County SAR unit sent to Japan ran into government regulations that prevented them from immediately searching for those alive in the rubble. The reason, they had to produce documents to satisfy Japanese authorities that their dogs were safe. Are you getting the picture about how frustrating it had to be for anyone trying to deal with the bureaucracy...including Princess...when even those sent to help rescue survivors were delayed in doing their mission?

 

Hopefully the shock of the situation onboard for the OP has worn off & now realizes their original lack of concern in their post for the Japanese victims was pretty selfish.

 

It's a sad tale of caution for all of us & I plan to learn from this situation when planning my next trip from home. I've taken a lot of time & thought a lot in an effort to not come off as an insentive jerk...that was not my intention if I failed. :o

[kahluatoo]

I would definitely be upset if I was the OP or others on the ship. I am not sure of dates, but if it were me, and there was a natural disaster a few days before my cruise or vacation, I'd be all up in that calling everyone, cruise line, hotel, airlines, whatever it may be to see what is going on with this. To be on the ship trying to enjoy a vacation and having to deal with rearranging airfare (esp international and in a country where you don't speak their language if you are dropped off there) there has to be more sympathy for this type of situation! I feel bad because I would be a mess and not enjoying myself if it were me. It's hard to blame others or point fingers to anyone in these situations too!

 

Also, just b/c OP didn't mention the terrible tragedy, that doesn't mean they don't care, that's rude and wrong to put words in someone's mouth like that, IMO.

[RickEk]

It has to be a very stressful situation for those onboard the Ocean but it was even more shocking that the OP never once mentioned the tragedy being experienced in Japan. I bet there were a lot of Japanese who would have gladly changed places with the OP. :rolleyes:

 

The various factors under the control of the OP pre-cruise (independent air, etc) have already been discussed with well thought out replies. But there are limits to what Princess can do & they are probably doing whatever possible to help their passengers. I generally book air independently because I don't like to bother my TA to do it for me. However she has worked with me in similar situations because being a good client it's her way to say thanks. So it is an option for me to email her "help" & for her to work on a solutuon.

 

No one knows all of the facts on how this situation was created after the horrendous quake/tsunami & now radiation threats. I read a travel author's post on Travel Weekly while onboard the Azamara Quest in Japan. His behind the scenes insights were an eye opener for me because it was such a fluid situation in Japan with things constantly evolving. They had already been in a Japanese port & gone through immigration. But after the quake all Japanese ports were closed (except for small boats like fishing ones) so they planned to go to another country. Then they were informed this would be illegal because they didn't clear Japanese immigration. Japanese law forbids the use of satellite communications within its territorial waters, so they looked at routes that would take them at least six miles from any Japanese islands...another problem to solve in a chaotic, evolving situation.

 

Some problems appear to be related to the inflexibility of the Japanese to waive some regulations like the immigration clearing & satellite communication. Even the LA County SAR unit sent to Japan ran into government regulations that prevented them from immediately searching for those alive in the rubble. The reason, they had to produce documents to satisfy Japanese authorities that their dogs were safe. Are you getting the picture about how frustrating it had to be for anyone trying to deal with the bureaucracy...including Princess...when even those sent to help rescue survivors were delayed in doing their mission?

 

Hopefully the shock of the situation onboard for the OP has worn off & now realizes their original lack of concern in their post for the Japanese victims was pretty selfish.

 

It's a sad tale of caution for all of us & I plan to learn from this situation when planning my next trip from home. I've taken a lot of time & thought a lot in an effort to not come off as an insentive jerk...that was not my intention if I failed. :o

 

Well said...

[Astro Flyer]

The Princess insurance would cover "trip interruption" costs but it would not cover air unless you purchased Princess air. When one makes independent travel arrangements, as Loonbeam says, you are now acting as your own travel agent and assuming responsibility for any changes or cancellations. Also, as Loonbeam says, Princess cannot make flight changes for you. I'm not sure what sort of "assistance" is being asked for or found Princess is lacking, but all they could do is check for flight options, which you or your TA can do just as easily. Their priority is the passengers who booked air arrangements through them.

 

Unless I've missed it, I haven't seen any sympathy or concerns for the Japanese people from those demanding Princess provide services they previously rejected when they thought nothing would ever happen to them.

Well said Pam & if my understanding is correct about Princess insurance, they don't add on the cost of Princess air nor pre/post packages into the insurance cost basis. Thus their insurance is only based on the cost for the cruise & these other items through Princess do not add to the cost of their insurance.

 

Unless I missed a subsequent post by the OP showing some concern for the Japanese & not merely themselves, it's pretty self centered on their part.

[IECalCruiser]

I feel for OP as it is not a good situation to be in. However, Princess had four news releases regarding the Japan Earthquake last week. The March 14th mentioned potential itinerary changes, the March 17th stated that information about itinerary changes would be posted by the end of the day PST on the 18th and the March 18th release updated at 3:30 PM PST had all of the itinerary change details posted at that time. I believe that OP did not board until March 20. If I were on a cruise with a Japan port I would have been checking with Princess and my TA every day.

 

IMHO with cruises like this, if you don't use Princess Air, I believe that you should work with a "Bricks and Mortar" TA that you have a good relationship with. We were on the Star when the Chilean Earthquake struck last year. Once we decided to take up the Princess offer and return to Buenos Aires it only took one call to our TA using our cell phone. She was able to change our return flights from Santiago to Buenos Aires. We confirmed with a call one hour later and could relax on the unplanned 12 day additional cruise. Those who had to do it themselves using the ship's phone and internet were at it for as long as two days with much anxiety.

[Pam in CA]

Well said...

Ditto.

[Astro Flyer]

Well said...

Thanks & also thanks to Pam...I really tried to make it thought provoking & informative because I know very well that there are always 2 sides to every situation & we were only getting one side of it.