Princess - sad customer and a story of red tape

[Yukonbear]

So we booked a year ago a B2B on the Ruby April 3. We booked the 4 and 5 day separately so we could get credit for 2 cruises and I believe the FCC would out a bit better. Then I saw the special on the Princess site where you get back 100%of your fare on the Ruby for their 4 and 5 day sailings in January. It could be applied to any future booking as long as final payment has not been made and our booking was not due until Feb 2.

 

The the devil is in the details right....I looked at the fine print again!!!

 

The credit could be applied only on cruises 7 days or longer. Travel agent called Princess and they would not budge even though our cruise totalled 9 days as it was a combination of a 4 and 5 day. OK, TA changed the booking to the 9 day that Princess also advertises. Now, however, now the April 3 final payment is due Jan 18 which is before we sail on Jan 27th...so I will not have the Jan 27 FCC yet.

 

I am not planning a 3rd cruise this year so this credit would be of no use if I cannot apply it to the April 3rd booking.

 

So we cancelled the Jan booking but I am planning on contacting the customer relations department tomorrow and hopefully we can make this work. I am tired of snow already and want to get away. We already booked our Air with SW but thankfully they have a generous change policy so I think we will be able to fly somewhere within a year.

[TracieABD]

Cruise booking can be so convoluted and crazy. I hope your TA is advocating for you!

 

Good luck. Let us know how it resolves.:)

[Coral]

Not sure how full the April cruises are but I wonder if you can book that 9 day cruise once you get back in January? If they are filling up, it may not be an option.

Edited December 5, 2013 by Coral

[Host Jazzbeau]

It's not just that your payment is due before your "free" cruise -- they don't credit the FCC to your account for a while AFTER the cruise. This was why we couldn't use the first "free cruise" offer in November for our Jan. 19 cruise.

[Frugalist]

So we booked a year ago a B2B on the Ruby April 3. We booked the 4 and 5 day separately so we could get credit for 2 cruises and I believe the FCC would out a bit better. Then I saw the special on the Princess site where you get back 100%of your fare on the Ruby for their 4 and 5 day sailings in January. It could be applied to any future booking as long as final payment has not been made and our booking was not due until Feb 2.

 

The the devil is in the details right....I looked at the fine print again!!!

 

The credit could be applied only on cruises 7 days or longer. Travel agent called Princess and they would not budge even though our cruise totalled 9 days as it was a combination of a 4 and 5 day. OK, TA changed the booking to the 9 day that Princess also advertises. Now, however, now the April 3 final payment is due Jan 18 which is before we sail on Jan 27th...so I will not have the Jan 27 FCC yet.

 

I am not planning a 3rd cruise this year so this credit would be of no use if I cannot apply it to the April 3rd booking.

 

So we cancelled the Jan booking but I am planning on contacting the customer relations department tomorrow and hopefully we can make this work. I am tired of snow already and want to get away. We already booked our Air with SW but thankfully they have a generous change policy so I think we will be able to fly somewhere within a year.

I'm a bit confused. Not an unusual condition for me. ;) If you actually booked and paid for the Jan. 27 getaway cruise, your payment should be non-refundable should you cancel. Did you actually pay for the Jan. 27 cruise and get your money back? Or did you simply put a hold on a booking?

 

Every promotion offered by every company in the world has something called Terms and Conditions (T&C) which spell out the details of the offer. The idea is to read the T&C and make sure you understand them. If the T&C are to your liking, go ahead and take advantage of the offer. If not, don't. It's as simple as that. It's not red tape. It's a promotion. ;) If you take advantage of a promotion and then later find out you aren't getting what you hoped you were getting because you didn't read and understand the T&C, that's not the company's fault. What exactly are you expecting Customer Relations to do to "make this work"?

 

By the way, we took advantage of a similar 100% FCC promotion last month (with somewhat different T&C). The FCC was in our Circle Savings account the day after the cruise ended. So, you might want to consider taking Coral's advice and cancelling your April 3 booking now and rebook it when you come back from the Jan. 27 getaway and the FCC has posted to your account. Of course you have to be willing to accept the risk that the April cruises will be sold out by then. Either that or book a getaway cruise for early January so that the FCC will be in your account before final payment is due for your April cruise.

Edited December 5, 2013 by Frugalist

[hightownCO]

Every promotion offered by every company in the world has something called Terms and Conditions (T&C) which spell out the details of the offer. The idea is to read the T&C and make sure you understand them. If the T&C are to your liking, go ahead and take advantage of the offer. If not, don't. It's as simple as that. It's not red tape. It's a promotion. ;) If you take advantage of a promotion and then later find out you aren't getting what you hoped you were getting because you didn't read and understand the T&C, that's not the company's fault. What exactly are you expecting Customer Relations to do to "make this work"?

 

 

My thinking too.

 

The Promo is what it is. If it works for you or you can work with the terms and conditions, great. If it doesn't move on or change your plans.

[thinfool]

So we booked a year ago a B2B on the Ruby April 3. We booked the 4 and 5 day separately so we could get credit for 2 cruises and I believe the FCC would out a bit better. Then I saw the special on the Princess site where you get back 100%of your fare on the Ruby for their 4 and 5 day sailings in January. It could be applied to any future booking as long as final payment has not been made and our booking was not due until Feb 2.

 

The the devil is in the details right....I looked at the fine print again!!!

 

The credit could be applied only on cruises 7 days or longer. Travel agent called Princess and they would not budge even though our cruise totalled 9 days as it was a combination of a 4 and 5 day. OK, TA changed the booking to the 9 day that Princess also advertises. Now, however, now the April 3 final payment is due Jan 18 which is before we sail on Jan 27th...so I will not have the Jan 27 FCC yet.

 

I am not planning a 3rd cruise this year so this credit would be of no use if I cannot apply it to the April 3rd booking.

 

So we cancelled the Jan booking but I am planning on contacting the customer relations department tomorrow and hopefully we can make this work. I am tired of snow already and want to get away. We already booked our Air with SW but thankfully they have a generous change policy so I think we will be able to fly somewhere within a year.

 

You aren't reading it right. You will get, regardless of when you made payment, 100% FCC for your 4, 5 day cruises. You then have to apply the credit to another cruise of 7 days more.

[5326jan]

I've come to the point that I will find a cruise we want to take and book it at the price we feel is acceptable. If there is a promotion that we can take advantage of, or a price drop, we do so. If not, we still have our preferred sailing date, cabin and everything else that was originally acceptable. Life is too short to quibble about what you aren't getting! :)

[Potstech]

So you cancelled one cruise in order to try and manipulate Princess into giving you a different deal than what the promotion states. You then try to blame Princess and red tape for not cooperating with your scheme. Most people would have checked it out with details prior to cancelling your first cruise. Corporate entities do not have to conform tot he schemes of the individuals in order to make money. They set out the terms of their promotions and expect anyone who wants to take advantage of it to comply with THEIR terms.

 

Sorry but you messed your self out of a cruise and from the sounds of things some hard earned money.

[FritzG]

I've come to the point that I will find a cruise we want to take and book it at the price we feel is acceptable. If there is a promotion that we can take advantage of, or a price drop, we do so. If not, we still have our preferred sailing date, cabin and everything else that was originally acceptable. Life is too short to quibble about what you aren't getting! :)

 

You have a great attitude!

[jbobst]

The issue here is that your "9 day" cruise is not a nine day cruise. It's a four day cruise and then a five day cruise. Those shorter cruises don't qualify for the promotion. Isn't there another cruise out there you could take that is 7 days or longer? Either in addition to your 4 and 5 day cruises or in lieu of? I don't see how the final payment date thing people keep commenting about even matters since your April cruises dont qualify for the promo.

[thinfool]

The issue here is that your "9 day" cruise is not a nine day cruise. It's a four day cruise and then a five day cruise. Those shorter cruises don't qualify for the promotion. Isn't there another cruise out there you could take that is 7 days or longer? Either in addition to your 4 and 5 day cruises or in lieu of? I don't see how the final payment date thing people keep commenting about even matters since your April cruises dont qualify for the promo.

 

This is not correct.

[YumYumSweetiePie]

I think I understand your situation. It's complicated but I don't think you're manipulating Princess or doing anything wrong, you're just trying to get the best deal. As long as you understand that Princess has no obligation to make things work for you if their fine print says otherwise, then it's fine to try to see if they can help you out. It's one of those "it doesn't hurt to ask" situations where you have to be aware that if the answer isn't in your favor, it's okay. Anyway, the suggestion of taking the getaway and using your FCCs for the 9 day right when you return is probably your best bet, especially if you're not attached to a certain cabin and if the ship isn't too full. Good luck.

 

This is clearly not Princess' fault, but I understand your frustration in trying to put so many pieces of the puzzle together to get a great deal and having them not quite fit. Just remember that cruising is supposed to be fun and stress free, don't make it stressful. I was also recently annoyed about not getting FCCs because I booked before the promotion and then I realized, like 5326jan wrote, that it's not worth worrying about something you're missing out on when you've planned something amazing that you are going to be a part of (great cruises!). Incidentally, all my annoyance was for naught because it turns out I am getting FCCs. This may end up being your situation when you get back from the getaway and are still able to book your 9 day with credits.

Edited December 5, 2013 by YumYumSweetiePie

[RDC1]

One approach would be to cancel your April cruise. Take the January cruise. Then as soon as your FCC shows up (mine did the day the cruise arrived back in port) rebook the April cruise. That way you can use it on that cruise.

 

Note you do run a risk of the April cruise selling out, or not getting as good a room selection. But it would enable you to do both cruises, use the FCC.

[IdahoCruises]

I've come to the point that I will find a cruise we want to take and book it at the price we feel is acceptable. If there is a promotion that we can take advantage of, or a price drop, we do so. If not, we still have our preferred sailing date, cabin and everything else that was originally acceptable. Life is too short to quibble about what you aren't getting! :)

 

Totally agree! When we book, we choose our cabin and cruising dates based on our preferences. If we are lucky enough to get a promotion or an upgrade, we are blessed. Otherwise, we "let 'er roll"....

[tothemall&beyond]

You aren't reading it right. You will get, regardless of when you made payment, 100% FCC for your 4, 5 day cruises. You then have to apply the credit to another cruise of 7 days more.

 

 

No, not true. You also have to read the T&C a little more carefully.

The OP's 4 and 5 day B2B bookings are in April, and, therefore, are not among the dates on which you have to initially sail in order to earn the 100% back FCC. Those dates are all in December and January.

Edited December 5, 2013 by tothemall&beyond

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

I've come to the point that I will find a cruise we want to take and book it at the price we feel is acceptable. If there is a promotion that we can take advantage of, or a price drop, we do so. If not, we still have our preferred sailing date, cabin and everything else that was originally acceptable. Life is too short to quibble about what you aren't getting! :)

 

I totally agree. However, some just seem to want to have it their way despite the fine print. And heaven forbid, if Princess does not do whatever they want. Life is way too short.

[Yukonbear]

So you cancelled one cruise in order to try and manipulate Princess into giving you a different deal than what the promotion states. You then try to blame Princess and red tape for not cooperating with your scheme. Most people would have checked it out with details prior to cancelling your first cruise. Corporate entities do not have to conform tot he schemes of the individuals in order to make money. They set out the terms of their promotions and expect anyone who wants to take advantage of it to comply with THEIR terms.

 

Sorry but you messed your self out of a cruise and from the sounds of things some hard earned money.

 

Wow - that was harsh. I might not have explained myself properly but while the 4 and 5 April cruises do not qualify, Princess was also selling the same cruise as a 9 day so it would qualify. No scheme here. I only booked the January cruise when I thought it was I would be making my final payment after that cruise had completed Feb 1 and I could apply the FCC to the April booking. The kicker that I missed (and so did my TA) was Princess changes their final payment date based on the length of the cruise so while my 4 and 5 day cruises where due Feb 2, the 9 day that covers the same itinerary, same dates was due Jan 18.

 

Anyway, I think things will work out and I am still a loyal Princess cruiser.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I've come to the point that I will find a cruise we want to take and book it at the price we feel is acceptable. If there is a promotion that we can take advantage of, or a price drop, we do so. If not, we still have our preferred sailing date, cabin and everything else that was originally acceptable. Life is too short to quibble about what you aren't getting! :)

 

We tend to be like this too. Our last three cruises were during the holidays (just about the only time a family with a high school kid can go, if kid has summer activities) so we don't even bother to check to see if the fare has gone down (I would doubt it will due to demand). We even book "no upgrade" so we won't be moved.

[Yukonbear]

I think I understand your situation. It's complicated but I don't think you're manipulating Princess or doing anything wrong, you're just trying to get the best deal. As long as you understand that Princess has no obligation to make things work for you if their fine print says otherwise, then it's fine to try to see if they can help you out. It's one of those "it doesn't hurt to ask" situations where you have to be aware that if the answer isn't in your favor, it's okay. Anyway, the suggestion of taking the getaway and using your FCCs for the 9 day right when you return is probably your best bet, especially if you're not attached to a certain cabin and if the ship isn't too full. Good luck.

 

This is clearly not Princess' fault, but I understand your frustration in trying to put so many pieces of the puzzle together to get a great deal and having them not quite fit. Just remember that cruising is supposed to be fun and stress free, don't make it stressful. I was also recently annoyed about not getting FCCs because I booked before the promotion and then I realized, like 5326jan wrote, that it's not worth worrying about something you're missing out on when you've planned something amazing that you are going to be a part of (great cruises!). Incidentally, all my annoyance was for naught because it turns out I am getting FCCs. This may end up being your situation when you get back from the getaway and are still able to book your 9 day with credits.

 

You totally understood where I am coming from. This is not their fault and I accept whatever they decide....but why not ask right? I was more mad at myself for missing the change in payment date. I have Princess insurance so I was not worried about the funds. The airfare we could change to a new date so it was not a big deal later.

 

Anyway, Happy Cruising

[Host Jazzbeau]

You totally understood where I am coming from. This is not their fault and I accept whatever they decide....but why not ask right? I was more mad at myself for missing the change in payment date. I have Princess insurance so I was not worried about the funds. The airfare we could change to a new date so it was not a big deal later.

Anyway, Happy Cruising

 

I agree. There was a big thread in the fall when Princess first ran this type of deal, and most of the posters were planning to take an unexpected "free" cruise and then apply the FCC to an already booked cruise sometime in 2014.

 

I don't think this was exactly what Princess had in mind when they put this deal out, but it is totally within the parameters. And it could end up helping them too: if it had worked for us, we were going to do a full Suite on the short cruise. We might have been spoiled for suites! That would have been good for Princess (and bad for our pocketbook ...).