What recourse do I have?

[jgpdx]

My guess is they opened their account three years ago to make similar posts all of which ended up deleted by our hosts. Which this one will be shortly given the starred-out obscenity and using a crew member's full name solely to deride them.

 

I hope the OP understands that if they follow through with their "threat" to forward this treatise to Princess social media and Princess corporate verbatim with the S-bomb intact not only will their complaint be ignored but they will at the least be blocked from Princess' facebook, e-mail and other media accounts--if not totally banned from coming back new ever again.

 

I agree. A very logical response. Naming staff on line is bad form.:mad:

[tetleytea]

It's an odd phenomenon, that sometimes as you get better at customer service, the customers actually get worse. It's kind of disincentivizing.

Edited July 30, 2015 by tetleytea

[Diver2014]

Oh come on....the OP wants a refund for their entire cruise because they couldn't get the flavor of tea they wanted. That's the only logical thing about their entire post. Too many discrepancies to make their post seem anything but that. I'm surprised they didn't mention spots on the table cloths at dinner.....

[shootingstar07]

I thought Capt. Nash was on either the Royal or The Regal? BTW: I cruised with him just once - very nice and approachable as others have said.

 

Another poster mentioned the honey and vinegar. I have always said that to my DH!! I am the one who calls or visits the front desk. He has a short fuse - I find when you speak respectfully, you can move mountains.

 

Also, I think front desk personnel are trained to keep problems from escaping upwards. :D. But once I had an issue and I ended up with Customer Services Mgr, everyone would just say "please wait, we will get so an so for you".

[san diego sue]

If we lost luggage, the first port stop we would buy underwear, tee shirts etc. Or just spend the money on the ship for some clothes. Tee shirts are cheap enough. A pair of shorts or slacks and we are all set until luggage is found. I always wonder why some people with lost luggage just wear the same clothes every day.

The OP did mention he booked air through Princess and felt that they should make those calls for him. I agree on that. But, if it were me, I would make the call myself and pay the huge fee for the call if I was refused by front desk. Then handle the cost and complaint after the cruise with Customer Relations.

 

I have seen passengers screaming at the front desk. No way to get anything done.

It can be frustrating sometimes dealing with the folks who work there because in most cases English isn't their first language. So patience and respect must be practiced by us.

 

[Astro Flyer]

If we lost luggage, the first port stop we would buy underwear, tee shirts etc. Or just spend the money on the ship for some clothes. Tee shirts are cheap enough. A pair of shorts or slacks and we are all set until luggage is found. I always wonder why some people with lost luggage just wear the same clothes every day.

When reporting lost bags to an airline, they can provide compensation to purchase clothing & toiletries. We also pack a change of clothes in our carryon bags just in case there's a problem with our checked bags.

 

Once when our bags were delayed, Air New Zealand gave us money to purchases items until our luggage arrived. Fortunately we arrived 3 nights early in Sydney because our luggage did not arrive until the night before boarding. We were very happy to get our bags before our month long cruise back to LA. :)

[Go-Bucks!]

I have a very hard time taking seriously a laundry list of complaints in a very first post. Have seen it many times and it just doesn't add up. And the screen name sure doesn't scream positive attitude.

 

There are so many complaints that who knows where to begin??? :rolleyes:

[emmak8]

I doubt we'll hear from the OP again.

[Skai]

"What recourse do I have?"

 

Chalk it up as an unfortunate loss and get on with your life. The sooner that you can get over it, the sooner the even higher price of unhappiness will dissipate and you can move forward unimpeded.

 

It would appear that Murphy's Law had its way with you.

 

Oh sure, advice could be given on what you ought to have done (perhaps as a benefit to future cruise passengers that may find themselves in similar situations)...However, it's water under the bridge for you at this point.

 

That stated, if you really want to stew and exact revenge for your misfortune, it would be wise to decide if the time and energy required is really worth it...As I can tell you right now, while you may be compensated with some chocolate covered strawberries, perhaps a couple vouchers for a specialty restaurant, or even a little OBC for your next sailing -- If there will ever be a next sailing -- I can state with absolute certainty that: YOUR CRUISE FARE WILL NOT BE REFUNDED TO YOU.

[notentirelynormal]

From the Princess webite:

 

Sight and Hearing Disabilities

Guests with sight and hearing disabilities will find vessels equipped with such helpful features as Braille elevator call buttons, audible arrival sounds and infrared listening assistance systems in the Princess theaters. ADA "all in one" kits are available upon request -- featuring telephone amplifiers, visual smoke detectors, door knock sensors, text telephones (TDD) and other aids. In-cabin movies feature close captioning, and ship libraries feature a selection of books on tape.

 

Buying clothes isn't as easy as it seems. In our case we bought a t-shirt in every port and made fun of the situation. Often they have gaudy clothes that either don't fit you or is very expensive. A 20 YO is not going to wear clothes designed for a, shall I say, a 60ish lady. When was the last time you saw underwear being sold at tourist resorts? Or socks? Trust me. When we didn't have our luggage for 10 days our only real solution was the wonderful people that work on the ship. The Assistant Purser lent DD clothes, as did a few others. Another passenger lent her shoes. In our case we were on a very small ship (650 passengers) and the gift shop was really really small.

[jewelsea21]

Reading thru it again, as a deaf person, the o p sure did Speak with a lot of people , no mention of a sign language interpreter, which the access office tries to provide, given advance notice.Also,on the shore excursion, the O P understood the options when he was "told" where he could sit.And if it's ' too noisy to talk to Virgin at the guest services desk, how does that

Happen?

[shredie]

I doubt we'll hear from the OP again.

 

Interesting to see if that's the case...

[rdsqrl]

. . .

Buying clothes isn't as easy as it seems. In our case we bought a t-shirt in every port and made fun of the situation. Often they have gaudy clothes that either don't fit you or is very expensive. A 20 YO is not going to wear clothes designed for a, shall I say, a 60ish lady. When was the last time you saw underwear being sold at tourist resorts? Or socks? Trust me. When we didn't have our luggage for 10 days our only real solution was the wonderful people that work on the ship. The Assistant Purser lent DD clothes, as did a few others. Another passenger lent her shoes. In our case we were on a very small ship (650 passengers) and the gift shop was really really small.

It sounds like the OP was on a Baltic cruise, so their options would have been much greater than the typical limited resort attire in the Caribbean. In fact, I own quite a few outfits purchased at wonderful shops in Copenhagen, Stockholm, and even Moscow. Purchasing things ashore wasn't in the cards here because I suspect the OP wasn't interested in mitigating his suffering (the reference to sending out laundry and being naked for two days, instead of doing the obvious and washing his clothes himself in the passenger laundry and thus only being naked for two hours was one clue!), but was only interested in seeing how much more martyred he could be.

[ar1950]

Reading thru it again, as a deaf person, the o p sure did Speak with a lot of people , no mention of a sign language interpreter, which the access office tries to provide, given advance notice.Also,on the shore excursion, the O P understood the options when he was "told" where he could sit.And if it's ' too noisy to talk to Virgin at the guest services desk, how does that Happen?

 

Yes, the deaf issue was my question (post number 5 on this thread if you want to know). A lot of phone calls were made by someone who has no hearing (not to put too fine a point on it, but, that is the definition of deaf). Hopefully the OP will come back and clarify some of the questions raised by everyone.....not holding my breath......

Edited July 31, 2015 by ar1950

[Dayenu]

"I explained to him that the Virgin Atlantic Airlines representative had advised us to keep their office updated as to what Port AND what dock we would be located in each port of call, so that the luggage could be sent to the correct spot."

 

Not turning against the OP, just trying to understand. Where the VAA representative told to call the airline? In the arrival airport? Does it mean the airline is responsible for the lost luggage, not the cruise line?

 

What about insurance? Did you have it? Did you try to contact them? I know they provide a toll-free phone number, a number to call collect from out-of-country, and email address.

 

If somebody is upset about lost luggage, other small problems just pile up and get blown out of proportion. If I had my luggage lost, and had to buy my own clothes if I didn't have insurance, and one day water was rusty, and I didn't realize I can tip any restaurant employee to get my favorite tea, I would also think the whole cruise is a disaster.

 

I hope the OP will come back with comments. I also hope that he and his wife will be able to enjoy at least part of the cruise.

[jewelsea21]

Whoever was last in possession of your luggage, I.e.who you checked it with last,, is responsible.

[framer]

Wasted bytes....

 

A professional approach and letter gets action not a public rambling. Unmoved I am.

 

framer

[JimmyVWine]

It sounds like the OP was on a Baltic cruise, so their options would have been much greater than the typical limited resort attire in the Caribbean. In fact, I own quite a few outfits purchased at wonderful shops in Copenhagen, Stockholm, and even Moscow. Purchasing things ashore wasn't in the cards here because I suspect the OP wasn't interested in mitigating his suffering (the reference to sending out laundry and being naked for two days, instead of doing the obvious and washing his clothes himself in the passenger laundry and thus only being naked for two hours was one clue!), but was only interested in seeing how much more martyred he could be.

This. Exactly. Who washes their clothes with rusty water in the sink when there is a self-serve laundry 50 paces outside the cabin? What port of call on a cruise doesn't have a clothing store within the distance of a $20 cab ride? Even if everything posted is true and the OP was the unfortunate victim of a host of compounding circumstances, for heavens sake, take a 15 minute break from blaming the world, whip out your credit card and spend some money solving your own problems and alleviating your suffering. You can always fight for reimbursement later. When you budget for travel, especially foreign travel, you have to build in some finances for emergencies. A $200 shopping spree to buy some (non-formal) clothes for a few days would have at least released some of the pressure.

[AE_Collector]

This phrase has been in my head the whole time I've been reading this thread. Having problems on vacation is awful, but having a poor attitude won't fix it, won't make you feel better, and won't make people want to help you!

 

 

Same here.

 

To me the toilet issue is really the only complaint the OP has against Princess. But I am betting that they ticked the PAX desk people off to the point that the response wasn't as good as it should have been.

 

It isn't Princesses responsibility to find clothes for them and what they did find for them received no thanks what so ever. There were likely ports very early in the cruise where the OP could have solved their own clothing problem and most insurance covers clothes replacement if luggage is delayed by 24 hours or more.

 

Another first time poster raving about the horrible service.......

 

Terry

Edited July 31, 2015 by AE_Collector

[notentirelynormal]

I can pretty much guarantee you that the main officers on the ship, right down to the luggage guys, knew that he had no luggage and the M'D would have gladly let them into the restaurant, even on formal night.

 

Let me tell my story a little bit more. I had flown in to Barcelona 3 nights before our cruise. My 20 YO DD flew in the day of. This was almost 30 years ago. Back then hardly anyone flew in early or took travel insurance. She got to LAX really early to make sure her and my cruise clothes were on the plane. Flying over Boston there was an air traffic issue and they had to fly around. Got to NY late and had to change terminals. She got to the metal detector and there were about 100 pilots in line. One saw her face, grabbed her and pulled her through with him. She got to the connecting flight and they closed the door. She knew they couldn't have transferred the luggage in time.

 

As soon as she landed in Barcelona she went to the Princess rep and told her that her luggage hadn't arrived. But, says the rep, the luggage hasn't even come off the plane yet. She starts crying. I know we don't have any luggage. Sure enough - no luggage. They take the passengers to a holding hotel. My DD cries and she cries and then she cries some more. She is so upset about disappointing me. She had just blown a month's salary on cruise clothes.

 

We get to the ship and they tell us a lot of people have lost luggage but they will put it on a catch up flight and we will have the luggage in the first port. Oops, wasn't on the catch up flight but should be put on the next catch up flight. The airlines will get our luggage to the next port.

 

We get called to the PDesk. Umm, our luggage arrived in Barcelona but they put it on Iberian Airlines just an hour before they went on strike. Okay. Not sure where our luggage is now. Check tomorrow. Tomorrow they are happy. They have found our luggage. They are sending it back to Barcelona. Then they will drive it to the ship at (forgot the port). Great.

 

We get called to the PDesk. They have your luggage but they can't drive it in time. It will arrive about an hour after we leave port. It became such a joke on board that we were at Bingo one day (sea day) and this guy yells out...holy smokes a taxi just pulled up with 2 suitcases. My DD jumps up...where! The whole group laughs.

 

We turned lemons into lemonaid. The girl at the pursers desk lent her clothes. Other passengers lent her and I clothes and shoes. The ship offered for us to shop on the ship but there was literally nothing that would fit us or that we would really wear. They offered me a free doctor visit because my medication was in that suitcase. We literally wore our t-shirts from the port to dinner each night.

 

The other ladies at our table were clothes horses. They had to have a separate rack brought in to hold them all. They dressed to the 9s. We even went to the ship spa and got some paper underwear and brought them to dinner one night. One waiter put them on over his pants and another wore it on his head (he later became a very favorite M'D).

 

We get back from Athens and every crew member we saw said "your luggage is here". Everyone! Even the deck workers.

 

Did I blame the cruise ship even though we took their air? No. Was I nasty no. Did they try each and every day, yes. The girl from the Purser's desk.... it was her birthday and we had the kitchen make her a cake. A year later, our family went on another cruise at the same time. Who should we come across the same wonderful girl. We again had them make a cake for her and she was brought to tears that we remembered her birthday.

 

For the record, I have had my toilets back up twice. The first time on RC and the second on Princess. It was horrible. There was waste everywhere. It was disgusting. We called for service. They fixed the problem but our poor room stewardess had to clean it. I felt so bad for her. Never ever crossed my mind to ask for compensation.

[cr8tiv1]

Wow...in less than 24 hours, there are 70 posts. Most are very interesting reads. I doubt that the OP will ever be back. Has anyone checked Facebook to see if OP contacted Princess through that media?

 

Thanks to all for sharing. Cruising is not for everyone. I happen to love it! Stuff happens. I've learned to make the best of it. My other option would be to get off the ship. Not going to happen. Too many unanswered questions. I wouldn't be surprised if this thread is removed. It was entertaining while it lasted.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...I doubt that the OP will ever be back. Has anyone checked Facebook to see if OP contacted Princess through that media?...I wouldn't be surprised if this thread is removed. It was entertaining while it lasted.

 

I haven't checked FB, but did check here on CC, and the OP hasn't been active since the initial post. The OP lists Carnaval (sic) as his favorite cruise line, so perhaps this isn't his first rodeo.

 

Giving the OP the benefit of the doubt for a moment, perhaps he isn't fully deaf, but hearing impaired. His post mentioned something about wanting a device to "enhance" the audio at shows. That might account for some miscommunication and/or misunderstanding of how issues were handled by Princess.

 

Or maybe we have just been played???

Edited July 31, 2015 by SoCal Cruiser78

[caribill]

His main issue was the airline lost his luggage. Now unless he purchased his tickets through Princess how exactly is that Princess's fault.

 

OP did say he booked his airline through Princess. However, the airline, not Princess is responsible for getting the luggage to him.

 

Op also stated that Princess would not call the airline to tell the airline where the ship would be the next day.

 

I assume that the OP reported the missing luggage to the airline before leaving the airport. If so, he should have given the airline the ship's itinerary.

[Shorex]

OP did say he booked his airline through Princess. However, the airline, not Princess is responsible for getting the luggage to him.

 

Op also stated that Princess would not call the airline to tell the airline where the ship would be the next day.

 

I assume that the OP reported the missing luggage to the airline before leaving the airport. If so, he should have given the airline the ship's itinerary.

 

Spot on. Additionally, airlines will provide a claim number and link to the claim so that those whose luggage has gone astray can track progress online. And yes, the airline will forward the luggage to the next port so long as the passenger provides the information. Been there, done that. Had luggage be a no show in Rio, and got the luggage in the next port in Brazil. Whew, because after that port the ship was transatlantic bound. OP had all the tools to trace his own luggage.

 

And tea bags? Oh, the humanity!

[AF-1]

I am guessing it was the same cruise as ours. Carribean Princess, Baltics this year. He mentions St Petersburg and I reconise the names of staff.

 

Got it. thanks. hopefully they will respond