Are all cruise lines generally helpful before the cruise?

[tinybiny]

I put a 4 night Princess cruise on hold yesterday. I am probably going to put a deposit down if I can find the cancellation policy. Today, I've received both a phone call and an email from someone there offering to help me or answer any questions. The email was very detailed with the stuff I can get help for and said that they can do all the planning and for me to make it easier to vacation.

 

Anytime I surf the NCL website, I get a call the next day. That is without me actually attempting to book anything or entering my information again. I have since started using a different browser to avoid the calls, but with the call and email from Princess today, I'm wondering if it's actually standard for cruise lines to reach out and be helpful

 

I've only sailed Disney and I guess I've never booked direct. I've booked with DVC, Costco and a TA. If I booked directly with DCL, would they have contacted me by phone to offer help with everything? I'm just really surprised me today to hear from Princess after putting something on hold online. It makes me wonder if it is industry standard and I just didn't know because I've always book on DCL through a third party.

[Shmoo here]

I put a 4 night Princess cruise on hold yesterday. I am probably going to put a deposit down if I can find the cancellation policy. Today, I've received both a phone call and an email from someone there offering to help me or answer any questions. The email was very detailed with the stuff I can get help for and said that they can do all the planning and for me to make it easier to vacation.

 

Anytime I surf the NCL website, I get a call the next day. That is without me actually attempting to book anything or entering my information again. I have since started using a different browser to avoid the calls, but with the call and email from Princess today, I'm wondering if it's actually standard for cruise lines to reach out and be helpful

 

I've only sailed Disney and I guess I've never booked direct. I've booked with DVC, Costco and a TA. If I booked directly with DCL, would they have contacted me by phone to offer help with everything? I'm just really surprised me today to hear from Princess after putting something on hold online. It makes me wonder if it is industry standard and I just didn't know because I've always book on DCL through a third party.

I've never experienced any follow up calls or emails from Disney after contacting them, like I have on other lines.

 

In fact, Carnival calls every time I just open a email from them.

 

DCL isn't as driven to "make that reservation" like other lines. They're fairly sure that the public will come to them.

[moki'smommy]

DCL is not known for being cooperative on the phone. THey are known for handing out WRONG information. In fact, the joke is that if you don't like what a CM tells you on the phone, hang up and call back. You'll get a different CM and likely a different answer.

 

My favorite was when I called to make Palo reservations for my daughter's 18th birthday. I called and said that I needed to speak to a supervisor. The CM made me spend 5 minutes explaining what I wanted to do and that I KNEW the supervisor could override the computer. After all that, he agreed that I needed a supervisor. Yup, I'd done the same thing with the teen excursion when she celebrated her 13th on the ship. Yes, I do understand that they aren't supposed to let you talk to a supervisor without first trying to answer/resolve your issue....but I knew the CM didn't have the authority to do it. FYI, the rule is that if they turn the needed age on or before an event, they can do the event even though the ship's computer keeps them at their age at embarkation. This applies to excursions, etc. as well as adult dining.

[tinybiny]

I forwarded my held Princess booking to my TA and she booked it for me. Even though the cost and everything was exactly the same, when she booked it, we ended up with $300. OBC from Princess, $150pp. She will keep looking for specials and other deals until my PIF date. This is so very different than what I am used to with DCL.

 

I have almost the same cruise booked with DCL a couple months later. :p Sadly, my DCL PIF date is about a week before my Princess cruise. It would have been nice to have finished the first cruise and then come home and decide if I wanted to keep the second one. I'm keeping both for now.

 

For those curious, it's a Baja cruise. Princess is 4 nights, with Catalina Island, Ensenada and one sea day for 2 adults, balcony room + trip insurance.

 

DCL is 3 night Baja, with Ensenada and one sea day, 1 adult, ocean view room, no insurance.

 

The princess is $100. more and comes with the $300 OBC. DCL doesn't have OBC, but my TA will probably give me $50 OBC. This is going to be our test on Princess to see if we want to do an Alaskan on them in the future.

Edited May 13, 2016 by tinybiny

[moki'smommy]

I forwarded my held Princess booking to my TA and she booked it for me. Even though the cost and everything was exactly the same, when she booked it, we ended up with $300. OBC from Princess, $150pp. She will keep looking for specials and other deals until my PIF date. This is so very different than what I am used to with DCL.

 

I have almost the same cruise booked with DCL a couple months later. :p Sadly, my DCL PIF date is about a week before my Princess cruise. It would have been nice to have finished the first cruise and then come home and decide if I wanted to keep the second one. I'm keeping both for now.

 

For those curious, it's a Baja cruise. Princess is 4 nights, with Catalina Island, Ensenada and one sea day for 2 adults, balcony room + trip insurance.

 

DCL is 3 night Baja, with Ensenada and one sea day, 1 adult, ocean view room, no insurance.

 

The princess is $100. more and comes with the $300 OBC. DCL doesn't have OBC, but my TA will probably give me $50 OBC. This is going to be our test on Princess to see if we want to do an Alaskan on them in the future.

 

Just for your info, there is a new Princess sale coming out, supposedly on May 24. It will only include cruises departing from US ports. I have no way of knowing if your cruise will be included or not. If it is, you can evaluate whether the deal you have with the OBC is better or whether the new sale is better and if you are not past your PIF date, you can rebook it at the lower rate. On Princess, you DO need to evaluate the whole package--OBC, included gratuities, "free" specialty dining, etc. as well as the cruise cost. If you are past your PIF date and the new deal is better, a phone call from your TA will sometimes result in a little more OBC being added! Just one of the differences between Princess and DCL.

 

We did the same thing with a one week "try out" on Princess. I did a lengthy comparison between Princess and DCL on this board. There are things that are better and things that are worse with each of the lines. But we have booked a couple more Princess cruises. OH, if you think you might do Princess again, purchase "Future Cruise Certificates" while on board. They are $100 per person, and this becomes your entire deposit for the future cruise. They also give you an OBC based on the length of the cruise. They expire in 2 years if not used, and you get a full refund at that time. NOTE--they are per person, not per cabin. You can purchase as many as you wish. You cannot use OBC to purchase them. Also, if a member of your party is a veteran or active duty military or if you are a stockholder in the Princess parent company, send in your documentation for additional OBC. Finally, register on the Princess web site before booking Alaska. As a previous cruiser, they will often take a small discount on the current price.