First Formal Complaint to Princess - Very Pleased With Outcome

[ccrain]

As most of you who follow my post know, I am one who takes it as it comes, makes lemonade, adds a little vodka and has a party.

 

On this last series of cruises (42 days in total) we had a serious issue with the AC in the cabin. It simply would not cool down below 74F and in the afternoons when the sun was on our side of the ship it went as high as 80F in the cabin. (Yes, my alarm clock has a thermometer on it - a necessity when arguing hot/cold cabins with the DW after a certain age...) We had to leave on several occasions to cooler climes on deck 5. Even after Hong Kong, going north we actually had to open the door to cool off the cabin.

 

We discussed the issue several times with the front desk and with engineering. They simply could not fix it. At all. And they tried everything. It came down to this particular cabin and its location in the A/C ducting chain.

 

The front desk did loan us one of their fans - without it we wouldn't have been able to sleep until late at night.

 

So when we got back, I decided to file a formal complaint on the Princess website. I laid everything out, the cruise booking numbers, the temperature in the cabin, the steps customer service took, the steps engineering took, in a logical and direct manner. I also included that as a resolution I expected some compensation in the form of OBC on the next upcoming cruises - 60 days on the Coral and a World Cruise on the Pacific.

 

I was called that evening to tell me they were looking at my complaint and would get back to me in 4-6 weeks. 2 weeks later I got a call from corporate customer service. They had looked into my complaint, retrieved the documentation from the ship, recognized that they had a problem, apologized and gave us compensation in the form of cruise credits on upcoming cruises.

 

I was extremely happy about the process and the outcome.

 

I know that others have not had as good an experience as this, but since Princess does monitor this board, I thought a little positive reinforcement would go a long way.

 

Nicely done and very much appreciated...

[EllieR]

Thank you for posting this. I find it's very easy for us to comment when things go wrong, but we don't often hear/read when things go right or are corrected. I'm not restricting this observation to Cruise Critic - we do this at work, with family squabbles, etc. So, to take the time to say that something was resolved, and giving credit where it's due, is nice because it provides a balance we don't always get.

 

I hope your next cruise is lovely and all you hope it will be. :)

[moki'smommy]

Interesting. We were told on the Caribbean Princess that they have no fans on the ship (when we complained about our suite being hot). It was finally corrected on the third day.

[cmdchiefthom]

Thank you for posting this. I find it's very easy for us to comment when things go wrong, but we don't often hear/read when things go right or are corrected. I'm not restricting this observation to Cruise Critic - we do this at work, with family squabbles, etc. So, to take the time to say that something was resolved, and giving credit where it's due, is nice because it provides a balance we don't always get.

 

I hope your next cruise is lovely and all you hope it will be. :)

 

I totally agree with you comment....it is easy to fire up the computer and complain about the AC, or the toilets, food or service aboard here on the boards and then be done with it. Direct communication with Corporate level is usually the most effective method, and sharing the result of that process here with those with an interest can assess that result.;)

[satxdiver]

Thanks for posting the problem and satisfactory resolution. We were on a cruise last year and the head of Guest Services addressed us at the M&G. He said that he and others read CC all the time to see what pax are saying. He then started talking about the great butter uproar. Basically what he said was they were trying to cut down on wasted butter and that pax could have all the butter they wanted so just ask. Once butter is put on the table, if not used, it must be thrown away. I have been at tables where we did request more butter and it was provided without any comment. So Princess does indeed read our comments which makes great business sense.

[KevintheIrishDJ]

We just got off a 20 day B2B on the CP. The wait staff during the first cruise (table of 8) was VERY BAD. We tried not to complain. Next to last night, we waited 45 minutes to get our appetizer, while their only other table were already on their entrée. We finally complained. Me wife always gets decafe with dinner. She had trouble getting to sleep. The entire table were treated to dinner and drinks at the Crown Grill the next night. Also, we were switched to another table for the second cruise. The service was like night and day.

[Thrak]

Since they admit the problem is with this particular cabin can you tell us which cabin it is so we can avoid it in the future? (If it's a suite then it's not something that will ever affect us. :p)

[ccrain]

Since they admit the problem is with this particular cabin can you tell us which cabin it is so we can avoid it in the future? (If it's a suite then it's not something that will ever affect us. :p)

 

Good point. Diamond Princess C702.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Thank you for that information. I made a note of it. I wonder if the fact that you had so many cruises booked had something to do with the way you were treated by customer service?

[Sea Hag]

Good point. Diamond Princess C702.

I wonder if C702 on some or all of the other Grand Class ships has this problem. :confused:

[ccrain]

I wonder if C702 on some or all of the other Grand Class ships has this problem. :confused:

 

This is a Japanese Grand, so there are significant differences in layout and deck plans. I would not be surprised if there were differences in the HVAC system as well.

[ccrain]

Thank you for that information. I made a note of it. I wonder if the fact that you had so many cruises booked had something to do with the way you were treated by customer service?

 

Actually I think it was the fact that we repeatedly went to customer service on the ship and they documented the issue from the first cruise. That coupled with a specific complaint, including a specific issue, with hard data, led them to do what they did.

 

Or maybe the fact that we've never done a complaint in almost 18 years and over 500 sea days with princess.

 

Who knows.

 

I'm just reporting some positive news on the customer service front... they do listen...

[paul929207]

Charlie,

Glad to hear your story. I am glad you got a satisfactory resolution.

 

Happy Sailing

[DrivesLikeMario]

Actually I think it was the fact that we repeatedly went to customer service on the ship and they documented the issue from the first cruise. That coupled with a specific complaint, including a specific issue, with hard data, led them to do what they did.

 

Or maybe the fact that we've never done a complaint in almost 18 years and over 500 sea days with princess.

 

Who knows.

 

I'm just reporting some positive news on the customer service front... they do listen...

 

Yes - they do if you present it in a coherent, documented way like you did. I think you were smart to keep records on who you talked to, when and document the temp on your clock (mine has that too). Good job!

[OzKiwiJJ]

I also had problems with the air-con in our inside cabin (C511) on the Sydney to Japan cruise, Charles, but I'm not sure what the actual temps were. They did improve it slightly in the first couple of days but there seemed to be an inherent design problem. The cool air was coming out of the air-con at the foot of the bed, but wasn't flowing up to the head of the bed. It was OK for DH but I "run hot" and like a really cold cabin at night. We bought a really great fan in Darwin and that solved the problem for the remainder of the trip - we placed it on the desk and it blew the cool air from the air-con up to where I needed it. I mentioned the issue in the post-cruise survey but didn't bother sending in a specific complaint.

 

I had a similar problem on Golden (inside cabin) and on Royal (balcony cabin), so I think that fan will be travelling with us on more Princess cruises. I've never had a problem on the Sun class ships though.

 

I just don't understand why the Princess cabin air-conditioning settings don't allow for people who like really cool cabins at night. The air-con in the public areas is great so why not in the cabins. Other cruise lines can do it, Celebrity cabin air-con is brilliant.

 

Great to hear you got a good response from Princess.

 

BTW I thought it was port you added to your lemonade, not vodka! ;p

[Lucky TGO]

Lucky you!! It seems like your in the minority’s these days. :(

Tony

[Lucky TGO]

Lucky you!! It seems like your in the minority’s these days. :(

Tony

[AE_Collector]

As most of you who follow my post know, I am one who takes it as it comes, makes lemonade, adds a little vodka and has a party.

 

Well, I’d have guessed a Tequila rather than Vodka but point made,... carry on....

 

Terry

[TheRabbit]

So when we got back, I decided to file a formal complaint on the Princess website. I laid everything out, the cruise booking numbers, the temperature in the cabin, the steps customer service took, the steps engineering took, in a logical and direct manner. I also included that as a resolution I expected some compensation in the form of OBC on the next upcoming cruises - 60 days on the Coral and a World Cruise on the Pacific.

Thanks for posting this Charles. We read too many times on this forum when people have had problems and not handle it correctly. Then when they get back all they do is complain. We have had a few major problems in our rooms over the years and all but one was handle after speaking to the correct people and documenting it. On one cruise, though the problem was corrected after about 16 hours of the room being unusable due to construction activities, and in addition, there was a long term problem.

 

We did the same thing when we got back home and put all the documentation together with the names of people we had talked to and submitted this to Princess. Though we only asked they compensate us something, Princess gave us future cruise credit well above what we expected. Go Princess!

 

It is amazing what staying level headed can do instead of ranting and raving and expecting magic.

[ccrain]

I also had problems with the air-con in our inside cabin (C511) on the Sydney to Japan cruise, Charles, but I'm not sure what the actual temps were. They did improve it slightly in the first couple of days but there seemed to be an inherent design problem. The cool air was coming out of the air-con at the foot of the bed, but wasn't flowing up to the head of the bed. It was OK for DH but I "run hot" and like a really cold cabin at night. We bought a really great fan in Darwin and that solved the problem for the remainder of the trip - we placed it on the desk and it blew the cool air from the air-con up to where I needed it. I mentioned the issue in the post-cruise survey but didn't bother sending in a specific complaint.

 

I had a similar problem on Golden (inside cabin) and on Royal (balcony cabin), so I think that fan will be travelling with us on more Princess cruises. I've never had a problem on the Sun class ships though.

 

I just don't understand why the Princess cabin air-conditioning settings don't allow for people who like really cool cabins at night. The air-con in the public areas is great so why not in the cabins. Other cruise lines can do it, Celebrity cabin air-con is brilliant.

 

Great to hear you got a good response from Princess.

 

BTW I thought it was port you added to your lemonade, not vodka! ;p

 

Having dabbled in HVAC engineering, its all a matter of balance. There are only so many tons of A/C and CFMs (Cubic Feet per Minute) available on an HVAC 'string' - the ducting from a chiller unit along various cabins in series. The end of the string always gets the short end of the CFMs. The air flowing out of our vent in the cabin was within specs temperature wise, they re-calibrated the thermostat to a lower setting, but the CFMs just wasn't there IMHO. The bathroom air noise in the upper vent was not there on this cabin and you could just barely hear the air coming in.

 

This could have been caused by any number of things from original design issues to needing a replacement fan blower unit to problems with the chillers.

 

The heat load in the afternoon is typically the most stressful in any cabin we've been in (on the sunny side of the ship), but most cabins can keep the heat controlled even when the curtains are open. We had to keep ours shut all the time...

 

Customer service actually gave us one of their fans they use - indicating that their offices weren't exactly cool either. I asked for it specifically - which is probably why I got it from them.

 

Funny that you mention Port as I did get into the Port Lemonade that was offered in the Elite Lounge. Not my favorite drink, but it was on the 'cheap' list and it wasn't bad. Since we had plenty of coffee cards from prior cruises, we kept the Elite bar, trading out all the booze for beer and whiskey, and all the sodas for Sprite Zero, so I ended up doing 7&7's (short for Seagram 7 and 7-Up, the drink of choice after the last final in college) for most of the cruise.

 

For future cruises I suggest you get a thermometer alarm clock. This is the first time I've had to use it for ship purposes. Most of the time its used for 'no dear, its XXF in the cabin, so its you, not the room temperature' discussions...

[OzKiwiJJ]

Thanks for that info, Charles. Very interesting.

 

Funny that you mention Port as I did get into the Port Lemonade that was offered in the Elite Lounge. Not my favorite drink, but it was on the 'cheap' list and it wasn't bad.

 

I know you did, which is why I made that comment. ;) We sat opposite you in the Elite lounge on one of the Stilton nights and you were drinking the Port Lemonade that night.

 

For future cruises I suggest you get a thermometer alarm clock. This is the first time I've had to use it for ship purposes. Most of the time its used for 'no dear, its XXF in the cabin, so its you, not the room temperature' discussions...

 

I'm looking around for a suitable thermometer to take on cruises. Not necessarily an alarm clock one though as we tend to use our phones as alarm clocks.

[RLK33853]

This has been an ongoing issue for the Diamond and it certainly isn't the first time Customer Service has paid out for passengers unhappy with the air conditioning.

We like the OP, try to make sure that our cruise experience is up to us, not the cruise line. Unfortunately when you can't even be in your cabin due to the heat, is is hard to stay positive. In January we were on the Diamond in the South Pacific and had the same issues (so did scores of others). The staff were very aware of the issue and never even argued the point. The ship engineers came by each day to track the temperature (always above 80F) and sent the report to Corporate. We ended up with $600 FCC each. While this may seem like a nice gesture, it really isn't, since we paid for a Mini-Suite and never spent any time in it due to the heat. On a side note, people were wearing sweaters in the public areas since it was so cold............go figure. In fact the hallway was at the very least 10 degrees cooler than our cabin.

As for a design issue, the Diamond is a sister ship to the Sapphire which doesn't have the issue (we love the Sapphire). So more than likely a mechanical component is failing and they are not replacing it.

The only thing we had to keep telling ourselves was that the staff were doing everything they could.

[land lover]

Glad u are pleased with the outcome.

 

 

Unfortunately, about every other cruise I have been on with Princes since I began cruising her again in 2013 I have had a concern, which has been addressed not always to my satisfaction, but at least addressed. Just in the last year, They have replaced a suitcase, cut checks for missing laundry and provided me with future OBC for poor service and ship excursions cut short or missed due to lost luggage at departure.

 

I really do not think it matters if you have had 100 or it is your first Princess cruise, the staff on the ship and on land know things happened and are willing to work with you. After so many mishaps I no longer send an email...I just talk to Customer Relations on my return or deal with staff when on the ship, situations seems to be resolved in a day or 2.

 

We were in on the Majestic in Southeast Asia last June and the humidity was so bad when opening the balcony door all mirrors in the room fogged...even my camera lens fogged when taking photos outside. So air not working properly in that neck of the woods :eek: BTW no issues during our 3 weeks on that beautiful ship, unfortunately though that is where my luggage got lost on departure.

 

How fortune you have been never to have issues on past cruises....

Edited May 7, 2018 by land lover

[TheRabbit]

We were in on the Majestic in Southeast Asia last June and the humidity was so bad when opening the balcony door all mirrors in the room fogged...even my camera lens fogged when taking photos outside. So air not working properly in that neck of the woods :eek: BTW no issues during our 3 weeks on that beautiful ship, unfortunately though that is where my luggage got lost on departure.

The fogging is pure physic. Any time you move an item from a location where it is colder than the dew point out into the moist air, it will fog. Likewise allowing humid air into the room where the temperature mirror is below the dew point, it will fog up.

 

I have a problem all the time in humid areas when taking the camera from the cool air conditioned bus outside into the humidity. I try to keep my camera pack in a warmer area to help prevent this.

[land lover]

The fogging is pure physic. Any time you move an item from a location where it is colder than the dew point out into the moist air, it will fog. Likewise allowing humid air into the room where the temperature mirror is below the dew point, it will fog up.

 

I have a problem all the time in humid areas when taking the camera from the cool air conditioned bus outside into the humidity. I try to keep my camera pack in a warmer area to help prevent this.

 

 

Thanks for the tips it seemed a cell phone carried close to the body...solved the problem.. everyone on the ship was having the same problem, some even set their cameras out on the balcony to adjust....I also have some pretty cool photos I took with "the effect..." so not all was lost.... I just use a point and shoot, so learned to keep the lens opened and it helped a tad....Seemed the higher up u were on the ship the effect was greater...makes sense....

Edited May 7, 2018 by land lover