Beware of charges after going home

[tommyj4]

Recently returned from Caribbean Princess sailing. I picked up a copy of my final bill and everything was ok. Three days after being home checked my credit card bill and the charge from Princess was $7.00 higher. Called Princess they said it was a drink charged to my account. I said I had the drink package and I should not have been charged. They agreed but said it would take up to 4 weeks to resolve this and credit you charge card. Talked to two supervisor and got the same response. $7.00 isn't a lot but should never happen and if it does they should be able to fix it immediately. This reminds me of the scam RCCL was doing with there mini bar charges after the cruise.

[HomelessBear]

That’s interesting. There’s a longish thread on the P&O board saying the same thing, with a number of folks affected.

It doesn’t sound much but if the charge gets added onto lots of passengers bills, the cruise company gets a nice additional premium, if it’s not challenged or noticed and folks want their money back.

I hope this is just a “blip” in the system but it’s a strange coincidence the same thing seems to be happening on another cruise line also owned by Carnival.

Having to wait weeks for a refund is also dreadful customer service. Hope you get it sorted soon.

 

 

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[skynight]

"This reminds me of the scam RCCL was doing with there mini bar charges after the cruise."

I don't believe it is a intentional scam by Princess. I believe it is an error, or a breakdown in their procedures.

[thinfool]

I have had servers submit tickets for drink orders that were never made. If I hadn't verified all of my purchases and had them deleted...more tips for the server. :mad:

[LoriPhil]

The reverse just happened to us - received a check from Princess for $62 for our recent B2B Alaska. We do a quick review of our folio but nothing unusual popped out at us at the time. Nice surprise.

[WVBill]

So many opportunities for errors in the Princess process.

You're sitting in a lounge and waiter comes up and asks if you would like a drink. You order a martini. He says "May I see your cruise card?" You show him and he either writes down your room number or "memorizes" it. He starts back to the bar to put in your order and someone else flags him down and orders a JD on the rocks. Same process. He now has two orders and two room numbers which he gives to the bartender. Bartender enters the orders and room numbers in the computer.

Possible error points:

1) Waiter writes down your room number incorrectly or mis-memorizes your room number

2) Repeat #1 for every additional order until waiter gets back to the bar

3)Waiter transposes room numbers and drink orders when he gives them to bar tender

4) Bar tender transposes room numbers and drink orders when he enters them in the computer

5) Bar tender mis-keys a room number

 

Now, in the case of the OP where there was a charge for a drink on disembarkation day that should have been covered by AIBP - that's a computer programming error.

[voljeep]

last cruise someone got a bottle of wine from the lobby bar, and 2 cruises before that, someone got a bucket of beer at the pool bar... both on the last day...

 

hmmmmmmmmmm...:rolleyes:

 

and both times had the AIPB/PBP

[thinfool]

Possible error points:

1) Waiter writes down your room number incorrectly or mis-memorizes your room number

2) Repeat #1 for every additional order until waiter gets back to the bar

3)Waiter transposes room numbers and drink orders when he gives them to bar tender

4) Bar tender transposes room numbers and drink orders when he enters them in the computer

5) Bar tender mis-keys a room number

 

Now, in the case of the OP where there was a charge for a drink on disembarkation day that should have been covered by AIBP - that's a computer programming error.

 

I would add

6. Waiter is less than honest and submits an order for a drink that wasn't ordered, charging it to an account that, as you say, he has memorized or copied from a legitimate order.

 

In our case the problem orders were on receipts with no signature.

 

Taught me to be vigilant.

[voljeep]

I would add

6. Waiter is less than honest and submits an order for a drink that wasn't ordered, charging it to an account that, as you say, he has memorized or copied from a legitimate order.

 

In our case the problem orders were on receipts with no signature.

 

Taught me to be vigilant.

 

 

or else drinks were ordered and the waiter was getting an extra generous tip for that bucket being "on the house"...no signature, of course

[moki'smommy]

I would add

6. Waiter is less than honest and submits an order for a drink that wasn't ordered, charging it to an account that, as you say, he has memorized or copied from a legitimate order.

 

In our case the problem orders were on receipts with no signature.

 

Taught me to be vigilant.

Complicated by the fact that Princess is supposedly not issuing receipts unless the passenger requests one!

[ceilidh1]

Now, in the case of the OP where there was a charge for a drink on disembarkation day that should have been covered by AIBP - that's a computer programming error.

 

I thought the AIBP wasn't valid on disembarkation morning? I have alsways been under the impression that any drinks that day were paid for....if not, I have been paying for my coffees without needing to the past 4 or 5 cruises! :rolleyes:

 

Our last cruise with the AIBP was a nightmare - EVERY drink was charged for and I had to continually go to guest services to get it removed (to the point where they knew why I was there before I even got to the counter). I asked countless times why it was happening - they showed me what the server/bartender sees when my card got scanned or when the foli number was entered. Basically, a red box comes up that states the AIBP has been purchased - the server/bartender then needs to confirm "YES" to apply the drink to the package, or "NO" to charge the card for the drink. It isn't automatic. For whatever reason, they were pressing "NO" for me - apparently, they do this if you order more than one drink and need to pay for one of them. It was SO frustrating!

[Thrak]

We had the beverage package on our last two cruises. It was made quite clear that drinks on disembarkation day were not included and would be charged. If the OP had a drink on that day then the charge is legitimate.

[pms4104]

The bev pkg terms indicate a drinking day as 6am to 6am ... eady explanation for no pkg coverage on debark day.

 

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[JF - retired RRT]

They agreed but said it would take up to 4 weeks to resolve this and credit you charge card...it does they should be able to fix it immediately.

2 to 4 weeks is immediate for credit card refunds.

If you dispute a charge, the cc company asks "how long has it been". I had to dispute a charge a couple of weeks ago that was supposed to be refunded and my response was 2 weeks, the cc company said "wait for 4 weeks" then dispute.

Once Princess sets the process in motion, I imagine the process looks like this:

Cruiser: "not my charge" or "I want to cancel my cruise".

Princess: OK, we'll fix it...presses the necessary buttons

Cruiser: waiting

Princess: fix it request travels to a different computer.

Cruiser: waiting

Someone in the "fix it" dept. looks at the request and says OK.

Cruiser: waiting

Request goes to the next person up the ladder and he presses OK.

Cruiser: waiting

Maybe goes up the ladder 2, 3, 4 times. <Pretty sure they're not going to let ONE person make this decision. It would be too easy to figure out a way to scam the system>

Each time it has to be reviewed...along with the 1000s of other requests.

Once all the reviews are done, it goes to the cc company and the process starts all over again.

Cruiser: refund in 2-4 weeks.

[Colo Cruiser]

Scam?

[moki'smommy]

I can dispute charges on my credit card up to 60 days after I receive the bill. They'll probably argue that as up to 61 or 62 days after the bill was sent since I couldn't prove when it was received. None the less, it is way more than 4 weeks after the charge was posted!

 

You can also start a dispute on the credit card at any time. As part of the dispute, state that you have contacted the vendor and they are supposedly "researching" it, but have failed to get back with you. This enables you to preserve your rights under the credit card billing. But here's the kicker...will your credit card allow you to dispute one item on a 20 item bill that was put thru to them as a single charge?

 

Bottom line--verify your folio right before you leave the ship and check the time it was printed. Obviously, it should show a zero balance as any charges should have been sent to the credit card before the folio was printed. If anything shows up later, it should be a separate single item charge...and by checking right before you disembark (print or look up your folio), you are still on board to dispute it!

[fishywood]

I can dispute charges on my credit card up to 60 days after I receive the bill. They'll probably argue that as up to 61 or 62 days after the bill was sent since I couldn't prove when it was received. None the less' date=' it is way more than 4 weeks after the charge was posted!

 

You can also start a dispute on the credit card at any time. As part of the dispute, state that you have contacted the vendor and they are supposedly "researching" it, but have failed to get back with you. This enables you to preserve your rights under the credit card billing. But here's the kicker...will your credit card allow you to dispute one item on a 20 item bill that was put thru to them as a single charge?

[/quote']

 

I have attempted to dispute the onboard charges when my cabinmate and I set up separate credit cards but both our accounts were charged to mine. While the charge was temporarily suspended and I received numerous requests to send in proof to the card issuer (which I did), eventually the dispute was denied, the full amount reinstated and back finance charge assessed. Apparently because one agrees upon boarding to put all stateroom charges on their credit card, the accuracy of the final amount is strictly a "you said-they said" issue that the card issuer has no way of resolving. Fortunately this eventually turned out in my favor when my cabinmate called Princess personally to agree to have the proper amount moved to her card; it seemed Princess needed to hear from both of us separately to rejigger the folios--a fact they never shared with me in all my communication with them. Once Princess notified the card issuer I was credited back the finance charges as well.

[moki'smommy]

I have attempted to dispute the onboard charges when my cabinmate and I set up separate credit cards but both our accounts were charged to mine. While the charge was temporarily suspended and I received numerous requests to send in proof to the card issuer (which I did), eventually the dispute was denied, the full amount reinstated and back finance charge assessed. Apparently because one agrees upon boarding to put all stateroom charges on their credit card, the accuracy of the final amount is strictly a "you said-they said" issue that the card issuer has no way of resolving. Fortunately this eventually turned out in my favor when my cabinmate called Princess personally to agree to have the proper amount moved to her card; it seemed Princess needed to hear from both of us separately to rejigger the folios--a fact they never shared with me in all my communication with them. Once Princess notified the card issuer I was credited back the finance charges as well.

Ah, the joys of Princess.....I had to fix a SNAFU this morning for my upcoming cruise....The only "problem" was in their minds/documentation.

[kendon]

Just off the CB last weekend and we did not get our folio delivered to our stateroom, as we usually do. I had to call two days ago and just got it emailed this morning. I'll have to check for errors....

[kendon]

Complicated by the fact that Princess is supposedly not issuing receipts unless the passenger requests one!

 

Yes!

[Thrak]

I keep track of my charges daily via Princess@Sea. My wife and I were each charged for drinks a couple of times even though we had the beverage package. I just went to the Customer Service desk and had the charges removed. It was a minor inconvenience but nothing to get upset about. They removed the charges right away. Not a problem. There is no reason to wait for a final folio printout.

[jagsfan]

The reverse just happened to us - received a check from Princess for $62 for our recent B2B Alaska. We do a quick review of our folio but nothing unusual popped out at us at the time. Nice surprise.

 

 

 

That’s almost always a port tax change. Lovely when it happens!

 

 

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[FLCruise7]

Just off the CB last weekend and we did not get our folio delivered to our stateroom, as we usually do. I had to call two days ago and just got it emailed this morning. I'll have to check for errors....

 

Obviously the same cruise we were on (got off on the 7th). I got a copy of my folio at GS desk the last morning and he said they'd had some printing issues. While I was there, he fielded several calls with the response "stop by GS desk to get a copy."

[moki'smommy]

I keep track of my charges daily via Princess@Sea. My wife and I were each charged for drinks a couple of times even though we had the beverage package. I just went to the Customer Service desk and had the charges removed. It was a minor inconvenience but nothing to get upset about. They removed the charges right away. Not a problem. There is no reason to wait for a final folio printout.

True, there is no reason to wait for a final print out. BUT if the point is a charge applied after disembarkation, that's only going to show up on the final....printed or intranet.

 

I also check charges every couple of days at least. It only takes a minute.

[riclop]

That has been happening.