Princess wont refund me for cancelled trip

[Mapu]

14 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

The cruise lines should have taken out insurance against needing to cancel cruises due to disease.  It is the cruise lines own fault for thinking they could self insure this type of problem.  If this doesn't convince the cruise line to buy comprehensive business interruption insurance nothing will.  😀😀😀

We don't know whether or not they have insurance. Obviously they are refunding effected passengers quickly any insurance claim would take longer.

[ed01106]

Just now, Mapu said:

We don't know whether or not they have insurance. Obviously they are refunding effected passengers quickly any insurance claim would take longer.

If they had insurance they wouldn’t issue a revenue warning.

 

But, my post was meant as satire of those people who excuse poor cruise line customer service by blaming the customers for not having insurance.  

[cruiserchuck]

3 minutes ago, Mapu said:

We don't know whether or not they have insurance. Obviously they are refunding effected passengers quickly any insurance claim would take longer.

 

Carnival's public financial filings indicate that they do not have business interruption insurance.

 

[ed01106]

17 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

Carnival's public financial filings indicate that they do not have business interruption insurance.

 

Hypocritical of them being they encourage their customers to buy cruise interruption insurance.  😀😀😀😀

[jwattle]

16 minutes ago, ed01106 said:

Hypocritical of them being they encourage their customers to buy cruise interruption insurance.  😀😀😀😀

Do you cruise or just hate on the cruise lines? Curious...

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, ed01106 said:

The cruise lines should have taken out insurance against needing to cancel cruises due to disease.  It is the cruise lines own fault for thinking they could self insure this type of problem.  If this doesn't convince the cruise line to buy comprehensive business interruption insurance nothing will.  😀😀😀

You, as a customer, would have paid the cost for that business interruption insurance.

[memoak]

2 hours ago, ed01106 said:

Hypocritical of them being they encourage their customers to buy cruise interruption insurance.  😀😀😀😀

They offer insurance.  It is not forced. My PVP has never pushed me to buy insurance and I have taken 49 cruises with Princess 

[ed01106]

4 minutes ago, memoak said:

They offer insurance.  It is not forced. My PVP has never pushed me to buy insurance and I have taken 49 cruises with Princess 

I think some of you are missing the sarcasm. 

[sfaaa]

4 hours ago, ed01106 said:

The cruise lines should have taken out insurance against needing to cancel cruises due to disease.  It is the cruise lines own fault for thinking they could self insure this type of problem.  If this doesn't convince the cruise line to buy comprehensive business interruption insurance nothing will.  😀😀😀

Not quite. We all  know insurance companies would just jack up their future premiums to claw back any major insurance payout. Either way, you as a customer would always end up paying back (or indirectly self insuring) your loss claim in a long run.

[ed01106]

2 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Not quite. We all  know insurance companies would just jack up their future premiums to claw back any major insurance payout. Either way, you as a customer would always end up paying back (or indirectly self insuring) your loss claim in a long run.

 

1 hour ago, ed01106 said:

I think some of you are missing the sarcasm. 

Same comment. 

[rattanchair]

Dear All.\, We are booked on another cruise line in a RS in March. Perhaps this might help in the near future.

AKIKO IWASAKI: Yeah, probably. I don’t know about blocking air to the nose, whether that’s effective. But warming the nasal temperature inside is probably beneficial. Studies from our laboratories have shown that higher temperature promotes resistance to cold virus. So if you can keep your nose warm, it’s probably a good thing.

IRA FLATOW: Is it because the virus can’t multiply under that kind of condition?

AKIKO IWASAKI: That’s correct. So even increasing the temperature from a nasal temperature that’s normally there, which is about 33 degrees Celsius, to 37 degrees Celsius, which is what you find in the rest of the body. The virus can’t replicate at that temperature. So it’s probably a good idea to keep your nasal passage warm.

IRA FLATOW: What about keeping your room warm, then? I mean, I’m serious. If you raise the temperature and humidity of the rooms, and even though the virus is there and it’s not going to replicate, especially in a doctor’s office where everybody’s sitting together, touching things, and breathing on each other.

AKIKO IWASAKI: Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. Humidity’s very well-known to block transmission of virus from one person to another. And of course, the higher the temperature, the higher the humidity. So it’s probably a good idea to keep your room warm and humid.

IRA FLATOW: Well, there’s something positive we can do

[2old4this]

On 2/17/2020 at 9:08 PM, Veerraj said:

Will never sail with them again. Our cruise is scheduled in March. In light of the coronavirus, I requested a refund/ future credit to cancel my trip. This is a huge cruise company yet when it comes to a global crisis like the spread of the virus, the company is money minded. Instead of taking precautions to cancel future sailings while the outbreak is in effect, they rip customers off by not refunding and customers are forced to cancel at their own cost. Customers are cancelling without a refund as a precaution to help stop the virus from spreading further. Yet this company is focussed on generating revenue at the cost of well being of its customers and the world in general. The diamond princess belonging to this same company is stuck holding coronavirus infected customers. How does it expect future sailings to happen as planned. Where is social responsibility?
 

The agent for Princess cruises told me numerous times that my only option is to cancel the trip and receive 50 percent refund. As sailing was 1 month away, I had no choice but to cancel the trip on Feb 12 2020. 2 days later Princess announced that they would be cancelling this sailing. When I contacted Princess about the other 50 percent refund, they have refused to respond to me. I think it is only fair if they refund my remaining 50 percent as the ship wont be sailing anyway on March 12th out of Singapore.

 

If I do not receive the remaining 50 percent as a consumer I will take this further as this is not fair and I urge other customers who cancelled their trip due to the virus to fight for a full refund.

 

I understand your position and I don't agree with it.  You are likely wishing you had bought insurance so you would not only get most of your ticket back , you would have avoided all the writing and concern that you have undertaken to do.  You will lose and the situation is likely to provide you only with disappointment and maybe some anger in the years ahead.

 

You might have decided to make the trip, too, and with the empty cabins some ships are experiencing, a serious upgrade with perks might have been yours to enjoy.  Traveling without protection insurance has given you food for thought in the future.  I have not composed this with malice.  My thoughts shared with you my fellow traveler.  Jack 

[rsato]

2 hours ago, 2old4this said:

 

I understand your position and I don't agree with it.  You are likely wishing you had bought insurance so you would not only get most of your ticket back , you would have avoided all the writing and concern that you have undertaken to do.  You will lose and the situation is likely to provide you only with disappointment and maybe some anger in the years ahead.

 

You might have decided to make the trip, too, and with the empty cabins some ships are experiencing, a serious upgrade with perks might have been yours to enjoy.  Traveling without protection insurance has given you food for thought in the future.  I have not composed this with malice.  My thoughts shared with you my fellow traveler.  Jack 

Where do you purchase CFAR insurance that refunds cash? I was booked on the April 16 Sapphire cruise and I purchased AIG Travel Guard Gold over Princess insurance because of the higher medical and especially medical evacuation coverage. I'm told CFAR Princess insurance won't cover 100% unless you are elite, and only gives you credit for a future cruise which is quite limiting since I cruise for exotic destinations, not for a particular cruise line.

 

My Travelguard Gold won't cover this cancellation.

[Daniel A]

6 hours ago, rsato said:

Where do you purchase CFAR insurance that refunds cash? I was booked on the April 16 Sapphire cruise and I purchased AIG Travel Guard Gold over Princess insurance because of the higher medical and especially medical evacuation coverage. I'm told CFAR Princess insurance won't cover 100% unless you are elite, and only gives you credit for a future cruise which is quite limiting since I cruise for exotic destinations, not for a particular cruise line.

 

My Travelguard Gold won't cover this cancellation.

I don't personally have the answer to your questions but there is a Cruise Critic Board that covers Cruise/Travel Insurance questions and discussions.  You can find it here:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/499-cruisetravel-insurance/

 

[Daniel A]

7 hours ago, rsato said:

Where do you purchase CFAR insurance that refunds cash? I was booked on the April 16 Sapphire cruise and I purchased AIG Travel Guard Gold over Princess insurance because of the higher medical and especially medical evacuation coverage. I'm told CFAR Princess insurance won't cover 100% unless you are elite, and only gives you credit for a future cruise which is quite limiting since I cruise for exotic destinations, not for a particular cruise line.

 

My Travelguard Gold won't cover this cancellation.

Travel Guard Gold offers CFAR as an addon optional coverage but you have to purchase it at the time you purchase the plan and within 15 days of your first payment for the cruise.  It looks like it pays 50 cents on the dollar.

[rsato]

Personally, I feel the most important reason to buy travel insurance is medical care especially when cruising to far off destinations (like South East Asia). Princess provides $25,000 in medical evacuation which is totally inadequate. It will cost you $25,000 for a medical evacuation from Southern California to Washington State. AIG Travel Guard, on the other hand has $500,000 in evacuation which should get you home from points around the world. In addition, medical care in foreign countries which is not usually covered by American insurance companies, is covered $25,000 by Travel Guard vs only $10,000 by Princess. Certainly, covering your out of pocket losses for your vacation is important but your own well being should be the highest consideration.

 

 

 

 

 

[ed01106]

1 hour ago, Daniel A said:

 It looks like it pays 50 cents on the dollar.

Which would have done nothing for the OP.

[voljeep]

9 hours ago, rsato said:

I'm told CFAR Princess insurance won't cover 100% unless you are elite,

I believe the 'free upgrade' to the 100% CFAR actually begins at the Ruby level

 

pay for regular - get the upgrade

[paphoslady]

17 minutes ago, rsato said:

Personally, I feel the most important reason to buy travel insurance is medical care especially when cruising to far off destinations (like South East Asia). Princess provides $25,000 in medical evacuation which is totally inadequate. It will cost you $25,000 for a medical evacuation from Southern California to Washington State. AIG Travel Guard, on the other hand has $500,000 in evacuation which should get you home from points around the world. In addition, medical care in foreign countries which is not usually covered by American insurance companies, is covered $25,000 by Travel Guard vs only $10,000 by Princess. Certainly, covering your out of pocket losses for your vacation is important but your own well being should be the highest consideration.

Completely agree with your post. I've bought travel insurance in the UK and our policy covers us for £10,000 cancellation cover and £10 million emergency medical cover. There is no way that I would travel on a cruise without cover in place. Everyone thinks it won't happen to them until it does!! 

[2old4this]

52 minutes ago, paphoslady said:

Completely agree with your post. I've bought travel insurance in the UK and our policy covers us for £10,000 cancellation cover and £10 million emergency medical cover. There is no way that I would travel on a cruise without cover in place. Everyone thinks it won't happen to them until it does!! 

 

I have an insurance travel story to share here.  It happened in Cuba when the travel there was recently open.  We were in the last 3 days of a 2-week travel tour when one of our passengers was hospitalized with a life threatening internal problem.  She, at the time, was lead celloist in Dallas and loved by all of us who had met her for the first time on the trip.  As good fortune would have it, she was the only one with full medical return and hospitalization provided by her musical relationship.  As we left her in central Cuba for our flights home, she flew to Dallas in a hospital with doctor jet.  Sadly she died in Dallas.  Point here, not a single passenger, other than this precious lady, had medical coverage simply because we assumed being so close to Florida getting home would be no problem.  I have been traveling with both cancellation and medical insurance ever since.  Jack 

52 minutes ago, paphoslady said:

Completely agree with your post. I've bought travel insurance in the UK and our policy covers us for £10,000 cancellation cover and £10 million emergency medical cover. There is no way that I would travel on a cruise without cover in place. Everyone thinks it won't happen to them until it does!! 

 

Edited February 26, 2020 by 2old4this

[staygulf]

1 hour ago, paphoslady said:

Completely agree with your post. I've bought travel insurance in the UK and our policy covers us for £10,000 cancellation cover and £10 million emergency medical cover. There is no way that I would travel on a cruise without cover in place. Everyone thinks it won't happen to them until it does!! 

The cruise contract you enter into with the cruise line, if you are in the UK, requires you to have insurance in place. I believe they will not let you travel without it. 

[rsato]

Great news from Princess for all those that cancelled their reservations before the cruise line officially cancelled! 

 

Dear Princess Guest:

 

 

As you may be aware, we have recently made several voyage cancellations due to the lack of predictability regarding port availability in our Asia itineraries.

Our records show that you cancelled your Sapphire Princess cruise departing April 16, 2020 (Voyage H013) on or after January 20, 2020. As this was a voyage we made the decision to cancel, you will be reimbursed for the cancellation fees incurred and, if purchased, the cost of Princess Vacation Protection.

To avoid confusion, please be aware that your refund for any amount not subject to the cancellation fee schedule such as pre- and post-cruise hotel packages, prepaid shore excursions and other prepaid items purchased through Princess Cruises, and taxes, fees, and port expenses will be processed and returned to the original method of payment used to pay for your cruise.

The reimbursement for any cancellation fees incurred will be provided in the form of a check and will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks to process. Please note that refunds are paid per guest rather than per booking and the check will be delivered in a standard envelope addressed from Bottomline Technologies.

As a gesture of goodwill, you will also receive a Future Cruise Credit equal to 25% of the cruise fare paid on this voyage. The credit may be applied to any future Princess cruise that sails by February 28, 2021 or any existing booking not yet paid in full and is non-refundable and non-transferable.

That credit will be applied to each guest’s Captain’s Circle account by March 31, 2020. To use your credit, please contact your travel advisor or call us at 1-800-774-6237 (North America), 0344 338 8663 (UK), 13 24 88 (Australia), or 0800 780 717 (New Zealand).  

It is our sincere hope that the refund and Future Cruise Credit will help you to create new cruise memories with us in the near future.

Sincerely,

Princess Cruises 

[Loreni]

I am glad this ended well for the OP.  As I said we learned our lesson the hard way a few years back when we booked directly with Princess and paid in full on the spot even though they offered us a 24 hour courtesy hold.  Just 12 hours later I needed to cancel.  They had not yet charged my credit card when I called them.  They would not let me cancel without loss of money and they charged my card in full the next day.  I almost decided to never cruise with them again, but technically they were correct.  Still it seemed low.

 

so I learned to use a travel agent, say yes to a courtesy hold, and buy CFAR insurance.  I also decided to always arrange my own shore excursions and never use the ship’s shops, spa, casino, or specialty dining. Nor do I buy drinks onboard.  We still have a great time.

[trinitygirl]

1 hour ago, rsato said:

Great news from Princess for all those that cancelled their reservations before the cruise line officially cancelled! 

 

Dear Princess Guest:

 

 

As you may be aware, we have recently made several voyage cancellations due to the lack of predictability regarding port availability in our Asia itineraries.

Our records show that you cancelled your Sapphire Princess cruise departing April 16, 2020 (Voyage H013) on or after January 20, 2020. As this was a voyage we made the decision to cancel, you will be reimbursed for the cancellation fees incurred and, if purchased, the cost of Princess Vacation Protection.

To avoid confusion, please be aware that your refund for any amount not subject to the cancellation fee schedule such as pre- and post-cruise hotel packages, prepaid shore excursions and other prepaid items purchased through Princess Cruises, and taxes, fees, and port expenses will be processed and returned to the original method of payment used to pay for your cruise.

The reimbursement for any cancellation fees incurred will be provided in the form of a check and will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks to process. Please note that refunds are paid per guest rather than per booking and the check will be delivered in a standard envelope addressed from Bottomline Technologies.

As a gesture of goodwill, you will also receive a Future Cruise Credit equal to 25% of the cruise fare paid on this voyage. The credit may be applied to any future Princess cruise that sails by February 28, 2021 or any existing booking not yet paid in full and is non-refundable and non-transferable.

That credit will be applied to each guest’s Captain’s Circle account by March 31, 2020. To use your credit, please contact your travel advisor or call us at 1-800-774-6237 (North America), 0344 338 8663 (UK), 13 24 88 (Australia), or 0800 780 717 (New Zealand).  

It is our sincere hope that the refund and Future Cruise Credit will help you to create new cruise memories with us in the near future.

Sincerely,

Princess Cruises 

wow, that is great news.  I wonder if it will apply to me?  I cancelled and rebooked in early Feb, when my original cabin (an indoor) was repriced down from $4705 to $1670.  I had to pay a $1300 cancellation fee, but then booked the cruise a second time (this time a balcony for $3000) and then THAT cruise was cancelled.  I know I get the whole $3000 back for the cruise they cancelled (eventually, it is certainly taking them a long time because I guess they have a lot of paperwork to get through) - do you think they will eventually reimburse me for the first cruise cancellation fee? That would be just awesome news if so.  I also lost $850 cancelling my flights to Tokyo, so its been an expensive lesson all up.  Our insurance does not cover cancellation fees for this scenario.

Edited February 27, 2020 by trinitygirl

[NorthwestCruiser]

It is nice to see a business doing exactly what they should do for their customers.  Bravo!   The %25 off on a future cruise is a really nice touch and smart business.

 

Note that airlines and hotels are being pretty reasonable about cancelations as well, so if you have those costs don't assume they are lost.