Refund Status for canceled cruises: Retitled after merges

[dag144]

We are being told by the company to be patient while they process refunds.  They claim to be overwhelmed.  However, their accounting staff has less to do on other fronts.  No provisioning for current voyages, no accounting for guests' current charges, less crew to pay.  Seems to me that the processing of refunds is more than balanced by the reduction in the accounting for ongoing everyday expenses.  To put it bluntly, WHAT A CROCK!!!

[whitecap]

6 minutes ago, dag144 said:

We are being told by the company to be patient while they process refunds.  They claim to be overwhelmed.  However, their accounting staff has less to do on other fronts.  No provisioning for current voyages, no accounting for guests' current charges, less crew to pay.  Seems to me that the processing of refunds is more than balanced by the reduction in the accounting for ongoing everyday expenses.  To put it bluntly, WHAT A CROCK!!!

Can you be more specific:  was the refund for a cancelled cruise?  When did you apply for the refund?  When you filed for the refund, were you told approximately how long it could take?

[voljeep]

29 minutes ago, dag144 said:

We are being told by the company to be patient while they process refunds.  They claim to be overwhelmed.  However, their accounting staff has less to do on other fronts.  No provisioning for current voyages, no accounting for guests' current charges, less crew to pay.  Seems to me that the processing of refunds is more than balanced by the reduction in the accounting for ongoing everyday expenses.  To put it bluntly, WHAT A CROCK!!!

have you ever worked from home, when you don't normally work from home ??

[npcl]

10 minutes ago, voljeep said:

have you ever worked from home, when you don't normally work from home ??

Yes.  I have. For modern IT systems. With remote access to computer systems should not be much of an issue.  A bit harder for call centers, but for accounting systems where all necessary data should be online, not much of an issue.

 

This delay does not have the ear marks of a work load issue.  If that would so you would see a steady stream of refunds, just maybe at a slow rate, with potentially a growing back log.

 

In this case you saw the refund time jump almost immediately to 60 days.  No clarity provided in when any particular refund stands in the process and very few, if any refunds, actually processed, even 60 days after the start.  If it was a true workload issue and they have processed so few, yet canceled considerably more cruises, what is the back log up to now 6 months, a year?

 

This has all of the ear marks of a delay in refunds for cash management reasons, not work load.

Edited May 5, 2020 by npcl

[Paula_MacFan]

25 minutes ago, voljeep said:

have you ever worked from home, when you don't normally work from home ??

 

I work both from home and in an office setting periodically.  Obviously more from home lately.  If you have a VPN connection it shouldn't matter one bit whether you're in the office or at home -- you're connecting to the same system and have access to the same resources.  Again, more excuses.  

 

On another topic, I read this morning in NCL's securities filing they are negotiating with their credit card processor about the level of disputes and they may be required to pledge collateral due to the increasing volume.  I assume Princess will be in the same boat (so to speak) given the anecdotal level of credit card disputes reported here alone.  

[voljeep]

12 minutes ago, Paula_MacFan said:

 

I work both from home and in an office setting periodically.  Obviously more from home lately.  If you have a VPN connection it shouldn't matter one bit whether you're in the office or at home -- you're connecting to the same system and have access to the same resources.  Again, more excuses.  

 

On another topic, I read this morning in NCL's securities filing they are negotiating with their credit card processor about the level of disputes and they may be required to pledge collateral due to the increasing volume.  I assume Princess will be in the same boat (so to speak) given the anecdotal level of credit card disputes reported here alone.  

so working at the office, are you sitting at the kitchen table, with a glass of wine, while the damn cat is sitting on the keyboard ?

 

 

[Mackenzie1]

3 hours ago, mrsbillyp said:

Just a temporary credit pending review of my documentation which I faxed to them yesterday. The letter they sent said they’d reverse the credit and close out the claim if I didn’t supply appropriate information by 5/12 (10 days after CC dispute). 

 

Thanks, MrsBillyP.  I've called Chase and have disputed the charge.  I really appreciate how you have given your time to let us know about this option.

[trrn2016]

3 hours ago, mrsbillyp said:

Just a temporary credit pending review of my documentation which I faxed to them yesterday. The letter they sent said they’d reverse the credit and close out the claim if I didn’t supply appropriate information by 5/12 (10 days after CC dispute). 

I have Chase Sapphire Preferred. How did you initiate the dispute? I have the form. Did you mail everything in to CHASE? It says to click on the transactions you want to dispute. However, when I click nothing happens. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Paula_MacFan]

delete

Edited May 5, 2020 by Paula_MacFan
delete

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, Paula_MacFan said:

No, I'm working from my home office just the same as if I were in the physical office.   No wine, no cats.  Not sure why this is a hard concept to grasp.....people have been working remotely for years.  Technology, 'dude' 

brah ette - what part of 'not normally' working from home … I'm referring to the people who have been going into an office, into their cubicle and putting in their 8's … and suddenly thrust into "working from home" without the structure of an "office"

 

technology, of course … that's the easiest part ...

[ceilidh1]

27 minutes ago, voljeep said:

brah ette - what part of 'not normally' working from home … I'm referring to the people who have been going into an office, into their cubicle and putting in their 8's … and suddenly thrust into "working from home" without the structure of an "office"

 

technology, of course … that's the easiest part ...

Add to this that many people working from home also have kids at home since schools are closed. For me, this means homeschooling, feeding, and supervising two kid at the same time as trying to work. 

[Mackenzie1]

32 minutes ago, trrn2016 said:

I have Chase Sapphire Preferred. How did you initiate the dispute? I have the form. Did you mail everything in to CHASE? It says to click on the transactions you want to dispute. However, when I click nothing happens. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Call Chase directly, and when they ask what option you want, punch zero (for the operator), or sometimes it's double click zero's. When I did this, I was connected with a service representative, who in turn put me in touch with the disputes department.  I had the same problem when I tried to do this online.  The transaction was in pdf format, so there was no way to click on it.  That's why I called instead, and it worked.

[suzyed]

5 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

Add to this that many people working from home also have kids at home since schools are closed. For me, this means homeschooling, feeding, and supervising two kid at the same time as trying to work. 

I would imagine that they still have to put in X number of hours despite the fact that there are kids, dogs, cats and homework.  I'm sure it's not easy but they have to make it work.

[1emerald1]

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

so working at the office, are you sitting at the kitchen table, with a glass of wine, while the damn cat is sitting on the keyboard ?

 

 

My cat actually sent an e-mail to my boss......

[Steelers36]

46 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

Add to this that many people working from home also have kids at home since schools are closed. For me, this means homeschooling, feeding, and supervising two kid at the same time as trying to work. 

Exactly.  Our single daughter (no kids) is handling a higher work load and more hours each day as others on her team, also WFH, are not getting the same throughput volume due to the very factors you mention.

 

[npcl]

1 hour ago, voljeep said:

brah ette - what part of 'not normally' working from home … I'm referring to the people who have been going into an office, into their cubicle and putting in their 8's … and suddenly thrust into "working from home" without the structure of an "office"

 

technology, of course … that's the easiest part ...

One thing about accounting transactions, one can very easily see the volume of transactions completed in the office or when working from home. Productivity can be easily measured.  

 

Even if their productivity was down, it would not result in almost zero refunds in 60 days.

 

Edited May 5, 2020 by npcl

[dchan865]

On 5/4/2020 at 1:25 PM, LawDog61 said:

Has anyone tried to use the Costco visa contested process to get their refund?  How did it go?

I used it for the 2nd cruise(for late Aug sailing) that I cancelled about 3-4 weeks ago. Since I didn't pay in full yet, I only disputed the $400 deposit so far only got a conditional credit. I don't feel comfortable  loaning my money to them without anything in return, not to mention they still own me more than 8k!

[PrincessLuver]

1 hour ago, CarelessAndConfused said:

Even if we all conceded that working from home is creating "challenges" (which I certainly don't), it's not like we're debating about why they are only half the way through the refunds with 60 days upon us in a few days.  It's obvious based on the "interrogatory" thread and this one and several others that they are even trying to make refunds.  THAT is the real issue.  Not anything to do with work-at-home logistics which are obviously not the source of the delay.

 

 

 

Agree......it appears they have no intentions of doing cash refunds at this time and as time goes on it is apparent that they are great at making excuses on why they are not doing it......even if they were working from the moon somebody should have gotten a refund from one of the first cruises canceled by Princess on March 12, 2020.

[Cruise Raider]

1 minute ago, PrincessLuver said:

 

Agree......it appears they have no intentions of doing cash refunds at this time and as time goes on it is apparent that they are great at making excuses on why they are not doing it......even if they were working from the moon somebody should have gotten a refund from one of the first cruises canceled by Princess on March 12, 2020.

 

Absolutely!  Just the data on these boards, it doesn't look as though even 1% of those canceled back on the first suspension of operations on 3/12 have gotten their cash back.  I've seen many threads on trying to tabulate this data but looks like some people that got their refunds were posting about sailings that they canceled prior to that 3/12 announcement or people who chose option #1 and said they got their refund when they are clearly talking about FCCs.   It's hard to weed through them to get a true refund rate but it looks extremely low.  The delay simply cannot be justified by stating their employees are working from home.  After 7 weeks, we should be hearing the rate of returns should be more like the 80% mark ... yet, I'd be surprised if it is even 1% for those that chose option #2.  

 

 

[npcl]

35 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

Absolutely!  Just the data on these boards, it doesn't look as though even 1% of those canceled back on the first suspension of operations on 3/12 have gotten their cash back.  I've seen many threads on trying to tabulate this data but looks like some people that got their refunds were posting about sailings that they canceled prior to that 3/12 announcement or people who chose option #1 and said they got their refund when they are clearly talking about FCCs.   It's hard to weed through them to get a true refund rate but it looks extremely low.  The delay simply cannot be justified by stating their employees are working from home.  After 7 weeks, we should be hearing the rate of returns should be more like the 80% mark ... yet, I'd be surprised if it is even 1% for those that chose option #2.  

 

 

I canceled mine 3/8 still no refund of the fare.  The FCD were back in my account the next day.  The prepaid gratuities received on day 2.  But not the fare.  Usually the fare for a cruise prior to final payment date would be done in 4 days.

[LawDog61]

Is it getting near time for a class action lawsuit?

[remydiva]

Ok...I've been patient right??? So just now I get an email from Princess acknowledging I cancelled my cruise that they in turn cancelled..They NOW want me to select Option 1 or 2. !!! I did that on Mar 12 and have the email confirmation to prove it.. I phoned now and of course they are experiencing higher than normal call volume. I shall phone tomorrow to my PVP. But anyone else get this email tonite???

 

Our records indicate that you cancelled your vacation with us amid the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic on a cruise that we subsequently cancelled as part of our global pause in operations. We know you’re waiting for your refund and we wanted to make sure you were aware you that you are eligible for this higher value Future Cruise Credit (FCC) offer.

✓ The full 100% value of your booking towards a future cruise* and a refund of prepaid purchases such as shore excursion and special service items ✓ A future cruise credit of 100%, 50% or 25% of your cruise fare (varies by cruise departure date, see chart below) ✓ ADDITIONAL future cruise credit of 25% of your cruise fare *Transfer of funds to a future booking or as a future cruise credit Your Departure Date in 2020 Standard Future Cruise Credit ADDITIONAL Future Cruise Credit Mar 12 - Mar 25 100% 25% Mar 26 - Apr 8 50% 25% Apr 8 - May 10 25% 25% All FCCs can be used on any cruise that sails on or before May 1, 2022. To take advantage of this higher value offer, please complete this online form ❯ by May 31, 2020 and we will automatically credit your My Princess Account ❯ and let you know once it’s available. Alternatively, if you would still like to receive a full refund (which also includes the standard future cruise credits shown above), you don’t need to do anything as this will be the default option. We ask for your continued patience in affording us the time to work through the refunds properly. Because we are not able to use our usual automated process, our team is manually handling a large volume of requests while working from home. We want to try to make sure each and every guest's booking is handled accurately, and as efficiently as possible and this is taking more time. In all cases, any prepaid shore excursions or special service items will be refunded. Air, hotel and taxes, fees and port expenses will be refunded or transferred to a holding account if you’re ready to rebook. When you are ready to rebook, please contact Princess or the original agency where you booked your cruise to redeem your Future Cruise Credit. As always, we thank you for your understanding and hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy and safe during this difficult time. With your help, we’ll emerge from this time of trial even stronger. We look forward to serving you onboard again and connecting the world for years to come. Sincerely,

[occher]

Yes, I just received the exact same email and I submitted on 3/14 for option 1 (maybe I should change to option 2?). They are making it hard to hang in there. 

[remydiva]

5 minutes ago, occher said:

Yes, I just received the exact same email and I submitted on 3/14 for option 1 (maybe I should change to option 2?). They are making it hard to hang in there. 

Not reassuring is it? I've been counting down the 60 day clock and now they ask 'heh, we saw you cancelled, then we cancelled...whatcha wanna do?'

*****?

I emailed my PVP and will follow up tomorrow with a phone call.

I've now gotten THREE identical emails from them in the last 30 mins. Gremlins at work?

Edited May 6, 2020 by remydiva
follow up

[azbirdmom]

11 minutes ago, remydiva said:

Ok...I've been patient right??? So just now I get an email from Princess acknowledging I cancelled my cruise that they in turn cancelled..They NOW want me to select Option 1 or 2. !!! I did that on Mar 12 and have the email confirmation to prove it.. I phoned now and of course they are experiencing higher than normal call volume. I shall phone tomorrow to my PVP. But anyone else get this email tonite???

 

Our records indicate that you cancelled your vacation with us amid the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic on a cruise that we subsequently cancelled as part of our global pause in operations. We know you’re waiting for your refund and we wanted to make sure you were aware you that you are eligible for this higher value Future Cruise Credit (FCC) offer.

✓ The full 100% value of your booking towards a future cruise* and a refund of prepaid purchases such as shore excursion and special service items ✓ A future cruise credit of 100%, 50% or 25% of your cruise fare (varies by cruise departure date, see chart below) ✓ ADDITIONAL future cruise credit of 25% of your cruise fare *Transfer of funds to a future booking or as a future cruise credit Your Departure Date in 2020 Standard Future Cruise Credit ADDITIONAL Future Cruise Credit Mar 12 - Mar 25 100% 25% Mar 26 - Apr 8 50% 25% Apr 8 - May 10 25% 25% All FCCs can be used on any cruise that sails on or before May 1, 2022. To take advantage of this higher value offer, please complete this online form ❯ by May 31, 2020 and we will automatically credit your My Princess Account ❯ and let you know once it’s available. Alternatively, if you would still like to receive a full refund (which also includes the standard future cruise credits shown above), you don’t need to do anything as this will be the default option. We ask for your continued patience in affording us the time to work through the refunds properly. Because we are not able to use our usual automated process, our team is manually handling a large volume of requests while working from home. We want to try to make sure each and every guest's booking is handled accurately, and as efficiently as possible and this is taking more time. In all cases, any prepaid shore excursions or special service items will be refunded. Air, hotel and taxes, fees and port expenses will be refunded or transferred to a holding account if you’re ready to rebook. When you are ready to rebook, please contact Princess or the original agency where you booked your cruise to redeem your Future Cruise Credit. As always, we thank you for your understanding and hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy and safe during this difficult time. With your help, we’ll emerge from this time of trial even stronger. We look forward to serving you onboard again and connecting the world for years to come. Sincerely,

 

We got it too so I guess our reservation hasn't fallen in the cracks after all.

 

It says if you want a full refund you don't need to do anything as that is the default option.  We had also filled out the form with Option 2 right away on March 12th after we cancelled on March 10th.  Wonder if we fill it out again if it's going to be a problem?

Edited May 6, 2020 by azbirdmom