Cancelled Princess cruise

[Disappointed Chuck]

My Jan 9th cruise around Tasmania has just been cancelled as Princess Cruises have cancelled all Australian & New Zealand cruises till May 2021. Once finding this out I then tried to transfer my booking to the next identical cruise they have available. To my  disbelief the cruise will now cost me nearly $5000 more. I contacted Princess cruises to be told when I bought the cruise that was the package deal at the time but now it is not being offered. Does anyone know if there anything I can do or is it just my lost and bad luck?

[Chiliburn]

Welcome to cruise critic and being short changed by cruise companies.

 I’m sure a princess expert will give advice.

But a lot of people are unhappy with cruise lines.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Unfortunately there isn't anything you can do. However if you do book the new cruise at the higher price, then notice the fare has dropped, Princess will usually refare your booking with just a quick phone call. 

 

Overall the fares seem to be higher than usual on most itineraries, however $5000 seems a lot.

 

I've booked a 6 night cruise to Tasmania from Sydney in Nov 2021, identical to the one we did in 2018. Although we have booked a Premium Balcony instead of the best Balcony category we had last time, I estimate the fares have increased by about $350-400pp. Of course they might drop over the next year, or they may increase.

 

Edit - I just checked and the fare is just under $300pp more for the same cabin category as we had on the last Tasmania cruise, so roughly $50pp per day dearer.

Edited October 30, 2020 by OzKiwiJJ

[Aus Traveller]

It looks like you got a good deal on your cancelled cruise and you can't expect the cruise line to match it when you book a replacement cruise. 

 

It is reasonable that if you want to book another cruise, you will have to pay brochure price, unless you can get it on a 'special'. You could book the new cruise if that is the cruise you particularly want, but keep monitoring the price to see if it comes down. It might, and it might not. Alternatively, if you could wait and book a cruise when a special is offered. Before COVID, this happened quite often and it probably will again. When cruising re-starts it might happen even more often as the cruise lines try to tempt people back. P&O has been offering really good prices. We prefer Princess, but at the prices P&O has been offering, we are happy to book with them. At the moment, Princess isn't offering  reduced prices, but it is early days.

[Elorac123]

Think there is one to many zeros there.

Cheers Carole

[Disappointed Chuck]

3 hours ago, Elorac123 said:

Think there is one to many zeros there.

Cheers Carole

Definitely not one to many zeros. I booked it for $5498 and now it is $10258. I admit, I got a fantastic price thats why I am so disappointed.

Cheers

[Elorac123]

7 minutes ago, Disappointed Chuck said:

Definitely not one to many zeros. I booked it for $5498 and now it is $10258. I admit, I got a fantastic price thats why I am so disappointed.

Cheers

So which cruise is it please ?

[Disappointed Chuck]

Just now, Elorac123 said:

So which cruise is it please ?

 

Edited October 31, 2020 by Disappointed Chuck

[Disappointed Chuck]

'

[Elorac123]

2 minutes ago, Disappointed Chuck said:

 

So you say you don’t want to tell which cruise !! and you don’t want to bad mouth them and then you delete your post?

you are not bad mouthing them this is cruise critic is it not, it’s for exchanging information,sharing experiences and giving and asking for advice.

what the hell ?

 

[Elorac123]

Showing January 9th and next available

Cheers Carole

[Disappointed Chuck]

Yes, it was on the Sapphire Princess and it was on the 9th of January like I put in my original post but I was in the Grand Suite Room B750 with the whole package.  When I booked it I paid $5498. When I spoke to Princess Cruises on Friday they told me I could get the same room with the same package on the 23 January 2022 cruise but it was going to cost me $10258.

Cheers

[Aus Traveller]

You say you got a great deal on the cancelled cruise, but I can't see why you would expect to get the same 'deal' when you are looking at a cruise well in advance. All sorts of companies offer 'sale prices' when they are trying to clear inventory.

 

We had a great price on the April 2020 cruise to Tahiti/Hawaii - less than 50% of the brochure price. However, I don't expect to book the same itinerary for 2022 at the price we booked when the cruise line was trying to turn un-sold cabins into money.

[MMDown Under]

13 hours ago, Disappointed Chuck said:

Yes, it was on the Sapphire Princess and it was on the 9th of January like I put in my original post but I was in the Grand Suite Room B750 with the whole package.  When I booked it I paid $5498. When I spoke to Princess Cruises on Friday they told me I could get the same room with the same package on the 23 January 2022 cruise but it was going to cost me $10258.

Cheers

Best to wait for last minute special for 23/1/22 cruise. 

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Much better to wait for a last minute special ,rather than a last minute cancellation dumped on you .

[Ondine]

For those of us with cruise credits trying to use them in the allotted time makes last minute booking a bit awkward.  It was ok when they first announced them back in March because we had to book by and sail by  May 2022 but now that they have completely cancelled 2020/21 season it only leaves the 2021/22 summer before they expire.  If you leave it too late waiting for a bargain you may end up paying more.  This is especially so in Melbourne where we have a much shorter season and less choice than Sydney.  Perhaps book and then rebook when the price drops up until final payment.  Who knows what the pricing will be like with limited passenger numbers and lots using fccs so the companies will try to get the best price possible once sailings get underway.  Big unknown.

[Aus Traveller]

2 minutes ago, Ondine said:

For those of us with cruise credits trying to use them in the allotted time makes last minute booking a bit awkward.  It was ok when they first announced them back in March because we had to book by and sail by  May 2022 but now that they have completely cancelled 2020/21 season it only leaves the 2021/22 summer before they expire.  If you leave it too late waiting for a bargain you may end up paying more.  This is especially so in Melbourne where we have a much shorter season and less choice than Sydney.  Perhaps book and then rebook when the price drops up until final payment.  Who knows what the pricing will be like with limited passenger numbers and lots using fccs so the companies will try to get the best price possible once sailings get underway.  Big unknown.

I am not too concerned about the limit on the timing in which to use our FCCs. As the no-sail pause has been extended, so the time in which to use the FCC might be extended. We will wait and see.

 

By 2022, we don't know if there will be limited passenger numbers. This is a measure introduced so cruising can re-start, but it would be difficult for cruise companies to operate profitably if this regime has to continue long term.

 

If there is an effective vaccine by mid 2021, maybe you will only have to show evidence of vaccination. You might also need to have a COVID test that returns a negative result before you can board.

[Aussieflyer]

On 10/31/2020 at 10:06 AM, Disappointed Chuck said:

My Jan 9th cruise around Tasmania has just been cancelled as Princess Cruises have cancelled all Australian & New Zealand cruises till May 2021. Once finding this out I then tried to transfer my booking to the next identical cruise they have available. To my  disbelief the cruise will now cost me nearly $5000 more. I contacted Princess cruises to be told when I bought the cruise that was the package deal at the time but now it is not being offered. Does anyone know if there anything I can do or is it just my lost and bad luck?

I would say that as you had a super cheap deal for the cruise that it is a case of bad luck for you that it has been cancelled and that current prices for the same/similar itinerary is much higher. I can see why you are disappointed and perhaps somewhat annoyed. If it was me I would go for a refund so that you are able to take advantage of any special that might come up (not necessarily on Princess). 

Edited November 1, 2020 by Aussieflyer

[NSWP]

On 10/31/2020 at 6:31 PM, Elorac123 said:

Showing January 9th and next available

Cheers Carole

For those not familiar with Princess displayed pricing, extreme right of prices - suites, that shows mini suite pricing actually, don't get that pricing mixed up with full suite pricing which can double or triple that as Chuck has indicated. He booked a full suite, to wit a Grand Suite.

Edited November 1, 2020 by NSWP

[Elorac123]

26 minutes ago, NSWP said:

those not familiar with Princess displayed pricing, extreme right of prices - suites, that shows mini suite pricing actually, don't get that pricing mixed up with full suite pricing which can double or triple that as Chuck has indicated. He booked a full suite, to wit a Grand Suite.

Got it

Cheers Carole