Tried booking specialty restaurant but they gobbled up my AmEx card

[MudderBear]

Yikes! Not sailing till next spring, but I was fooling around on my Medallian App, and it looked like I could book my specialty dining (I have Premiere Plus).  It noted that I had two credits (each) for me and my husband.  So, I went to book the Crown Grill, but the $58 dollar charge hit my American Express on file.  It took days and days of calling to try to get it removed, to no avail.  Finally, I had to open a dispute with American Express.  I think they too, tried and tried.  They finally got back to me and credited my card (account)....but not sure if they were actually successful with Princess or not.  What a horrible, horrible experience.  So tell me, was it too early for me to book speciality dining?  I am sailing the end of next May, and I booked the restaurant beginning of August.  

 

Any insight would be greatly appreciate.

 

Thanks.

[suekel]

Often, you don't get the actual credit until you board the ship.  Not always, I've had it go both ways.  

 

[MikeD4134]

 I do this alll the time, If you buy Specialty Dinners precruise you are charged, and then they credit your ship board account when you are on board.  If AMEX canceled the charge to Princess you can be sure they canceled your dinner.

[PacnGoNow]

1 hour ago, MudderBear said:

Yikes! Not sailing till next spring, but I was fooling around on my Medallian App, and it looked like I could book my specialty dining (I have Premiere Plus).  It noted that I had two credits (each) for me and my husband.  So, I went to book the Crown Grill, but the $58 dollar charge hit my American Express on file.  It took days and days of calling to try to get it removed, to no avail.  Finally, I had to open a dispute with American Express.  I think they too, tried and tried.  They finally got back to me and credited my card (account)....but not sure if they were actually successful with Princess or not.  What a horrible, horrible experience.  So tell me, was it too early for me to book speciality dining?  I am sailing the end of next May, and I booked the restaurant beginning of August.  

 

Any insight would be greatly appreciate.

 

Thanks.

I booked SD on the App and decided, I’d wait till I got OB to use my OBC.  So, all I did was cancel the reservation on DMW and my refund on my CC was posted in about a week or less.

 

 

[hpeabody]

I had a recent positive experience on Discovery Princess booking the Crown Grill.  I had Princess Plus with an added specialty dining cover promotion included.  The App recognized it and allowed me to make my night of choice reservation and DID NOT require my credit card.  I checked on reservation once on board, all was fine.  BTW, I was told the Crown Grill was completely booked and when I was there it was half empty.  I sensed they are limiting number of patrons due to staffing issues, maybe ???.  Unless your specialty dining cover was a Princess promotion I think it requires a credit card by default from what I have been reading.  If you have gifts or TA perks expect to have to use a credit card if pre-booking or wait until on board and book early.

Edited August 16, 2022 by hpeabody

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, MudderBear said:

Yikes! Not sailing till next spring, but I was fooling around on my Medallian App, and it looked like I could book my specialty dining (I have Premiere Plus).  It noted that I had two credits (each) for me and my husband.  So, I went to book the Crown Grill, but the $58 dollar charge hit my American Express on file.  It took days and days of calling to try to get it removed, to no avail.  Finally, I had to open a dispute with American Express.  I think they too, tried and tried.  They finally got back to me and credited my card (account)....but not sure if they were actually successful with Princess or not.  What a horrible, horrible experience.  So tell me, was it too early for me to book speciality dining?  I am sailing the end of next May, and I booked the restaurant beginning of August.  

 

Any insight would be greatly appreciate.

 

Thanks.

The MC App will indicate if you have a SD credit.  By the way you wrote above, it seems possible your dining credit is in the system?  Perhaps not - please check that and look for that notice when you go into DMW and review daily bookings.  If you have the credit, it should be recognized.  Have you added your credit card for payment purposes in MC App?  I am thinking so and it is your AMEX and was used by default to pay for dining.  I agree with other suggestion - just cancel the res and you will get a refund.  You can try booking again - but don't confirm unless you see the credit applied and a balance of $0.  Otherwise, you wait until boarding the ship.

[AnyMajorCruiseDude]

8 minutes ago, Steelers36 said:

The MC App will indicate if you have a SD credit.  By the way you wrote above, it seems possible your dining credit is in the system?  Perhaps not - please check that and look for that notice when you go into DMW and review daily bookings.  If you have the credit, it should be recognized.  Have you added your credit card for payment purposes in MC App?  I am thinking so and it is your AMEX and was used by default to pay for dining.  I agree with other suggestion - just cancel the res and you will get a refund.  You can try booking again - but don't confirm unless you see the credit applied and a balance of $0.  Otherwise, you wait until boarding the ship.

We have a few SD as a promo, and app shows we have credits.  Booked and was charged anyway.  Cancelled and will wait til onboard.  It had worked on another booking, but not on this b2b.  Did receive the credit next day on amex.  

[PacnGoNow]

8 hours ago, AnyMajorCruiseDude said:

We have a few SD as a promo, and app shows we have credits.  Booked and was charged anyway.  Cancelled and will wait til onboard.  It had worked on another booking, but not on this b2b.  Did receive the credit next day on amex.  

It probably is reading the b2b as one cruise, as the App does, and doesn’t recognize the SD.  Another bug they haven’t fixed regarding b2b’s.  

[jwattle]

Ours recognized our B2B suite credit and Premiere credit; I was pleasantly shocked 🥂

[MudderBear]

Hi.  I am the OP.  I couldn't even cancel the dinner reservation.  I couldn't find it in phone ap.  That's why I made about 4 or 5 phone calls (and as you all know, each one takes about 30 mintues to get through and then you get transferred all around).  No one could even FIND IT to cancel it.