Offer not valid for me?

[calikak]

I got an e-mail from the World's Leading Cruise Lines website (the website for Carnival/HAL/Princess/Costa/etc.) that contained the following offer on Princess cruises:

 

http://www.worldsleadingcruiselines.com/ecruisenews/newsletters/March06/PRI0306.html

 

So, I contacted my TA and said, "Hey, is this valid on any of the sailings I'm on?" She wrote back and said, "Princess says that offer isn't valid at all for your captain's circle number--they say it's just a notice of what might be available, not what actually is available." :confused: So then why did they send it to me? Has anyone else experienced this kind of thing? How is it not false advertising to send me an e-mail advertising something that I'm not eligible for?

[espmass]

I have been arguing with Princess for a few weeks about the same sort of thing. They are totally uncooperative. However, I didn't see anything in this offer that excluded Captains Circle members and if you booked during those dates, you should be eligible. Call Princess yourself.

[cliffdweller]

I had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago - received an email offering a free 3 day precruise tour with the purchase of a specific selection of cabins for an Asia cruise. I contacted my TA to book it immediately and she informed me those tours sell out before the email is even sent to Captain Circle cruisers. I felt duped - but booked the cruise anyway - only after some serious looking at other cruise lines. I agree - don't dangle the carrot if it isn't available.

[calikak]

Thanks, guys. My TA spent quite a bit of time on the phone with the folks at Princess over the last 24 hours on this subject, to no avail...I suppose I could call them myself, but I don't know that I'd get any further than her, since she actually has contacts there and I don't.

 

I read all the fine print and can't figure out why I wouldn't be eligible for this offer. It does say it's on "select sailings" only--I guess the sailings are so select that there aren't any of them at all.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago - received an email offering a free 3 day precruise tour with the purchase of a specific selection of cabins for an Asia cruise. I contacted my TA to book it immediately and she informed me those tours sell out before the email is even sent to Captain Circle cruisers. I felt duped - but booked the cruise anyway - only after some serious looking at other cruise lines. I agree - don't dangle the carrot if it isn't available.

 

Sounds like a bait and switch.

[tvaud]

A friend from these boards sent me this same promotion. It had been sent to her from another person whose name was on the promo. My friend said that her TA told her that she was not eligible for it, but Princess gave her a price reduction on her cabin. I tried to get my TA to get the on board credit, but was told that only the person listed on the email was eligible. Not fair in my opinion, especially since my cruise fits into their criteria.

 

Cindra

[Mmm...coffee!]

The fine print also says:

 

Offer is non-transferable, cannot be sold, may not be combinable with select offers or other onboard credits, applies to new bookings only, and to residents of the United States and Canada who receive this mailing.

 

If you received it, the fine print says you can take advantage if you make a new booking on one of the select cruises. If we only knew what the selection was...;)

[calikak]

That was the weird part, I got this directly from the Worlds' Leading Cruise Lines website, not forwarded from someone else. If I'd gotten it forwarded from a friend, I'd understand why the offer wasn't valid for me, but I got the e-mail directly from them. And it's not valid on any sailings for me--not only is it not available on the sailings I'm already booked on, it's not valid on any sailings at all. At least, not for me.

[cactusrose]

Princess has been doing this kind of thing for a while now. If they would only realize what a bad marketing strategy this is. It's making their loyal customers think twice about continuing to be that loyal.

[cnmiranda]

I received this offer, it's almost identical to yours Calikak:

 

http://princess.dynamicmessenger.com/?aC.XoDZWwbnhUoQ1Ln5YhlAn5Ma

 

Can you try that one?

[calikak]

cnmiranda, my TA actually has another client who got that offer and it did apply on some sailings for the other client, but doesn't apply to me. :( I guess Princess doesn't want my money anymore.

[cnmiranda]

cnmiranda, my TA actually has another client who got that offer and it did apply on some sailings for the other client, but doesn't apply to me. :( I guess Princess doesn't want my money anymore.

 

Bummer! Oh no, they want you as a passenger, they just don't want to give you the discount:D:D:D I wonder why it doesn't work for you, or perhaps, your sailings:confused: Perhaps your sailings are pretty filled up.

[MTJSR]

A close friend who works for the airlines told me that these kind of deals are often just concealing that you are paying more and getting it right back in credits. Does the old saying "nothing is free" apply here?:confused:

[bellebaby]

Hey, all

 

I received the first e-mail and did receive the onboard credit. My TA was unaware of the program, but the credits were already in my Circle Savings account to be applied to a booking made by 4/15/06 for travel between 4/01/06 and 3/31/07 (new bookings only) . So, when the booking was made, the onboard credit was applied even without my TA knowing about or asking for the promo.

 

calikak, check your Circle Savings account and see if the credits are there. If they are, then it will be applied to a booking you make if it is applicable.

 

B

[calikak]

bellebaby, thanks for the tip--I checked, but nothing shows up in my Circle Savings account. :(

 

miranda, my TA checked all sailings that are open for booking, not just the ones I'm already booked on, and I just wasn't eligible for the credit, although it sounds like other people are? I guess I'm the unlucky one.

[kruisey]

Princess sent me a promotion that if answered these questions I think it said a would win a 7 day cruise.......I answered them all.......then the screen changed and said I was not eligible.......

Why send these e-mails out in the first place if a person is not eligible?

Anyway I have told them not to send anymore e-mails to me:cool: ...but today I received offers in the mail..."Trade your same four walls for the great one"...cabin upgrades.So I suppose they are now offering me a slow boat to China:D

[calikak]

kruisey, I got that same e-mail, the one where you answer a bunch of questions in order to enter a sweepstakes, and then it says, "Sorry, you're not eligible." Maybe there's a glitch in their computer system. That wouldn't surprise me at all, since their computer systems seem to have a lot of problems.

[cdncruzer]

I got a similar type of email offering freebies of some sort. I thought "yeah! they're upping my onboard credit!" I filled out all the questions only to find out I was ineligible as well. I realize these are probably some type of mass and perhaps random mailings, however if my already booked cruise did not qualify....don't tease me!

[chasetf]

In reading the fine print we see it says:

 

Onboard credits are per couple, based on double occupancy and are applicable on select 2006-2007 sailings taken April 1, 2006-March 31, 2007

Receiving the mailing after booking a cruise is probably incidental. I wish they would specifiy which sailings are "select"

[calikak]

In reading the fine print we see it says:

 

Onboard credits are per couple, based on double occupancy and are applicable on select 2006-2007 sailings taken April 1, 2006-March 31, 2007

 

Receiving the mailing after booking a cruise is probably incidental. I wish they would specifiy which sailings are "select"

 

Yeah, I saw that part...so I asked my TA to find out which sailings it's available on, and Princess told her no sailings, none, nada, zip, no sailings at all. At least, not if I book with my captain's circle number. Other people can book them--in fact, one of her other clients could use this offer on an Alaska cruise r/t out of Seattle. You'd think they'd want to make that offer to me, because I live in the Seattle area so it would be easy for me to hop on one of those cruises. But alas, they won't get my money because the offer isn't valid for me, not on Alaska sailings, not on any sailings. So why send it to me if the offer isn't valid for me? It kind of makes you feel unspecial, doesn't it? Like I've got BO or something. :D

[kruisey]

Yeah, I saw that part...so I asked my TA to find out which sailings it's available on, and Princess told her no sailings, none, nada, zip, no sailings at all. At least, not if I book with my captain's circle number. Other people can book them--in fact, one of her other clients could use this offer on an Alaska cruise r/t out of Seattle. You'd think they'd want to make that offer to me, because I live in the Seattle area so it would be easy for me to hop on one of those cruises. But alas, they won't get my money because the offer isn't valid for me, not on Alaska sailings, not on any sailings. So why send it to me if the offer isn't valid for me? It kind of makes you feel unspecial, doesn't it? Like I've got BO or something. :D

So because of your BO they will be sending you in the mail the 'TRADE YOUR

FOUR WALLS for THE GREAT ONE'.........with details of trips to China with Special rates and upgrades for a cruise on The the slow boat to China'

given to all that don't qualify for their e-mail contests like you and I and all the others on this thread......:D

[calikak]

I got an e-mail from my TA today following up on all this. She had e-mailed the VP of Sales at Princess about the offer (or lack thereof) and he got very very mad at the World's Leading Cruise Lines folks and told them to remove that offer IMMEDIATELY from their Website and database. They also told my TA to apologize specifically to me for my troubles as I should not have gotten that email offer that didn't apply to me, and to tell me sorry they can't offer me anything but verbal apologies. She heard directly from the Director of Sales for the Western Region about it, who apologized to my TA too for spending time on an offer that I shouldn't have received. It sounds like the e-mail she sent the VP of Sales really made the rounds and hopefully this sort of thing will happen less often.