Princess going to e-tickets

[calikak]

Didn't see this posted yet, sorry if someone has already posted it and I missed it:

 

Princess Becomes First in Cruise Industry to Convert to All-Electronic

Tickets

Tuesday, September 05, 2006 5:30:21 AM (GMT-07:00)

Provided by: PR Newswire

Leader in Online Convenience Introduces New eTickets Program

 

 

SANTA CLARITA, Calif., Sept. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting this week Princess

passengers will receive their travel documents sooner and more conveniently

with the company's new eTickets program. The line will be the first in the

industry to convert completely to electronic ticketing, and will also

provide the earliest cruise documents available to passengers.

 

Princess eTickets will give passengers 24/7 access to print out their cruise

 

details and boarding passes whenever they wish, and will deliver final

booking and travel information through the company's online Cruise

Personalizer.

 

"There's nothing that travelers appreciate more than having their travel

details confirmed well in advance and in-hand so they can rest assured their

 

vacation will be their perfect escape," said Jan Swartz, senior vice

president of customer service and sales for Princess. "This is yet another

online innovation that delivers great customer service and convenience to

our passengers," she said, referring to the line's earlier roll-outs of the

industry's first online advance shore excursion and spa reservations.

 

With the new eTickets, not only will passengers receive their travel

documentation much quicker than the current mailed ticket package, the new

technology provides passengers with their Princess Air details as soon as 75

 

days in advance -- earlier than any other cruise line. By receiving this

travel information sooner, passengers have a greater opportunity to finalize

 

their vacation plans and make changes if needed.

 

Replacing the company's traditional paper documents, Princess eTickets will

begin fleetwide for most sailings departing on and after November 17, 2006

(Golden Princess will begin with the December 16 sailing). Passengers

sailing on or after this date will be able to access their boarding passes

and travel summaries starting this week. The program currently applies only

to bookings from North American passengers.

 

"We've been testing eTickets on select groups of passengers for several

months now," said Swartz. "Feedback has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic and

 

our customers have told us what a great convenience it is. Giving our

passengers their cruise and air details much sooner and, at their

fingertips, provides them more control over their final travel arrangements,

 

which is what we know is important to them."

 

With Princess eTickets, travelers are provided with a comprehensive,

personalized travel summary including cruise and flight information,

itinerary, special request information, important notices, packages and

transfers, shore excursion and spa pre-reservations, and a new boarding pass

 

to be printed out and brought to the ship for check-in.

 

Each passenger's travel summary will be available through the online Cruise

Personalizer once the booking is confirmed. Air travel arrangements made

through the company's Princess Air program will be included in this summary

as soon as 75 days in advance of travel, well ahead of the industry standard

 

of 30-day notification.

 

When passengers complete their pre-cruise immigration information and their

reservation has been fully paid, passengers will be able to access their new

 

online boarding pass. Passengers who complete their information forms in a

timely fashion will be able to print their travel documentation much more

quickly than the traditional mailed ticket package, which is currently sent

at 30 days prior to the sailing. The travel summary can also be easily

forwarded to friends and family who might need a copy of the itinerary

information.

 

Suite passengers, as well as Platinum and Elite level members of Princess'

Captain's Circle loyalty program, will receive a Preferred Boarding Pass to

use at the Preferred Boarding check-in desk at the pier.

 

Passengers will continue to receive by mail Princess' popular package of

pre-cruise documents including a welcome letter, Cruise Answer Book,

Adventures Ashore excursion booklet, passage contract, Princess Travel Care

details (if applicable) and luggage tags. This packet will be mailed

approximately 75 days prior to their sailing date -- earlier than the

current 60-day-prior mailings.

 

Travelers without internet access can receive their travel summary and

boarding pass from their travel agent, or Princess will send them a copy of

the travel summary in the mail upon request.

 

"We've been an innovator in pre-cruise planning as we strive to make our

passengers' pre-cruise preparation quicker and easier," noted Swartz. "We

pioneered online shore excursion reservations, and even today, our

Adventures Ashore tours are available for booking as early as 90 days out --

 

the earliest in the industry. We were also the first line to offer online

reservations for spa treatments. We want to make it as easy as possible for

a passenger to plan their perfect vacation with us."

 

Additional information about Princess eTickets is available through a

professional travel agent, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS, or by visiting the

company's website at www.princess.com.

[steve20832]

It's not really 100% e-tickets

 

Travelers without internet access can receive their travel summary and

boarding pass from their travel agent, or Princess will send them a copy of the travel summary in the mail upon request.

 

 

I see someone at Princess was looking after the elderly. My 90 year old grandmother has never touched a computer but loves to cruise.

[calikak]

Good point, Steve. I am glad that they're keeping an option available for those who are not computer savvy.

 

My TA says that this will be effective for sailings 11/17/06 and later. Those of you booked on later sailings, if you log into the personalizer, on the right hand side it should say "Print my travel summary" and "print my boarding pass."

[newmexicoNita]

yes, this was just announced this morning. I got the email from my boss about 1/2 hour ago. Of course, those who don't have computers will still get their docs the old fashion way, but for all prctical purposes they are going all E docs. This really isn't much of a surprise. It was going to happen one of these days and the other lines will soon follow. NMNita

[Love Boat Dream]

I'll miss those big blue tickets though! And the joy of opening my mail and receiving the tickets! Not the same thing being able to print them from the Internet!

 

But, hurray for Princess being on the cutting edge!

[Twelvevman]

Of course now you can just hit print and do the doc dance anytime and as many times as you want :D

[KAWS]

I'd much rather get my tickets this way. For my upcoming Princess cruise the TA is in Florida and I'm in Ontario, Canada. I almost died when I first saw how late they send the tickets out and thought if there were any sort of mail delay I'd be up the creek. No danger this way. So I'll do a predocument dance now! \o/\o/\o/\o/

 

Kim

[cherylandtk]

My TA says that this will be effective for sailings 11/17/06 and later. Those of you booked on later sailings, if you log into the personalizer, on the right hand side it should say "Print my travel summary" and "print my boarding pass."

I think this only shows up if you have made full payment on the cruise...I think.

[coiran]

Good point, Steve. I am glad that they're keeping an option available for those who are not computer savvy.

 

My TA says that this will be effective for sailings 11/17/06 and later. Those of you booked on later sailings, if you log into the personalizer, on the right hand side it should say "Print my travel summary" and "print my boarding pass."

 

I checked on our Dec 2 cruise and all they had to print out were the standard forms and travel summary - no boarding passes or other docs. But then we haven't hit final payment date yet.

Ron

[alonzo14]

This atritcle also says we will receive a Welcome packet 75 days before departure including luggage tags and other info. I'm glad Princess is sending luggage tags even with e-ticketing. I know the RCCL does some e-ticketing, but when they do this I have heard they do not send any welcome packet or luggage tags. People have had to get them from the porters at the pier. So we will still get something in the mail, just not the tickets.

[cruiserjanet]

DH and I are excited about this. We've been having "issues" with our post office about our mail. We were lucky we even got our tickets the last time.

[donna5]

I wonder if they will still be locking people out of the personalizer 5 days before a cruise?

[hurstbear]

Does this affect even those who booked thru a travel agency? :cool:

[jsmeeker]

This is GREAT!! Hopefully, more cruise lines will follow suit in quick order. No need for a piece of paper to check in for an airline flight. None to check into a hotel. Cruises ought to be the same way.

 

I'm sure they will eventually do what airlines do and start to charge extra for paper ticketing.

[Mapu]

I wonder if they will still be locking people out of the personalizer 5 days before a cruise?

The answer to that is yes!

Also, even if you book with TA you will be able to print your docs. gail

[Host CJSKIDS]

I wish I could print out my documents for my 11/4 Crown sailing.

 

Disney now allows you to check in on line and print out your papers, it was great. You were also allowed to make reservations for their alternative dining right on line, check you kids into their kids clubs and just like Princess make all of your spa appts right on line. .

[ToplessPony]

Just logged on to My Princess and sure enough "Print Boarding Pass" is there. We're cruising Nov 19th and final payment day was today.

 

Check in was pretty fast already, I wonder how much this will speed it up?

 

Scott

[DesrtDrmr]

Our cruise is at the end of November, final payment has been made, and our documents are at the "my princess" site.....to be printed out. Of course, shore excursions are not available yet, but tickets are! :)

[TBR]

I wonder if they will still be locking people out of the personalizer 5 days before a cruise?

 

Yes and you may be denied boarding at the port if you don't fill out

immigration forms prior to 5 days.

 

Also first time cruisers and gold circle members will have to enter c.c. info.

 

Platinium and Elite won't have to enter c.c. info and will have a different color boarding pass.

[calikak]

I think this only shows up if you have made full payment on the cruise...I think.

 

Good point! That makes sense, they wouldn't want to be issuing people boarding passes if they might not make final payment, that could get scary at the pier! :)

[lovebug33]

Why do they lock you out 5 days before your cruise? I just love getting online and staring at my trip!

[lovebug33]

Why do they lock you out five days before the cruise? I won't have anything to stare at endlessly!

[JotWorld]

Good point, Steve. I am glad that they're keeping an option available for those who are not computer savvy.

 

My TA says that this will be effective for sailings 11/17/06 and later. Those of you booked on later sailings, if you log into the personalizer, on the right hand side it should say "Print my travel summary" and "print my boarding pass."

We're on the Nov 29 Golden Transatlantic, & it's the only Exception:(

Why do I always fall through the Cracks???:confused:

Oh well 3 more cruises b/4 eTickets & Boarding Passes on Printer;)

[steve20832]

This atritcle also says we will receive a Welcome packet 75 days before departure including luggage tags and other info. I'm glad Princess is sending luggage tags even with e-ticketing. I know the RCCL does some e-ticketing, but when they do this I have heard they do not send any welcome packet or luggage tags. People have had to get them from the porters at the pier. So we will still get something in the mail, just not the tickets.

 

I received my welcome packet with RCCL about 2 months before our cruise and it had our luggage tags in it. The on-line docs were very easy to do and RCCL had special check-in lines for those who printed thier docs on-line. It was a very fast process when we got to port. One couple in line in front of us and we were on the ship within 10 minutes once we got out of the waiting room and through security. I hope Princess has those special check-in lines for those who printed thier docs on-line, the process for getting on the ship is very fast. Have your printed docs and credit card in your hand and it goes even faster. :)

[RevSmith]

Everything is going into the computer now a days...I can't even call in sick any more, I have to sign in sick...oh well.