Anyone want to help an old lady?

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

I found this on the cruise air board.

 

Normally I wouldnt do this but I do have a heart.

 

This poor 78 year old woman saved 10 years for a cruise and lady luck wasnt on her side.

 

Read the link and see what you think.

 

Please keep in mind this woman more than likely isnt experienced so the "should haves" wont do much good here

 

We all know about insurance etc. This isnt what this thread is about. : )~

 

Just wondering if an email campaign to Princess would help them make an exception?

 

Thoughts?

 

Anyone want to help? (NO MONEY) Just an email to Princess to see if they will maybe give her a credit and help her book another cruise.

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/21/AR2007112101994.html

[mycruz]

I really feel for the women, but afraid this is another example of how Princess will not bend policy. I have learned that they are fine to deal with as long as you don't request something that is outside their policies not matter what the circumstances are. It might be a good idea to begin an email campaign on the women's behalf's or at least get someone to contact a consumer reporter with her local paper or television station.

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

It would be a great public relations thing for Princess to do this.

[spingal]

I feel so bad for her and I would be glad to help with an email campaign.

 

I do have a question -- why didn't the daughter get on the phone with Princess when she saw the flight schedule??? If it was my Mom, I would have been on that phone so fast that Princess would not know what hit them. Don't you think that she could have paid the flight deviation fee and gotten her Mom better flights? :confused:

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Please remember this woman saved for 10 years. She obviously is inexperienced with travel, or at least cruise vacations.

 

What she should have done really wont help. Maybe a little email will though?

[donna travels]

The airfare is usually never refunded by airlines, however in this case it seems the airfare was refunded by United and Alaska Air. This money does not belong to Princess, it should be refunded back to this elderly woman. I understand they were unable to resell her cabin and they have a right to that money. I have been told in the past Port Charges are refundable as it is a per person charge for the passengers onboard. That money should also be refunded. I don't know that any of this will help and if Princess will even listen.

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Silence wont help.

 

Maybe doing something good for a little old lady with a dream here at holiday time might?

 

Its worth a try.

[dforeigner]

Although I agree that due to its policy, Princess does not have to refund the money, hopefully Princess will give her credit for a future cruise. Princess did not lose any money when this lady missed her first cruise.

 

I read posts before that Princess has issued credits toward a future cruise. Maybe this will be one of those rare exceptions.

[Pam in CA]

Please remember this woman saved for 10 years. She obviously is inexperienced with travel' date=' or at least cruise vacations. [/quote']Where the heck was her TA in all of this? While the lady was inexperienced, her TA should have assisted her and given her the advice she needed.

 

I'm sympathetic but I don't think Princess has any obligation to give her money back, even for good P.R. There are many, many stories out there that will tug at your heart and you think, "Gee, why doesn't Princess just give them their money back or credit towards another cruise?" Because there are so many stories, if Princess makes one exception, they have to make an exception for all. How does one judge the deserving from the ones taking advantage of the sympathy vote. EVERYONE who books has the option of taking cruise insurance and it's a mockery to those who do pay for insurance if rules are bent and credit given.

[beatriz22]

its really nice of you to post it, something may come of it!

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Hi Pam,

 

Thanks for your opinion.

 

We experienced folks know what she should have done.

 

The real point of this is that Princess has the opportunity to make a good will gesture.

 

This thread really isnt about what would should coulda done, but helping a lady live her dream.

 

Happy Holidays! :)

[spongerob]

I agree with Pam. Making exceptions just means that the next time someone suffers bad luck or fails to plan for contingencies, they will feel that they should get special treatment, too. I know that bites, but that's the way it is.

 

It's amazing how so many just take is as gospel that this poor old lady saved for 10 years and that this was her one and only chance to visit Alaska. I'm not buying it. That just reeks of an author manipulating peoples' emotions.

[Schill38]

Ouch!

[spongerob]

Ouch!

Yeah, I know, and I feel like an old SOB for saying it, but if you take out all the emotional content, would you feel differently?

[Schill38]

My question is that if Carnival can consider refunds on a "case by case" basis than why can't Princess?

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

I am sorry.

 

I didnt mean to start a big controversy. I said more than once that this wasnt a debate on what should have been done on her part, but what Princess and us here at CC could do to help her.

 

Normally I would say to heck with it and chalk it up to experience but I do have a heart.

 

I dont know how else to say that this isnt a debate, but a chance to do good for someone else.

 

If you cant or do not want to help thats ok.

[coiran]

If Princess were to do something about this it would have to be done very discreetly and the woman would have to NOT tell anyone that she received compensation. Otherwise everyone would expect it without having to buy travel insurance.

Ron

[westwind6371]

Hi Ron;

 

Yes, I am sorry too. That being said, I agree with Rob and Pam. To many unanswered questions. Where was the TA in all this. Her traveling companion had insurance, did they not talk about it? Why did not the daughter do something pro-active about the lousy schedule or at least recommend insurance?

 

Every week we read a post about someone who has had to cancel a cruise due to illness or death, really serious things. They offered to catch her up with the cruise. This person chose not to continue the cruise because she was exhausted from a long day of travel and she would miss the glaciers? That hardly falls into the category of "My mother just died on the day before sailing."

 

I think it is very compasionate of you to try to help, but I really don't feel we have the whole story, so I chose not to participate in any campaign to get Princess to change their policy.

 

Fair winds

Dave

[zaandam_2]

i can't tell from the article if she had a TA or not. one wasn't mentioned. it appears she booked everything through princess. somebody dropped the ball on this one.

 

i feel for her, but what can be done now? very sad.

[cruiser113]

Every time I tried to read the post it would abort. I think I have the story in that she missed her last connection and missed the sailing and was offered to be flown to the first port of call, but was to exhausted to continue. I agreed that we may not have the complete story and many have to consult "Paul Harvey" to get the rest of the story.

 

I think if I saved for 10 years I would have gone to the first port of call. This also happened to us on an NCL cruise. We missed our connection to San Juan and thus the ship left without us. We spent two days flying through the caribbean to catch up to the ship at our first port of call. The first day was a day at sea. We missed several days of the cruise and boarded the ship in Martinique. Although exhausted we made the best of a bad situation.

[whale-watcher]

I think it is a nice idea...sounds like she doesn't have much to begin with, and may not be able to afford to try again...

[dforeigner]

My question is that if Carnival can consider refunds on a "case by case" basis than why can't Princess?

 

I am sorry.

 

I didnt mean to start a big controversy. I said more than once that this wasnt a debate on what should have been done on her part' date=' but what Princess and us here at CC could do to help her.

 

Normally I would say to heck with it and chalk it up to experience but I do have a heart.

 

I dont know how else to say that this isnt a debate, but a chance to do good for someone else.

 

If you cant or do not want to help thats ok.[/quote']

 

The thing is Princess has made exceptions in the pass and although they did not refund the money, the party involved received credit toward a future cruise. At least that is what that certain party posted here about 8-12 months ago.

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Thats exactly what I said in my previous post in this thread. The offer of a credit on a future cruise not a refund.

 

I realize everyone has a different opinion on this case, but it is easy for the experienced to sit back and make judgement calls.

 

I was simply stating that it might be a good idea to email Princess and ask them to kindly extend a cruise credit to the woman. The airlines did refund the money.

 

If anyone disagrees with this it is ok I can respect that. This isnt a thread about debate. Its a thread about having a heart and doing good for an old lady who might share the same love we all do CRUISING!

[Daniel1313]

The way that the Carnival Corporation acts now, nothing surprises me...

[B40 Tha Cruisa]

It seems to me that Princess is not in any violation of their policy. It doesnt matter whether the passenger is 30 or 78. That being said, I feel awful for this woman and I think that Princess should give a credit towards another cruise. Perhaps not for the whole thing, but for a large portion. Hopefully the reporting is not faulty and exaggerated, but most of the stuff we read these days is.