jat1977

2 minutes ago, spantz said:

Question for all of you that received the new princess email yesterday, did you cancel your cruise before the mass cancellation? I did not get an email yesterday but I did get one last week saying they are still working on my refund. I did not cancel before the mass cancellation.

We are the same.  Got the email last week saying they were working on it, but did not receive this latest email.  We did not cancel on our own prior to the mass cancellations. 

Just received this email. Unfortunately my husband, who has his own member number and was booked in a separate cabin (due to our kids) has not received the email.  So that makes me worry he is not in their queue.  I guess I will need to call...again. 

2 hours ago, Mackenzie1 said:

Princess is working on our March 26 transatlantic cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to Rome now.  I took Option 2, and received an email yesterday showing what would be reimbursed for the cruise and the calculated amount of future cruise credits I would receive. When I spoke with Princess to get more clarity, I was told that the cash reimbursement would happen in the next 60 days or earlier from April 2020 (June 2020, or earlier.)  Princess said they definitely had the money, but that the number of canceled cruises was why it's taking so long.   Friends I was going to cruise with chose Option 1, and they received their FCC, but it was short by some.  When they called Princess, they were told it would be corrected.

We had a March 22 cruise and selected option 2.  We have not gotten any email, nor have we been refunded.  However, our FCC is showing in my and my husband's accounts.  

The fact that people who selected the same option are being treated differently  (i.e., some have gotten their FCC, some have not, at least one person has an email but most do not) is troublesome.  

6 minutes ago, mbglib said:

Did the amounts for the shore excursions and prepaid gratuities come back to the original gift card or did you receive a new one? ... I will probably never use gift cards on cruises again.  The small amount of savings is not really worth it to me. I am currently holding a $1000 Carnival gift card that I may or may not ever use.

Yes, the monies for the shore excursions and gratuities went back on the original gift card.  

Like you, we have over $1000 in gift cards at least partially tied up.  I've gotten just over $800 of it back, and I really hope we can use it in the future at some point.  But my first thought when all this started was that I wished I hadn't put all that money on gift cards because if Princess goes under, that money is gone with the wind. 

1 hour ago, mbglib said:

My cruise was canceled on March 4 for a March 7 sailing and nothing to my Princess gift card.  I was first told it would go back to card and then told that they would send me another card.  I have even read that in the past, people were sent checks.  I check my gift card often, but nothing so far.

I am waiting on a partial refund to a gift card (for leftover monies that had been converted to onboard credit).  I initially cancelled shore excursions and prepaid gratuities that had been paid with gift cards on my own prior to Princess cancelling the cruise.  Those monies were refunded immediately.  And after the cruise was cancelled, I called Princess about the onboard credit going back on my gift card.  I have been given varying stories, the latest of which is that since the cruise was cancelled, that money will now be refunded with the money for the cruise itself (we selected option 2).  I have not been refunded for the cruise itself yet, but when I do receive that, I will make sure I got the refund for the purchased OBC too.

22 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

Has anyone who selected Option 2 seen their FCCs posted yet?  It seems like everyone who has posted about receiving FCCs selected Option 1.  Someone on FB indicated that she just got FCCs for a May 9th cruise so I'm wondering if they are done with those.  And it will be interesting to see if the same folks see the refunds appear in a couple days.

We selected option 2, and we received our FCC yesterday late. If you scroll up, you will see that a few others have reported the same.  But no refund to my cc yet (just checked).  Ours was a March 22 sailing, cancelled by Princess on 3/12.  

6 hours ago, 2 cruises a year said:

 

I'm not sure if this will still work, it is more for before the cruise but give it a try, you have nothing to lose. 

Go to "Login", there are two options. Choose the option on the right. Enter the name, birthdate and booking number. Good Luck.

Let us know if you have any luck.

That would be a negative.  Even though I input my kids' birth dates, it is telling me "birth year is required."  So I am thinking because they are minors, it won't let me use their birth dates and thus I can't "see" their cruise credits without them having their own Princess account (and I doubt they could even have their own accounts if Princess won't let me input their birth dates).  Thanks for the suggestion though.

I had checked earlier today and no FCC was showing for me.  But based on someone else's response that they had received their FCC today and their cruise was after ours, I checked again just now.  Both my husband and I have received FCC though I cannot tell how they arrived at the amount....it is slightly (by just over $100) higher than the base cruise fare I *think* we paid.  I say I think because we booked through an online agency and I just used the base fare listed on their invoice.  

We picked option 2 which in our case was a full refund plus a 100% FCC.  Based on our base fare amount, the "awarded" FCC does not equal 125% either...which I was concerned about since Princess apparently messed up someone else's selection and gave them the option 1 value instead of the option 2 they requested.  So I don't know whether to call Princess and inquire or wait until we receive our refund to our cc.  I haven't gotten a notification from my cc company yet. Not have I gotten an email from Princess, but last week when I talked to Princess, they indicated that once everything was processed, I would be receiving an email from them.  But at least there is some progress! 

**Sidenote but does anyone know if there is a way to see cruise credit for a person who doesn't have a Princess account?  In our case, that would be our kids.  Princess told me last week that I should be able to just type in their captains circle numbers, but I don't see a way to do that unless you have a registered Princess account (we had to register my husband tonight just to see his).

17 minutes ago, LDVinNC said:

 

Glad to hear that some refunds are being processed, but so far what we have heard is mostly FCC credits and even those folks are waiting for refunds on port charges, etc.

 

They really seem to be dragging their feet on refunding actual cash.  I am now worried that they will process all the FCC credits before they do any cash ones.  Okay, maybe I am paranoid...

I have the same thought as you . . . it seems those posting about getting anything are mostly those who took option 1 (all FCC).   

25 minutes ago, dog said:

Just saw on Pr Fb info page that 5 have gotten money & FCC refunds

5 from your cruise?  Or all passengers on 5 different voyages?  Or just 5 people responding to the FB post (who might all have had different cruises)?   

10 minutes ago, LDVinNC said:

 

I believe they are processing in sailing date order.  Ombud, please come back and let us know when you get the refund for the second leg.  That will let us know they are making progress!

Our March 22 cruise (Regal) was cancelled by Princess on March 12.  We selected option 2 (refund + 100% FCC) that day.  Nothing yet.  Interesting that people with another March 22 cruise have already received refunds though I suspect it is because that Grand Princess cruise was cancelled earlier (March 4) than the other mass cancellations.  

I just got  off the phone with Princess.  I had called regarding a refund of onboard credit (paid with gift cards).  I cancelled pre-booked shore excursions on my own prior to Princess cancelling our March 22 cruise.  I received the refund to the main gift card for that almost immediately.  I was told after our cruise was cancelled that refunds for the converted onboard credit were forthcoming since the cruise had been cancelled.  Well, it has now been a month and I still have not been refunded the converted onboard credit.  I am missing just over $250 on my gift cards.  When I called today, I was told that since it had been attached to our cancelled sailing, it will now be processed with the return of our cruise fare (we selected option 2, full refund plus 100% FCC).  And I was told that Princess has a special team who is processing the returns starting with the earliest cancelled cruises and going from there.  I was told our cruise was towards the beginning of the cancellations so it is likely we will see a refund prior to the expiration of the 60 days.  But I was told in the same conversation that Princess's payment processors and the banks they work with are the reason for the delay . . . that due to the virus, the payment processors and banks are "closed" and thus there would be a delay in issuing the refunds.  Not sure what that means since no bank around where we live is closed - they are considered essential.  I will wait until it gets closer to the 60 days but I will file a dispute with our credit card company if we have to.  

13 minutes ago, cutiepie43 said:

Does anyone know if we used a travel agent do they have to do the paperwork or can we just fill out the form ourselves.  I know the agents will be very busy and I don't mind doing it but just not sure if it has to go through the travel agent.

When I called my TA, I was told we had to do it directly via the form on Princess's website (even though there is a spot at the bottom that indicates that a TA can do it).  But my TA also said Princess has not sent them very much info yet on how this is all going to work.   My parents have already filled their form out on their own and submitted it.  

We are going to receive a FCC for cancelling an upcoming cruise.  However, in looking ahead at possible replacement cruises, it appears they are much more expensive than our current cruise, not to mention there is currently no OBC promo to make up for a large amount of OBC that we are going to lose by cancelling.

My question is, if we rebook at the current price, but later, Princess offers a lower price or an OBC promo, can we refare the cruise to take advantage of that?  Just weighing my options and trying to decide if booking a cruise now is worth it or if we should hold off on booking until a better price or promo comes out.  

*We are first-time Princess cruisers so I am not sure how they handle it as compared to other cruise lines. 

1 hour ago, dog said:

No relief here on March 7 th Island Princess not included in this policy change and two of our ports are Jamaica and Grand Cayman where ships have been turned away recently 

I'm sorry.  I know that must be stressful.  There has been no outbreak here yet in FL (only 4 cases and I think 3 of those were related and recently traveled to Italy).  And my understanding is that the cruise lines have worked out their differences with the Jamaican and Grand Cayman authorities (a Princess ship docked in Jamaica the day after those other ships were turned away). So hopefully your cruise will not be impacted.  Best wishes for your trip. 

5 hours ago, Ella2 said:

Just got this regarding cancellation policies.  Once Upon a Time was correct.

 

Hi everyone,

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, also known as coronavirus, we’re making some temporary changes to our cancellation policy for cruises departing up to May 31, 2020. In addition, we are amending our final payment policy on cruises sailing June 1 through June 30, 2020. We hope these changes will help give your clients peace of mind around final payment decisions and applicable cancellation fees. 

Please find below the applicable departure dates and changes to our standard policies: 

Date of Departure*	Benefit
Apr 3 or earlier	Cancel up to 72 hours before sailing to receive Future Cruise Credit (FCC) for 100% of cancellation fees
Apr 4 – May 31	Cancel by Mar 31 and receive a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) for 100% of cancellation fees
Jun 1 – Jun 30	Final payment moves to 60 days prior to sailing

*Date of departure is from the start date of your cruise or cruisetour, whichever is earlier.

Please note that this applies to new and existing bookings on all cruises and cruisetours, excluding charters, inside final payment for all destinations.

Guests who choose to keep their booking as currently scheduled for departures between March 9 and May 31 will receive the following Onboard Credit amounts:

• $100/$150 AUD per cabin for 3 and 4 day cruises
• $150/$225 AUD per cabin for 5 day cruises
• $200/$300 AUD per cabin for 6 day and longer cruises

Future Cruise Credits are non-refundable and may be applied to any new or existing booking not yet paid in full on a Princess cruise departing on or before December 31, 2021. Additionally, the Future Cruise Credit does not have to be used on the same product that was cancelled and is non-transferable. To ensure we cover guests who already made final payment, the revised final payment date means no cancellation fees will be assessed until 60-days prior to sailing.

Please note that while Future Cruise Credits will automatically be applied each guest’s Captain’s Circle account after they have cancelled, the Future Cruise Credit will not be available instantly and may take up to 10 business days to be processed.

Yes, I just got the email myself.  So relieved. 

2 minutes ago, cynbar said:

Jat1977, your post asks for our opinions on what we would do in your situation. If it were me, I would cancel now and ensure getting 25% back. But I have to say , I don't understand why you posted looking for support of the idea that Princess should either refund your money or give you a future cruise credit for the full amount. Why would they do that, when you had a chance to purchase CFAR insurance but chose not to? The cruise you would take in the future precludes them from selling the cabin to a paying customer. Just think of the numbers involved if they let anyone cancel with a full cruise credit. This isn't meant to be snarky, it's just a fact. Anyone who books has the option to forego insurance, purchase regular travel insurance, or buy a CFAR policy. Anything less, you take your chances.

I didn't ask for a refund or a future cruise credit. I simply asked what was the likelihood that Princess would follow what the other cruise lines were doing in that regard.  Before I even posted we were well aware that we will lose 75% of our money at this point if we were to cancel, and we have accepted that.  But now the decision becomes whether to get back the remaining 25% or risk losing it to see if Princess modifies its policies.  Because if we take the 25% now, and Princess subsequently decides to allow modifications or cancellations but only for those who have not yet cancelled, then we are in a worse position than if we had waited. 

I certainly don't *expect* anything.  I just wanted opinions on the chances of that ^^ happening as we decide what to do. 

Am I supportive of the idea that Princess could make some accommodations for people without CFAR under these extreme circumstances? Absolutely.  It doesn't have to mean without ANY penalty (i.e. maybe offer a partial credit) and it doesn't even have to be for me.  I'm more concerned about people who are high-risk, like my parents. It would certainly earn Princess a lot of goodwill.

From the business perspective, yes I understand that a future cruise credit would "remove" an otherwise paid for cabin.  However Princess can and likely is selling cabins from cancellations currently. I personally know 2 ppl who are in the process of booking cruises due to low prices (assuredly the result of the virus scare). So some money is being recouped there.  Not to mention that when a company goes "above and beyond" for customers, that almost always leads to repeat business.  The converse is also true, if a company does nothing for their customers while other companies in the same industry offer more, well....people have choices in what companies to do business with.  Again, I am not saying that I or anyone else is entitled to it.  Just offering a reason why I think it could make good business sense for them in the long run. 

To those that addressed my post topic, the likelihood of Princess modifying its policies, and offered their experiences, support, or best guesses, I say thanks.  That is all I asked for as we have my high-risk, elderly parents to think of, and we have to decide by tomorrow whether to take the 25% refund or risk losing everything to see if Princess changes things in the next two weeks. 

Unfortunately, a lot of people have clearly ignored my request to refrain from chastising me or anyone else about not purchasing CFAR and have offered their unsolicited opinions about why they don't care about what happens to people who don't have CFAR. 

NEWSFLASH: a comment about what someone did wrong and why you don't care is not helpful; it is callous.  What is helpful is offering your opinion about what you would do if you were in our situation. 

I've been respectful in all of my responses, so I would appreciate it if I was afforded the same respect, and if people would stop making snarky comments on my post. 

23 minutes ago, WiseGirl said:

We're also booked on the March 22nd Regal out of Port Everglades.  Our medallions arrived today, but I haven't opened the boxes.  It is hard to be excited for a cruise that we might abandon.

 

We made final payment in December and didn't buy travel insurance so we are prepared to take the financial hit on this one if we decide not to board the ship.  I'm posting mainly in support and solidarity for those of us booked on cruises in the near future.  It is sad and stressful and the information changes from day to day.  We're in our 60s so in a "higher" risk category, but neither of us is too worried about contracting the virus.  The other factors (quarantines, missing ports) are more concerning to us at this time. 

 

We are taking it one day at a time to see what happens.

 

I'm so sorry for the OP and your situation (I think we're on the same cruise?) and for cruisinrachel - it broke my heart to read your posts.

 

This is very much a story that is still unfolding, both for the near term cruises and for the cruise industry.  I wish for everyone to stay healthy and that you will be at peace with whatever decision you make for yourselves and your families.

Yep we are on the same cruise. I appreciate your input and well wishes. Same to you.

9 minutes ago, 2wheelin said:

That is kind of like not getting liability insurance on your car and now you have a freak ice storm in FL (unexpected for sure) and total your car. Should you now be able to add liability insurance?

I agree that full cancellation penalties could be relaxed to maybe withholding at least double the cost of CFAR insurance from full refund. This would still put some responsibility on the consumer as it should be, unless the cruise line cancels.

As an insurance purchaser, I do not feel those who felt it was not necessary should get the same benefit without a higher cost. The argument that this was totally unpredictable doesn’t cut it. This is the reason for insurance.

Except that both the person who posed the hypothetical and myself did already purchase travel insurance--just not CFAR.  So in the hypothetical, we are still being held "responsible" for our decision to not purchase the CFAR in the first place, albeit in a lesser amount (i.e., the cost of the basic travel insurance + cost of CFAR) than what you propose.  Considering all the things that our basic travel insurance did cover (pre-cruise illness, job loss, job requirement to be at work, natural disaster impacting home, death in the family, jury duty, illness on the cruise, emergency evacuation, etc.) and considering that there was literally no reason that we would cancel (all school/job schedules verified and everyone firmly committed to go), that is why we elected not to spend the extra money on the CFAR; we thought we had sufficiently protected our investment.  Yes, insurance is for unpredictable events.  But this is more than that.  We have had other virus scares over the years, but I don't recall them ever resulting in cruise ship quarantines and deaths.   

Based on what other cruise lines are doing, why wouldn't Princess just modify their policy to allow people who are scheduled to depart within the next two months the chance to at the very least move their cruise, especially those who fall into the high-risk category?   Princess can still keep the money and just issue a future cruise credit that has to be used within a certain time.  The currently booked passengers can adjust their plans and won't be out the money.  And Princess can then resell the now-empty cabins to those who wish to take the risk.  Meanwhile only those with CFAR coverage can cancel and get a refund, something that those without CFAR would not get.  How is that not a win-win situation for everyone? 

Don't get me wrong - I totally understand the cruise lines are a business, and I agree they shouldn't have to bear all financial responsibility here.  But I think some sort of compromise in these extremely unique circumstances could go a long way for Princess's reputation.  And if I was someone who had purchased CFAR, I wouldn't want to *punish* those who had not under these extreme circumstances.  In any event, I think the point of my post has been lost . . . this wasn't about whether or not people should have purchased CFAR insurance to protect against a pandemic.  It was simply seeking opinions as to the likelihood that Princess will modify their cancel policy.  

1 minute ago, CHB007 said:

The COVID-19 was not an issue at that time. 

 

If I book at this cruise today through the Princess website, for the same perks and cabin class (and cruise fare as I originally paid), I would pay $193.83 pp (roughly 7.25% of the cruise fare) for Platinum coverage through Princess.  I would gladly be open to Princess allowing me to purchase Platinum Protection with CFAR now, AFTER we have already made final payment, under these extreme circumstances.  Our final payment was in December, before this all escalated.   

 

Would that not be more than fair to everyone?  In that case, I am not getting off for free, I would have paid the same as everyone for princess CFAR protection, (actually more, I would now have two travel protection policies) but now have the option to make better decisions about this cruise and our health.

We were in the same circumstance in that at time of final payment in mid-December, Covid-19 hadn't been announced yet.  If Princess were to offer this an an option --i.e., currently booked passengers can cancel/modify as long as they forfeit the price of Princess Platinum protection--we would likely take advantage of that offer.  I think that would be very fair since as you mentioned, we wouldn't be getting anything better than those who purchased the PP plan earlier.  Indeed, like you, we would still be in a worse position because we also purchased a basic travel insurance policy so we would be out that money too.  But it would still be better than eating the full cost of the cruise.  But there is no way Princess's underwriter would allow that . . .

17 minutes ago, voljeep said:

then I want a refund of all the CFAR insurance we have purchased over the years and never used a single time, not even a visit to the on board doctor 

I understand that argument, but my question is, why wouldn't Princess do what Viking is doing and just offer a cruise credit (not a refund) for people who are currently scheduled to depart in the next month or two during the peak of the virus?  Princess would still keep the money and passengers would still get to cruise . . . just at a later date.  I would say that is a win-win situation as Princess won't lose money and they get to keep goodwill among passengers.  Plus Princess could then resell the now-freed-up cabins to people who are willing to take the risk.  

21 minutes ago, KevintheIrishDJ said:

Got this yesterday from our TA.  Posted it on the main Cruisecritic board and it was removed.  

Hello Kevin,

I called princess again today regarding your cruise cancellation.  You will be getting $503.60 back (includes sales and port tax not Future Cruise Deposit) within 10-15 days.  You will be able to submit a claim for the remainder of the balance.  If the claim gets denied, you will be able to request a future cruise credit for the full amount of your cancelled cruise.

Did you have basic travel insurance?  And the suggestion is that you file a claim with the travel insurance and then when it gets denied, you can ask Princess for a future cruise credit?

Or did you have CFAR insurance?  That would make more sense to me since you mentioned getting a cruise credit for the full amount of your cancelled cruise.    

2 minutes ago, PrincessLuver said:

 

I am pretty sure I am not going to get quarantined at my local grocery store if someone has COVID-19.....but on Princess....it is almost certain.....I think it is practical for people to want to alter their plans now.....

Yes, that is our concern.  We are not worried about the virus itself as my husband and I are healthy as are our kids (who apparently have the best chances against it anyway).  But the disruption to our daily lives (missed school for the kids and my husband who is a teacher) if we got stuck on a boat for weeks is not something I want to chance if there is a way around it.  Plus we have connecting interior cabins booked and while being stuck in two cabins is better than one, I can't fathom being stuck in the equivalent of two small hotel rooms without windows with 3 kids for two weeks straight.  🤪 

13 minutes ago, tk-4 said:

We're on the same boat except our Caribbean cruise departs 1 day earlier on March 21st so have up to tomorrow March 6th to cancel to get back 25%.  My understanding is that regardless when you cancel, you will get back the Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses.  Wife thinks we should cancel today but like your husband, I'm more leaning towards waiting it out.  Have you tried calling Princess directly?  The first time I call, they said perhaps customer relations can do something, the second time I call, they just basically said forfeit 75% now or 100% after March 6th.  Wishing all that's on the same boat best of luck whatever you all decide but more importantly, hope everyone stays healthy.

I called Princess last night and more specifically asked about my parents' situation.  I asked whether they were allowing people with underlying health issues who were high risk for the virus (proven by a doctor's note) to cancel or modify.  I was told no, that only people with CFAR insurance can do so.  Otherwise, it is get hit with the 75% penalty now or risk not recouping anything later.  My parents are not going on the cruise regardless due to their status as high-risk for the virus.  I was trying to decide whether, if we wait it out, I should try and convince them to wait it out too in the hopes that Princess will modify their policy sometime in the next week or two so we could just move the trip altogether.   I hope you make a decision that is good for you and your family and that you stay healthy as well.