Tigrou

After my recent cruise on Island Princess I did receive an email with the final account 2 days after getting home. However, against the refundable credit owing to me it said 'Referred to corporate finance'. I had no idea what that meant - I was expecting it to automatically be refunded to my credit card, in USD, as other cruise lines do. I phoned Princess to ask and, after a couple of fruitless conversations with the overseas call centre, finally managed to speak to someone in the UK. They told me that all final accounts with credit owing are sent from the ship to the US for verification. Any for UK passengers are then forwarded to Princess UK who convert the USD amount into sterling (despite many people, including myself, using a specialist travel credit card in order to get better exchange rates). They then contact the passenger and arrange for the refund to be made either by bank transfer or cheque. The refund was processed very quickly once I'd contacted them but the whole process seemed like it was from the Dark Ages to me. It involves a lot of people and effort that is completely unnecessary.

I find the reference to 'non tipping cultures' quite amusing, suspecting that perhaps it's a euphemism for 'anywhere other than North America'. 🙂 The inference is often - but I do understand, not always - that those from 'non tipping cultures' are frugal, penny pinchers, downright mean and nasty people, take your choice of (another) euphemism. In reality, those 'non tipping cultures' generally have a system whereby workers are paid a decent, minimum wage for the job they do. As long as they do that job as contracted, they don't have to tug their forelock to every customer in the hope of making up their money to a 'living wage'. It is, after all, 2023 not 1623. Tips/gratuities/appreciation are then just that - an acknowledgement from the customer that the worker has exceeded the expectations of their contracted role. When I visit other countries I follow local custom on tipping. However, a cruise ship isn't another country and I can appreciate why some passengers from 'non tipping cultures' don't understand the whole automatic Crew Appreciation system, particularly if that ship has sailed from their own 'non tipping culture' area of the world. Of the various cruise lines I've sailed with, I think P&O UK have got it right. They include the service charge in the cruise fare so all workers are paid a fixed wage and not reliant on tips to bring it to a decent level. Passengers can then tip for 'over and above' service if they wish, thereby directly rewarding whoever has provided it.

HAL do not include Crew Appreciation in their 'Have It All' package except as a special deal. HIA includes specialty dining, shore excursion credit, beverage package and wifi. Currently they are offering 'Early booking bonus HIA' which does include Crew Appreciation along with upgraded beverage and wifi but this is only for certain cruises.

I am aware that in some land-based restaurants tips are pooled. But they are pooled across the staff within that restaurant, not across all restaurants owned by the same company. Also, I believe that they are distributed by some kind of percentage system to each employee so everyone gets their share. Not as 'bonuses', linked in part at least to surveys which some passengers complete, others don't - even if they did receive excellent service.

Another option would be to have guest services reduce the Crew Appreciation by the amount impacted by the change. That's what I am considering although I have never before, on any cruise with any cruise line, reduced or removed the auto-gratuities. But having only recently become aware that it is pooled fleetwide and doesn't go directly to the crew members (those I see and those I don't) on my cruise, and that Princess take an admin fee, I am now thinking about it. Only for this one cruise, where Princess have reneged on what I believe was our contract, and I would ensure guest services were aware of my reasons for doing it. I know it's controversial, and I don't know yet if I will do it, but it is an option for those of us on a Standard Fare.

Trust me, I do look. But the reality is that cruises without a solo supplement are like the proverbial rocking horse manure.

This particular "Standard Fare penny pincher" pays double fare because I travel solo (for which the blame falls squarely on my husband for so inconsiderately dying long before he should have). Despite that, and despite being from Yorkshire where 'penny pinching' is genetic, if the Plus or Premier package was of any value to me then I'd buy it. But it isn't, so I don't. I've become accustomed to the fact that some on these boards already consider me a parasite because I travel solo. Now it seems being a Standard Fare passenger gives me 2 entries on the list of undesirables!

No, it isn't about free pizza and room service. Not for me anyway. It's about Princess listing Alfredo's, OceanNow and room service as being included in my cruise fare when I booked the cruise. Then, after final payment, me finding out on social media - because Princess haven't even had the courtesy to notify me - that those things will actually cost me extra. It isn't what they've changed that matters to me, or the cost, it's how they have done it.

But aren't they already doing that with the various versions of the Plus/Premier packages? Depending on when people booked, some will get the 'new' extras like 2 'casual dining' meals but some won't unless they pay extra to upgrade to the new package. How is differentiating between those who booked their cruise before or after the changes any more difficult? It isn't a person looking at each individual at every transaction to see what they are and are not entitled to, it's a software programme. It can already tell who is Standard, Plus, Premier, new Plus and new Premier. Surely it could also be told who is 'grandfathered' in for the 3 new costs.

But when you get it home do you then discover you have to pay an extra $1 to open it and drink it? An extra cost you didn't know about when you paid the original $6. I understand all the cruise lines need to increase their revenue. I don't have a problem with that. For me it's the principle of the thing. Very simply, any new charges should be for new bookings only.

I wonder if anyone will contact ABTA. (In the UK, Princess is a member of the Association of British Travel Agents and, as such, should comply with the ABTA Code of Conduct.) From the ABTA Code of Conduct Guidance: "Advertising Code 1D Members shall ensure that no Advertising or Promotion or any other publication, whether in writing or otherwise, shall contain anything that is likely to mislead the public. The first point of contact between an ABTA Member and a client is likely to be their advertising. Difficulties later on can often be traced back to problems with advertising, be it inaccurate brochure descriptions, unclear information on a website, or press adverts that don't contain adequate information. In the Code, advertising is widely defined as “a means of promoting Travel Arrangements by any printed, viewable, audible or other form” so it includes brochures, all types of marketing and can include viewdata as well, depending on the circumstances of the case. In general, advertising mustn’t mislead. Clients must be provided with sufficient information so that they can make informed choices. Remember clients might be misled by omission. Adverts must be based on accurate information. Members are less likely to be found to be in breach of this Code of Conduct if they can show that they had good procedures in place to verify the accuracy of the descriptions in their advertising."

Exactly my point. I got nowhere when it was an issue which was clearly the responsibility of someone on the ship. Which is why I wouldn't waste my time - or theirs - complaining to them about something which is clearly beyond their control. As I said earlier in this thread, I feel sorry for the guest services staff who will be having to deal with passengers who are unhappy about being charged for things they understood would be included and who may well not have found out until they were actually charged for them.

My husband used to say, Disney will take your last dollar but somehow they do it so well that you really don't mind!

I was merely commenting in response to someone else's suggestion that those wishing to complain could visit guest services on board. I have no 'goal', just participating in a discussion.

Yes, I know the website is inconsistent. In some places where it clearly shows an item as being included, when you click on a link it takes you to a page where it shows you it's an extra charge. Similarly the email notifications - or lack of - are inconsistent. Somehow Princess are still able to send me regular emails wanting me to book more cruises, or vote for them in the Wave Awards, or take out a subscription to The Telegraph (!), but as yet they haven't told me that on my upcoming cruise they are going to charge me for items that were included when I booked. Not even a generic email outlining the changes. The one which states: We know trust is important when booking your holiday, so, for complete peace of mind, book your next cruise with Princess. is quite ironic in the circumstances.

Don't give them ideas! This reminds me of Ryanair and Michael O'Leary some years back. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if Princess have got O'Leary on a retainer.

Unless guest services is very different on Sky Princess than on Island Princess, I don't think I would waste my time. Recently on Island Princess I had a polite discussion with guest services about a few issues with my cabin, including the fact that it wasn't properly cleaned before my arrival. (Just about the only thing which was done was the bedding was changed and the towels replaced. It wasn't hoovered, none of the surfaces had been wiped down or drawers wiped out, and I found a selection of trash items in various places.) I didn't even receive a note of apology - for something which was the responsibility of that ship - so I can't imagine getting any better response for something which is a corporate decision over which they have no control.

However, the final paragraph of the letter is factually incorrect. It states, "Princess Plus/Princess Premier has not been advertised as a service inclusive of Casual Dining, Ocean Now Delivery and Room Service Delivery". For at least one upcoming cruise on Sky Princess, the Princess website clearly advertises Alfredo's under included dining and the other 2 items as included in the Standard Fare - and surely anything included in the Standard Fare is also included in the enhanced packages. They may not consider the changes to be significant but they should not claim that these items were never included when the evidence is still readily available on their website.

I've just re-read the last paragraph of the response you received from Princess, about it not being advertised as inclusive of casual dining, OceanNow and room service. What complete bs! It is STILL being advertised as including all 3, as can be seen in the screenshots. And the screenshots show the date and they were taken, ie today, it's not that I took them before the changes.

https://www.princess.com/cruise-search/details/?voyageCode=Y328

Another screenshot from the Princess website, current info for the 24-day Canada & USA cruise. It's what comes up when you click on "What's Included", which is on the first page after you click on cruise details. It clearly shows that the Princess Standard fare includes OceanNow and 24-hour room service, just as it did when I booked the cruise. I feel sorry for the guest services staff who will have to deal with the fallout from passengers not being informed of the changes, and from those changes not having been 'grandfathered' in.

My next cruise is the Sky Princess 24-day Canada & USA from Southampton. Details on the website still clearly shows Alfredo's as being included. I've just taken this screenshot. To date, I haven't received any notification from Princess about the changes. Just plenty of other emails, including the one about a free subscription to The Telegraph!

@gone9ers said these changes will either cost additonal fees or decrease options. You have addressed the latter but not the former. Okay, options may not be decreased. But those options will now cost an additional fee. When I booked my upcoming cruise for September it was clearly advertised as including Alfredo's, ordering via Medallion or room service. I haven't had any official notification from Princess yet, don't know if I will, but I suspect many passengers on the cruise will turn up not knowing about the changes. It isn't the amount of the extra charges that annoys me, it's the principle of it. I booked a cruise which included certain things but now if I want those things I'll have to pay extra. If I booked a hotel at a price which included bed and breakfast, I wouldn't expect to get there and be charged extra for breakfast because between booking and my arrival, the hotel had changed their policy and applied it to my reservation retrospectively.

Although I don’t agree with how it’s been implemented, I could live with the $14.99 Ocean Now fee if they would give me the facility to say no mayonnaise on things. Or better still, have it so you opt in to the evil stuff rather than having to phone an order just to opt out! $5 per order just because I don’t eat mayonnaise and Princess won’t accommodate that simple request on Ocean Now.

Currently on Island Princess, saw people with these things last week and the candy was wrapped. A lady approached 2 kids behind me in the ice cream line and tried to give them the candy. Kids she didn’t know. Not my kids so I didn’t feel I could intervene but I was very glad when they declined. No doubt she meant well but seriously, going up to a child you don’t know saying, “Do you like candy?”! I did look at the so-called ‘premium’ sundaes and wonder how much chocolate and sprinkles are wasted with dipping the glasses into them, it doesn’t seem that anyone eats it - not sure they can. It may also take extra resources to clean it off the glasses. Is there some poor crew member having to chip it off before they go into the dishwasher?