Princess Cruise Line-Boarding pass

I have been on over 15 cruises and on every occasion I've never provided a credit card for purchases on board. I deal in cash only. Every other cruise has sent me all the required document prior to the cruise. Finally when I booked this cruise there was no mentioned that a credit card was required to cruise, nor was there any mention that everything was electronic.

 

If had know this information prior to booking I would not have booked.

I do not know a a cruise line today that does not require a credit card at check-in unless at check-in you indicate you will settle your account in cash on board. Then you must leave a cash deposit with the Purser's desk to cover anticipated onboard expenses.

Also, most cruise lines are switching over to electronic documents instead of snail mail documents. What has happened in the past is not what is happening now, even on the cruise lines you have sailed with in the past.

I, for one, thank God every day for the ability to do everything online. In fact, we have done this since our Star Princess cruise in 2002. it was new, then. But on our first 'modern day' cruise,on Royal Princess in 1999, two weeks before cruising, we had no docs. Nothing in the mail. Our TA was frantically calling CA/Princess about it. Seems they were having trouble with their printers and couldn't print out airline tickets...eTickets were very new then. We finally got our docs by FedEx TWO (2) days before we were to fly to Buenos Aires to board the ship! Thank goodness for the internet...we will never have to go through that again! EM

I Agree, we use to have to drive to Denver and Princess and the Travel Agency were arguing who was at fault. We needed to leave on a Monday morning to drive over the Pass and fly out on a Tuesday. On the Thursday before both were saying the Fed EX'd the packet with air tickets overnight. At that time overnight was not guarenteed to Grand Junction(or the rest of the Western Slope) they said well if not Friday you'll get it Monday. I told them we couldn't wait around all day Monday for a delivery that may come. Well late that Friday afternoon we finally got the packet. Now we don't have to worry about that.:D If we don't have our documents it is our own fault.:eek:

If you show up at check-in without a boarding pass/e ticket the agent will have you fill out a similar form and you can indicate "cash" payment. This will take anywhere from 2 to 3 minutes of added time to your check-in procedure.

If you put a CC number in the online personaliser when you get to check-in the agent will change it in the computer to "cash" and mark the boarding pass accordingly.

If you are inclined to cancel because of this procedure, I feel sorry for you as you will not be able to sail with any of the cruiselines or stay at any hotels or fly any of the world's airlines as they ALL have this requirement for travel/accommodation.

If you go to an airline without a reservation and want to pay cash, be prepared for the hassle of your life. You will set off bells and whistles and be subject to secondary searches and interrogations. Hotels will be less of a problem but will certainly require a cash deposit before handing over any keys(keycards).

We ALWAYS us a credit card that has a very low limit for this very reason......making reservations over the phone; or, the Princess Personalizer......I double-dog-dare someone to steal the credit card number of this card......they won't get too far.

And, why would anyone cancel a cruise for this reason....it's silly!!!!

Go on your cruise and get into the year 2010...If you hate credit cards.....Use an American Express card that MUST be paid with 30 days.....no fees, no charges and your conscience is clear.

In about 2 weeks our cruise will be departing but I have received no information from Princess other than the 2 mails (one requesting final payment and another about booking shore excursions). When I called Princess I was told they are now electronic and if I wanted boarding pass, luggage tags ect. I would have to go online and print them. I guess Princess is the adopted Delta and Spirits policies.

 

So I went online, but I could not print my boarding pass because you must provide the cruise line with a credit card for on board purchases before you will be allowed to print boarding passes. Even though I paid a substantial amount money to this cruise line they will even give me boarding pass, and to top that off the cruise line representative stated your boarding will be delayed because you have not supplied a credit card number.

 

 

I've cruised with Princess before, but never encountered anything like this.

 

I wish I could still cancel this cruise and get my money back

Just found this, after having same issue. Sailed with P&O and Cunard (both Carnival Group) and never had this before and have always printed documents off with no problem. Its almost like they want to know if you can still afford to go! Ridiculous......

This post is 8 years old. What did I miss?

Just found this, after having same issue. Sailed with P&O and Cunard (both Carnival Group) and never had this before and have always printed documents off with no problem. Its almost like they want to know if you can still afford to go! Ridiculous......

The original post is from 2010. Yes, you print everything on line in 2018 and yes you have to provide a credit or debit card number to print. The credit card is to cover on board expenses such as beverages, tours, purchases in gift shops, spa, auto-tip. It isn't ridiculous. It is common for cruise lines to get your credit card for on board expenses up front. Each line in the Carnival Corp. operates independently. I have never been on P&O nor Cunard, but I'm willing to wager that they also get your credit card information up front somehow before you board or soon after. On Princess you can enter your credit card, print your docs, then remove the credit card info. However, if you do this you will asked to show a credit card at check in or provide a cash deposit.

I don't understand why people want to fight the system, just like my DH who refuses to get a passport, but gets ticked off at check in when they can't get his ID to go through...it's always "their" fault...

And this thread had to be pretty far back on the pages to be brought back from 2010

The original post is from 2010. Yes, you print everything on line in 2018 and yes you have to provide a credit or debit card number to print. The credit card is to cover on board expenses such as beverages, tours, purchases in gift shops, spa, auto-tip. It isn't ridiculous. It is common for cruise lines to get your credit card for on board expenses up front. Each line in the Carnival Corp. operates independently. I have never been on P&O nor Cunard, but I'm willing to wager that they also get your credit card information up front somehow before you board or soon after. On Princess you can enter your credit card, print your docs, then remove the credit card info. However, if you do this you will asked to show a credit card at check in or provide a cash deposit.

New to Princess so cut a little slack here, have been cruising for 10 years so know how most of the systems work, and this is the first time I have come accross this. Didn't realise the original post was that old. As you haven't been on P&O and Cunard your wager would be lost! I just find it odd that I couldn't print my docs without it.

I just find it odd that I couldn't print my docs without it.

Princess chooses to include your onboard account information as part of the pre-cruise documentation rather than requiring presentation of your credit card, selecting yes or no for currency conversion, and manually signing the payment agreement, during the shoreside check-in process. So your docs have to show that you have gone into your personalizer and electronically signed both the Passage Contract and the credit card authorization. As far as I am concerned that puts Prncess ahead of the game. (I have sailed Cunard embarking in both New York and Southampton and Princess' check in is much much smoother than theirs).

And if my fuzzy memory is correct, when Princess first started online check in your Cruise Personalizer was completely non-functional unless the entire Passenger Information section was complete, including citizenship info, onboard account info and the cruising history/preferences questions. Only recently--with the ability to pre-purchase drink packages and such online having been established--could you now access the other sections of the Personalizer before completing the Passenger Information.

No different than a hotel which is fully paid asking for a CC at check in so they can cover incidentals. The more info they collect in advance the less they need to collect at time of embarkation. Helps with the flow on board.

I just found out that I will have to get to the port for my next cruise using a thing called an automobile. This is ridiculous. I have always used a horse and buggy to get where I want to go. I would used the new fangled things called a phone or internet to get more information, but I just basically refuse to use them. If the telegraph was good enough for Abraham Lincoln, it is good enough for me.

i just found out that i will have to get to the port for my next cruise using a thing called an automobile. This is ridiculous. I have always used a horse and buggy to get where i want to go. I would used the new fangled things called a phone or internet to get more information, but i just basically refuse to use them. If the telegraph was good enough for abraham lincoln, it is good enough for me.

🤣🤣🤣

It has been a few years since I booked with Princess but doing your Online Check In and establishing your On board Credit card has always been part of the routine. Ours is already done. RCCL is the same way although they have changed the time in which to do your Online check In. They used to let you do it anytime but now moved that out to the last 3/4 months.

It has been a few years since I booked with Princess but doing your Online Check In and establishing your On board Credit card has always been part of the routine.

Many here, including myself, cruised on princess before al gore invented the internet.

No online check in.

Remember how long it took to check in when they issued paper tickets.....normally through a TA, which was the only way to book a cruise. Everyone in line and having to manually enter all information at the check in desk......THEN issued a paper handwritten boarding pass.

Have not sailed Princess in a long time. Is the emabrkation time a firm rule or a suggestion? I am not scheduled to board until 2:30. I am not Elite, Justin in a balcony cabin.

Thanks!

our first "smart phone" came in a bag and weighed prolly 5-6 pounds...

it was, as I remember, $30 per month with 10 minutes included and additional minutes at about $2 per minute...:cool:

Have not sailed Princess in a long time. Is the emabrkation time a firm rule or a suggestion? I am not scheduled to board until 2:30. I am not Elite, Justin in a balcony cabin.

 

Thanks!

Just a suggestion.

Just a suggestion.

Thanks. I want to get my vacation started as soon as possible!

Have not sailed Princess in a long time. Is the emabrkation time a firm rule or a suggestion? I am not scheduled to board until 2:30. I am not Elite, Justin in a balcony cabin.

 

Thanks!

Embarkation times are given to reduce congestion and waiting times at the terminal and check in counters. I comply with them, but many don't. :evilsmile: In Sydney, some cruise lines enforce the times and you don't get into the terminal before your check in time.:rolleyes:

Personally, we wait until an hour before sailing to check in, easy then.

This post is 8 years old. What did I miss?

Once again, a zombie thread is revived. I wish Cruise Critic could automatically lock threads after a certain period of inactivity. Anyone wishing to bring up an old topic could provide a link to the locked thread.

But in this case we would have missed out on the bonus hijacking of the thread changing the topic from printing boarding passes to staggered check-in times :evilsmile:

I filled out our information recently for our 2019 Hawaii cruise, I thought that was the Online check in or am I wrong. This included Credit Card information etc. RCCL used to allow us to complete this information a year out now we have to wait until 3 to 4 months from departure.

I filled out our information recently for our 2019 Hawaii cruise, I thought that was the Online check in or am I wrong. This included Credit Card information etc. RCCL used to allow us to complete this information a year out now we have to wait until 3 to 4 months from departure.

It is the on line check in, and about 75 days out you will be able to print your boarding passes and luggage tags. The boarding pass gets you into the terminal. You are still required to present yourself at the check in desk to obtain your cruise card.