Bad news for UK cruisers to Asia 2006

[Sainthouse]

I'm so pleased to see that Pacific Princess will be in Asia next summer - we're really keen to try her out BUT...

 

As we are UK residents, I have been told by Princess UK that we won't be able to book this until the UK brochure comes out in SEPTEMBER!!! That's only 10 months from the cruise. We have no chance of getting the cabin we would like and, even more worrying, with the interest shown on these boards for the exotic itineraries, it could even be sold out.

 

As I'm sure regular posters will know, Princess won't allow us to book through a US TA, so it looks like I'll just have to wait until September and see what's left!

 

Judith

[bottomline]

e-mail me at

jhs565@bellsouth.net

john

[Sainthouse]

bottomline,

 

Thanks for the reply. I have just e-mailed you. I'm having a really bad day - my football team (Manchester United) just lost the FA Cup Final!!!

 

Judith

[phillipahain]

Since any resident of any country can make an onboard booking with Princess Future Sales office at USA prices and have the booking transferred to an agent of their choice just as they can put down future cruise deposits onboard which are valid for up to 4 years i am at a loss to see the evidence of Princess refusing to allow UK people to book via US agents

 

There are US agents who can and will deal with UK people

 

I am well aware that Princess UK computers do not talk to their USA counterparts

 

That same situation exists at Celebrity too

 

I am also well aware that UK prices include Air and transfers and that if you dont need these for a variety of reasons the reduction they make for cruise only is a pittance

[Sainthouse]

phillipahain

 

There is a recent (lengthy) thread specifically referring to the problems UK customers have trying to book with US TAs. The general concensus seems to be that, whilst it used to be possible, Princess have now stopped the practice.

 

We have successfully booked cruises with other cruiselines in the past (saving a lot of money in the process) through US TAs. As this would be our first cruise with Princess, the option to book on board is not open to us.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=170709

 

Judith

[GottoCruise]

Judith - My TA has booked PAX from the UK - It is a possible for you to use a "Share the Wealth" Cert. with someone who is booking the cruise, and you will receive all the same benefits, including the reduced deposit and the SBC......Post your wants to the board - I'm sure someone will be willing to refer you ----Good Luck! :D (I'm going to book March 2007 - FLL/CPT I'd be glad to help you out..... Renee

PS - There could also be Referral credit so don't book with Princess without someone referring you!!! GoToCruise@aol.com

[Sainthouse]

Renee

 

Thanks so much for the suggestion. I'll certainly try this option when the dates are released - we're hoping for a late July Beijing to Bangkok itinerary.

 

Judith

[GottoCruise]

Judith - dates are already known - bookings open June 13. Beijing to Bangkok on 29 May - 30 Jun - 1 Aug

Reverse on 14 Jun -16 July

 

I also really llike the Pacific Princess Aug. 17 itinerary

but it does not include Beijing..........

 

ie: Bangkok -Cambodia, Phu My, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Phuket, Colombo, Goa, Mumbai. -

 

trying to convince my husband - either 1 Aug. or 17 Aug - (better yet - BOTH b2b :D - but he says it's just too hot that time of year!!!!!!!

 

Hope this helps. Let me know if you want me to "refer" you. You will be able to book any cruise and we will both get extra SBC when you sail.

[Sainthouse]

Wow, thanks Renee. 1 August looks perfect for us. I'm going to give Princess UK one more chance to help me out now I've got specific dates. We're a little wary of booking our own flights and transfers, especially for Beijing, and they offer the whole package to UK customers. We have no problems 'going it alone' when we cruise from the US, but I believe things are very different in the Far East!!

 

You've been so kind and helpful - and to think I only posted my original message out of sheer frustration and diappointment. Cinderella (and family) might still get to go to the Ball!!!

 

Judith

[Bestbubba]

Renee you seem to have all the hot info!!;) Someone mentioned that the Sapphire will be in Asia late summer/autumn 2006?? Have you seen a brochure to this effect? Like judith we are really keen to book and it is SO frustrating having to wait until September. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

Thanks in advance

 

Sue x

[GottoCruise]

Sapphire 2006- After re-positioning from Alaska run -

 

Oct. 2 Beijing to Osaka

Oct. 14 reverse

Oct. 26 Beijing to Bangkok

Nov. 11 reverse

Nov. 27 Beijing to Singapore

Dec. 23 Singapore to Sydney.

 

Be forewarned - Sapphire does not do well docking in some Ports -Embarkation in Osaka was a "zoo" - Passenger terminal was way too small to check in all the passengers.... also, Sapphire may dock at some Container (not passenger) docks for transfers to Port city ...look carefully at the itinerary!

 

GotToCruise :D (aka Renee )

[Bestbubba]

Renee you are a star!!:) Thanks for that info. We know about Sapphire docking in weird and (not so) wonderful places after our Sydney to Bangkok cruise this past March. It's Beijing to Bangkok we are interested in, really want to see those terracotta warriors!! Perhaps we should think about the Pacific Princess but we really loved the Sapphire. Decisions, decisions! Aren't we all lucky to have such problems!!:D

 

Have a great Sunday and thanks again,

 

Sue x

[phillipahain]

Have very carefully checked the info for UK cruisers with officialdom

 

Its been confirmed that if you want to use a USA travel agent to book "cruise only" all you need is a USA address

 

Its not a question of being stopped from boarding etc

 

The latest moves are simply to protect UK travel agents

 

However its also been confirmed that prices for the Med and even Asia can often be cheaper by booking in the UK than the USA

 

So you need to do your research

 

One thing that needs watching though is if you are UK or any other nationality than USA When you are onboard ship they will convert your onboard dollar account to Sterling at a poor exchange rate and with 3% commision ..............so be sure to insist on clearing your account with cash or manual credit card swipe and NOT by their automated system

 

Future cruise deposits, cruise deposits and final payments are not a problem they are simply charged in $ direct to your credit card by Head Office

[UK Cruiser]

Our onboard account has never been converted to Sterling by Princess! Our credit card statement has always shown the payments in US Dollars and the conversion has been made by our card company - and this has always been at a favourable rate. Similarly when we have paid for an on-board future cruise deposit or a deposit, this has always been billed in US Dollars.

 

Lynne

[phillipahain]

I do not know which ship you were on but:-

 

On both the Diamond and just last week on the Sun Princess despite correctly filling out the forms and ticking the box along with clearly writing "charge in US Dollars " they converted our onboard account to Sterling onboard ....................which our bank had to convert back to dollars since its a dollar account ..........the total landed up being $30 more than it should have been and it took a week of trips to pursers desk to get the situation put right

 

They admitted there is a glitch in the system which means if you have a UK address they will automatically convert the account to Sterling even if they have flagged it to be charged in dollars

 

Austalians on our cruise hit the same problems

[Bestbubba]

We had the same experience on the Sapphire last March, ticked the box, wrote "do not convert" and they still did!! On our previous 3 Princess cruises we had (wrongly!) assumed that we had no choice in the matter, only from reading something here on the boards did we finally catch on!!;)

 

Lynne, we have never had to pay a deposit for future cruise bookings, only cough up when we finally book a cruise back in the UK. Are you using your US Circle number so they treat you as they would a US citizen??

 

Sue x

[ourlol]

Have very carefully checked the info for UK cruisers with officialdom.

 

Its been confirmed that if you want to use a USA travel agent to book "cruise only" all you need is a USA address

phillipahain,

 

Before I get my hopes up too much... who did you speak to in the UK? Was it an agent on the Princess general booking telephone number or someone higher up? Or did you write, if so, to whom? Not that I don't believe you for one minute, but I'd like to hear it from the horses mouth so that I can go back to my US TA with the 'good' news.

 

Are you saying that if I were to give a US friend's address for booking purposes and had the tickets sent there I would be okay? I wouldn't need to provide a utility bill as proof that I lived there!

 

You see what worries me is that in the past, my US TA has used an American address for the booking and 'until now' it's all been fine. Now, apparently, they have been told they are not allowed to do that any more. I only heard from my US TA a couple of days ago on the subject and nothing had changed - taking UK bookings was still a no no.

 

Very confused. Some say you can, some say you can't. I wish Princess would make a definitive statement clarifying the position once and for all.

:confused:

 

Touch wood my onboard account has never been converted to sterling either. That said, thanks for the heads up. I will make sure I check properly when I go in July.

 

Laura

[ourlol]

Decided to take the bull by the horns and ring Princess here in the UK. Their response can be found here on the other UK thread.

 

I am going to go back to my US TA to see what they say.

 

Laura

[dawnprincess]

We were going to take a cruise with our friends from Wales. When we compared the prices charged, we were shocked at how expensive the UK rates were for the same cabin (this was back in '99). I was a little nervous but approached our travel agent at the time about booking them and said they were our 'cousins' from Wales. As it happened they were going to visit with us before and after the cruise anyway, so using our home address made perfect sense. Everything went smoothly and we were even able to apply their past passenger numbers to the booking so they got credit for the cruise.

 

It seems so unfair that U.K. residents can't book the same cruise at the same time as American passengers. If the U.K. travel agents don't want to lose business to American travel agents, they should put pressure on Princess to open bookings at the same time, regardless of whether the U.K. brochure as been published yet or not.

[Sainthouse]

Thanks for being so sympathetic to our plight, dawnprincess, but sadly that's the way it is! Again today I have been told by Princess UK that there's nothing they can do for me until the brochures come out in September. I'm waiting on replies from other UK CC members who are looking into booking with US TAs.

 

Judith

[britsbest]

Hey

 

Fancy seeing a local here! As you see I am just up the A34 between Handforth Dean and Cheadle Royal.

I have details of an USA travel agent who says she can book Princess for us, but yet to try her out. Email me bob.barrows@btinternet.com and I'll forward the correspondence I have

[Sainthouse]

britsbest

 

Wow - what a small world!! I have e-mailed you for the details.

 

Thanks

 

Judith

[phillipahain]

Our LOL

 

The info given to me on the subject elsewhere in this thread was direct from Princess USA very senior staff on 22nd May

 

I asked very direct questions specifically because of the problems raised here by other UK cruisers

[Coral]

Our LOL

 

The info given to me on the subject elsewhere in this thread was direct from Princess USA very senior staff on 22nd May

 

Just wanted to say welcome back! It was a pleasure to meet you 2 on the Sun!

 

-Theresa

[phillipahain]

Many Thanks Coral

 

Pleasure to meet you too

 

hope to see you again one day