Princess cancelled my BVE!

[Kentchikan]

Good analogy.

 

Thanks. I like it too. ;)

[critterchick]

The Future Cruise Consultant wasn't even around for the BVE that some friends did when I sailed on Sapphire in March. The Captain's Circle hostess escorted us to the dining room and then vanished. I had to pick up our pictures during the cruise, as they weren't available before my friends had to depart. Good thing that the lunch was good and we had been on the ship before so could take our friends on a tour.:rolleyes:

 

I did chat with the consultant during the cruise and she had no problem issuing an FCC for my friends. I would do as Pam said, just fill out a form and drop it in the box.

[Loonbeam]

Pretty much. It's an easy answer rather than have to communicate and go into specific details with all the agents.

 

Is "operational reasons" the cruise line equivalent of a parent's "Because I said so that's why"?

[Kentchikan]

The Future Cruise Consultant wasn't even around for the BVE that some friends did when I sailed on Sapphire in March. The Captain's Circle hostess escorted us to the dining room and then vanished. I had to pick up our pictures during the cruise, as they weren't available before my friends had to depart. Good thing that the lunch was good and we had been on the ship before so could take our friends on a tour.:rolleyes:

 

I did chat with the consultant during the cruise and she had no problem issuing an FCC for my friends. I would do as Pam said, just fill out a form and drop it in the box.

 

Lucky you were sailing and could straighten it out. One would think they'd jump at the chance to sell FCC's while the glow of being aboard was still there. If I were running it I certainly would jump at that chance.

[MauiLvrs]

According to the Princess web site you can only book the BVE 3 months out. How could you book a BVE several months ago for Dec 2013?

Interesting point ... How can something be canceled that can't yet be booked...:confused:

 

Unless the booking was in error and the cancellation was to correct that fact that it can't yet be booked.

[SilentTraveller]

I called Princess three months ago and tried to book the Royal Princess BVE for 12/29/13 and I was told that it was already fully booked. After doing some checking, I discovered the 90 day booking window so I phoned Princess back and asked why a BVE that couldn't yet be booked was already fully booked. After being put on hold for a long time, I was told that the original rep was wrong; it wasn't fully booked, it just wasn't open for booking yet. I have on my calendar exactly 90 days before 12/29/12, and I'm going to phone to see what I'm told then.

 

In the meantime, we actually booked three Royal Princess cruises sailing before 12/29/12, so I'm not certain we're still interested. Still, I'm curious (and even more now, in light of the OP's experience), and want to see what the real story is about Royal Princess BVEs.

 

You might want to try and schedule it next week. According to the current information posted on the BVE website, booking opens 120 days before the cruise.

 

https://book.princess.com/BookingSystem/jsp/home/ship_visit/BonVoyageExperience.jsp

[Kentchikan]

You might want to try and schedule it next week. According to the current information posted on the BVE website, booking opens 120 days before the cruise.

 

https://book.princess.com/BookingSystem/jsp/home/ship_visit/BonVoyageExperience.jsp

 

Good site thanks. I noticed it doesn't go beyond Sept. 7 for the Grand in SFO. Do they update the site periodically or are there no BVE's after Sept 7th? We want to take some friends on board in October in a sneaky attempt to interest them in cruising. ;)

Edited August 21, 2013 by Kentskie

[MauiLvrs]

Good site thanks. I noticed it doesn't go beyond Sept. 7 for the Grand in SFO.

We called and asked about that date and they said that it was available and that they still had room.

 

But our kids said that it would be rather depressing to come have lunch with us and then get tossed off of the ship ...

 

Our friends seem to mostly have the same opinion...

 

So we haven't booked it yet.

[Kentchikan]

We called and asked about that date and they said that it was available and that they still had room.

 

But our kids said that it would be rather depressing to come have lunch with us and then get tossed off of the ship ...

 

Our friends seem to mostly have the same opinion...

 

So we haven't booked it yet.

 

We haven't asked our friends yet but I'm hoping they will want to come we're trying to get them to cruise and think that a BVE might be an incentive.

I know the feeling though. In the days when one could I'd often go down to the pier and go on ships. It was always a sad time when I had to disembark and the ship sailed away.

[Loonbeam]

There is Princess Policy, and 'what actually happens'. Since Future Sales folks are evaluated based on sales, I suspect most of them don't look too hard at the FCC forms as long as corp doesn't call them on it (and corporate will be happy to have the money so I doubt THEY look too closely).

 

My point is that if you get a Salesperson who says they can't do it, don't be super upset with them, they are toeing the official line.

 

My friends were on a BVE with us and they were able to purchase FCC at that time. Unless they have changed the rules since last December you should be able to buy them when on the BVE.

[M4dC0w]

When my friends did the BVE with me in November they were not allowed to buy FCC's at all. They were told they didn't take deposits from people on a BVE. The Future Cruise Consultant sort of argued with me on the subject. So, imagine how upset you'd be if you'd gone on the BVE and then was turned down on placing the deposit? My friends still went ahead and booked the same Panama Canal cruise they had planned. They love the Princess product and wouldn't let that small disappointment keep them from going on the cruise they wanted. We had a great time on the BVE. I'm sorry you were cancelled, but I'm sure things happen that can't be helped.

 

I can't understand how BVE participants would be billed, as they do ask for the stateroom on the form, and have no section to enter a CC#, what would stop BVE participants filling out a dozen forms for all their families too?

 

You have to be on the cruise to buy the FCD

 

Here is a copy of the last form I saw;

 

[Colo Cruiser]

I can't understand how BVE participants would be billed, as they do ask for the stateroom on the form, and have no section to enter a CC#, what would stop BVE participants filling out a dozen forms for all their families too

 

 

In case you did not notice this thread is from last year.

 

Several people on a BVE have purchased them since then.

Edited August 25, 2014 by Colo Cruiser

[azdmelani]

I can't understand how BVE participants would be billed, as they do ask for the stateroom on the form, and have no section to enter a CC#, what would stop BVE participants filling out a dozen forms for all their families too?

 

You have to be on the cruise to buy the FCD

 

Here is a copy of the last form I saw;

 

 

I was able to get a FCC during a BVE. Just filled out BVE as the room number and left my credit card info. Got the confirmation that day.

[kendon]

When my friends did the BVE with me in November they were not allowed to buy FCC's at all. They were told they didn't take deposits from people on a BVE. The Future Cruise Consultant sort of argued with me on the subject. So, imagine how upset you'd be if you'd gone on the BVE and then was turned down on placing the deposit? My friends still went ahead and booked the same Panama Canal cruise they had planned. They love the Princess product and wouldn't let that small disappointment keep them from going on the cruise they wanted. We had a great time on the BVE. I'm sorry you were cancelled, but I'm sure things happen that can't be helped.

 

Oh no...I was hoping to book while on the BVE this October for FCC"s. Never got around to it the past two cruises. Disappointing....

[kendon]

I was able to get a FCC during a BVE. Just filled out BVE as the room number and left my credit card info. Got the confirmation that day.

 

Just saw your post...good to know!!! We'll give it a try.

[Saymyname]

I purchased FCC on a June 2014 BVE~ I just entered my credit card # in place of cabin #

[DougH]

I too am very disappointed we a cruising on the Grand the end of Sept out of San Francisco. We live near San Francisco and have made it a practice to invite others on board when we cruise from our home port.

 

For this up coming cruise I wanted to invite my sister on board again, it is her 65th birthday in September so would have been fun. I was advised no BVE available for this cruise. Can't understand why Princess is not offering it, no explanation was provided. .

 

That is right about when the new cruise terminal is scheduled to open and may have something to do with that.

 

Just saw this post is from 2014 so ignore my comment :)

Edited August 25, 2014 by DougH

[trbarton]

FYI.......I'm booked on the Sept. 27th Panama Canal cruise out of San Francisco and have 3 friends booked for the BVE. So far no problems.

 

If you can't do a BVE and you know other people taking a cruise what would prevent someone else putting in a BVE for you?

 

Tom:)

[hawkeyetlse]

If you can't do a BVE and you know other people taking a cruise what would prevent someone else putting in an FCC for you?

The form will not be processed with just any random name on it that doesn't correspond to an actual passenger on the cruise (or the BVE) and a credit card number. Or if you're a passenger on the ship, you can't use your credit card to buy an FCC for someone else. Not by writing everything down on the form and simply dropping it in the box, anyway. This is something you'd have to see the future cruise consultant about face to face, and I'm sure it is only authorized in very exceptional situations.

[peety3]

When my friends did the BVE with me in November they were not allowed to buy FCC's at all. They were told they didn't take deposits from people on a BVE. The Future Cruise Consultant sort of argued with me on the subject. So, imagine how upset you'd be if you'd gone on the BVE and then was turned down on placing the deposit? My friends still went ahead and booked the same Panama Canal cruise they had planned. They love the Princess product and wouldn't let that small disappointment keep them from going on the cruise they wanted. We had a great time on the BVE. I'm sorry you were cancelled, but I'm sure things happen that can't be helped.

If one doesn't cruise, one isn't eligible for the promotions that come with cruising - isn't that a reasonable stance to take? And frankly, FCC doesn't change the price of the cruise, merely how much of a deposit you've got to front to hold your cabin. Hence, it becomes simply a time value of money question: is interest (whether you treat it as credit card purchase interest expense or as money not otherwise available to bank/invest and earn interest on) on $100pp for [time of last cruise to final payment deadline of next cruise] really better than interest on $400pp for [time of booking deposit to final payment deadline of next cruise] plus the inconvenience of not being able to use that additional $300p during the time between booking a deposit and final payment?

[hawkeyetlse]

And frankly, FCC doesn't change the price of the cruise, merely how much of a deposit you've got to front to hold your cabin.

The main financial advantage is the OBC on your future cruise, $15 to $150 depending on stateroom category and length of cruise. I don't own any other financial instruments that guarantee a 150% return…

[shepp]

The main financial advantage is the OBC on your future cruise, $15 to $150 depending on stateroom category and length of cruise. I don't own any other financial instruments that guarantee a 150% return…

 

Certainly not CCL stock.

[Thrak]

Even with an inside cabin we're receiving $250 OBC for our Panama Canal cruise. That is solely from using FCC to book the cruise. We bought this FCC while on a cruise but the FCC we used to book THAT cruise was purchased by us while on a BVE. The reason we booked that BVE was specifically to buy more FCC. We did it through the FCC rep on board and had no issues with it at all.

[caribill]

If you can't do a BVE and you know other people taking a cruise what would prevent someone else putting in a BVE for you?

 

 

FCCs can only be purchased in the name of someone actually on the ship.

[shredie]

There's a BVE website?