How long to receive reply from Princess to a complaint?

[first time cruising]

I sent Princess an email regarding issues we had on our 32 day cruise from San Pedro to Venice (the last cruise before Island Princess went into dry dock) about two months ago. Received a generic reply saying my issues would be looked at and I would receive a reply (normally within 10 days). Since I received no reply for six weeks I sent another email to Princess. Once again I received the generic reply but still not an answer from them. Is it normal for them to take so long to reply or are they hoping I will go away? If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do next please post. Thanks.

[caribill]

If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do next please post. Thanks.

 

Use the telephone.

[Orlando Vic]

If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do next please post. Thanks.

 

You have been more than patient. The system is not responding the way it should. It's time to write the CEO, by name. Send it by regular mail, not email.

Edited July 4, 2015 by Orlando Vic

[trbarton]

I have another suggestion and that is to post on the Princess Facebook page. They monitor this page and normally reply in a few days. If you do contact Princess on Facebook please post what happened.

 

Tom:)

[Coral]

I would send a real letter. They seem to treat this better than emails.

 

It can take up to 6 weeks to respond.

Edited July 5, 2015 by Coral

[tokyo]

I am just starting to put a complaint into Princess. I will not use there system or face book. That is there home ground.

I will go to the top. With a letter to the top man at Princess, I will tell him I would like a response in less then a month or I will take it up with his boss. I will not go away or back off. I suggest you do the same.

[Aquahound]

Use the telephone.

 

I tried that once with Princess. Their instructions were to send an email to their Passenger Relations address. Mine was a OBC issue and in my case, it also took just over 2 months to get resolved.

[Orlando Vic]

You have been more than patient. The system is not responding the way it should. It's time to write the CEO, by name. Send it by regular mail, not email.

 

I have done this twice with good results. One was to a CEO and another was to a Senior VP at American Airlines (all by name & correct title). I received immediate attention and favorable results.

[BruceMuzz]

I am just starting to put a complaint into Princess. I will not use there system or face book. That is there home ground.

I will go to the top. With a letter to the top man at Princess, I will tell him I would like a response in less then a month or I will take it up with his boss. I will not go away or back off. I suggest you do the same.

 

I recommend you use your spell-check when you write the letter. It gives a much better impression to the reader - and typically gets a quicker and better response. Correctly spelling the top man's name will also be helpful.

[geoherb]

I received prompt responses the couple of times I had complaints that could not be solved on board--within a couple of weeks. Once I received a call from a customer service rep. The other time, my TA received the call with something for us on the cruise we had booked with him.

[cr8tiv1]

I have had to contact Princess on two major occasions. Once I got an email out while I was on a 14 day cruise. My issue was resolved before the end of the cruise. I received an email right away and the department on the ship was also notified.

 

Another time I had a problem with something I purchased from the boutique. Again, it was immediately (within 48 hours) addressed with a phone call to me. To my embarrassment, I was in error, but they were extremely polite and tried to make me feel better.

 

I'm on my iPad, so my signature show up. Don't know how to uncheck it like when I am on the web site.

Edited July 5, 2015 by cr8tiv1

[skynight]

I sent Princess an email regarding issues we had on our 32 day cruise from San Pedro to Venice (the last cruise before Island Princess went into dry dock) about two months ago. Received a generic reply saying my issues would be looked at and I would receive a reply (normally within 10 days). Since I received no reply for six weeks I sent another email to Princess. Once again I received the generic reply but still not an answer from them. Is it normal for them to take so long to reply or are they hoping I will go away? If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do next please post. Thanks.

A lot depends on what the issues are and how objective vs. subjective your e-mail was. Actual USPS letters (a lost art) seem to get better attention then the thousand's of e-mails Princess receives. E-mails can get lost in the sorting and forwarding to those that are asked to respond. E-mails or letters addressed to the top management people seldom really get to them. They are forwarded to customer service staff for response. I know this personally from past experience.

[geocruiser]

I had a problem while on board ship that did not get solved during the cruise. I sent a email to the CEO and I received a phone call back from the office in four days. I sent it late on a Friday and Tuesday my phone was ringing. The lady who I spoke with was so nice and everything was fixed. It was done so fast.

 

I would resend your letter by regular mail and email.

Edited July 5, 2015 by geocruiser

[snowskier]

Try sending your letter certified, return receipt requested and must be signed for by addressee. Be interesting to see if that works.

 

Someone suggested this to me several years ago when I was having an issue with the District Attorney acting on a robbery at my home. Tried it and wow did I get a quick reply and action. He said it was the shock factor that someone would send a letter like that.

 

Who know if it will work in this case but fun to try.

[RJAM3]

I had an issue on a cruise about six weeks ago. I sent an email to the address recommended on the Princess site. I also received the standard we are checking into it reply. I did receive a phone call about ten days later. Princess gave me a future cruise credi which is what I had asked for. When writing such a letter but is a good idea to tell them both the good things that you experience then the issue when stating the issue state what you expect to make you a happy camper. Hope you have a satisfactory solution soon. :rolleyes:

[MaryZ]

I faxed a letter today and also sent the original via USPS Priority Mail. It will be at their corporate office in CA on Thursday.

 

I am beyond livid with Princess. First, it was they cancelled the airfare. Next it was, we didn't receive payment for the airfare. After that it was you are placed into a guarantee obstructed balcony, which was not what was booked. But apparently they cancelled that too and tried to convince me it was a good thing being in a guarantee. LOL, like I'm some kind of an idiot.

After that, they insisted I had to home from Venice, even tho the plane they are forcing me to fly on from Venice goes to Rome and we must change planes in Rome to get home to NYC.

 

Today was the last straw. I signed in and see I have no transfers when I arrive in Paris, no hotel for the first day of the tour and no transfers from Venice to the airport. Apparently, my cruise tour does not start on the first day.

 

Why would any company wait til after final payment to cancel flights and then say they have no idea what happened to the arrangements made months ago?

 

This is our 39th cruise, our first on Princess and it's looking like it will be our last.

I normally can swing with all sorts of things, but their customer service is the worst I have ever dealt with.

 

They also had the phone number of the Princess person who booked the cruise as my number. Their own personal cruise planner or whatever they call them. I have no idea who's email they have, because I haven't received an email confirming I have transfers. Which are included in my package.

 

Ughh. I am totally miserable. You should never be miserable when leaving on a spectacular vacation.

I have written only twice in my life to a company about poor performance. And this is the second time.

 

I actually dread signing into their site because everytime I do, something else is wrong.

My letter outlined all the issues and exactly what I expect of them to do

I am hoping they take my requests seriously.

[Colo Cruiser]

I faxed a letter today and also sent the original via USPS Priority Mail. It will be at their corporate office in CA on Thursday.

 

I am beyond livid with Princess. First, it was they cancelled the airfare. Next it was, we didn't receive payment for the airfare. After that it was you are placed into a guarantee obstructed balcony, which was not what was booked. But apparently they cancelled that too and tried to convince me it was a good thing being in a guarantee. LOL, like I'm some kind of an idiot.

After that, they insisted I had to home from Venice, even tho the plane they are forcing me to fly on from Venice goes to Rome and we must change planes in Rome to get home to NYC.

 

Today was the last straw. I signed in and see I have no transfers when I arrive in Paris, no hotel for the first day of the tour and no transfers from Venice to the airport. Apparently, my cruise tour does not start on the first day.

 

Why would any company wait til after final payment to cancel flights and then say they have no idea what happened to the arrangements made months ago?

 

This is our 39th cruise, our first on Princess and it's looking like it will be our last.

I normally can swing with all sorts of things, but their customer service is the worst I have ever dealt with.

 

They also had the phone number of the Princess person who booked the cruise as my number. Their own personal cruise planner or whatever they call them. I have no idea who's email they have, because I haven't received an email confirming I have transfers. Which are included in my package.

 

Ughh. I am totally miserable. You should never be miserable when leaving on a spectacular vacation.

I have written only twice in my life to a company about poor performance. And this is the second time.

 

I actually dread signing into their site because everytime I do, something else is wrong.

My letter outlined all the issues and exactly what I expect of them to do

I am hoping they take my requests seriously.

 

 

Not sure how you booked your cruise, through Princess or a TA?

 

A good reason to use an experienced Princess travel agent.

Princess reps, whether they are a vacation planner or a phone rep have little to no cruise experience.

[MaryZ]

Although I am sure an experienced TA with Princess would be helpful, when Princess screws up the reservation, it doesn't really matter who did the actual booking. Except for the fact that I would not be able to talk to Princess itself. I'd have to wait on the TA to do that.

 

The entire package was perfectly in place, along with all my other travel plans until after final payment.

Then, they cancelled the airfare.

Next they changed the cabin

Then after that was all sorted out, someone removed the transfers.

 

Basically, it just boils down to life goes amok sometimes and everyone handles things differently. I am not good with other people handling things that directly affect me. So if I had to depend on a TA, I would be pissed at them too. Always easier to only have one entity to be angry with :)

[Pierlesscruisers]

I am just starting to put a complaint into Princess. I will not use there system or face book. That is there home ground.

I will go to the top. With a letter to the top man at Princess, I will tell him I would like a response in less then a month or I will take it up with his boss. I will not go away or back off. I suggest you do the same.

 

Before you send off your letter, you might want to do a bit of research since the president, Jan Swartz, is a lady and might not appreciate being referred to as a man. ;)

 

Tom

[Pierlesscruisers]

I recommend you use your spell-check when you write the letter. It gives a much better impression to the reader - and typically gets a quicker and better response. Correctly spelling the top man's name will also be helpful.

 

Especially when the "top man", Jan Swartz, is actually a woman! :rolleyes:

 

Tom

[Colo Cruiser]

Especially when the "top man", Jan Swartz, is actually a woman! :rolleyes:

 

Tom

 

+1. :cool:

[Skai]

Before you send off your letter, you might want to do a bit of research since the president, Jan Swartz, is a lady and might not appreciate being referred to as a man. ;)

 

Tom

 

To be fair, the statement was:

 

I will go to the top. With a letter to the top man at Princess, I will tell him I would like a response in less then a month or I will take it up with his boss..

 

Apparently wanting to "take it up" with the "top man" before taking it up with his boss(woman).

[MaryZ]

Just wanted to update. My letter was received and I got a call from Corporate.

They were quite wonderful. Very receptive to my suggestions to help me get the most out of what was becoming a unhappy vacation.

Cleared up all the issues and thanked me for writing to them so that they could have a chance to make our upcoming cruise a happy event.

 

I just might land up a Princess cruiser yet :)

I wrote a nice letter, just expressed where I thought they had gone wrong and what they could do to fix it. They took all my suggestions, gave them to me and added things I had not asked for.

 

So far, so good. Exactly what I expected of them.

[Colo Cruiser]

Good to hear! :)

[Pierlesscruisers]

Just wanted to update. My letter was received and I got a call from Corporate...So far, so good. Exactly what I expected of them.

 

Good job! Once again, a good, polite letter gets a good result. Just too bad that it took all that to get the problem resolved. Hope that your cruise turns out as good as the results of the letter!

 

Hope you enjoy the cruise immensely and that each Princess cruise gets better than the last one!;)

 

Tom