Princess Promotions Misleading

[Shasta8]

I booked a cruise yesterday that was eligible for their free gratuities promotion. However, I can't seem to get them to honor the promotion. They tell me the "computer" automatically gave me a better regional deal. Huh? My booking does not list any other promotions.

 

I did the booking by clicking through the email on the free gratuities promotion. The promotion shows up on the screen where I selected the cabin, but doesn't get applied.

 

Anyone ever had a problem getting Princess to honor a promotion? I've already escalated to a manager and am waiting for a callback.

 

FWIW, I am platinum on Princess.

[Colo Cruiser]

I booked a cruise yesterday that was eligible for their free gratuities promotion. However, I can't seem to get them to honor the promotion. They tell me the "computer" automatically gave me a better regional deal. Huh? My booking does not list any other promotions.

 

I did the booking by clicking through the email on the free gratuities promotion. The promotion shows up on the screen where I selected the cabin, but doesn't get applied.

 

Anyone ever had a problem getting Princess to honor a promotion? I've already escalated to a manager and am waiting for a callback.

 

FWIW, I am platinum on Princess.

 

 

Did you compare the 2 fares, with and without the tips promo?

Did you get a cheaper fare without the tips promo?

[Shasta8]

Did you compare the 2 fares, with and without the tips promo?

Did you get a cheaper fare without the tips promo?

 

Per their website today, best balcony price is $289 (4 day cruise) plus $12.95/day credit in pre-paid gratuities.

 

Price I paid is $289.

[Host Jazzbeau]

This is why I use a TA. She either gets the cruise line to honor the deal, or gets me a good explanation why not.

[moki'smommy]

I had one where the promotion wasn't being honored and it wasn't really clear why. I don't think the TA understood it either. The deal was that we were supposed to be upgraded free to the "best available" within our type of cabin. We had priced and wanted to book a Riviera deck cabin but in order to get the HA cabin, we had to go up to a Caribe deck...but we also had to pay the Caribe price "because the Rivera level wasn't available in the HA cabin." They implied that both the level we wanted to pay for and the "best available" level had to be available at the moment we booked. Whatever.....It made not a lot of sense to me since I basically lost the "upgrade to best available" part of the promotion.

[Shasta8]

I booked a cruise yesterday that was eligible for their free gratuities promotion. However, I can't seem to get them to honor the promotion. They tell me the "computer" automatically gave me a better regional deal. Huh? My booking does not list any other promotions.

 

I did the booking by clicking through the email on the free gratuities promotion. The promotion shows up on the screen where I selected the cabin, but doesn't get applied.

 

Anyone ever had a problem getting Princess to honor a promotion? I've already escalated to a manager and am waiting for a callback.

 

FWIW, I am platinum on Princess.

 

Update: After speaking with 3 people, they finally acknowledged the issue and said "I don't understand why it did this". And they've given me the free gratuities. I do feel like I really had to fight for it, by explaining what I did several times and repeatedly questioning "what promotion did I receive?".

 

Once again, it pays to be a squeaky wheel.

[Colo Cruiser]

Update: After speaking with 3 people, they finally acknowledged the issue and said "I don't understand why it did this". And they've given me the free gratuities. I do feel like I really had to fight for it, by explaining what I did several times and repeatedly questioning "what promotion did I receive?".

 

Once again, it pays to be a squeaky wheel.

 

 

Glad you got it!! :D

[moki'smommy]

Glad they made it right!

[Northender]

Update: After speaking with 3 people, they finally acknowledged the issue and said "I don't understand why it did this". And they've given me the free gratuities. I do feel like I really had to fight for it, by explaining what I did several times and repeatedly questioning "what promotion did I receive?".

 

Once again, it pays to be a squeaky wheel.

 

Good for you. Persistence pays off.:D:D

[marykhal]

I had the exact same issue. I booked the 4 day coastal getaway to santa barbara 2 days ago and it showed free grats on the inside, I booked. WHen I called to ask about the transfer, etc, and to confirm my payment and asked where it would show the free grats, she said the same thing. That I had a better promotion and did not get the free grats.

 

I was going to ask for a manager, but then I went to rebook as a new customer and I noticed that when I switched it from 2 passaengers to 1, the "red" promo actually did disappear. So, the free grats was just for 2 people, but not if you booked solo. WTH?

 

HOWEVER, one thing I noticed is that the fare I booked for solo was only 50% for the second half, usually you pay 100% more or double, so this was only 1 1/2 times. When I looked again today, it's back to double but without grats, so all things considered, this turned out to be a better deal. Totally confusing though and misleading....

 

glad you found resolution!:o

[Woobstr112G]

This is why I use a TA. She either gets the cruise line to honor the deal, or gets me a good explanation why not.

 

 

Exactly.....:):):)

 

Bob

[April1969]

I booked a cruise yesterday that was eligible for their free gratuities promotion. However, I can't seem to get them to honor the promotion. They tell me the "computer" automatically gave me a better regional deal. Huh? My booking does not list any other promotions.

 

I did the booking by clicking through the email on the free gratuities promotion. The promotion shows up on the screen where I selected the cabin, but doesn't get applied.

 

Anyone ever had a problem getting Princess to honor a promotion? I've already escalated to a manager and am waiting for a callback.

 

FWIW, I am platinum on Princess.

 

It happened to me too,in exactly the same time frame. I called them today,and told them exactly they way you did, and got the same answer.I asked to speak to supervisor,but he wasn't any help either

[bvorspan]

I booked a cruise yesterday that was eligible for their free gratuities promotion. However, I can't seem to get them to honor the promotion. They tell me the "computer" automatically gave me a better regional deal. Huh? My booking does not list any other promotions.

 

I did the booking by clicking through the email on the free gratuities promotion. The promotion shows up on the screen where I selected the cabin, but doesn't get applied.

 

Anyone ever had a problem getting Princess to honor a promotion? I've already escalated to a manager and am waiting for a callback.

 

FWIW, I am platinum on Princess.

 

 

Same thing happened to us! Booked a 5-day down to san diego directly through the princess website, thought we were getting free gratuities but they never showed up on our reservation.

 

I called last week to ask how we use the free gratuities that we were offered and after speaking with 3 different people, one of who acknowledged that there was an issue with the system, and another who said the "promotions department" is making mistakes, the best I got was $25pp onboard credit that we could use for gratuities. So, that's roughly half way there.

 

I said that at no point in the booking process did it give me an option to choose between the better rate (which I got) and the free gratuities (Which would have been $100 more pp). They dont seem to care.

 

The person who offered the $25 said I couldnt speak to his manager, but could email and request to speak with one. I did, explaining the whole thing, and got a call from someone who basically said there was nothing she could do, but that many people have reported the same issue.

 

I dont get it... they know there's a problem, and that their system basically messed up... why don't they do the honorable thing and give the free gratuities to those who call in?

[April1969]

I filled a complaint with the better business bureau. I think we all need to do it to make a strong case

[RetiredNTraveling]

I booked a cruise yesterday that was eligible for their free gratuities promotion. However, I can't seem to get them to honor the promotion. They tell me the "computer" automatically gave me a better regional deal. Huh? My booking does not list any other promotions.

 

I did the booking by clicking through the email on the free gratuities promotion. The promotion shows up on the screen where I selected the cabin, but doesn't get applied.

 

Anyone ever had a problem getting Princess to honor a promotion? I've already escalated to a manager and am waiting for a callback.

 

FWIW, I am platinum on Princess.

 

We recently booked a PCL promo cruise with Free Grats & our room was 1/2 price! Yes PCL honored the promo but ......

 

This is why I use a TA. She either gets the cruise line to honor the deal, or gets me a good explanation why not.

 

.... We used a TA and not only got the promo discounts & free grats but we also got our TA's discounts & extras!

 

Just Mike

[boca7]

Per their website today, best balcony price is $289 (4 day cruise) plus $12.95/day credit in pre-paid gratuities.

 

Price I paid is $289.

 

I cruise every month & have never seen a 4 day balcony for $289, fellow passengers always ask if we get better pricing, no way.

[Have Passport Will Travel]

We booked 3 days ago through our TA and the gratuities were not showing up. She dealt with Princess directly and got them to add it to the booking. There was also only $300 showing up as shipboard credit from Princess which should have been $350 which our TA got added. She was told it was a glitch in the system as others have said.

 

Even if Princess can give you a better rate you should be given the option before they assume anything and discuss it with you first.

[bvorspan]

I cruise every month & have never seen a 4 day balcony for $289, fellow passengers always ask if we get better pricing, no way.

 

It's not about the price... I've never cruised with Princess before. I know that $289 is a great deal for a balcony, which is why I booked it. But there's no way for me to know that it's such a great price that they won't honor the promotion that they offered me.

[GUT2407]

Yep they sail awfully close to the false advertising line, in fact it seems all lines do.

 

Here they are advertising "Three for Free" (worth about $75 ea) but to get them the fare jumps $100 each, and the gave a choice. Not exactly free.

[Shasta8]

It's not about the price... I've never cruised with Princess before. I know that $289 is a great deal for a balcony, which is why I booked it. But there's no way for me to know that it's such a great price that they won't honor the promotion that they offered me.

 

I agree. This is exactly how I felt. When they tell you that you got a better promotion, you would expect to see said promotion noted somewhere.

 

I'm happy with the price, but I did the booking expecting the free gratuities as they promised.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Shasta8

[boca7]

It's not about the price... I've never cruised with Princess before. I know that $289 is a great deal for a balcony, which is why I booked it. But there's no way for me to know that it's such a great price that they won't honor the promotion that they offered me.

 

I agree, if an offer was on board they should honor it but it seems you may have misinterpreted the offering. I`m just saying they have so many different offers it becomes quire confusing at times, but whatever you have a great price so enjoy your cruise & have a great time.

[Pam in CA]

Once again, it pays to be a squeaky wheel.

It pays even more to have a good TA. We had already made final payment for our April cruise over a week ago but the night before the Princess final payment date which was a few days ago, Princess suddenly lowered fares and offered included gratuities... for new bookings only. Within minutes of my inquiry, we were rebooked at a lower fare (we were already paying a lot less than the new sale fare) and the free gratuities, each saving $000's. Edited February 3, 2016 by Pam in CA

[victory2020]

I had an issue also. I called my Princess rep & left a message saying that I wanted to book March10 4 day since it was free gratuities. Gave her the room # I wanted. She called back & said she reserved room. I told her it was a good deal with free grats. She said the room I chose didn't include them. Huh? Only 2 inside rooms qualified & they were $50 more - basically the price of grats. I was so angry I cancelled.

Also, I have never been offered these great deal people are getting. A supermarket checker saw my Princess bag mentioned she got an offer for a 4 day from LA for $179 for a balcony. I do about 3 cruise a year & have never gotten an email like that.

[rekarlu]

I cruise every month & have never seen a 4 day balcony for $289, fellow passengers always ask if we get better pricing, no way.

 

 

 

We cruised on the Crown last month, Jan 18-22 to Santa Barbara and Ensenada.

For a Balcony we paid $249 each + $72 port charges/taxes/fees.

We booked directly on the Princess website.

Edited February 3, 2016 by rekarlu

[mdmc]

It pays even more to have a good TA. We had already made final payment for our April cruise over a week ago but the night before the Princess final payment date which was a few days ago, Princess suddenly lowered fares and offered included gratuities... for new bookings only. Within minutes of my inquiry, we were rebooked at a lower fare (we were already paying a lot less than the new sale fare) and the free gratuities, each saving $000's.

 

I know we are not allowed to recommend TA"s on here, so how do I find a good one? I had one I was using but I saw no value in it. I had to call when the price went down and never got any perks.