Grrrrrrrrrr it's a simple question

[nhsails]

I certainly would not have spent 50 minutes on the phone if I didn't plan to make a booking at some point. No need to make assumptions about OP and intentions.

Neither did I LOL. Just wasn't the expectation from our past experience with Princess.

[land lover]

I had a simpler question to resolve or maybe not......Re: sailing in 2 weeks.......where is my refund of $84.95 from an excursion I cancelled on-line 4 weeks ago?....Yesterday......4 reps, 2 dropped lines and 3 hours later........we found it, part on my CC statement $9.95 and the remainder back in travel companion's OBC.

 

All the reps, including guest relations had to get out pencil and paper to figure it out.....What is wrong with this picture..?

 

And what a ridiculous way to refund an excursion that I did not purchase with on board credit. I had a total of 1800. in paid excursions...1625. was paid by credit card at 3 different times. I cancel the last booked disembarkation excursion, rather then credit my card they throw it back in non-refunable OBC and then credit the other part back to my card...and this question took 3 hours to answer....It was a tad more complicated then what I have out-lined but still....

[geoherb]

The good news is that the OP can check prices next month when the schedules come out and determine if Celebrity is still the better choice. When I've compared prices, Princess has come out better than Celebrity the past several years, especially when considering the value of our past-passenger perks and shareholder benefit. For instance, our September cruise on the Royal Princess is $800 less per person than a Celebrity cruise that's a week shorter.

[mllewis48]

The good news is that the OP can check prices next month when the schedules come out and determine if Celebrity is still the better choice. When I've compared prices, Princess has come out better than Celebrity the past several years, especially when considering the value of our past-passenger perks and shareholder benefit. For instance, our September cruise on the Royal Princess is $800 less per person than a Celebrity cruise that's a week shorter.

 

 

 

Tried to tell them the schedules were coming out in May but [emoji17]

 

 

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[Essiesmom]

Celebrity doesn't have mini-suites. Perhaps you mean Concierge Class or Aqua Class? If so, they aren't really mini-suites. They're just the same size as the other cabins on the Millennium Class ships and slightly larger (20sf I think) on the Solstice Class ships.

I totally get your frustration though. I wish the Princess itineraries would come out sooner too.

 

You have it backward. the cabins are larger on M class, same size on S class. EM

[tonit964]

Posts like this are funny to me because when people are upset with the cruise line and book with another, you never hear them say " they just lost out on 4 ov's and 10 Insides. It always seems to be the most expensive cabins to try and "stick it to them".

 

In all my cruises on Princess and the numerous calls, I've never had a rude rep that hung up on me, maybe one that is not knowledgeable but never rude.

[caribill]

One question I have and that is how many people at various levels did you expect to talk to in order to get a different answer? All said they were not out yet. Rudeness is not needed/acceptable but trying to get an answer that does not exist is wasting peoples time.

 

Op said " Rep said she can't find anything, well that's why I called. Transferred to a supervisor, put on hold, was told the same thing."

 

"Can't find anything" is not the same as "not out yet."

 

If the first rep had simply said that the itineraries were not announced yet, I think the OP would not have been upset.

[caribill]

And what a ridiculous way to refund an excursion that I did not purchase with on board credit. I had a total of 1800. in paid excursions...1625. was paid by credit card at 3 different times. I cancel the last booked disembarkation excursion, rather then credit my card they throw it back in non-refunable OBC and then credit the other part back to my card...and this question took 3 hours to answer....It was a tad more complicated then what I have out-lined but still....

 

It should be refundable OBC. If it is not marked as refundable, give Princess another call.

[Grego]

Thank you everyone. Ended up booking with Celebrity again. Princess just lost 4 suites and 10 mini suites. Really a shame.

 

A shame it is and there is no excuse for not doing their job in a more professional manner.

[land lover]

It should be refundable OBC. If it is not marked as refundable, give Princess another call.

 

So you are saying all my nonrefunable OBC becomes refunable if I purchased excursions well over the nonrefundable amount....?

[nhsails]

The good news is that the OP can check prices next month when the schedules come out and determine if Celebrity is still the better choice. When I've compared prices, Princess has come out better than Celebrity the past several years, especially when considering the value of our past-passenger perks and shareholder benefit. For instance, our September cruise on the Royal Princess is $800 less per person than a Celebrity cruise that's a week shorter.

That's the plan.

[nhsails]

Just curious but with a booking for 14 cabins and suites why wouldn’t you contact a good travel agent rather than book direct with the cruise line? Many TA’s offer very nice discounts and on board credit in addition to their service.

 

 

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Our one we used to use retired. Book big cruises through lines every few years, never been an issue.

[nhsails]

Posts like this are funny to me because when people are upset with the cruise line and book with another, you never hear them say " they just lost out on 4 ov's and 10 Insides. It always seems to be the most expensive cabins to try and "stick it to them".

 

In all my cruises on Princess and the numerous calls, I've never had a rude rep that hung up on me, maybe one that is not knowledgeable but never rude.

Wasn't my intention...just cabins we were booking for this particular cruise no matter what line. Last time was a bunch of OV's... thank you

[nhsails]

One question I have and that is how many people at various levels did you expect to talk to in order to get a different answer? All said they were not out yet. Rudeness is not needed/acceptable but trying to get an answer that does not exist is wasting peoples time.

Agreed, that's all they needed to say. Thank you

[nhsails]

Tried to tell them the schedules were coming out in May but [emoji17]

 

 

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I actually didn't go back and see your post until later. As I said previously, will check when they come out. Thank you for the reply.

[peety3]

Thank you everyone. Ended up booking with Celebrity again. Princess just lost 4 suites and 10 mini suites. Really a shame.

Just to play devil's advocate here, Princess will still (most likely) fill those cabins, AND they haven't had to commit their ships to itineraries as far in advance as Celebrity. There is an art (and science) to figuring out which ships to assign where and to send where, and perhaps waiting a bit later (and perhaps not committing publicly to WHEN they'll commit) gives them some flexibility that'll turn into profits.

[Waynetor]

Obviously the rep being rude is a no no.

 

I see a big part of the problem here is Princess does not provide their reps with the info they need. Its clear there are a number of agents here on CC that know when then the new dates are but for corporate not to make that same info available to their reps does not make sense.

 

I remember back in March 2017 there was threads on the 2019 world cruise being available soon. I called Princess to get more info. The rep said she could not see anything on it and I should try back in March 2018. I said that did not make sense as that would only be 10 months before the cruise. She then guessed that I should try checking in June or July 2017. I soon got the info on CC that the booking would be open a week after I had called.

[mllewis48]

Obviously the rep being rude is a no no.

 

 

 

I see a big part of the problem here is Princess does not provide their reps with the info they need. Its clear there are a number of agents here on CC that know when then the new dates are but for corporate not to make that same info available to their reps does not make sense.

 

 

 

I remember back in March 2017 there was threads on the 2019 world cruise being available soon. I called Princess to get more info. The rep said she could not see anything on it and I should try back in March 2018. I said that did not make sense as that would only be 10 months before the cruise. She then guessed that I should try checking in June or July 2017. I soon got the info on CC that the booking would be open a week after I had called.

 

 

 

Your comment regarding Princess not providing their reps with the info they need may be partially correct. I had contacted my rep last week regarding a booking in September 2019 and at the time I asked her when December 2019 Holiday schedules may come out and she immediately, after checking, responded that they would be available mid May. She told me she would contact and advise when they come out. There has to be something within the system that allows reps to access information when posted by Princess [emoji41]

 

 

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[Toofarfromthesea]

I certainly would not have spent 50 minutes on the phone if I didn't plan to make a booking at some point. No need to make assumptions about OP and intentions.

 

I wouldn't have spent 50 minutes on the phone trying to get them to give me information that is not available. Frankly, after being told by the first person it wasn't yet available it is hard to imagine what OP hoped to accomplish by elevating it to a supervisor.

[nhsails]

I wouldn't have spent 50 minutes on the phone trying to get them to give me information that is not available. Frankly, after being told by the first person it wasn't yet available it is hard to imagine what OP hoped to accomplish by elevating it to a supervisor.

Actually I was told she didn't know and

transfered me...my assumption, quite wrongly, was that I was being transferred to one who could answer as to if the dates were open or when they would be. LOL I've spent longer than that on line before....

[villauk]

You have it backward. the cabins are larger on M class, same size on S class. EM

 

 

You beat me to it; all cabins except from the suites are exactly the same size on S class X ships.

[Desert Cruizers]

Land Lover,I experienced a similar experience with credit I was getting from a cancelled cruise. The total amount of say $350 wasn't showing up in my bank statements as the full $350 ( an example ) but in increments of smaller amounts. A representative from the cruise line, called me to explain the $$'s. I had seen some amounts which I couldn't explain.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Our one we used to use retired. Book big cruises through lines every few years, never been an issue.

 

 

I agree not an issue to book direct, just saying that Princess allows TA’s to discount prices. I do my own bookings since I know exactly what I want, then transfer it to TA before final payment and am always pleasantly surprised!!

 

 

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[tanzer22pilot]

I realize that you were simply being sarcastic to the poster...

 

But, princess has really stopped caring about customer satisfaction.

 

 

If “princess has really stopped caring about customer satisfaction“ why are some of you still going on Princess Cruises?

[RDC1]

Customer service agents are pretty much are trained to get their information from the system. Intentionally so. The purpose is to avoid misinformation. So the agent did exactly what they are trained to do. Check the system and relate any information the system contains.

They then did exactly what they are trained to do when the callers question is not answered by info they have access to, they elevate it to a supervisor.

 

The supervisor has the authority to contact the line units to get more info if they are open. That appears to be what they did in this case.

 

However normally the supervisor gets the answer from the line unit and provides the answer to the customer. In this case it appears that the supervisor contacted the line unit responsible for schedule release and passed on the question. But instead of taking the answer back to the caller, they transferred them to that department.

 

That department would normally be back office and not one that normally faces customer. Their answer demonstrated that. They answered the question they were given and went back to work. The supervisor should have gotten and provided the answer himself, not transferred it to someone that is normally not involved in customer contact and not trained for it.

Edited April 29, 2018 by RDC1