Here's the latest statement from Princess regarding refunds

[CineGraphic]

REFUND & FCC UPDATE: We understand the frustration over the delays in receiving a refund for your cancelled vacation. Since our last update on June 3, we continue to make progress and would like to provide the following updates on what to expect:

- Because we respect our guest’s money and time, processing refunds has remained one of our top priorities since our company paused operations. Despite significantly increasing people resources in this area, we needed to also ramp up our systems capabilities to be able to handle higher volume and significant complexity. With a global scope, our refund process is an involved one, dealing with 13 different currencies and various payment methods.

- Our teammates are making their way through the backlog more quickly now and have completed nearly 60% of refunds so far.

- Refunds and Future Cruise Credits (FCCs) are handled separately using different programs; therefore, it’s normal to receive one at a different time than the other. In many circumstances, your full Future Cruise Credit amount will be made up of two or three separate FCCs.

- Likewise, refunds may also come to you as a series of payments, rather than one lump sum. For example, your cruise fare, shore excursions and pre-cruise onboard purchases are processed separately, so you may not receive those amounts at the same time depending on the method of payment.

- Even if you requested an FCC, some transactions are automatically refunded unless you move them to a new reservation. These include flexible air fares, hotel packages, transfers, Princess Vacation Protection, and taxes, fees & port expenses.

Although we can’t give a specific date as to when the refund will be received, please know that we’re working as hard as we can to get it to you as quickly as possible. We appreciate your continued patience and understanding as we do our very best during this extraordinary time.

[pms4104]

Spin to placate the masses.

[ceilidh1]

Nothing new there, then....

[ohnonotmeagain]

Blah,blah, blah. It's like a record on repeat. 

[jsb1954]

We cancelled our cruise out of Denmark almost three months ago... Princess cancelled soon thereafter.. I have called weekly for the past month and I am told the same garbage... "to be patient and that refunds are being processed"  We even put on extra staff to accommodate the request for refunds.  I have e mailed Jan Swartz the CEO to no avail..... It appears that people who complain on Facebook receive their refunds.  Can I sue them in Small Claims Court? 

[jsb1954]

39 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

REFUND & FCC UPDATE: We understand the frustration over the delays in receiving a refund for your cancelled vacation. Since our last update on June 3, we continue to make progress and would like to provide the following updates on what to expect:

- Because we respect our guest’s money and time, processing refunds has remained one of our top priorities since our company paused operations. Despite significantly increasing people resources in this area, we needed to also ramp up our systems capabilities to be able to handle higher volume and significant complexity. With a global scope, our refund process is an involved one, dealing with 13 different currencies and various payment methods.

- Our teammates are making their way through the backlog more quickly now and have completed nearly 60% of refunds so far.

- Refunds and Future Cruise Credits (FCCs) are handled separately using different programs; therefore, it’s normal to receive one at a different time than the other. In many circumstances, your full Future Cruise Credit amount will be made up of two or three separate FCCs.

- Likewise, refunds may also come to you as a series of payments, rather than one lump sum. For example, your cruise fare, shore excursions and pre-cruise onboard purchases are processed separately, so you may not receive those amounts at the same time depending on the method of payment.

- Even if you requested an FCC, some transactions are automatically refunded unless you move them to a new reservation. These include flexible air fares, hotel packages, transfers, Princess Vacation Protection, and taxes, fees & port expenses.

Although we can’t give a specific date as to when the refund will be received, please know that we’re working as hard as we can to get it to you as quickly as possible. We appreciate your continued patience and understanding as we do our very best during this extraordinary time.

 

[jsb1954]

Simply a way to save cash!!!!!!  I will never sail on Princess again!

[osofish2]

We received our May 30 Alaska refund today.  What a great surprise.  We actually thought we might not get it back. Hope you'all will start seeing your refunds soon.

[jsb1954]

Wow,  Our sailing date was May 28th from Copenhagen...  They told us that they were doing in date order.   lies lies and more lies.

 

 

[Italy52]

38 minutes ago, osofish2 said:

We received our May 30 Alaska refund today.  What a great surprise.  We actually thought we might not get it back. Hope you'all will start seeing your refunds soon.

Congratulations, we were May 20th to Alaska and have seen nothing. 

[Wichard]

Saw that on Facebook.  I am firmly in the 40% group.

[azbirdmom]

A more honest answer which for the first time provides an estimate of progress.  I would think that it will be easier to process refunds going forward since the further out, there will be a smaller amount of refunds required for full payment of cruise fare, air fare, and Princess insurance.  At least I hope that is the case for the sake of those still waiting.

[CineGraphic]

39 minutes ago, jsb1954 said:

They told us that they were doing in date order.

It's been reported countless times in multiple threads that this isn't the case. H

ow can they be done in order, when the work is divided up amongst people working from home with no direct management looking over their shoulders? Add to that the fact that they now have to check if a customer has contested the charge before they even work on your file, and then again before the refund is issued to prevent double refunds, and you can see why they are backed up. Our October cruise was cancelled and I foresee both of our November sailings being cancelled as well, but I have faith that I will be taken care of, and understand that timelines cannot always be met as intended.

 

[Coral]

7 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

It's been reported countless times in multiple threads that this isn't the case. H

ow can they be done in order, when the work is divided up amongst people working from home with no direct management looking over their shoulders? Add to that the fact that they now have to check if a customer has contested the charge before they even work on your file, and then again before the refund is issued to prevent double refunds, and you can see why they are backed up. Our October cruise was cancelled and I foresee both of our November sailings being cancelled as well, but I have faith that I will be taken care of, and understand that timelines cannot always be met as intended.

 

Though you make it sound like people are bringing folders of bookings home and when they are done, they go and get more folders. This is not how it is being done. I am guessing several are assigned to a ship and when one record is done, another record is brought up.

 

Maybe the amount of disputes being processed has prompted Princess to act quicker on refunds and allocate more individuals to working on them. The first 2 months they were going at a snails pace, if that.

Edited June 22, 2020 by Coral

[CineGraphic]

5 minutes ago, Coral said:

Though you make it sound like people are bringing folders of bookings home and when they are done, they go and get more folders. This is not how it is being done. I am guessing several are assigned to a ship and when one record is done, another record is brought up.

It's very simple, with multiple people working, it's very hard to keep things in order.

[jsb1954]

16 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

It's very simple, with multiple people working, it's very hard to keep things in order.

People on FB who complain seem to be receiving refunds ..... Going to FB.  Will try at said location.  

[jsb1954]

Just now, jsb1954 said:

People on FB who complain seem to be receiving refunds ..... Going to FB.  Will try at said location.  

Very simple. You are a snarky genius

[cruzsnooze]

2 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

 

 

Although we can’t give a specific date as to when the refund will be received, please know that we’re working as hard as we can to get it to you as quickly as possible. We appreciate your continued patience and understanding as we do our very best during this extraordinary time.

Dear Princess

I have no more patience nor understanding so give me my 4 refunds already.

Edited June 22, 2020 by cruzsnooze

[darknightsdespiser]

56 minutes ago, Wichard said:

Saw that on Facebook.  I am firmly in the 40% group.

As I said on the FB post it is like waiting at the carousel for your cases and you are happy that some people have theirs but start to become anxious as time goes on!

[darknightsdespiser]

18 minutes ago, jsb1954 said:

People on FB who complain seem to be receiving refunds ..... Going to FB.  Will try at said location.  

No, the FB thing doesn't work

[jsb1954]

Will wait  two more weeks ...Then i will be going to the BBB and ripoffreport.com ....

What a way to do business.  No more excuses!!!!!!

Small claims court.... although believe they are in Seattle.

 

 

 

[13cheermom]

Yes more Pr spin at its best. Have been waiting patiently well over 90 day mark so decided to call in today. Was told that since we cancelled on 3/19/20 when the actual Princess cancellation was just a few days later our booking would be processed differently. However the cruise planner that has been blowing up my phone with texts, calls and emails failed to ever note that. Finally today talked to customer relations supervisor who agreed our booking refund  should  have already been processed and added a code and forwarded to financial department. So being nice and patient  isn't accomplishing anything. Call and call again until you get results. Thoroughly tired of hearing how many cancellations they have to process, really not a Princess fan right now! 😡

[jsb1954]

Will need to soeak to a supervisor tomorrow to make sure she puts a code on my file.   Thx

[hobbyfarmer2]

We cancelled our b2b on Mar 11.  P cancelled a few days later.  We chose option 2 lower value.  The sum was $7K+ CAD with EZAir.   Decided not to worry about it even though we are retired on a decent pension, not even close to wealthy.  Worrying and anxiety are not good for our health or so we have found.

 

Excursions were refunded Jun 10, cruise and air on Jun 13 and FCC setup was complete on Jun 17.  100% accurate, zero phone calls or FB posts.  Our experience dovetails exactly with the initial post in this thread.  Might get blasted but I think it best to remain calm and avoid getting worked up.  Health is the most important thing we can have, IMO.

[13cheermom]

5 minutes ago, hobbyfarmer2 said:

We cancelled our b2b on Mar 11.  P cancelled a few days later.  We chose option 2 lower value.  The sum was $7K+ CAD with EZAir.   Decided not to worry about it even though we are retired on a decent pension, not even close to wealthy.  Worrying and anxiety are not good for our health or so we have found.

 

Excursions were refunded Jun 10, cruise and air on Jun 13 and FCC setup was complete on Jun 17.  100% accurate, zero phone calls or FB posts.  Our experience dovetails exactly with the initial post in this thread.  Might get blasted but I think it best to remain calm and avoid getting worked up.  Health is the most important thing we can have, IMO.

Glad it worked out in your favor, however if I hadn't called today, my booking would still be lost out there and not processed. And it shouldn't matter if you cancel or princess cancelled as to the timeliness of processing refunds. We had 2 premium balconies booked with excursions and ez-air over $10k to be refunded. I think Ive been patient long enough. 🤔