My Issue with Princess

[AF-1]

Can you dispute the charge with your credit card company stating that you paid for a service you did not receive.  You have contacted the company and after several months nothing has been fixed or done. 

[007colocruz]

53 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Can you dispute the charge with your credit card company stating that you paid for a service you did not receive.  You have contacted the company and after several months nothing has been fixed or done. 

After the cruise is over, if you had it charged  to your credit card and it was not received nor refunded and you gave Princess reasonable time , yes. Otherwise no 

[USCcruisecrazy]

14 hours ago, brisalta said:

 

It is not an issue with TAs as the same problem occurs if you booked directly via the Princess web site and a specialty dinner was included in the fare.

When I first booked there was no Delivery Date shown in the Cruise Personalizer, Onboard Services page. Mind you this was before Dine My Way became active in the Medallion app for this cruise.

Since then a Delivery Date has shown up in the Cruise Personalizer. DMW does not show the dining credit. Without looking at the database and source code one can only infer a correlation if only people with no Delivery Date are the only persons that can see a dining credit in DMW prior to the cruise date.

(I wonder if that field in the database record was set to null if it would allow the dining credit to show in the app.  The problem could be as simple as a database admin practicing on a deployed database and fouling up instead using  a test one. Saw that occur once at one place I worked at).

That makes sense.  So, the issue could be a bad design that auto fills the delivery date and causes the system to deny making the reservation.  Maybe the default needs to be adjusted so the date you purchase or are gifted the dining ticket shows up, thus allowing you to complete the transaction.  Of course, my real point was that it's not a fix the Public Relations folks can do...it appears to be an IT issue.  They just try to appease you with something extra for your trouble. 

[awinte2]

For the last 2 years we have all heard the saying We apologize for any inconvenience but due to covid!!!!!!

Not just from Princess but a staggering number of companies including the governments,  and Enough Already. Most people including Princess employees have been working from home but it is now time for Customer Service to come back to companies and the only way that this happens is if enough of their customers  insist on better .

So every person has the right to air their approval or disapproval , however to be critical of someone for doing so is mind boggling to me.

If everyone just said that is the way it is then nothing would ever get changed . Yes there are more important things happening in our world but it all starts from the little things and if it personally affects you it only gets corrected if you take the necessary steps no matter how many there are.

 

[007colocruz]

27 minutes ago, awinte2 said:

For the last 2 years we have all heard the saying We apologize for any inconvenience but due to covid!!!!!!

Not just from Princess but a staggering number of companies including the governments,  and Enough Already. Most people including Princess employees have been working from home but it is now time for Customer Service to come back to companies and the only way that this happens is if enough of their customers  insist on better .

So every person has the right to air their approval or disapproval , however to be critical of someone for doing so is mind boggling to me.

If everyone just said that is the way it is then nothing would ever get changed . Yes there are more important things happening in our world but it all starts from the little things and if it personally affects you it only gets corrected if you take the necessary steps no matter how many there are.

 

So true

 

take up your issues with the company who is not providing you with the service you expect & are paying for.

 

Make your point known & move on.

[brisalta]

3 hours ago, USCcruisecrazy said:

That makes sense.  So, the issue could be a bad design that auto fills the delivery date and causes the system to deny making the reservation.  Maybe the default needs to be adjusted so the date you purchase or are gifted the dining ticket shows up, thus allowing you to complete the transaction.  Of course, my real point was that it's not a fix the Public Relations folks can do...it appears to be an IT issue.  They just try to appease you with something extra for your trouble. 

 

The Public Relations folks as you call them should be writing support tickets regarding the complaints and lobbying to get the problem fixed.

Edited March 25, 2022 by brisalta

[USCcruisecrazy]

10 minutes ago, brisalta said:

 

The Public Relations folks as you call them should be writing support tickets regarding the complaints and lobbying to get the problem fixed.

I completely agree...but I have no evidence to show they are or are not doing just that!  I can't assume because the problem is not fixed that it hasn't been addressed.

[brisalta]

9 minutes ago, USCcruisecrazy said:

I completely agree...but I have no evidence to show they are or are not doing just that!  I can't assume because the problem is not fixed that it hasn't been addressed.

 

On the other hand I have had an Ocean Navigator tell me that is how it is supposed to work so I doubt that she wrote a trouble ticket against the system.

[Userclown]

Dear Steve,

Here it is 2022 and I just came across your entry. Loved it! Well stated! I agree with almost all of it. This is actually the way most businesses operate today. I was a customer service representative for a very large telephone company (not ATT).  Our training motto was “do for the customer, what they would do for themselves, if they could”. I loved my job! Today most businesses operate by the “make them work for it”. I have spent a lot of time fixing problems with Princess and others. I now consider it to be a sport at which I am very good. I always expect the worst and get very excited when all goes well. I say “don’t get mad, make them do it right!” Thanks for your insight, keep on cruising!

[007colocruz]

2 minutes ago, Userclown said:

Dear Steve,

Here it is 2022 and I just came across your entry. Loved it! Well stated! I agree with almost all of it. This is actually the way most businesses operate today. I was a customer service representative for a very large telephone company (not ATT).  Our training motto was “do for the customer, what they would do for themselves, if they could”. I loved my job! Today most businesses operate by the “make them work for it”. I have spent a lot of time fixing problems with Princess and others. I now consider it to be a sport at which I am very good. I always expect the worst and get very excited when all goes well. I say “don’t get mad, make them do it right!” Thanks for your insight, keep on cruising!

Interesting name: User Clown.

[ceilidh1]

Happy to report that the refund for airfare went back to my credit card today. So, my entire cruise plus air was 100% covered with FCC. This was a very nice bonus that I wasn't expecting!

[crusinthrough]

This was a long post.  I read to the end because I felt somewhat invested mid way.  

 

Make reservations onboard and move on.  It's a desire not a necessity to make reservations beforehand.  If prices were dynamic and more expensive onboard like some cruise lines,  this would make more sense.  Why start a vacation off frustrated with something that you cannot control?   There has to be better way to spend your time. 

[007colocruz]

47 minutes ago, crusinthrough said:

This was a long post.  I read to the end because I felt somewhat invested mid way.  

 

Make reservations onboard and move on.  It's a desire not a necessity to make reservations beforehand.  If prices were dynamic and more expensive onboard like some cruise lines,  this would make more sense.  Why start a vacation off frustrated with something that you cannot control?   There has to be better way to spend your time. 

Good advice.

 

where can I book online for Crown Grill?  I am not getting a freebie and want to pay with my credit card. I use to reserve in the Personalizer on my computer. It tells me to do it on the App, which is working extremely well for me. I am in the Green Lane.  
I reserved and paid for my internet on the App.  I booked my night they dining times & got all my choices.

I just can’t find the Specialty dining options on the App. Any help?

[brisalta]

15 minutes ago, 007colocruz said:

Good advice.

 

where can I book online for Crown Grill?  I am not getting a freebie and want to pay with my credit card. I use to reserve in the Personalizer on my computer. It tells me to do it on the App, which is working extremely well for me. I am in the Green Lane.  
I reserved and paid for my internet on the App.  I booked my night they dining times & got all my choices.

I just can’t find the Specialty dining options on the App. Any help?

 

It is the Medallion app in Dine My Way.

[007colocruz]

6 minutes ago, brisalta said:

 

It is the Medallion app in Dine My Way.

Not mine

[brisalta]

Just now, 007colocruz said:

Not mine

 

Yes it is. Look more closely.

[007colocruz]

3 minutes ago, brisalta said:

 

Yes it is. Look more closely.

I will try again- at bottom of dining my way my screen says dining options. I click and got message not available.

[brisalta]

3 minutes ago, 007colocruz said:

I will try again- at bottom of dining my way my screen says dining options. I click and got message not available.

 

There are 3 options on that page.

[007colocruz]

4 minutes ago, brisalta said:

 

There are 3 options on that page.

Okay, got it to work by deleting the regular time I had for MDR.  Then it gave me specialty option. Didn’t even have to put in credit card- it already had it and gobbled up my payment!

[Steelers36]

On 3/24/2022 at 8:19 PM, brisalta said:

 

It is not an issue with TAs as the same problem occurs if you booked directly via the Princess web site and a specialty dinner was included in the fare.

When I first booked there was no Delivery Date shown in the Cruise Personalizer, Onboard Services page. Mind you this was before Dine My Way became active in the Medallion app for this cruise.

Since then a Delivery Date has shown up in the Cruise Personalizer. DMW does not show the dining credit. Without looking at the database and source code one can only infer a correlation if only people with no Delivery Date are the only persons that can see a dining credit in DMW prior to the cruise date.

(I wonder if that field in the database record was set to null if it would allow the dining credit to show in the app.  The problem could be as simple as a database admin practicing on a deployed database and fouling up instead using  a test one. Saw that occur once at one place I worked at).

Just noticed this post a second time and I have to say it was not the way you mention for my bookings.  I first booked last January (2021) - 4 voyages - for OCT 2022.  At the time, last year's B.S.E. was on.  I printed to PDF files my Travel Summary, Reservations Summary, and Credits Summary then and for each re-fare/re-book done for these voyages.  The very first ones have the Delivery Date box for the SD promo.  The date is always the sail date for each voyage.  There was no MC App in production at that time. 

 

I have also posted that I have had a variety of SD credit behaviors in DMW from non-recognition, to half-recognition, to full recognition over recent months (sometimes I have a newer booking confirmation code due to a re-book situation versus a re-fare).  I have had SD credits go away due to a re-fare and then get them back again on a subsequent re-fare.  For example, I went away from 2021 B.S.E. fare code last Fall when fares dropped to give a better net situation.  Now we are back under B.S.E. 2022 for some of the voyages.  I have not observed a consistent pattern with SD credit recognition, but have reported the behaviors I got to the MedallionClass team.

 

[brisalta]

1 hour ago, Steelers36 said:

Just noticed this post a second time and I have to say it was not the way you mention for my bookings.  I first booked last January (2021) - 4 voyages - for OCT 2022.  At the time, last year's B.S.E. was on.  I printed to PDF files my Travel Summary, Reservations Summary, and Credits Summary then and for each re-fare/re-book done for these voyages.  The very first ones have the Delivery Date box for the SD promo.  The date is always the sail date for each voyage.  There was no MC App in production at that time. 

 

I have also posted that I have had a variety of SD credit behaviors in DMW from non-recognition, to half-recognition, to full recognition over recent months (sometimes I have a newer booking confirmation code due to a re-book situation versus a re-fare).  I have had SD credits go away due to a re-fare and then get them back again on a subsequent re-fare.  For example, I went away from 2021 B.S.E. fare code last Fall when fares dropped to give a better net situation.  Now we are back under B.S.E. 2022 for some of the voyages.  I have not observed a consistent pattern with SD credit recognition, but have reported the behaviors I got to the MedallionClass team.

 

 

Well they keep changing how items are displayed on the web site.

[Ombud]

On 3/23/2022 at 10:21 PM, caribill said:

..... sometimes the fantastic App does allow it to be applied and sometimes it does not. That is the problem Princess should be working on to fix. .....

IMHO totally agree. Just like sometimes the app recognizes status & permits buying wifi @ 50%  off... but not in my case. And no amount of 'fix it' tickets will resolve it (whether that's SD using promo or wifi using status .... have both issues) but I haven't the time or energy to do battle over it as long as I eventually get refundable OBC. 

 

Hope you still will enjoy your cruise OP

 

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Ombud

[WAvoyager]

On 3/23/2022 at 2:39 PM, Bruin Steve said:

I think the problem could be solved by removing the "Complimentary Gift" and "Delivery Date" designations from all the amenities.  But, even if that wasn't the problem, I think it would really be the right thing for Princess to do to REMOVE THAT DESIGNATION from customers' bookings across the board.  It is insulting to their customers.  These are NOT "complimentary gifts".  We PAID for them...not our travel agents or anyone else.  And we paid in full three months or more before embarkation date and deserver to access them and make a reservation as much as anyone else not having this issue.

I understand and empathize with your concerns.  Thanks for taking the time to fully think them through, and detail them.

 

having worked in the web portal industry since before the dawn of time (pretty literally - I designed the first customer self service web portal for Microsoft), I’m making an educated guess that there’s no way to do your proposed workaround easily.  Princesses reservations system is undoubtedly tied into their accounting system, which is responsible for meeting corporate financial obligations.  These systems do not do well with workarounds, and the SEC, government taxation bodies, and auditors, all frown upon “workarounds”.   These types of things often take a much longer time to resolve than anyone ever expects.

 

This is not to apologize for Princess - their IT team is obviously not up to task in this situation - could be a skill set issue, staffing levels, impossible timelines, etc.  Regardless of the reason, I would just caution against expecting any quick and easy solutions.

[crusinthrough]

Glad you got it to work

 

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by crusinthrough

[2Long2NxtCrz]

As I'm new to Princess, I'm trying to get up to speed on "how things are done here" and I've already had a few minor issues that I'm trying to shrug off. First was when they booted us out of our larger balcony cabin, D425 on Discovery Princess, and I'm still not clear on the reasoning? COVID? Our cruise is on October 29th?

 

And then I wanted to start looking at excursions and what is available and now our cruise is no longer attached to my Princess ID. I know I'm not imagining that it was before. I have sent an email asking for that to get fixed, but I might have to get my TA involved.

 

And then I noticed that all of the included benefits are "gifts from my TA". I didn't really think about that until reading this. No. My TA gave me OBC that I know will show up on my shipboard account the first or second day of the cruise as it has done on all the other cruises I've been on. The rest should already be there. Or they are with Royal and Celebrity. I have always used the included-in-the-fare OBC to pre-book dining or excursions or whatever.

 

So I get the frustration and I very much appreciate the OPs dedication. My husband is as dogged so he's the one I make deal with insurance companies, etc. I, like most people, get worn down and give up. Which is what the companies want. If we all accept $10 here, $5 there, $100 here, they make massive amounts of profit just by not providing the service we pay for.

 

And not to start a rant, but I'm sure most of the people on this board remember when ATMs first became a thing. They were free because it saved banks a load of tellers. Remember that? And then they laid off tellers and started charging for the privilege of using the ATM. Customer service stinks in every company and every industry because companies refuse to hire enough people to provide decent service. That's the first issue and that's the one that causes people to be on hold for hours, which should be utterly unacceptable. The second is that those poor front line CSRs are never given the ability to actually help the customer. Even in this case, wouldn't having the ability of giving out additional OBC be a good customer relations move?

 

I don't know about anyone else, but I am very, very tired of having to fight every single company just to have them do the job we paid them to do. /rant