My Issue with Princess

[judithzuz]

30 minutes ago, AZjohn said:

Reminds me of the saying: 

Would you rather be right, or would you rather be free?

Neville Chamberlain 1937-1940. If we're going to be philosophical.

I'd say it's worth the effort to be right AND free. Winston Churchill  1940-1945.

 

For the OP, it's not the money, I'm not sure it's even the principal. It's the fact that Princess has a problem, we've all experienced some aspect of that recently, Princess needs to acknowledge it, and construct a plan to deal with it. And finally, to communicate with its clients as to what is going on.

That last part especially.

Those of you who are poopooing the effort being made will reap the benefits when Princess improves their customer service. As it so often happens, people at the front end don't know when the back end isn't working, unless we tell them.

[dickinson]

@Bruin Steve Thank you for your posts on this matter and all the time you did just to find out from someone who might know that Princess is actually aware of the problem and trying to fix it.  I'm sorry that some people felt the need to criticize you.  As we all know, people are different in various ways. We also have our own priorities which may be different from other people.  I don't know if I would have spent as much time as you did but I do understand where you were coming from.  If I were you I too would be dismayed.  I would not want OBC for something I should not have had to pay for in the first place.  For those who said to just make a reservation on board.... haven't you read the posts from people who had trouble getting a reservation?  People on a b2b book and then there are all the people who were able to book on the app.  Doesn't leave a whole lot of time for those who book onboard!  Also, there is no guarantee that Passenger Services will credit the $58 back.  I bet it will depend on who one speaks with!  Therefore it is important for Princess to fix this.  They can't fix what they don't know is broken.  Also it really bugs me when managers or anyone who says they will call you back never do.  

[judithzuz]

7 hours ago, caribill said:

If they do not have a definitive answer, the problem needs to be passed up to the next level of support. If the next level cannot be contacted within a few minutes, then two things should be done:

a) A promise that will be kept that the next level of support will contact the customer within a reasonable amount of time....and

b) A phone number with proper extension that the customer can call if the customer does not receive that promised call back.

I would have loved to have shouted my hallelujahs when I read this. These very words have been floating in my brain since Princess changed our Itinerary, TWICE, then our disembarkation port. !!! Many of us still don't have our return flights or transfers, or, or, or...

[PescadoAmarillo]

7 hours ago, donaldsc said:

I have read a couple of the posts in this thread.  Have any of you punished Princess in the best way possible by deciding not to cruise on Princess or any of the other lines in the Princess group.  After all there are lots of other cruise companies out there that are not part of the Princess group.  Money or the lack of it speaks much louder than words.

 

DON

I know that many people are on current cruises because they were attracted by fantastic deals (no single supplements on some), and/or low occupancies, and/or are using up large amounts of FCCs.  I truly believe that we will see a lot of loyal Princess customers abandoning the brand when these things no longer exist. If customer service does not significantly improve, I can’t imagine spending thousands of dollars for this experience a year from now. 

[ceilidh1]

7 hours ago, caribill said:

 

To my knowledge, FCCs cannot be used to pay for airfare with possibly one exception I am not sure of.

 

If you had paid for Princess Air for a cruise that had been cancelled by Princess, the money paid is supposed to be returned to you unless there is some airline penalty in which case the penalty amount would become an FCC. It is that FCC that I do not know might be applied to future airfares.

 

This used to be the case but a few months ago FCC became available to use for almost anything! My entire cruise, including taxes/fees was paid with FCC and also my airfare. This, at least, has been a positive step by Princess!

[Rick&Jeannie]

9 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

For all we know, TPTB put John Padgett in the ultimate driver's seat to clean up his mess and he needs to deliver or he is out the door. 

 

Hah! Very good point!  Although I am rather cynical as to whether this is really what the plan is...that is an idea that nobody has verbalized here...at least that I have seen.  Interesting...

[Coral]

4 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

This used to be the case but a few months ago FCC became available to use for almost anything! My entire cruise, including taxes/fees was paid with FCC and also my airfare. This, at least, has been a positive step by Princess!

It changed on December 4th.

[Coral]

7 hours ago, caribill said:

 

To my knowledge, FCCs cannot be used to pay for airfare with possibly one exception I am not sure of.

 

If you had paid for Princess Air for a cruise that had been cancelled by Princess, the money paid is supposed to be returned to you unless there is some airline penalty in which case the penalty amount would become an FCC. It is that FCC that I do not know might be applied to future airfares.

 

It now can as of December 4th. I wish I had known that on that day as I booked a more expensive cabin to use it up.

[caribill]

28 minutes ago, Coral said:

It now can as of December 4th.

 

Thanks.

[billco]

38 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

I know that many people are on current cruises because they were attracted by fantastic deals (no single supplements on some), and/or low occupancies, and/or are using up large amounts of FCCs.  I truly believe that we will see a lot of loyal Princess customers abandoning the brand when these things no longer exist. If customer service does not significantly improve, I can’t imagine spending thousands of dollars for this experience a year from now. 

I am one of those who has been using up a large amount of FCCs. I doubt we will be cruising Princess in the future. I have no problem with customer service, the medallion app, dine my way, cuts in Elite benefits, or many of the other things generating complaints. I just seem to have a better cruise experience on NCL. However, I am upset with Princess with the way they are handling modifications to my upcoming Transatlantic and Baltic cruise on the Enchanted Princess. A complete change of a Baltic to a Western Europe with little explanation is about the worst thing I have seen from a cruise line. Also, to keep promoting internet as good as at home, while providing no internet on transatlantic cruises is almost laughable.

[JimmyVWine]

46 minutes ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

If customer service does not significantly improve, I can’t imagine spending thousands of dollars for this experience a year from now. 

True.  But in order to cross the fence, one has to find (or at least perceive) a greener pasture.  From what I am observing and experiencing in the hospitality sector and hearing from others, the receding tide is lowering all ships (and hotels, and resorts and theme parks.)  I've yet to hear any stories that would make one say "Come on over here!  Everything's great!"  For example, when we called American Express Travel to rebook flights using credits that we had on file with them from a Christmas trip that never happened, my wife was on hold for 7 and a half hours.  Seriously.  There are people who would have started and finished their daily shifts in the time we were on hold.  I finally told my wife to hang up and that I would call the Platinum Desk, even though that was not the department responsible for rebooking us.  Got through in 10 minutes and was assisted by an incredibly helpful service agent.  One of the few times in my life I patted myself on the back for paying the annual fee for a Platinum Card.  If every mass market cruise line is spiraling the way we think PCL is, we will be left with the same choice we have now.  Price and onboard experience will control our decisions, since customer service remains a constant in the equation.    

[Lady Arwen]

43 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

True.  But in order to cross the fence, one has to find (or at least perceive) a greener pasture.  From what I am observing and experiencing in the hospitality sector and hearing from others, the receding tide is lowering all ships (and hotels, and resorts and theme parks.)  I've yet to hear any stories that would make one say "Come on over here!  Everything's great!"  For example, when we called American Express Travel to rebook flights using credits that we had on file with them from a Christmas trip that never happened, my wife was on hold for 7 and a half hours.  Seriously.  There are people who would have started and finished their daily shifts in the time we were on hold.  I finally told my wife to hang up and that I would call the Platinum Desk, even though that was not the department responsible for rebooking us.  Got through in 10 minutes and was assisted by an incredibly helpful service agent.  One of the few times in my life I patted myself on the back for paying the annual fee for a Platinum Card.  If every mass market cruise line is spiraling the way we think PCL is, we will be left with the same choice we have now.  Price and onboard experience will control our decisions, since customer service remains a constant in the equation.    

Yes, I completely agree with you.  We sail primarily with Celebrity and then Princess and HAL on occasion.  Let me tell you, if you think Princess is in bad shape then you would be appalled at Celebrity.  Average wait time on any call for any purpose ranges from 2-6 hours.  On all cruises, the extra charge to secure a refundable deposit, ranges from $35.00 to $650.00 depending on when your sailing is and the itinerary!  This is not included in the All Inclusive pricing.  I could elaborate, but you get the idea.  Princess is not perfect.  Are there issues with customer service inconsistencies…….yes.  Does the OP have a valid reason to be upset….yes.  Would I be ticked off if I were in the same situation…..yes.  I understand their frustration with Princess and I think, we as a group, should be more supportive.  Next time, it could be you or me and it could be $580.00 or $5800.00!  Getting the issue solved now for $58.00 might just solve a much bigger issue for us in the future.  He’s doing all the legwork, for very little return, so that you and I may not have to.

[DavidsNana]

16 hours ago, KLM3164 said:

Thank you for this reminder. I am expecting a refund from Princess for a re-fare for $170 which was done on 2/9. I was told it would be credited back in 10 to 15 business days. I just checked my credit card and the refund hasn’t been processed. I’ll be following up with my TA on this one thanks to your post.

Yes, by all means check on your refund for the re-fare.  I had my recent cruise re-fared twice and each time the credit was on my credit card within two days.

[USCcruisecrazy]

19 hours ago, Bruin Steve said:

My friends,

So many of you miss the point.  It is NOT the $58.  It is the way that Princess handles its Customer Relations.  It is the operation of the Medallion App.  They have some major issues.  They don't handle it well.  It could be me and $58 this time...It could be YOU and $10,000 next time.  But, really, it is tens of thousands of customers...

 

...and, unfortunately, there are a lot of you who just "let it go"...

 

Letting it go allows them to continue to have poorly trained phone representatives...It allows them to say anything in order to expediently turn away problems...It allows them to LIE.

 

So, why am I so "obsessive" over this?  Because I am trying to help EVERYONE here...even if it costs me way too much time...and there is very little I can get out of this in the end.

 

I would like Princess to be a BETTER cruise line.  I want them to solve their problems and provide better service to all of us.  Because I plan to cruise a whole lot more and I'd like to minimize these unfortunate issues in the future.  And I'd like all of YOU not to run into these issues on a regular basis.  I want to get through on phone lines that aren't jammed with people who can't get their app to work.  I want to book cruises, handle the easy details, pack and go...

 

Princess CAN do better...but only if their customers demand better.

I agree it's not about the $58...reading your post I never thought it was.  Problem is, you want an answer that to those Reps doesn't exist. Even if they admit the problem exists, they can't fix it.  I would agree with your assessment that it's an App issue caused by the activation date (which I assume coincides with your onboarding date).  Their job as a Customer Service Relations person is to try and defuse the situation and offer something equitable for your troubles.  Who is to say they haven't reported numerous times that the issue exists and Princess has their IT guys working it.  Maybe it's an issue with the TAs and how they enter the data and not the App at all.  Bottom Line:  I think you're barking up the wrong tree when you blame the Reps for being incompetent or assuming they just knowingly lie to appease people.  But, anyway, back to the $58...I'd just pay it, secure my time and date and write a nice letter afterwards explaining their issue and a potential solution.  Without a solution, the problem remains a problem.

[greenie082756]

As someone who has just spent 2 months trying to "fix" between my Dr.'s office and pharmacy (will not name it but by mail) it frustrating to say the least that nobody can fix or have a good answer.

 

My Dr's office was just as surprised by how inept this company is. It's still in process after weeks of "communicating" with representatives and even a pharmacist. This started Jan. 10th and it's been 3 months and 2 weeks of trying to get this resolved.

 

So, with that being experienced, I get why the OP stated what needed to be said. He feels that Princess is shooting themselves in the foot and pointing fingers elsewhere and not fixing what is not working with a program they have decided to go with. It's not good that you cannot get answers to a question even though you have tried and tried.

 

I am lucky enough to have tried a PVP and she has reached out to make sure that I did not have any issues or questions pre cruise. 

 

 

[brisalta]

4 hours ago, USCcruisecrazy said:

I agree it's not about the $58...reading your post I never thought it was.  Problem is, you want an answer that to those Reps doesn't exist. Even if they admit the problem exists, they can't fix it.  I would agree with your assessment that it's an App issue caused by the activation date (which I assume coincides with your onboarding date).  Their job as a Customer Service Relations person is to try and defuse the situation and offer something equitable for your troubles.  Who is to say they haven't reported numerous times that the issue exists and Princess has their IT guys working it.  Maybe it's an issue with the TAs and how they enter the data and not the App at all.  Bottom Line:  I think you're barking up the wrong tree when you blame the Reps for being incompetent or assuming they just knowingly lie to appease people.  But, anyway, back to the $58...I'd just pay it, secure my time and date and write a nice letter afterwards explaining their issue and a potential solution.  Without a solution, the problem remains a problem.

 

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).

[DallasGuy75219]

TL; DR

[brisalta]

10 hours ago, billco said:

 ...However, I am upset with Princess with the way they are handling modifications to my upcoming Transatlantic and Baltic cruise on the Enchanted Princess. A complete change of a Baltic to a Western Europe with little explanation is about the worst thing I have seen from a cruise line. ...

 

I take it you do not follow geopolitical events.

Edited March 25, 2022 by brisalta

[Coral]

10 hours ago, billco said:

 However, I am upset with Princess with the way they are handling modifications to my upcoming Transatlantic and Baltic cruise on the Enchanted Princess. A complete change of a Baltic to a Western Europe with little explanation is about the worst thing I have seen from a cruise line. 

Seriously???

[dog]

On my Travel Summary the gifted Specialty dinner had a date assigned---first day of my cruise. I would have to contact the restaurant of my choice once on board to choose a time or to change the date.

Not an issue for me.

 

I noticed in past few weeks that I am now given the option on Princess website, when I do a mock booking, get as far as payment, that I am now given the option of applying my FCC or I can choose to pay with credit card.

 

this is just recent for me. n the past I had to call Princess to apply the FCC.

 

back

Edited March 25, 2022 by dog

[ceilidh1]

I'm in no way excusing the problems with the app and the fact that Princess has made what was once a pretty seamless check in process into a frustrating struggle, BUT I do want to point out why you/we are getting nowhere when talking to the reps. The Princess folks that answer the phone al have the same access to a resource site called Princess Answers. When posed with a question, they type in key words and a list of topics/questions/solutions comes up. I would guess that 90% of reps follow this as it is all they know. You might be lucky and get one of the 10% that has been with the company a long time, has actually been on a cruise, and knows more than what is in the resource they are provided with. If I go into Princess Answers and type in specialty dining credits, the very first resource is "Known Problems With MC App" - this lists every issue that has been reported along with troubleshooting and what to do if troubleshooting does not work. It lists the inability for some (it states not ALL) to apply specialty dining voucher to pre booked specialty restaurants. The "fix" is to advise the passenger to pay for the reservation, the onboard team will see the voucher and it will be refunded as OBC. So, in their defence, the reps are only telling you what they know/have in front of them. Is it the right answer? No, probably not. I agree that a voucher should be able to be applied when booking...but it seems that there is no workaround right now (hopefully in the works?)

[ceilidh1]

12 hours ago, PescadoAmarillo said:

I know that many people are on current cruises because they were attracted by fantastic deals (no single supplements on some), and/or low occupancies, and/or are using up large amounts of FCCs.  I truly believe that we will see a lot of loyal Princess customers abandoning the brand when these things no longer exist. If customer service does not significantly improve, I can’t imagine spending thousands of dollars for this experience a year from now. 

I'm one of those people! I have been a loyal Princess cruiser for many years and they were always my go to brand. After many cancellations, I have a bunch of FCC to use but, once gone, I will likely move to other lines. The whole app rollout, the way they dealt with refunds during the first round of cancellations, and the fact that the pre-cruise process/check in is such a hassle now just puts me off dealing with them. I haven't had any customer service issues, other than crazy long wait times (but I don't think that is unique to Princess) but the frustration in dealing with the app has taken all the excitement of planning for my cruise away. I should note that I have sailed on medallion sailings pre-Covid and LOVED the medallion (without the new app). I'm not sure why they felt the need to change what appeared to be working...

[Steelers36]

2 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

I'm in no way excusing the problems with the app and the fact that Princess has made what was once a pretty seamless check in process into a frustrating struggle, BUT I do want to point out why you/we are getting nowhere when talking to the reps. The Princess folks that answer the phone al have the same access to a resource site called Princess Answers. When posed with a question, they type in key words and a list of topics/questions/solutions comes up. I would guess that 90% of reps follow this as it is all they know. You might be lucky and get one of the 10% that has been with the company a long time, has actually been on a cruise, and knows more than what is in the resource they are provided with. If I go into Princess Answers and type in specialty dining credits, the very first resource is "Known Problems With MC App" - this lists every issue that has been reported along with troubleshooting and what to do if troubleshooting does not work. It lists the inability for some (it states not ALL) to apply specialty dining voucher to pre booked specialty restaurants. The "fix" is to advise the passenger to pay for the reservation, the onboard team will see the voucher and it will be refunded as OBC. So, in their defence, the reps are only telling you what they know/have in front of them. Is it the right answer? No, probably not. I agree that a voucher should be able to be applied when booking...but it seems that there is no workaround right now (hopefully in the works?)

I wish we could have access to those.  I'd have some better insight into the issues and what they are working on.  It's a big black box in a lot of ways.

 

[caribill]

17 hours ago, billco said:

 However, I am upset with Princess with the way they are handling modifications to my upcoming Transatlantic and Baltic cruise on the Enchanted Princess. A complete change of a Baltic to a Western Europe with little explanation is about the worst thing I have seen from a cruise line.

 

7 hours ago, brisalta said:

 

I take it you do not follow geopolitical events.

 

6 hours ago, Coral said:

Seriously???

 

In billco's defense, there was no problem with the removal of SP from the itinerary. Other Princess ships had a revised itinerary that did not include SP, but had no change to the embarkation and disembarkation ports.

 

But for billco, the TA was supposed to end in Copenhagen, not Southampton. And the next segment was changed to a totally different itinerary from the original. billco did not receive early on any explanation of why the cruise had such massive changes.

[voljeep]

9 hours ago, Steelers36 said:

I wish we could have access to those.  I'd have some better insight into the issues and what they are working on.  It's a big black box in a lot of ways.

 

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