Refund of port charges?

[Arizona Wildcat]

Just had the port stop in San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua disappear.  Am aware that other ships have cancelled this port stop.  No notification yet from Princess.

Will Princess offer some OBC or at least refund the port fees and taxes?

Many of us made Christmas plans in this beach town.

[Shelly97060]

Typically port fees  for missed will be returned as OBC.

[startedwithamouse]

54 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Just had the port stop in San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua disappear.  Am aware that other ships have cancelled this port stop.  No notification yet from Princess.

Will Princess offer some OBC or at least refund the port fees and taxes?

Many of us made Christmas plans in this beach town.

Is this for the Panama Canal cruise?

[marden1970]

2 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Is this for the Panama Canal cruise?

We're doin Pamama Canal B2B, the port shows cancelled for the 12/18/22 (port day was 12/25) portion but not the return portion on 1/2/23. (port day 1/10/23).

[skynight]

There will be a refundable credit in your on board accounts for any missed port. It could be that the port is closed on Christmas Day, and that on the return trip the port is open. 

[Rick&Jeannie]

This is one item that has never been disputed...whether or not port fees are refunded.  They *HAVE* to refund if the port is not visited.

[Tedferg]

4 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Just had the port stop in San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua disappear.  Am aware that other ships have cancelled this port stop.  No notification yet from Princess.

Will Princess offer some OBC or at least refund the port fees and taxes?

Many of us made Christmas plans in this beach town.

OBC is discretionary Port Fees refunds are mandatory and as stated returned as credit to folio not OBC.

It seems this is a future cruise, so I would expect Port Fees to be subtracted from Final Payment.

[Arizona Wildcat]

There is a US government advisory in place saying in effect to not travel to Nicaragua.   Ships from it appears all cruiselines are cancelling this port stop.

I understand we are supposed to get port fees and taxes refunded, but the reality is received 2 refunds for about 15 ports missed.  

[Kay S]

On 11/8/2022 at 8:41 AM, Arizona Wildcat said:

Just had the port stop in San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua disappear.  Am aware that other ships have cancelled this port stop. 

DH says refunds appeared on folio but not as OBC.  I never paid attention.

 

Sorry your plans have been upended.

[Waynetor]

As others have noted, the refund is mandatory.  This is based on how the cruise line does the faring of the voyage.  Princess and most other cruise line make port fees a separate invoice line item and when this is done the fees must be returned - this also applies if a passenger cancels the voyage beyond all penalty periods. 

Some cruise lines, eg Oceana the fees are built into the cruise fair as a single line item and for missed ports on their voyages they get away with doing no refund. 

[snoodqueen]

I just got off the Crown and we skipped Astoria due to the weather.  When I asked at Guest Services yesterday about getting the port charges refunded, the fellow said he hadn't heard anything about that yet!  It has always been refunded within 24 hours of the missed port.  Does that mean Princess kept it instead?  Don't know how much it was but times a couple thousand passengers keeps a few dollars in Princess's pocket.

[Roberto256]

16 hours ago, Waynetor said:

As others have noted, the refund is mandatory.  This is based on how the cruise line does the faring of the voyage.  Princess and most other cruise line make port fees a separate invoice line item and when this is done the fees must be returned - this also applies if a passenger cancels the voyage beyond all penalty periods. 

Some cruise lines, eg Oceana the fees are built into the cruise fair as a single line item and for missed ports on their voyages they get away with doing no refund. 

 

My experience with cancelled ports has been...

 

Up front, the port charges are usually over $100.

 

When there is a refund for a missed port, it is usually less than $10.

 

 

 

[PacnGoNow]

On 11/9/2022 at 2:30 PM, snoodqueen said:

I just got off the Crown and we skipped Astoria due to the weather.  When I asked at Guest Services yesterday about getting the port charges refunded, the fellow said he hadn't heard anything about that yet!  It has always been refunded within 24 hours of the missed port.  Does that mean Princess kept it instead?  Don't know how much it was but times a couple thousand passengers keeps a few dollars in Princess's pocket.

I wonder if it is a new policy?  I was told for missing 2 ports on the Crown….

it will be refunded on your original credit card. Told by GS crew and GS officer.

 

Never…has this been the case.  It should show up on folio on the day that the port was missed as a credit.

 

Once your off the ship, it is difficult.

 

[jaycruising]

On 11/9/2022 at 5:30 PM, snoodqueen said:

I just got off the Crown and we skipped Astoria due to the weather.  When I asked at Guest Services yesterday about getting the port charges refunded, the fellow said he hadn't heard anything about that yet!  It has always been refunded within 24 hours of the missed port.  Does that mean Princess kept it instead?  Don't know how much it was but times a couple thousand passengers keeps a few dollars in Princess's pocket.

I was on that, and had $15 OBC put on my account

[racephoto]

On 11/9/2022 at 6:23 PM, Waynetor said:

As others have noted, the refund is mandatory.  This is based on how the cruise line does the faring of the voyage.  Princess and most other cruise line make port fees a separate invoice line item and when this is done the fees must be returned - this also applies if a passenger cancels the voyage beyond all penalty periods. 

Some cruise lines, eg Oceana the fees are built into the cruise fair as a single line item and for missed ports on their voyages they get away with doing no refund. 

Can you point me to where it says this is mandatory? I just got off an NCL cruise that missed a port and they are adamant that they’re not refunding any port charges. I know it’s not a ton of money, but it’s the principle of the thing.

[Arizona Wildcat]

5 hours ago, racephoto said:

Can you point me to where it says this is mandatory? I just got off an NCL cruise that missed a port and they are adamant that they’re not refunding any port charges. I know it’s not a ton of money, but it’s the principle of the thing.

It totally varies by cruise line.   The rule will be buried somewhere on the complete cruise contract of passage.  Cruise contracts vary for UK passengers and any service not rendered must be refunded.

I agree with you if a tax or fee is charged for a service that is not rendered it should be refunded.  Am guessing the NCL contract differs.  Have missed ports on Celebrity and gotten refunds about half the time.

[pppatpc2]

Off the Crown for the 28 day Tahiti run, they eliminated 2 ports that we originally paid for (Bora Bora and Pago Pago) and are still waiting for port charges.  My DH called and they said they would refund.  Also asked for a refund for Princess transfers to LAX since we waited in the sun for 2 hours and eventually had to take a cab.  Never again.

[PacnGoNow]

25 minutes ago, pppatpc2 said:

Off the Crown for the 28 day Tahiti run, they eliminated 2 ports that we originally paid for (Bora Bora and Pago Pago) and are still waiting for port charges.  My DH called and they said they would refund.  Also asked for a refund for Princess transfers to LAX since we waited in the sun for 2 hours and eventually had to take a cab.  Never again.

I mentioned this while OB. I don’t think we will get Bora Bora back because they substituted another day in Papeete.  However, not an even substitute, because originally, Bora Bora was 2 days. 
 

Pago Pago was substituted for a sea day. That definitely should be refunded.

I called OB, twice, because we have always received port fee credits on the actual day the port was missed on our folio, or the following day.

 

I was told my GS employees, including an officer at GS, it would be refunded back on our CC used to purchase the cruise.

Hmmm

 

[pppatpc2]

6 hours ago, PacnGoNow said:

I mentioned this while OB. I don’t think we will get Bora Bora back because they substituted another day in Papeete.  However, not an even substitute, because originally, Bora Bora was 2 days. 
 

Pago Pago was substituted for a sea day. That definitely should be refunded.

I called OB, twice, because we have always received port fee credits on the actual day the port was missed on our folio, or the following day.

 

I was told my GS employees, including an officer at GS, it would be refunded back on our CC used to purchase the cruise.

Hmmm

 

I received my credit for the transfers today (to my original payment method) but not port charges.

[PacnGoNow]

2 minutes ago, pppatpc2 said:

I received my credit for the transfers today (to my original payment method) but not port charges.

Some lines are not refunding missed ports and are telling guests that.

 

So, we will see.