Where are my personal cruise planners going? Lost ANOTHER one!

[remydiva]

I try to use a more personal booking experience but yet another of my personal cruise planners is no longer with Princess according to her phone message when I call and use her extension.

Now I'm waiting for over 30 mins for a call back from 'the next Princess Navigator'.

 

I tried phoning 1-800 Princess but that CSA couldn't even find the cruise I wanted to book after me repeating it and my name and my # several times...which did not give me much confidence. I said goodbye and said I'd ring back later.

 

I COULD book online but given that final payment is due soon as I book I want to make sure I've done it all right.

Anyone else feeling frustrated with the decreasing human beings on the phone?

[Steelers36]

5 minutes ago, remydiva said:

I try to use a more personal booking experience but yet another of my personal cruise planners is no longer with Princess according to her phone message when I call and use her extension.

Now I'm waiting for over 30 mins for a call back from 'the next Princess Navigator'.

 

I tried phoning 1-800 Princess but that CSA couldn't even find the cruise I wanted to book after me repeating it and my name and my # several times...which did not give me much confidence. I said goodbye and said I'd ring back later.

 

I COULD book online but given that final payment is due soon as I book I want to make sure I've done it all right.

Anyone else feeling frustrated with the decreasing human beings on the phone?

Why not find a good outside independent TA who can handle your bookings?  I use a US-based discount agency that no Canadian agency can touch for pricing, but you aren't getting any great price deal now, so why not try a TA?  Who knows - they might have some group OBC for you.

[cr8tiv1]

Time to find a good Independent Travel Agent.  I am sorry we are not allowed to share this information on Cruise Critic. I have had my agent for years...years...and we have never met.  But she is very responsive by text/talk/email.  Someday, I will meet her in person.

 

@Steelers36...Do you realize you and I (and a few others) spend way too much time on the computer?  You posted as I was typing.

Edited February 22, 2023 by cr8tiv1

[JimmyVWine]

I have always placed a hold on a cruise which gives you three days to put down a down payment. The very next day, someone will call my home and tell me that they are my current Princess Vacation Planner and I use them to apply my FCC or otherwise put down my down payment. I have never, ever not gotten a call once I place the cruise on Hold.  I answer the call and let them finish the booking.  That way someone gets credit for the booking and earns a few shekels. Rarely is the person who calls me the same person who last booked a cruise for me.  In fact, I think I have only had the same PVP twice in a row and that was 6 or more years ago.  Since then, it has always been someone who introduces themselves as my "current PVP."  But the merry-go-round of PVPs has been so bad as of late that I feel no burning need to do this and will just book myself.     

[memoak]

I have had the same CVP for years. I’m fact I have only had 2 since they started the program

[remydiva]

Thanks for enthusiastic replies!

 

After leaving my number I did get a call back from a support person who checked and could see who my new PVP was and transferred me immediately. A LOVELY person who was knowledgeable, quick to find the cruise, flights, cabins, asked all the right add on questions; I hope they will stay with Princess. They indicated they had been with the company for over 10 years so fingers crossed.

I used to use a travel agent but stopped after missing some deals by the time they got back to me and in the past have always had very good CSA 1-800 Princess service.

 

Now I think I have and hope to keep my new PVP.

[Moondogy]

Good luck. I just had one email me last week saying she was my CVP. So I called her last Friday because DW and I are looking at a cruise for May and some things in are traveling have changed (Dw needs to use a scooter now) and decided maybe best to talk to a planner to see what we may need different. Needless to say, here it is Wednesday and she still hadn't gotten back to me. I called Princess to talk to someone, when I told her I wanted to talk to someone about a cruise because my CVP haven't called me back, she said I'd have to email another department to request another CVP.  I told her I didn't want to have to jump through hoops just to talk to someone to talk to to book a cruise, so she said hold on a minute and I'll get someone to help you. After holding on for 45 minutes they hung up on me.  I tried chat, and it got nowhere . Princess doesn't care about thier customers anymore.

[MISTER 67]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

I have had the same CVP for years. I’m fact I have only had 2 since they started the program

Us too.

[trinitygirl]

i had a wonderful Princess VP for about six months last year - she was amazing, really doing battle for me with the tech people to get extensions on FCCs, and to keep an expired FCD going on a new booking.  She was fabulous.  Then towards the end of the year I got a response email saying that that she (and her department) were no longer acting as CVPs for Australian customers.  Since then, I have had no luck being assigned to a new person, and I just call the phone number and deal with a new person each time.  I am still chasing up refunds that should have been made several months ago and it is tiresome having to explain the story all over again while they read the file and then tell me there is nothing they can do and I just have to be patient and wait...     So, I don't think it is just you (or just me) - it seems to be a systemic change for the worse.