Frustrating Travel on the Sapphire Princess, January 4, 2023

[Buffalo Boaters]

We booked this cruise primarily because of the land tour to Machu Picchu in Peru. Princess uses Lima Tours. Prior to the cruise, we called Princess multiple times to find out if this portion of the cruise would be cancelled due to civil unrest in Peru. The answer was, “We are monitoring the situation.” We had read all the State Department warnings and had reservations, but were told if we cancelled they would not refund our money. The cruise itself was fine…good food, entertainment, and best of all a captain who was careful going into these sometimes dangerous waters. We loved our Falkland Island independent tour to see penguins at Volunteer Point. I had to rely on Princess shops to recover some items that were lost in a carry on bag by American Airlines. AA lost two bags and recovered one. My bag containing many items was never found and AA has been terrible to work with. On the other hand Princess staff provided a jacket, and other things to make up for my lost bag. A few days before disembarking, we were told the land tour to Machu Picchu was off. We have not received compensation or even an amount that we’ll receive. Has anyone received compensation?? It is now March! We had many disappointments and are still dealing with so many difficulties with this trip. If you enjoy many on ship days, uncertain weather, cold, and sea swells, this is the cruise for you! Best advice, buy travel insurance! 

[CruisingWalter]

7 minutes ago, Buffalo Boaters said:

A few days before disembarking, we were told the land tour to Machu Picchu was off. We have not received compensation or even an amount that we’ll receive

 

When a cruise line excursion is cancelled, it's usually refunded back to your account almost immediately, certainly by the end of the current day. It's an automatic thing in our experience across every cruise line. Not sure why it would take any amount of time in this case. If it's a third party excursion then you're subject to whatever refund rules they have. 

[Potstech]

How do you lose a carry on bag?

[Mary loves to travel]

I'm thinking this was a "Cruisetour".    I wonder if it will be refunded to you as a check, or as an FCC?

 

 

[Sarnia 432]

1 hour ago, Buffalo Boaters said:

Has anyone received compensation

we were on the previous cruise that disembarked on Jan 4th.  We too had a land tour to Machu Picchu cancelled by Princess.  We have not had any compensation yet and like you have yet to know what we will receive.  Onboard we were told it would be fcc, calling Princess we heard it will likely be a cheque but nobody was able to confirm anything.  
 

please do post if you hear anything from Princess.

 

 

[Buffalo Boaters]

9 hours ago, CruisingWalter said:

 

When a cruise line excursion is cancelled, it's usually refunded back to your account almost immediately, certainly by the end of the current day. It's an automatic thing in our experience across every cruise line. Not sure why it would take any amount of time in this case. If it's a third party excursion then you're subject to whatever refund rules they have. 

 

8 hours ago, Potstech said:

How do you lose a carry on bag?

We were the last ones to board since we were able to take an earlier flight. The attendant told us to sit down and she would take care of the bags. She put the wrong seat numbers on the bags causing one bag to go Florida and one to Mississippi. My jewelry, winter jacket, make-up, and other clothing was in this bag which was probably stolen in Buenos Aires while trying to get it to the ship. My husband’s bag with shoes and a few other items made it to the ship.

[Buffalo Boaters]

This was not an excursion, instead a land tour Princess offered through Lima Tours!

[Buffalo Boaters]

•  
• •  1.6k
• January 17, 2006
• Silicon Valley, California

• #4   

Posted 8 hours ago

I'm thinking this was a "Cruisetour".    I wonder if it will be refunded to you as a check, or as an FCC?

[Buffalo Boaters]

This was a cruise tour and you are correct!

[Buffalo Boaters]

No refund, and little info at this point in time!

[startedwithamouse]

Itemize everything and contact your travel insurance.

[Buffalo Boaters]

We have done so! American Airlines has been the WORST! God forbid if we lost something valuable, like our lives, on this airline. They are terrible and it was totally their fault!

[caribill]

18 hours ago, Buffalo Boaters said:

We booked this cruise primarily because of the land tour to Machu Picchu in Peru. Princess uses Lima Tours.

 

To be certain: This was a cruisetour with the Machu Picchu visit being after the cruise itself ended. Correct?

 

17 hours ago, Sarnia 432 said:

we were on the previous cruise that disembarked on Jan 4th.  We too had a land tour to Machu Picchu cancelled by Princess.

 

 

Was yours also a cruisetour with the visit to Machu Picchu being before the cruise starts or after it ends?

 

Or was this a mid-cruise visit during which you leave the ship for 2-3 days to visit Machu Picchu and then resume the cruise?

 

If a mid-cruise tour, it is essentially a shore excursion and should have been refunded while on the cruise. Likely as refundable OBC to the onboard account with a check to be mailed to you after the cruise if the OBC had not been used up.

 

If a pre-cruise or post-cruise tour, the cost of the cancelled in your original booking might be hard for you to figure out since it was bundled into the overall fare.

 

I would continue to pester Princess to find out when a refund check would be coming to you and for what amount. It has been long enough since the cruise tyhat Princess should have the answers already.

 

[Buffalo Boaters]

4 hours ago, caribill said:

 

To be certain: This was a cruisetour with the Machu Picchu visit being after the cruise itself ended. Correct?

 

 

Was yours also a cruisetour with the visit to Machu Picchu being before the cruise starts or after it ends?

 

Or was this a mid-cruise visit during which you leave the ship for 2-3 days to visit Machu Picchu and then resume the cruise?

 

If a mid-cruise tour, it is essentially a shore excursion and should have been refunded while on the cruise. Likely as refundable OBC to the onboard account with a check to be mailed to you after the cruise if the OBC had not been used up.

 

If a pre-cruise or post-cruise tour, the cost of the cancelled in your original booking might be hard for you to figure out since it was bundled into the overall fare.

 

I would continue to pester Princess to find out when a refund check would be coming to you and for what amount. It has been long enough since the cruise tyhat Princess should have the answers already.

 

This was a post-cruise tour. We have a monetary amount that it may be worth but do not know exactly what the reimbursement will be. My point in posting this is not to bash my travel agent or Princess (American Airline, another story), but instead seek advice and find others who have experienced the same problem,

 

We have done so! American Airlines has been the WORST! God forbid if we lost something valuable, like our lives, on this airline. They are terrible and it was totally their fault!

[cr8tiv1]

A rough estimate.  
 

Take the cost of YOUR fare minus cabin only fare (insurance/fees and taxes/ beverage package *if purchased) = cost of cruise tour.  
 

Then you won’t be in sticker shock when Princess finally sorts this all out.  
 

I noticed cruise tour is not available, at this time.  You definitely have a unique problem.  Good Luck.

[Sarnia 432]

9 hours ago, caribill said:

Was yours also a cruisetour with the visit to Machu Picchu being before the cruise starts or after it ends?

Our was a pre-cruise land tour.  We only found out it was not happening after we had met the local rep on the day after we arrived in Lima.

[cr8tiv1]

6 minutes ago, Sarnia 432 said:

Our was a pre-cruise land tour.  We only found out it was not happening after we had met the local rep on the day after we arrived in Lima.

 

Details, please.  What did Princess do with you for those extra days?  

 

Bottom line, I hope everyone who travels has Princess Vacation Protection or some other form of insurance for situations like this.

[ldubs]

 

5 hours ago, Buffalo Boaters said:

This was a post-cruise tour. We have a monetary amount that it may be worth but do not know exactly what the reimbursement will be. My point in posting this is not to bash my travel agent or Princess (American Airline, another story), but instead seek advice and find others who have experienced the same problem,

 

We have done so! American Airlines has been the WORST! God forbid if we lost something valuable, like our lives, on this airline. They are terrible and it was totally their fault!

 

OK, this is kind of confusing to me.  How do you purchase a post-cruise tour and not know the cost?  When you use the term "monetary value" are you thinking of something other than the cost of the tour?  

 

You said the tour was offered through Princess.  Does that mean your money was paid to Princess via your TA?  

 

I don't read your comments as "bashing" the TA or Princess at all.  You have a very valid issue I think.  

[Mary loves to travel]

13 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

 

OK, this is kind of confusing to me.  How do you purchase a post-cruise tour and not know the cost?  When you use the term "monetary value" are you thinking of something other than the cost of the tour?  

 

You said the tour was offered through Princess.  Does that mean your money was paid to Princess via your TA?  

 

I don't read your comments as "bashing" the TA or Princess at all.  You have a very valid issue I think.  

If you look when booking some cruises, there is an option to book the Cruise only, or to book what they call a CruiseTour.     The way to really know the price of the pre or post cruise "tour" is to compare, on the day one books, the price of the Cruise Tour versus the price of the cruise only, in the same cabin.

If one doesn't do that, you can see what the price difference is for future cruises, and will get a good idea, but you won't know the exact extra paid for the Tour (since prices can change often).

 

Make sense?

Mary

 

[ldubs]

7 minutes ago, Mary loves to travel said:

If you look when booking some cruises, there is an option to book the Cruise only, or to book what they call a CruiseTour.     The way to really know the price of the pre or post cruise "tour" is to compare, on the day one books, the price of the Cruise Tour versus the price of the cruise only, in the same cabin.

If one doesn't do that, you can see what the price difference is for future cruises, and will get a good idea, but you won't know the exact extra paid for the Tour (since prices can change often).

 

Make sense?

Mary

 

 

Of course it makes sense and that is why I don't understand how it would be unknown.   

 

It occurs to me that there could be some confusion if the tour included things like lodging that happened even though the site was canceled.  I've received refunds for a lot of cancelled tours (by us and by the provider) without any issue.   I'm just trying to understand what is happening here

[Buffalo Boaters]

No refund, and little info at this point in time! 
Thank you for all the kind words. We have an idea what the post land tour costs but until we get specifics we do not know. We have called Princess repeatedly and they refer us to our travel agent to sort it out. It may take another few months! When we booked this package, it was not separated, instead all in one. Again my story is a real reason to get travel insurance especially when losing luggage or buying in the cruise ship’s stores to make up for lost articles. I was in areas where things were difficult or impossible to replace!!

[caribill]

3 minutes ago, Mary loves to travel said:

If you look when booking some cruises, there is an option to book the Cruise only, or to book what they call a CruiseTour.     The way to really know the price of the pre or post cruise "tour" is to compare, on the day one books, the price of the Cruise Tour versus the price of the cruise only, in the same cabin.

If one doesn't do that, you can see what the price difference is for future cruises, and will get a good idea, but you won't know the exact extra paid for the Tour (since prices can change often).

 

Make sense?

Mary

 

 

The key, as you indicate, is knowing today what the option you did not purchase cost at the time the cruisetour was booked.

 

I have seen with a booked cruisetour that when the cabin category for the cruse only option was decreased, the cruisetour price did not change. So even looking at future cruisetour offerings, the pricing difference between cruise only and cruisetour may be quite different than in the past when the OP make their booking.

[caribill]

39 minutes ago, ldubs said:

You said the tour was offered through Princess.  Does that mean your money was paid to Princess via your TA?  

 

 

Paying for a cruisetour is just like paying for a cruise that does not include a pre- or post-cruise Princess sponsored tour.

 

Although the problem here is with cruisetouirs that involve Machu Picchu, the whole process is just the same as if purchasing an Alaska cruisetour

[ldubs]

7 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

Paying for a cruisetour is just like paying for a cruise that does not include a pre- or post-cruise Princess sponsored tour.

 

Although the problem here is with cruisetouirs that involve Machu Picchu, the whole process is just the same as if purchasing an Alaska cruisetour

 

Yes, thanks.  That is pretty obvious now that you say it.  Again my trying to identify why this refund is an issue made me think maybe something else was happening.   I think I'll retire my sleuthing hat at this point.  

[caribill]

6 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

 Again my trying to identify why this refund is an issue made me think maybe something else was happening.

 

There is no obvious reason that Princess could not have made the appropriate refund by now for both people that have posted having this problem.

 

o Princess knows what the portion of the Princess cruisetour price was for cruise and what part was for tour.

 

o Princess knows the customer did not cancel the tour, Princess (via their contractor) cancelled it.

 

There might be issues concerning other costs the customer had due to the cancellation:

 

o When the post-cruise tour was cancelled, what expenses, if any, did the customer have with regards to any need to change flights for returning home?  What about lodging and meals until the customer could fly home?

 

o With regards to the pre-cruise tour that was cancelled once the customer had already arrived for the tour, what about lodging and meals for the days until the cruise started as well as travel costs to the port if the arrival city was different?

 

Maybe those issues are holding up everything, but if that is the case then Princess, either directly or though travel agents, should let the customers know what is happening.