Multiple bookings question

[dizzyr]

I just got off the phone with Princess after a very frustrating phone call and I am not at all confident that I was given the correct info so I thought I would check here before calling them back.

 

I booked a cruise with me and my daughters (20 & 17) and the three of us are in one cabin. My mom said she would like to join us so I made a second booking with my mom and I in one cabin and left the original booking as is. The last day to cancel with no penalty is July. My mom is having some health issues and I'm concerned she may need to cancel (before July) and I don't want to lose the price we have for the cruise. Assuming these options happen before the cancel by date these are my questions:

 

1. If I leave the bookings as is and my mom is able to come will I be able to take my name off the booking with my daughters even though they are both under 21.

2. If I take my name off the booking with my daughters now and my mom has to cancel will I be able to add my name back to the booking at the same rate I'm paying now.

 

The princess agent I spoke to first said I would be able to take my name off the booking with my kids without an issue and then he said if I take my name off they will not be able to make any reservations and may have a problem at boarding (even though I would be with them) and he also said I would no longer be able to access their reservation. He then took me off the reservation with my mom which meant my mom was charged the solo traveler fee. When I told him not to do that he added me back but the rate was $100 higher and we lost our on board credit. He said he fixed it and when I told him I wasn't hanging up until I got an email confirmation that showed the right price or that it was showing correct in my princess account I wasn't hanging up and then he hung up on me. It's still showing the higher rate online and I never got an email confirmation showing anything different. 

 

Ugh.....this is my 5th cruise with Princess and I find it's hit or miss whether the person on the other line knows what they are doing.  

[cr8tiv1]

This may come too late to help.  When did you book this cruise?  Is it too late to turn it over to a Travel Agent?  I am not a travel agent.  
 

You have until July to make some decisions.  
 

Who is passenger 1 on your daughters’ booking?  
 

Since your mom isn’t sure….book yourself with your daughters.  Book your mom as a solo.  When it comes to final payment, add your name to your mom’s booking.  
 

Move one of your daughters to your mom’s booking.  That way, you will have an adult in each room.  Unfortunately, that will play havoc with you trying to get a pan adult beverage package.  
 

Make sure the bookings are tied together…next to each other…and marked no upgrade.  Or get connecting rooms.

 

Lots to digest.  Others will chime in.  
 

 

[dizzyr]

Thanks for the responses 🙂

 

I don't know when you can or can't turn it over to a travel agent so not sure if it's too late - I've never used a travel agent for any of my trips - what would be the reason you think I should turn it over to one? 

 

I did call back to get the price changed and it turns out the reason it was higher was the agent added in airport transfers which I didn't ask for and once they took that off the price went back to the correct price. They couldn't do anything about the missing onboard credits so I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told one wasn't available and to call back tomorrow. 

 

We won't be doing the beverage package so that's not an issue for this time but that's something to keep in mind for later cruises.

 

If I have my mom as a solo traveler and then add myself to it before final pay will it be at the rate on that date or the current rate given that I'd be taking me off on booking and adding it to another? There is a sale on right now so I want to make sure I lock in this rate.

 

I think if I call and get the bookings linked the kids should be able to be in their own room because they are both over 16 - they were on their own for our European cruise last summer and they were 19 and 16 and it wasn't an issue. 

[travelin.sisters]

17 minutes ago, dizzyr said:

Thanks for the responses 🙂

 

I don't know when you can or can't turn it over to a travel agent so not sure if it's too late - I've never used a travel agent for any of my trips - what would be the reason you think I should turn it over to one? 

 

I did call back to get the price changed and it turns out the reason it was higher was the agent added in airport transfers which I didn't ask for and once they took that off the price went back to the correct price. They couldn't do anything about the missing onboard credits so I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told one wasn't available and to call back tomorrow. 

 

We won't be doing the beverage package so that's not an issue for this time but that's something to keep in mind for later cruises.

 

If I have my mom as a solo traveler and then add myself to it before final pay will it be at the rate on that date or the current rate given that I'd be taking me off on booking and adding it to another? There is a sale on right now so I want to make sure I lock in this rate.

 

I think if I call and get the bookings linked the kids should be able to be in their own room because they are both over 16 - they were on their own for our European cruise last summer and they were 19 and 16 and it wasn't an issue. 

you have a lot of questions I can't answer, but the advantage of a good TA is that they will deal with all the Princess questions for you & you will have one person to talk to  (mine has called multiple times & spent hours on hold to make sure we get the right things, there is no charge for her services & sometimes there are extra perks like a specialty dining or free photo or..., but the biggest reason is that I can tell her what I want & then she makes it happen & can answer the kind of questions you have).

 

some of this may help answer your question about adding people or it might just be for the cruise we booked...a few months ago I booked a cruise for my sister to take her granddaughters on, one room with me & one of the granddaughters & one with my sister as a solo...then last week the other granddaughter decided she could come so we added her to my sister's booking & got it at the same rate we had booked & same OBC (it was just the additional taxes &fees added) the sale we booked under is not still going so it did work for us to do that, but I cannot say for sure that it always would...

 

there is a limited amount of time to transfer a booking to a TA but I don't remember what it is...however if you have a refundable deposit & the sale you want is still valid you could cancel & rebook through a TA if that is what you want to do

[Waynetor]

You have 60 days from booking to move to a TA

[travelin.sisters]

29 minutes ago, Waynetor said:

You have 60 days from booking to move to a TA

thank you, I thought maybe I had read they shortened it to 45, but 60 is enough time to rethink things.

[Shelly97060]

On 4/25/2023 at 6:41 PM, dizzyr said:

 

I think if I call and get the bookings linked the kids should be able to be in their own room because they are both over 16 - they were on their own for our European cruise last summer and they were 19 and 16 and it wasn't an issue. 

 

As long as you are traveling with them they will be allowed in their own cabin. You will want Princess to indicate on the bookings that you are traveling with each other - the rep will add a “Traveling With ID” code to both your bookings  (TWID for short).

[nnzz]

Could someone tell me the process for transfer a booking.  There is no information on the Princess website that I can find.  Is there a form?

 

 

[Rick&Jeannie]

1 hour ago, nnzz said:

Could someone tell me the process for transfer a booking.  There is no information on the Princess website that I can find.  Is there a form?

 

 

This appears to be an "official" Princess form:

https://www.militarycruisedeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Reservation-Transfer-Request-Form-1.pdf

 

[nnzz]

Thank You!

[cr8tiv1]

Fill it out, save as a pdf AND send as an attachment with an email.  If not, it prints out on two pages and Princess won’t accept it.  

[Rick&Jeannie]

2 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Fill it out, save as a pdf AND send as an attachment with an email.  If not, it prints out on two pages and Princess won’t accept it.  

PDF files *should* be able to use the "Print to Fit" option for your printer.  You should be able to "force" it to print to one page.  I just did.

 

(I guess that might be dependent upon your particular printer, though...)

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Rick&Jeannie

[cr8tiv1]

2 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

PDF files *should* be able to use the "Print to Fit" option for your printer.  You should be able to "force" it to print to one page.  I just did.

 

(I guess that might be dependent upon your particular printer, though...)

 

Princess will not take the time to “Print to fit”. They rejected both documents/times informing me that they could not see the information on one page. Go figure. Worked when it opened as pdf one page.

 

Only relaying my experience. 

Edited April 28, 2023 by cr8tiv1

[iamaqt2]

Princess policy is that at least one guest holding the stateroom booking is 21.  Your best option at this point is to either book your mom as a solo or move one of your daughters to grandmas cabin.  The problem you're encountering is that you can't occupy 2 cabins at the same time. So you can't be your moms roommate and be booked with your daughters. 
The biggest issue that could arise if you move a daughter in with grandma and you have to cancel is that you may not be able to move that daughter back in to the cabin if the lifeboat capacity in that vicinity has been reached.

[dizzyr]

24 minutes ago, iamaqt2 said:

Princess policy is that at least one guest holding the stateroom booking is 21.  Your best option at this point is to either book your mom as a solo or move one of your daughters to grandmas cabin.  The problem you're encountering is that you can't occupy 2 cabins at the same time. So you can't be your moms roommate and be booked with your daughters. 
The biggest issue that could arise if you move a daughter in with grandma and you have to cancel is that you may not be able to move that daughter back in to the cabin if the lifeboat capacity in that vicinity has been reached.

I’m currently booked in both rooms and I had a third booking that I just cancelled for the same cruise because I couldn’t get through to change the booking to the sale price so I just rebooked at the lower price and then canceled the original booking after. Before I canceled I was booked in three different rooms! I was surprised I was able to book the same cruise more than once - I can’t imagine that’s good for business since at least one booking is guaranteed to be canceled. 
 

[SCX22]

I know space will be an issue, but if you're willing, make a single booking for a quad room for all 4 of you.  If your mom decides she can't cruise, remove her from the booking.

[caribill]

15 hours ago, nnzz said:

Could someone tell me the process for transfer a booking.  There is no information on the Princess website that I can find.  Is there a form?

 

 

 

Your TA can handle all the details including providing a form if needed.

 

My TA does not need a form to get a booking transferred to her.

[caribill]

One important fact not mentioned is if your existing 4-person booking is a GTY or is for a specific cabin.

 

If it is a GTY, then if you remove your name from the booking a 2-person cabin may be assigned in which case you cannot get yourself added back to that booking.

[dreaminofcruisin]

I know that some people have really good TAs and I congratulate those of you who have found them. However, do not assume any old TA is going to do a better job than whoever you talk to at Princess. I have been through 3 TAs and given up. The ones I have had parrot whoever they happen to reach at Princess.....so not helpful.....

 

just sayin'....

[Cruise Raider]

24 minutes ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

I know that some people have really good TAs and I congratulate those of you who have found them. However, do not assume any old TA is going to do a better job than whoever you talk to at Princess. I have been through 3 TAs and given up. The ones I have had parrot whoever they happen to reach at Princess.....so not helpful.....

 

just sayin'....

I agree .. I have a fantastic TA that I use for all cruises other than for those with Princess, in which case, I use a Princess Cruise Vacation Planner.  
Many TAs will get the same people on the phone that the OP is getting.  Good TAs will know the ropes and fight for you.  Just to transfer it to some TA that you’ve never used before seems senseless to me.  
 

[Cruise Raider]

Even though you may not like this option, if there is a possibility your mom chooses not to go, she’d probably be better off booking in her own cabin and your sleeping arrangements can be up to you, especially if you get a cabin right across the hall, maybe an inside cabin.  It won’t muck up your booking if she decides to cancel, not to mention, you’d have two bathrooms and two closets to share amongst four women.  Also, you can arrange for the medallions to open both cabins.  
 

The agent is probably correct that you may not be able to get back into your original room at the same price .. it all depends on the promotion that is going on at the time you all decide upon who is going, who is not.  Just be sure to get a travel insurance that allows you to cancel for any reason, at least for your mother.  

[dizzyr]

23 minutes ago, Cruise Raider said:

I agree .. I have a fantastic TA that I use for all cruises other than for those with Princess, in which case, I use a Princess Cruise Vacation Planner.  
Many TAs will get the same people on the phone that the OP is getting.  Good TAs will know the ropes and fight for you.  Just to transfer it to some TA that you’ve never used before seems senseless to me.  
 

Yeah I feel the same way - I’ve never used a travel agent so I wouldn’t have a clue who to pick. I’m currently in San Francisco and will be boarding a cruise on Sunday. I’m planning on putting down a future cruise deposit so I think I’ll ask a bunch of questions then! 

[Crystabel]

On 4/27/2023 at 8:27 AM, Rick&Jeannie said:

This appears to be an "official" Princess form:

https://www.militarycruisedeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Reservation-Transfer-Request-Form-1.pdf

 

The email address to send the transfer request has been changed to: adminsupport@princesscruises.com 

I sent a request to the old email address several months ago, and it got lost somewhere in space. My TA let me know about the change, and presto! All was resolved.