Change of Itinerary - can I switch cruise?

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

I have sailed many times with Princess now and know that itineraries change for a multitude of reasons and so normally I would just roll with it and enjoy the cruise where ever we go (as I have done in the past) but this one is different for me.

 

This time the change has happened some 8 months prior to the cruise departure and unfortunately the port  that has been removed is the very port, of all of them on the cruise, that I really wanted to visit. As the cruise is so far away what do you think my chances are of being able to switch my booking to another cruise without significant loss? I have placed a £600 deposit and booked through a TA. I know I will have to go back to the TA for any adjustments.

 

Also, I realise that the real answer will only come from Princess and my TA (I have asked already!) but I am very interested in what others have done and been allowed to do 🙂 

 

TIA

Edited September 14, 2023 by Snaxmuppet

[PacnGoNow]

6 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

I have sailed many times with Princess now and know that itineraries change for a multitude of reasons and so normally I would just roll with it and enjoy the cruise where ever we go (as I have done in the past) but this one is different for me.

 

This time the change has happened some 8 months prior to the cruise departure and unfortunately the port  that has been removed is the very port, of all of them on the cruise, that I really wanted to visit. As the cruise is so far away what do you think my chances are of being able to switch my booking to another cruise without significant loss? I have placed a £600 deposit and booked through a TA. I know I will have to go back to the TA for any adjustments.

 

Also, I realise that the real answer will only come from Princess and my TA (I have asked already!) but I am very interested in what others have done and been allowed to do 🙂 

 

TIA

I see your in the UK, so probably a Nonref deposit?

I would find something you really want to do and the best price and call the TA very soon. Explain the ONLY reason you want to change is because of the port change.

I would hope the TA would be able to work with PCL and protect your deposit and apply it to another cruise.  But, not being in the UK, Idk if others have been able to do this.  Hopefully, they can chime in.

 

[JG&Lcruisingnewbies]

Honestly? I think you’ll loose the deposit. That’s what the T& C say for cancellations 91 days or more away from cruise date And I think they’ll say a change of one port isn’t enough for them to re-book without loss of deposit.

 

I understand the upset though if the one port they change is the one you really wanted to go to.

 

I tried to cancel my booking after 24 hours and Princess, via my TA, said I’d loose deposit. Admittedly it was to take advantage of a new offer but I’d hoped so soon after booking I could do it. but sadly a no go. Loss of deposit wasn’t worth it. Was worth a try though!

 

cant hurt to try- I hope I’m very wrong! 

good luck 🤞 
 

[Gettingwarmer]

17 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

I have sailed many times with Princess now and know that itineraries change for a multitude of reasons and so normally I would just roll with it and enjoy the cruise where ever we go (as I have done in the past) but this one is different for me.

 

This time the change has happened some 8 months prior to the cruise departure and unfortunately the port  that has been removed is the very port, of all of them on the cruise, that I really wanted to visit. As the cruise is so far away what do you think my chances are of being able to switch my booking to another cruise without significant loss? I have placed a £600 deposit and booked through a TA. I know I will have to go back to the TA for any adjustments.

 

Also, I realise that the real answer will only come from Princess and my TA (I have asked already!) but I am very interested in what others have done and been allowed to do 🙂 

 

TIA

12. If a Passenger wishes to transfer to another Package, this will generally be treated as a cancellation under clause 33.  Princess Cruises, at its discretion, may allow the transfer without treating it as a cancellation if the Princess Cruises holiday to which the transfer is to be made departs within 12 months of the original and is for a higher fare. Agreement to transfer a Package would also be conditional upon such a request being made more than 90 days before the original scheduled departure date; there being availability; and to payment of both an administration charge of £100 and any expenses (such as airline and/or hotel charges) incurred by Princess Cruises as a result. Such a transfer would only be allowed on one occasion. The criteria for allowing transfers may be changed by Princess Cruises at any time without notice.  All transfers to another Package will be treated as a new booking. Any discount or promotion applicable to the original booking may not apply to the new booking, in which case the Passenger shall be required to pay any difference in fare.       

See the passage contract 14 not 12

https://www.princess.com/legal/passage_contract/

 

 

[startedwithamouse]

We've cancelled cruises which had deposits only with no problem before final payment. Never a penalty. We always choose the refundable deposit option using FCD.

Edited September 14, 2023 by startedwithamouse

[skynight]

6 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

We've cancelled cruises which had deposits only with no problem before final payment. Never a penalty. We always choose the refundable deposit option using FCD.

Are you in the UK or North America? Different T&Cs.

[startedwithamouse]

Just now, skynight said:

Are you in the UK or North America? Different T&Cs.

US. 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

@Gettingwarmer Thanks but I know what the contract says but it is people's experiences that I was really interested in 🙂

 

It will be difficult for any new cruise to be more expensive. We are restricted on how long the cruise can be so can't take a longer cruise and we are already booked into a Penthouse Suite.

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

28 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

We've cancelled cruises which had deposits only with no problem before final payment. Never a penalty. We always choose the refundable deposit option using FCD.

Things are much more restrictive in the UK as far as I can see from other posts.

 

We had no FCD but if you do book with FCD then it is refundable anyway so you would have been able to cancel anyway 🙂 

[startedwithamouse]

11 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

Things are much more restrictive in the UK as far as I can see from other posts.

 

We had no FCD but if you do book with FCD then it is refundable anyway so you would have been able to cancel anyway 🙂 

Ahhh, wow, the UK rules are different?!

 

FCD is not always refundable, you need to select a refundable (more expensive) option when booking.

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

7 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Ahhh, wow, the UK rules are different?!

 

FCD is not always refundable, you need to select a refundable (more expensive) option when booking.

In my experience deposits are not refundable in the UK except for refundable FCDs.

[Gettingwarmer]

40 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

@Gettingwarmer Thanks but I know what the contract says but it is people's experiences that I was really interested in 🙂

 

It will be difficult for any new cruise to be more expensive. We are restricted on how long the cruise can be so can't take a longer cruise and we are already booked into a Penthouse Suite.

Well we have moved a cruise by paying the £100 and being within the year and more price. If your thinking of the same cruise next year it most probably will be dearer. I don’t think they will make an exception. 

[Bedruthen]

I am in the U.K. I have transferred a cruise before. However the new cruise will need to be of a higher value for the cruise line to consider it and there will most likely be an admin fee. It’s all at their discretion unfortunately and post Covid, their view may have hardened.Good luck!

[Honolulu Blue]

NOTE:  I'm from the U.S.

 

I've seen cancellations (not necessarily on Princess) allowed when the changed stop(s) are significant enough to make it a totally different cruise.  For example, I've seen refunds offered for cruises that went to ONLY Bermuda that changed their itinerary to somewhere else for some reason.  I've also seen refunds for cruises that changed regions (e.g. Europe to Caribbean) - indeed, in that case, most of the time they'll default to a refund, if not actually force it.  Also, in the cases of weather, cruises can be changed and sometimes there will be a refund offer if the number of days and/or ports changes.

 

But in the more usual case of where the random port gets dropped for a different port or a sea day... I'm not optimistic about the chances of a refund for a normally nonrefundable deposit.  Trip insurance might cover this?  The CFAR clause could be used, but that almost always has a cost.

[NavyVeteran]

8 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

Things are much more restrictive in the UK as far as I can see from other posts.

 

We had no FCD but if you do book with FCD then it is refundable anyway so you would have been able to cancel anyway 🙂 

I don't know about the UK, but FCDs are not always refundable in the US. If you book a cruise with a non-refundable deposit using a FCD, then the FCD becomes non-refundable. An advantage of booking the non-refundable deposit cruise with a FCD is that you only lose $100 per person instead of a potentially much larger deposit.

[Ombud]

4 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

I don't know about the UK, but FCDs are not always refundable in the US. If you book a cruise with a non-refundable deposit using a FCD, then the FCD becomes non-refundable. An advantage of booking the non-refundable deposit cruise with a FCD is that you only lose $100 per person instead of a potentially much larger deposit.

😲 did NOT know this!! 1 more reason to only book a specific room with refundable deposit (if they omit Lisbon from my 2024 TA I most definitely will cancel & be thankful I'm not in UK. Love the country but not their PCL T&Cs)

[TW6cruiser]

You did not mention if you have travel insurance or not.  We normally pay for Princess insurance and then get upgraded level of insurance due to our captains circle status.  One time we changed a cruise altogether after final payment thru our travel agent as a “cancel for any reason” clause was in our insurance.  Our TA just worked with Princess to totally cancel the first cruise and rebook the second.  No true insurance claim was made since it was Princess insurance.  Just something else to think about.  

[Albinroo]

I'm also in Europe which almost always has non-refundable deposits no matter which cruise line (except Disney!). I have changed cruises before (not on Princess), and was told that if the new cruise costs more than the one I had booked the rep will put in a request to have the change fee removed. Again, this wasn't on Princess so it might not apply, but if there is a change fee it might be smaller than the deposit you paid which will give you at least some value from your original deposit. 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

18 hours ago, TW6cruiser said:

You did not mention if you have travel insurance or not.  We normally pay for Princess insurance and then get upgraded level of insurance due to our captains circle status.  One time we changed a cruise altogether after final payment thru our travel agent as a “cancel for any reason” clause was in our insurance.  Our TA just worked with Princess to totally cancel the first cruise and rebook the second.  No true insurance claim was made since it was Princess insurance.  Just something else to think about.  

Princess insurance is not available to us in the UK 😞 

[brynmelyndavid]

We live in the UK and had a Princess cruise from Southampton to the Canaries booked for last autumn on Emerald Princess. due to dry dock issues they announced just after final payments had been made that they were reducing the cruise from 12 nights to 10 and cutting out two ports (Lisbon and Lannzerote - the two we were most interested in). We contacted our Princess personal cruise specialist as we had booked direct and were able to cancel and receive a full refund in FCC. 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

19 minutes ago, brynmelyndavid said:

We live in the UK and had a Princess cruise from Southampton to the Canaries booked for last autumn on Emerald Princess. due to dry dock issues they announced just after final payments had been made that they were reducing the cruise from 12 nights to 10 and cutting out two ports (Lisbon and Lannzerote - the two we were most interested in). We contacted our Princess personal cruise specialist as we had booked direct and were able to cancel and receive a full refund in FCC. 

Yours was a much more significant change to the itinerary although our one is talking out two ports and adding in another that was not on the original itinerary so perhaps if we speak to our TA it might work out.

 

Thank you 🙂 

[BobandLizM]

On 9/14/2023 at 2:56 PM, Snaxmuppet said:

I have sailed many times with Princess now and know that itineraries change for a multitude of reasons and so normally I would just roll with it and enjoy the cruise where ever we go (as I have done in the past) but this one is different for me.

 

This time the change has happened some 8 months prior to the cruise departure and unfortunately the port  that has been removed is the very port, of all of them on the cruise, that I really wanted to visit. As the cruise is so far away what do you think my chances are of being able to switch my booking to another cruise without significant loss? I have placed a £600 deposit and booked through a TA. I know I will have to go back to the TA for any adjustments.

 

Also, I realise that the real answer will only come from Princess and my TA (I have asked already!) but I am very interested in what others have done and been allowed to do 🙂 

 

TIA

Looks like it is pretty well covered, but we live in Uk and had a cruise booked directly with Princess With FCD 1 year in advance but needed to reschedule it out to  a later date to coincide with a family wedding.  It took 15 minutes on phone to Princess and we were charged small admin fee £75 of each(can not remember exact)

 

 We have also cancelled other cruises in totality and rebooked same cruise, same room, lost  FCD but saved over £1000 in price reduction.

[Ombud]

Here's some bad news: while refaring a cruise yesterday my CVP says Princess is migrating towards all deposits being non-refundable like in UK!!!

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

8 minutes ago, BobandLizM said:

Looks like it is pretty well covered, but we live in Uk and had a cruise booked directly with Princess With FCD 1 year in advance but needed to reschedule it out to  a later date to coincide with a family wedding.  It took 15 minutes on phone to Princess and we were charged small admin fee £75 of each(can not remember exact)

 

 We have also cancelled other cruises in totality and rebooked same cruise, same room, lost  FCD but saved over £1000 in price reduction.

Yes... that is with FCD. This deposit is paid in cash 😞

Edited September 16, 2023 by Snaxmuppet