Princess don't want my money....HELP.

[Circusboy354]

I have been trying to book a 31 night cruise on the Diamond Princess fromn Bangkok - Auckland in a PS and guess what, Princess won't sell it to me.

 

Firsty they said this cruise is only available in the US (I am in the UK), when I pushed them on this then they said it was only available to past passengers.

 

How odd is this that Princess won't take my money for this cruise even though I am switching from Celebrity. They tell me I could book two back to back cruises, however this puts it outisde our budget. I find this so odd, we are interested in a PS suite and the second leg (Sydney - Auckland) is wide open, I thought they be very keen to sell it.

 

Does anyone know of a way around this (I don't have time to go on a cruise now).

 

Thanks

 

 

Mark.

[Nylsor]

I have been trying to book a 31 night cruise on the Diamond Princess fromn Bangkok - Auckland in a PS and guess what, Princess won't sell it to me.

 

Firsty they said this cruise is only available in the US (I am in the UK), when I pushed them on this then they said it was only available to past passengers.

 

How odd is this that Princess won't take my money for this cruise even though I am switching from Celebrity. They tell me I could book two back to back cruises, however this puts it outisde our budget. I find this so odd, we are interested in a PS suite and the second leg (Sydney - Auckland) is wide open, I thought they be very keen to sell it.

 

Does anyone know of a way around this (I don't have time to go on a cruise now).

 

Thanks

 

 

Mark.

Hi Mark

You don't say when this cruise is for - 2009 / 2010? I can tell you that Princess market their Exotic cruises in the US long before they are marketed in the UK. If you look at my signature you'll see we are booked on the Diamond Princess from Beijing to Bangkok this October. We had a terrible time trying to book and when this cruise did go on sale in the UK only inside cabins were available. We got a mini-suite only through our TA pulling in a favour and all categories have been waitlisted since last August. We looked at booking with a US TA but the flights were prohibitive. I understand from this board that Princess are now deterring TA's in the US from taking bookings from UK clients although some CCers say that this is still possible. As for the past passenger line - a tad unbelievable that any commercial outfit would rely entirely on past passengers particularly as the age profile for longer cruises is quite high (no disrespect intended).

You could try booking with a US TA - there is one who advertises on this board who has a free phone line for UK clients. However, you'd still have to book your own flights. Worth looking at IMO.

Ros

[chasetf]

It sounds like you are trying to book directly with Princess from the UK. Is that true.

 

What are the circumstances and who are you dealing with :confused: Princess directly..... off the internet...... a UK TA .......... a US TA :confused:

 

I have seen past posts where UK'ers have problems when going outside.

[soraya]

Hi, I'm trying to move my 2009 cruise to 2010. Can see it's for sale in the US, but not in the UK until autumn. This means all the cabins I want will have gone and that's the whole point of booking in advance for me otherwise I can take the last minute offers which I thought the lines didn't want you to do.

 

Getting fed up with trying to keep my business with a company that doesn't want it and if this doesn't work will take my business elsewhere. I wonder if Princess really want to lose the entire UK market?

[Circusboy354]

Hi Mark

You don't say when this cruise is for - 2009 / 2010? I can tell you that Princess market their Exotic cruises in the US long before they are marketed in the UK. If you look at my signature you'll see we are booked on the Diamond Princess from Beijing to Bangkok this October. We had a terrible time trying to book and when this cruise did go on sale in the UK only inside cabins were available. We got a mini-suite only through our TA pulling in a favour and all categories have been waitlisted since last August. We looked at booking with a US TA but the flights were prohibitive. I understand from this board that Princess are now deterring TA's in the US from taking bookings from UK clients although some CCers say that this is still possible. As for the past passenger line - a tad unbelievable that any commercial outfit would rely entirely on past passengers particularly as the age profile for longer cruises is quite high (no disrespect intended).

 

You could try booking with a US TA - there is one who advertises on this board who has a free phone line for UK clients. However, you'd still have to book your own flights. Worth looking at IMO.

Ros

 

 

Hi Ros

 

The cruise is for this year, Nov 2008. I have treid a travel agent and called princess direct in the UK. I did also get a quote (just to be sure it was still for sale) from a US website, however they charge full 3rd adult fare for our baby (who will be 15 months).

 

The TA i tried emailed back and said they can't sell it unless we're a past passenger. Most companies offer incentives to get people away from their competitiors, not princess. I am now thinking of a back to back on Celebrity Millennium instead.

[Nylsor]

Hi Mark

Should have been on sale in the UK since August 2007. Have you tried the large cruise specialists in the UK? Can't mention them here but they advertise every week in the Sunday papers. That's who we managed to book with after weeks of frustration. My daughter's FIL is an independent TA and he couldn't manage to get us a booking as he said that the large cruise lines deal almost exclusively with the large cruise specialist TA's. In the US Princess sells block bookings to TA's who then sell them on to their clients and don't release them until final payment is due. We found Princess in the UK absolutely useless apart from asking if we wanted a brochure - doh - we already had one! Left our details but they never got back to us nor could they give us any indication as to when bookings would open up in the UK. We wanted this cruise because of the itinerary and as a celebration of our 40th WA. To get booked was like pulling teeth. I wonder if the TA you dealt with told you the past passenger line because they couldn't get a booking ... just a thought. Is there a roll call for this cruise? If there is have a look and see if there is anyone on it from the UK. If so, post and ask them how they booked. Worth a try.

Ros

[Nylsor]

Hi Mark

Me again! There is a Roll Call for this cruise with about 60 posts. Can't see any UK folk. You could post and explain your dilemma and ask if it's true it's only for past passengers. That really seems a bit weird.

Ros

[Dorset Cruiser]

Hi, I'm trying to move my 2009 cruise to 2010. Can see it's for sale in the US, but not in the UK until autumn. This means all the cabins I want will have gone and that's the whole point of booking in advance for me otherwise I can take the last minute offers which I thought the lines didn't want you to do.

 

Getting fed up with trying to keep my business with a company that doesn't want it and if this doesn't work will take my business elsewhere. I wonder if Princess really want to lose the entire UK market?

 

 

They certainly don't encourage people in the UK to book with them. We get far fewer 'perks' than US and Canadian passengers. It is about time Princess treated ALL potential passengers alike, whatever their nationality - they seem to just want the UK to pick up all the least popular cabin categories after the US and Canadian markets have had their pick. Perhaps they would do well to remember that there are other cruiselines out there for us to pick from albeit most of them are owned by Carnival:(

[ConnyR]

Hi Mark,

 

we live in Germany and we can book this 31 days cruise. We find it at www.princess-cruises.de.

We are on the Diamond for the first part of this cruise from Bangkok to Sydney.

 

Hope you can book the cruise!

 

Conny

[konyagiqueen]

We wanted the Oct 08 cruise Beijing to Bangkok and asked for the brochure to be sent as soon as it came out - we didn't realize that USA had 2 months start on UK. Within 2 hours of the brochure arriving we phoned Princess UK direct and discovered that all outside cabins had gone - we have never cruised before and may never again as it is the ports on this cruise that we are interested in so we really wanted to have an outside cabin.

 

We then asked about the Nov08 and were told there was literally only one cabin left, not outside and it was AA. We took it at once and are really excited by the thought of the cruise. I spend hours poring over this forum and learning a lot about cruising, and have only just registered to post this reply. I really enjoy all the discussions. Now I will join rollcall, which I wasn't going to but might as well now.

 

However it really does seem very unfair and even discriminatory to give the US a 2 month's head start. I realize the brochure has to be redesigned for UK to include our flights and pricings, but 2 months is greedy!

[travguy]

I had the same experience when booking, from UK a cruise out of Sydney. Fortunately we have family in Australia and booked from their home address.

[WeBeGone]

I have been trying to book a 31 night cruise on the Diamond Princess fromn Bangkok - Auckland in a PS and guess what, Princess won't sell it to me.

 

Firsty they said this cruise is only available in the US (I am in the UK), when I pushed them on this then they said it was only available to past passengers.

 

How odd is this that Princess won't take my money for this cruise even though I am switching from Celebrity. They tell me I could book two back to back cruises, however this puts it outisde our budget. I find this so odd, we are interested in a PS suite and the second leg (Sydney - Auckland) is wide open, I thought they be very keen to sell it.

 

Does anyone know of a way around this (I don't have time to go on a cruise now).ThanksMark.

Book with an on line US provider. We can book UK passengers with no problems.

[Circusboy354]

Hi Mark

Should have been on sale in the UK since August 2007. Have you tried the large cruise specialists in the UK? Can't mention them here but they advertise every week in the Sunday papers. That's who we managed to book with after weeks of frustration. My daughter's FIL is an independent TA and he couldn't manage to get us a booking as he said that the large cruise lines deal almost exclusively with the large cruise specialist TA's. In the US Princess sells block bookings to TA's who then sell them on to their clients and don't release them until final payment is due. We found Princess in the UK absolutely useless apart from asking if we wanted a brochure - doh - we already had one! Left our details but they never got back to us nor could they give us any indication as to when bookings would open up in the UK. We wanted this cruise because of the itinerary and as a celebration of our 40th WA. To get booked was like pulling teeth. I wonder if the TA you dealt with told you the past passenger line because they couldn't get a booking ... just a thought. Is there a roll call for this cruise? If there is have a look and see if there is anyone on it from the UK. If so, post and ask them how they booked. Worth a try.

Ros

 

Hi Ros

 

Just called two of the cruise specialits advertising in the Sunday newspapers. One of them called princess and they say it is only open to past passengers. They said they will openit to new passengers from 1st August, but I'm not prepared to wait that long, all the cabins we are interested in would be gone for the first part of the cruise. We are looking at 33 nights from Bangkok - Auckland (Bangkok - Sydney and Sydney - Auckland).

 

It seems so strange that Princess are not interested in taking business away from what I would think is one of their biggest competitiors, Celebrity Cruises.

 

I am so fraustrated with this now I am not sure I want to sail with Princess at all.

 

Thanks to everyone who tried to help with a solution.

[Nylsor]

Hi Mark

So sorry you've been disappointed. I wouldn't be prepared to wait either. Seems strange business practice in a very competitive market. I wish you luck and hope that you'll be able to find another line prepared to accept your booking.

Ros

[flag fan]

I know some charter cruises are made available first to past passengers. This sounds like a similar arrangement. It is frustrating to see a ship fill up before getting a chance to book a cruise, but it is not unprecedented.

[Colo Cruiser]

Sounds like the award seat availability on the airlines. :rolleyes: