You truly will not believe this!!!!

[nceyeguy]

Don't take this the wrong way but a customer who books an inside cabin and then continually checks for a possible price reduction isn't necessarily a customer Princess is going to spend $$$ to make happy.

 

Seriously?

[regnig]

In other words, molehill, meet mountain.

 

 

Well said Rob! :)

[Lookingforfacts]

I did not think that a bottle of wine was proper compensation for the bad business practice (or my heart stopping) that Princess showed me that day. I was not looking for a free cruise/upgrade etc. DOn't really know what I think should have been offered. I was very angry when I wrote the post because it had just happened. Now that the dust has settled and many of your opinions have been considered I still don't really think that the gesture was as wonderful as some people say it was but I'm happy that I was able to find out when I did and was able to book another cruise to one of the most beautiful places on earth. Maybe it's time to try another cruise line!

 

I don't think gesture was that wonderful, nor do I think Princess engages in bad business practices. They made a mistake and offered to correct it. You saw your cabin was available for booking. A phone call was enough to remove the cabin from inventory and restore the reservation to your name. You cancelled because you didn't think Princess offered enough compensation but you won't tell us what you were looking for. Sometimes it doesn't take much to motivate us to try a different company.

 

Seriously?

 

I misread the OP, he didn't book an inside cabin.

[KevinR]

I did not think that a bottle of wine was proper compensation for the bad business practice (or my heart stopping) that Princess showed me that day. I was not looking for a free cruise/upgrade etc. DOn't really know what I think should have been offered. I was very angry when I wrote the post because it had just happened. Now that the dust has settled and many of your opinions have been considered I still don't really think that the gesture was as wonderful as some people say it was but I'm happy that I was able to find out when I did and was able to book another cruise to one of the most beautiful places on earth. Maybe it's time to try another cruise line!

 

Hi Lab...

 

Does it really matter what others think? Or, only if everyone agree with you? The mistake was caught... by you. It was corrected... by them. They offered you a bottle of wine as a gesture of good will for the mistake. Most unbias, reasonable people would be happy the mistake was corrected, accept the wine and go on with their vacation planning all the more wise. Just an opinion, but you don't seem unbias or reasonable regarding this subject. Never type when upset. ;)

 

If you've switched to Celebrity and you're happy with the cruise you've chosen... why continue to worry about it? Life is too short to stress about "what if's". Especially since you caught the error.

 

You say you did not want a room upgrade. If Princess had offered an uppgrade to a full suite... would you have taken it? My guess is the title would have been the same, but the OP would have been about how great Princess is! :D

 

Oh... gotta go... UPS is here with my BUBBA KEGS!!

 

HAPPY CRUZIN'

[Ephraim]

Honestly, stuff happens. And honestly, I would have been fine with the compensation. Of course, I use an agent and she's always managed to keep stuff like this off my radar. She's great for sending me a confirmation minutes after the transaction.

 

It's unfortunate. It's human error. They should have better practises to catch such things. I'm happy that they did offer compensation, even if it was just a bottle of wine. Many lines wouldn't have even offered that.

 

Sorry that it happened to you. But look at the bright side, it gives you a chance to try another cruise company. All the best of luck with Celebrity and with your cruise.

[gertz]

I can't believe I read the whole thing. Holly my gosh it is about nothing.

It seems to me it could have been corrected with little effort and charge it off to stuff happens.

 

Jack

for the

[labrador2]

SO how did you like Celebrity?

[Garn]

Jeez, people, do you really need to jump down the OP's throat so much? As he (or she?) said, he was shocked and angry about what happened. I know I would have felt the same way, thinking about what a nightmare it would have been getting it all untangled, especially with other travelers involved.

 

How often is it prudent to check your reservation? Do you need to do it weekly? Daily? If there's a chance that it will just disappear, that's something that I'm at least glad I know. I just got off the Ruby with family in 4 different cabins- if one of them got canceled or relocated it would have been a big deal. And if while the reservation was in limbo, that cabin had been taken, what then? I'd rather have had a balcony with the rest of my group than a suite a few decks away.

 

The OP has stated that they didn't know specifically what he wanted. Can't you believe him? I think a simple acknowledgment of how much hassle it could have been and some sincere apologies from Princess would have gone further than a bottle of wine or an OBC. It's the gesture that counts- saying "We screwed up, and we're really sorry" is what matters.

 

It's been documented that you get more customer loyalty after handling a mishap well than just by providing flawless service. Princess didn't seem to realize that they had fences to mend, and lost a customer, instead of gaining a more devoted one. They blew the opportunity to excel.

[kooljamming]

Don't take this the wrong way but a customer who books an inside cabin and then continually checks for a possible price reduction isn't necessarily a customer Princess is going to spend $$$ to make happy. The errror was corrected and the OP was offered a bottle of wine.

 

In this economy please say that isn't so? I would rather believe that they look at the error more than who the error is done to. To the best of your knowledge what customer is worth Prince$$ time and effort? I know things posted here don't always represent what the company is all about and I hope is one of those times. I can't even imagine having a genuine problem and think as an 'insider' my concerns aren't taken as seriously.:eek: As a insider (which I usually book) I would have gladly accepted the wine and thank my lucky stars it got resolved sooner than later. Speaking of motivation to try another company, if this is true. Some of you are more knowledgeable on the company's philosophy and I guess find this business approach acceptable. Be careful when that can't be bother attitude move pass your cabin category.

[Ephraim]

SO how did you like Celebrity?

 

We were expecting it to exceed the experience that we had on Princess, but found it to be on a par. Maybe it was because we were on a smaller ship. We just had higher expectations of the food. (And don't get me started on the horseradish... creamed?) The ship was nice. The service was good. The food at the buffet was fine (though we found it turned cold quickly).

 

Basically for the most part, on a par with Princess... not better. Though Princess large ships have more entertainment and have the personal choice flexibility.

[cruiserbryce]

seems like a breakdown in communication but I am not sure it would be enough for me to jump ship to another line that I have enjoyed very much...since there was no big thing why not just let it go?

[gmka]

I find it very amusing how so many of you defend PRINCESS no matter what they do. I think it would be a completely different story if this had happened to you.:p

[Pam in CA]

I did not think that a bottle of wine was proper compensation for the bad business practice (or my heart stopping) that Princess showed me that day. I was not looking for a free cruise/upgrade etc. DOn't really know what I think should have been offered. I was very angry when I wrote the post because it had just happened. Now that the dust has settled and many of your opinions have been considered I still don't really think that the gesture was as wonderful as some people say it was but I'm happy that I was able to find out when I did and was able to book another cruise to one of the most beautiful places on earth. Maybe it's time to try another cruise line!

Let me put this into perspective a bit. Last summer, while on the Crown Princess, the toilet in my cabin was non-functioning for 8 days out of my 10-day cruise. I mean, NON-functioning. Do you know how disgusting, awful that is? I did everything I could to get it fixed, reporting it 2x-3x a day to the Pursar's Desk and my steward reported it to his Supervisor every day as well. After it was finally fixed, they offered me a bottle of wine and I told them that was unacceptable for my inconvenience. When I returned home, I sent a letter to Princess and was eventually properly compensated for the "real" inconvenience. This wasn't a "what if" or "could have been."

 

If you feel there's been a problem, you need to document exactly what happened, what you tried to do to correct it, and what the result was. If you do that, Princess will respond appropriately. The OP reported the problem and it was corrected. IMHO, a bottle of wine was the appropriate gesture as the issue was resolved while it was still correctable. If it couldn't be resolved and the OP couldn't get their original cabin back, then I think more compensation is called for.

 

As for checking your Cruise Personalizer, I go over every booking confirmation with eagle eyes to make sure every line item is correct. Then, I check the Cruise Personalizer every now and then; I'm not obsessive about it as I know that mistakes are very rare.

[jagsfan]

I still don't understand. When OP got the confirmation of the new cabin, did he check

the figures? If he checked the figures, is he saying it did not show any monies due

toward deposit? My confirmations always show what I paid for deposit and what is

due on fpt date. If his showed that his deposit was paid in full and nothing due until

final payment, then he has a legitimate gripe.

I always feel better to have everything in writing, and I check it over very carefully.

Mistakes can occur with the best of intentions. Assume nothing, trust everybody,

and cut the cards.

[Ethel5]

I find it very amusing how so many of you defend PRINCESS no matter what they do. I think it would be a completely different story if this had happened to you.:p

 

 

I don't think this is a fair statement to make this time. This particular case doesn't warrant the "what if's" and "could have beens" that the Op is looking for. Sorry, she doesn't get an upgrade or $1000 cabin credit for a "what if" when everything has been reinstated and no harm was done. Unfortunately, one must be responsible for yourself in any transaction. I have a TA that I would trust with my life but I still check on my reservations-we are human after all.

[readytogo2]

I find it very amusing how so many of you defend PRINCESS no matter what they do. I think it would be a completely different story if this had happened to you.:p

Did I miss somethng? I really don't recall anyone defending Princess on this matter. Everyone said they made a mistake.And Princess admitted it.

Would I like it if it happened to me?...NO WAY.... But and that's a big but...if I experienced what the OP did, I would have freaked out,called Princess, gave them a piece of my mind and try to have it corrected. The worst thing that happened to the OP is they got freaked out and worried, but only until they made the call and had it fixed. It did not ruin their cruise, maybe put a damper on the planning but certainly not ruined their vacation.

[riteonglor]

I don't think anyone was defending Princess. It was just hard to understand why the OP was so upset when every thing turned out just fine. Got the same cabin plus a bottle of wine. What more did he/she want. Sounds like he/she was just looking to hit the lottery over it, which would be rediculous. No harm done. This "what if, what if," is purely nuts...what if the world ends tomorrow. What if the cruise ship sinks...you can ..what if everything to death if that's your mentality. It makes me wonder how this person gets out of bed in the morning, after all, "what if"............

[caribill]

 

As for checking your Cruise Personalizer, I go over every booking confirmation with eagle eyes to make sure every line item is correct. Then, I check the Cruise Personalizer every now and then; I'm not obsessive about it as I know that mistakes are very rare.

 

 

Please note that the OP did check the cruise personalize and his cruise was still listed there.

 

It was only while he was checking pricing that he noticed his cabin was one of the six listed (no matter how many more were actually available) as being available.

 

So, it is not enough to check the cruise personalizer now and then. You must also check through pricing to see if your cabin is listed as being available. And even if it isn't one of the six listed, must specifically check for that cabin number to be sure.

 

How often should you, as a customer, actually go through that much effort to make sure that Princess has not cancelled your reservation?

 

And even if your cabin was not shown as being available, it could be your reservation was cancelled and resold.

 

What the OP has shown is that you cannot always trust the cruise personalizer.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I'm astounded that many of you feel that giving Princess a pass is the way to go here. What if you ordered something from Walmart and decided to have it shipped to the store. Then, Walmart e-mails you and says that what your ordered has arrived. You go to the store to pick it up and Walmart tells you they decided to sell it to someone else. How would you feel? That is tantamount to what has happened here. The consumer should NOT have to police the vendor in my opinion. Labrador2 entered into an agreement and without warning had that agreement terminated. This COULD have had disasterous results. It did not, thankfully, but Princess should have fully acknowledged their mistake and shown a little more interest in satisfying a loyal customer than a bottle of wine that they probably pay $3.00 for.

 

Princess didn't resell his cabin and he could have had it back. Sounds like you are another what if kind of person.

 

And your point about Labrador being taken care of because he was a loyal Princess cruiser is laughable.

 

He said he cruised a few times on Princess in the last 20 years.

 

And why should a past cruiser receive more consideration than a person who had never cruised with them before. All customers should be treated equally.

 

Bill

[voyagerfl]

Like I said, I hope you don't get another surprise on another cruise line.

Don't understand why you just did not have Princess rebook you in the same cabin and enjoy your wine. :)

 

I get the feeling the poster really was venting more about the situation that happened than the bottle of wine........and you have to admit, it would have been a little weird to find you were not booked...when you would have expected the cruise line to let you know that...!

[Dorset Cruiser]

I have just read through this thread, only out of interest, and was not intending to post a response. However, I really cannot believe how dreadfully rude so many of the posters have been to the OP. Really, if you cannot find a way to give your opinion politely, then you should not bother to post at all.

 

OP - if it were me, I would sit down and compose a polite and reasoned letter to Princess stating how upset you have been made over this problem with your cruise booking. This should bring about an explanation as to what happened to your booking. I know I would have been as upset as you if it had happened to me - whether or not I got my originally booked cabin back or not, especially considering what a loyal cruise customer you have been to Princess.

 

Please, could all the impolite posters on this thread (and there are many) note that I do not need to have any response from them - IMHO they have all said too much already.

[Cruzin4Life]

Why don't we all just learn a lesson from this. Whenever you make any changes to your booking, check, check and check again. I.e Ask if there is any more moneys due, your cabin is still assigned, etc, etc. We all make mistakes and maybe this day it just "slipped" the rep's mind to mention the extra $36. Who knows?

We are no expert cruisers and have only done 3 cruises so far, so this is just my humble opinion. Travelling from South Africa to get onto a cruise, well that just takes forever... 28+ hours door to ship.

We have just finished our first cruise with Princess and I for one will probably not even try any of the other lines in thy future. RCCL was great as well (hey any cruise is better than no cruise, right?), but we had the GREATEST time on the Emerald Princess.

 

Hope you have a good time on Celebrity.

[kooljamming]

Why don't we all just learn a lesson from this. Whenever you make any changes to your booking, check, check and check again. I.e Ask if there is any more moneys due, your cabin is still assigned, etc, etc. We all make mistakes and maybe this day it just "slipped" the rep's mind to mention the extra $36. Who knows?

We are no expert cruisers and have only done 3 cruises so far, so this is just my humble opinion. Travelling from South Africa to get onto a cruise, well that just takes forever... 28+ hours door to ship.

We have just finished our first cruise with Princess and I for one will probably not even try any of the other lines in thy future. RCCL was great as well (hey any cruise is better than no cruise, right?), but we had the GREATEST time on the Emerald Princess.

 

Hope you have a good time on Celebrity.

 

So many have nothing to learn so they discourage others from sharing. I am now checking all my reservations, airlines for travel by land and sea. Heavens for bids if you are not the lucky ones who have all the travel experience in the world or know NOT to trust a company to do certain things. Not everyone knows the red flags because they travel not monthly but annually or even less. It's a amusing how the complaints about the what if simply turned into you shoulda, why didn't ya, don't understand why...does it matter? They chose something else and provided information for the less experienced traveler to learn from. We had a fantastic time on Sapphire Princess with the Golden now booked (and checking reservation) but never anticipate from reading some of the things on this board.

[hubofhockey]

I guess some just saw the OP as an opportunist.

 

There was a correctable error and it was corrected. The OP was made whole. The OP wanted to be made greater than whole and the question is how much is enough. That is what this entire thread is about. How much is enough? A cabin upgrade? $100 OBC? More?

 

I get upset when an erroneous charge pops up my account while I am on board. I have to spend too much time during my cruise correcting it. I am just happy if it gets corrected. I also get upset if I am treated rudely by the company. It doesn't sound like that was the case here. All of that said, Princess' policy of cancelling of booking over things like this is a bad business practice that needs to end. Companies that communicate poorly with customers risk losing them.

[Ethel5]

 

Please, could all the impolite posters on this thread (and there are many) note that I do not need to have any response from them - IMHO they have all said too much already.

 

And the pot is calling the kettle ..................................:rolleyes: