You truly will not believe this!!!!

[Colo Cruiser]

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

 

 

Wow took the words right outta my mouth. :eek:

[Colo Cruiser]

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...!

 

 

I agree, but I think the poster was looking for a lot more in compensation not just venting. :confused:

[lady_cruiser]

Lab welcome to CC. I am sorry this happen to you but thanks for letting us all know that there is a remote possibilty that it could happen to us.

 

NOTE TO SELF: When making changes to my itinerary make sure to ask if any additional money is required.

[bermuda triangle]

Lab,

Sorry that you had such an odd experience. I agree you should have been contacted. Mistakes do happen however. A bottle of wine is a nice compensation for a crisis that was unavoided. If you were unable to rebook, I could understand wanting more compensation since the error was at the Princess end.

Fortunately, this wasn't the case. I would have been more annoyed than anything if this had happened to me. I don't know if I would have taken my business to another cruise line, guess you were fortunate to find a cruise leaving from the same port on the same day since you had nonrefundable airfare booked.

Hope you enjoy your cruise,

Laura

 

PS I am sure many of the people who were rude to the OP would have been just as upset if they discovered they weren't booked for a cruise they had thought they booked. It wasn't about the wine........I'm pretty sure it was about the lack of communication regarding the cancellation.

[kooljamming]

No real way to determine intent (vent vs compensation) so ASS-U-MPTIONS, which say more about us, are substituted. In either case valuable lesson to be learned especially to the not so experienced traveler. What if we gave the benefit of the doubt, which would require us to be positive thinkers:D If neither is clearly stated, why always choose the worse case scenario, again more about us. Oops, the OP did say it was more about venting so no need to ASS-U-ME. We can choose to beleive the best or the worse in people but on CC it's usually the latter )-:

[wizard-of-roz]

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

 

Until "SOMEONE" else can take me to foreign lands on the most wonderfully managed, floating hotel; on the open seas; with all-inclusive food/room service/maid service and entertainment........And, most importantly get me out of the kitchen; away from the dust mop and the aggravating boss with the most mundane tasks to do!!!

You're damn straight I'll defend them!!!!!!!

[Toto2Kansas]

I am guessing that some of the answers here relate to the fact there seem to be many more posts than usual where passengers are wanting, or assuming they will receive, compensation for different types of stress placed on them because of a mix up, a mistake or other matters which are not actual problems that developed onboard a ship.

 

I agree, that the problems I have read posted by some the last couple of weeks would be very frustrating, and even tick me off a bit. But the posters seem to want ONLY the answers that agree with how they feel about what took place. Answers that explain why, or how these things could have happened, are not what they are looking for, they want others to agree they were wronged and want assistance on how to take care of this with the cruise line. Sometimes there is no answer, and no way to take care of a problem that only caused stress to the passenger, no matter who you might contact. Especially problems that were handled already by Princess. Dwelling on things that have already been corrected throws a bit of OCD in there IMHO.

 

Best of luck to those that feel they should be given MORE MORE MORE. But don't be disappointed when it doesn't happen. And above all, enjoy your next cruise, whatever cruise line you might choose! ;)

[CrownGal]

Princess in a pretty big company with automated software. You can hardly say on that particular day a customer service rep went in and deleted their booking. Or the software had an OOPS moment. My guess is the OP is the one who made the screw up. Let's face it, sometimes in our excitement we don't double check or read carefully enough.

[Dorset Cruiser]

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

 

 

Excuse me - there was nothing rude about my post - unlike some of the ones I was referring to.

 

And Colo Cruiser - neither you or anyone else have any way on earth of knowing just what the OP was looking for.

 

I am just glad that you are in no way representative of some of the genuinely nice people we have met on Princess ships.

[Ethel5]

Excuse me - there was nothing rude about my post - unlike some of the ones I was referring to.

 

And Colo Cruiser - neither you or anyone else have any way on earth of knowing just what the OP was looking for.

 

I am just glad that you are in no way representative of some of the genuinely nice people we have met on Princess ships.

 

I can also be thankful for the same back at you! :)

[Ethel5]

Just to clarify a bit here. ...

 

I had my booking cancelled when my TA died and another took over. Princess rebooked everyone and didn't transfer the preferred dining. I called and spoke to a supervisor. No problem and no compensation.

 

We had a 14 night cruise booked on the Grand for next month and Princess canceled it without warning and changed the dates to March. We couldn't make the March dates causing us to miss cruising with our friends..again no compensation. As it turns out, one of the couples has a serious medical issue and probably will not cruise again. There is no compensation for that.

 

So I am fully aware of the OP's feelings but it's time to suck it up and move on.

[readytogo2]

Excuse me - there was nothing rude about my post - unlike some of the ones I was referring to.

 

And Colo Cruiser - neither you or anyone else have any way on earth of knowing just what the OP was looking for.

 

I am just glad that you are in no way representative of some of the genuinely nice people we have met on Princess ships.

You are right, we have met genuinely nice people on Princess ships too. However, I really don't understand why you are calling people rude here. There has been posts suggesting what the OP shoulda coulda blah blah blah ....and maybe not being as sensitive as the OP or you feel they should be but just because they are not lending a shoulder to cry on, doesn't mean they are rude or not nice people.

[Coracii]

I guess to me, what it all boils down to is that the OP thought they should handle the booking without the assistance of a TA (I never use one either) and then had an error occur. Whether the cause of the error was a lack of due diligence by the OP after making a change or some quirk in the automated system that Princess employs is unimportant after the mistake had been caught and could have very easily been repaired with no change to the desired itinerary. The whole "what-if" discussion doesn't float for me, there's a whole lot of what-if's that can come up. I guess I always make the assumption that when something is exchanged for another more expensive selection I will owe more money. Even if the rep hadn't mentioned it, I would have specifically asked. I'm betting it's not at all uncommon for the reps answering customer service calls to not request payments if booked directly with Princess since the online Balance and Payment section details all costs. If people book without a TA, they should know to double check details or be willing to risk the outcome.

[Lookingforfacts]

I had a 7 night inside passage on the Star booked for 8/09 Just happeed to be online on Friday night to see if the price went down. When I typed in my category my own cabin popped up! I called cut. relations and they said that when I chnged my itinerary I did not give them the $36 increase so they cancelled my booking. I had no knowledge that I needed to add more of a deposit. The reservation agent from Princess that I spoke to did not ask me to add more of a deposit when I switched cruises and they did not send me a cancellation confirmation that apparently they are required to do. So I moaned and groaned and the best they could offer me was a complimentary bottle of wine. I explained the problems that could have occured if I had not happened to check on line....i.e. non-refundable airfare, no available cabins in my caegory of choice, family planning on joining us on this cruise, etc. no budging....still just the bottle of wine. I can not believe that in this economy with travel the way that it is..they would not do anything more for customer that has cruised with Princess a few times since 1989. I cancelled and am going with Celebrity!!!

 

I bolded a couple of sections of the OP.

 

Princess in a pretty big company with automated software. You can hardly say on that particular day a customer service rep went in and deleted their booking. Or the software had an OOPS moment. My guess is the OP is the one who made the screw up. Let's face it, sometimes in our excitement we don't double check or read carefully enough.

 

I'll speculate the CSR screwed up in not obtaining the credit card information at the time of the change. Funds from the old reservation were short of the amount needed to book the new reservation. My guess has at least as much chance of being correct as yours.

 

 

And Colo Cruiser - neither you or anyone else have any way on earth of knowing just what the OP was looking for.

 

I am just glad that you are in no way representative of some of the genuinely nice people we have met on Princess ships.

 

Several of us asked the OP what kind of compensation he was looking for. He said he didn't know. It's clear from his OP he was looking for more then a bottle of wine. Princess made a mistake and corrected it. They offered a bottle of wine as a way of saying I'm sorry. Many of us aren't being rude but think Princess offered more then enough for a situation that didn't cause any damage.

 

The OP did get over it. He booked with Celebrity. Many of us have used a minor issue as motivation to try something new.

[awhcruiser]

I totally agree....I really wanted to be on that March cruise but just couldn't...Because of the medical issue I have learned that people are way more fortunate than they know..

 

I'm sorry about what happened to the OP but life goes on....

 

Just to clarify a bit here. ...

 

I had my booking cancelled when my TA died and another took over. Princess rebooked everyone and didn't transfer the preferred dining. I called and spoke to a supervisor. No problem and no compensation.

 

We had a 14 night cruise booked on the Grand for next month and Princess canceled it without warning and changed the dates to March. We couldn't make the March dates causing us to miss cruising with our friends..again no compensation. As it turns out, one of the couples has a serious medical issue and probably will not cruise again. There is no compensation for that.

 

So I am fully aware of the OP's feelings but it's time to suck it up and move on.

[labrador2]

To all the Wonderful Princess Posters,

 

Wow, all I can say is it's amazing the response my original post has gotten. To put a positive spin on it, I never imagined that this many people would care sooo much about the problem or would assume that they know so much about me that they would take the time to keep this thing going as long as it has. (And some of you have suggested that I move on!!!????) It's interesting to hear those of you commenting on what I was thinking that day. Didn't know I was on mindreaders thread!

Anyway, guess who I got a call from today??? A Princess guest relations rep. who told me that she was calling because whenever you (I????) cancel a reservation Princess has a rep. call you. She wanted to know why we cancelled. I explained the situation. She was very understanding, and sympathetic. Funny how they call now but couldn't call to inquire about the additional deposit.

This will be the last post from me...so thank you for all the advice and criticism (I will think of it as constructive;most of it anyway).Happy Passover and Happy Easter. BON VOYAGE!

[Colo Cruiser]

To all the Wonderful Princess Posters,

 

Wow, all I can say is it's amazing the response my original post has gotten. To put a positive spin on it, I never imagined that this many people would care sooo much about the problem or would assume that they know so much about me that they would take the time to keep this thing going as long as it has. (And some of you have suggested that I move on!!!????) It's interesting to hear those of you commenting on what I was thinking that day. Didn't know I was on mindreaders thread!

Anyway, guess who I got a call from today??? A Princess guest relations rep. who told me that she was calling because whenever you (I????) cancel a reservation Princess has a rep. call you. She wanted to know why we cancelled. I explained the situation. She was very understanding, and sympathetic. Funny how they call now but couldn't call to inquire about the additional deposit.

This will be the last post from me...so thank you for all the advice and criticism (I will think of it as constructive;most of it anyway).Happy Passover and Happy Easter. BON VOYAGE!

 

I truly hope that you find a cruiseline that you are happy with.

[gmka]

Until "SOMEONE" else can take me to foreign lands on the most wonderfully managed, floating hotel; on the open seas; with all-inclusive food/room service/maid service and entertainment........And, most importantly get me out of the kitchen; away from the dust mop and the aggravating boss with the most mundane tasks to do!!!

 

You're damn straight I'll defend them!!!!!!!

__________________

I think Royal Caribbean can do the above Wizard of Roz

[luvthoseships]

As a just retired TA, at a large cruise office, with large Princess sales, we had this happen on various occasions. Even when a waitlist is confirmed and the client put down money, the res agent neglected to collect more, and the computer canceled the booking. It is like everything today...you have to watch everything constantly. It is so bad that I hated to take a check for deposit. Once I paid 1/2 on a credit card, sent the other by check electronically and they still cancelled it, as accounting hadn't posted it in time!

 

The other cruise lines were difficult with check deposits, but usually wouldn't cancel a booking for lack of finally payment until about 6 weeks out.

 

All I can say, is if you are doing your own bookings directly with Princess, watch your emails or faxes.

 

Cruising is the best and my retirement cruise is a Princess Cruise!

 

Luv those ships!

[DebsUK]

This is not the first (and likely won't be the last time that Princess does this or other cruies lines for that matter). Princess somehow "cancelled" my booking for our last cruise without any notice. I happened to catch it in much the same way as labrador2, several weeks after booking it and having recieved the confrimation of my reservation. Princess said it was a computer error, apologised and I also got the bottle of wine. I am quickly learning that no line is perfect (have just booked fourth cruise) and I have to take the bad with what is generally the really really good.

[pelicanpam]

I understand your being upset. One way to avoid such a problem would be to use a good travel agent instead of booking directly with the cruise line. They deal with the lines everyday and would give you the security of one more pair of eyes and ears ensuring such problems do not happen.:)

[shadowlover]

Wow! I just read through most of this thread. The poor guy just wanted a little confirmation of his feelings more than anything else. I'm sure that if this happened to any others of you out there you would feel the same way. I realize that it was a reaction to potential problems if his cabin was resold, but those problems would have been huge if he didn't just by pure luck realize what had happened.. I think the real issue wasn't that he didn't receive promise of huge compensation, but rather that the princess reps were not so responsive to his feelings. It probably was just who handled this issue. A good rep would have made him feel very important and validated his feelings therefore negating the need for huge compensation. A really good rep would have upgraded his cabin or refunded some of his money! I personally am also tired of poor personal service in this horendous economy. It has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not a cruise is a great vacation or with the fact that the service on board is great etc etc.

Labrador, I'm with you on this one.

[Tennant]

The person's reservation was CANCELED without their knowledge or consent. This is not a "what if" it's an actuality. Based on feedback from this board, I guess this thing happens all of the time. If this is true, then that's really sad. I've made dozens of reservations at hotels and never had soemthing like this happen. I don't regularly check my hotel reservations after I've made them, why should this be different?

 

I completely agree. This person booked a cruise with what they and most of us think is a solid reputable company. I am not sure if the compensation was enough or not, but I know how it feels. I think it is unfair to blame the customer when they did nothing wrong. When a change is made or a new reservation is booked, it is the obligation of the cruise line to make sure that everything is completed and confirmed.

[Times Prince]

To all the Wonderful Princess Posters,

 

Wow, all I can say is it's amazing the response my original post has gotten. To put a positive spin on it, I never imagined that this many people would care sooo much about the problem or would assume that they know so much about me that they would take the time to keep this thing going as long as it has. (And some of you have suggested that I move on!!!????) It's interesting to hear those of you commenting on what I was thinking that day. Didn't know I was on mindreaders thread!

Anyway, guess who I got a call from today??? A Princess guest relations rep. who told me that she was calling because whenever you (I????) cancel a reservation Princess has a rep. call you. She wanted to know why we cancelled. I explained the situation. She was very understanding, and sympathetic. Funny how they call now but couldn't call to inquire about the additional deposit.

This will be the last post from me...so thank you for all the advice and criticism (I will think of it as constructive;most of it anyway).Happy Passover and Happy Easter. BON VOYAGE!

I am pleased to hear Princess followed up with you and was able to hear first hand about your experience, and what it meant to you.

 

Regarding mindreading - as my wife reminds me ;), "Mindreading doesn't work." It is interesting to see how people's remarks are interpreted on this board (both positively and slightly distorted by perceptions), which is why it is good to take everything with a grain of salt and to respond to the facts as presented.

 

Have a great cruise, and many more in the future, whichever cruise line you choose to go with.

 

Peace,

Bob

[red4u2]

labrador2

I sure dont blame you for being upset, i would have freaked out too! i am often surprised myself at the lack of customer service these days! good luck and have a great cruise whoever you choose to go with