Misunderstanding of onbard booking

V

vapat

Guest
We booked a future cruise in May 2002 when cruising the Panama Canal on the Sun Princess. The "Lovely Larissa" was the agent. We were led to believe that we would receive a shipboard credit from $25 pp to $150 pp depending on the cabin. Well, we booked a land cruise tour and received $50 each. I have spoken to travel agent and Princess customer service.
The deal is:
$25 pp inside
$50 pp oceanview for seven day cruise

$75 pp inside
$100 pp oceanview for 7-9 day cruise

$125 pp inside
$150 pp oceanview for 9-15 day cruise

We are doing a 13 day land tour-cruise to Alaska, but the credit is based on the 7 day cruise portion only. This smacks of bait and switch, when the industry was in a slump in spring 2002, the bait was $25 to $150 pp depending on cabin. Now it's length of cruise. The paper work does not specifically mention what determines the credit. We have only the verbal assurances of the "Lovely Larissa". We are now regretting tying up $200 for 2 years. Any one else have this misunderstanding?
 
C

CruisJack

Guest
vapat
Date: 05-02-04 16:09
Explore, Dream, Discover...

We booked a future cruise in May 2002 when cruising the Panama Canal on the Sun Princess. The "Lovely Larissa" was the agent. We were led to believe that we would receive a shipboard credit from $25 pp to $150 pp depending on the cabin. Well, we booked a land cruise tour and received $50 each. I have spoken to travel agent and Princess customer service.
The deal is:
$25 pp inside
$50 pp oceanview for seven day cruise

$75 pp inside
$100 pp oceanview for 7-9 day cruise

$125 pp inside
$150 pp oceanview for 9-15 day cruise

We are doing a 13 day land tour-cruise to Alaska, but the credit is based on the 7 day cruise portion only. This smacks of bait and switch, when the industry was in a slump in spring 2002, the bait was $25 to $150 pp depending on cabin. Now it's length of cruise. The paper work does not specifically mention what determines the credit. We have only the verbal assurances of the "Lovely Larissa". We are now regretting tying up $200 for 2 years. Any one else have this misunderstanding?


Ahoy Vapat :)

We have booked three future cruises whilst on board a Princess cruise and
have always received the credits as you have outlined above. Last
September, we took a three day inland Alaskan tour and a seven day cruise
from Seward to Vancouver and received $50 pp shipboard credit as promised.
We have never been led to believe that the land tour was included in
determining the amount of shipboard credit. I don't think that there ever
was a bait and switch involved in your booking.

I think that your subject says it all -- there was a misunderstanding on
your part. Perhaps, the agent did not clearly explain that the credit was
based only on the length of your cruise.
I'm sorry that you were disappointed in the amount of credit
you received.
Hopefully, your cruise and land tour exceeded your expectations.
 
S

seagarsmoker

Guest
Ditto what Jack said. We've done this before and the paper work specifically does not include land tours. You still came out ahead on this, you put down less deposit than everyone else and you did receive onboard credit.
 
V

vapat

Guest
How odd, the paperwork we received in May 2002 onboard the Sun Princess does not indicate the shipboard credit is for the length of cruise. I got that information from Princess customer service on May 2, 2004.

The exact sentence is:
Shipboard credits from $25.00-$150.00 pp towards your next voyage.
ONBOARD SPENDING MONEY! (bold capitals are princess')

In my opinion, purposefully vague so the salesperson and lead you on about the amount of credit. Live and learn.

Our travel agent books our cruises with a $100/person deposit. Have used him for the past three cruises. In future, we will stick to booking with our local agent. At least, the money stays in the community and he has a family to support.
 
L

ljeanbrown

Guest
I would think that the word" Voyage" would mean cruise and not a land tour. I have always understood the shipboard credits to mean towards your next Cruise and that would in turn mean the length of the cruise not the cruise and the land package. I really don't see a bait and switch here. Sorry you feel you were mislead.
 
C

cappydog

Guest
You may regret having tied up $200 for two years but if you had left that money in the bank for those two years would it have earned $100 in interest? You are still earning $100 onboard credit, even if you were expecting more. I don't know of any banks where you can make 50% profit from interest in only two years time.
 
C

croozinsuz

Guest
You can assign the booking to your TA. You just neeed to fax a letter to Princess.

The offer is combinable with Captain Circle Regional or National promotions AND Groups held by your TA. Making this a great deal.

I am a TA and always book a future cruise while onboard. It's just such a good deal I just can't pass it up!!



Post Edited (05-05-04 16:07)
 
I

IBDP

Guest
I have a questions regarding the price of a future cruise when you book it on board; does one pay the "Princess Cruise Line" brochure rate? Of course we all know that one can (almost) always get a better price by booking online...do we have that option if we book
a future cruise while on a cruise????

Just wondering.

Regards,

Donna
 
C

Cruise cutie

Guest
I got a "ghost open ended booking" in Feb 2003..I held it until August of last year and got the booking for my Back to Back Golden Princess for February 2005 with the credit of shipboard and deposit as promised from my Ghost booking..I booked my cruise through my personal TA> and got a fabulous rate 18 months prior to sailing!!..You do not have to book the "BrochurePrice"..it's transferable to any TA. you want..Joanne
 
C

cherylandtk

Guest
Donna,
IF you book a specific cruise, I believe you get the same deal Princess offers on all bookings (whether TA booked or onboard or direct); if the price goes down you can get re-booked at the lower price. But you do have to keep track of the going rates/categories, Princess will not necessarily notify you of the rate decrease (but a good TA will).

IF you book a non-specific cruise (Zcruise) you get the rate in effect when you finally decide which cruise you want, but again, if the rate gets discounted you can take advantage of it. We pre-booked in 2001 and are finally taking that cruise this summer. We got our ship credits and we took advantage of two price reductions.

At the time we pre-booked, we had4 years to decide which cruise to take and 5 years to take it, so I cannot see how you can go wrong with a pre-book.
 
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