Is this common?

[msraye]

Friends and I booked a trip for Jan'05 roundtrip to Hawaii on the Regal Princess while on an Alaska cruise last May. We were notified that the ship was changed to the Island Princess. We weren't thrilled but oh well. Then learned that we were given a bad cabin. Okay we will change that. Then my conpanion found she couldn't go. Okay, I found someone else. This week we discovered that the handicapped cabin initially booked had morphed into a regular cabin with the ship change. then found that the $200 cabin credit is gone because one person changed. We got an accessible cabin but why the reduction in cabin credit? I feel totally ripped expecially as Princess is advertising $200 per cabin if you book now. Any words of wisdon? I didn't want to go to Hawaii in the first place--just going to spend time with my friend in the chair.

[Coral]

Sounds like this is the time you find out how good your TA is.

Princess doesn't change ships often but it is not uncommon. It is a mess when you try to rebook cabins after a switch in ships. I have sailed on the Island Princess' sister (Coral Princess) and it is a beautiful ship. I think you will like the Island.

Good luck with the shipboard credit issue.

[srphnx]

Ok, first of all I am on your side... so when I "try" to explain please know that I am not agreeing with my explanation.

The ship change... nothing to be done.
The cabin change.. likely to be a glitch, seems like you have it solved.
The credit change, likely because with the new person you "reissued". Which erased the old booking especially if you weren't the "cardholder" the one who made the deposit.

What I would do is get a good TA and rebook the cruise, you are well outside of penalty and the $200 credit is available for new bookings so become one. Even if for some reason you have already provided final payment, you can get that refunded and use the same $$ to rebook.

Two open Princess bookings
<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>
Diamond Princess 05/04
Mercury 06/02
Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98
Legend o.t. Seas 09/95
<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>
Diamond Princess 04/04
Sea Princess 01/02
Vision o.t. Seas 04/02
Star Princess 12/02<FONT color=red>
West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>
Ecstacy 09/01
Vision o.t. Seas 10/02
<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>
Century 12/97
<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>
Century 9/96

[msraye]

unfortunately, srphnx, new booking is not possible because Princess is explicitly blocking canceling and rebooking for the $200 cabin credit.