Have any UK residents ever booked direct through the USA?

[ourlol]

In the words of Robert Frost... [i]"I'm not confused, I'm just well mixed."[/i]

It would appear however that a little ray of sunshine has appeared on the horizon. Thanks Lynne!

Next step, of course, is to try and work out who it is :D

Laura

[spongerob]

[quote name='UKLady']Well Spongerob looks like your going to have lots of UK friends ;) [/QUOTE]

I hope so! We're coming to visit this summer. I expect it will be a smashing trip.

[UKLady]

[quote name='Ms Jo UK']UK Lady I am glad you started this thread, this subject makes me really angry and needs a good airing and I havn't even cruised Princess yet. I am starting to research Carnival just in case everything for Princess falls apart. As much as I desire to sail the Princess Line, I will not pay more just because of my nationality, as a previous poster voiced that is discrimination and I don't do discrimination.

Jo[/QUOTE]

I understand where you are coming from completely. I thought I would never cruise with anyone other than Princess but have found myself looking at Celebrity and Royal Carribean cruises

I am happy with the way we are exchanging information here however if you really want to give the topic an airing and make more UK passengers aware maybe it would be worth changing the title of the post to something more appropriate - can I do that or would a new thread have to be started.

[UKLady]

[quote name='ourlol']In the words of Robert Frost... [i]"I'm not confused, I'm just well mixed."[/i]

It would appear however that a little ray of sunshine has appeared on the horizon. Thanks Lynne!

Next step, of course, is to try and work out who it is :D

Laura[/QUOTE]

Hey Laura nice to see that smile!!

Now we just have to find out if it really can be done and isnt all just a dream lol

[UKLady]

[quote name='spongerob']I hope so! We're coming to visit this summer. I expect it will be a smashing trip.[/QUOTE]

I will keep my fingers crossed for you that we have a warm sunny summer and not a typical english one!!

[soraya]

I hope you don't think this too cheeky, but would you mind emailing me the US the TA who still takes UK Princess bookings. I know you can't post them on the boards, so I hope this isn't against the rules. If it is, moderators, please have mercy on UK cruisers - the odds are stacked against us already!

 

My emails is sorayascot@yahoo.co.uk

 

Thanks, Soraya

[midtracy]

Hi all

Please if you can let me have details of US--TA, l am feed-up of being riped off by Princess UK,this is discrimination,one must do something about it.

email midtracy@hotmail.com.

hope to hear from you

Tracy

[peterv]

Sorry for the delay in response.

 

I booked the cruises mid April.

 

My travel agent also has no problems doing it again.

Cheers,

Peter

[barriedavis]

Couple of things about the above comments:-

 

1. I have a letter form Princess from early 2004 about this problem if any editor wants to see it. It is not new.

 

2. I have successfully booked with Holland America (a Carnival line) and enjoyed the trips. They were very cheap for a Brit booking direct with the US.

 

3. I have two US Captains Circle numbers and a British one. I asked on my recent Sapphire cruise if I could merge them. The rep rather rudely thrust a piece of paper in my direction and asked me to write down my American address to prove that I was able to do this. I told here that I did not have one and she told me it was impossible to get a US CC number without a US address and turned her back on me. She looked rather embarrassed later that night when I turned up at the CC party as one of the most travelled passengers.

 

4. There's a guy in the UK who has a website about consumer affairs and saving money. If there is anything in this "buddying up" idea, I think he may have some software which may help as he is about to launch a scheme to put people in touch with each other so they may both receive introductory benefits (You know, itroduce a friend and you both get £20).

 

5. I know someone said that we could pair up with people across the pond who are travelling on the same trip and some degree of trust would be involved. I understand the Paypal is an ideal medium for transferring money abroad, quite cheaply and you can use a credit card. Anyone know anything about this?

[antsp]

..............

[UKLady]

With regards to paypal I have a business on ebay and use paypal all the time for UK and overseas customers.

 

You can send money to each other using credit or debit cards using only an email address so the other person does not get your details.

 

It is an excellent way to transfer money to individuals over the internet but I have the back up of an ebay transaction as my security not sure how 'safe' it would be just sending person to person if you were strangers.

[Ms Jo UK]

OK anyone got any new information on this topic.

 

I am hoping Dec 06 prices will be out soon so that I can have a try,

[swimcoach]

We cruise in august 05 and booked direct with Princess (we knew nothing else) - so it is too late this time (all is booked - pre-cruise stay etc). We cruised last time 4 years ago, so it is not a yearly event for us. But if we could find a slightly cheaper way of doing so we would cruise more often (all the time if I had my way).

 

Please could someone be very kind and e-mail me a US TA information to gill@harrowswim.org.

 

Thanks very much

 

Gill

[UKLady]

Heres my update following a number of telephone calls, emails and letters.

 

Legally we cant do anything as the US is not part of Europe it doesnt come under any fair pricing laws etc. Princess cruises can charge what they like its up to the customer whether they are willing to pay it or not.

 

My direct complaint to Princess has still yet to receive a reply - no surprises there.

 

The which holiday magazine has replied saying that they found the story very interesting and that they would be investigating further - could result in the story in the magazine and if not they do constantly campaign against issues they feel are unfair and try to get the company to change.

 

And with regard to TA's I have had one TA say they will be happy to help me with my booking. They dont seem to be aware of the new rules and I dont think Im going to risk being left at the port if I book.

 

If anyone sucessfully books and travels with no problems please update us here.

[ourlol]

Nothing really to report from my end (I'm a bit preoccupied elsewhere at the moment) other than to say I had to pay my final balance for my cruise yesterday and my US TA again stated how sad she was at not being able to sell to the UK any more. She doesn't know how others are saying they can do it, unless they don't know any better. She is not prepared to take that chance with her clients until she has a guarantee from Princess that it would be okay to proceed. I respect that. There must be something in it... for she is hardly going to be 'wanting' to turn business away. If anything changes she has promised to let me know.

[floridakeith]

Here is an interesting comparison of US vs UK prices. This is an extract from an e-mail I got today from a US cruise agent for the Golden Princess -10nt r/t Southampton to Dublin, Holyhead, Wales, Belfast, Greenock (Glasgow),, Kirkwall & Edinburgh. 5/22 -$699 in; $999 ocvw; $1249 Balcony; $1549 Mini-Suite.

 

$699 is less than £388 at a time when UK agents are showing this cruise at typically £589. A real bargain if Princess will allow a UK person to book it.

 

I am a green card holder who lives in Florida but as we are retired visit the UK in the summer to visit UK relatives. We have a UK friend who often flies out to cruise with us in the winter. We have always booked and paid for her cruise at the same time as ours with our US travel agent. So far there has never been a problem on either Celebrity or Princess. Our most recent cruise was on Sun Princess on 27 February. We even got her a missed port credit on board when rough weather meant we had to skip Princess Cays even though the same credit was being denied to other UK passengers. They said this was because US passengers are billed separately for port charges and taxes, whereas the UK prices are all inclusive but not detailed. I did this by proving it was booked, invoiced and paid for through our Florida travel agent. She used to own a Florida holiday home, so she does still have a US bank account and credit card but she could no longer produce a US utility bill, only a US bank account statement showing a UK mailing address. This makes me wonder if Princess would allow us to book for her again, or if someone has said it is OK provided she is linked to our booking.

[pralientje]

I am living in the Netherlands and when I tried to book a cruise with Star Clippers through the States I received a reply that stated that not only Star Clippers, but Princess, Oceania, Cunard and Costa as well, have forbidden to sell cruises to Europeans. So it are not only the British who suffer. :eek: :mad: :( :confused:

[Globaliser]

Legally we cant do anything as the US is not part of Europe it doesnt come under any fair pricing laws etc. Princess cruises can charge what they like its up to the customer whether they are willing to pay it or not.

Not entirely, they can't. They're not allowed to discriminate on an unlawful basis.

 

There is, of course, now a dual Carnival listing. Princess Cruises are sold in the UK by Carnival plc, and the Carnival website says:-

On April 17, 2003, Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL) and P&O Princess Cruises plc (LSE: POC) merged via a dual listed company structure (DLC). Subsequently, P&O Princess Cruises plc has changed its name to Carnival plc.

 

Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc function as a single economic entity through contractual agreements between two separate legal entities. Shareholders of both Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc have the same economic and voting interest but their shares are listed on different stock exchanges. Carnival Corporation common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under symbol CCL. Carnival plc is traded on the London Stock Exchange under symbol CCL and as an ADS on the New York Stock Exchange under symbol CUK.

So there may be three routes:-

1. Under this structure, Carnival plc (the UK company) is involved in the refusal to sell to UK residents in the US - and Carnival plc, as a UK company, can be sued in the UK.
2. The disadvantage to UK residents crystallises when we are forced to buy from Carnival plc in the UK. It is disingenuous for the same company simultaneously to operate the bar in the US, sell at higher prices in the UK, and then claim that they are not responsible for what goes on in the US. Carnival plc operating in the UK is therefore an active part of the discrimination being practised against UK residents, and can be sued for that in the UK.
3. US race discrimination laws may have similar indirect discrimination provisions, which might be capable of being directly invoked by a UK resident who has been discriminated against by a refusal by either Carnival Corp or Carnival plc to sell to them in the US.

Good luck with Which? magazine. If they do take it up, that's a great pressure point.

[harfield]

Has there been any more developent on this subject as I have sent quiet a few people to my TA now as she is still saying there is no Problems as long as it is do properly. Just received an email from my TA today and she says its still ok and keep sending her the Business. Aussie Bob

[ourlol]

Okay. I have just spoken to Princess in the UK. The general reservation telephone number in Southampton, where I selected option 4 (any other enquiries), then option 2.

 

I enquired what was the position in respect of Brits making a booking through the US. Had they tightened up their policy on this etc? The consultant I spoke to said that obviously Princess would prefer that British passengers booked through the UK and the Americans, likewise, book in their own country (as if they'd want to book over here LOL). However, he further stated there was nothing to stop me making a booking with a US Travel Agent so long as I had a US address. I would not need to provide a utility bill. The foreseen problems were the conditions of immigration, the **legal implications (?) - and if they needed to contact me, and couldn't, because I had given a contact that wasn't my own residential address.

 

** = Legal implications!! I was a bit confused about that because we agreed I wouldn't be lying on the Princess Personalizer and would be completing the forms correctly with my UK address etc.

 

So, it seems I have two options. The first, ask an American friend if I can use their address with the request that he/she forward on the documentation to the UK (pre-cruise/tickets) as and when they arrive. I would use my own credit card for payment. I can't see how this differs from what my US TA has done in the past!!

 

Or, I can ask a US friend to gift me the cruise by making and paying for the booking, with the proviso naturally, that I pay them in advance. Again they would have to post on the paperwork. This, of course, requires trust on both sides.

 

We agreed you need to do your homework first, booking via the US is more time consuming so far as working out the financial logistics of doing so; currency conversions, transfers etc., but the consultant also said that if more Brits took their bookings overseas, it would soon put the UK operation out of business.

 

Laura

[ourlol]

Post Script.

 

Call me the cautious type (I can't help the way I am). I am going to ring Princess in the UK again tomorrow and pose the same question and check there is no possibility whatsoever of me getting turned away from the pier by having booked through the US. I'm keeping my fingers crossed I get the same answer as I had today i.e. it won't be a problem. I don't doubt that that other TA's are saying everything will be fine. Neither do I doubt their integrity or believe they are lying either. I'm sure it can be done. It's just that I have incredible bad luck. Everyone else will be fine... unfortunately there is something my friend's often refer to as "Laura's Law" ;) There's always that one time!!

 

As I've said before, I have had some reservations about it all purely because I have the utmost respect for my current Travel Agent in America. I would feel happier knowing that she has been given the go ahead and todate she hasn't had the confirmation she needs to make new bookings from the UK. For me, personally, the best case scenerio would be to get agreement that it's okay to proceed from both sides of the pond.

 

Laura

[Ms Jo UK]

I received a quote from a US TA but when I e-mailed back advising that I was ready to proceed with my booking. I received an email saying sorry I can't book this but with no explanation.

 

Please can you email me yout TA in the US my email is jothompsonj@hotmail.com

 

I am really desperate to book my cruise so help with this would be appreciated.

 

 

Jo

[Ms Jo UK]

Below is part of the response I got from a US TA this evening when starting my booking process for the Tahitian princess. I mentioned the thrust of the thread on this board and asked the agent to ensure that I could book with them. I think I will be taking my chances.

 

 

"I just got off the phone with Princess' International desk and they have never heard of any of the embarkation agents denying any passenger boarding because they did not reserve their cruise with and agent from the country they live in. I have had multiple clients that live outside the U.S. that have sailed on Princess without any problems. They are protective when it comes to marketing outside the U.S., that they frown upon. It's just that documentation will come directly to my office and I will have to forward them to you in the U.K. If you want priority mailing, that cost will have to be picked up on your end."

[shuggee]

Hi, My 2 freinds in California have booked on the Coral Princess for next year, I asked them if there were any balcony cabins left so she checked with her TA. There were balcony cabins left so I emailed her TA to book a cabin. She asked me to send my full name, address and credit card details and she would book it. I did all that and got an email back from her saying she was unable to book it as I lived in the UK. She said that Princess had stopped US travel agents making bookings for clients outside North America 4 months ago. So now I have to see what Princess in the UK have left and what they're charging for the cabins. Will phone them later today (Tue), should be interesting.

 

Shug.

[harfield]

Hi, My 2 freinds in California have booked on the Coral Princess for next year, I asked them if there were any balcony cabins left so she checked with her TA. There were balcony cabins left so I emailed her TA to book a cabin. She asked me to send my full name, address and credit card details and she would book it. I did all that and got an email back from her saying she was unable to book it as I lived in the UK. She said that Princess had stopped US travel agents making bookings for clients outside North America 4 months ago. So now I have to see what Princess in the UK have left and what they're charging for the cabins. Will phone them later today (Tue), should be interesting.

 

Shug.

This still surprises me that othes are still having problems from booking outside the US. We have booked and I have sent few other people from the CC to my TA and all seems to well with their bookings as long as it is done properly. Aussie Bob