Have any UK residents ever booked direct through the USA?

[phillipahain]

Thanks for the heads up on Nationwide credit card Ourlol

 

Sadly my daughter is still in great pain despite meds , and cant walk

the accident has caused major back problems .......they are seeing a lawyer tommorrow ....just hope the idiot woman who drove headlong into them on the wrong side of the road gets what they deserve because she has wrecked the lives of 4 children with their Mother in that state never mind their own trauma.

 

I might understand it if it was someone not used to driving on USA roads but the person lives in Florida

[Aussie Gal]

Hi Jennie,

 

We booked about 9 months ago thru a US agent...with our own Aussie address etc., will be doing the on line form filling pretty soon, no one has said to wait. Our payment/balance is due in Jan. We have no US address, but I suppose its a good idea maybe to make future bookings easier?

 

Very best wishes

 

S&D :)

 

PS..who do you book the flights with..when you book with a US agent for the cruise?

 

Hi S&D,

 

We are using Qantas F.F. points for the South American trip. After this experience with Princess I think I will stay with the lines that let you book either directly with them like HAL or the ones like Celebrity who are happy for us to book through the U.S.

 

Jennie

[ourlol]

Lynne,

 

....and don't forget that God's own county of Yorkshire is also represented here!

 

I've been watching the news coverage of yesterday's flash floods in Yorkshire. I didn't realise exactly how bad it was :eek: I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the TV footage of an elderly couple being dragged out of their car... moments before it sank!

 

Just to say I hope you weren't affected and am thinking of you.

 

Laura

[UKLady]

Hi Everyone

 

Hope you are all well

 

As you are aware I put the response I received from Princess Cruises re prices on this thread and I was very angry and dissapointed with their response.

 

I did not bother to reply and had simply decided not to cruise with them again.

 

Today I received a telephone call off Princess Cruises. The call was from management who could not aplogise enough. The letter was from a member of staff who was not authorised to respond to such a query.

 

We had a long conversation and discussued many points that have been raised on this thread.

 

With regard to pricing there is no intention to charge UK customers more and at the outset when cabins are priced they are priced at a similar rate the the US, however, travel agent deals and last minute prices affect the prices in the UK

 

As for not being able to book in the US, this is a policy that we will see changing for most travel companies with companies wanting people to book in the country they live in. There are no 'booking police' so to speak so for those of you worrying about being turned away portside - there is no need to worry

 

With regards to the website and captains circle benefits they are aware of the differences and are working on getting them changed.

 

I have to say I put every question and complaint I had and asked for reasons for this and that and I was given frank and honest answers.

 

Suffice to say, I do belive that Princess do care about their UK customers and are making an effort to improve things.

 

The gentleman I spoke to also promised to take a look at this site and the threads so they were more aware of what their customers thought

I realise that we will always find a difference somewhere and someone else will always get a better deal, however, Princess are listening and it may be aswell for more people to direct their query direct to them as well as sharing with the rest of us on here.

[ourlol]

My mother has a similar enquiry outstanding at the moment. She was promised a response within 28 days. The deadline for their reply is tomorrow and a reminder of that was sent to Princess UK today! Watch this space.

 

As for not being able to book in the US, this is a policy that we will see changing for most travel companies with companies wanting people to book in the country they live in

 

When you say "wanting" people to book. Can I assume that means Princess would prefer that we book in the UK, but won't be able to stop us should we choose not to?

 

It's also reassuring to read no one would get turned away at the port either.

 

Well done UK Lady... as you say they are listening. It's a step in the right direction. I wonder if Princess do decide to read this thread, whether they will make an official response. I don't see it happening though.

 

Laura

[Ms Jo UK]

UK Lady

Thank you for your hard work and persistence on this matter. I can relax now knowing that everything is ok with my Tahitian Princess booking booked through a US TA.

 

Strange comments by Princess that booking in your own country will be encouraged at a time when international air fares has just been lifted presumably to encourage us to shop around.

 

I really appreciate your hard work on this.

 

Jo

[ourlol]

and the answers keep rolling in!!

 

Here are the key messages from an enquiry made by my mother.

It is company policy not to accept bookings in the US from a non US resident. However if I were to have an address in the US then I would be able to book otherwise I could well be declined. Should I be successful in obtaining a booking through a travel agent in the US (with the correct documentation) I would not be denied boarding.

 

It then went on to explain about the lack of protection and the need to deal with the US if I had any problems.

 

Personally, I think this is a very fair response. Whilst I would never discount using a UK Travel Agent (because sometimes this really is the way to go) ~ I do feel reassured that if I want to I can use an American Travel Agent.

 

Whey Hey!

[britsbest]

we did it for the brilliance of the seas (rcl)last march saved at least 50% on the uk travel agents.We used *****************and booked direct flights from manchester to miami with AA, found thats the cheapest way to go.

 

Please could you email me TA details? Any one else too please !

bob.barrows@btinternet.com

[Ms Jo UK]

I have just sent you an email with TA details - I paid in $s what Princess wanted in £s and that was cabin only - good luck with your search.

 

Jo

[harfield]

Stiil have no problems booking through a US TA. I just booked on Monday and Got confirmation that all went through without any problems. Even got my booking number and was able to bring it up on the Personlizer and see all our details. So bookings can still be made through the US and we are in Australia. Aussie Bob

[Aussie Gal]

Thanks to everyone who has written to Princess. It puts my mind at rest, knowing that they will not stop anyone boarding who has the correct documentation.

 

Like Aussie Bob we have also used a U.S. T.A. and are looking forward to sailing on the Regal in January.

 

Jennie

[UK Cruiser]

Good Evening everyone.

 

I haven't been on here for a few days due to pressures of work. Now that I am back, it's good to see that Princess may be listening. we have two cruises booked at the moment - Princess in November booked in the UK and Celebrity in April booked in the USA, so it's going to be a little while before we get to test Princess' new resolve.

 

All I can say is that my US TA is adamant that she still has no problems with UK bookings, even though I don't have a US address. As was previously mentioned, with flight deregulation the boundaries are just pushed back even further and hopefully we will be in exactly the same bargaining position here in the UK as any other potential passengers from elsewhere.

 

 

Laura - we had torrential rain and about three hours of thunder and lightning a few days ago, but the flooding was not around here. Luckily we do not live in a flood plain!

 

Lynne

[LUV2CRUIZE]

tO THE RESIDENTS OF THE uk, THE ONE ISSUE IS MAINLY WITH PRINCESS, THEY WILL REQUIRE A US ADDRESS, ONE THING WE DO IS HAVE YOU FIRST OBTAIN A US CREDIT CARD, THEN GET A P.O. BOX IN THE STATES, AND SINCE YOU HAVE FRIENDS IN THE US THEY CAN GET THAT FOR YOU, THAT IS ALL YOU WILL NEED. THE OTHER LINES DO NOT MAKE AN ISSUE OF IT, WE DO IT ALL THE TIME.

 

GOOD LUCK,

LUV2CRUIZE

[English Rose]

I have used an American TA after booking last Christmas's Princess cruise and learning how much more I paid in the UK. Admittedly, this time I am cruising with Royal Caribbean. No problems whatsoever!!

[beckers]

If I am a home-based cruise agent couldn't I sell U.K. customers and have them use my U.S. home address? I have rent receipts also. All are welcome :D I just need contact info.

[brooks000]

Aussie Gal, if you read this I would be very interested in hearing how you got on with your final payment for Regal on Jan 8th.

We are from Queensland and also booked this cruise through a US agent in Jan 05. When we received our invoice I noticed that the agent had favoured us with US citizenship and a Florida address! Anyone reading this thread can work out why. An Australian visa card was OK for the deposit, however.

Anyway, long story short, I got the agent to issue a new invoice with the correct details, and I spoke to a Princess executive in the US who said that whilst Princess would prefer Australians to book through Australian agents, my booking would be OK. I have a booking number and have filled out the immigration forms on Princess' site with the correct (Australian) details.

I have advised the US agent that I would like to pay the balance at this time, and am awaiting the outcome.

I don't anticipate any problems, but can't help feel a bit nervous. Quite a big investment in air fares, etc.

[ourlol]

the agent had favoured us with US citizenship and a Florida address! Anyone reading this thread can work out why

 

I 'think' the situation is this:-

 

If, when making the initial booking, the US Travel Agent had used your own Australian address, it would immediately have been flagged on the Princess systems as being an overseas booking. Because Princess have now effectively banned passengers from booking outside of their own countries a) the TA could have got into trouble for taking your booking in the first place b) the booking could have been refused.

 

By using a dummy address/or the TA own address for the booking ~ I have even heard of some TAs aligning an overseas booking with an existing US one on the same cruise ~ your US TA is getting round the system, therefore allowing you to take advantage of what is probably a better rate than you would have got in Australia.

 

Given that a Princess executive has given you the assurance your booking will be okay, I would try not to worry.

 

As English Rose has found out, not all cruise lines are as inflexible as Princess. Royal Caribbean are still happy for folk to book through the USA. That said, I am just looking into a trip through the Panama Canal next April. Whilst the cruise only rates in America are 'very' attractive, by the time I add on the cost of flights from the UK, a hotel and transfers there is little to differentiate between the cost of the two... in fact the UK price works out a slightly cheaper. On this occasion, therefore, I may use a British TA. My only gripe is that here in the UK they don't seem to have the same selection of cabins available as those on offer in the US. For example, in the US there are two staterooms I would love on Caribe... here in the UK I am told there are none to be had.

 

 

Laura

[brooks000]

Hi Laura,

Thanks for your response.

Yes the agent's motivation in giving us an American address is now clear to me. However at the deposit stage I did not know of Princess' policy and thought it was just a mistake. Had I known I would not have bothered with the subterfuge. I would have booked with HAL. I had 2 cruises with HAL last year and no problems booking through US agents. (At least I think I would have booked with HAL. The Regal was excellent value!)

I have never seen a package of cruise/air etc offerred in Australia that could not improved upon by booking the cruise in the US, although the packages do sometimes come close, especially if they include hotels and transfers, etc. There is a convenience factor.

So far as the Regal's antarctic cruise is concerned I am not sure it was available through Australian agents at all. If it had been you can bet it would have been at least 50% dearer.

Anyway it beats working, doesn't it!

Cheers