Ausralians being taken advantage of by Princess Cruises

[Aussie Gal]

We usually cruise out of Australia, though I did book our Celebrity Solstice cruise from Auckland to Sydney which we took in March this year, through our T.A. in the States. I looked at an Online Agency here in OZ and discovered that I got more OBC with our agent in the States and our deposit was a lot lower so I went with her. With Celebrity, the price is always the same whether you book here or in the States. The difference is the little extras that can come your way from the T.A.

 

Jennie

[NSWP]

Is that why I have never seen a cruise atlas, even though it is listed as a Member Benefit?

Marion..spot on, if you want to go on the list for one, ring Princess Office at North Sydney.

[mr walker]

the "lets give our business to a local" stance you are just validating their decision to treat you this way.

 

Or pehaps giving a fellow Aussie a job?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Originally Posted by MMDown Under

Is that why I have never seen a cruise atlas, even though it is listed as a Member Benefit?

 

Marion..spot on, if you want to go on the list for one, ring Princess Office at North Sydney.

 

Thats probably because Princess pay their Australian staff, Australian wages .

 

 

[Gerko]

There are a number of reasons people get OBCs. Recognised agents are allowed to make a certain number of cruises each year into featured cruises and the cruise line will give an OBC to every cabin the agent books on those cruises. There are sales that feature OBCs. There are OBCs for past passengers and for those who put down a Future Cruise Deposit on board. Very rarely is the OBC actually paid for by the agent. As far as I am aware US and Oz agents get the same commissions. Agents that book a lot of cruises receive preferred status and that can earn them 1% or 2% bonus commission. I just think the US agents absorb card fees cos its illegal for them not to. Our govt tried to 'make things fairer' by permitting limited card fee recouping but of course it backfired and now everyone gets ripped off by companies charging far more than they actually pay,

[Oz_Steve]

There are a number of reasons people get OBCs. Recognised agents are allowed to make a certain number of cruises each year into featured cruises and the cruise line will give an OBC to every cabin the agent books on those cruises. There are sales that feature OBCs. There are OBCs for past passengers and for those who put down a Future Cruise Deposit on board. Very rarely is the OBC actually paid for by the agent. As far as I am aware US and Oz agents get the same commissions. Agents that book a lot of cruises receive preferred status and that can earn them 1% or 2% bonus commission. I just think the US agents absorb card fees cos its illegal for them not to. Our govt tried to 'make things fairer' by permitting limited card fee recouping but of course it backfired and now everyone gets ripped off by companies charging far more than they actually pay,

 

Card fees are a cost of doing business, if the vendor fees are too high don't offer the card as a payment option.

I am in the process of booking a cruise and with a US agent the price is $6600 USD not including gratuities with a $300 rebate after the cruise. The price in Aus is, wait for it, $6,800 AUD including gratuities. So there you have it, it is not always cheaper to book in the US (although that is generally the case). Of course you do have the more restrictive booking conditions in Aus but fortunately my TA doesn't levy any additional charges for changes/cancellations.

[OZdownunder2013]

You have to fight sometimes - to get the OBC that you were promised. Sometimes, the agent agues with Princess - and Princess argues with the agent. Check the fine print on the paper work before you cruise - cause it is too late to fix it once you are on board. cheers, :confused:

[Kiwi Kruzer]

If you are offered an OBC....get it in writing and take a copy with you on board.

Sometimes the message does get through to the ship.:rolleyes:

 

 

[OZdownunder2013]

Re - the cruise atlas.

 

A cruise atlas - is really a cruise calendar. Don't expect much when you see it. We get one every year - listing every Princess ship in every cruise world wide - it is just a table - but is useful to find re-positioning cruises. (which are cheaper). So in that regard it can be useful. No maps just info in table form. My husband has an "ap" that tells every cruise ship in every port (or between) real time. neat.

[OZdownunder2013]

If you are offered an OBC....get it in writing and take a copy with you on board.

Sometimes the message does get through to the ship.:rolleyes:

 

 

 

I have it in writing from Princess and I have it in writing from the agent. Neither will honour it. It does NOT show up in my Cruise personalizer yet. I am fighting with them to honour the promised amount - and they are still weaving and ducking. Next step - litigation & court of petty sessions. A written contract is a written contract and they should pay OBC that they have promised. Beware of Future Cruise bookings - if they do not honour the OBC! "NOT happy JAN!!!!"

[Kiwi Kruzer]

You have to fight sometimes - to get the OBC that you were promised. Sometimes, the agent agues with Princess - and Princess argues with the agent. Check the fine print on the paper work before you cruise - cause it is too late to fix it once you are on board. cheers, :confused:

 

No its not.

 

We have had OBC's that have not shown up until we are on board.

 

There are many OBC's offerred. Was yours , per person or per stateroom?

 

[The_Big_M]

I have it in writing from Princess and I have it in writing from the agent. Neither will honour it. It does NOT show up in my Cruise personalizer yet. I am fighting with them to honour the promised amount - and they are still weaving and ducking. Next step - litigation & court of petty sessions. A written contract is a written contract and they should pay OBC that they have promised. Beware of Future Cruise bookings - if they do not honour the OBC! "NOT happy JAN!!!!"

 

OBC are subject to conditions, so what is the reason they told you it does not apply?

 

They don't just 'not honour it' because they feel like it.

[rkmw]

I have it in writing from Princess and I have it in writing from the agent. Neither will honour it. It does NOT show up in my Cruise personalizer yet. I am fighting with them to honour the promised amount - and they are still weaving and ducking. Next step - litigation & court of petty sessions. A written contract is a written contract and they should pay OBC that they have promised. Beware of Future Cruise bookings - if they do not honour the OBC! "NOT happy JAN!!!!"

 

i have never seen OBC on the personalizer, when i get the confirmation from the TA its there and it wont show up until you are onboard so if by some reason take a copy of the email from the TA just incase it doesnt show up

[NSWP]

I too have never seen OBC on the cruise personaliser, but have got it on a few cruises and it is on my account when I board. The Defence Force Benefit as OBC is shown on my my cruise personaliser booking summary for Golden Princess on 1 March: $250.

 

BTW, I got my cruise atlas, a non event really. Been Elite since 2008 and the first atlas received.

[OZdownunder2013]

Dear Les (NSWP), Th Big M, Mr rkmw and Kiwi David, thanks guys for these comments. cheers,

[GHDPeter]

On Board Credit does now appear in Cruise Personalizer. When you go to your booking there is a link to Onboard Credits which has been provided by Princess. It does not show OBC that you may have added through a gift and services purchase.

 

I have 3 current bookings with Princess and all show the correct of OBC, here is what one looks like.

[OZdownunder2013]

Dear GHD Peter, thanks for this, Mine is still incorrect - half OBC is there but half OBC is still missing. Stuffed computer glitch I guess, cheers, BJ.

[woodyren]

My receipt from the US online agent that I use states "OBC of $250 to be supplied no later than the second sea day". So I wont know for sure until then.

[rkmw]

Dear GHD Peter, thanks for this, Mine is still incorrect - half OBC is there but half OBC is still missing. Stuffed computer glitch I guess, cheers, BJ.

 

i found my OBC on the personalizer, couldnt find it at first so you learn something new

 

as i said before your TA should have sent the confirmation email with your OBC so print out a copy and take it with you and it should be in your account by the first sea day

[OZdownunder2013]

Princess "Cruise Solutuions" has a wonderful guy who looked into my missing OBC - and apparently I had already used it. I strongly recommend if you have a problem then email them to sort it out.

[rkmw]

Princess "Cruise Solutuions" has a wonderful guy who looked into my missing OBC - and apparently I had already used it. I strongly recommend if you have a problem then email them to sort it out.

 

how can you have used it, have you been on the cruise?

[OZdownunder2013]

how can you have used it, have you been on the cruise?

 

When you have multiple bookings -it does get complicated. Particularly when you tell the agent to use the "Future Cruise Letter" towards one cruise and they go and use it against another cruise. And their documentation says the opposite. Fortunately Princess now has a web page that shows the OBC for each cruise on the Cruise Personalizer. so all is okay. cheers,